I've always been quite fascinated with reading about all the astrological signs and stuff. And no, I don't read my horoscope for the day and cower at home if it predicts something bad happening to me in the day. But I do like to read personality predictions according to your zodiac, be it Chinese or Western. Sometimes they're hilariously off-base, sometimes somewhat true.
Anyway, happened upon this very in-depth
Wikipedia stub and decided to try and match up my birthtime to its terribly convoluted system.
First off, I am doubly bull-headed and proud of it. My mother always said so, because I am born in the year of the Ox and am a Taurus. So she always said I was as stubborn as a bull, and rock-headed to boot. Hahah. So, looking up my birthyear, I am an Ox, with a Yin (female) Wood element. Okay. Easy enough. Scrolling down. Some convoluted crap about the agricultural calender that goes right over my head... apparently my combination element is gold? Gosh, what is that.
The following are the twelve zodiac signs in order. The first symbol is simply the name of the animal written in Chinese, while the second symbol is the character specifically used in astrology to denote the animal sign.
- 鼠 子 Rat
- 牛 丑 Ox
- 虎 寅 Tiger
- 兔 卯 Rabbit
- 龍 辰 Dragon
- 蛇 巳 Snake
- 馬 午 Horse
- 羊 未 Sheep
- 猴 申 Monkey
- 雞 酉 Rooster
- 狗 戌 Dog
- 豬 亥 Pig
Legend describes the order of the zodiac was determined through a race, in which the rat cheated by standing on the ox's head and jumping ahead of him when they reached the finish line.
Naughty rat. History repeats itself. I always come in second, never first. Lesson of life? Cheat to win? Also reflects that I always shove off from shore in a great hurry, wanting, knowing I will get there first, to be dissapointed at the last moment. Am I competitive? Sometimes. Quite often maybe. Here's the full story:
The cat and the rat were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. Although bad swimmers, they were both intelligent. They decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of the ox. The ox, being a naïve and good-natured animal, agreed to carry them across. However, overcome with a fierce competitiveness, the rat decided that in order to win, it must do something and promptly pushed the cat into the river. Because of this, the cat has never forgiven the rat, and hates the water as well. After the ox had crossed the river, the rat jumped ahead and reached the shore first, and it claimed first place in the competition.
Following closely behind was the strong ox, and it was named the 2nd animal in the zodiac. After the ox, came the tiger, panting, while explaining to the Emperor just how difficult it was to cross the river with the heavy currents pushing it downstream all the time. But with powerful strength, it made it to shore and was named the 3rd animal in the cycle.
Suddenly, from a distance came a thumping sound, and the rabbit arrived. It explained how it crossed the river: by jumping from one stone to another in a nimble fashion. Halfway through, it almost lost the race but the rabbit was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed him to shore. For that, it became the 4th animal in the zodiac cycle. Coming in 5th place was the dragon, flying and belching fire into the air. Of course, the Emperor was deeply curious as to why a strong and flying creature such as the dragon should fail to reach first. The mighty dragon explained that he had to stop and make rain to help all the people and creatures of the earth, and therefore he was held back a little. Then, on his way to the finish line, he saw a little helpless rabbit clinging on to a log so he did a good deed and gave a puff of breath to the poor creature so that it could land on the shore. The Emperor was very pleased with the actions of the dragon, and he was added into the zodiac cycle.
As soon as he had done so, a galloping sound was heard, and the horse appeared. Hidden on the horse's hoof is the snake, whose sudden appearance gave the horse a fright, thus making it fall back and gave the snake 6th spot while the horse took the 7th. Not long after that, a little distance away, the ram, monkey and rooster came to the shore. These three creatures helped each other to get to where they are. The rooster spotted a raft, and took the othertwo animals with it. Together, the ram and the monkey cleared the weeds, tugged and pulled and finally got the raft to the shore. Because of their combined efforts, the Emperor was very pleased and promptly named the ram as the 8th creature, the monkey as the 9th, and the rooster the 10th.
The 11th animal is the dog. His explanation for being late—althoughhe was supposed to be the best swimmer amongst the rest—was that he needed a good bath after a long spell, and the fresh water from the river was too big a temptation. For that, he almost didn't make it to finish line. Just as the Emperor was about to call it a day, an oink and squeal was heard from a little pig. The pig got hungry during the race, promptly stopped for a feast and then fell asleep. After the nap, the pig continued the race and was named the 12th and last animal of the zodiac cycle. The cat finished too late (thirteenth) to win any place in the calendar, and vowed to be the enemy of the rat forevermore.
Poor cat. If there was a cat in the zodiac, I'd be happy to be one. Purrrr..
The Yin or Yang is broken down into Five Elements (Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth) on top of the cycle of animals. These are modifiers and affect the characteristics of each of the 12 animal signs. Each element has features that apply to both years and the animals. Each of the 12 animals are governed by an element plus a Yin Yang Direction. They are divided into four groups.
The balance of yin and yang and the five elements in a person's make-up has a major bearing on what is beneficial and effective for them in terms of feng shui, the Chinese form of geomancy. This is because each element is linked to a particular direction and season, and their different kinds of qì or life force.
[edit] 金 Metal
- The West
- Autumn
- The Planet Venus
- The Color White
- Respiratory system & Lungs
- Determined, Self-reliant
- Unyielding, Strong
- Persistent, Forceful
- Emocation, pleasure
- Reserved, Needs Personal Space
'Governs' Monkey, Rooster, Dog
[edit] 木 Wood
- The East
- Spring
- The Planet Jupiter
- The Color Green
- Liver and gallbladder
- Generous, Warm
- Persuasive, Co-operative
- Seeks to Expand and Grow
- Idealistic, Ethical
- Enthusiastic, Seeks to Explore
'Governs' Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon
[edit] 水 Water
- The North
- Winter
- The Planet Mercury
- The Color Blue
- Skeletal/Excretory System & Lungs
- Diplomatic, Charming
- Intuitive, Compassionate
- Communication, Intellectual
- Sensitivity, Creative
- Flexible, Compliant
'Governs' Pig, Rat, Ox
[edit] 火 Fire
- The South
- Summer
- The Planet Mars
- The Color Red
- Circulatory system & Heart
- Dynamic, Energetic
- Passion, Enterprise
- Adventurous, Restless
- Competitive, Leadership Skills
- Strong, Single-minded
'Governs' Snake, Horse, Goat
[edit] 土 Earth
- Center
- Three Enclosures, Change of seasons
- The Planet Saturn
- The Color Yellow
- Digestive system, Spleen and stomach
- Patient, Prudent
- Stable, Reliable
- Hard-working, Ambitious
- Disciplined, Logical
- Service and Duty to Others
'Governs' Dragon, Dog, Rat, and Ox. It is the central balance of the elements and can lend qualities to all 12 animals as well.
Hmm... so do I reckon myself under the Wood element of my birth, or the Water and Earth element that 'governs' the Ox, my birth animal? Kinda think it might be worth paying one of those experts to analyse this for me, once in my life. It would be interesting.
In Chinese astrology each individual personality is associated with an animal sign that represents it. It is a common misconception that there are only the singular animals assigned by year. Many western descriptions of Chinese astrology descriptions draw solely this system. In fact, there are also animal signs assigned by month and hours of the day.
The animal signs assigned by year represent what others perceive you as being or how you present yourself. The full 60 year cycle is a combination of the 12 animals with each of five possible elements, which distinctively vary the base animal's personality (12 x 5 = 60). The inner animal is assigned by the month of birth. This dictates your love life and inner persona and is critical to a proper understanding of your compatibility with other signs. It may be considered what the individual wishes to become, or believes to be their true self. The secret animal is assigned by the hour of birth and so it is important to know the exact time of birth to determine it correctly. It is your own true sign which your personality is based on. It is important to compensate for daylight saving time or any clock adjustment performed by your country in determining this sign, as it is mapped according to the sun's location and not the local time.
To sum it up, while a person might appear to be a dragon they might actually be a snake internally and an ox secretively. Combined with the five elements, this makes for 8,640 possible combinations (five elements, 12 animals, 12 months, 12 times of day) that a person might be. These are all are critical for the proper use of Chinese astrology. Many Western displays of the Chinese zodiac omit these, as well as the elements, for easier consumption and understanding.
Oh-kay... let me see. My inner animal (dictates my love life(!) and inner persona, critical to properly understanding compatibility with other signs) is... the 3rd Ordinal, Dragon. My secret animal (dictating my personality) is the Snake. Hmm.. why are all these serpentine animals? I'm proud of being a reliable, hard-working, practical, down-to-earth Ox!
The Second Trine (my outward presentation and secret personality)
The second trine consists of the Ox, Snake, and Rooster. These three soul mates conquer life through endurance, application, and slow accumulation of energy. Although each sign is fixed and rigid in opinions and views, they are genius in the art of meticulous planning. They are hardworking, discreet, modest, industrious, charitable, loyal, punctual, philosophical, patient, and good-hearted individuals with high moral standards. They can also be self-righteous, greedy, critical, judgemental, narrow-minded, petty, and pessimistic.
The First Trine (my inner persona, relative to love-life and compatibility)
The first trine consists of the Rat, Dragon, and Monkey. These three signs are intense and powerful individuals, capable of great good or great evil. They make great leaders, but the three have different approaches. Rats and Dragons have a tendency to be quite dictatorial and autocratic, whilst monkeys are more diplomatic. Frustrated when hampered, these signs are ruled by highly potent energy and unpredictability. They are intelligent, magnanimous, charismatic, charming, authoritative, confident, eloquent and artistic. They can also be tyrannical, bombastic, prejudiced, deceitful, imperious, ruthless, power-hungry, and megalomaniacal.
Pretty accurate description of my personality, yes. Oh... this are my two sisters, so accurate: The third trine consists of the
Tiger, Horse, and Dog. These three signs seek one another, and are like-minded in their pursuit of humanitarian causes. Each is a gifted orator and excels at verbal communication... Idealistic and impulsive... these three signs wilt without large amounts of physical affection and loyal support for causes.
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