Earth Rat Month
The Rat, much like a Water day stem person, is capable of switching back and forth from yin to yang and vice versa. They do it all the time. This is part of the magic of the Rat and why their strategies are usually effective. Possessing the flexible and uncontainable nature of Water, they can appear and disappear seemingly at will.
Rats are everywhere and nowhere, always seeking that lowest level where they gather to communicate; they are the invisible critics. The Rat hour is 11pm-1am. The darkness allows the Rat passage wherever they want to go. The Rat’s most prized element is Fire. Water loves Fire.
戊
子
Earth Rat
In the Earth Rat month, given the nature of the relationship of Earth and Water, we may find it hard to communicate, as if our words are stifled or it’s hard to get them out. A person with this pillar might be a stutterer or experience other such issues with communication.
On the other hand, the Rat can sometimes be known for blurting things out or too much talk. Obviously this is a yin/yang situation. You don’t get one extreme without the other one trailing along.
The Earth Rat pillar might summon the image of a Mountain floating on Water, or a Mountain floating above clouds if you like. In everyday life, we might see these images in the land form around us. An island can look like a floating mountain, a mountain encircled by low clouds can look like it’s floating in the sky. In those cases, we know it’s an illusion. Water and clouds cannot support a mountain. (There are mythological floating islands though.)
The elemental signature or Na Yin of the 戊子 Earth Rat pillar is Fire. One way to remember this is that yang Earth on top of the pillar can combine with yin Water hidden in the Rat to create Fire. When the circumstances allow, this can happen. It can happen through timing most easily which is true of all transformations I think. You know the saying, everything has its season? There are many ways to interpret a pillar, and what catches your attention will be influenced by what you want to know, as well as the overall timing.
The last Earth Rat year you might remember was 2008. In that year, subprime mortgages drove the collapse of the real estate market. A lot of deals were made based on money that didn’t exist to put it bluntly – kind of like now. A lot of money disappeared. People’s homes became worth less than their purchase price. This same kind of energy is a concern now. As for real estate, at this moment in time, it’s not time to sell if you’re looking for the kind of profit people were getting in the past few years. It may be that you’ll need to wait for the Sheep to arrive in 2027 if you’re set on that.
The Death of the Year
In an Earth Rat month, the Snake’s influence continues to wane. I expect it will flare up one more time in January, maybe we can call that month the tail of the Snake. When we hit December 20th, the day before winter solstice, we’ll be at the lowest point of qi for the year. That’s where we’re headed – into a time of simultaneous beginnings and endings. When we get to the extreme yin, yang is born.
There will probably be some false starts this month for all of us, even if you’re reading accurately what the coming year is bringing. Don’t take it too hard. There’s plenty of time to adjust. The energy of the old year is going to sleep but it’s not dead yet.
In this time where the old year is “dying” and the new year is conceived, I am reminded of how when a person is in the process of dying, somewhere near the end they might have a moment where they become energized and lucid; we feel like we can communicate with them and we can. We can communicate with the new year through the old year now, but it will be limited.
As the energy of the year wanes and waxes, it’s time for us to strategize but remain flexible. This might be a good tactic for the entire Year of the Fire Horse.
Practical Applications for the Month
As Horses can feel the Fire of the new year ramping up despite being in the Water season, they may be lured out of rest, warmth and other winter maintenance routines. The Horse has a problem with consistency. Strangely, they might think of routine as a harm, but anyone could use some solid routines that are aimed at keeping them healthy.
My advice to you (and everyone else) is to continue to take precautions to protect your Fire. Rest as you feel the need. Slow down. Drink tea or other hot drinks; eat soup and stews. Get in the sauna if you can. Keep your wind gate (the back of your neck) covered – wear a scarf! Layers will keep your kidneys warm too. Sometimes I wrap a shawl around my torso when I’m working at my desk for this very reason.
If these things sound silly or like too much to you, all I can say is as you age you will find out how much your body can be impacted by your preventive measures. If you start younger, maybe there’s less damage to counteract?
The Rat brings a peak of Water energy. If you’re a Water person, it will make your self element stronger. Depending on what else is going on in your natal chart, you might prefer more Water – or not. Most of the time any element brings a mixed bag and we tend not to notice what is going right. I think we can pick and choose what to take away from our experiences by way of our focus and perceptions. With practice it becomes easier.
You get a whole month of Nobleman energy courtesy of the Rat if your day (or year) stem is 乙 yin Wood or 己 yin Earth. With both these Heavenly Stems being yin, it’s interesting to research whether the benefit of the Nobleman for women is more powerful than it is for men.
For a 乙 yin Wood person, the Rat a yin Nobleman. Some say it suggests a woman but not someone in your family. I’d say your Nobleman could be your mom. It depends. Definitely though, the Rat is your resource: what you’ve learned, your ancestors, what you know, and your health, just to mention a few possibilities.
For a 己 yin Earth person, the Rat is your wealth or success: material things, prizes, winning, controlling, conquering and other kinds of success. Consider the relationship of Rat and Ox who are Secret Friends and in the context of their relationship, Water is turned to Earth.
We can say that the wealth of Earth is communication or fertility, and the origin of Wood is in emotion or wisdom. These are just a few ways to play with Wu Xing.
As I mentioned earlier, the Rat is a strategist and planner. Perhaps it’s because the quiet emptiness of the Water season is perfect for these activities. Let your busyness subside. Try not to worry about everything working out perfectly. This won’t be the last time you consider how your tactics are working. You’ll want to be doing that regularly in 2026.
Health: Maintain your Fire!
Travel: Should be smoother this month.
Here’s one more thought: Those who are assisted this month will be challenged next year and vice versa. Pay attention to the location of these branches in your natal chart if you want to know what that could be about.
Assisted: Monkey, Rat, Dragon, Ox
Challenged: Tiger, Horse, Dog, Sheep
This post is an excerpt from my Monthly Guide. If you like this kind of content, become a subscriber!
