Hours ruled by the : 1 pm - 3 pm
Direction of its sign : South - Southwest
Season and principal month : Summer - July
Corresponds to Western sign : Cancer
Fixed Element : Fire
Stem : Negative
Year: 1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027
Greatest Affinity : Rabbit, Boar
Greatest Enmity : Ox
I am nature's child.
I trust and am rewarded by trust.
Fortune smiles upon my countenance.
All things blossom
In the gentleness of my love.
I strive to find beauty in all I behold.
I am fair of face
And full of grace.
I am the Goat.
Goats are born under the sign of art and those born under her influence inherit the most feminine aspects of all the twelve signs. Respected for their shy and gentle manners, Goats are thought by the Chinese to be bringers of Peace. They are quick to react against conflict and only strike in a militant pose in an attempt to restore harmony. However, it must be added that the Goats love of a peaceful World is not based on some glorious universal idea of Utopia; quite the reverse is true. In general the Goat realises that only a harmony's world provides the sociably pleasurable opportunities for which all Goats crave. The Japanese have an expression that sums up the Goat personality beautifully, "I Shoku-Ju" which roughly translated means a love of the senses: food, clothes and comfort. La dolce vita, in other, equally exotic words.
Because their sign is art, Goats make the most wonderful performers and it's impossible to stop a Goat from performing, no matter where. Should a Goat choose to turn his or her enormous talent to anything that is even vaguely demanding of a show- it could be Hamlet at the Old Vic or tossing off an instant supper for two- we are likely to witness a performance of Oscar winning proportions. No one can dance or act as brilliantly as a Goat on form, and their great pleasure in performing provides an unexpected advantage when it comes to throwing a party. Although the Goat faces tough competition for the title of top hostess, namely from the Horse and Pig, they frequently run out the winner.
With the attention full on them Goats thrive, but it is here that they face the greatest danger. Goats need tethering to make the most of themselves and left to their own devices are prone to wander- usually in search of the next good time.
The Chinese describe Goats as capricious, which hits the nail on the head since the word capricious comes from the Italian for Goat, CAPRA. They follow trends rather than create them. Once tethered, either to a task or ambition, a relationship or dream, a Goat will invariably hit the jackpot.
Although they might make money, in business Goats tend to overstate the case or choose the wrong moment to do so. They should avoid being salesmen unless working in a team. Should they take on supreme responsibility, Goats will do well to appoint advisers with a less fickle view of the World. No stranger to hard work, Goats usually spend what they earn- usually on beautiful objects, clothes and paintings.
The first of the three phases of a Goat's life finds the young Goat clinging to the family, and as throughout their lives using tears and tantrums to get their own way. Breaking parental ties is tough for a Goat and it is noted that Goats invariably lives close to the family home. Driven by their senses, Goats experience a number of emotional ups and downs through the middle period, the heart always ruling the head. Goats are quick to learn and seldom make the same mistake twice. Money, too, will bring its share of problems. In the last phase, when the Goat realises that their own patch is truly worth cultivating, there will be peace and abundance.