People who are born in the Year of the Pig are known for being exacting, meticulous, a bit secretive, and also very loyal. The pig is a yin zodiac sign, with a lot of feminine influences, and the fixed element of the pig is water, contributing the traits of compassion, flexibility, intelligence, intuitiveness, and sensitivity. Water can also make pigs secretive and a bit self-destructive. People with this zodiac sign tend to be a bit shy, preferring to work in the background, rather than putting themselves forward, and they make extremely loyal, highly valued friends.
The signs of the Chinese zodiac are extremely complex. In addition to the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac, each animal also has a fixed element, and each year also has an element assigned to it. In the lengthy cycle of the Chinese zodiac, each animal sign appears paired with all five elements and their yin and yang aspects, so the year in which someone is born is very important, as is his or her place of birth and time of birth.
The trait most associated with the pig is honesty and loyalty. However, pigs are also very reserved. They tend to be withdrawn around new people and unfamiliar situations, opening up slowly. If you can earn the friendship of a pig, it is incredibly valuable, as pigs will fight for you and help you whenever and however they can. However, pigs don’t stay friends with people forever; if they believe that someone is not acting with honesty and integrity, they can turn on them.
Pigs tend to have few close friends, and as a result many people form false impressions of them. Only a handful of people know the real side of someone with the zodiac sign of the pig; a pig’s true personality tends to be very warm, friendly, and loving, but pigs may come across as aloof and sometimes even elitist to people who don’t know them well. Pigs are also very reflective, leading some people to think that they are a bit dreamy, but they are extremely perceptive, and usually very up on what is going on around them.
These shy and sensitive types often choose professions which are more low-key, but still critical. Many pigs work as scientific researchers, for example, and they make very good managers, technicians, builders, and social workers. The pig method of work is slow but steady, with pauses for reflection and evaluation to ensure that the job is done right and well.
Rabbits, sheep, dogs, and tigers all get along very well with pigs. Pigs tend to conflict with monkeys, roosters, and snakes, while they get along reasonably well with other pigs, oxen, horses, dragons, and rats. You may also hear pigs referred to as boars, because in some cultures, the term “pig” carries offensive connotations.