The Monkey in the Chinese zodiac

The Monkey is ninth, after the Goat and before the Rooster, and pairs with the earthly branch Shen (申), the hours from 3 pm to 5 pm. It is the animal of the afternoon, when the day's work is half done and fresh ideas help. Monkey years begin at Chinese New Year, not January 1.

Wang Chong's Han dynasty Lunheng pairs Shen with the monkey (he writes it as 獼猴, the macaque) and, in the same debate, notes that the monkey is said to be afraid of the rat and bitten by the dog. It is a small example of how animals were used to talk about the five elements.

The most famous monkey in Chinese culture is Sun Wukong, the Monkey King of the Ming dynasty novel Journey to the West, a mischievous, brilliant rebel who learns that cleverness needs a purpose. We borrow that mixture for the Monkey.

Monkey people are described as playful, inventive and hard to bore. A good question is what your curiosity is for right now, and what you are leaving unfinished because the next idea is more fun.