The Rabbit in 2016: Your Chinese Horoscope. Neil Somerville

Unfortunately, Monkey years have been marked by violence and some high-profile assassinations. These include those of President Doumer of France, Senator Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Archbishop Romero and John Lennon, and while it is hoped that 2016 will be free of such acts, the portents are not promising.

      A major event of the year will be the summer Olympics held in Brazil. The games will be colourful and a visual feast. For a few weeks at least, billions around the world will enjoy following the fortunes of athletes as well as marvel at some mesmerizing performances. Quite a few long-standing records will be broken.

      For the individual, Monkey years can be regarded as times of great possibility. They favour enterprise and progress. They also contain the seeds of personal growth and making more of the potential that lies within. Each of us has the ability to put our talents to greater use. In the Monkey year, aim to make this year special – whether by nurturing your talents, working on an idea or contributing more in some way. Monkey years have energy and opportunity for us all. Enjoy what this year brings.

      Good luck and good fortune.

The Rabbit

      2 February 1927 to 22 January 1928 — Fire Rabbit

      19 February 1939 to 7 February 1940 — Earth Rabbit

      6 February 1951 to 26 January 1952 — Metal Rabbit

      25 January 1963 to 12 February 1964 — Water Rabbit

      11 February 1975 to 30 January 1976 — Wood Rabbit

      29 January 1987 to 16 February 1988 — Fire Rabbit

      16 February 1999 to 4 February 2000 — Earth Rabbit

      3 February 2011 to 22 January 2012 — Metal Rabbit

      The Personality of the Rabbit

      Whenever

      Wherever

      With whoever.

      Always I try to understand.

      Without this, one flounders.

      But with understanding,

      at least you have a chance.

      A good chance.

      The Rabbit is born under the signs of virtue and prudence. He is intelligent, well mannered and prefers a quiet and peaceful existence. He dislikes any sort of unpleasantness and will try to steer clear of arguments and disputes. He is very much a pacifist and tends to have a calming influence on those around him. He has wide interests and usually a good appreciation of the arts and the finer things in life. He also knows how to enjoy himself and will often gravitate to the best restaurants and nightspots in town.

      The Rabbit is a witty and intelligent speaker and loves being involved in a good discussion. His views and advice are often sought by others and he can be relied upon to be discreet and diplomatic. He will rarely raise his voice in anger and will even turn a blind eye to matters that displease him just to preserve the peace. He likes to remain on good terms with everyone, but he can be rather sensitive and takes any form of criticism very badly. He will also be the first to get out of the way if he sees any form of trouble brewing.

      The Rabbit is a quiet and efficient worker and has an extremely good memory. He is very astute in business and financial matters, but his degree of success often depends on the conditions that prevail. He hates being in a situation which is fraught with tension or where he has to make sudden decisions. Wherever possible, he will plan his various activities with the utmost care and a good deal of caution. He does not like to take risks and does not take kindly to change. Basically, he seeks a secure, calm and stable environment, and when conditions are right he is more than happy to leave things as they are.

      The Rabbit is conscientious and because of his methodical and ever-watchful nature he can often do well in his chosen profession. He makes a good diplomat, lawyer, shopkeeper, administrator or priest, and he excels in any job where he can use his superb skills as a communicator. He tends to be loyal to his employers and is respected for his integrity and honesty, but if he ever finds himself in a position of great power he can become rather intransigent and authoritarian.

      The Rabbit attaches great importance to his home and will often spend a lot of time and money maintaining and furnishing it and fitting it with all the latest comforts – the Rabbit is very much a creature of comfort! He is also something of a collector and there are many Rabbits who derive much pleasure from collecting antiques, stamps, coins, objets d’art or anything else which catches their eye or particularly interests them.

      The female Rabbit has a friendly, caring and considerate nature, and will do all in her power to give her home a happy and loving atmosphere. She is also very sociable and enjoys holding parties and entertaining. She has a great ability to make the maximum use of her time and although she involves herself in numerous activities, she always manages to find time to sit back and enjoy a good read or a chat. She has a great sense of humour, is very artistic and is often a talented gardener.

      The Rabbit takes considerable care over his appearance and is usually smart and well turned out. He also attaches great importance to his relations with others and matters of the heart are particularly important to him. He will rarely be short of admirers and will often have several serious romances before he settles down. He is not the most faithful of signs, but he will find that he is especially well suited to those born under the signs of the Goat, Snake, Pig and Ox. Due to his sociable and easy-going manner he can also get on well with the Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog and another Rabbit, but he will feel ill at ease with the Rat and Rooster, as both these signs tend to speak their mind and be critical in their comments and the Rabbit just loathes any form of criticism or unpleasantness.