Metal Snake (辛巳): personality and meaning in the Chinese zodiac
The Metal Snake, 辛巳, sharpens the Snake's judgement and its taste for quality. The tradition reads it as ambitious, decisive and discerning.
Heavenly stem and earthly branch: 辛巳
Years: 1941, 2001
Character
辛巳 sets 辛, yin metal, the jewel, over the Snake's fire. Fire refines metal, and the tradition reads this pair as a jewel in the forge: a fine nature shaped and polished by heat — pressure that refines.
People born in a Metal Snake year are read as confident, intelligent and determined, with high standards and a strong will. They know what they want and pursue it with precision. The tradition's shadow for the Metal Snake is a coolness that keeps others at a distance, and an independence that resists any help.
In love and at work
In love the Metal Snake is read as loyal and discerning, slow to open up and steadfast once it does. At work it excels in finance, law, design, science and leadership. The tradition suggests the Metal Snake let others close enough to see its warmth.
A question to take with you
What pressure in your life has polished you — and what would you like to set down now?
Updated October 28, 2026