Year of the fire horse explained: the Chinese zodiac sign of intensity

As the lunar new year begins attention has turned to the year of the fire horse, a rare pairing in the 60-year cycle. Drawing on Chinese metaphysics, the fire horse blends the horse’s reputation for energy and independence with the intensity of the fire element, giving it a distinct place in the zodiac tradition.

The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle of animal signs — rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig — combined with the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These elements rotate with the animals through the 10 heavenly stems, creating the 60-year cycle.

“The metaphysical theory is that everything on this Earth, including humans, are made up of these five elements and then within these elements, there are yin and yang versions,” the holistic astrologer Lydia Lee says. A fire horse year occurs once every 60 years when the horse pairs with the fire element; it is often described as fast-moving and high-energy.

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