Chinese astrology is based on the traditional
astronomyAstronomy in China has a very long history, with historians considering that "they [the Chinese] were the most persistent and accurate observers of celestial phenomena anywhere in the world before the Arabs."...
and
calendarThe Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
s. The development of Chinese astrology is tied to that of
astronomyAstronomy in China has a very long history, with historians considering that "they [the Chinese] were the most persistent and accurate observers of celestial phenomena anywhere in the world before the Arabs."...
, which came to flourish during the
Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
(2nd century BC to 2nd century AD).
Chinese astrology has a close relation with
Chinese philosophyChinese philosophy is philosophy written in the Chinese tradition of thought. The majority of traditional Chinese philosophy originates in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States era, during a period known as the "Hundred Schools of Thought", which was characterized by significant intellectual and...
(theory of the three harmony, heaven, earth and water) and uses the principles of
yin and yangIn Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
and concepts that are not found in Western astrology, such as the wu xing teachings, the 10 Celestial stems, the 12
Earthly BranchesThe Earthly Branches provide one Chinese system for reckoning time.This system was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter. Chinese astronomers divided the celestial circle into 12 sections to follow the orbit of Suìxīng . Astronomers rounded the orbit of Suixing to 12 years...
, the
lunisolar calendarThe Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
(moon calendar and sun calendar), and the time calculation after year, month, day and shichen (時辰).
Background
Chinese astrology was elaborated during the
Zhou dynastyThe Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
(1046–256 BC) and flourished during the
Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
(2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). During the Han period the familiar elements of traditional Chinese culture - the Yin-Yang philosophy, theory of the 5 elements, Heaven and Earth, Confucian morality - were brought together to formalise the philosophical principles of Chinese medicine and divination, astrology and alchemy.
The 5 classical planets are associated with the Wu Xing:
- Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
—Metal (White Tiger)
- Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
—Wood (Azure Dragon)
- Mercury
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
—Water (Black Tortoise)
- Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
—Fire (Vermilion Bird) (may or may not be associated with the phoenix which was also an imperial symbol along with the dragon)
- Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
—Earth (Yellow Dragon)
According to Chinese astrology, a person's destiny can be determined by the position of the major planets at the person's birth along with the positions of the Sun, Moon and comets and the person's time of birth and
Zodiac SignThe Shēngxiào , better known in English as the Chinese Zodiac, is a scheme that relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year mathematical cycle...
. The system of the twelve-year cycle of animal signs was built from observations of the orbit of
JupiterJupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
(the Year Star; ). Following the orbit of Jupiter around the sun, Chinese astronomers divided the celestial circle into 12 sections, and rounded it to 12 years (from 11.86). Jupiter is associated with the constellation
Sheti (-
BoötesBoötes is a constellation in the northern sky, located between 0° and +60° declination, and 13 and 16 hours of right ascension on the celestial sphere. The name comes from the Greek Βοώτης, Boōtēs, meaning herdsman or plowman...
) and is sometimes called Sheti.
A laborious system of computing one's fate and destiny based on one's birthday, birth season, and birth hours, known as
Zi Wei Dou ShuZi Wei Dou Shu is a form of fortune-telling in Chinese culture. It remains one of the most well-respected processes for laying out "The Destiny Path" or "Fate".-Terminology:...
is still used regularly in modern day Chinese astrology to divine one's fortune. The 28
Chinese constellationChinese constellations are the way the ancient Chinese grouped the stars. They are very different from the modern IAU recognized constellations. This is because the IAU was based on Greco-Roman astronomy instead of Chinese astronomy....
s,
Xiu , are quite different from the 88 Western constellations. For example, the Big Bear (
Ursa MajorUrsa Major , also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation visible throughout the year in most of the northern hemisphere. It can best be seen in April...
) is known as
Dou ; the belt of
OrionOrion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
is known as
Shen , or the "Happiness, Fortune, Longevity" trio of demigods. The seven northern constellations are referred to as
Xuan Wu . Xuan Wu is also known as the spirit of the northern sky or the spirit of Water in
TaoismTaoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
belief.
In addition to astrological readings of the heavenly bodies, the stars in the sky form the basis of many
fairy taleA fairy tale is a type of short story that typically features such folkloric characters, such as fairies, goblins, elves, trolls, dwarves, giants or gnomes, and usually magic or enchantments. However, only a small number of the stories refer to fairies...
s. For example, the
Summer TriangleThe Summer Triangle is an astronomical asterism involving an imaginary triangle drawn on the northern hemisphere's celestial sphere, with its defining vertices at Altair, Deneb, and Vega, being the brightest stars in the three constellations of Aquila, Cygnus, and Lyra.The English term was...
is the trio of the cowherd (
Altair), the weaving maiden fairy (
VegaVega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus...
), and the "tai bai" fairy (
DenebDeneb is the brightest star in the constellation Cygnus and one of the vertices of the Summer Triangle. It is the 19th brightest star in the night sky, with an apparent magnitude of 1.25. A blue-white supergiant, Deneb is also one of the most luminous nearby stars...
). The two forbidden lovers were separated by the silvery river (the
Milky WayThe Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
). Each year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar, the birds form a bridge across the Milky Way. The cowherd carries their two sons (the two stars on each side of
Altair) across the bridge to reunite with their fairy mother. The tai bai fairy acts as the chaperone of these two immortal lovers.
Luni-solar calendar
The 60-year cycle consists of two separate cycles interacting with each other. The first is the cycle of ten
heavenly stemsThe ten Celestial or Heavenly Stems are a Chinese system of ordinals that first appear during the Shang dynasty, ca. 1250 BC, as the names of the ten days of the week. They were also used in Shang-period ritual as names for dead family members, who were offered sacrifices on the corresponding day...
, namely the
Five ElementsThe Wu Xing, also known as the Five Phases, the Five Agents, the Five Movements, and the Five Steps/Stages, are chiefly an ancient mnemonic device, in many traditional Chinese fields....
(in order
WoodTree , traditionally translated as Wood, is the growing of the matter, or the matter's growing stage. Tree is the first phase of Wu Xing. Tree is yang in character...
,
FireFire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
,
EarthEarth, home and origin of humanity, has often been worshipped in its own right with its own unique spiritual tradition.-European tradition:Earth is one of the four classical elements in ancient Greek philosophy and science. It was commonly associated with qualities of heaviness, matter and the...
,
MetalMetal , is the decline of the matter, or the matter's decline stage. Metal is the fourth phase of Wu Xing. Metal is yin in character, its motion is inwards and its energy is contracting. It is associated with the Autumn, the west, old age, the planet Venus, the color white, dry weather, and the...
, and
WaterWater is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
) in their
Yin and YangIn Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
forms.
The second is the cycle of the twelve Zodiac animal signs (生肖
shēngxiào) or
Earthly BranchesThe Earthly Branches provide one Chinese system for reckoning time.This system was built from observations of the orbit of Jupiter. Chinese astronomers divided the celestial circle into 12 sections to follow the orbit of Suìxīng . Astronomers rounded the orbit of Suixing to 12 years...
. They are in order as follows: the
RatThe Rat is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rat is associated with the earthly branch symbol 子...
,
OxThe Ox is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Ox is denoted by the earthly branch character 丑...
,
TigerThe Tiger , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Tiger is associated with the earthly branch symbol 寅.- Years and the Five Elements :...
,
RabbitThe Chinese Year of the Rabbit is actually the Chinese Year of the Hare, as China has seven native species of hares and no native species of rabbits. The Chinese applied their word for hare to the first rabbits to be taken to China, and the word is now erroneously back-translated into English as...
,
DragonThe Dragon , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and the only animal that is legendary...
,
SnakeThe Snake is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Snake is associated with the earthly branch symbol 巳.-Years and the Five Elements:...
,
HorseThe Horse is the seventh of the 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Horse is associated with the earthly branch symbol 午.- Years and the Five Elements :...
, Goat,
MonkeyThe Monkey is the ninth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Monkey is associated with the earthly branch symbol 申.-Years and the five elements:...
,
RoosterThe Rooster is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rooster is represented by the earthly branch character 酉.- Years and associated Five Elements :...
,
DogThe Dog is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dog is associated with the earthly branch symbol 戌...
, and
PigThe Pig , is the last of the 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Year of the Pig is associated with the earthly branch Hai .In Chinese culture, the pig is associated with fertility and virility...
. In
VietnamVietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
the
rabbitRabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
is replaced by the
catThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
.
This combination creates the 60-year cycle due to the least amount of years (least common multiple) it would take to get from
Yang Wood Rat to its next iteration, which always starts with
Yang Wood Rat and ends with
Yin Water Boar. Since the zodiac animal cycle of 12 is divisible by two, every zodiac sign can also only occur in either
YinIn Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
or
YangIn Asian philosophy, the concept of yin yang , which is often referred to in the West as "yin and yang", is used to describe how polar opposites or seemingly contrary forces are interconnected and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other in turn. Opposites thus only...
: the dragon is always yang, the snake is always yin, etc. The current cycle began in 1984 (as shown in "Table of the sixty year calendar" below).
When trying to traverse the lunisolar calendar, an easy rule to follow is that years that end in an even number are yang, those that end with an odd number are yin. The cycle proceeds as follows:
- If the year ends in 0 it is Yang Metal.
- If the year ends in 1 it is Yin Metal.
- If the year ends in 2 it is Yang Water.
- If the year ends in 3 it is Yin Water.
- If the year ends in 4 it is Yang Wood.
- If the year ends in 5 it is Yin Wood.
- If the year ends in 6 it is Yang Fire.
- If the year ends in 7 it is Yin Fire.
- If the year ends in 8 it is Yang Earth.
- If the year ends in 9 it is Yin Earth.
However, since the (traditional) Chinese zodiac follows the (lunisolar) Chinese calendar, the switch-over date is the
Chinese New YearChinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
, not January 1 as in the
Gregorian calendarThe Gregorian calendar, also known as the Western calendar, or Christian calendar, is the internationally accepted civil calendar. It was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by a decree signed on 24 February 1582, a papal bull known by its opening words Inter...
. Therefore, a person who was born in January or early February may have the sign of the previous year. For example, if a person was born in January 1970, his or her element would still be Yin Earth, not Yang Metal. Similarly, although 1990 was called the year of the horse, anyone born from January 1 to January 26, 1990, was in fact born in the Year of the Snake (the sign of the previous year), because the 1990 Year of the Horse did not begin until January 27, 1990. For this reason, many online sign calculators (and Chinese restaurant place mats) may give a person the wrong sign if he/she was born in January or early February.
The start of a new Zodiac is also celebrated on
Chinese New YearChinese New Year – often called Chinese Lunar New Year although it actually is lunisolar – is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It is an all East and South-East-Asia celebration...
along with many other customs.
Table of the sixty year calendar
The following table shows the 60-year cycle matched up to the Western calendar for the years 1924–2043 (see
Sexagenary cycleThe Chinese sexagenary cycle , also known as the Stems-and-Branches , is a cycle of sixty terms used for recording days or years. It appears, as a means of recording days, in the first Chinese written texts, the Shang dynasty oracle bones from the late second millennium BC. Its use to record years...
article for years 1804–1923). This is only applied to Chinese Lunar calendar. The sexagenary cycle begins at
lichunThe traditional East Asian calendars divide a year into 24 solar terms . Lìchūn or Risshun is the 1st solar term. It begins when the Sun reaches the celestial longitude of 315° and ends when it reaches the longitude of 330°. It more often refers in particular to the day when the Sun is exactly...
'about February 4' according to some astrological sources.
| |
Year |
Associated
Element |
Heavenly
Stem |
Earthly
Branch |
Associated
Animal |
Year |
| 1924–1983 |
1984–2043 |
| 1 |
Feb 05 1924–Jan 23 1925 |
Yang Wood |
甲 |
子 |
Rat |
Feb 02 1984–Feb 19 1985 |
| 2 |
Jan 24 1925–Feb 12 1926 |
Yin Wood |
乙 |
丑 |
Ox |
Feb 20 1985–Feb 08 1986 |
| 3 |
Feb 13 1926–Feb 01 1927 |
Yang Fire |
丙 |
寅 |
Tiger |
Feb 01 1986–Jan 28 1987 |
| 4 |
Feb 02 1927–Jan 22 1928 |
Yin Fire |
丁 |
卯 |
Rabbit |
Jan 29 1987–Feb 16 1988 |
| 5 |
Jan 23 1928–Feb 09 1929 |
Yang Earth |
戊 |
辰 |
Dragon |
Feb 17 1988–Feb 05 1989 |
| 6 |
Feb 10 1929–Jan 29 1930 |
Yin Earth |
己 |
巳 |
Snake |
Feb 06 1989–Jan 26 1990 |
| 7 |
Jan 30 1930–Feb 16 1931 |
Yang Metal |
庚 |
午 |
Horse |
Jan 27 1990–Feb 14 1991 |
| 8 |
Feb 17 1931–Feb 05 1932 |
Yin Metal |
辛 |
未 |
Goat |
Feb 15 1991–Feb 03 1992 |
| 9 |
Feb 06 1932–Jan 25 1933 |
Yang Water |
壬 |
申 |
Monkey |
Feb 04 1992–Jan 22 1993 |
| 10 |
Jan 26 1933–Feb 13 1934 |
Yin Water |
癸 |
酉 |
Rooster |
Jan 23 1993– Feb 09 1994 |
| 11 |
Feb 14 1934–Feb 03 1935 |
Yang Wood |
甲 |
戌 |
Dog |
Feb 10 1994–Jan 30 1995 |
| 12 |
Feb 04 1935–Jan 23 1936 |
Yin Wood |
乙 |
亥 |
Pig |
Jan 31 1995–Feb 18 1996 |
| 13 |
Jan 24 1936–Feb 10 1937 |
Yang Fire |
丙 |
子 |
Rat |
Feb 19 1996–Feb 06 1997 |
| 14 |
Feb 11 1937–Jan 30 1938 |
Yin Fire |
丁 |
丑 |
Ox |
Feb 07 1997–Jan 27 1998 |
| 15 |
Jan 31 1938–Feb 18 1939 |
Yang Earth |
戊 |
寅 |
Tiger |
Jan 28 1998–Feb 15 1999 |
| 16 |
Feb 19 1939–Feb 07 1940 |
Yin Earth |
己 |
卯 |
Rabbit |
Feb 16 1999–Feb 04 2000 |
| 17 |
Feb 08 1940–Jan 26 1941 |
Yang Metal |
庚 |
辰 |
Dragon |
Feb 05 2000–Jan 23 2001 |
| 18 |
Jan 27 1941–Feb 14 1942 |
Yin Metal |
辛 |
巳 |
Snake |
Jan 24 2001–Feb 11 2002 |
| 19 |
Feb 15 1942–Feb 04 1943 |
Yang Water |
壬 |
午 |
Horse |
Feb 12 2002–Jan 31 2003 |
| 20 |
Feb 05 1943–Jan 24 1944 |
Yin Water |
癸 |
未 |
Goat |
Feb 01 2003–Jan 21 2004 |
| 21 |
Jan 25 1944–Feb 12 1945 |
Yang Wood |
甲 |
申 |
Monkey |
Jan 22 2004–Feb 08 2005 |
| 22 |
Feb 13 1945–Feb 01 1946 |
Yin Wood |
乙 |
酉 |
Rooster |
Feb 09 2005–Jan 28 2006 |
| 23 |
Feb 02 1946–Jan 21 1947 |
Yang Fire |
丙 |
戌 |
Dog |
Jan 29 2006–Feb 17 2007 |
| 24 |
Jan 22 1947–Feb 09 1948 |
Yin Fire |
丁 |
亥 |
Pig |
Feb 18 2007–Feb 06 2008 |
| 25 |
Feb 10 1948–Jan 28 1949 |
Yang Earth |
戊 |
子 |
Rat |
Feb 07 2008–Jan 25 2009 |
| 26 |
Jan 29 1949–Feb 16 1950 |
Yin Earth |
己 |
丑 |
Ox |
Jan 26 2009–Feb 13 2010 |
| 27 |
Feb 17 1950–Feb 05 1951 |
Yang Metal |
庚 |
寅 |
Tiger |
Feb 14 2010–Feb 02 2011 |
| 28 |
Feb 06 1951–Jan 26 1952 |
Yin Metal |
辛 |
卯 |
Rabbit |
Feb 03 2011–Jan 22 2012 |
| 29 |
Jan 27 1952–Feb 13 1953 |
Yang Water |
壬 |
辰 |
Dragon |
Jan 23 2012–Feb 09 2013 |
| 30 |
Feb 14 1953–Feb 02 1954 |
Yin Water |
癸 |
巳 |
Snake |
Feb 10 2013–Jan 30 2014 |
| 31 |
Feb 03 1954–Jan 23 1955 |
Yang Wood |
甲 |
午 |
Horse |
Jan 31 2014–Feb 18 2015 |
| 32 |
Jan 24 1955–Feb 11 1956 |
Yin Wood |
乙 |
未 |
Goat |
Feb 19 2015–Feb 07 2016 |
| 33 |
Feb 12 1956–Jan 30 1957 |
Yang Fire |
丙 |
申 |
Monkey |
Feb 08 2016–Jan 27 2017 |
| 34 |
Jan 31 1957–Feb 17 1958 |
Yin Fire |
丁 |
酉 |
Rooster |
Jan 28 2017–Feb 18 2018 |
| 35 |
Feb 18 1958–Feb 07 1959 |
Yang Earth |
戊 |
戌 |
Dog |
Feb 19 2018–Feb 04 2019 |
| 36 |
Feb 08 1959–Jan 27 1960 |
Yin Earth |
己 |
亥 |
Pig |
Feb 05 2019–Jan 24 2020 |
| 37 |
Jan 28 1960–Feb 14 1961 |
Yang Metal |
庚 |
子 |
Rat |
Jan 25 2020–Feb. 11 2021 |
| 38 |
Feb 15 1961–Feb 04 1962 |
Yin Metal |
辛 |
丑 |
Ox |
Feb 12 2021–Jan 31 2022 |
| 39 |
Feb 05 1962–Jan 24 1963 |
Yang Water |
壬 |
寅 |
Tiger |
Feb 01 2022–Jan 21 2023 |
| 40 |
Jan 25 1963–Feb 12 1964 |
Yin Water |
癸 |
卯 |
Rabbit |
Jan 22 2023–Feb 09 2024 |
| 41 |
Feb 13 1964–Feb 01 1965 |
Yang Wood |
甲 |
辰 |
Dragon |
Feb 10 2024–Jan 28 2025 |
| 42 |
Feb 02 1965–Jan 20 1966 |
Yin Wood |
乙 |
巳 |
Snake |
Jan 29 2025–Feb 16 2026 |
| 43 |
Jan 21 1966–Feb 08 1967 |
Yang Fire |
丙 |
午 |
Horse |
Feb 17 2026–Feb 05 2027 |
| 44 |
Feb 09 1967–Jan 29 1968 |
Yin Fire |
丁 |
未 |
Goat |
Feb 06 2027–Jan 25 2028 |
| 45 |
Jan 30 1968–Feb 16 1969 |
Yang Earth |
戊 |
申 |
Monkey |
Jan 26 2028–Feb 12 2029 |
| 46 |
Feb 17 1969–Feb 05 1970 |
Yin Earth |
己 |
酉 |
Rooster |
Feb 13 2029–Feb 02 2030 |
| 47 |
Feb 06 1970–Jan 26 1971 |
Yang Metal |
庚 |
戌 |
Dog |
Feb 03 2030–Jan 22 2031 |
| 48 |
Jan 27 1971–Feb 14 1972 |
Yin Metal |
辛 |
亥 |
Pig |
Jan 23 2031–Feb 10 2032 |
| 49 |
Feb 15 1972–Feb 02 1973 |
Yang Water |
壬 |
子 |
Rat |
Feb 11 2032–Jan 30 2033 |
| 50 |
Feb 03 1973–Jan 22 1974 |
Yin Water |
癸 |
丑 |
Ox |
Jan 31 2033–Feb 18 2034 |
| 51 |
Jan 23 1974–Feb 10 1975 |
Yang Wood |
甲 |
寅 |
Tiger |
Feb 19 2034–Feb 07 2035 |
| 52 |
Feb 11 1975–Jan 30 1976 |
Yin Wood |
乙 |
卯 |
Rabbit |
Feb 08 2035–Jan 27 2036 |
| 53 |
Jan 31 1976–Feb 17 1977 |
Yang Fire |
丙 |
辰 |
Dragon |
Jan 28 2036–Feb 14 2037 |
| 54 |
Feb 18 1977–Feb 06 1978 |
Yin Fire |
丁 |
巳 |
Snake |
Feb 15 2037–Feb 03 2038 |
| 55 |
Feb 07 1978–Jan 27 1979 |
Yang Earth |
戊 |
午 |
Horse |
Feb 04 2038–Jan 23 2039 |
| 56 |
Jan 28 1979–Feb 15 1980 |
Yin Earth |
己 |
未 |
Goat |
Jan 24 2039–Feb 11 2040 |
| 57 |
Feb 16 1980–Feb 04 1981 |
Yang Metal |
庚 |
申 |
Monkey |
Feb 12 2040–Jan 31 2041 |
| 58 |
Feb 05 1981–Jan 24 1982 |
Yin Metal |
辛 |
酉 |
Rooster |
Feb 01 2041–Jan 21 2042 |
| 59 |
Jan 25 1982–Feb 12 1983 |
Yang Water |
壬 |
戌 |
Dog |
Jan 22 2042–Feb 09 2043 |
| 60 |
Feb 13 1983–Feb 01 1984 |
Yin Water |
癸 |
亥 |
Pig |
Feb 10 2043–Jan 29 2044 |
Wu Xing
Although it is usually translated as 'element' the Chinese word
xing literally means something like 'changing states of being', 'permutations' or 'metamorphoses of being'. In fact Sinologists cannot agree on one single translation. The Chinese conception of 'element' is therefore quite different from the Western one. The Western elements were seen as the basic building blocks of matter. The Chinese 'elements', by contrast, were seen as ever changing and moving forces or energies—one translation of
xing is simply 'the five changes'.
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 shuiFeng shui ' is a Chinese system of geomancy believed to use the laws of both Heaven and Earth to help one improve life by receiving positive qi. The original designation for the discipline is Kan Yu ....
, the Chinese form of
geomancyGeomancy is a method of divination that interprets markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rocks, or sand...
. This is because each element is linked to a particular direction and season, and their different kinds of
qìIn traditional Chinese culture, qì is an active principle forming part of any living thing. Qi is frequently translated as life energy, lifeforce, or energy flow. Qi is the central underlying principle in traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts...
or life force.
木 Wood
- The East
East is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.East is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of west and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the right side of a map is east....
（東）
- Springtime
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
（春）
- Azure Dragon（青龍）
- The Planet Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
（木星）
- The Color Green
Green is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
（緑）
- Liver (Chinese medicine)（肝） and Gall bladder (Chinese medicine)（胆）
火 Fire
- The South
South is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.South is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the bottom side of a map is south....
（南）
- Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
（夏）
- Vermilion Bird/Vermilion Phoenix（朱雀）
- The Planet Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
（火星）
- The Color Red
Red is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
（赤）
- Circulatory system
The circulatory system is an organ system that passes nutrients , gases, hormones, blood cells, etc...
& Heart (Chinese medicine) （心） & Small IntestineThe small intestine is the part of the gastrointestinal tract following the stomach and followed by the large intestine, and is where much of the digestion and absorption of food takes place. In invertebrates such as worms, the terms "gastrointestinal tract" and "large intestine" are often used to...
(小肠)
土 Earth
- Centre（中）
- Change of seasons (the last month of the season)
- The Yellow Dragon（黄龙）
- The Planet Saturn
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest planet in the Solar System, after Jupiter. Saturn is named after the Roman god Saturn, equated to the Greek Cronus , the Babylonian Ninurta and the Hindu Shani. Saturn's astronomical symbol represents the Roman god's sickle.Saturn,...
（土星）
- The Color Yellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
（黄）
- Digestive system, Spleen (Chinese medicine)（脾） and Stomach (Chinese medicine)
Stomach, a concept from traditional Chinese medicine as distinct from the Western medical concept of stomach, is more a way of describing a set of interrelated parts than an anatomical organ....
（胃）
金 Metal
- The West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
（西）
- Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
（秋）
- White Tiger (Chinese constellation)
The White Tiger is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West , and is known as Baihu in Chinese, Byakko in Japanese, Baekho in Korean and Bạch Hổ in Vietnamese...
（白虎）
- The Planet Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows...
（金星）
- The Color White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
（白）
- Respiratory system
The respiratory system is the anatomical system of an organism that introduces respiratory gases to the interior and performs gas exchange. In humans and other mammals, the anatomical features of the respiratory system include airways, lungs, and the respiratory muscles...
& Lung (Chinese medicine)（肺）& Large IntestineThe large intestine is the third-to-last part of the digestive system — — in vertebrate animals. Its function is to absorb water from the remaining indigestible food matter, and then to pass useless waste material from the body...
(大肠)
水 Water
- The North
North is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.North is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west.By convention, the top side of a map is north....
（北）
- Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
（冬）
- koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
/Snake and tortoise（玄武）
- The Planet Mercury
Mercury is the innermost and smallest planet in the Solar System, orbiting the Sun once every 87.969 Earth days. The orbit of Mercury has the highest eccentricity of all the Solar System planets, and it has the smallest axial tilt. It completes three rotations about its axis for every two orbits...
（水星）
- The Color Black
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
（黑）
- Skeletal（骨）, Urinary Bladder
The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor...
& Kidney (Chinese medicine) （肾）
Chinese zodiac
The zodiac of twelve animal signs represents twelve different types of personality. The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat, and there are many stories about the Origins of the Chinese Zodiac which explain why this is so (see below). The following are the twelve zodiac signs in order and their characteristics.
Each of the 12 animals are governed by an element plus a Yin Yang Direction.
- Rat
The Rat is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rat is associated with the earthly branch symbol 子...
(Yang, 1st TrineTrine may refer to:*Trine , an angle of 120° *Trine , a 2009 video game by Frozenbyte*Trine 2, the sequel to Trine*Trine University, an institution of higher education in Angola, Indiana...
, Fixed Element WaterWater is one of the elements in ancient Greek philosophy, in the Asian Indian system Panchamahabhuta, and in the Chinese cosmological and physiological system Wu Xing...
).
- Ox
The Ox is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Ox is denoted by the earthly branch character 丑...
(Water buffaloThe buffalo is the second animal symbol in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, taking place of the ox in the Chinese zodiac. Water buffalo are industrious and patient. In general, the year is slow and steady, appropriate for scientists. The hours of the buffalo are from 1 to 3 am....
in Vietnam), (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Water).
- Tiger
The Tiger , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Tiger is associated with the earthly branch symbol 寅.- Years and the Five Elements :...
(Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element WoodTree , traditionally translated as Wood, is the growing of the matter, or the matter's growing stage. Tree is the first phase of Wu Xing. Tree is yang in character...
).
- Rabbit
The Chinese Year of the Rabbit is actually the Chinese Year of the Hare, as China has seven native species of hares and no native species of rabbits. The Chinese applied their word for hare to the first rabbits to be taken to China, and the word is now erroneously back-translated into English as...
(CatThe cat is the fourth animal symbol in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, taking place of the rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. Cats are 'smooth talkers', talented and ambitious, and will succeed in studies. They are in conflict with the rat. A cat person has a supple mind and patient...
in Vietnam) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Wood).
- Dragon
The Dragon , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and the only animal that is legendary...
(SnailSnail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
in KazakhstanKazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
) (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element Wood).
- Snake
The Snake is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Snake is associated with the earthly branch symbol 巳.-Years and the Five Elements:...
(Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element FireFire has been an important part of all cultures and religions from pre-history to modern day and was vital to the development of civilization. It has been regarded in many different contexts throughout history, but especially as a metaphysical constant of the world.-Greek and Roman tradition:Fire...
).
- Horse
The Horse is the seventh of the 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Horse is associated with the earthly branch symbol 午.- Years and the Five Elements :...
(Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Fire).
- Ram (Goat in Vietnam) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Fire).
- Monkey
The Monkey is the ninth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Monkey is associated with the earthly branch symbol 申.-Years and the five elements:...
(Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element MetalMetal , is the decline of the matter, or the matter's decline stage. Metal is the fourth phase of Wu Xing. Metal is yin in character, its motion is inwards and its energy is contracting. It is associated with the Autumn, the west, old age, the planet Venus, the color white, dry weather, and the...
).
- Rooster
The Rooster is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Rooster is represented by the earthly branch character 酉.- Years and associated Five Elements :...
(Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed Element Metal).
- Dog
The Dog is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dog is associated with the earthly branch symbol 戌...
(Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed Element Metal).
- Pig
The Pig , is the last of the 12 animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac. The Year of the Pig is associated with the earthly branch Hai .In Chinese culture, the pig is associated with fertility and virility...
(Boar in JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed Element Water).
The animal signs assigned by
year represent what others perceive you as being or how you present yourself. It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many western descriptions of Chinese astrology draw solely on this system. In fact, there are also animal signs assigned by
month,
day, and
hours of the day. The combination of one's birth year, month, day and hour are a part of the 'four pillars' of Chinese astrology which determine one's fate.
To sum it up, while a person might appear to be a
dragonThe Dragon , is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and the only animal that is legendary...
because they were born in the year of the dragon, they might also be a
snakeThe Snake is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Snake is associated with the earthly branch symbol 巳.-Years and the Five Elements:...
based on their birth month and an
oxThe Ox is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Ox is denoted by the earthly branch character 丑...
based on their birthday and a Ram based on their birth hour.
See also
- Chinese calendar and history
The Chinese calendar is related to certain repetitions of historical events. There are 12 sacred animals and five natural forces in this calendar. A repetition of a given combination occurs for the first time after 60 years...
- Chinese calendar correspondence table
This table shows the stem/branch year names, correspondences to the Western calendar, and other related information for the current, 79th sexagenary cycle of the Chinese calendar ....
- Chinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
- Da Liu Ren
Da Liu Ren is a form of Chinese calendrical astrology dating from the later Warring States period.Along with the divination methods Qi Men Dun Jia 奇门遁甲 and Taiyi 太乙—collectively known as the "Three Styles" —Da Liu Ren is considered in China to be one of the highest forms of Chinese metaphysics.It...
- Four Pillars of Destiny
Four Pillars of Destiny is a Chinese and Japanese conceptual term that describes the four components creating a person's destiny or fate. The four components within the moment of birth are year, month, day, and hour...
- Qi Men Dun Jia
Qi Men Dun Jia is an ancient form of divination from China, which is still in use in China, Taiwan, Singapore and the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia...
- Sexagesimal cycle
- Sheng Xiao
- Symbolic stars
In Chinese astrology, the symbolic stars represent different relations of the specific positions and interactions of the heavenly stems and earthly branches....
- Tai Yi Shen Shu
Tai Yi Shen Shu is one of the three 三式 predictive arts from China, the others being Da Liu Ren and Qi Men Dun Jia.These arts are basically involved in divination and to a certain extent astrology...
- Zi wei dou shu
Zi Wei Dou Shu is a form of fortune-telling in Chinese culture. It remains one of the most well-respected processes for laying out "The Destiny Path" or "Fate".-Terminology:...
Sources
- Shelly Wu. (2005). Chinese Astrology. Publisher: The Career Press, Inc. ISBN 1-56414-796-7
External links