Year of the Fire Horse Part 1: Chinese Astrology
February 17, 2026 takes us into the Lunar New Year of the Fire Horse as the moon turns new in Aquarius at 4:01AM Pacific Time (8:01PM in China). Get ready for an intense, eventful year ahead! The Fire Horse year is a special double Fire year with Yang Fire in the heavenly stem and also in the Horse. Whereas 2025, the year of the Wood Snake, has Yin Wood in the heavenly stem and Yin Fire in the Snake, 2026 is pure Fire. Visualize Yin Fire in the previous year of the Snake as the small light in the dark, and Yang Fire in the Horse as the bright light of the sun. If the Snake has ignited a spark in the heart, the Horse will stoke the fire within even brighter! This is a year to shine bright, go big, and achieve breakthroughs.
While lunar new year this year falls on February 17 according to the lunar calendar, the astrological new year of the Fire Horse arrives earlier on February 4 according to the solar calendar, which is based on Earth’s movement around the sun. The solar calendar is the calendar used by Chinese metaphysics practitioners including astrologers and Feng Shui masters for birth charts and Feng Shui calculations. Babies born on or after February 4, 2026 will already have the Fire Horse in the year pillar of their Chinese astrology (“BaZi”) natal chart. Also called the start of spring, the solar new year begins on February 3 or 4 each year when the sun enters 15° Aquarius (or 315° on the tropical zodiac). The first day of the solar new year marks the energetic shift of Qi in the environment, when the flying stars of Feng Shui “fly” into their next positions. If you’ve had your home Feng Shui’d, this is a time to adjust and update the Feng Shui of your space.
2026 is poised to be an intense year due to the double Yang Fire, and we may have started anticipating the Fire Horse since October 8 with the arrival of the Fire Dog month lighting the first spark. The flame has been getting brighter as we head toward the end of the Wood Snake year and by solstice on December 21, 2025, the Fire Horse would have made its presence known weeks before making its entrance. This anticipation, of something big coming from the other side, is so palpable - such is the intensity of the double Yang Fire contained in the Fire Horse. Picture the Horse as the highly anticipated guest of honor at the biggest party of the year who knows just how to make a grand entrance: he will appear when everyone is already there at the party, waiting excitedly for him to show up. Like the sun, the Horse brightens up the room anywhere he goes.
Ruled by Mars, Fire is the most Yang, the most active of the five elements, and with Yang Fire as the Yang, active manifestation of Fire element, we can say that the Fire Horse is the most Yang and most energetic of the 60 pillars, which indicates an extremely active year. Whatever has been simmering in the year of the Wood Snake will burst wide open in the year of the Fire Horse. Whereas the Snake is secretive and likes to make a surprise, the Horse shows up fully, boldly, unapologetically, and even dramatically. What you’ve been cultivating quietly in the year of the Snake, whether that’s knowledge, intuition, experience, self growth, or material wealth, will have its moment of spotlight in the year of the Horse. If you’ve been preparing well, this is the year to shine your bright light. There’s so much light in the Yang Fire Horse it’s almost impossible to avoid the light. On the other hand, what’s been hidden in the year of the Snake may also be revealed in the coming year. The Horse will bring everything out in the open to light that there’s nowhere to hide. Embrace the light. Light is the key to a higher frequency, and this year there’s an abundance of light in the Fire Horse pillar coming from Heaven and Earth that can help us raise our frequency.
Fire also amplifies and accelerates. If you’re ready to follow your passion and live a life guided by purpose, the Horse will help you gallop on the path ahead. As the sign that represents the height of summer, when light is at peak, the exuberant Horse is always on and has no fear following his passion. With so much Yang, it is crucial that we also seek the Yin to balance the masculine energy especially during downtime and at the end of the day. Earth element activities will help calm the strong Fire: listen to the body and rest when needed, turn off all distractions including light and sound to give yourself some quiet time.
Fire is the element associated with joy and the heart, and one of the ways Fire can help us raise our frequency is through the frequency of joy. Follow the light from the heart to open the heart to love and let that light remove your fears of loving and being loved. The Horse wants us to love generously like the sun always shines. When we have love in the heart, when we love others, when we love who we are, when we enjoy what we do, we’re stoking the Fire within and raising our frequency.
And love is one of the biggest themes of 2026. As one of the 4 Peach Blossom stars in Chinese astrology, the Horse loves to express his passion and affection. There will be more wedding bells, declarations of love, and romantic unions in the year of the Horse as a Peach Blossom year. There are usually more romance and parties in a Peach Blossom cycle - this is why the Horse month, which is in June, is one of the busiest months for weddings, engagements, celebrations, and parties in general.
In the Chinese culture, the Peach Blossoms are especially popular – everyone wants to have one in their chart because it indicates popularity and attractiveness. There are 4 animal signs that are the Peach Blossoms, which are the Horse, the Rooster, the Rat, and the Rabbit. These signs represent the purest expressions of their associated element and the height of their respective season. Not everyone is blessed with a Peach Blossom in the natal chart, but when the star appears in a cycle, they present more social and romantic opportunities. They can also help bring positive impressions in a professional situation, which is helpful if you have a very public facing job or in sales. We’re usually more impressionable, charming, and attractive when our Peach Blossom appears. In 2026, the Horse activates the Peach Blossom star of those born on the day or year of the Ox, the Snake, and the Rooster. If that’s you, this is a great year to put yourself out more in the spotlight and a lovely year to focus on love and your closest relationships. The Horse as your Peach Blossom star can help you gain more popularity and stand out from your peers.
*We can all activate our Peach Blossom stars in 2026 on days when they appear even if we don’t have the Horse as our Peach Blossom star. I’ve listed the signs benefiting from Peach Blossom days in my 2026 calendar for the Year of the Fire Horse. This calendar has been my labor of love these past few months and I’m so happy it’s finally ready and available for purchase!
This is the only calendar of its kind that combines the day pillar with the day officer, the hexagram of the day, and any moon void times. In addition, each day features compatible and clashing signs for the day, as well as signs whose travel star or Peach Blossom gets activated. I’ve also listed day masters and birth year elements whose nobleman star gets activated.
All the information provided in the calendar is designed to help you select the most auspicious times for important meetings, presentations, celebrations, travel times, and launch days so you can plan smarter and act more strategically. Get your calendar here.
Reflection from prior Horse cycles
The pairings of the heavenly stems and the twelve animal signs, starting with Yang Wood and the Rat, result in 60 different combinations called the 60 pillars that make up a sexagenary cycle of time. The Fire Horse is the 43rd pillar in this cycle of 60. The last time we had a Fire Horse year was in 1966, 60 years ago. We could look back into events of 1966 to help us gain additional insights into 2026.
Of note was the launch of Cultural Revolution in China, which destroyed much of the country’s traditional cultural heritage, including Taoism. Books and ancient temples were burned. Besides incidents involving actual fires, Yang Fire also heightens our interest in spirituality and connecting to the higher realms. 1966 was a pivotal year in the space race between the US and the Soviet Union, with the first docking in space taking place in March. Academic research on psychedelics as a gateway to a higher consciousness was a big part of the year’s spiritual movements, with UC Berkeley organizing the first LSD conference in June (which is also the month of the Horse).
Fire is also the element associated with bright lights, entertainment, and show business, and with double the Fire, what came out in 1966 in pop culture such as music from the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, James Brown, and the Beach Boys, to Star Trek debuting on television, remain impactful and iconic to this day. Fashion in 1966, which featured bright colors, bold patterns, edgy shapes, and futuristic materials, also reflected the boldness, brightness, and expressiveness of the Fire Horse.
Though you can also look back more recently into 2014 to gain insights on how the last Horse year went for you, 2026 the Fire Horse will be very different in qualities and characteristics from the Wood Horse year in 2014. It may be more helpful to look back into the last time we had a Fire Horse month, which was in June 2022, for glimpses of what the year may hold. Think back to how the month went for you, what relationships and aspects of life were highlighted, and how you felt emotionally and physically.
The Yang Fire archetype
Yang Fire day masters (those born on Yang Fire day) are jovial, generous, and always full of energy. Like the sun, their warmth, smiles, and high spirit instantly brighten up a room – we feel happy in their presence. They’re passionate about what they do, and their works usually make a big impact. Yang Fire or “Bing” Fire people include Matthew Perry, Michelle Yeoh, Steve Jobs, and Leonardo DiCaprio. I love that the late Matthew Perry’s character’s name in Friends is Bing Chandler, which is very descriptive of his Yang Fire archetype.
Babies born between February 4, 2026 to February 3, 2027 will have double the Yang Fire in their year pillar, which brings more charisma and intensity to their already very “sunny”, gregarious personality. They’re naturally warm and joyful - it’s easy for them to find delights in the little things, and they also easily bring joy to others. They’re happy babies with big personalities whose presence can quickly light up a room. Extroverted, affectionate, and fearless, they enjoy being around others. The strong Fire gives them a lot of energy during the day, but they will need proper rest in the evening to calm down from Fire’s high.
2026 Hexagram: Excess of the Great (28)
The I-Ching hexagram for the Fire Horse pillar is hexagram 28, ䷛ Excess of the Great. Lake trigram over Wind trigram is a powerful image of dramatic contrast. Broken Yin lines at the top and the bottom between 4 solid Yang lines highlight a beautiful world but also extreme division and opposition. We may encounter highs and lows, best and worst during this time. The middle carries the weight of the world, and the bottom can easily crumble while the top keeps climbing. It takes effort to get to the top, but once you get there, the sky is your limit. This is a time to keep raising your frequency after a period of awakening. Keep your feet on the ground and your spirit high in the light. The trigrams are also a mirror image of each other. What we see in others is a reflection of how we see the self.
From The Chinese Five Elements Oracle
The Fire Horse card from the Chinese Five Elements Oracle illustrates the intensity of the double Yang Fire that dominates the pillar. The Horse is seen here jumping with enthusiasm. There’s so much vitality in the Horse that it’s completely off the ground, which reflects the nervous energy and restlessness that result from the pillar’s very strong Fire. The shadow underneath the Horse reminds us that where there is Yang, there is also Yin, and what’s Yang will always need Yin.
The Fire Horse brings an abundance of energy that needs to be managed: burn off excess energy with physical activities and remember to slow down and rest every now and then to recharge and recenter. Harmonize your energy with the sun: be most active during the day, and start winding down just before sundown. Hidden Yin Earth inside the Horse can help calm the excess Fire, which can be accessed in times of silence and solitude.
Signs and day masters activated by Horse
Those born in the year of the Horse (1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2015), will have their Horse return year (also called the Grand Duke Jupiter return or Tai Sui year), which happens every 12 years. This year, you’re blessed with the support of the Grand Duke. A Tai Sui year is one of the most transformative years. Many of you will be entering a new chapter and crossing major milestones in life. There will be challenges as well as guidance from the Grand Duke. Tune in to the Fire Horse’s positivity and bright light to help you stay in the light and on purpose.
Those born in 1966, Fire Horse year, will experience a once-in-a-lifetime double return from Yang Fire in the heavenly stem of their birth year and in the Horse, which usually coincides with the second Saturn return. This can be a pivotal year full of breakthroughs and new beginnings. Be open to new opportunities, step up and lead from the heart.
The Horse is one of the signs that form a self-punishment penalty when there’s more than one of them. Since the Horse is a Peach Blossom star who loves to have fun, if you have the Horse in your day or year pillar, be mindful of excess in 2026, and be discerning with your boundaries.
As mentioned above, the Ox, the Snake, and the Rooster will have their Peach Blossom star activated by the Horse. A Peach Blossom year is usually a lovely, social year with opportunities to start or deepen a relationship. Enjoy the sweetness!
The Horse’s secret friend the Sheep and allies the Tiger and the Dog are blessed with support from the Horse in 2026, indicating a year of harmony and ease. Of note, those who have the Metal Sheep in the day or year, which is 1991, are most favored by the Fire Horse. If that’s you, this is a wonderful year for collaborations and partnerships.
Opposing sign the Rat may experience major challenges especially in relationships. Of the 5 elemental types of the Rat, the Water Rat forms a full Water vs. Fire clash with the Fire Horse, which is the most intense of the clashes. If you have the Water Rat especially in your day, month, or year (which is 1972), be discerning with your boundaries, plan any travels carefully, and keep a high awareness of your surroundings. Mindfulness is always key in a clash year.
The Horse serves as the Divine Support to Yin Metal day masters and those born in Yin Metal years, which are years that end with 1 such as 1951, ‘61, ‘71, ‘81, ‘91, ‘01, and so on. A Divine Support year brings support from the universe, which can manifest as friends, family, mentors, and even strangers offering help and assistance when needed.
*In the year of the Horse, it’s a good idea to carry a symbol of the Sheep/Goat, the Horse’s secret friend, for protection, especially if you were born in the year of the Horse or the Rat. If you have the The Chinese Five Elements Oracle, you can carry or display the Metal Sheep card, which is the Fire Horse’s other half, the Yin to the Fire Horse’s Yang.
**You can calculate your chart here to discover your day master. I will have more detailed insights on the Fire Horse year for each sign and day master as well as 2026 Feng Shui coming soon on the blog. Stay tuned!
For daily insights, follow @5elementsoracle on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
© 2025-2026 Vicki Iskandar at www.vickiiskandar.com
*All rights reserved. Please credit Vicki Iskandar as the author and link back to this page if you reproduced or quoted any portion of this blog post on your website. This is an offering from the heart and sharing this to the world brings me joy. You can be part of that joy by tagging me @5elementsoracle on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok when you share my work on your social media posts. Thank you so much!