You select cards representing years — the oracle cross-references the years you're drawn to with Chinese zodiac patterns, Five Element theory, and classical 年命 (year fate) principles to identify your animal sign without asking your birthday.
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig — a 12-year repeating cycle. Each animal carries a Five Element nature (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) and a distinct personality archetype from classical Chinese texts.
Card selection surfaces subconscious year-energy preferences that correlate with zodiac personality patterns — roughly 60–70% accuracy on the primary sign. Traditional astrologers note a person's full chart blends multiple sign energies, so results "near" your real sign are completely normal.
年命 is the fate energy imprinted by your birth year — one of the four pillars in BaZi (八字 Four Pillars of Destiny). The year pillar determines your zodiac animal and its heavenly stem element, shaping core personality traits and decadal luck cycles.
The 8-question quiz uses analytical personality matching. The Year Cards oracle uses card-selection intuition — revealing your "felt" zodiac energy rather than your analytical profile. Try both for the most complete reading.