Ben Ming Nian 2026 Animal – The Twelve-Year Curse (本命年)

Ben Ming Nian 2026 Animal – The Twelve-Year Curse (本命年)

Are you prepared for 2026 – The year of the Yang Fire Horse?

Ben Ming Nian – The Twelve-Year Curse (本命年)

Ben Ming Nian (本命年 in Chinese) refers to the year of the zodiac animal in which one was born.

In the Chinese animal Zodiac, every person will have one of twelve different Chinese animals determined by their date of birth. The twelve Chinese animals will each be assigned to a different year in a 12-year cycle. 2026 is the year of the Year of the Yang Fire Horse (Bing Wu), so people under the Horse sign meet their Ben Ming Nian in 2026.

How to create good luck in your Ben Ming Nian year — Horse beware in 2026!

Ben Ming Nian refers to the Chinese lunar year which starts on the Chinese New Year (Chinese Spring Festival) and ends on Chinese New Year’s Eve (the last day of the Chinese lunar year). For example, 2026 is the Year of the Yang Fire Horse (Bing Wu) starting on the 17th of February 2026. So, for the person under the Horse sign, 2026 is their Ben Ming Nian year.

You will encounter your Ben Ming Nian when you are 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96…

You can check your Bin Ming Nian years on the Chinese Zodiac Years Chart below.

How to avoid bad luck and tips to make a good Ben Ming Nian year?

Most Chinese people are afraid of their birth sign year, and it is said that during the Ben Ming Nian you will encounter Tai Sui, who is the legendary God in charge of people’s fortune.

Your fortune is said to fluctuate during this unlucky year, and belief is that many bad things like illness, financial loss, illicit affairs, business loss, divorce, etc. may happen to you. However, as a Yang Earth dog born in 1958, I had my best years at ages 48 and 60 because I placed the relevant Feng Shui cures and enhancers during those years. Here are a few things you should do when your years come around.

• Place a Pi Yao (貔貅in Chinese) (aka Pi Xiu or Bixie) which is a Chinese mythical animal that will repel evil spirits, attract wealth and bring happiness and good luck. During your zodiac year of birth, you should place a small statue of this auspicious Pi Yao, and in 2026 you should put it in the north facing towards the south. For more information on the Pi Yao, Click here…
  
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    Pi Yao (Gold coloured)

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    Price: £16.99 (GBP)

    The Pi Yao is a crucial cure for 2026 and you should place a gold-coloured Pi Yao in the north, facing towards the south for protection in 2026.This cure is one of the most powerful cures for protection that you can use in Feng Shui and also a powerful enhancer but also for protection against legal problems, arguments, disputes and loss of wealth.He is ...

• To appease Tai Sui in any year, you should place a gold tai sui card and in 2026, the ruling general for the Year of the Yang Fire Horse (Bing Wu) is Wen Zhe, and it is vital that we pay respect to this deity and appease him if we are to avoid conflict and problems in our home or business during 2026, and you should place this in the south. For more information on Tai Sui and the other annual afflictions, click here…
  
  
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    Wen Zhe Tai Sui gold plated plaque for 2026

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    Price: £26.98 (GBP)

    Wen Zhe Tai Sui gold plated plaque for 2026 - Pay respect to Tai Sui and avoid the conflicts and mishaps that he can bring when disturbed  Where do I place the Wen Zhe Tai Sui gold plated plaque? South Palace in 2026. What Flying star is the Wen Zhe Tai Sui gold plated plaque used for? The Tai Sui plaque is used to pay respect to Tai Sui, which will ...
  
  
• Red is considered to be one of the luckiest colours in Chinese culture and Feng Shui, standing for prosperity, loyalty, success, and happiness. Red can drive away bad luck and evil spirits and wearing red during your zodiac year can bring you good luck. You can wear red socks, red clothes, handbag, wallet and red underwear like bra, knickers/pants, vest etc is highly suggested during your Ben Ming Nian year. However, there is a rule that you need to pay attention to, or the red won’t ward off bad luck. You cannot buy red clothing yourself. It should be purchased by a spouse, family member, or friend. While I have the utmost respect for Chinese culture, this is not something I follow but no harm in trying.
  
  
• In any year, you should place your annual Feng Shui cures and enhancers, and this not only dissipates the negative energy but also enhances the auspicious energy and can turn a predicted bad year into a very good one.
  
  
• Every Chinese animal has a protection animal that will help to keep them safe throughout their lives; this will be the Chinese animal that you are most compatible with; for example, the Rat would be the Ox and vice versa. You should try to carry a Chinese animal protection charm or gold-plated Chinese animal protection card of your compatible animal with you as much as possible for protection in your daily life. For more information on your Chinese animals’ secret friend, click here…

You should always face away from Tai Sui in any year.

People are often told that Tai Sui (Grand Duke) will bring you bad luck. Actually, you can make use of Tai Sui to bring you good luck by facing in the opposite direction. The position of Tai Sui for each year in its cycle is listed below.

I know this is easier said than done, but if possible, you should try to adjust the direction of beds, seats, and desks to face away from Tai Sui and have Tai Sui behind them.

For example, in 2026 (year of the Horse), Tai Sui is in the south between 172.5– 187.5 degrees, so in 2026, you should adjust your seat or bed so you are not facing the south. You would usually sit with your back to Tai Sui for support, so you would sit facing towards the north for support.  This is normally fairly easy to do with a chair at a desk, but not easy to achieve with a bed location, and do not worry if you cannot do this.

Takeaway…

I have dedicated more than four decades to practising Feng Shui, grounding my approach in factual evidence. Throughout my experience, I’ve encountered five Ben Ming Nian years, and, aside from a foggy memory of my 12th year (where nothing particularly negative transpired), I cannot recall any instance where a Ben Ming Nian year brought misfortune to me or anyone else. Consequently, I personally regard this aspect as a little bit of superstition rather than a genuine belief held by Feng Shui Masters, although I still treat it with utmost respect and place all the annual Feng Shui cures and enhancers. If you happen to be a Horse in 2026, or a Goat in 2027, I encourage you to adhere to the advice provided earlier, employ standard Feng Shui remedies, and rest assured that your year will unfold positively.

As a Dog born in 1958, my most recent Ben Ming Nian year occurred in 2018 during the Yang Earth Dog year. Remarkably, it turned out to be a fantastic year marked by the joyous celebration of my 60th birthday, Daniel’s wedding day, and his 30th birthday, among other successes and festivities. Looking ahead, my next Ben Ming Nian year is in 2030, and I approach it with unwavering confidence and a lack of concern.