To Be Real
At last the Fire is real. The Fire of the Horse does not change its element, unlike the unreliable Fire of the Snake who changes elements according to context. Make the most of it Horse.
Horses have been waiting for the Fire to return since 2019. Maybe you’ve felt held back or held down by coldness, disappointment or illness. Now you are free. What have you been trying to accomplish? It’s important to continue to focus on that.
Fire helps us all move forward, you too, however, note that haste is not the answer most of the time. This could feel disappointing when you are naturally quick and like to race, but Horses will prevent many problems in 2026 just by slowing down. When prevention works, we never know. Try it, you’ll like it.
Taking Charge
In a Horse year like 2026, the Horse is both the boss of the year and clashed. If this sounds uncomfortably dynamic, you’re understanding.* There are both advantages and disadvantages for you. Above all, expect changes and obvious opportunities to change, especially in April. If you’d like some help, know that I am here.
By cultivating patience and avoiding rash actions, Horses can avoid potential accident and injury. A Horse year means there are financial rewards that come from your work so watch for ways to let it happen. It will happen through your actions, however, pursuing it or striving is exactly the opposite of the way.
One of the strangest things about this year for the Horse is that they are in a position of power, but they find themselves needing to woo people back. Maybe you’d prefer to be chased?
For Horses who don’t enjoy wooing, be more consistent with your appreciation and acknowledgment. Show your commitment all the time so you don’t have to prove it at some given moment. If this is already how you roll, this year of the Fire Horse will be much easier. If it’s not in your character to be consistent, maybe people don’t take you seriously. Is that okay with you?
The Year of the Burr Under the Saddle
Some Horses made great strides last year when the Fire of the was Snake present. That can continue this year too if you regulate your Fire. That feeling of constant irritation this year invites you to learn to soothe yourself.
When you’re feeling supercharged, remember: this is not an emergency situation. You’re going to be hearing alarms but let me repeat, this is most likely not an emergency. You are capable of recognizing when the urgency is real. When it’s not, give yourself a moment to laugh at yourself. This feeling of false urgency is the burr you want to get out from under your saddle.
That burr spurs Horses into thinking about retaliation, winning, or having a competitive do over – a rematch? Some of this is healthy Horse energy and simply requires a directed and safe outlet, especially in the summer months of May, June and July. Following the Chinese calendar, the season of summer begins in May with the Snake month.
The dumbest thing a Horse could do this summer is pick a fight or try to take out an old enemy. Rash behavior may beckon to you Horse, and it could affect your health.
Clashing Your Own Self
In the system of Chinese Astrology known as Bazi, each of the twelve Zodiac animals take turns being in charge of the year. This leads people to think that when it’s your year, meaning a year that matches your birth year animal, you naturally have an advantage. For some Chinese Zodiac signs this is true, for others not so much. In a Horse year, the Horse experiences the self clash.
There are four signs or branches that are prone to what is called the self clash: 午 Horse, 酉 Rooster, 亥 Pig and 辰 Dragon. When there is a self clash, what is happening in the bazi or natal chart is an elemental overload that clouds judgment and influences behavior. I think it’s safe to say that a self clash surfaces old tendencies we may think we corrected.
As a Horse, ask yourself if these old tendencies are reactions to old wounds. The intensity of that kind of pain may feel the same as it did the first time. For a Horse, pain is sudden and intense, illness might be too. What’s different now is you. You’re not the same person you were then Horse. Some confidence in that, even if you have to fake it at times, is a great tool for you this year.
Remedies and Mitigations
To avoid your own self clash, Horse, seek out a different kind of clash: strategy and advice. Do this when you want to pump the brakes. Ask for advice throughout the year. Get advice from people who want to help you do what you are trying to do, not people who just want to talk you out of it. This is an important distinction.
Clash yourself with the energy of a helpful 子 Rat (not just any old Rat) as an experiment and learn some lessons about consistency, power and authority. Rats are Noblemen for all of us this year.
The ultimate remedy for any self clash is learning, however, some never do. For those who do learn, it takes some time. Theoretically, age and experience would be all that’s needed. When you read bazi you find out this is not true. One of the best tools for influencing your fate is character, not the passing of time alone. By character I mean (in part) your day stem which could be any one of five elements, in the form of yin or yang. If you want to influence your character, behavior and communication are probably the safest ways to do it. We only exist in relationship after all.
For any Horse, part of the self clash means communication could be a challenge. Knowing that, a Horse in a Horse year might focus on being a good communicator. Otherwise there could be some legal repercussions around miscommunication. Prevention means you’ll never know.
Save Yourself, Slow Down, Count Blessings
The Horse is a rescuer, but in their attempts to rescue they sometimes have to be rescued. Now you may not need help, that is, if you save yourself first. That way, others won’t have to put themselves at risk due to your bolting. You’re a sensitive and powerful beast and that cuts both ways. Horses carry the energy of an angel or a self-wrecking ball, probably both. The challenges are real.
In a Horse year, the Horse may feel betrayed but is it the “truth”? Sometimes the feeling that someone has done us wrong is enough to convince us that we have solid motives for our own bad behavior but as you know, feelings that made sense in the moment can change to embarrassment in a heartbeat. By slowing down you can avoid these scenarios.
While it’s true that in a Horse year Horses may feel mistreated, or that people are ungrateful, it can’t be made right by way of punishment. Being in a position of power, you might get confused about that. You see, people may be frightened into acting in a certain way by bullies, but I don’t think it changes their fundamental values. Character determines these things, not punishments. If you want to be liked, and I think you do, then act in a way that permits people to like you for real.
Wooing and the 午 Wu (Horse)
Horses are not known for playing well with other Horses, however, they focus the energy when in a team with the Tiger and Dog. This team is called the Fire Trio and this year it’s a vibrant one! The Tiger strikes, the Horse rescues, the Dog defends. The Fire Trio are the first responders.
As always, Horses have certain loyal supporters despite their many flaws. This year, some of the Horse’s fan base could be at risk from the Horse’s demands. Both Rabbit and Horse have potential breakups coming in 2026 and this could be why. Consider the position of the Rabbit or Horse in your natal chart for more nuance. For example, a “breakup” might involve a partner, a family member, a job…This is the kind of energy you may experience in March and June.
Sometimes breakups are for the best, or they are unavoidable when at least one party doesn’t want to continue the relationship. If breaking up is not something you want, consider your commitment to the relationship. If you want it, then you will do things that show your commitment. A potential folly for a Horse in a Horse year is that you don’t need anyone, but everyone needs/wants you. Don’t be foolish enough to act like you don’t care.
Friends and Associates
Some of the Horse’s other co-conspirators are Tiger and Dog. Look for new/old alliances all year. Hit the ground running in February with announcements and action. Reap in October and give back to others. Try not to let your paranoia about group projects blind you to important opportunities for collaboration and friendship that will be around you all year. Learn to do good deeds and support the attention you crave in a new(?) way.
There’s one more ally standing by the Horse who is almost always ready to take you back: the Sheep. Take advice from them about relationships and service as a way of tempering your ideas and behavior around that concept. The Sheep is here to hold your hand this year, maybe you should plan to be there for them when they need you. Help them get ready for their big year coming in 2027.
Be Outshined
One last strategy I want to share with you Horse is: encourage others to outshine you. You don’t need to try for attention, in fact, deflecting some may actually be good for your health. What you do will be noticed Horse and there is more than enough spotlight to go around – always! If you feel like you don’t have enough, remember that we don’t all have the same capacity for fame. All is as it’s meant to be.
In all relationships Horse, apologize as soon as you realize you have made a mistake. Don’t let it linger. Be honest – it’s safe. Regulate yourself. Respond rather than react.
Respond Rather Than React
An extreme-ish example of Horse energy is the bazi of Mike Tyson who was born in the previous Fire Horse year of 1966.
Mike Tyson is a 庚 yang Metal guy. His power element is Fire, and in the 午 Horse, it’s strong. The Horse is also one of his self clashes. The other one in his natal chart is 辰 Dragon.
He has been in a Big Fate of Metal Rat since 2019.
Ba Zi of Mike Tyson
b. June 30 1966 09:40 am
Since it’s a Fire Horse year, I wonder if he is looking for a rematch. That could be motivated by a self clash of Horse and a self clash Dragon. A person with both of these signs in 2026 is going to have a lot of ups and downs, possibly related to their own behavior. In Mike Tyson’s case, he is prone to take risks that others might not, magnifying the potential failure or payoff.
The way that self clash works is if you have one of the signs in your natal chart, when that same sign arrives through timing you experience the self clash. If you have two of the same sign, it can be like having self clash all the time. There are “rules” about this so you have to analyze case by case to be accurate.
I would say that Mike Tyson experiences the self clash all the time but he has learned a lot about character and behavior. It’s impressive to me because he has that Wood Horse month pillar. He could easily get away with a lot and I think that can make it harder to learn for some people. It seems like he is learning what he came here for.
For a person born in summer, the Wood Horse pillar is the proverbial Get Out Of Jail Free card. This year, the Horse month (mostly June) is a Wood Horse. If you were born in a Snake or Sheep month, you have this card to play this year too.
What will be interesting about Mike Tyson this year is that he has a lot of output, that is, he may be feeling like fighting again. This seems like a very risky proposition for a 60 year old, even for him. In April he might sign an agreement to box again. If he does that, maybe the Wood Horse month would be best. Don’t you love the Universe’s little jokes and paradoxes? “The dumbest thing a Horse could do this summer is to pick a fight…” What if his get out of fail free card is played through his making a different choice?
My preference would be that Mike Tyson never boxes again. I don’t prefer to see people get wrecked, but I see from his hour pillar that his preference is likely different! My wish for Mike is that he makes it through this year intact.
*If you want to know what it’s like, ask Don Lemon who was born in 1966, a Fire Horse year.
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