By Sukriti Wahi Entertainment 03.02.2026

Everything You Need to Know Before We Enter the Year of the Fire Horse

Saddle up, an auspicious new era is coming in hot.

Did the new year really begin on January 1? Perhaps “2026” did. But energetically (oh hello, ye olde resolutions)? Maybe not so much.

In fact, according to the Chinese lunisolar calendar, the New Year actually falls on February 17th, 2026, and in the Chinese zodiac, it marks the start of the Year of the Fire Horse – the first in 60 years.

Whether you personally follow the Chinese zodiac or you’re even a little on the Astrology side of Instagram or TikTok, you’ll already know that it’s no small thing, especially after 2025’s Year of the Wood Snake (more on this in a moment).

Below, we break down everything you need to know about what to expect (and how to prepare) for the Year of the Fire Horse so you can make the most of it – because it’s coming in, as fire is wont to do: hot.

But first, how does the Chinese Zodiac work?

The Chinese zodiac works on a 12-year cycle, following the Chinese lunisolar calendar, with each year represented by a different animal. In successive order, these animals are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat (also called Sheep or Ram), Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig – then the cycle starts again.

Similar to Western astrology, these different animals are associated with different personality traits and compatibilities that influence our lives. It also similarly incorporates the elements, of which there are five in Chinese astrology: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These correspond with each animal and year, and collectively make up a 60-year cycle (five elements x 12 animals), which adds further layers and complexities to each one’s characteristics and destiny.

What changes can we expect in the last weeks of the Year of the Wood Snake?

The Year of the Wood Snake was, quite frankly, a doozy for many of us – and the final weeks and days are set to be the same, though that does not necessarily mean ‘chaos’.

The Wood Snake symbolised a season of releasing, shedding, and clearing away what cannot move with you into your next era – outdated habits, patterns, attachments and/or identities – and you can expect the closing weeks to feel like an intensified version of this.

Things are set to slow right down, as life asks you to reflect on what you have shed (and the final remnants of whatever still needs to go – watch out for little tests that might arise) before you gallop full-speed ahead with the Fire Horse on February 17th.

This could feel like:

An increase in fatigue
An urge to be alone and go inwards
A general sense of heaviness around you
Like things have just stalled, or you are in between phases and selves

The snake sheds because remaining the same is heavier than changing, so it’s more than ok if things feel a little stagnant or exhausting right now – it’s actually expected.

What does a Fire Horse year represent in the world at large?

Intensity. Seismic shifts. Points of no return: these are just a few of the things we can expect to ramp up globally in the Year of the Fire Horse. And while that might sound a little scary at initial glance, it’s about ‘burning away’ old, outdated systems and making way for change.

Chinese metaphysics commentator and entrepreneur Jing Gao – who goes by @jingtheory on Instagram and TikTok – broke down the significance of a Fire Horse year in a Reel, emphasising it was “important to look back in history” to make sense of what is coming. Speaking to the camera, she noted that the last Fire Horse year was 1966, which was when the Cultural Revolution began in China, the Vietnam War escalated, Cold War tensions peaked, and civil unrest intensified across the US.

“In Chinese astrology, Fire Horse is one of the most extreme combinations,” she added in the caption.

“Horse energy is speed, movement, rebellion, independence. Fire turns that into intensity. Heat. Confrontation. Historically, Fire Horse years aren’t about gradual change. They’re about sharp breaks. Social unrest. Old structures collapsing. Turning points you can’t undo.

“Fire Horse energy doesn’t wait for anyone. It forces movement, often through chaos. The changes it brings are rarely comfortable, and they are usually permanent.”

She went on to add: “History shows that when systems fracture, people rise. How we show up for ourselves and for one another will shape what comes next.”

What impact does a Fire Horse year have on our daily life?

Just as it’s set to with society as a whole, we can broadly expect our day-to-day lives to begin transforming with sharp momentum and purpose-driven action when the Fire Horse arrives on February 17th.

Consider whatever you ‘shed’ during the Year of the Wood Snake, because that’s likely where you’ll see the Year of the Fire Horse carry you forward. Whether it’s relationships and attachments that no longer serve you, limiting beliefs, outdated roles and identities, or habits that held you back – this is where the Fire Horse wants you to charge ahead with energy, alignment and action.

Feng Shui consultant Jen Singer from the Feng Shui Agency also elaborated on the topic in an Instagram post, writing:

“This is the year of embodiment. Of movement. Of purpose-driven action. The Horse doesn’t ask you to explain what you learned. Instead, it asks you to act on it. The shedding is done. The path is clear.”

Concretely, this could look like finally pursuing the type of love that you deserve after years of repeating patterns in relationships that weren’t right, embracing wildly new career paths and roles, up and moving to a new city or country, or dropping old hobbies and communities to find new ones that match who you are now.

In short? Embracing radical new direction wherever you’ve been stagnant and needing to evolve. Saddle up.

From a Chinese astrological perspective, it gets even more specific. Gao touched on this in another Instagram Reel that, at the time of writing, has amassed almost a million views. In it, she explained that there are certain sub-themes you can expect to arise based on your Chinese zodiac sign (which you can easily find online by searching your year of birth), writing in her caption:

If you were born in a Tiger, Horse or Dog year:

“This is a momentum year. Doors open faster than you expect. When you act quickly and trust your instincts, things move. Waiting is the only real mistake.”

If you were born in an Ox, Snake or Rooster year:

“This is a strategic build year. Not flashy, but powerful. What you systemise, study, and stabilise now becomes real leverage later. Quiet progress compounds.”

If you were born in a Rat, Rabbit or Goat/Sheep/Ram year:

“This is a reset year. What no longer fits starts falling away. Old habits, certain relationships, outdated roles. Releasing now creates relief later.”

If you were born in a Dragon, Monkey or Pig year:

“This is a plot-twist year. Unexpected opportunities. Sharp turns. Wins from places you didn’t plan for. Flexibility beats control.”

In closing, she affirmed: “No matter your sign, the Horse year rewards movement over perfection. Indecision costs more than mistakes.”

What should we do to prepare for the Year of the Fire Horse?

Three words: Release, release, release!

Remember, the Wood Snake was all about shedding old skins you have outgrown. To best prepare for the arrival of the Fire Horse, you can start by internally and physically letting go of things you don’t use, don’t want or are simply done with, to make space for what this Lunar New Year will bring (if you let it).

Below, here are just some examples of what this can look like in a few different areas of our lives.

In your home

Donate or sell clothes that are tied to outdated versions of you that you’ll never wear again
Do a deep clean of your home
Empty and tidy your fridge and pantry of expired items or anything you have no plans to use
Throw out old toiletries or makeup

On your digital devices

Close all 86 tabs on your phone (guilty)
Declutter your inbox
Unfollow/block/delete/archive/mute people and conversations on social media that you don’t want in your orbit (so long, situationships!)

Internally

Do an inner life audit. Ask yourself the hard questions:
- What or who are you still holding on to that isn’t serving your growth?
- What is draining your energy by being left running in the background?
- What new things, people or opportunities could appear for you if you released old ones?
Acknowledge and express gratitude for the lessons you have learnt and are ready to honour in action as you let the final skin of the old you shed.

Ultimately, it’s about closing old loops and letting them go so fresh energy can enter. Finish projects and tasks imperfectly, so they don’t go with you still open, into the new Fire Horse year – where a new you awaits.