The Tiger

Who is a Tiger?

Years: 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010.
Month*: February
Hour: 03.00-05.00am
* Caution: the start of the Chinese month can be as early as the 4th & as late as the 9th, depending on the year. I can let you know this too.

What is a Tiger?
Because the yang wood Tiger is composed of three different elements, he is an especially versatile predator. There is nothing wrong with being a predator except that it can imply a very rigid view of the world. Tigers often don’t play well with others, not because their egos are in the way (unlike the Dragon, the Pig, the Rooster or the Horse) but because for them, work and play are very distinct activities. They can up to a point frolic with other Tigers but broadly every alliance is focused on an outcome.
The Tiger never forgets. For the unbalanced Tiger no slight, insult or rejection can be allowed to go unredressed.. He may wait a lifetime but he will get his revenge. On the other hand the balanced Tiger will always repay a debt and go out of his way to acknowledge assistance.
The typical qualities of yang wood are sharp eyes, a strong will and swift movement. The Tiger stalks his prey silently and pounces when he is ready. He can wait days as long as he is not hungry. A needy Tiger is very dangerous. Never scorn the Tiger.
The Tiger will often have a fresh view of things which makes him the eyes of the team he makes up with the Horse and the Dog. The Horse is front of house, the Dog the keeper of records and the Tiger the hit man.
In terms of human relations the Tiger may be the most yang of the animals; that is swift, sharp and unsubtle. The earth he inherits from his predecessor in the Zodiac the Ox, is turned miraculously from yin to yang when he receives it. The unbalanced Tiger knows no mercy and expects none. And in this he has altered the dogma he receives from the Ox – do as you would be done by – into a personal code. This alteration can amount to perversion and make for serious misunderstandings; the unconscious Tiger probably knows himself less than any other animal. His ruthlessness which he can wear as a badge of honour, is often simply a failure to open up to interdependence with others. Of all insults “dependent” is the worst for the Tiger. He will not depend. This makes relationship an act of will. With a true act of will, the Tiger forms the most enduring relationships. If it is not truly a choice but a resigned agreement to bend himself out of shape, all around him will distort also. Sometimes the truly unconscious Tiger thinks this reflects a merciless world in which he has been clever in getting his revenge in first. This logic doesn’t work and the smarter Tiger knows this.
But even this one is not in the clear because the corollary of foregoing revenge appears to be falling on his sword. This is a mistake too. Most of us prefer not to live by the law of the jungle but then most of us are not as well-equipped for it.
Metal is generally considered to represent logical thought, authority and competition. The wooden Tiger likes to think of himself as logical but instinctive or even automatic is a better description. He can only make use of metal early on in life or at the inception of a process. After that he can deceive himself that he knows what to do and that he is beyond advice. The really unbalanced Tiger (yang wood day stem for instance born in February) considers himself bold and resolute but truly is hanging onto past (mother) stuff that ought to have been completed. The admission of this would affront his pride and he is unlikely to do it.
Richard Bandler used to say that the person with the most flexible behaviour has control. The Tiger is the yangest woodenest of the animals. He is so flexible that he can be completely immovable. This can be his role in the alliance with the Monkey, Pig and Snake sometimes called the The Four Terminals.
The Monkey sells the traveller a ticket, the Pig may offer to accompany him and the Snake can enchant with tales of exotic locations but the Tiger may simply snarl and send the traveller on his way. Without the Pig in the ba zi this combination can like the Four Earths, be a seriously unhelpful combination, implying restricted movement.
A tender father and an implacable father in law, a good leader but an erratic motivator, at his worst, the keynote of the Tiger is an uneasy combination between a long memory and a short fuse. At his best he is the sort of leader any man would gladly die for.

The Tiger: Outlook for 2011
The Tiger never forgets; a favour, an error and most of all, a slight. Sometimes it would be better if you forgot, wouldn’t it?
The Tiger is the Animal of the breaking of dawn and possesses an abundance both of patience and vision. In 2010 you had it pretty much your own way and you may not have used it well. The Tiger (especially the Metal Tiger of 1950 and 2010) is not a natural altruist. Such behaviours often have to be learned and in 2010 among politicians, footballers and celebrity chefs, not predominant. In 2011 you are again offered resources, human and otherwise but you’ll need to be discerning because it’ll be chaos if you’re not. There are shifting sands beneath you. Be sure to choose for positive reasons as a grudge is a poor motive. Of all the Animals, the Tiger must take care of his health and indeed wealth this year especially those born in 1950 and 1998. Frustration could lead to accidents. Overwork is not smart in 2011. Stay out of the South and avoid excessive sunshine and undue stress. Stress by the way is just a fancy word for not doing what you want to be doing.
In relationship, you may be bored; remember that to be bored is to be boring. It can also be stressful. And it works both ways. The most unbalanced Tiger has an empathy bypass. He simply can’t see things anyone else’s way. The easy ride of 2010 may tempt many Tigers this way. Don’t let it be you.
You are about a year away from really making your mark. You can hang on that long.