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Updated 2026-11-01

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The Metal Pig Year

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

Metal Pig years: 1911, 1971, 2031. The next Metal Pig year is 2031.
Piglets on a farm
Piglets on a farmImage: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The Pig

Generous, sincere, easygoing and diligent. The Pig is one of the twelve animal signs (jil) that, paired with the five elements, make up the 60-year cycle.

The element of Metal

Metal governs discipline, precision, strength, clarity and resolve; its season is autumn and its direction is the west. Metal (also called Iron) is the contracting, refining energy — it gives a sign focus, integrity and willpower, though it can harden into rigidity.

Wild boar in a forest
Wild boar in a forestImage: Byrdyak · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Metal Pig: the blend

A Pig born in a Metal Pig year carries the Pig's nature — generous, sincere, easygoing and diligent — under the influence of Metal, the element of discipline, precision, strength, clarity and resolve. Metal (also called Iron) is the contracting, refining energy — it gives a sign focus, integrity and willpower, though it can harden into rigidity.

Years of the Metal Pig

1911turns 115 in 2026
1971turns 55 in 2026
2031turns -5 in 2026 · current/next

Frequently asked

What years are Metal Pig years?
The Metal Pig pairing falls on 1911, 1971, 2031 and recurs every 60 years.
What is a person born in a Metal Pig year like?
A Pig born in a Metal Pig year carries the Pig's nature — generous, sincere, easygoing and diligent — under the influence of Metal, the element of discipline, precision, strength, clarity and resolve. Metal (also called Iron) is the contracting, refining energy — it gives a sign focus, integrity and willpower, though it can harden into rigidity.
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 Pig in the other elements

Wood Pig Fire Pig Earth Pig Water Pig

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

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