In the East, the Tiger symbolises power, passioin and daring. A rebellious, colourful and unpredictable charater, he commands awe and respect from all quarters. This fearless and fiery fighter is revered as the sign that wards off the three main disasters of a household: fire, thieves and ghosts.
The Tiger is a fortunate person to have around, provided you are prepared for all the activity that comes along with this dynamic personality. The impulsiveness and vivacity of the Tiger person are contagious. His vigour and love of life are stimulating. He will arouse every sort of emotion in people, except indifference. In short, the captivating Tiger loves being the centre of attention.
Restless and reckless by nature, the Tiger is usually impatiently geared for action. However, because of his suspicious nature, he is prone to waver or make hasty decisions. He finds it hard to trust others or to quell his emotions. He must speak his mind when upset. But just as he is quick-tempered, he is equally sincere, affectionate and generous. What’s more, he has a marvellous sense of humour.
Every tiger has the humanitarian touch in him. He loves babies, animals, jazz or anything that can catch his imagination and attention for the span of the moment. When he gets involved, his involvements are total. Everything, even breathing will take second place to the object of adulation. He is never halfhearted about his endeavours, and one can trust te Tiger to give 100% of himself or even more if he had it in him to do so.
The more sensual types usualy have a fling at the bohemian life in their youth. Some never grow out of it. Adventurous models seeking romance in Paris, budding painters displaying their wares on street corners, amateur bands on the road, one-night-stand pop singers or ambitious actors working on shoestring budgets are more likely to be Tiger children than flower children. This may be because, aside from being an optimist, the Tiger is just not materialistic or security conscious.
He must have one phase in his life in which he acts out his impulses – play all the fantastic roles he has cut out for himself. A chance to thumb his nose at what he disapproves of. A time to lash out at society and scoff at binding traditions. The Tiger must express himself, find his identity and shape his personality, and if rebellion or open defiance of accepted modes will offer hims the opportunity, then that’s the road he will take. Could one love him any less for these imperfections, if they can be labelled as such? no, nine times out of ten we find ourselves rooting for him. We may shake our heads at his audacity and gasp at his insane acts of daring, but just the same we never forget to say a silent prayer for him and feel we have experienced a warm personal triumph when we see him succeed.
When the Tiger is dejected he will need cartloads of sincere, undiluted sympathy. Don’t rationalise about who is right and who is wrong. Logic does not appeal so much to him. That’s beside the point. Don’t be stingy aabout conforting him. He would do twice as much for you if the situation were reversed. He will love to hear your words of wisdom and will hang on to every kind word of advice. But this doesn’t mean that he will take it. There is a difference, you know. It never pays to be arbitrary with this fellow.
Better just to hold his hand and wait till he talks himself dry, bounces all his feelings off of you and collects all the pieces of his shattered ego. Then, he will kiss you, hug you and lete you go off feeling like you have just put Humpty Dumpty back together again.
After he packs you off, well, in all probability he will go out and do exactly what he was planning to do in the first place.
No matter how down and out the Tiger is, no matter to what depths of dispair and depression he plunges, don’t believe for one moment that he will ever say die! There will always be a tiny spark left somewhere in that unquenchable spirit of his to rekindle the fire and start him living and loving all over again.
A bit too intense to rely on in times of stress, the Tiger is still renowned for his ability to sway the crowd. At his best, he is warm, sensitive and sympathetic. At his worse, he is obstinate, unreasonable and selfish.
Like the Dragon and Rooster, the Tiger native has a super ego. Money, power and fame will mean nothing if his ego is hurt. Thwarted, the Tiger could turn out to be the meanest and pettiest bully you ever came across. He will go to any length to get revenge, even to bringing down the house with him. Little slights will enrage him, but he may let big issues pass without a fuss. Just remember, he hates being ignored!
Paradoxically, his two main shortcomings in life will be his rashness on one hand and indecision on the other. If he can learn to take the middle of the road, the Tiger will be a roaring success.
At heart, the Tiger is a romantic. He is playful yet passionate and sentimental all at the same time, and it will be quite an experience being in love with or married to one. He or she is also inclined to be overpossessive and quarrelsome when jealous.
The first stage of the Tiger’s life will probably be the best. In these formative years, he could be taught tokeep a tight reign on the explosive emotions which could be the ruin of him. In his youth and prime, the Tiger will be absorbed in the pursuite of success and the fulfillment of his dreams. His old age could be calm if he could learn to give up the front seat and just relax. However, this will be diffiicult as he will be plagued by bittersweet regrets about the things he did and did not do.
On the whole, the Tiger’s life will be volatile. It will be filled to the brim with laughter, tears, pain, joy, despair and very conceivable emotion in the book. If there is one thing one should never do it is to feel sorry for him. He won’t need it, either: he can only love life if he is allowed to live it to the hilt in whatever manner he chooses. The Tiger is the ultimate optimist who will always bounce back for fresh challenges.
WOOD TIGER – 1974
This is a tolerant type of Tiger who evaluates situations in a practical and impartial light. He is democratic in his views and understands the importance of enlisting others’ cooperation in order to advance more rapidly. he will attact a lot of friends and supporters, as he can mingle with people from all walks of life.
The Wood element give him a more even and affable disposition, and his charming, innovative personality is very conducive to group efforts. He is sought after in polite society, and has the knack of bringing incongruous poeple together. But mostly his loyalty is to himself. No one is indispensible to him. If you quit the club, well, he will wish you luck and waste no time replacing you.
The Wood Tiger is also inclined to be the least penetrating of the Tigers. He may prefer to scan the surface of things and maintain only the semblance of order. Actually, he lacks depth and permanent control. Adept at delegating chores and skillful at commanding and manipulating people into performing for him, he will take on a minimum amount of responsibility. As his lunar sign is not blessed with any great ability for self-discipline, he should not embark on more that he can handle. But it will be hard for him to admit his limitations, and Tigers of all colours do not take readily to criticism, no matter how constructive or kindly given.
From the Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes by Theodora Lau, get your copy from Amazon.
Typically the Tiger:
| Likes | Dislikes |
| Success | Failure |
| To be their own person | Feeling caged in by circumstances or people |
| Comfort, though not too sumptuous | Rules and laws made by others |
| Big parties | Everyday life and its responsibilities |
| Appreciation and recognition of their prowess | Scandalmongering |
| Spending money | Taking orders or criticism |
| Honesty in others and themselves | Nursing others |
| Change and anything to do with the new or unusual | Jewels and Trinkets |
| Buying the best quality goods they can afford | Being ignored |
| A challenge | Being ignored |
| Being in charge | Established authority |
| Flattery | Hypocrisy |
| Surprises |