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Revision as of 11:12, 18 January 2003 by Kowloonese (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Chinese astrology is related to the Chinese calendar, particularly its 12-year cycle of animals (aka Chinese Zodiac), and the fortune-telling aspects according to movement of heavenly bodies across the Chinese constellations in the sky.
Chinese Astrology
The ancient Chinese astronomers called the five major planets by the name of the Chinese five elements. Venus is Metal (gold); Jupiter is Wood; Mercury is Water; Mars is Fire; Saturn is Earth. The position of the five planets, the sun, the moon and comets in the sky and the Chinese zodiac sign at the time a person was born determine the destiny of a person's life according to the Chinese astrology. An laborious system of computing one's fate and destiny based on one birthday and birth hours (known as 紫微斗數) is still used regularly in modern days Chinese astrology. The twenty eight Chinese constellation "" (宿) are quite different from the eighty eight Western constellations. For example, the giant dipper is known as (斗) ; the belt of Orion is known as (參) , or the "Happiness, Fortune, Longevity" trio of demigods. The seven northern constellations are referred to as (北方玄武). Xuan Wu is also known as the spirit of the northern sky or the spirit of Water in Taoism belief.
In addition to astrological readings of the heavenly bodies, the stars in the sky form the basis of many fairy tales. For example, the Summer Triangle is the trio of the cowherd (Deneb), the spinster maid fairy (Vega) and the "tai bai" fairy (Altair). The two forbidden lovers were separated by the silvery river (milky way). Each year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar, the birds form a bridge across the milky way. The cowherd carries their two sons (the two stars on each side of Deneb) across the bridge to reunite with their fairy mother. The tai bai fairy acts as the chaperon of these two immortal lovers.
Chinese zodiac
The twelve zodiac animal signs are rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat (or sheep), monkey, rooster, dog and pig in that order. The legend had it that the rat was given the task to invite the animals to report to heaven to be selected for the zodiac signs. The cat was a good friend of the rat, but the rat forgot to invite him. So the cat vowed to be the rat's natural enemy for ages to come.
There is also a cycle of the five Chinese elements on top of the cycle of animals. The elements are Metal (Gold), Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. So the year sign can be a gold dragon, a wood rooster etc. In ancient match-making practice in China, couples were brought together according to their compatible signs. For example, it is believed that dog and dog don't get along, but dog and pig do; a water dog supports a wood pig but dominates a fire pig in their relationship because water benefits wood, but controls fire according to the Chinese five elements' interaction.
Since the Chinese zodiac follows the Chinese lunar calendar, so the switch over date for each sign is according to the Chinese new year, not January 1 of the western calendar. The Chinese zodiac signs are used by cultures other than Chinese also. For example, some Japanese people use them. The United States Postal Service and those of several other countries issue a "Year of the ???" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage. However, those unfamiliar with the use the Chinese lunar calendar usually just assume that the signs switch over on Jan 1 of each year.
However, those who are serious about the fortune telling aspect of their signs can consult the table below. It makes a difference especially for those who were born in January or February which is often the end of the previous year according to the lunar calendar.
| Begin | End | Element | Sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 January 31 | 1901 February 18 | Metal | rat |
| 1901 February 19 | 1902 February 07 | Metal | ox |
| 1902 February 08 | 1903 January 28 | Water | tiger |
| 1903 January 29 | 1904 February 15 | Water | rabbit |
| 1904 February 16 | 1905 February 03 | Wood | dragon |
| 1905 February 04 | 1906 January 24 | Wood | snake |
| 1906 January 25 | 1907 February 12 | Fire | horse |
| 1907 February 13 | 1908 February 01 | Fire | goat |
| 1908 February 02 | 1909 January 21 | Earth | monkey |
| 1909 January 22 | 1901 February 09 | Earth | rooster |
| 1910 February 10 | 1911 January 29 | Metal | dog |
| 1911 January 30 | 1912 February 17 | Metal | pig |
| 1912 February 18 | 1913 February 05 | Water | rat |
| 1913 February 06 | 1914 January 25 | Water | ox |
| 1914 January 26 | 1915 February 13 | Wood | tiger |
| 1915 February 14 | 1916 February 02 | Wood | rabbit |
| 1916 February 03 | 1917 January 22 | Fire | dragon |
| 1917 January 23 | 1918 February 10 | Fire | snake |
| 1918 February 11 | 1919 January 31 | Earth | horse |
| 1919 February 01 | 1920 February 19 | Earth | goat |
| 1920 February 20 | 1921 February 07 | Metal | monkey |
| 1921 February 08 | 1922 January 27 | Metal | rooster |
| 1922 January 28 | 1923 February 15 | Water | dog |
| 1923 February 16 | 1924 February 04 | Water | pig |
| 1924 February 05 | 1925 January 24 | Wood | rat |
| 1925 January 25 | 1926 February 12 | Wood | ox |
| 1926 February 13 | 1927 February 01 | Fire | tiger |
| 1927 February 02 | 1928 January 22 | Fire | rabbit |
| 1928 January 23 | 1929 February 09 | Earth | dragon |
| 1929 February 10 | 1930 January 29 | Earth | snake |
| 1930 January 30 | 1931 February 16 | Metal | horse |
| 1931 February 17 | 1932 February 05 | Metal | goat |
| 1932 February 06 | 1933 January 25 | Water | monkey |
| 1933 January 26 | 1934 February 13 | Water | rooster |
| 1934 February 14 | 1935 February 03 | Wood | dog |
| 1935 February 04 | 1936 January 23 | Wood | pig |
| 1936 January 24 | 1937 February 10 | Fire | rat |
| 1937 February 11 | 1938 January 30 | Fire | ox |
| 1938 January 31 | 1939 February 18 | Earth | tiger |
| 1939 February 19 | 1940 February 07 | Earth | rabbit |
| 1940 February 08 | 1941 January 26 | Metal | dragon |
| 1941 January 27 | 1942 February 14 | Metal | snake |
| 1942 February 15 | 1943 February 04 | Water | horse |
| 1943 February 05 | 1944 January 24 | Water | goat |
| 1944 January 25 | 1945 February 12 | Wood | monkey |
| 1945 February 13 | 1946 February 01 | Wood | rooster |
| 1946 February 02 | 1947 January 21 | Fire | dog |
| 1947 January 22 | 1948 February 09 | Fire | pig |
| 1948 February 10 | 1949 January 28 | Earth | rat |
| 1949 January 29 | 1950 February 16 | Earth | ox |
| 1950 February 17 | 1951 February 05 | Metal | tiger |
| 1951 February 06 | 1952 January 26 | Metal | rabbit |
| 1952 January 27 | 1953 February 13 | Water | dragon |
| 1953 February 14 | 1954 February 02 | Water | snake |
| 1954 February 03 | 1955 January 23 | Wood | horse |
| 1955 January 24 | 1956 February 11 | Wood | goat |
| 1956 February 12 | 1957 January 30 | Fire | monkey |
| 1957 January 31 | 1958 February 17 | Fire | rooster |
| 1958 February 18 | 1959 February 07 | Earth | dog |
| 1959 February 08 | 1960 January 27 | Earth | pig |
| 1960 January 28 | 1961 February 14 | Metal | rat |
| 1961 February 15 | 1962 February 04 | Metal | ox |
| 1962 February 05 | 1963 January 24 | Water | tiger |
| 1963 January 25 | 1964 February 12 | Water | rabbit |
| 1964 February 13 | 1965 February 01 | Wood | dragon |
| 1965 February 02 | 1966 January 20 | Wood | snake |
| 1966 January 21 | 1967 February 08 | Fire | horse |
| 1967 February 09 | 1968 January 29 | Fire | goat |
| 1968 January 30 | 1969 February 16 | Earth | monkey |
| 1969 February 17 | 1970 February 05 | Earth | rooster |
| 1970 February 06 | 1971 January 26 | Metal | dog |
| 1971 January 27 | 1972 February 14 | Metal | pig |
| 1972 February 15 | 1973 February 02 | Water | rat |
| 1973 February 03 | 1974 January 22 | Water | ox |
| 1974 January 23 | 1975 February 10 | Wood | tiger |
| 1975 February 11 | 1976 January 30 | Wood | rabbit |
| 1976 January 31 | 1977 February 17 | Fire | dragon |
| 1977 February 18 | 1978 February 06 | Fire | snake |
| 1978 February 07 | 1979 January 27 | Earth | horse |
| 1979 January 28 | 1980 February 15 | Earth | goat |
| 1980 February 16 | 1981 February 04 | Metal | monkey |
| 1981 February 05 | 1982 January 24 | Metal | rooster |
| 1982 January 25 | 1983 February 12 | Water | dog |
| 1983 February 13 | 1984 February 01 | Water | pig |
| 1984 February 02 | 1985 February 19 | Wood | rat |
| 1985 February 20 | 1986 February 08 | Wood | ox |
| 1986 February 09 | 1987 January 28 | Fire | tiger |
| 1987 January 29 | 1988 February 16 | Fire | rabbit |
| 1988 February 17 | 1989 February 05 | Earth | dragon |
| 1989 February 06 | 1990 January 26 | Earth | snake |
| 1990 January 27 | 1991 February 14 | Metal | horse |
| 1991 February 15 | 1992 February 03 | Metal | goat |
| 1992 February 04 | 1993 January 22 | Water | monkey |
| 1993 January 23 | 1994 February 09 | Water | rooster |
| 1994 February 10 | 1995 January 30 | Wood | dog |
| 1995 January 31 | 1996 February 18 | Wood | pig |
| 1996 February 19 | 1997 February 06 | Fire | rat |
| 1997 February 07 | 1998 January 27 | Fire | ox |
| 1998 January 28 | 1999 February 15 | Earth | tiger |
| 1999 February 16 | 2000 February 04 | Earth | rabbit |
| 2000 February 05 | 2001 January 23 | Metal | dragon |
| 2001 January 24 | 2002 February 11 | Metal | snake |
| 2002 February 12 | 2003 January 31 | Water | horse |
| 2003 February 01 | 2004 January 21 | Water | goat |
| 2004 January 22 | 2005 ?.?? | Wood | monkey |
The Chinese zodiac is traditionally used to label times of day, with each sign corresponding to a roughly two-hour period.
- Midnight = middle of Rat period
- Sunrise = middle of Rabbit period
- Noon = middle of Horse period
- Sunset = middle of Rooster period
Are these correct? ...