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The twelve Animal Signs
for Men
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Horse man
His psychological makeup
The Horse male could be anything you may imagine but satisfied with the immediate. He is inhabited by an irresistibly driving force that makes him constantly try to transgress the physical as well as temporal boundaries within which he finds himself. Only what lies in the future or another country is susceptible of interesting him.
All his existence, understandably, is marked with globetrotting and the crossing of frontiers, whether real or imaginary. He is known to everyone around him as the wandering, restless Horse. He can fare well only when he is elsewhere - away from his place of birth, his native country, or a region which has become too well known to him - and delights in traveling to get there without feeling any shadow of regret for what he leaves behind. He needs to be ever free to move around; there would be no unhappier person than a tied-down Horse.
This man makes an unconditional apostle of progress - the word "progress" here is understood in both its literal and figurative meanings. His philosophy of life is wholly and resolutely turned toward what lies ahead. To him, the golden age is before us, the past simply does not exist, and the present is boring to death. For this reason he is often frowned upon as a rebel, anarchist, or iconoclast. In any case he is decidedly a revolutionary - there is no such thing as a conservative Horse - and always looks for something new in every direction even if this means he must get his wings clipped in the process.
In order to preserve his freedom of movement, thought, and actions, this subject defends his independence with fierce determination. Uncompromisingly defiant of public opinion and traditions, he insists on following his own instincts, even to the point of rashness. As a child, he is already reputed as a turbulent, self-willed enfant terrible and has extremely tense relations with his parents and teachers. As soon as he is able to strike out on his own, he breaks away with a light heart from all family ties and influence. The Horse male is generally not much appreciated in Asian and other societies where the cult of the family is particularly strong and family loyalty revered as a major virtue, for he refuses to let himself be imprisoned - he is most casual about his immediate family and loves his relatives only from a safe distance.
Not rarely does this man even wish to be able to overstep the limits of his own person, becoming someone else - less imperfect, wiser, more likeable, better loved - or being born in another era. But this always remains a simple wish, which connotes his usual dissatisfaction with the status quo, and never threatens to degenerate into a fantasy.
In many ways the Horse male is quite a remarkable man. His optimism and enthusiasm, for instance, are matchless qualities. Essentially an extravert, he never allows himself to indulge in brooding, moodiness, or self-pity. Nothing can wear down his fighting confidence and blind faith. He gives the impression he can succeed in most of his undertakings. His adversaries are prone to say he is favored by chance; but this chance is unquestionably brought about by his firm belief in the value of his efforts and in final victory.
Enthusiasm, hot-bloodedness, ebullience, and an eternal youthfulness of spirit are the legendary hallmarks of this individual. His fertile mind and active body always operate at high speeds. To him, life is a fascinating adventure, and, curious about everything, he feels an unspeakable excitement for each new experience. If he often stays up late, it is because he is more or less consciously afraid he might miss something of the grand spectacle of existence. Keen on making the most of his potential, he is always ready to take up all challenges that offer themselves to him. He puts all of himself in every venture, displaying extremely high motivation and dedication.
He is a dreamer in his own way since he never loses touch with reality and has the ability to make his dreams to come true. Wishful thinking, apathy, and laziness have no place in his comportment. What he wants, he works relentlessly to get it - no question for him to slacken his vigilance and efforts so long as his objective has not been achieved.
Selfish the male Horse certainly is and never bothers to conceal it. But his selfishness is moderate and reasonable - he would not go so far as to step on other people's toes in order to carry out his ambitions. On the contrary, no one could deny his abundance of idealism. He needs a lofty cause, noble goals, and transcendent aspirations in order to function adequately and show what he is capable of: Life would seem deadly boring without them, and their absence would plunge him into the darkest depths of depression. He always manages to find something worth fighting for and devotes all his time and energy to it. He finds blasé people and those with a feeling of futility utterly beyond his comprehension.
For all his exuberance, he is no less trustworthy. One can rely on him under whatever circumstances. Loyal beyond the call of duty, he does what he says and says what he does, and, even at the price of many sacrifices, never lets down those to whom he has given his word. His extreme candor and open-heartedness may sometimes work against him, but this does not disturb him to any noticeable degree; he seems to believe it is a lesser evil to be betrayed than to be deceptive. His uncompromising honesty is indeed one of his finest qualities.
Another of his outstanding qualities is his courage which could be equaled only by that of the Tiger. Once he takes up a task, he will see it through to the bitter end. Difficulties and obstacles only act as an incentive to his determination. He would not embark on an undertaking which does not offer tremendous challenges to his strength of purpose. A born adventurer, he has a taste for risks and never hesitates to gamble with life if necessary. When it comes to truth, he is never afraid to speak it out although he is perfectly conscious of all the dangers his total frankness may entail.
But while his Tiger counterpart tends to pursue Herculean, impossible enterprises, the Horse man is more realistic and pragmatic. He is more conscious of his own limits and reluctant to bite more than he can chew. While his practical approach to problems and affairs does not give him a very glamorous aura, it does help him achieve good results and avoid many deceptions.
In compensation for his lack of glamour, he is endowed with an unusually sharp mind. He can divine other people's intentions and designs quickly and is skillful at the art of taking his opponents aback by exploiting their most vulnerable, though well-concealed or even unsuspected, weaknesses. His great presence of mind enables him to handle all emergencies effortlessly and gracefully. Besides, it is not impossible for him to have occasional flashes of prophetic vision which help him gain an appreciable advantage over others.
As already indicated, the Horse male is no introvert. His comportment is completely turned outside, which makes him one of the most gregarious types. He needs and seeks the company of men and women of every walk of life. He loves mixing with people and is frequently seen at the very hub of places where there are entertainers or large gatherings. He enjoys all outdoor activities and involves himself unrestrainedly in all sports, either as a participant or spectator. He has a conspicuous penchant for races, probably because he is a Horse himself.
Because he sincerely likes people, friendliness is well to the fore of his personality. Warm, cheerful, debonair, having an easy laugh, and wearing his heart on his sleeve, he is very popular with many people. One always feels at ease in his congenial company. He shows a true and spontaneous interest in all those he meets - in fact, in all that is human. He likes giving pleasure, rarely refusing to do a favor asked of him and denying nothing to his loved ones. Unfortunately, he tends to make promises which he may not be able to honor either because there are too many of them or because they are well above his forces. In any case there is in him not a single streak of pettiness.
Very vulnerable to coldness and rejection, he spares no efforts to get himself entrusted with confidences, which he perfectly knows how to respect. If sometimes he does intervene in the lives of other people, it is simply out of his concern for their welfare, not because he wants to meddle in their own affairs. He does not bear ill will beyond the heat of the moment and is capable of demonstrating quick and sincere regret for whatever wrong he does.
If one examines the negative aspect of the typical Horse man's personality, one cannot help noticing some important defects. First of all, this man has keenly pronounced likes and dislikes. There is no question for him to be subtle, to make room for various shades and tones. Black or white, all or nothing are his invariable way of reacting to people, ideas, and events. Once he has made his choice - once he has decided to love or hate something - he is likely to stick to his stand until his death, even though subsequent circumstances may make it necessary for him to reverse or modify his preferences or aversions.
Closely related to this is his opinionatedness. It is almost always a mistake with this man to make a point of defending any idea or position, for your arguments will never sway or convince him and will certainly fall on deaf ears. The native is unyieldingly positive in his views - so unyieldingly that practically no compromise can be expected from him. If he is fond of heated discussions, it is not so much because he is eager to find truth as because he is determined to prove his point. His habitual way of phrasing his ideas is often in itself a clear indication of his conviction that he knows all the answers. Moreover, he is very susceptible to contradiction and unable to accept criticisms gracefully. There is no mistaking that he takes himself too seriously and lacks the sense of humor and tolerance.
He can be as vicious as the next man. The list of his minor vices usually includes boastfulness, cynicism, enviousness, rudeness, lack of tact, criticalness, verbosity, self-conceit, and self-sufficiency. Lastly, he is a quick-tempered person, with his fits of rage flaring up in a split second and with his tendency to become something of a tyrant for those around him.
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