Chinese astrology has existed for over 6,000 years and forms a
significant element of Chinese culture. It is built on the foundation of
astronomy and developed into an art form in the belief that the
position of celestial bodies directly and profoundly impacts human
beings and everything naturally occurring on Earth. According to the
traditions of Chinese astrology, the combination of an individual's
birth time, day, month and year can reveal not only their destiny, but
also personality traits, overall health, lifestyle, compatibility or
incompatibility with others and career choices.
This is based on the very complex relationships existing between what is referred to as the 12 branches, 10 heavenly stems, five elements - metal, wood, earth, fire, water - and the forces of yin and yang, which oppose each other. Five classical, or major, planets, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury, Mars and Saturn, are associated with the Wu Xing, which assigns the elements - metal, wood, water, fire and earth respectively - and one of five animals - the white tiger, azure dragon, black tortoise, vermilion bird and yellow dragon respectively - to these planets. Their positions, in conjunction with the positions of the sun, moon and other stars, comets, etc, are believed to determine a person's destiny.
Chinese astrology uses a sixty year cycle, which is basically based on the 12 year rotation of Jupiter around the sun and consists of two interacting, separate cycles. The first of these two cycles is based on the 10 heavenly stems, which are essentially the five elements in their opposing yin and yang forms. The 12 animals used in Chinese Astrology, namely the rat, ox and tiger, the rabbit, dragon, snake and horse, the goat, monkey and rooster, dog and pig - in that order - represent the earthly branches and form the second cycle.
These animal signs, the zodiac of Chinese astrology, were not used until the Chinese writing system evolved. Early astronomers had used a time reckoning system based on Jupiter's orbit around the sun, which takes 12 years to complete (explaining why most time measurements are based on the number 12) and divided the celestial circle into 12 equal sections. Assigning animals to these sections allowed the people of the time to easier recall what each animal represented, as opposed to trying to understand the already mentioned, complicated relationships between branches, stems, elements, yin and yang.
Because the signs used in Chinese astrology are based on the 60 year cycle and the Chinese New Year varies slightly (in 2012, Chinese New Year fell, for instance, on January 23, while in 2013, it will be on February 10) it is essential to consult a proper chart if wishing to determine a person's Chinese zodiac sign. In addition, a person may also have traits of other animals due to the time of their birth.
This is based on the very complex relationships existing between what is referred to as the 12 branches, 10 heavenly stems, five elements - metal, wood, earth, fire, water - and the forces of yin and yang, which oppose each other. Five classical, or major, planets, Venus, Jupiter and Mercury, Mars and Saturn, are associated with the Wu Xing, which assigns the elements - metal, wood, water, fire and earth respectively - and one of five animals - the white tiger, azure dragon, black tortoise, vermilion bird and yellow dragon respectively - to these planets. Their positions, in conjunction with the positions of the sun, moon and other stars, comets, etc, are believed to determine a person's destiny.
Chinese astrology uses a sixty year cycle, which is basically based on the 12 year rotation of Jupiter around the sun and consists of two interacting, separate cycles. The first of these two cycles is based on the 10 heavenly stems, which are essentially the five elements in their opposing yin and yang forms. The 12 animals used in Chinese Astrology, namely the rat, ox and tiger, the rabbit, dragon, snake and horse, the goat, monkey and rooster, dog and pig - in that order - represent the earthly branches and form the second cycle.
These animal signs, the zodiac of Chinese astrology, were not used until the Chinese writing system evolved. Early astronomers had used a time reckoning system based on Jupiter's orbit around the sun, which takes 12 years to complete (explaining why most time measurements are based on the number 12) and divided the celestial circle into 12 equal sections. Assigning animals to these sections allowed the people of the time to easier recall what each animal represented, as opposed to trying to understand the already mentioned, complicated relationships between branches, stems, elements, yin and yang.
Because the signs used in Chinese astrology are based on the 60 year cycle and the Chinese New Year varies slightly (in 2012, Chinese New Year fell, for instance, on January 23, while in 2013, it will be on February 10) it is essential to consult a proper chart if wishing to determine a person's Chinese zodiac sign. In addition, a person may also have traits of other animals due to the time of their birth.
