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Updated 2026-06-25

The Wood Monkey Year

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

Wood Monkey years: 1944, 2004. The next Wood Monkey year is 2064.

The Monkey

Inventive, witty, versatile and curious. The Monkey is one of the twelve animal signs (jil) that, paired with the five elements, make up the 60-year cycle.

The element of Wood

Wood governs growth, creativity, flexibility, planning and compassion; its season is spring and its direction is the east. Wood is the rising, outward energy of new beginnings — it lends a sign vision, warmth and the drive to grow, though it can scatter into restlessness.

Wood Monkey: the blend

A Monkey born in a Wood Monkey year carries the Monkey's nature — inventive, witty, versatile and curious — under the influence of Wood, the element of growth, creativity, flexibility, planning and compassion. Wood is the rising, outward energy of new beginnings — it lends a sign vision, warmth and the drive to grow, though it can scatter into restlessness.

Years of the Wood Monkey

1944turns 82 in 2026
2004turns 22 in 2026

Frequently asked

What years are Wood Monkey years?
The Wood Monkey pairing falls on 1944, 2004 and recurs every 60 years.
What is a person born in a Wood Monkey year like?
A Monkey born in a Wood Monkey year carries the Monkey's nature — inventive, witty, versatile and curious — under the influence of Wood, the element of growth, creativity, flexibility, planning and compassion. Wood is the rising, outward energy of new beginnings — it lends a sign vision, warmth and the drive to grow, though it can scatter into restlessness.
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 Monkey in the other elements

Fire Monkey Earth Monkey Metal Monkey Water Monkey

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

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