2003 Chinese Zodiac – The Year of the Goat

Interestingly, depending on one’s interpretation, the Goat of Chinese astrology can just as easily be categorised as the Sheep or the Ram.

However you first learned about this independent and strong-willed character, rest assured that people born in 2003 take on countless personality traits first laid down centuries ago by ancient scholars of the East.

Read on to learn how the 2003 Chinese zodiac – the Year of the Goat – not only affects those born that year, but can also benefit from advice and good luck symbolism that will bring comfort, success and wealth.

Personality type of the 2003 Chinese zodiac

People born in 2003 are alternatively regarded as being born in the Year of the Goat, the Year of the Sheep or the Year of the Ram.

However, this is largely a case of semantics rather than indicating any particular difference between three different interpretations of the animal in question.

Nevertheless, it is an appropriate animal to sum up people born in 2003, as you will likely learn for yourself while getting to know them.

People born in the Year of the Goat are prone to worry and ruminate over what could go wrong in life, and must be careful not to let themselves slip into too much of a victim mentality or a pessimistic attitude.

They also lean towards the more solitary side in terms of social habits, but this is more to enable their minds to wander and their strong intelligence to grow, rather than any particular thing that is wrong with them.

Having said that, these are people for whom trust is earned slowly, so don’t be surprised if they can be tough to break the ice with sometimes.

However, as though to entirely contrast this truth, people born in 2003 as members of the Year of the Ram also tend to be very gifted at social graces.

They have good manners, always turn up on time looking the part, and always seem to know what to say, when to say it and how to deliver it in the most memorable way – without coming off as foppish or showing off.

Quite the impressive balance to strike, and perhaps indicative of the high standards that people born in the Year of the Goat adhere to – expecting others to do likewise.

That said, they also tend to be wise for their years, however old they grow to become, and possess a keen insight into the human condition that makes them relatable to all generations and walks of life.

Wordplay, puns and other corny kinds of humour are a somewhat guilty pleasure for people born in the Year of the Goat, and they don’t mind losing their serious side once in a while to uplift and motivate those around them.

These are people with many layers indeed, all of them beneficial – making them popular as friends and workers alike.

What element is 2003?

Many people exploring the intricacies of Chinese astrology swiftly come to understand that each year is attributed an element as well as an animal of the Chinese zodiac.

Because of that, even those people from different generations who share a symbolic animal might find surprisingly stark differences in their personality.

In Chinese astrology, 2003 is ruled by the Water element, and that makes 2003 overall the Year of the Water Goat.

This affected not only how that year played out, but also the fortunes and personality traits of those souls born into the world during 2003.

The Water Goat personality is one therefore gifted with a kind of inner peace and contentment, and the capability to accept things as they are without pushing for drastic changes – which often feel uncomfortable, just as the surface of water is disrupted and rippled by anything breaking through it.

While this can strike some people as far too passive, remember that the Goat in Chinese astrology knows his or her own mind implicitly – if a big change truly were necessary, he or she would work to make it happen without delay.

However, the Water Goat is a creature of peace and serenity, as well as more accepting of the unexpected unpleasantness that life sometimes offers.

Whereas other people born under a different elemental interpretation of the Year of the Goat could be upset that an unexpected bill takes away spare money they’d planned to take a holiday with, for instance, the Water Goat will shrug pay the bill and patiently build up the vacation nest egg from scratch.

Just as water is malleable and easily reshaped by whatever container it is in, the Water Goat individual is one easily disrupted in terms of self-confidence.

They, unfortunately, have a little less of it than many of their counterparts and might need more encouragement than most when it comes to believing in themselves.

Best love matches for the 2003 zodiac

Owing to a complex personality that is slow to trust, riddled with self-doubt and inclined to prefer one’s own company half the time, it can be tricky to become close to a Water Goat person born in 2003.

However, with a little advice, this is easily remedied for anyone born in 2003 looking for love.

For example, the patient and kind Pig is a good love match for the Goat in Chinese astrology.

Both of these archetypes or people to whom trust is sacred, earned over a period of deliberate emotional investment in one another.

However, both the Goat and Pig of the Chinese zodiac are hugely intelligent people who believe in looking after those closest to them, and their shared values will be a valuable part of what keeps the relationship alive in the long term.

Another of the best love matches for the Goat in Chinese astrology is seen in the Rabbit.

Although blessed with a quick wit and a talent for moving through life fast, the Rabbit is a very compassionate and nurturing soul who is more than happy to help soothe the spirits of a crestfallen Water Goat personality.

Excellent relationship prospects can also be felt in the compatibility between a Goat and Horse – Chinese astrology shows us that there is a fun living side in each that finds plenty in common with the other.

That said, the Horse can sometimes have a reckless streak that the Goat finds difficult to mesh with – but remember, this is a Water Goat person born in 2003.

As such, they are far more forgiving than most, and will learn to love the impulsive ways of their Horse soulmate.

Wealth and fortune for the 2003 Chinese zodiac

Thanks to their considered approach to life and overall concern with ensuring their own comfort, security and safety, the Water Goat of Chinese astrology is quite good at making money, and unlikely to spend it too recklessly unless in a particularly flippant mood.

These are not people who are looking to rock the boat, and because of that are not the sort of individuals who will shift jobs multiple times in a lifetime, or aspire to be the head of the pack.

A person born in the Year of the Goat will dutifully take on the mantle of leadership in a company division if directly approached about it, but he or she is equally happy simply keeping their head down and getting on with the task at hand, day after day, month after month, even year after year.

The security of routine, even if sometimes boring, is quite comforting to these people.

Big financial risks are therefore very unlikely, but therefore so too are big financial rewards.

Despite this, the Goat of the Chinese zodiac is the kind of person who will become silently somewhat well to do over the course of a lifetime, but feel content to enjoy that wealth solo, or with their immediate family alone.

Lucky symbols and numbers

As well as the elements and animals that symbolise them, the different signs of the Chinese zodiac each also have different ways of drawing in good fortune in all its forms – it’s all about knowing what tips and advice work for whom.

In the case of people born in 2003 looking to be luckier, good fortune for the Water Goat comes from associating with their lucky numbers – 3, 4 and 9.

And of course, the opposite is also true, and these folks ought to try and avoid their unlucky numbers, which are 6, 7 and 8 – easily remembered, but not always too easily avoided.

Further symbols of good luck for Goats in Chinese astrology are flowers like primroses and red carnations, but also certain lucky colours like green, red and purple – all wonderfully vibrant and floral.

In fact, these people are often nature lovers, so the affinity for flowery hues makes a lot of sense.

Meanwhile, colours of autumnal decay like brown, black and dull gold are considered unlucky colours for people born in 2003 or as the Goat, Sheep or Ram in the Chinese zodiac.

Interestingly, in Chinese astrology, good fortune is also often attributed to certain directions on the compass.

Likewise, bad luck can be said to follow an individual around through the same means, which is why Goat people in Chinese astrology are recommended against the direction of west.

Meanwhile, lucky directions for people born in the Year of the Goat in Chinese astrology are east, south and southwest.

3 unusual facts about the 2003 Chinese zodiac

As you have likely gathered from our discussion so far, people born in 2003 as a Water Goat in the Chinese zodiac are complex and rewardingly deep people. Yet there are further and more obscure facts to unravel still.

Firstly, people born as a Water Goat are often creative, even if their artistic pursuits are kept a bit of a secret from others for fear of being judged.

It’s not unusual for people born in 2003 to have a hobby that keeps them cooped up indoors, absorbing their free time in the most solitary yet satisfying fashion.

Secondly, many experts in Chinese astrology attest that the connection between emotional health and physical health is stronger in people born in the Year of the Goat than even the most sensitive of other people.

A person born in 2003 recently experiencing heartbreak might contract a bad batch of the flu to go with it, or an angry person born in the Year of the Goat might experience circulatory problems later in life owing to high blood pressure.

Thirdly, the Water Goat especially is someone who is ready to settle down in life almost immediately upon reaching adulthood.

People born in 2003 seem to have less interest than other generations in getting too drunk or going out all night partying, nor even travelling extensively around the world during gap years.

This is because a solid future is far more important to these people, and it’s more comfortable and safe to begin working towards that as soon as possible.

My final thoughts

Whether you know these people as the Water Goat, the Water Ram or the Water Sheep, there’s no denying that people born in 2003 are, according to Chinese astrology a friendly yet emotionally deep bunch.

A lot of world events in 2003 made life feel less certain and straightforward than ever, and people born into the world during this time seem to have unfortunately developed the propensity to worry that goes with it.

However, with the right friends and partner, and a fulfilling career, the Water Goat will never truly lose themselves to rumination and negativity.

While their confidence might flag from time to time, there is everything to play for and some superb talent in building things to last here – both at home and in the office.

About the author

Kathy Freeman

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