Year of the Goat: what Goat people are like

The Goat is the eighth animal of the cycle, gentle and creative, and some traditions call it the Sheep. People born in its year often have a soft heart and an artist's eye. They see beauty in ordinary things and want life to feel kind.

Born in January or early February? Check the Lunar New Year date for your year.

What Goat people are like

Goat people tend to be caring, imaginative and calm. They prefer cooperation to competition and are often the peacemakers of their group. Plenty of Goats are also determined climbers once they set their minds on something, so take this as a tendency.

• Creative. Goats often draw, cook, write, sing or make things by hand.
• Kind. They care how others feel and show it in small, thoughtful ways.
• Easygoing. A Goat is usually happy to go with the flow.
• Sensitive. They pick up on the mood of a room and want everyone to be comfortable.

Because they feel things so strongly, Goats sometimes wait for others to lead. When they trust their own taste and share it, people are usually glad they did.

Good company

Traditionally the Goat gets on well with the Rabbit and the Pig, its trio partners. The Rabbit loves calm and beauty as much as the Goat does, and the Pig brings warmth and a big appetite for life. The Horse, often named the Goat's secret friend, has the energy to coax the Goat out into the world.

Real friendships ignore the chart, of course. The pairings are just fun to compare.

A small thing to try this week

Make something small with your hands this week: a doodle, a sandwich arranged a little too nicely, a folded paper animal. It doesn't need to be good, because Goats enjoy the making itself.

In Slipmatic

Press the button on the Robo-Booth ’84 and it prints a slip on how your Chinese year sits with today. With Slipmatic Plus, a fresh slip for the Goat is waiting every morning.

For entertainment and reflection.