The Basics of Chinese Astrology

If you were born in the Year of the Rat, you are expressive and quick-witted. If your birthday falls in the Year of the Rabbit, you are diplomatic and well-liked. There are similar pronouncements for the Year of the Dog, the Ox, the Tiger, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster and the Pig - but to think that this is all there is to Chinese astrology is as simplistic as believing that you can know everything there is to know about a person if you know that they are a Capricorn.

 

The art of Chinese Astrology is based on the Chinese lunar calendar. Unlike Western astrology, which bases its major system - the Sun signs - on a 12 month cycle, giving a different influence to each month, Chinese astrology is based on cycles of 60 years. Each year is assigned both one of the 12 animals and one of the five elements - wood, water, air, earth and metal - and so the years are more properly defined as the Year of the Water Tiger, The Year of the Earth Pig and so on - sixty in all.

 

Western astrology focuses on defining personalities and influences. The purpose of Chinese astrology is more direct - to define 'cures' for unfortunate stars by correcting imbalances in the natal chart. Thus, systems like Feng Shui use the astrological chart as a starting point to prescribe ways to bring balance into one's life.

 

The concept of balance and of Yin and Yang is one that is vital to every aspect of Chinese astrology. Each animal, each element and each year is either Yin (soft) or Yang (hard). Thus a year may be Yin, but represented by a Yang animal like the Tiger. A Tiger born in a Yin year will be softer and less aggressive than one born in a Yang year. If that Tiger was also born in a Water year, he will be intuitive, persuasive and magnetic - a born charismatic leader.

 

Obviously, every person born in a particular year doesn't share the exact same fate and personality, any more than every person born under a Western astrological sign does. To refine predictions, Chinese astrology uses a complex system of twelve Palaces, similar to the twelve astrological Houses in Western astrology. Zi Wei Dou Shu is used to create a person's entire astrological chart by assigning each of the 'stars' to a Palace. It is the arrangement of these Palaces and stars that determine the influences that a person must affect in order to affect his fate.

 

What's Related  on eMystica.com:

  1. Complete Astrology Guide
  2. Compatibility Astrology Report
  3. Chinese Astrology Center - Chinese Zodiac Information, History and more
  4. Chinese Astrology Report
  5. Chinese Zodiac Years
  6. Five Elements of Chinese Astrology
  7. New Astrology Report
  8. Astrological Cusps: Dates and cusps of star signs
 

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