Exploring The World Of Chinese Horoscope

The Chinese Horoscope (Shengxiao) also known in English as the Chinese Zodiac. It is an orderly scheme that can be applied as a systematic plan of future action. The Western zodiac that divides the celestial spaces into 12 constellations assigned through different times of the year. The Chinese system relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes according to a 12-year cycle. It is widely used in several East Asian countries, such as China, Vietnam, Korea, and Japan.

The Chinese Zodiac

Using the term "zodiac" illustrates several similarities between the Chinese and Western zodiac. Both have time cycles divided into 12 parts, both versions have named majority of those parts with names of animals both place significance on the influence of the stars’ cycle on the characteristics and events in a person's life.

Nevertheless, just as there are similarities between the two, so too there are major difference that set them apart. The "Chinese" 12-part cycle corresponds to years rather than months. Twelve animals represent the Chinese zodiac, while not all the signs in the Western zodiac are animals. The animals of the Chinese zodiac are not associated with constellations, let alone those spanned by the ecliptic plane.

The Signs

When people look at the Chinese horoscope for their fortunes or for guidance, they look for the sign, which applies to the year of their birth. The Chinese zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat. The following are the twelve zodiac signs (each with its associated Earthly branch) in order.

1. Rat - (Yang, 1st Trine Fixed Element Water)
2. Ox – (Water buffalo in Vietnam) (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Water)
3. Tiger – (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Wood)
4. Rabbit – (Cat in Vietnam) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Wood)
5. Dragon –  (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element Wood)
6. Snake – (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Fire)
7. Horse – (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Fire)
8. Goat (aka Ram) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Fire)
9. Monkey  (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element Metal)
10. Rooster – (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Metal)
11. Dog – (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Metal)
12. Pig  (Boar in Japan and Elephant in Northern Thailand) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Water)

Characterization through Symbols

In Chinese horoscope, the animal signs assigned by year represent the basic character of people born under a specific year. The animal symbols also represent how others perceive a person and how they present themselves.

There is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs in Chinese astrology. Actually, there are also animal signs assigned by month and these are called inner animals; the animals assigned by day are called true animals and animals assigned by hours are called secret animals.

This means that a person might appear to be a Dragon because they were born in the year of the Dragon but they might a Snake internally, an Ox truly and a Goat secretively. In this manner, the Chinese zodiac provides wide berth for different personalities and actually allows people to be more different from one another than the Western zodiac would.

Compatibility

The foundation of the Chinese Zodiac is based on the ancient Five Elements Theory. All Chinese signs are composed of five elements and the relations between those elements are interpolation, interaction, over action, and counter-action. Over and above the sign of the year, all these other elemental relations are believed to comprise the common law of the motions and changes of the creatures in the universe. The Chinese zodiac and these stellar as well as elemental relations are used to check compatibilities and to gain guidance for decisions in life and business, for love or for marriage.