Born in 1978 (Shōwa 53): eto and age

1.The eto of 1978, and the Risshun rule

The eto of 1978 is 戊午 (Tsuchinoe-uma, the Yang Earth Horse). In Four Pillars, Nine Star Ki and other Eastern astrology, though, the year begins at Risshun (Feb 4 in 1978). People born between 1 January 1978 and the moment of Risshun (Feb 4, 13:27) are treated as the previous year's 丁巳 Hinoto-mi and Goō Dosei.

2.Personality of people born in 1978

戊午 combines 戊, the stem of a mountain, with 午, the horse. Like a horse running across the plains, the Horse is cheerful, active and in love with freedom.

Generous and big-hearted, you are fair to everyone. Calm and steady, you are the person others count on in a crisis.

Read more: meaning of 戊午, Year of the Horse and Shiroku Mokusei.

3.School years in Japan for people born in 1978

Japanese school years run from 2 April to 1 April the next year, so people born between 1 January and 1 April (hayaumare) are in the grade above.

4.Longevity celebrations

Kanreki is celebrated at 60 (61 in traditional counting). From Koki on, the celebrations were originally counted in traditional age, which would make each one a year earlier than shown.

5.Yakudoshi (unlucky years) for people born in 1978

Yakudoshi are counted in traditional age (kazoedoshi = the calendar year − birth year + 1; everyone gains a year on 1 January, regardless of birthday).

6.Fortune for the Horse in 2026 and 2027

2026: overall ★★★★☆ A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit

2027: overall ★★★★☆ A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit

Read the full fortune for the Horse →

7.The calendar of 1978

In 1978, Shiroku Mokusei sat in the center of the Nine Star Ki year chart, and the lucky direction (where the year god Toshitokujin resides) was south-southeast. Years with the same eto are 1918 and 2038; years with the same eto and the same star come every 180 years (1798, 2158). The secret imperial edict that Emperor Kōmei sent to the Mito domain in 1858 (戊午の密勅) was one of the causes of the Ansei Purge.