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Revision as of 12:52, 14 March 2003 by MichaelJanich (talk | contribs) (added link)(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.
The elements are combined with the binary Yin Yang cycle, which enlarges the element cyle to a cycle of ten. Even years are yang, odd years are ying. However as the zodiac animal cycle of 12 is divisible by two every zodiac can only occur in either yin or yang, e.g. the dragon is always yang.
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 | Begin | End | Element | Sign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 January 31 | 1901 February 18 | 1960 January 28 | 1961 February 14 | Metal | rat |
| 1901 February 19 | 1902 February 07 | 1961 February 15 | 1962 February 04 | Metal | ox |
| 1902 February 08 | 1903 January 28 | 1962 February 05 | 1963 January 24 | Water | tiger |
| 1903 January 29 | 1904 February 15 | 1963 January 25 | 1964 February 12 | Water | rabbit |
| 1904 February 16 | 1905 February 03 | 1964 February 13 | 1965 February 01 | Wood | dragon |
| 1905 February 04 | 1906 January 24 | 1965 February 02 | 1966 January 20 | Wood | snake |
| 1906 January 25 | 1907 February 12 | 1966 January 21 | 1967 February 08 | Fire | horse |
| 1907 February 13 | 1908 February 01 | 1967 February 09 | 1968 January 29 | Fire | goat |
| 1908 February 02 | 1909 January 21 | 1968 January 30 | 1969 February 16 | Earth | monkey |
| 1909 January 22 | 1901 February 09 | 1969 February 17 | 1970 February 05 | Earth | rooster |
| 1910 February 10 | 1911 January 29 | 1970 February 06 | 1971 January 26 | Metal | dog |
| 1911 January 30 | 1912 February 17 | 1971 January 27 | 1972 February 14 | Metal | pig |
| 1912 February 18 | 1913 February 05 | 1972 February 15 | 1973 February 02 | Water | rat |
| 1913 February 06 | 1914 January 25 | 1973 February 03 | 1974 January 22 | Water | ox |
| 1914 January 26 | 1915 February 13 | 1974 January 23 | 1975 February 10 | Wood | tiger |
| 1915 February 14 | 1916 February 02 | 1975 February 11 | 1976 January 30 | Wood | rabbit |
| 1916 February 03 | 1917 January 22 | 1976 January 31 | 1977 February 17 | Fire | dragon |
| 1917 January 23 | 1918 February 10 | 1977 February 18 | 1978 February 06 | Fire | snake |
| 1918 February 11 | 1919 January 31 | 1978 February 07 | 1979 January 27 | Earth | horse |
| 1919 February 01 | 1920 February 19 | 1979 January 28 | 1980 February 15 | Earth | goat |
| 1920 February 20 | 1921 February 07 | 1980 February 16 | 1981 February 04 | Metal | monkey |
| 1921 February 08 | 1922 January 27 | 1981 February 05 | 1982 January 24 | Metal | rooster |
| 1922 January 28 | 1923 February 15 | 1982 January 25 | 1983 February 12 | Water | dog |
| 1923 February 16 | 1924 February 04 | 1983 February 13 | 1984 February 01 | Water | pig |
| 1924 February 05 | 1925 January 24 | 1984 February 02 | 1985 February 19 | Wood | rat |
| 1925 January 25 | 1926 February 12 | 1985 February 20 | 1986 February 08 | Wood | ox |
| 1926 February 13 | 1927 February 01 | 1986 February 09 | 1987 January 28 | Fire | tiger |
| 1927 February 02 | 1928 January 22 | 1987 January 29 | 1988 February 16 | Fire | rabbit |
| 1928 January 23 | 1929 February 09 | 1988 February 17 | 1989 February 05 | Earth | dragon |
| 1929 February 10 | 1930 January 29 | 1989 February 06 | 1990 January 26 | Earth | snake |
| 1930 January 30 | 1931 February 16 | 1990 January 27 | 1991 February 14 | Metal | horse |
| 1931 February 17 | 1932 February 05 | 1991 February 15 | 1992 February 03 | Metal | goat |
| 1932 February 06 | 1933 January 25 | 1992 February 04 | 1993 January 22 | Water | monkey |
| 1933 January 26 | 1934 February 13 | 1993 January 23 | 1994 February 09 | Water | rooster |
| 1934 February 14 | 1935 February 03 | 1994 February 10 | 1995 January 30 | Wood | dog |
| 1935 February 04 | 1936 January 23 | 1995 January 31 | 1996 February 18 | Wood | pig |
| 1936 January 24 | 1937 February 10 | 1996 February 19 | 1997 February 06 | Fire | rat |
| 1937 February 11 | 1938 January 30 | 1997 February 07 | 1998 January 27 | Fire | ox |
| 1938 January 31 | 1939 February 18 | 1998 January 28 | 1999 February 15 | Earth | tiger |
| 1939 February 19 | 1940 February 07 | 1999 February 16 | 2000 February 04 | Earth | rabbit |
| 1940 February 08 | 1941 January 26 | 2000 February 05 | 2001 January 23 | Metal | dragon |
| 1941 January 27 | 1942 February 14 | 2001 January 24 | 2002 February 11 | Metal | snake |
| 1942 February 15 | 1943 February 04 | 2002 February 12 | 2003 January 31 | Water | horse |
| 1943 February 05 | 1944 January 24 | 2003 February 01 | 2004 January 21 | Water | goat |
| 1944 January 25 | 1945 February 12 | 2004 January 22 | 2005 February 8 | Wood | monkey |
| 1945 February 13 | 1946 February 01 | 2005 February 8 | 2006 January 28 | Wood | rooster |
| 1946 February 02 | 1947 January 21 | 2006 January 29 | 2007 February 17 | Fire | dog |
| 1947 January 22 | 1948 February 09 | 2007 February 18 | 2008 February 6 | Fire | pig |
| 1948 February 10 | 1949 January 28 | 2008 February 7 | 2009 January 25 | Earth | rat |
| 1949 January 29 | 1950 February 16 | 2009 January 26 | 2010 February 23 | Earth | ox |
| 1950 February 17 | 1951 February 05 | 2010 February 24 | 2011 February 2 | Metal | tiger |
| 1951 February 06 | 1952 January 26 | 2011 February 3 | 2012 January 22 | Metal | rabbit |
| 1952 January 27 | 1953 February 13 | 2012 January 23 | 2013 February 9 | Water | dragon |
| 1953 February 14 | 1954 February 02 | 2013 February 10 | 2014 January 30 | Water | snake |
| 1954 February 03 | 1955 January 23 | 2014 January 31 | 2015 February 18 | Wood | horse |
| 1955 January 24 | 1956 February 11 | 2015 February 19 | 2016 February 7 | Wood | goat |
| 1956 February 12 | 1957 January 30 | 2016 February 8 | 2017 January 27 | Fire | monkey |
| 1957 January 31 | 1958 February 17 | 2017 January 28 | 2018 February 15 | Fire | rooster |
| 1958 February 18 | 1959 February 07 | 2018 February 16 | 2019 February 4 | Earth | dog |
| 1959 February 08 | 1960 January 27 | 2019 February 5 | 2020 January 24 | Earth | pig |
The Chinese zodiac is traditionally used to label times of day, with each sign corresponding to a two-hour period (Beijing local time).
- 23:00 - 01:00: rat
- 01:00 - 03:00: ox
- 03:00 - 05:00: tiger
- 05:00 - 07:00: rabbit
- 07:00 - 09:00: dragon
- 09:00 - 11:00: snake
- 11:00 - 13:00: horse
- 13:00 - 15:00: goat
- 15:00 - 17:00: monkey
- 17:00 - 19:00: rooster
- 19:00 - 21:00: dog
- 21:00 - 23:00: pig