Ben Ming Nian 本命年

Ben Ming Nian is the year in which the Tai Sui sits in your own birth branch — your zodiac year, returning at twelve, twenty-four, thirty-six and so on. In the five Tai Sui relationships it is called the presiding relationship, and despite being your own sign's year it is classed as an affliction rather than a benefit.

The belief is strong enough to be a retail season. Red underwear, belts and bracelets sell in volume before each New Year, with the specific rule that the red items should be received as a gift rather than bought for yourself. The classical reading is transition rather than danger: a cycle completes, roles change, and the advice is to consolidate before starting something new.

Each year page on this site identifies the sign in its Ben Ming Nian and gives the traditional responses; in 2027 that sign is the Goat, because the Tai Sui sits in branch Wei. The sign profiles keep the two layers apart: the profile describes the sign whatever the year, and the year page describes what this particular year does to it.

• The Goat in 2027: a Ben Ming Nian year
• The Goat sign itself