Horse is this year’s zodiac (2026), and the 7th animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs, coming after the Snake and before the Goat. Recent years of the Horse include 2026, 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, and 1954, with the next Horse year in 2038 (Year of the Earth Horse). It is associated with the earthly branch sign of wu.

According to Chinese astrology, Horse is confident, agreeable, and responsible, although they also tend to dislike being reined in by others. They’re fit and intelligent, adoring physical and mental exertion; they’re decisive but also easily swayed and impatient.

Chinese Zodiac Years for Horse

The Chinese zodiacs, like many aspects of traditional Chinese culture, are derived from the Chinese lunar calendar, which does not correspond exactly with the Gregorian calendar. You can use our calculator below to quickly find your sign.

For those born in January or February, pay special attention to when the Chinese New Year begins, as your zodiac animal sign may fall in the previous year’s cycle (see the chart below).

for more info, go to Year of the Horse: Fortune, Personality, Horoscope (2026)

Meaning of the Fire Horse in Lunar New Year (2026)

The Lunar New Year of 2026 marks the Year of the Fire Horse in the Chinese zodiac cycle.

In Chinese astrology:

The Horse symbolizes energy, freedom, speed, and strong spirit.

The Fire element represents passion, intensity, ambition, and leadership.

When combined, the Fire Horse represents:

Powerful drive and determination

Boldness and independence

Charisma and strong personality

Fast-moving change and dynamic energy

A Fire Horse year is often seen as a time of action, transformation, and high motivation. However, because both Horse and Fire are very strong energies, it can also bring impulsiveness or dramatic shifts.

In short, the Lunar New Year Fire Horse symbolizes a year of passion, courage, and powerful forward movement.

Year of the fire horse – explained: the Chinese zodiac sign that’s all about intensity

Explainer

Year of the fire horse – explained: the Chinese zodiac sign that’s all about intensity

Lunar new year has ushered in a rare zodiac symbol with a reputation for energy and independence

As the lunar new year begins, the focus has turned to the Chinese zodiac and the arrival of the year of the fire horse – a rare pairing in the 60-year lunar cycle.

Drawing on Chinese metaphysics, the fire horse blends the horse’s reputation for energy and independence with the intensity of the fire element, giving it a distinct place in the zodiac tradition.

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What is the Chinese zodiac and the five elements?

The Chinese zodiac is a 12-year cycle in which each year is represented by an animal sign: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. With roots in ancient lunar calendar traditions, the system places certain personality traits under various birth years.

Alongside the animals, Chinese astrology incorporates the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. These elements rotate with the zodiac animals, creating a 60-year cycle. Each element is believed to influence one’s traits and destiny.

“The metaphysical theory is that everything on this Earth, including humans, are made up of these five elements and then within these elements, there are yin and yang versions,” the holistic Chinese astrologer Lydia Lee says.

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How and when does the fire horse occur?

Once every 60 years, the fire horse is created by pairing the horse with the fire element.

The Chinese zodiac system combines 12 animal signs with the 10 heavenly stems, or 10 symbols that represent the five elements, each in yin and yang forms.

As the animal signs and elements rotate together year by year, every zodiac year is assigned an animal and element. A fire horse year is often described as being fast-moving and high-energy. The last fire horse was in 1966, when China’s Cultural Revolution began, a time of political and social upheaval.

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What are the personality traits of the fire horse?

People born in horse years are forthright, strong in reasoning and alert, says Ming Shao, a Melbourne-based feng shui expert. “They are also eloquent … and known for being impatient, wilful [and] heroic individuals,” he says. Adding fire “intensifies” the horse’s characteristics including dynamism, energy, dedication and leadership, according to Shao.

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What is predicted for the fire horse year?

Experts say the fire horse year is widely expected to bring intense, fast-paced change on a personal and global level.

Xiaohuan Zhao, a professor in Chinese studies at the University of Sydney, says “rather than predicting disaster, traditional readings frame the fire horse year as a period where heightened energy needs to be managed wisely”.

“Slowing down before making major decisions, staying grounded, and cultivating emotional steadiness are … key ways to navigate the year’s momentum”, he adds.

Grace Niu, a Sydney-based feng shui consultant, also suggests caution, saying that the fire horse year amplifies every natural trait to an intense degree, resulting in “unstoppable drive [and] immense passion … but like a wildfire, that energy must be directed or it can burn through everything – including themselves”.

Pan Wang, an associate professor of Chinese studies at the University of New South Wales, says that based on historical patterns, the fire horse year is predicted to be a challenging period marked by upheaval. “The fire element can manifest as instability and violence, as well as heated economic development and rapid, sometimes reckless, growth.”

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Could any industries, zodiac signs or age groups be especially affected?

According to Zhao, industries “connected with movement, heat or rapid change such as technology, finance, transportation, energy and entertainment may feel the fire horse year’s fast and intense pace more strongly”.

In Chinese astrology, the fire horse and those with rat signs are considered a challenging match: the horse’s impulsive, high-energy nature clashes with the rat’s cautious and strategic approach. Other zodiac signs expected to be most affected by the fire horse include the rabbit and the ox.

But not all clashes are bad. For Lee, clashes in energy can bring vital change. “When we experience our lives being stagnant … we actually welcome clashes because it can be transformed into breakthroughs,” she says.

Niu says people entering new life chapters, such as those turning 30, 42, or 60 years old, may find the energy creating a profound rite of passage.

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What’s the best way to navigate the year?

The key is to stay grounded. Balancing the fire with water-element practices such as slowing down, meditating and hydrating can help, the Sydney-based feng shui expert Mina Zheng says.

Everybody will experience too much fire, she says, adding: “We need to drink a lot more water, more than before, and we also need to cherish water.”

Zheng highlights the balancing power of the earth element to help offset fire. She recommends eating more earthy root vegetables like potatoes and carrots.

Thierry Chow, a Hong Kong-based feng shui expert, suggests wearing certain colours. She says those born in the summer months should “wear more cool tones to help balance out the heavy fire … such as silver, gold, blue and white”.

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Is the fire horse something to fear?

Definitely do not fear, Pan says. “I think the fire horse is a self-paradoxical year: it can bring extreme success, such as rapid career progression, but it can also be extremely challenging if one burns out or succumbs to anxiety, which may lead to failure. That said, if we harness the fire horse well, there’s nothing to fear. Embrace the challenge and find a balance!”

The post Chinese New Year 2026—Year of the Horse appeared first on Good News!.

Listen to “Cristal Glangchai, Whats keeping girls out of STEM? Why?” on Spreaker.

Girls at a very young age are curious about science and math—about 74% of kindergarten girls want to go into STEM—but by the time they reach middle school, only 15-20% remain interested.

Scientist, author, and professor Cristal Glangchai, PhD, attributes this to the way educators, parents, and the media talk to girls about pursuing STEM careers. She argues that a key part of raising strong, confident young women is giving them the tools of entrepreneurship to engage in STEM.

Glangchai’s new book, VentureGirls: Raising Girls to be Tomorrow’s Leaders (HarperCollins; May 2018) explains what has kept young girls out of STEM fields, as well as the practical applications of STEM learning, and how we can address the gender imbalance therein.

Dr. Glangchai offers a unique solution based on her own experience as an engineer and entrepreneur as well as the founder of VentureLab, a nonprofit that empowers kids, especially girls, with an entrepreneurial mind-set. VentureGirls.

Dr. Glangchai can discuss or write about the following:

• Women and STEM: How, as of now, women make up only 29% of the science and engineering workforce. Dr. Glangchai can share her fundamentals for empowering young girls in STEM.

• How STEM Education Impacts Entrepreneurship: Dr. Glangchai explains how science teaches kids about failure, and why learning to embrace failure is the key to entrepreneurial success.

• Creating Young Entrepreneurs: 65% of kids will have jobs that we cannot even imagine today. How parents can and should encourage kids as young as 5 years old to embrace their innovativeness and entrepreneurial mindset.

Publishers Weekly recently called VentureGirls a “game-changing guide to empowering young women.” The author has been featured on the TODAY Show, NPR, Wall Street Journal, TEDx, and much more.

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The post Cristal Glangchai, What’s keeping girls out of STEM? Why? appeared first on Good News!.

In fact, a new study from the MIT AgeLab found that while just over one third of mature drivers have at least one top technology, 51% said they would feel safer if their vehicle had all of the most up-to-date technologies. The survey also found that 55% of mature drivers plan to buy or lease another vehicle in the next five years, suggesting that as more and more of these features are incorporated into new vehicles, a growing number of consumers 50+ could be driving cars with these technologies.

On September 17, Joseph Coughlin, Director of the MIT AgeLab and Jodi Olshevski, a leading gerontologist and Executive Director of The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence, can talk to your listeners about this research and driving safety among older drivers.

They’ll share a new consumer ranking of the top ten technologies that are most likely to benefit mature drivers — a follow up to a study last year — as well as information on drivers’ confidence level in learning how to use these new technologies. They can also discuss the warning signs for older drivers and how to identify and adjust driving behaviors to stay safe on the road.

About Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D., Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab

Joseph F. Coughlin, Ph.D., is Director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab. His research seeks to understand how demographic change and social trends and technology converge to drive future innovations in business and government. Based in MIT’s Engineering Systems Division, Dr. Coughlin teaches policy and systems innovation, as well as a course on social media and information seeking behaviors in health and finance. Dr. Coughlin is an editor and key contributor to Aging America and Transportation: Personal Choices and Public Policy, published in 2012 by Springer. Dr. Coughlin is a frequent guest on news programs; his work has been featured in both print and on television – ABC, BBC, CBS, CNN, NBC, News Asia, Economist, Financial Times, The Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal and other media outlets throughout the world.

About Jodi Olshevski, M.S., Gerontology

Jodi Olshevski is executive director of The Hartford Center for Mature Market Excellence, leading a team of corporate gerontologists who conduct primary research and deliver expert services across The Hartford and to selected businesses. The team has won numerous awards, and is nationally-recognized as the pre-eminent corporate gerontology organization in the United States. An expert on a wide array of aging related topics, such as caregiving, eldercare, housing, and older driver issues, Olshevski has been interviewed widely by national and regional television and radio shows, including the CBS Early Show and NBC Nightly News, and by national publications such as the Chicago Tribune, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and the AARP Bulletin, to name a few. Olshevski is a frequent lecturer on business and aging at professional conferences and on industry panels, has held an adjunct faculty position at Pennsylvania State University, and is a Visiting Research Fellow at MIT AgeLab. She is also co-author of the book Stress Reduction for Caregivers, published by Taylor & Francis. Prior to joining The Hartford in 2000, Olshevski held positions at Work/Family Directions, Inc., Ceridian Performance Partners, and Senior Care Network. Olshevski has a master’s degree in gerontology from the University of Southern California.

The post New Study Reveals the Top Technologies That Mature Drivers Say Will Make Them Feel Safer and More Confident on the Road appeared first on Good News!.