Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play

Updated 2026-11-01

MouseOxTigerRabbitDragonSnakeHorseSheepMonkeyRoosterDogPig

Gold lines join the sign with its allies, the dashed line with its best match; red marks the opposite sign. Tap a sign to open it.

The Fire Ox Year

What it means to be born in a Fire Ox year in the Tibetan-Mongolian (zurkhai) tradition — the Ox's nature shaped by the element of Fire. tradition

Fire Ox years: 1937, 1997. The next Fire Ox year is 2057.
A yak at Yamdrok Lake, Tibet — the Ox of the Tibetan zodiac
A yak at Yamdrok Lake, Tibet — the Ox of the Tibetan zodiacImage: Dennis G. Jarvis · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Ox

Patient, dependable, hardworking and steady. The Ox is one of the twelve animal signs (jil) that, paired with the five elements, make up the 60-year cycle.

The element of Fire

Fire governs warmth, transformation, charisma, passion and visibility; its season is summer and its direction is the south. Fire is the peak, radiant energy — it makes a sign expressive, dynamic and inspiring, though it can burn hot into impatience.

A yak by the gers in Khövsgöl, Mongolia
A yak by the gers in Khövsgöl, MongoliaImage: Bernard Gagnon · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons

Fire Ox: the blend

A Ox born in a Fire Ox year carries the Ox's nature — patient, dependable, hardworking and steady — under the influence of Fire, the element of warmth, transformation, charisma, passion and visibility. Fire is the peak, radiant energy — it makes a sign expressive, dynamic and inspiring, though it can burn hot into impatience.

Years of the Fire Ox

1937turns 89 in 2026
1997turns 29 in 2026

Frequently asked

What years are Fire Ox years?
The Fire Ox pairing falls on 1937, 1997 and recurs every 60 years.
What is a person born in a Fire Ox year like?
A Ox born in a Fire Ox year carries the Ox's nature — patient, dependable, hardworking and steady — under the influence of Fire, the element of warmth, transformation, charisma, passion and visibility. Fire is the peak, radiant energy — it makes a sign expressive, dynamic and inspiring, though it can burn hot into impatience.
How does the Tibetan element–animal cycle work?
Tibetan astrology overlays a 12-year cycle of animals with a 5-element cycle (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water). Each element governs two consecutive years, so 12 animals × 5 elements form a 60-year cycle before the same animal+element pairing repeats. Every year therefore carries both an animal and an element — 2026 is the Fire Horse. The system blends indigenous Bon astrology, Chinese-derived element/animal astrology, and Indian Kalachakra star astrology.

The Ox in the other elements

Wood Ox Earth Ox Metal Ox Water Ox

More on the Ox sign → · What is zurkhai? →

Animal/element traits and yearly outlooks are presented as traditional belief, not fact, and vary between astrologers and lineages.