The Rooster is one of three animal signs in the Chinese Zodiac that consist of a single element. The other two are Rat (Water) and Rabbit (Wood). The energy of the Rooster is Metal, yin Metal that is. Being yin indicates a feminine quality, but plenty of our perceptions about Roosters have to do with an energy we might characterize as yang. Because the relationship of yin/yang is always shifting, or relative to the situation, there are unlimited ways to describe the energy of Metal. Here are a some examples.

General Traits of Metal

Interestingly, you could take any one of the terms above and apply its opposite to the Rooster too. Try it. What if nitpicking became careless? Using extreme examples is helpful for learning but not every Rooster lives in the extremes. Think of all these words as clues rather than absolutes.

A simple approach to understanding the symbolic meaning of the Rooster’s possible “mistakes” is to consider the metaphors we use in our own language regarding roosters. Here are some common expressions:

• Hatching rooster eggs: Wasting time or resources
• Cock-eyed: turned or twisted to one side
• Cock and Bull story: tall tales and elaborate lies
• Cock sure: to brag
• Cock of the walk: to be the boss
• Strutting around like a rooster: to show off
• Rooster games: preferring to fight instead of trying to work out a problem

The character Foghorn Leghorn, a famous Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies rooster, seems to embody the moment when the yin nature of the Rooster becomes so strong it turns to yang.

At the extremes this Metal energy could manifest as a person being too loud and self important, making a racket and attracting attention to themselves; attention that they expect you to pay. On the other hand, a Rooster who is too quiet is in trouble. If you love a Rooster, remember this. Listen to them and they won’t feel the need to talk so much.

Foghorn Leghorn: “Now let me know when I come to something that interests you.” He says this because he is going to keep talking until that happens. Roosters feel their words are important and they are. It’s hard not to listen to the opinion of the Rooster when they seem so certain. If that makes them cocky, so be it. You would be too if you were walking around with all that plumage, a loud voice, not to mention some shiny sharp talons.

Self Clash

The Rooster is one of four zodiac animals that carries with it the dreaded “self penalty”. This occurs when the Rooster encounters another Rooster, either in the natal chart or through timing.

A Rooster self penalty might closely resemble Foghorn Leghorn’s behavior in general, but in real life a self penalty is relative to your day master. If you have a Rooster in your chart, you have probably experienced the self penalty before. Depending on your day master the Rooster self penalty may show up in one of these five ways:

• 木 Wood day master
  Power and control. Possibly a lack of self control or over controlling others. Or both.
• 火 Fire day master
  Money. Bad decisions or reckless risk taking about money.
• 土 Earth day master
  Output. Cockiness in speech, trash talking, too-sharp criticism.
• 金 Metal day master
  Relationships. Fighting with coworkers, friends, peers, siblings
• 水 Water day master
  Resources. Problems with food, drink, health.

Do you have a Rooster in your chart?*

Rooster Years: 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017
Rooster Month: September
Rooster Day: Depends on year and month
Rooster Hour: 5-7 pm (17:00-19:00)

Please contact me if you’d like to know your Four Pillars.

I’ll end this post with the natal chart of well known chef and restaurateur Michael Symon who has at least three Roosters in his natal chart. The Rooster often enjoys a good laugh and Michael Symon has one.