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Along with birth year animals, the Chinese Zodiac also represents inner animals and secret animals. We’re probably all aware of the 12 animals or signs depicted on the Chinese Zodiac. Based on our year of birth, we understand that we’re born under the sign of the Dog, or the Ox, or one of the 10 other signs. But the truth is it’s the inner animals and the secret animals that actually tell the most about who we really are and what our futures hold.

The 12 animals or signs of the Chinese Zodiac are associated with a person’s birth year, and the animals repeat every 12 years. The inner animals and the secret animals are associated with a person’s birth month (of which there are 12) and a person’s hour of birth (of which there are also 12 as they are calculated as 2-hour increments), respectively. When combined, the 12 animals, the 5 elements, the 12 birth months and 12 birth 2-hour segments create 8,640 different personality combinations!

To make this easier to understand, the animal representing your birth year determines the “outer” you. The animal representing your birth month determines your “inner” you; the person you wish you could be. And the animal representing your time of birth determines your “secret” you; the person you are but that you prevent the rest of the world from knowing about.

When you look to the Chinese Zodiac and determine that you’re born under the sign of the Goat, for example, what you may not realize is that you’re not just one but actually a combination of 3 different Chinese Zodiac animals! To truly understand who you are, you’ve got to combine the qualities of these 3 animals. It’s this combination that helps determine your uniqueness.

What the Secret Animal determines

The secret animal is thought to be a person’s truest representation, since this animal is determined by the smallest denominator: a person’s birth hour. The Chinese Zodiac is based on astrology so those 2-hour increments of time coincide with the position of the sun in the sky; not the time your local clock. The sun’s position isn’t guided by daylight savings time or Greenwich mean time so be sure you’re calculating your birth time accurately or you may end up with the wrong secret animal.

What the Inner Animal determines

As mentioned above, your inner animal on the Chinese Zodiac is a representation of the type of person you believe you are or that you wish you could be. In addition, your inner animal helps determine which of the other animals you are and are not compatible with.

Next time you’re using the Chinese Zodiac to foretell your future, remember that much of the information will be based on your inner animal and secret animal.