Rat

Take your western notions of the nasty Rat vermin, flea infested rodent and throw them out the window. The Eastern view focuses on the positive aspects of this intriguing member of the animal kingdom. Rats are a very honorable creature. Clever, intelligent and instinctive foragers, rats always seem to know where the pickings are the best.

Part of our western negative association with the Rat is tied to our fear of the dark places – where rats are quite comfortable. Their capability of stealth is studied by warriors to better understand the theories of stealth and camouflage. The Rat resourcefulness makes them great survivors. In times of famine the Rat was looked to in order to help find food.

People born under the year of the Rat are great folks to have conversations with. They are witty, intelligent, glib, social, and are normally on all their friends’ invitation lists. With a Rat at the party there is sure to be some good conversation going on. Rat people have no problem taking charge – it was Rat who was quick enough to jump on Ox’s back in order to gain the honor of being the first in the Chinese Years – a very high honor indeed. Rat people are quite capable of stepping in to a situation and taking charge! The downside of Rat people is that they can be acquisitive unto greedy, secretive unto slyness, and may even be exploitive of others’ endeavors if they don’t keep their energy in balance.

Rat people, with their gregarious nature and natural capability of finding the right place (remember that find food thing?) and right people to be with are comfortable in career paths in the entertainment industry. Such careers as writers, actors, broadcasters, directors, musicians, comedians, and even designers call to the creative nature of the Rat. Naturally ambitious with an innate sense of self Rats can take the buffeting of answering the call to the “foot lights.”

If you’re looking for good gifts to give to your Rat friend or special someone, try something in a light blue as that is a favored color by Rats. Rats appreciate active pastimes such as handicrafts, building, collecting, painting, and that type of thing, so some form of kit to be constructed (whether it’s a three masted tall ship complete with full sails and rigging or the latest rage in embroidery kits — something to put together) will appeal to the Rat nature. If you really want to WOW your Rat friend, garnet, amethyst and diamonds are the gems and stones associated with this noble and largely misunderstood animal.