The 5 Chinese Zodiac Elements
Alongside the 12 animals runs a cycle of five elements. Together they make the 60-year cycle — your full sign is something like "Yang Metal Rat".
How the element cycle works
The five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water — run in that fixed order, two years each, so the element repeats every 10 years. It is keyed to the last digit of the year: years ending 4–5 are Wood, 6–7 Fire, 8–9 Earth, 0–1 Metal, 2–3 Water. Because 12 animals and 5 elements only line up again after 60 years, a combination like Wood Rat or Fire Horse comes round just once a lifetime.
Your animal sets the broad shape of your character; the element colours it. A Metal Rooster and a Water Rooster share the Rooster's precision and pride, but the Metal one is sharper and more self-contained while the Water one is more diplomatic. Use the calculator to find yours, then open your element and one of the 60 element-animal pages.