2013 Chinese Zodiac: Year of the Yin Water Snake (癸巳)
The 2013 year pillar
The year 2013 corresponds to 癸巳 — a Yin Water year combined with the Snake branch. The Na Yin image for this pair is "Water of the Long Stream" (长流水).
Snake year, Yin Water stem
People often describe 2013 as the year of the Water Snake. 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 Snake year fits into the complete structure.