Eastern sages say that in 2008 we have a chance to learn surviving, as well, as persistent and industrious rat can.

Regardless of unpresentable appearance and ugly long tail, rats deserve our attention and respect – for their unusual perseverance and vitality.

They say rats have an intellect, resembling a human one. Sometimes they even seem to be wiser than we are, as they learned our habits better, than we learned their ones. Watch them, and you will assure there’s no wiser animal, than a rat.

Only extremely intelligent creature can drink through a bottle with thin neck, using its own tail, sinking it and taking out quickly and removing liquid with its thin arms; or pulling eggs with two arms, with help of a congener, dragging the first animal into a hole.

Rats represent a class of intellectual opponents. Their mental faculties surpass even monkeys’ ones. For example, rats will never come to a same trap again. They know how to recognize poisons.

As it is known, these animals discern ultrasound, leaving an area with its source.

Rats frighten us no more. We celebrate a year of a new Rat every 12 years – Water, Wooden, Metallic… Now it is an Earth Rat.

Depending on an element, we differ following Rats: Earth Rat (1948) – it has easement and wisdom; Iron Rat (1960) – will and charm; Water Rat (1972) – providence and artistry; Wooden Rat (1984) - quick temper and industry.

Year of the Rat is a year of a strong man’s energy Yang. Chinese people divided the world in two halves, which should certainly be balanced: feminine, weak – Ing and masculine, strong – Yang. Chinese calendar cycle consists of Ing and Yang year alternation.

Six animals of Chinese cycle are bearers of a weak, fading energy Ing: Bull, Rabbit, Snake, Sheep, Cock and Pig. Those who were born in Ing years, can feel energetic weakness, they need additional inflow. To avoid display of negative features of character, diseases and problems, these people need to strengthen their foundation (earth, water, fire, metal, wood).

Next six animals represent active, strong Yang energy: Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog. People born in energetically active years, have bigger power, they are livelier, enterprising, emotional. But another danger can catch them: hyperactivity, vehemence, irascibility. These people have stresses, heart attacks, nervous breakdowns more often.

Symbols of the year never repeat during 60 years. Each year has its own symbol and color. The Rat 2008 is not a simple Rat, it is an Earth Rat. It is yellow or brown.
Earth symbolizes stability, solidity and reliability. Earth people, as a rule, are like this element, stable and reliable. They achieve their goals through hard work. But in combination with the Rat sign, Earth person gets qualities that “vivify” him, in comparison with other earth signs.

Person born in a year of Earth Rat is mobile, energetic, adroit and pertinacious. Sometimes such people are considered slightly boring and reserved.

But those, who deserve their trust, understand that these are reliable friends, mostly predictable and constant, even if sometimes they forget about rest, sleep and people near them while working.

Sometimes Earth Rats lose sight of purposes they are striving so hard for and are content only with material results of their efforts.

To increase Earth element in yourself, use Earth symbols:

Stones and minerals, pottery and ceramics, pictures of earth landscapes, especially deserts and fields. If you surround yourself with these symbols during Earth Rat year, you will gain self-confidence and inner balance, which is so necessary in our unstable life. You will go through crises easier and find way out of difficult situations quickly.
Just do not go too far, as abundance of earth elements in your life can lead to a standstill, heaviness and immobility, and also to greed, peculiar to Rats.
Rats like eating well, although they are not so exacting to dishes. Yes, they are unpretentious, but won’t hunger. If worst comes to worst, they can even lunch with their brother, showing bad qualities.

If you have too much rat’s greed and cunning, which makes communication more difficult and provokes bad attitude towards you, you should slacken your rat’s ardour a little.

Earth element can be weakened by wood and softened by metal.

Earth direction: south-west, north-east and center.

Shape: square

South-west is also a LOVE direction. If you put at least one earth symbol in south-west of your bedroom this year, then your love will grow and strengthen, and may be, even rise again. Add yellow, beige and cream tones. Yellow is a color of amalgamation, communication, it stabilizes relationships and helps maintaining close contacts.
Fire influences Earth element beneficially. So, bras and candles, red and orange tones will supplement a picture and make your love zone attractive. Red lamp-shade. Chinese lanterns, paired hearts, even pictured, red and pink stones, red matetial – these are powerful incentives to attract Love in the Earth Rat’s life.
Take care about good lightning for your housing. Bright light stimulates Earth element development and hastens realization of love wishes. Besides, it distracts Rat from constant work, opens eyes and makes looking around, including you.

On East rat is treated as an intelligent and holy animal, bringing luck and prosperity. In India rat is pictured as a driving animal, in Japan – as a companion for god of happiness.

When rat gnaws, it is counting money, and in China miser is called “money rat”. South China attributes to it a role of a cultural hero who brought rice to people. On the other hand, same China treated rats like something demonic. We have a lot to teach from rats. For example, living in families and caring about each other.