Chinese astrology

The Thai Zodiac does not differ from the Chinese zodiac. (Since 1925 a tax has been levied to pay for apprenticeships.) The minister in charge of the campaign, Jean-Louis Borloo, also hoped to improve the image of apprenticeships with an information campaign, as they are often connected with academic failure at school and an ability to grasp only practical skills and not theory. Names of years. To achieve this aim, the government is, for example, granting tax relief for companies when they take on apprentices. Following is the Hunnish or Turkic Bulgarian Pagan zodiac calendar, distinctive from the Greek zodiac but much in conformity with the Chinese one: Kam-Boyan Calendar. The plan aimed to raise the number of apprentices from 365,000 in 2005 to 500,000 in 2009. This common Chinese-Turkic Zodiac was in use in Balkan Bulgaria well into the Bulgars' adoption of Slavic language and Orthodox Christianity. The French government pledged to further develop apprenticeship as a path to success at school and to employment, based on its success: in 2005, 80% of young French people who had completed an apprenticeship entered employment.

The European Huns used the Chinese Zodiac complete with "dragon", "pig". On January 18, 2005, President Jacques Chirac announced the introduction of a law on a programme for social cohesion comprising the three pillars of employment, housing and equal opportunities. For example, the Vietnamese zodiac is identical to Chinese zodiac except the fourth animal is the cat not the rabbit, while the Japanese zodiac includes the wild boar instead of the pig. From 1987 the range of qualifications achieveable through an apprenticeship was widened to include the brevet professionnel (certificate of vocational aptitude), the bac professionnel (vocational baccalaureat diploma), the brevet de technicien supérieur(advanced technician's certificate), engineering diplomas and more. However, some of the animals in the Zodiac may differ by country. In 1986 the age limit for beginning an apprenticeship was raised from 20 to 25. The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asian countries that have been under the cultural influence of China. The first training centres for apprentices (centres de formation d'apprentis, CFAs) appeared in 1961, and in 1971 apprenticeships were legally made part of professional training.

Those who are serious about the fortune telling aspect of the signs can consult a table, such as the one above. This minimum training time rose to 360 hours a year in 1961, then 400 in 1986. However, those unfamiliar with the use of the Chinese lunar calendar usually just assume that the signs switch over on Jan 1 of each year. From 1919, young people had to take 150 hours of theory and general lessons in their subject a year. The United States Postal Service and those of several other countries issue a "Year of the _____" postage stamp each year to honor this Chinese heritage. In 1851 the first law on apprenticeships came into force. For one example, they usually appear on Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. In France, apprenticeships also developed between the ninth and thirteenth centuries, with guilds structured around apprentices, journeymen and master craftsmen, continuing in this way until 1791, when the guilds were suppressed.

The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. People who have not taken this apprenticeship are not allowed to call themselves an Industriekaufmann; the same is true for all the 356 occupations. (See Chinese calendar). The time taken is also regulated; each occupation learnt takes a different time, but the average is 35 months. There are some newer astrological texts which follow the Chinese Agricultural Calendar (the jie qi), and thus place the changeover of zodiac signs at the solar term li chun (beginning of Spring), at solar longitude 315 degrees. The employer is responsible for the entire programme; apprentices are not allowed to be employed and have only an apprenticeship contract. Many online sign calculators (such as [2]) will give a person the wrong sign if he/she was born in January or early February. The precise skills and theory taught on apprenticeships are strictly regulated, meaning that everyone who has, for example, had an apprenticeship as an Industriekaufmann (someone who works in an industrial company as a personnel assistant or accountant, etc) has learned the same skills and had the same courses in procurement and stocking up, cost and activity accounting, staffing, accounting procedures, production, profit and loss accounting and various other subjects.

The start of a new Zodiac is also celebrated on Chinese New Year along with many other customs. One in three companies offered apprenticeships in 2003; in 2004 the government signed a pledge with industrial unions that all companies except very small ones must take on apprentices. For example, 1990 was the year of the horse, but anyone born from January 1 to January 26, 1990 was born in the Year of the Snake (the sign of the previous year), because the 1990 Year of the Horse began on January 27, 1990. Although the rigid training system of the GDR, linked to the huge collective combines, did not survive reunification, the system remains popular in modern Germany: in 2001, two thirds of young people aged under 22 began an apprenticeship, and 78% of them completed it, meaning that approximately 51% of all young people under 22 have completed an apprenticeship. Therefore, a person who was born in January or early February may have the sign of the previous year. The dual system was successful in both parts of divided Germany: in the GDR, three quarters of the working population had completed apprenticeships. Since the (traditional) Chinese zodiac follows the (lunisolar) Chinese calendar, the switch over date for the zodiac signs is the Chinese New Year, not January 1 as in the Gregorian calendar. In 1969, a law (the Berufsausbildungsgesetz) was passed which regulated and unified the vocational training system and codified the shared responsibility of the state, the unions, associations and chambers of trade and industry.

Interestingly, the cat does make it into the Vietnamese Zodiac, in place of the rabbit (see below). These Berufsschulen have been part of the education system since the 19th century. The Boar, at a loss, proceeded to claim that the meat on its bones 'tasted good.' This explanation was apparently considered unsatisfactory, because the Boar was placed at the very end of the Zodiac. Usually, they work for three to four days a week in the company and then spend one or two days at a vocational school (Berufsschule). In yet another variation, each animal was called before its peers and had to explain why it deserved a position at the top of the Zodiac. The dual system means that apprentices spend most of their time in companies and the rest in formal education. This format is rather like the one that the National Football League uses to determine its playoff teams (six from each conference). Young people can learn one of 356 (2005) apprenticeship occupations (Ausbildungsberufe), such as Doctor's Assistant, Dispensing Optician or Oven Builder.

The first involved all the animals, in two divisions to avoid the fast animals dominating the top, and the top six in each division would "make the cut" for a second round, which would then determine the order of placement of the animals in the zodiac. Apprenticeships are part of Germany's successful dual education system, and as such form an integral part of many people's working life. Yet another variation tells of two different races. Refinement of the Apprenticeship system continues - in 2005 the Learning and Skills Council, Department for Education and Skills, and Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, together with their equivalents in Wales and the Sector Skills Councils, launched the Apprenticeship Blueprint for England and Wales, which revises and redefines the essential and flexible elements of an apprenticeship framework.[1]. The route ran through a forest, over ranges of plains and grasslands, and along a stream, before finally crossing a lake to the destination town. Recognising that demand for apprenticeship places exceeds supply from employers, and that many young people, parents and employers still associate apprenticeship with craft trades and manual occupations, the Government developed a major marketing campaign in 2004. Another version of the tale expands the race. Between 2001/02 and 2004/05, however, the percentage of young people completing apprenticeships rose from 24% to 39% and in 2005 it was announced that the target of getting 28% of 16-21 year olds to start an apprenticeship had been met.

The trade was acceptable because both animals are members of the family of bovines. In 2001, just over one fifth of young people under age 22 took up an apprenticeship: of these, only 33% actually completed it, making approximately 7% of young British people under 22 who completed an apprenticeship in 2001. Some versions of the tale say that the cattle nominated a water buffalo to represent them because he was more proficient at water. Changes recommended by the Committee at first seemed to have little effect: between 2000 and 2003, the number of people starting apprenticeships fell from 76,800 to 47,300. Another popular legend has it that a race was used to decide the animals to report to the Jade Emperor:. Many young people and employers were still unaware of exactly what an apprenticeship involved. All the animals who arrived on the night were granted a special place as a zodiac animal - the cat arrived the next day only to find out that the banquet was over. Its 2001 report noted that 'England currently does not have a strong apprenticeships system'; critical weaknesses identified included: declining participation by young people; low completion rates, with only about a third of all apprentices completing their frameworks; and weaknesses in training, assessment and data collection.

A variation of this describes the Jade Emperor holding a great banquet in his palace; the cat does not hear the initial announcement so the rat tells him that there is going to be a royal party but instead tells him it is on the day after the actual date. In 2000 the Government established the Modern Apprenticeships Advisory Committee (MAAC) to recommend 'how best to ensure that the quality of Modern Apprenticeships fully matches the standards set by leading nations worldwide' . One of the most popular reads, in summarized form, as follows:. There is no minimum time requirement for apprenticeships, although the average time spent completing a framework is roughly 21 months. There are many legends to explain the beginning of the zodiac (see Origins of the Chinese Zodiac). Providers are usually private training companies but might also be Further Education colleges, voluntary sector organisations, Chambers of Commerce or employer 'Group Training Associations'; only about 5 per cent of apprenticeships are directly contracted with single employers participating in the scheme. The 12 Zodiac animal signs (生肖 shengxiao) are, in order, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. These agencies contract with 'learning providers' who organise and/or deliver training and assessment services to employers.

The following hours are in Beijing local time (UTC+8). Employers who participate in the scheme have an employment contract with their apprentices, but off-the-job training and assessment is wholly funded by the state through various agencies - formerly the Training and Enterprise Councils, now the Learning and Skills Council in England or its equivalents in Scotland and Wales. (24 divided by 12 animals) The large hour a person is born is their secretive animal as stated above. Unlike traditional apprenticeships, the current scheme extends beyond 'craft' and skilled trades to areas of the service sector with no apprenticeship tradition. The Chinese zodiac is also used to label times of day, with each sign corresponding to a "large-hour" or shichen (時辰), which is a two-hour period. There are now more than 160 Apprenticeship frameworks (2005). The month born affects a person's inner animal, as stated above. Those who complete all elements of the framework receive a certificate, but the Apprenticeship is not a discrete qualification.

The Twelve animals also apply to the lunar months. Frameworks consist of National Vocational Qualifications, a technical certificate and Key Skills including literacy and numeracy. Many western displays of the chinese zodiac omit these, as well as the elements, for easier consumption and understanding. (Modern) Apprenticeships are based on frameworks devised initially by National Training Organisations and now by their successors, Sector Skills Councils, state-sponsored but supposedly 'employer-led' bodies responsible for defining training requirements in their sector (such as Business Administration or Accounting). These are said to be critical for the proper use of chinese astrology. In 1994, the government introduced Modern Apprenticeships (in England - but not Scotland or Wales - the name was changed to Apprenticeships in 2004), again to try to improve the image of work-based learning and to encourage young people and employers to participate. It is important to compensate for daylight savings or any clock adjustment performed by your country as it is mapped according to the sun's location and not the local time. Still, by 1990, apprenticeship took up only two-thirds of one percent of total employment.

The secret animal is determined by exact time of birth and is your own true sign with your personality is based in. In 1986, National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) were introduced, in an attempt to revitalise vocational training. It may be considered what the individual wishes to become, or believes to be their true self. Traditional apprenticeships reached their lowest point in the 1970s: by that time, training programmes were rare and people who were apprentices learnt mainly by example. This dictates your own love life and inner persona and is critical to understand and know to properly calculate compatibility with other signs. In modern times, the system became less and less important, especially as employment in heavy industry and artisan trades declined. Combined with 5 elements makes for 8640 combinations (5 elements, 12 animals, 12 months, 12 times of day) The inner animal is assigned by the month of birth. In early modern England 'parish' apprenticeships under the Poor Law came to be used as a way of providing for poor children of both sexes alongside the regular system of apprenticeships, which tended to provide for boys from slightly more affluent backgrounds.

These yearly cycles represent what others perceive you as being, while a person might appear to be a Dragon they might actually be a Snake internally and an Ox secretively. Apprenticeship has a long tradition in the United Kingdom's education system. It is common misconception that there are only the singular animal assigned by year. . Each year in the 60 year cycle contains twelve animals, each with five possible elements, which distinctively vary the base animal's personality which equals to 60 possible combinations. Also similar to apprenticeships are the professional development arrangements for new graduates in the professions of accountancy and the law (that is, lawyers), a British example was training contracts known as 'articles of clerkship'. This is where many Chinese Astrology descriptions in western society draw solely from. The modern concept of internship is also analogous.

Each individual personality is associated with an animal which represents it. Universities still echo apprenticeship schemes in their production of scholars: bachelors are promoted to masters and then produce a thesis under the oversight of a supervisor before the corporate body of the university recognises the reaching of the standard of a doctorate. (Notice the title "Green (Wooden) Chicken Year".). Subsequently governmental regulation and the licensing of polytechnics and vocational education formalised and bureaucratised the details of apprenticeship. See [1]. Most apprentices aspired to becoming master craftsmen themselves on completion of their contract (usually a term of seven years), but some would spend time as a journeyman and a significant proportion would never acquire their own workshop. Some websites denote the years by the colour and zodiac sign (as opposed to animal sign and element). Apprentices were young (usually about fourteen to twenty-one years of age), unmarried and would live in the master craftsman's household.

The traditional correspondences are green to Wood, red to Fire, brown to Earth, white to Metal, and black to Water. Most apprentices were males, but female apprentices can be found in a number of crafts associated with embroidery, silk-weaving etc. The elements are also associated with colours. A master craftsman was entitled to employ young people as an inexpensive form of labour in exchange for providing formal training in the craft. It can lend qualities to all 12 animals as well. The system of apprenticeship first developed in the later Middle Ages and came to be supervised by craft guilds and town governments. Additionally there is Earth which does not govern over any animals and is the central balance of all elements. Apprentices (or in early modern usage "prentices") built their careers from apprenticeships.

Pig , Rooster, Dog. Apprenticeship is a traditional method, still popular in some countries, of training a new generation of skilled crafts practitioners. 'Governs'. Dragon, Horse, Goat. 'Governs'.

Tiger, Hare, Snake. 'Governs'. Rat, Ox, Monkey. 'Governs'.

Divided into 4 groups. Each of the 12 animals are governed by an element plus a Yin Yang Direction. Each element has features that apply to both years and the animals. These are modifiers and affect the characteristics of each of the 12 signs.

The Yin or Yang is broken down into Five Elements ( Water, Wood, Fire, Metal (Gold), Earth) on top of the cycle of animals. The current cycle began in the year 1984. This combination creates a 60-year cycle, starting with Wood Rat and ending with Water Pig. Since the zodiac animal cycle of 12 is divisible by two, every zodiac can only occur in either yin or yang: the dragon is always yang, the snake is always yin, etc.

Even years are yang, odd years are yin. There is a binary Yin Yang cycle, which enlarges the 5 element cycle to a cycle of ten (seen below). See Qi Xi for more versions of this story. The tai bai fairy acts as the chaperone of these two immortal lovers.

The cowherd carries their two sons (the two stars on each side of Altair) across the bridge to reunite with their fairy mother. Each year on the seventh day of the seventh month in the Chinese calendar, the birds form a bridge across the Milky Way. The two forbidden lovers were separated by the silvery river (the Milky Way). For example, the Summer Triangle is the trio of the cowherd (Altair), the weaving maiden fairy (Vega) and the "tai bai" fairy (Deneb).

In addition to astrological readings of the heavenly bodies, the stars in the sky form the basis of many fairy tales. Xuan Wu is also known as the spirit of the northern sky or the spirit of Water in Taoism belief. The seven northern constellations are referred to as xúanwǔ (玄武). For example, the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) is known as 斗 dǒu; the belt of Orion is known as 參 shen, or the "Happiness, Fortune, Longevity" trio of demigods.

The twenty-eight Chinese constellations (宿 xìu) are quite different from the eighty-eight Western constellations. A laborious system of computing one's fate and destiny based on one's birthday and birth hours (known as 紫微斗數 zǐwēidǒushù) is still used regularly in modern day Chinese astrology to divine one's fortune. It is said that the position of these planets, along with the positions of the Sun, Moon, any comets in the sky as well as time of birth and Zodiac Sign can determine a person's destiny according to Chinese Astrology. The ancient Chinese astronomers called the five major planets by the names of the element they were associated with: Venus corresponds to Metal (gold); Jupiter to Wood; Mercury to Water; Mars to Fire; Saturn to Earth.

. This fortune-telling system is derived from the principle characteristics of the system: the Zodiac, the five elements of Chinese thought, calendrical cycles based on astronomy, and ancient Chinese religion. Chinese astrology is the divination of the future from the Chinese calendar, particularly its 12-year cycle of animals, referred to as the Chinese Zodiac. Shushma - Boar (Türk, Russ "Kaban" - Translator's Note).

It - Dog. Taguk - Rooster, Hen. Bichin, Michin - Monkey. Téké - Goat (Sheep).

Tuki (Tykha) - Horse. Dilan - Snake. Samar - Dragon Birgün (Bergen, Birig, Baradj)- Dragon. Taushan - Hare.

Ügur - Tiger Myachè Ügur - Tiger. Kuman (Imén). Shiger (Syger) - Artom (Taurus). Kuzgé - [Year of] Saravana.

21:00 - 23:00: pig. 19:00 - 21:00: dog. 17:00 - 19:00: rooster. 15:00 - 17:00: monkey.

13:00 - 15:00: goat. 11:00 - 13:00: horse. 09:00 - 11:00: snake. 07:00 - 09:00: dragon.

05:00 - 07:00: rabbit. 03:00 - 05:00: tiger. 01:00 - 03:00: ox. 23:00 - 01:00: rat.

pig (or boar). dog. rooster. monkey.

goat (or sheep). horse. snake. dragon.

rabbit (or hare). tiger. ox. rat.

Reliability. Foundations. Balance. The Centre.

Strong. Dependable. Useful. The West.

Movement. Intelligence. Passion. The South.

Growth. Nurturing. Creativity. The East.

Sensitivity. Intuition. Communication. The North.