2006 - Year of the Fire Dog:
A Time of Happiness and Dissent
(January 29, 2006 through February 17, 2007)
What can you expect from the Year of the Dog (year 4704 in the Chinese lunar calendar)? Chinese fortunetellers predict that events during the Year of the Dog will be complex, as we can expect to find both pleasantness and disharmony. The dog's sense of territory is reflected in an importance of home and family. It will be a year when we look to issues and causes larger than ourselves. We will shift away from materialism and towards self-reflection. Typically the Year of the Dog is characterized by generous acts of charity. However, disharmony may result in conflicts, though we can look to the dog's quality of wanting to help as a guide for peaceful conflict resolution.
This year's dog is ruled by the element fire. A Chinese myth tells of how the celestial red fire dog chased away evil spirits.
The dog in general is valued in China. For example, Taoist monks and Chinese nobles developed many breeds of dogs, including the Chow Chow, Lhasa Apso, Mastiff (the oldest breed of dog in the world), Pekinese, Shar-pei, Shih Tzu, Tibetan Terrier and Spaniel. Taoist monks bred the Chow Chows to chase away evil spirits and serve as temple and palace guardians. Royalty also bred Chows Chows to protect their property.
People born during the Year of the Dog (1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994: though varies if you were born in January or February) usually exhibit the dog's loyalty and faithfulness to those they love. In keeping with the quality of the year, they are typically generous. However, they also can be stubbon and tend to find fault.
For more specific predictions for your sign, see the article on the Animal That Hides in Your Heart: Your Animal Sign.
For more on the Chinese New Year, see our article, Chinese New Year History and Legends.
