If your 2026 feels intense, blame the Year of the Fire Horse
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According to Chinese astrology, there's a reason 2026 may already feel intense: It's the Year of the Fire Horse.
Why it matters: For many people, astrology offers a lens for self-reflection and decision-making, and sometimes a shorthand for explaining why life feels more challenging than expected.
Between the lines: Lunar New Year kicks off Feb. 17, but some Chinese astrology traditions mark the zodiac shift earlier — around Feb. 4 — tied to the solar term known as the Start of Spring.
Catch up quick: Fire Horse years come around once every 60 years.
- The most recent was in 1966, when China's Cultural Revolution began. It's a moment Hong Kong-based astrologer Letao Wang points to when describing the sign's reputation for upheaval.
- The Fire Horse marks a sharp shift from last year's introspective Wood Snake, moving from contemplating which path to take and "shedding the old skin" to taking that path and "galloping" forward, Wang tells Axios.
- He describes the Fire Horse as a year about "following what our soul tells us to do."
In practical terms, Fire Horse energy is often associated with big moves, including changing jobs, relocating, ending relationships or growing a family.
- The meaning appeals to those looking for a reason to make a leap, or a sign that positive change is afoot.
Yes, but: Don't do too much too fast, Wang cautions.
- He compares the Fire Horse to "pouring gasoline into your car," a burst of energy that can be productive but risky without restraint.
What we're also watching: Mercury will be in retrograde from Feb. 26 to March 20, when the planet appears to move backward as Earth passes in its orbit.
- Astrologers often associate the period with "glitches," Wang says — a symbolic response to the planet's apparent backward motion.
- Mercury retrograde is simply an optical illusion — "a trick of perspective," similar to how a slower car can appear to move backward when you pass it on the highway, says Deborah Byrd, editor-in-chief of the astronomy site EarthSky.
Reality check: Astrology assigns symbolic meaning to seasons and planetary motion, even though astronomy explains those same movements through Earth's orbit and mechanics.
The bottom line: For people who buy into it, astrology offers a shared language for talking about inner lives, uncertainty and change — and a way to feel connected to something bigger than themselves.
- But Byrd says even astronomers joke that "Mercury is in retrograde" when something goes wrong.
