辰 Dragon

辰 (Jin), the Dragon, is fifth in the cycle and the only animal of the twelve that does not exist. It stands for the third month of the old calendar, late spring before the heat, and the hours from seven to nine in the morning. Its direction is east by southeast and its element is Earth, the kind that gathers and stores between seasons. The Dragon is read as scale: big weather, big plans, rain for the fields. In Korea the dragon is a king of the sea and a bringer of rain, and a dream of a dragon is counted among the most fortunate dreams one can have.

Set one goal today that is slightly too big and tell one person about it. Dragon energy is said to show in raising the ceiling, so notice how the room changes when you name the large version.

Dragon years are traditionally said to sit well with Rat (子) and Monkey (申), the Water harmony group, and to clash with the Dog (戌) across the circle. Compare these old pairings with your actual friendships rather than taking them as rules.

In Korean the Dragon year is 용띠 (yong-tti). The proverb 개천에서 용 난다 (gaecheon-eseo yong nanda), "a dragon rises from a ditch," celebrates someone who made it big from humble beginnings. 용꿈 (yong-kkum), a dragon dream, is the classic sign that something good is coming.