Chinese Zodiac Astrology Explained
With an interwoven mixture of calendar cycles and connections to animals, Chinese astrology is as mystical as it is effective. This ancient doctrine is widely acknowledged in the culture and its practices are a part of daily life. In this article, we will analyze the roots and how different cultures have come to respect it.
Chinese zodiac sign astrology is the foretelling of the future from the Chinese calendar. There are two cycles from which one basic cycle is constructed.
The first is the twelve-year cycle of animals portrayed in the Chinese zodiac and called the twelve earthly branches while the other is ten celestial stems consisting of the five elements in their yin and yang forms.
The Chinese animal zodiac also operates on a cycle of months or moons together with hours of the day. The animal signs are assigned by year and correspond to how others will perceive you as being or how you present yourself.
It is common in western countries to erroneously describe the twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac as the only signs. However, this is incorrect because there are also animal signs, called inner animals, assigned by the month and secret animals, which represent the hours of the day.
While a person might look to be a dragon, because they were born in the year of the dragon, they may also be a snake internally and an ox secretively. It is therefore feasible for an individual to be any one of 8,640 potential combinations.
A persons inner animal, designated by their monthly animal sign, dictates what really motivates that person. This sign is a crucial aspect in the understanding of the persons compatibility with other signs since it dictates their inner persona and love life. These are all vital for the proper use of this Asian astrology.
The same as western zodiac sign astrology, each sign is linked to a month of the solar year. Nevertheless, in Chinese astrology, the signs are additionally related to a season and the elements are believed to transfer some of its characteristics to the sign concerned. In the 60 year cycle, the fixed element, which 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 mark times of day, with each sign corresponding to a large-hour, which is a two-hour period (24 divided by 12 animals). For an exact determination, it is therefore important to know the exact time of birth. The secret animal is considered to be a person’s truest representation, since the smallest denominator determines it, which is an individuals hour of birth. Since it is a person’s own true sign, it is this upon which their character is based.
We are all familiar with the Chinese New Year festivities that are rich with traditional foods, colorful lion dances and boldly displayed symbols from Chinese astrology. Although in most societies, practitioners are tantamount to a subculture, in Chinese culture practically everyone 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.
Tags: astrology readings, chinese animal zodiac, chinese astrology, Chinese Zodiac, chinese zodiac year, the astrology, zodiac year
