The signature of the year is Big Earth sitting on the Rat, which is the strongest form of water, so it's likely to be a year of more melting of the arctic ice-caps. (There may be some developments in helping to overcome the effects of global warming but this year will probably bring more bad news in the immediate future.)
There will be land slides and shipping disasters, floods (as in Queensland) (It was  a day and hour such as Big earth on the Rat when the Titanic sank.) I suspect the Olympic games may not go well for China.
There will be gossip and scandals about sex and romance. For those born in the years of the Horse and Rabbit, its thought best to wear a pendant of the Ox to take away a clash with the year, and so avoid bad luck.
The rat is a 'Flower of Romance' and so for people born in the years of the Pig, The Rabbit and the Goat they can expect a year of lots of social contacts and maybe even romance and new relationships.

 

The Year runs from 7 February 2008 to 25 January 2009

Courtesy of my friend Master Danny, principal of Feng Shui Consultants New Zealand