It’s a middling year for rats. The cheese is just not quite as soft or tasty as the past 12 lunar months’, but that’s your menu. The stars are still providing plenty of fromage as long as you know which mouse hole to venture down. Even if you find yourself surrounded by hungry cats, as long as you’re metal free and quiet as a church mouse, they will not get you.
The only especially nasty star for health this year is magnetised for metals. Be careful of your hip and knee replacements, watch those old teeth fillings, and you’ll not be troubled. Kitchen knives and heavy cars might be treated with a little care lest you scrape a little fur off and need to get attention as quick as a rat up a drainpipe.
With the exception of those snuffling pigs, you are best placed to rat around for where the fat is. Lab rat or not, be true to your inner mouse and you’ll find everything falling into place. For rats out there on their own, any sign of a sinking ship will bring help - there’s no pied piper to lead you astray this year.
The run of rug-rat potential should continue to the start of June. Single rats may want to make their move in the spring - no time to play cat and mouse with your intended - for once the summer arrives, the rest of the year is looking a bit Mickey Mouse and they’ll not give a rat’s patootie about you. Place an Easter bunny in the east and wax up your whiskers - love is in the air.
A fine year for the rat race, and there’s a reason they named it after you. This is the time to be the mouse potato at work, Tiberius of the telephone, Smintheus of the SMS. Those cat stars may see that you get no high promotion, but by keeping your nose to the cheesewheel, you’ll be in the best position for when the opportunity arises.
Taiwan singer A-Mei; PBOC governor Zhou Xiaochuan; celebrity cook Nigella Lawson; singer Katy Perry; actor Antonio Banderas; actress Doris Day; designer Jimmy Choo.
Judgement
The receptive brings about sublime success, furthering through the perseverance of a mare. It is favourable to find friends in the west and south.
Image
The earth’s condition is receptive devotion. Thus the superior man who has breadth of character carries the outer world.
Line
Six at the top means dragons fight in the meadow. Their blood is black and yellow.
Verdict
When dragons fight, rats are right. They’ll take the attention away from you, and the perseverance of the mare that you’ve hitched a ride on will carry you across the outer world. Compasses are aligned north-south, the directions above can be changed by placing yourself on the other side of the compass - find your friends where you will.
07 Feb 2008 - 25 Jan 2009
10 Feb 1948 - 28 Jan 1949
19 Feb 1996 - 06 Feb 1997
24 Jan 1936 - 10 Feb 1937
02 Feb 1984 - 19 Feb 1985
05 Feb 1924 - 24 Jan 1925
15 Feb 1972 - 02 Feb 1973
18 Feb 1912 - 05 Feb 1913
28 Jan 1960 - 14 Feb 1961
31 Jan 1900 - 18 Feb 1901
