With an interwoven mixture of calendar cycles and connections to animals, Chinese astrology is as mystifying as it is effective. This ancient doctrine is widely acknowledged in the culture and its practices are a part of everyday life. In this article, we will examine the origins and how different cultures have come to respect it.
The Chinese calendar is used in the forecasting of the future in Chinese zodiac sign astrology.
This basic cycle has been constructed from two cycles. These are ten celestial stems comprised of the five elements in their yin and yang forms and the twelve earthly branches, or the twelve-year cycle of animals referred to as the Chinese zodiac. In addition to operating on a revolving cycle of twelve animals with a different one allotted to each year, the Chinese animal zodiac also comprises a cycle of moons or months and hours of the day.
It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many western descriptions of the Chinese version draw only on this system. In fact, there are additional animal signs designated by month, termed inner animals, and hours of the day, termed secret animals. Consequently, while a person born in the year of the dragon might appear to be one on the exterior, they could, for example, be an ox secretively and a snake on the inside. Altogether, this makes for 8,640 possible combinations that a person could be.
A person’s monthly animal sign is called their inner animal and is concerned with what motivates an individual. Since this sign dictates the person’s love life and inner persona, it is crucial to a proper understanding of the individual’s compatibility with other signs. All of these are essential when it concerns correct use of this form of Asian astrology.
Like western zodiac sign astrology, each sign is associated with a month of the solar year. However, in Chinese astrology, the signs are additionally related to a season and the elements are considered to transfer some of its characteristics to the sign concerned. In the 60 year cycle, the fixed element, that is concerned with the year, month and hour signs, is independant of the cycle of elements, that interact with the signs.
The Chinese zodiac is additionally used to label times of day, with every sign corresponding to a large-hour, which is a two-hour period (24 divided by 12 animals). For an exact determination, it is therefore essential to know the exact birth time. The secret animal is reckoned to be an individuals truest representation, because the smallest denominator determines it, which is an individuals birth hour. Since it is an individual’s own true sign, it is this upon which their character is based.
We are all familiar with the Chinese New Year celebrations that are rich with traditional foods, colorful lion dances and boldly displayed symbols from Chinese astrology. While in the majority of societies, practitioners are tantamount to a subculture, in Chinese culture virtually everybody is expected to observe astrology. Businessmen will not make deals on certain days, couples try to have children in a particular zodiac year and particular addresses are considered to be good luck. This is an example of how the astrological beliefs of this culture shapes the way people live.
