1963: the year of the Water Rabbit (癸卯)
In Korean saju, 1963 is the year of 癸卯 (Gye-myo). The top character, 癸, is yin Water, and the bottom character, 卯, is the Rabbit. Together they make 1963 the year of the Water Rabbit. The saju year starts at Ipchun on February 4, 1963 at 22:07 Korea time and runs until February 5, 1964.
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1963 at a glance
- Year pair
- 癸卯 · Gye-myo
- Element
- Water (yin)
- Animal
- Rabbit
- Old poetic name
- 金箔金 · Gold leaf
- Saju year starts
- February 4, 1963 22:07
- Ends
- February 5, 1964
- Age in 2027
- turns 64
Born in January or early February 1963?
The saju year changes at Ipchun, February 4, 1963 at 22:07 Korea time. If you were born before that moment, your year pair is 壬寅: you belong to 1962, the year of the Water Tiger.
Many zodiac sites switch the animal at Lunar New Year instead, which fell on January 25 in 1963. So for birthdays from January 25 until just before Ipchun, those sites already say Rabbit while saju still says Tiger.
The two characters of 癸卯
- 癸Gye · quiet rain soaking in — water that refreshes dry ground
- 卯Myo · Rabbit · soft grass in mid-spring
The Water element of 1963
The top character decides the year’s element, so 1963 is a Water year. When Water energy is strong, it tends to feel like this: You feel wise, calm, and open to new ideas flowing in.
- Color
- Navy or black
- Food
- Black beans, seaweed, and fresh seafood
- Direction
- North
- Activity
- Taking a relaxing bath or journaling quietly
This is your birth-year element. In saju, your core element comes from your birth day instead (the day master), and it can be different. A free saju card shows yours.
Month pillars of the 1963 saju year
In saju, each month also has a pair, and it starts on a solar term, not on the 1st. These are the twelve months of 癸卯 with their start dates (Korea date). Your birth month’s pair is one of your four pillars.
| Month pair | Starts |
|---|---|
| 甲寅Gap-in | February 4 |
| 乙卯Eul-myo | March 6 |
| 丙辰Byeong-jin | April 5 |
| 丁巳Jeong-sa | May 6 |
| 戊午Mu-o | June 6 |
| 己未Gi-mi | July 8 |
| 庚申Gyeong-sin | August 8 |
| 辛酉Sin-yu | September 8 |
| 壬戌Im-sul | October 9 |
| 癸亥Gye-hae | November 8 |
| 甲子Gap-ja | December 8 |
| 乙丑Eul-chuk | January 6, 1964 |
The Rabbit in zodiac compatibility
By the branch tables, the Rabbit’s closest match is the Dog (six harmony). Its team of three adds the Pig and Goat. Its opposite sign, the Rooster, is a clash pair, read as different rhythms rather than bad luck.
The Rabbit in 2027
Your Wood feeds Fire. This is read as an output link: showing your work, speaking up, spending energy. Pace tends to matter more than push.
Ties with 丁未: Half trine (半合)
2027 outlook for the Rabbit →Other Rabbit years
The Rabbit comes back every 12 years, but the element on top changes each time:
- 1951辛卯 · Metal Rabbit
- 1975乙卯 · Wood Rabbit
- 1987丁卯 · Fire Rabbit
- 1999己卯 · Earth Rabbit
- 2011辛卯 · Metal Rabbit
- 2023癸卯 · Water Rabbit
The exact pair 癸卯 returns every 60 years: 1903 and 2023.
Read 癸卯 as a day pillar →How to read this
Your birth year is one pillar out of four. Your birth month, day and hour usually say more about you than the year does. Use this page for facts and fun, then check the full chart.

Born in 1963? See your whole chart
Your year is one pillar. Add your birthday for a free saju card with all four, worked out on your device.
Questions about 1963
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1963?
1963 is the year of the Rabbit, and more exactly the Water Rabbit (癸卯). In saju the year runs from Ipchun on February 4, 1963 to February 5, 1964.
What element is 1963?
Water. The top character 癸 is yin Water, and that is the year’s element. The bottom character 卯 adds Wood.
I was born in January 1963. What is my sign?
Before Ipchun (February 4, 1963, 22:07 Korea time) you belong to the year before: 壬寅, the Water Tiger of 1962. Check your exact time if you were born that day.
Is my birth-year element my saju element?
Not exactly. The year element describes your birth year. Saju reads your core self from your birth-day character (the day master), which needs your full birth date.