The fortunes by animal here are a simple reading from the animal of your birth year. A full Four Pillars reading of the year looks at your Day Master and luck cycles.
What kind of year is 2026?
The stem 丙 (Hinoe) is yang Fire, and the branch 午 is the Horse, yang Fire. Stem and branch are both Fire: the same element doubled, so its qualities come through strongly.
The year’s lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast. Gōō-satsu falls in the south, Anken-satsu in the north, and Saiha in the north.
The animal fortune looks at how your animal gets on with the year’s animal: people and tailwinds. The nine-star fortune looks at where your star moves on the chart: your inner flow. If one says “tailwind” and the other “blocked”, read both together: make use of your connections while you strengthen your footing.
Ranking of the twelve animals in 2026
Fortune by animal
Rat ★★☆☆☆
An uneven year: preparation and judgment are key
The year's animal (the Horse) sits directly opposite yours, a “clash” year. Your environment is likely to shift: a job change, a move, or people coming and going in your life. Pause before big decisions so that sudden change doesn't push you around. If you treat it as a chance to let go of the old, change becomes your ally.
In terms of the elements, your Water restrains the year's Fire (controlling cycle). You can take the initiative, and effort turns readily into income and results. Pushing too hard invites pushback, so listen to the people around you.
Lucky color: white (the color of Metal, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: west. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Ox ★★★☆☆
Mostly steady, and careful checking pays off
Your animal and the Horse are in a “harm” relationship, so misunderstandings come easily this year. Explain things carefully, double-check, and stay out of gossip.
In terms of the elements, the year's Fire feeds your Earth (generating cycle). Seniors and the people around you are likely to support you, and it is a good year for study and qualifications. Don't stay passive: nurture the connections you are given.
Lucky color: red (the color of Fire, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: south. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Tiger ★★★★☆
A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit
You and the Horse are two members of the same trine, a “half trine” with the year, so a strong tailwind blows. Joining forces with others puts goals within reach that you couldn't achieve alone.
In terms of the elements, your Wood feeds the year's Fire (generating cycle). You will pour energy into others more often, and earn trust and respect in return. Spending and fatigue add up, so schedule your rest days first.
Lucky color: black or navy (the color of Water, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: north. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Rabbit ★★★☆☆
Mostly steady, and careful checking pays off
Your animal and the Horse form a “break”, so small cracks in promises can widen. Plan carefully and confirm the details.
In terms of the elements, your Wood feeds the year's Fire (generating cycle). You will pour energy into others more often, and earn trust and respect in return. Spending and fatigue add up, so schedule your rest days first.
Lucky color: black or navy (the color of Water, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: north. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Dragon ★★★★☆
A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit
There is no special branch relationship with the Horse, but the elements are on your side. Plans you move forward at your own pace are likely to take shape with help from others.
In terms of the elements, the year's Fire feeds your Earth (generating cycle). Seniors and the people around you are likely to support you, and it is a good year for study and qualifications. Don't stay passive: nurture the connections you are given.
Lucky color: red (the color of Fire, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: south. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Snake ★★★★☆
A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit
There is no special branch relationship with the Horse, but the elements are on your side. Plans you move forward at your own pace are likely to take shape with help from others.
In terms of the elements, your animal (Fire) and the year (Fire) share the same element. You find companions with the same aims and your strengths grow, though rivalry between similar people also comes easily; choose cooperation.
Lucky color: green or blue (the color of Wood, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: east. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Horse ★★★★☆
A year with the wind at your back: challenges bear fruit
2026 is a year of your own animal, the year Japanese people call toshi-otoko or toshi-onna. The flow of the year matches yours and your presence grows. You can move a long way with this tailwind, but watch out for spinning your wheels in the rush.
Your branch also forms a “self-punishment” with itself, so don't let your fixations take over. Share the load and let others take some of it.
In terms of the elements, your animal (Fire) and the year (Fire) share the same element. You find companions with the same aims and your strengths grow, though rivalry between similar people also comes easily; choose cooperation.
Lucky color: green or blue (the color of Wood, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: east. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Goat ★★★★★
A strong tailwind: a year to leap forward
Your animal forms one of the “six harmonies” with the Horse, the year's animal. Good connections and helpers appear, and things come together through people. It is a good year to give a bond a definite shape, such as marriage or a contract.
In terms of the elements, the year's Fire feeds your Earth (generating cycle). Seniors and the people around you are likely to support you, and it is a good year for study and qualifications. Don't stay passive: nurture the connections you are given.
Lucky color: red (the color of Fire, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: south. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Monkey ★★☆☆☆
An uneven year: preparation and judgment are key
There is no special branch relationship with the Horse this year, but the elements put some strain on you, so keep to your own pace.
In terms of the elements, the year's Fire restrains your Metal (controlling cycle). You may feel more responsibility and pressure, but every hurdle you clear makes you grow. Don't overdo it; put your health first.
Lucky color: yellow (the color of Earth, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: west-southwest. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Rooster ★★☆☆☆
An uneven year: preparation and judgment are key
There is no special branch relationship with the Horse this year, but the elements put some strain on you, so keep to your own pace.
In terms of the elements, the year's Fire restrains your Metal (controlling cycle). You may feel more responsibility and pressure, but every hurdle you clear makes you grow. Don't overdo it; put your health first.
Lucky color: yellow (the color of Earth, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: west. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Dog ★★★★★
A strong tailwind: a year to leap forward
You and the Horse are two members of the same trine, a “half trine” with the year, so a strong tailwind blows. Joining forces with others puts goals within reach that you couldn't achieve alone.
In terms of the elements, the year's Fire feeds your Earth (generating cycle). Seniors and the people around you are likely to support you, and it is a good year for study and qualifications. Don't stay passive: nurture the connections you are given.
Lucky color: red (the color of Fire, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: south. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Pig ★★★☆☆
A steady year: consistent effort pays off
There is no special branch relationship with the Horse, so the year has few big waves. It is easy to follow your own plans, and steady effort pays off.
In terms of the elements, your Water restrains the year's Fire (controlling cycle). You can take the initiative, and effort turns readily into income and results. Pushing too hard invites pushback, so listen to the people around you.
Lucky color: white (the color of Metal, the element that supports you). Lucky direction: west. The year's lucky direction (ehō) is south-southeast.
Fortune by nine-star
Ippaku Suisei
Hōsaku-fusagari: a year to review. You attract attention but find it hard to move. Rather than starting something big, spend the year strengthening your footing and enriching your inner life.
Jikoku Dosei
A full, busy year. Your fortune is high, work is fulfilling and seniors are likely to back you. You will be busy, but taking on responsibility helps you grow a great deal.
Sanpeki Mokusei
A year of harvest and joy. Your efforts bear fruit, and money and relationships go well. Invitations multiply; watch out for overspending and careless words.
Shiroku Mokusei
A year of change and turning points. Big changes and turning points come easily: a new job, a move or an inheritance may mark a milestone in your life. It pays to stop and rethink your direction.
Goō Dosei
A year at the peak, in the spotlight. Your fortune peaks, your talents are recognized and you are in the spotlight. It is also a time when hidden things come to light, so stay honest.
Roppaku Kinsei
A year of standstill and recharging. This is the lowest point of the cycle, the winter of your fortune. Don't push; use the year for study, rest and planning, and you will store up strength to grow next spring.
Anken-satsu and Saiha: your star sits in this unlucky position on the year chart, so take care with the timing and direction of big decisions and moves.
Shichiseki Kinsei
A year of preparation and groundwork. A time to till the soil before the shoots appear. Even without visible results, steady work and helping others lead to a rich harvest later.
Happaku Dosei
A year of growth and new starts. Like buds in spring, things start to move. It is the best time to begin something new, and the more you act, the more doors open. Beware of saying too much in the rush.
Kyūshi Kasei
A year of trust and fulfilment. Your efforts take shape, and trust and good connections come your way. Negotiations and marriages come together easily, and ties with faraway places grow.
Your full date of birth gives your nine-star and lucky directions: find your star and lucky directions. Fortune for 2027 →