The three best-known forms of astrology are Tropical (Western), Sidereal (Eastern), and Chinese. Tropical and Sidereal astrology interprets and divides them in the same way (12 Houses), but defines a year differently. Tropical astrology fixes 0 degrees of Aries to the vernal equinox, which happens around the same dates (19th to 22nd) of March every year. Sidereal astrology defines the year based on the precession of fixed stars, which move backward one degree every 72 years.
As a result, someone born in the middle of April using Tropical astrology would be an Aries year in and year out. But a person born in the middle of April using Sidereal astrology would have a Pisces Sun sign instead of an Aries Sun sign.
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Like Tropical and Sidereal astrology, Chinese astrology has twelve representatives, but they are not Zodiac signs, like Aries, Taurus, and so on. Instead, the twelve representatives (or Zodiac signs) are animals, and they are:
Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Goat
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig
The Chinese Zodiac also differs from the Tropical and Sidereal systems by using five elements instead of four. The five elements are fire, water, wood, earth, and metal.
Additionally, the cycle runs over the course of 12 years, not 12 months, so everyone born in a certain year will be an element and animal. And, the Chinese New Year does not begin on January 1st. Rather, the New Year is determined by a lunisolar calendar, which uses a special calculation to determine the actual date each year, which differs from year-to-year.
If you happen to be born after January 1st, but before February 15th, then you need to know the exact date of the Chinese New Year; otherwise, you might get your Chinese Zodiac wrong if you simply go by the year to determine which animal you happen to be. In the case of 2020, which is the year of the Earth Ox, it begins on January 25th, 2020 and ends on February 11th, 2021.
Therefore, if you were born in 2020 and you looked up your Chinese Zodiac on a site that did not make this information clear, and you happened to be born on January 4th, 2020, you would mistakenly claim you were an Earth Ox, when, in fact, you would be an Earth Pig!
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Like other systems, the Chinese horoscope is based on the Gregorian calendar.
The Ancient Legend of Chinese Zodiac Creation
Legends say: The Jade Emperor (known as The Emperor in Heaven in Chinese folklore) ordered animals to be designated as calendar signs. The Emperor said that the 12 animals that arrive first the following day will be designated as the Chinese Zodiac signs. And the first one to arrive among the twelve will be assigned the 1st Sign.
The Rat and the Cat heard about the news first and decided to go together to the meeting place. However, the next day the Rat forgot about its friend and ran alone to the Emperor’s palace.
On the way there, the Rat realized that other animals ran faster. So, the Rat made a deal with the Ox, saying that it would sing to him if he carried her on his back. The Ox reached the palace before the other animals, and the Rat slid off his back and ran ahead of the Ox, becoming the first animal of the Chinese Zodiac.
The Ox was second, then the Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The Rat’s friend, the Cat, missed the selection of the animals because it arrived at the palace too late, and that is why Cats and Rats have been enemies since ancient times.
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The Chinese Zodiac Yin and Yang Theory
The fixed order of the animals in the Chinese Zodiac was decided based on the Chinese attributes of Yin and Yang. Yin is the receptive, feminine force of the universe, and Yang is the penetrating, masculine force. In order to know the yin or the yang of an animal, one must count the number of toes, claws, or hoofs.
The animals with even numbers have Yin energy and the animals with odd numbers have Yang energy. The Rat is unique because it is the only animal that has a different number of toes on its front and hind legs, making it a Yin and Yang animal. For this reason, the Rat takes first place in the Chinese Zodiac.
Besides the Yin-Yang attributes of the animals, the ancient Chinese believed that Yin and Yang’s energy need each other for balance, which means some animals (or signs) work better together than others. For the animal signs to coexist in harmony, strong yang attributes must be balanced by yin attributes.
As such, Rat’s wisdom is balanced by the diligence of Ox, Tiger’s valor by Rabbit’s prudence, Dragon’s strength by Snake’s flexibility, Horse’s persistence by Goat’s unity, Monkey’s changeability by Rooster’s constancy, and Dog’s fidelity by Pig’s amiability.
The Chinese Zodiac Hours
Besides associating each year of the twelve-year cycle with a Chinese Zodiac animal, traditional Chinese culture arranged the same animals to correspond to the hours of the day. The ancient Chinese divided the 24-hour day into twelve two-hour periods, also known as the 12 Shichen or earthly branches, and designated an animal for every period.
As a result, a person’s character traits and his or her destiny is influenced by not just their birth year, but their birth hour as well.
In the Chinese Zodiac daily hours’ earthly branch system, the animals appear in the same order as in the twelve-year cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. Rat’s hours are between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m., with the rest of the animals taking the following two-hour periods in the above-mentioned order.
Your Animal Sign in the Chinese Zodiac
To find out your animal sign in the eastern zodiac, you can use a Chinese Zodiac table. Calculation of the years based on the Chinese lunar calendar decides that a person will meet his birth sign once in every twelve-year cycle.
For example, people born in 1981, after February 5th, and until January 24th, 1982, are Roosters, and they met or will meet their animal sign in 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, and so on.
The Chinese Zodiac Year of Birth – Ben Ming Nian
The animal year of the person’s birth in the Chinese calendar is called Ben Ming Nian or the “Zodiac Year of Birth”. The year 2018 (February 16th to February 4th 2019) is the year of the Earth Dog.
Chinese Zodiac prediction teaches that one’s year of birth is an important time, and it is important to give relevant gifts to the people in their Ben Ming Nian to help them improve their fortune.
In order to reduce the unlucky impact of the year, the ancients advise wearing red socks, waist belts, or underwear given by elders; the red color brings good luck and wards off evil spirits.
Also, you can purchase a token with Pi Xiu, a mythical wild animal from Chinese traditions that are said to drive away evil spirits. And, you should place flowers or ornaments in the sign’s lucky directions.
Since the Chinese believe their year of birth to be unlucky, there are several important things that should be avoided in the year, such as marriage or engagement, starting a business, making investments, and changing jobs. Staying away from negative places, things, and people is also advised during one’s Ben Ming Nian.
Below you can find the years and personality characteristics corresponding to every animal sign. Remember, if you happen to be born between January 1st and February 15th, you should look up the exact date for the start of the Chinese New Year.
12 Chinese Zodiac Signs: Meanings and Characteristics
Rat
Rat is the first Chinese Zodiac
representative. People born in 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, and 2020 are rats.
Rats are known for their wisdom; they are also quick-witted, energetic, ambitious, practical, and
charming. Their weaknesses include stubbornness, greed, timidity, and a love of gossip.
Ox
Ox is the second Chinese Zodiac
representative. If you were born in 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, or 2009, then you are
an Ox. Ox individuals are diligent, creative, hard-working, ambitious, honest, and
patient. Nevertheless, they can be stubborn, indifferent, slow, narrow-minded, and poor at
communication.
Tiger
Tiger is the third Chinese Zodiac
representative. If you were born in 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, and 2010, then you are
a
Tiger. The Tiger is brave and fierce. People who belong to this sign of the Chinese Zodiac are
courageous,
charismatic, competitive, intense, and lucky. Some of their weaknesses include irritability,
overindulgence,
and a desire to boast to other people.
Rabbit
Rabbit is the fourth Chinese Zodiac
representative. Rabbits are symbols of longevity and good luck. Individuals born in 1927, 1939,
1951,
1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, and 2011 are Rabbits. Their strengths include intelligence, caution, gentleness,
friendliness, and kindness. On the negative side, they may be nervous, superficial, and melancholy.
Dragon
Dragon is the fifth Chinese Zodiac
representative. If you were born in 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, and 2012, you are a
Dragon. Dragon represents good fortune and authority. Dragon people are successful, brave, kind-hearted,
powerful, and courageous. However, they might be also tactless, conceited, over-confident, and
quick-tempered.
Snake
Snake is the sixth Chinese Zodiac
representative. People born in 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, and 2013 are snakes. Snakes
are
flexible, patient, and sensitive. They are also discreet, wise, sympathetic, and mesmerizing. On the
negative side, they may be greedy, lazy, and arrogant.
Horse
Horse is the seventh Chinese Zodiac
representative. Horses are known for their persistence. If you were born in 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966,
1978, 1990, 2002, and 2014, you are a Horse. These individuals are easy-going, upstanding, and warm-hearted.
Some of their weaknesses include: lack of persistence and love of spending money.
Goat
Goat is the eighth Chinese Zodiac
representative. Individuals born in 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, and 2015 are Goats. Goats
stand for harmony and solidarity. People born in the year of Goat are shy, determined, imaginative, and
polite. However, they may be also unrealistic, short-sighted, and pessimistic.
Monkey
Monkey is the ninth Chinese Zodiac
representative. Monkeys are flexible. Those born in 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, and 2016
are Monkeys. These individuals are energetic, confident, charismatic, intelligent, inventive, and loyal.
Negatively, they may be arrogant, egotistical, snobbish, and restless.
Rooster
Rooster is the tenth Chinese Zodiac
representative. People born in 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, and 2017 are Roosters. Roosters
are punctual and loyal. They are independent, hard-working, honest, courageous, and self-confident. Some of
their weaknesses include arrogance, vanity, and pride.
Dog
Dog is the eleventh Chinese Zodiac
representative. If you were born in 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, and 2018, then you are a
Dog. The Dog symbolizes honesty and loyalty. Individuals born in these years are friendly, honest, loyal,
straightforward, smart, and responsible. On the negative side, they may be defensive, stubborn,
self-righteous, and critical of others.
Pig
Pig is the twelfth Chinese Zodiac
representative. Pigs represent wealth and good fortune. Individuals born in 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971,
1983, 1995, 2007, and 2019 are Pigs. They are honest, fun, happy, educated, brave, and sincere. Some of
their weaknesses include being gluttonous, naive, self-indulgent, and lazy.
The years of the Chinese zodiac follow a lunar calendar. The lunar calendar has only twenty-eight days, which explains why, each year, the Chinese New Year falls on a different day.
