The Clapping Song
Monkeys – if you’re reading this, that means you made it through another year of the Snake! As is often the case in the relationship of 申 Monkey and 巳 Snake, there was a lot of action, and possibly some mutual suspicion, distrust or uncertainty. I hope you feel less anxious now. Experiencing the Wood Snake year could mean you’ve come out with a new flexibility.
Just in case you haven’t, I’ll give you the short version of the fortune up front:
Tips for Monkeys in the Fire Horse Year
The Fire Horse year is Fire from top to bottom. How do you work with it?
We can describe any relationship in a bazi by way of elements. This is sometimes called Shifting Palace or Transformation Stars. For the Monkey, a creature of Metal, Fire is the power and self discipline element. Fire represents your authority, which makes you a useful person.
Work with Fire more effectively by communicating better. Improve your communication to naturally take on or manage your power and authority. Volunteer to become more useful through the transformations the year has to offer.
Your analytical and academic skills are strong – lean on them. Travel will bring rewards, but take care with driving. Remember that a little withdrawal is needed from time to time, however, being too isolated is dangerous. Relationships are still the way.
Cultivate the flexibility you learned in the Wood Snake year. Experience is still the best teacher.
A Message to You
My most important message to you this year is continue working on your communication. Communication is a give and take: you speak AND you listen. This keeps you safe from unwanted and unforeseen consequences. Doing this one thing will help you to command the respect you desire, and wield your own authority.
Communication is the low hanging fruit of the year Monkey. It’s also your biggest tool for prevention and you know how that works. If you prevent trouble, you’ll never know!
The Business of Monkeys
Monkeys embody a type of crossroads energy; a tension between opposite principles. They are often teachers, therefore talkers.
When I say Monkeys will benefit from communicating better, I don’t mean you should talk more necessarily. Instead, communicate to confirm that you and your collaborators are working from the same principles. If you want more authority in negotiations, get agreements about what’s being negotiated up front.
Establish common ground in conversation through mirroring and feedback. A goal for any Monkey might be to focus on speaking about important things, as opposed to not talking because you don’t want to make small talk, or small talking because you don’t want to talk about important things.
Friend or Foe
The relationship of Monkey and Snake is complicated. There are two terms that we use for it: 六合 Secret Friends and 六破 Destruction. It’s a potent combination for both parties, which is why I would say that maybe in the Wood Snake year there were promises made to Monkeys and not fulfilled. Perhaps you felt betrayed, or you were called a betrayer. Did you fall in love? Maybe you figured out how to extricate yourself from patterns that are too old to make sense any longer.
In experiencing all these things, your certainty about right and wrong may have been compromised. Know that you’re not alone in that. The year pillar of the United States is a Fire Monkey and we are in a state of confusion. The United States still exists, but it will never be the same. Just like you Monkey.
Drive On
The Wood Snake year is in the rear view mirror now. The challenges that the Fire Horse brings Monkeys will be obvious and in your face, as opposed to last year’s “mysteries”.
Understand that when I say things will never be the same, I’m including both things you prefer, and things you don’t prefer. Now that the Fire is here, Monkeys are transforming and being refined.
It’s up to you (us) to decide what result we want from this process. In 2028 it’s the Monkey who will be the year boss. Let’s get it together so we can regroup by then. Obviously, the year of the Fire Horse is going to be an eventful year for the United States, but what might it be like for you Monkey?
Becoming Useful
Monkeys can expect a somewhat quieter year with the Fire Horse in charge. The challenges of the year have to do with making you more flexible (again) but this time around you probably have some ideas about what’s being forged. Redefine things. No plan lasts forever and it’s perfectly normal to change your mind. It’s said that Metal needs Fire to become useful. How will you use the Fire then?
Monkeys may benefit from making a lateral move this year if it gets them into a place where they can stay for at least couple of years. If you do it right, you would gain more of the independence I know you prefer. If you’re not thinking long term, you might feel like you’re settling or being demoted. That’s probably not entirely true. You’re certainly not starting from scratch. A couple of years from now you’ll realize that whatever this detour is, it was meant to be.
Finding Home
One likely change for Monkeys in the Fire Horse year is their location. You have some travel luck this year, meaning that travel could bring you wealth if it’s for business or work. You might even be exploring what it’s like to work or live in a different country. I don’t think this relates to moving house – yet. If you’ve got a Rat in your natal chart though, you might consider it.
Overall, the Monkey is riding the wheel up. It’s important that you are noticing what new opportunities that might bring. They are probably related most to your agency – what if you can do things that seemed out of reach until recently? You probably have more clout than you realize.
Can we fix it? Yes we can!
Monkeys fix things with their hands. They fix things by way of the connection between their brains and their hands – this is where the Monkey’s most magical creations come from. If you want to fix something this year, remember that it’s probably going to go better if you’re hands on.
I mention this idea of fixing things because in the year of the Fire Horse, you are a Nobleman Monkey, along with the 子 Rat. You have to love the paradox of being a Nobleman but also being clashed or feeling attacked/challenged. It’s not easy to help people who don’t seem appreciate it and I wonder if that is part of what makes Monkeys feel lost at times. There’s a pressure on Monkeys to produce, again. Not everyone adapts well to change, but this year you’ve got the range.
Nobleman act in the capacity of a consultant or teacher so if you have that kind of expertise and you want to be compensated for it. make sure people know what you can do. There are potential financial gains for the Monkey throughout the year. Every little bit counts right? In August, travel brings financial rewards or support for your work.
Don’t Shock the Monkey
What I’ve noticed about Monkeys is that sometimes they get lost due to early trauma. Often they find their success later in life than others, after they’ve formed relationships that keep them anchored and safe.
Some Monkeys are singers, like 1968 Earth Monkeys Celine Dion and Al B. Sure. You could say Metal is what they do. The Monkey with the most Metal is the one born in 1980. You might say Metal is what they are.
People born in Monkey years often enjoy gaming, driving, cars and travel. You’ll often find them involved with music, or people who make music.
When a Monkey is not at their best, one of their favorite games is called Chicken.
Wait a Minute
Famous (or infamous) Metal Monkeys Ray J and Kim Kardashian knew each other when they were young, and Kris Jenner might even say that Ray J helped her launch Kim’s career.
Unfortunately, there has been sad news about Ray J lately. It seems like the year of the Snake brought home the consequences the many ways he has abused his health. It’s a sad story. The heart relates to Fire and he is having trouble with his.
Rooster Attraction
The Rooster is attracted into both Kim’s and Ray J’s natal charts. For Kim, the Rooster is her money. Her beauty is her money. Some of the things she has done for it have left her deeply injured.
For Ray J, the Rooster is his self control and self discipline. He gets taken over by the Rooster – the Rooster bosses him. Ray J has a lot of inner conflict and he thinks the Rooster gives him a break from that.
If you study bazi with me, you will learn that one meaning of the Chinese character for Rooster 酉 is “wine jug”. The Rooster hour is from 5-7 pm, which used to be known as Happy Hour in America. Quitting work and having a cocktail is what people did in the Rooster hour.
Sometimes the Rooster is a sign of addiction, sometimes it’s the solution that helps you get out of it.
Kim Kardashian
In contrast to Ray J, Kim seems to be still going strong. Due to the Fire of the year, her current Fate (and current “body trends”) you’re going to see her Metal stretching out. Kim’s not going to be as curvy as she used to but she will continue to be a well known beauty influencer.
Ba Zi of Kim Kardashian
b. October 21 1980 10:46 am
Kim Kardashian’s current Big Fate of Metal Snake started in 2024. This ten year cycle will be all about her kids. One of them may need some extra support for their health. Remember what I said about the relationship of Monkey and Snake? I feel empathy for Kim.
I don’t think Kim will want to be a momager the way that Kris does it. I expect she’s feeling big conflicts around what she wants to do for work and the unglamorous life of raising children. In 2026 she may have to figure out how to become useful, whatever that means in her life.
Some accusations about her children could be coming her way. All I will say about that is that being a parent is one of the most challenging and important jobs, and yet, hardly anyone would thank you for being a good parent, or even notice you. We should change that.
By the time your children are adults, it’s too late to parent them. That’s when you find out how you did – when you don’t have much influence on the outcome any more.
When prevention works, you’ll never know.
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