申 Monkey

申 (Sin), the Monkey, is ninth in the cycle. It stands for the seventh month of the old calendar, the first month of autumn, and the hours from three to five in the afternoon. Its direction is west by southwest and its element is Metal, the sharp, quick kind. The Monkey is read as wit in motion: it sees the trick, the gap, the faster route. Korea has few wild monkeys, which is why the old Korean name for the sign, 잔나비 (jannabi), survives mostly in the zodiac and in grandparents' speech, and why the Monkey year has long sounded a little exotic to Korean ears.

Take one routine you do the long way and find a shortcut today, then keep it only if it still works tomorrow. Monkey energy is said to show in clever routes, so test yours against the morning after.

Monkey years are traditionally said to sit well with Rat (子) and Dragon (辰), the Water harmony group, and to clash with the Tiger (寅) across the circle. Compare the old pairings with the friends you actually have.

In Korean the Monkey year is 원숭이띠 (wonsungi-tti), and older people still say 잔나비띠 (jannabi-tti). The proverb 원숭이도 나무에서 떨어진다 (wonsungi-do namu-eseo tteoreojinda), "even a monkey falls from a tree," is Korea's gentle way of saying experts make mistakes too.