General Characteristics of an Ox

Patient, hardworking and a great heart are the qualities most associated with the Ox. Under that cool and calm exterior belies a hot temper though so people should be wary not to provoke the Ox. The Ox is a completely transparent creature – what you see is what you get. There is no sense of pretense about him, he wouldn’t know how.

Devoted to his job and his family, he has a fierce loyalty that will never be broken. Resilient and determined, the Ox will be a fantastic partner in work or on a personal level. Just bear with the rough edges and you will have a diamond in the rough.

Strengths

The Ox is probably the most hardworking of the animal signs. It takes the Ox some time to make decisions, but once made, he is stalwart and unwavering. No matter what obstacles arise, the Ox will persevere until he reaches his goal. In times of hardships, the Ox’s stamina and strength will always pull him through.

The Ox is also a traditionalist at heart and holds his principles high. Not at all easily swayed, he will hold onto his beliefs and the people he cares about loyally. Once he is your friend, he will defend you to the end, always with the best interests of all at heart.

Taciturn by nature, the Ox simply gets on with what needs to be done, without much discussion, justifications or explanations. He can be a great leader as well as a responsible head of the family. His success will be reflected in his results rather than by words.

Weaknesses

The tenaciousness of the Ox can become a weakness if the Ox is inflexible, stubborn and fixated. While the Ox is principled, he is also firmly set in his thoughts and it is difficult to make him see another view. There’s a fine line between principled and bigotry and the Ox can sometimes veer towards the latter.

The Ox is also resistant to advice and criticism, however constructive it is. The Ox will often just screen out anything he is not comfortable listening to, which can make it frustrating for people who are working with him. He hates to fail and he also cannot accept people who are opposed to his ideas.

The Ox’s bad temper is legendary. Quick to flare up and only appeasable at his own pace, the Ox makes people tiptoe around him in fear of setting him off.

Generally intolerant of facetiousness, pretentiousness and insincerity, the righteous Ox will only work with those who are willing to work with the Ox on his terms. This requires complete transparency, a lot of hard work, honesty and forthrightness. Unfortunately, this can mean that there are few people left for the Ox to work with.

The Ox’s practical mind also makes him seem cold. Due to his lack of empathy and care, he may run roughshod over you in his eagerness to attain his objective, but he didn’t mean it. Really.

Career and Working Life

At work, the stalwart, obstinate Ox prefers to forge his own path to achieve a particular objective. He is likely to go off on his own track and as such, if he is a member of your team, you should keep close tabs on what he is doing. It is not that he is rebellious but simply decides that his way is best and he charges full steam ahead.

The Ox enjoys being in the great outdoors and usually has a green thumb. Work wise, he might gravitate towards agriculture, land development or plantation management. Sales, rental and purchasing of property would also be suitable for the steady Ox.

The Ox’s ability to follow rules and regulations strictly, as well as his general resilience and courage, makes the Ox also suitable for a career in the armed forces. The Ox makes a good leader because of his strong sense of moral discipline, ethics and firm responsibility.

He is a long-term thinker and will make sure that whatever work he does is sustainable and has the potential for growth. As he is not fond of change, he is risk-averse and will always look for the safest and most secure option.

While not very sociable, the Ox is generally kind by nature and can be attracted to charity work, spirituality and community service. Whatever work the Ox pursues, he is diligent to the extent of obsession. Watch out though – if he has issues in other areas of his life, he may use work to hide from the problems.

Love and Relationships

As in every area of his life, the Ox takes his time when it come to romance. He will consider and date for a long time before deciding on his mate, but when he finally decides, he is a faithful partner and his family will be his priority. A creature of habit, the Ox prefers places of familiarity and his home is his castle. He is not fond of traveling, and is happiest to just potter around his home and garden.

Practical and prosaic in nature, don’t expect the Ox to be flirtatious or creative in romance. However, where he lacks in refinement, he makes up for with honesty and reliability.

The Ox can be your best friend as once he believes in you, he will stand by you no matter what. However, once you let him down, he is inclined to hold a grudge and it will take a long time before he can forgive and forget.

Finances

The Ox is not a good speculator and knowing that, he is usually risk-averse. Everything he earns will have to come by hard work but since he works hard, he will be able to lead a reasonably comfortable life and provide for his family, which is important to him.

The Ox is generally not interested in material goods and he can be turned off by ostentation. As such, he lives within his means and does not overspend. His acquisitions and home environment are dictated more by practicality and comfort than luxury.

Social Life

The Ox’s introvert nature leads the Ox to avoid the limelight and he is happiest in the background. He enjoys his own company rather than group activities, and this naturally leads to a less developed range of social skills.

The Ox does not have a very high emotional quotient so he does not read people or their emotions well. He does not like to share, nor confide and keeps his thoughts to himself. As a result, there can be much unintentional miscommunication with an Ox.

However, because of his sincere, trustworthy and dependable nature, the Ox will always find people who like him and will support him.

Life Lessons

The Ox should not take things too personally and learn to let go of grudges because they do not serve him nor the goals he works so hard to accomplish. If the Ox could also be more objective and examine the feedback to improve himself, he would benefit greatly from it.

The Ox should tone down his opinionated views and learn to accept others’ thinking and judgments.  He doesn’t have to be just his way all the time. He must realise that if he continues to rely only on himself, he won’t get as far as he could if he had the support and assistance of others around him. If the Ox is in the role of a leader, he should be more flexible with the rules, otherwise he is likely to alienate his team if he is too strict.

Once the Ox realises that hostility and being confrontational is not achieving the results he wants, he would do better to consider bending or lowering his standards in order to take control and achieve his goals.

COMPATIBILITY

Who will the Ox share his manger with?

The Ox is the best of friends with the Rooster and the Snake. These three have great affinity with each other, so any partnership with people born under these signs or in the hour ruled by these animals will be successful. This injects much needed flair and fun to the evasive Snake and serious Ox; the intense Snake and flamboyant Rooster will be brought back to earth by the grounded, stable Ox.

The quiet Ox gets on perfectly with the chatty Rat, whose inherent insecurities will be assuaged by the Ox’s solidity and loyalty. If the Ox can make the Rat feel content, this will be a very positive union.

Other animal signs that the Ox gets on well with are the Monkey – their opposite natures of the Ox’s seriousness and the Monkey’s playfulness will attract. The Ox will also get on well with the Rabbit, who is also gentle and introverted.

Who will the Ox lock horns with?

The Ox clashes with the Sheep on various levels. The Sheep is an emotional creature while the Ox functions on pure logic. Both animals are equally stubborn so they will hardly ever see eye to eye.

The Ox will also have issues with the fierce Tiger, whose strong character and quick temper will clash with the Ox. Neither will give in, which can only result in disharmony.

The Ox and the Dragon is also ill matched, as the down-to-earth Ox tends to be intolerant of the Dragon’s flamboyant imagination.

How to work with an Ox

Do not provoke the Ox unnecessarily. Like a bull in a china shop, an aggravated Ox will become very destructive. And he will hold a grudge for a long time, so it’s best to avoid conflict if at all possible.

The straightforward Ox will also expect you to hold your ground and do what you say you will. Don’t beat around the bush – be direct, honest and sincere. He is a hard-worker and the best way to work with the Ox is to pull your weight.

Instead, resolve conflict with an Ox in a logical, supportive manner and you will find him more willing to consider your point of view. Note that this does not mean he will accept it but at least he will listen!

5 Positive and Negative Traits

Famous Oxen

David Blaine, Napoleon Bonaparte, Vera Wang, Andy Lau, Aishwarya Rai, Yoon So-Yi, Kazuki Nakajima, Bowie Tsang, Michael Phelps, Albert Camus, HRH Diana Princess of Wales, Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney, Hans Christian Andersen, Peter Andre, Bach, Warren Beatty, George Clooney, Peter Gabriel, Elizabeth George, Richard Gere, Handel, Adolf Hitler, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Hopkins, Burt Lancaster, Kate Moss, Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, Barack Obama, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Redford, Lionel Ritchie, Wayne Rooney, Tim Roth, Rubens, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Vincent van Gogh

Other Lunar Animal Signs

1. I am the Rat

2. I am the Tiger

3. I am the Rabbit

4. I am the Dragon

5. I am the Snake

6. I am the Horse

7. I am the Sheep

8. I am the Monkey

9. I am the Rooster

10. I am the Dog

11. I am the Pig

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