Chinese sign no. 9

Monkey

Quick-witted, charming and inventive, the Monkey thrives on curiosity and change, though impatience and cunning can get in the way.

Lucky charms

The Monkey's lucky charms


  • Colours
    • gold
    • white
    • blue
  • Numbers 1 · 3 · 4 · 7 · 9
  • Flowers chrysanthemum
Portrait

The Monkey's personality


People born under the Monkey are adaptable, clever and quick-witted. Charming and sociable, they draw others in with humor and energy. Creative, inventive and innovative, they are curious by nature and love adventure, and they tend to be ambitious and to seek out challenges. A mischievous streak runs through them.

The other side of these gifts shows in their weaknesses. Impatient and often impulsive, they can be changeable and elusive, hard to pin down. Their cleverness can turn cunning, and at times arrogant, condescending or manipulative. Extravagance also tends to come with their appetite for new things.

In daily life and work, they move fast, adjust easily to new situations and look for problems worth solving. They tend to do best where variety, inventiveness and people are part of the job.

Strengths

  • adaptable (Confirmed by 5 independent sources)
  • clever (Confirmed by 5 independent sources)
  • charming (Confirmed by 4 independent sources)
  • quick-witted (Confirmed by 4 independent sources)
  • creative (Confirmed by 3 independent sources)
  • sociable (Confirmed by 3 independent sources)
  • adventurous (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • curious (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • humorous (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • innovative (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • problem solver (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • quick learner (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)

Weaknesses

  • impatient (Confirmed by 4 independent sources)
  • arrogant (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • changeable (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • condescending (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • elusive (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • extravagant (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • impulsive (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • manipulative (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • self-centered (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • unpredictable (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • vain (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)

Other traits

  • energetic (Confirmed by 3 independent sources)
  • inventive (Confirmed by 3 independent sources)
  • mischievous (Confirmed by 3 independent sources)
  • ambitious (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • challenge-seeking (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • cunning (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • optimistic (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • outgoing (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)
  • playful (Confirmed by 2 independent sources)

The dots show how many independent sources agree on the trait, up to five.

Love and pairings

The Monkey's pairings


Neutral pairings: Rabbit, Horse, Goat, Rooster, and Dog.

Elements

By the year's element


The element of the birth year shades the sign. Only traits several sources agree on are shown.

  • Wood Monkey

    curious

  • Fire Monkey

    competitive, energetic, attractive

  • Earth Monkey

    honest, reliable, thoughtful

  • Metal Monkey

    independent, determined, strong-willed

  • Water Monkey

    manipulative

Fact sheet

The sign in detail


Earthly branch
申 shen
Polarity
Yang
Branch element
Metal
Fixed element
Metal
Place in the cycle
9 of 12
Frequently asked questions

The Monkey in questions


Monkey: what is its earthly branch?

The Monkey is the branch 申 (shen), number 9 of 12 in the cycle, of Yang polarity.

Monkey: what is its element?

Its element is Metal, whether you follow the branch element or the fixed element of popular horoscopes.

What are the strengths of the Monkey?

According to several agreeing sources: adaptable, clever, charming, quick-witted, and creative.

What are the weaknesses of the Monkey?

According to several agreeing sources: impatient, arrogant, changeable, condescending, and elusive.

Monkey: which signs are favourable to it?

In the classical tradition: Rat, Dragon, and Snake.

Monkey: which signs are unfavourable to it?

In the classical tradition: Tiger and Pig.

What are the lucky charms of the Monkey?

Colours: gold, white, and blue. Flowers: chrysanthemum. Numbers: 1, 3, 4, 7, and 9.

This profile rests on the Chinese tradition. The affinities between signs, yin and yang and the elements follow the classical treatises of Chinese astrology; a character trait, lucky charm or career is kept only when at least two independent sources confirm it.

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