Year of the snake Chinese Zodiac personality traits?

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Kaitlyn Kaerhart
Kaitlyn Kaerhart
Numerologist, Spiritual Teacher & Astrologer
07/23/25 7:28pm
What I will say is first, you need to know your element because every single zodiac sign in the Chinese calendar has an element. So you're either wood, metal, water, earth, or fire, and your element will change your sign quite a lot. So if people are reading this because they’re a snake, be sure to also figure out, are you a wood snake? Are you a fire snake? Because that's important.

Snakes tend to be very wise and philosophical, they're charming (think a snake charmer). They're very Kundalini energy, so they're very sensual, creative, resilient, and private. They're also strategic, so they’re going to observe and be calculated, rather than act impulsively.

Then, their shadow traits are that they can be really secretive and distrustful. If you betray them, they never forget, and they usually don't get over it. They can be very possessive or jealous, and they're overly cautious. I would say it is similar to the Scorpio.

There's so much you could say about the snake and the Chinese zodiac in general because it has existed for so long. I would say if you are a snake, there is a side to you that's very mystical and very sexual, and you're also definitely a mastermind of some sort – you are meant to be masterful. And again, it's so important to know if you, for example, are a fire snake, you're going to be passionate and dramatic, whereas if you're a water snake, you're going to be deeply emotionally sensitive, very intuitive, very artistic. So knowing that, it matters.

Another thing I’ll say: there are four pillars in your Chinese astrology chart, and you can find yours by using a BaZi calculator. I did the BaZi chart, and there are things in there that I did not get from any other system, including human design, astrology, numerology, the 52-card deck, and the Maya. The BaZi is next level. Also, Chinese astrologers I've spoken to believe that when you're in your own year, so if you're a snake and you're in the year of the snake, it's actually not good luck.
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Tamsin Lee
Tamsin Lee
Astrologer
10/01/25 7:55pm
Great question, because we're in the year of the snake in 2025! I love looking at how these animals show up in other cultures because it's not that different, right? They show up in mythologies and stories, and there is a similar theme to them. And the snake is really interesting because in many cultures, yes, there is sort of this deceptive, manipulative quality because we don't know what the snakes do. But at the same time, there are these images of snakes being the healer, the medicine. Like, even in Western medicine, that logo is of the snake. And that's what doctors wear on their lab coats.

In BaZi, the snake has this manipulative quality, but maybe manipulation is not the right word. When it's not in balance, it can be like that, but it's because they don't show all of their cards, so you don't really know how they think. But they're very observant, so they're purposely not showing you everything because they're watching you. And what happens when you do that is that you start to cultivate your own discernment; snakes are very good at being discerning. And they don't feel the need to tell you why they don't agree with you or why they don't want you around. They'll come in and they'll just watch you, observe you, see how you act, let you talk, and then decide for themselves.

Snakes are represented by the Yin Fire, which, if we look in nature, is like the stars, it's the candlelight, it's the campfire; it's the little fires. There's something very alluring and magnetic about them, but not in this grandiose way. On the contrary, next year is the year of the horse, and the horse is represented by Yang Fire, which is like the big sun. When you compare a bright sunny day versus stars in the sky, it's a different type of energy.

Snakes have this quality of being incredibly charismatic, but in a very warm way. They love beautiful things, elegance, and refined beauty rather than loud or overstated. They like really detailed, meticulous kind of beautiful jewels, and very minimal basically. The biggest thing is that they're incredibly magnetic and charismatic, but in a much more subtle, more alluring way that is very seductive.
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wikiHow Editorial Team
06/10/25 4:56pm
The Snake is the 6th animal in the Chinese Zodiac, and it's known as one of the most intelligent signs. Those born in the year of the Snake are typically sensitive, adaptable, friendly, and easy-going. They're usually artistic and confident in themselves, so they can socialize really well with others and work out solutions quickly when they're stressed out.

Sometimes, they can come across as being cold or selfish because they're more emotionally detached than other Chinese zodiac animals. They may have a tough time opening up or being vulnerable, but with open communication and patience, they'll start to trust others with their true feelings.
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