Tiger, Horse, Dog
Cycle animals: Monkey · Rooster · Dog
Entering · Middle · Leaving
Universe · Library
Three-year cycle
The three-year cycle, traditionally called Samjae, is a Korean folk stretch of caution. It comes round every twelve years, set by your birth year animal: the animal on your year pillar, such as Rat, Ox, or Tiger. In Universe, on the Chart screen, we label these years beside yearly luck. We do not treat them as fate or predictions.
How this app treats it
Unlike yearly luck, the three-year cycle is not drawn from your full four pillars. Everyone whose birth animal is in the same group shares the same cycle years.
We show it as a traditional time for caution: you may feel some extra friction. These are leanings to be aware of, not fate. When yearly luck reads demanding in one of these years, both labels can appear. They answer different questions.
How we calculate it
One lookup: your birth year animal against the calendar year's animal.
Monkey, Rat, Dragon
Cycle animals: Tiger · Rabbit · Dragon
Entering · Middle · Leaving
Snake, Rooster, Ox
Cycle animals: Pig · Rat · Ox
Entering · Middle · Leaving
Pig, Rabbit, Goat
Cycle animals: Snake · Horse · Goat
Entering · Middle · Leaving
Of the three years, the first is entering, the second middle, and the third leaving. The cycle repeats every twelve calendar years.
Birth-animal year is separate: a year whose animal is the same as your birth year animal. That year may also feel like a reset. We give it its own badge when it applies.
Three-year cycle vs yearly luck
- Yearly luck: the year's pillar, scored for themes against your day element, your helpful and caution lists, and your full chart.
- Three-year cycle: a folk calendar label from your birth animal, the same for everyone in that animal group.