Eight Is the Luckiest Number in China. The Sheep Is Sign Number Eight.

Last week I told you everything that's wrong with the Sheep. Whiny. Clingy. Needy. Good at spending money, not so good at making it.

I feel a little guilty about that.

So this week I'm going to accentuate the positive, and I'll start with a prediction. The people who prosper in 2027 won't be the ones who charged the hardest in 2026. They'll be the ones who know how to take their time.

I'm the Firepig. In over 35 years of doing readings, I've learned that every sign has a good side and a dark side. I gave you the dark side of the Sheep because almost nobody will. Now you get the rest of the story, and there's a lot of good to be said for the Year of the Sheep. I'm looking forward to it.

The Fire Sheep arrives on February 6, 2027. There are two big things to know about it.

The Eighth Sign

The first one is simple. The Sheep is the eighth sign in Chinese astrology.

I don't think I need to tell most of you what the number 8 means in Chinese thought. It's a positive sign for prosperity and good luck. If you've ever watched someone pay extra for a phone number or a license plate full of eights, you've seen how seriously people take it.

So the sign that takes over in February arrives carrying the number of prosperity. That doesn't mean money falls out of the sky. It means the year has a generous streak, and it opens doors for people who know how to walk through them gently.

Which brings me to the second thing.

The Strongest Yin Sign There Is

The Sheep is a Yin sign. In fact, it's the strongest Chinese sign exhibiting feminine qualities.

Think about what kind of year we've just lived through. 2026 is a Horse year, and whether we like it or not, the way to behave in a Horse year is the aggressive, Yang, macho approach. Charge right in. Make noise. Get there first.

My call for next year is that this style stops working as well.

The approach that gains prosperity in 2027 is a Yin approach, almost a Taoist approach. You succeed by yielding. You come at things indirectly. You take your time.

The Sheep can lose and lose and lose and lose and lose an argument, and all of a sudden the Sheep wins.

I'll show you how to actually do that on Wednesday, because it's harder than it sounds. For now, just know that the quiet, patient person in the room is about to have a very good year.

Where the Good Fortune Goes

If the Sheep is the most feminine sign in the zodiac, follow that thread and you'll see where next year's opportunities are.

Beauty. Romance. Creativity. The arts. Gentleness. Anything that has to do with these things has a great chance of being successful in 2027.

So here's what I expect:

• Beauty and cosmetics should do very well. That whole industry is the Sheep's home ground.
• Creative work gets a lift. If you paint, write, design, make music or make anything beautiful, this is a year that's on your side.
• Gentleness becomes an advantage. In a Horse year, gentle people get run over. In a Sheep year, they get listened to.
• Peace gets easier to find. The Sheep is very much a peaceful sign, so it's a good year for conflict resolution. If you're at odds with somebody, the odds of working it out are in your favor.

The Easiest Prediction I'll Make All Year

The Sheep year is normally a great year for romance. This one has fire in it.

But this is a different fire from the one we've been living in. The Horse carries Yang fire, which is fire out of control. The Sheep carries Yin fire. Controlled fire. That means a lot of passion in relationships, and a better chance of doing something good with it.

I wrote about this earlier this month, so I'll keep it short. If you're in a relationship and you've been thinking about taking it to the next level, 2027 is a great time. If you're not in one, you should be out there working on it. It's one of the good years for romance to flare up.

The Best Signs of the Fire Sheep Year

Here's what everybody really wants to know.

The three best animal signs next year are the Rabbit (the Cat, if you're Vietnamese), the Pig and the Horse. The Sheep is one of the great signs for the Pig, and as the Firepig I'll admit I'm pleased about that.

But the animal is only half of it. I feel elements are just as important as animal signs, and the ideal is one of those three animals with an Earth or Wood birth element.

Here's why. Wood with fire results in a lot of positive energy, the kind that helps you get things done and reach your goals. Fire with earth produces metal, and metal is good for making money. So if you're an Earth Pig or an Earth Rabbit, this Fire Sheep year could be really good for financial success.

The Horse needs a warning label. It's on the list, but not the Fire Horse. Fire on top of the Fire Sheep is too much. It would have to be an Earth Horse or a Wood Horse.

To save you some arithmetic, here are the birth years:

• Earth Pig: 1959, 2019
• Earth Rabbit: 1939, 1999
• Earth Horse: 1978
• Wood Pig: 1935, 1995
• Wood Rabbit: 1975
• Wood Horse: 1954, 2014

If you were born in January or early February, your Chinese year may be the one before, so check your date.

A Word to the Wise

I said I'd accentuate the positive, and I have. But I wouldn't be doing my job if I let you walk off thinking the Sheep has changed its nature.

Sheep are cautious, and that's one of their virtues. In love, it may be all right to throw caution to the wind every now and then. In money, follow the Sheep's inclination. Take it easy. Go slow. Make sure you know what you're doing. Aim for stability and conservative investments, as I said earlier this month.

And it's still a fire year. There will be flare-ups when emotions get out of control, and maybe a little more risk-taking than a Sheep would normally allow. More passion, for good and for difficulties.

Still, when I add it all up, I come out optimistic. A year carrying the number of prosperity, ruled by the gentlest strength in the zodiac, with love in the air and peace within reach. There are worse things to look forward to.

Your own year depends on more than your animal. Your elements, your chart and the decisions in front of you all change the answer, and that's what a personal reading is for. I'll tell you plainly what I see.

Book a reading with Bill

And if you'd like the framework I use for the big decisions, it's all in The Mahjong Mirror.