Good Riddance Rat!
2021 – The Year of The Ox. Few people will have been sorry to see the end of 2020, a year characterized by the global COVID-19 pandemic. For those who follow the Chinese New Year, the close of the tragic and tumultuous Year of the Rat is fast approaching. Goodbye Rat!
February 12, 2021 marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox and it lasts until Jan. 31, 2022. The second animal of the Chinese zodiac, the Ox denotes the hard work, positivity and honesty that will be manifested in all of us in the coming 12 months, according to astrologers.
Jupiter Lai, a Hong-Kong based Chinese and Western astrologer, says the ox is “grounded, loyal, gentle and trustworthy.”
Chinese Calendar
Following the Chinese calendar, which rotates in 60-year cycles based on 12 earthly branches each represented by an animal year, and five element years — wood, fire, earth, metal and water — 2021 is the Year of the Metal Ox. On a deeper level, each earthly branch is characterized by a yin or yang force and an element.
In the Year of the Rat (our founder & CEO Sharon Bonner is born in the year of the Rat), the force was the fast, hard, active yang while the element was water, which Lai says is known for “changing all the time.” The Ox’s earthly branch is associated with yin, which is slow, soft and passive. Its element is earth, representing “stability and nourishment. It is believed these additional associations and the characteristics of the Ox have great synergy and are mostly favorable. Thank goodness we are in for a better year in 2021!
Ox – Best Business and Career Fields
Compared with emerging creative fields, traditional business suit people born in the year of the Ox fare much better. Business people born in this year are earnest, serious and persistent. They take care of things step by step. Once they decide to start something, they will stick to it and never give up. Ox is the kind of person who works diligently and conscientiously. They are able to build a long term, steady and profitable business and be recognized by their industry community. All these traits help them achieve success in business and various careers. Those born in the year of the Ox are diplomatic and tactful in business.
However, sometimes their persistence turns into stubbornness, and they can’t think outside of the box. People born in the year of the Ox do pay great attention to their product and service quality, so they are likely to be recommended to others by their repeat customers. They are diligent and able to endure loneliness, so careers in the building materials field is a good choice, and includes floor layering, painting, wallpapering, steels and reinforced concrete careers.
Lacking Creativity
Unfortunately, Ox people lack for creativity and talent, which to us means they wouldn’t make good Event Producers! They are only capable of following the tide or tradition, thus their sole-proprietorship business always tends to develop very slowly and laboriously. So they should seek a partner who is relatively creative and open-minded to cooperate and benefit from each other.
However, if Ox people decide to run a small business which can be easily operated and demands no creativity, they are better run it alone rather than cooperate with others, since they are very likely to be under the management of the partner. And in a long term partnership, the partner may think the Ox has little creative contribution to the business, which may lead to conflicts and disputes.
Historically in the past, Oxen were used as capable farming tools in an agricultural society, with their diligence and persistence to forge on. In Chinese culture, the Ox is a faithful friend that made great contributions to the development of the society. Like the Ox, people born in the Year of the Ox are industrious, cautious, hold their faith firmly, and are always glad to offer help.
Fun Myth!
It is said that Ox ranks the second among the Chinese zodiacs because it helped the Rat but was later tricked by it. The myth goes on to tell that the Jade Emperor declared the order of zodiac signs would be based on the arrival order of 12 animals. The Ox could have arrived first, but it kindly gave a ride to the Rat. However, when arriving, the Rat jumped to the terminus ahead of Ox, and thus the Ox lost the first place.
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