Monkey

By the Chinese calendar, this be the year of the Rat. Fortunately, I was born in 1944, which was the year of the Monkey, as was 1956 and 1968. Suitable for me, as I am a proponent of evolution. Not the theory, mind you, but the fact; once a scientific theory has been proven, it becomes a fact.

Under the Chinese system, my element is Wood and my aspect is (+) which is Masculine or Yang. For 1956, the element is Fire, and the aspect is (+) which is Masculine or Yang. For 1968, the element is Earth and the aspect stays Yang. Each Yang year is followed by its opposite which is Yin.
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The following is from a Chinese Year Chart

As a quick rule of thumb, the principles governing each element and thus the modifications they produce within each sign are:

Metal - Fixity, strength of will, fluency of speech
Water - Powers of reflection, sensitivity, persuasiveness
Wood  - Imagination, creativity, idealism, compassion
Fire  - Dynamism, passion, energy, aggression, leadership
Earth - Stability, reliability, practicality, industry, prudence 

Chinese wisdom sees a polarity in every element, a negative and a positive side, an essentially feminine (passive, represented by -) or masculine (active, represented by +) disposition, or in Chinese terminology, Yin and Yang. Consequently, each element is repeated twice in succession so that it presents in the first year its Yang, or masculine side, and reverses the next year into its Yin polar opposite. This chart, taken from the Chinese perpetual calendar, lays out each year together with that year's animal sign, its element and its masculine or feminine principle.
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The chart of years from 1900-2007 can be found here: http://www.holymtn.com/astrology/year.htm

Look up your favorite person's year and see if you may be compatible, ie; my Wood can exist without Fire, but Fire cannot exist without Wood. At least that's the way I see it. They seem the to balance one another.