1984 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Yang Wood Rat (甲子)
The 1984 year pillar
The year 1984 corresponds to 甲子 — a Yang Wood year combined with the Rat branch. The Na Yin image for this pair is "Metal in the Sea" (海中金).
Rat year, Yang Wood stem
People often describe 1984 as the year of the Wood Rat. The animal comes from the branch; the element label comes from the stem. Together they form the traditional shorthand for the year's character.
What a year pillar tells you
A year pillar is one of four pillars in a BaZi chart. The year animal is a familiar cultural label, but a full chart also includes month, day, and hour pillars. Your Day Master — not your year animal — is the primary reference point in most readings.
Build your full chart
MingLens can calculate your four pillars from your birth date, local time, and birthplace. See how your Rat year fits into the complete structure.