Chinese astrologyTo meet Wikipedia's quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup.See rationale on the talk page, or replace this tag with a more specific message. Editing help is available. (Tagged December 2005) 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. 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. BackgroundThe 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. 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. 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. The twenty-eight Chinese constellations (宿 xìu) are quite different from the eighty-eight Western constellations. 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 seven northern constellations are referred to as xúanwǔ (玄武). Xuan Wu is also known as the spirit of the northern sky or the spirit of Water in Taoism belief. In addition to astrological readings of the heavenly bodies, the stars in the sky form the basis of many fairy tales. For example, the Summer Triangle is the trio of the cowherd (Altair), the weaving maiden fairy (Vega) and the "tai bai" fairy (Deneb). The two forbidden lovers were separated by the silvery river (the Milky Way). 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. See Qi Xi for more versions of this story. CyclesThere is a binary Yin Yang cycle, which enlarges the 5 element cycle to a cycle of ten (seen below). Even years are yang, odd years are yin. 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. This combination creates a 60-year cycle, starting with Wood Rat and ending with Water Pig. The current cycle began in the year 1984. Five ElementsThe Yin or Yang is broken down into Five Elements ( Water, Wood, Fire, Metal (Gold), Earth) on top of the cycle of animals. These are modifiers and affect the characteristics of each of the 12 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. Divided into 4 groups Water
'Governs' Rat, Ox, Monkey Wood
'Governs' Tiger, Hare, Snake Fire
'Governs' Dragon, Horse, Goat Metal (gold)
'Governs' Pig , Rooster, Dog Earth
Additionally there is Earth which does not govern over any animals and is the central balance of all elements. It can lend qualities to all 12 animals as well. The elements are also associated with colours. The traditional correspondences are green to Wood, red to Fire, brown to Earth, white to Metal, and black to Water. Some websites denote the years by the colour and zodiac sign (as opposed to animal sign and element). See [1]. (Notice the title "Green (Wooden) Chicken Year".) The Twelve animalsEach individual personality is associated with an animal which represents it. This is where many Chinese Astrology descriptions in western society draw solely from. 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. The Twelve Zodiac Animals
Inner Animals and Secret animalsIt is common misconception that there are only the singular animal assigned by year. 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. 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. This dictates your own love life and inner persona and is critical to understand and know to properly calculate 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 determined by exact time of birth and is your own true sign with your personality is based in. 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. These are said to be 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. The MonthsThe Twelve animals also apply to the lunar months. The month born affects a person's inner animal, as stated above. The HoursThe 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. (24 divided by 12 animals) The large hour a person is born is their secretive animal as stated above. The following hours are in Beijing local time (UTC+8).
Origin StoriesThe 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. There are many legends to explain the beginning of the zodiac (see Origins of the Chinese Zodiac). One of the most popular reads, in summarized form, as follows: 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. 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. Another popular legend has it that a race was used to decide the animals to report to the Jade Emperor: Some versions of the tale say that the cattle nominated a water buffalo to represent them because he was more proficient at water. The trade was acceptable because both animals are members of the family of bovines. Another version of the tale expands the race. 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. Yet another variation tells of two different races. 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. This format is rather like the one that the National Football League uses to determine its playoff teams (six from each conference). 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 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. Interestingly, the cat does make it into the Vietnamese Zodiac, in place of the rabbit (see below). The Lunisolar CalendarSince 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. Therefore, a person who was born in January or early February may have the sign of the previous year. 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. The start of a new Zodiac is also celebrated on Chinese New Year along with many other customs. Many online sign calculators (such as [2]) will give a person the wrong sign if he/she was born in January or early February. 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. (See Chinese calendar) Table of the Lunar Calendar and ZodiacChinese Zodiac in other countriesThe Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. For one example, they usually appear on Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. 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. 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. Those who are serious about the fortune telling aspect of the signs can consult a table, such as the one above. The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asian countries that have been under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the Zodiac may differ by country. 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. The European Huns used the Chinese Zodiac complete with "dragon", "pig". This common Chinese-Turkic Zodiac was in use in Balkan Bulgaria well into the Bulgars' adoption of Slavic language and Orthodox Christianity. 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 Torè CalendarNames of years
The Thai Zodiac does not differ from the Chinese zodiac. This page about chinese zodiac includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about chinese zodiac News stories about chinese zodiac External links for chinese zodiac Videos for chinese zodiac Wikis about chinese zodiac Discussion Groups about chinese zodiac Blogs about chinese zodiac Images of chinese zodiac |
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The Thai Zodiac does not differ from the Chinese zodiac. Fly a lot.". Names of years. Pay for little. 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. "Jetsgo. This common Chinese-Turkic Zodiac was in use in Balkan Bulgaria well into the Bulgars' adoption of Slavic language and Orthodox Christianity. Jetsgo also had special "comfort plus" sections on most of their planes which featured more leg room on seats A and B in rows 1 - 12, as well as no middle seat. The European Huns used the Chinese Zodiac complete with "dragon", "pig". All aircraft were configured in an "all-economy" setting typical of low-cost carriers. 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. Jetsgo operated a fleet of 14 McDonnell Douglas MD-83 and 15 Fokker F100; three more Fokker 100s were due for delivery in 2005. However, some of the animals in the Zodiac may differ by country. Jetsgo also operated weekend scheduled charter services from Toronto and Montreal to destinations in:. The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asian countries that have been under the cultural influence of China. Jetsgo was in competition with other carriers, such as Air Canada, WestJet, Canjet, American Airlines, and United Airlines. Those who are serious about the fortune telling aspect of the signs can consult a table, such as the one above. There were no casualties (ref: Flight International, July 2005). 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. The plane then declared a missed approach, took off and landed again. 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. On 20 January 2005 a Jetsgo McDonnell Douglas MD-83 landing in poor weather and low visibility at Calgary International Airport, Canada, veered left off runway 34 and hit a runway hold sign, damaging landing gear and flaps. For one example, they usually appear on Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. Source: Transportation Safety Board of Canada / Toronto Star March 17, 2005 p C9. The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. Here is a list of incidents reported about Jetsgo:. (See Chinese calendar). The deficiencies were discovered during "a special inspection" into engine problems revealed after a forced landing in January 2005. 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. In March 2005 Transport Canada said that investigators found issues with the operating methods of Jetsgo. Many online sign calculators (such as [2]) will give a person the wrong sign if he/she was born in January or early February. Source: Toronto Star March 14 ,2005 p A7. The start of a new Zodiac is also celebrated on Chinese New Year along with many other customs. The following is a list of employees employed at the time of the airline's insolvency:. 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. Employees were finally paid for the time prior to the airline's shutdown on March 14, 2005. Therefore, a person who was born in January or early February may have the sign of the previous year. Jetsgo accumulated $55 million in debt in the last eight months before it closed abruptly. 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. 1200 employees also lost their jobs. Interestingly, the cat does make it into the Vietnamese Zodiac, in place of the rabbit (see below). This occurred on the Friday morning before the March Break holiday season, one of the busiest air travel days in 8 of 10 provinces. 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. The action stranded hundreds of passengers in airports and at their travel destinations with no way home, the defunct airline having made no arrangements with other carriers to handle their passengers. 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. On March 11, 2005, Jetsgo abruptly announced that it had ceased operations. This format is rather like the one that the National Football League uses to determine its playoff teams (six from each conference). Founder Michel Leblanc had previously founded Royal Airlines, which he later sold to Canada 3000. 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. Expert analysts widely blame the airline itself for poor management. Yet another variation tells of two different races. The airline was Canada's third largest airline at the time with up to 10% of the domestic market. 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. Jetsgo was launched on June 12, 2002 and abruptly ceased operations on March 11, 2005. Another version of the tale expands the race. . The trade was acceptable because both animals are members of the family of bovines. The airline jets have now been repainted into Air Canada jets. Some versions of the tale say that the cattle nominated a water buffalo to represent them because he was more proficient at water. Soon after its demise, the company pledged to make a comeback as a charter-only airline, but on May 13, 2005, the airline officially declared bankruptcy, cancelled plans to relaunch service, and began the process of liquidation. Another popular legend has it that a race was used to decide the animals to report to the Jade Emperor:. Jetsgo abruptly ended service and entered bankruptcy protection on March 11, 2005, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, right at the beginning of the busy March-break travel season. 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. Jetsgo (IATA: SG, ICAO: JGO, and Callsign: Jetsgo) was a Canadian low-cost carrier based in Montreal, which served 19 destinations across Canada, 10 destinations in the United States, and 12 scheduled weekend-charter destinations in the Caribbean. 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. Cozumel. One of the most popular reads, in summarized form, as follows:. Cancún. There are many legends to explain the beginning of the zodiac (see Origins of the Chinese Zodiac). Santiago. 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. Santo Domingo. The following hours are in Beijing local time (UTC+8). Puerto Plata. (24 divided by 12 animals) The large hour a person is born is their secretive animal as stated above. La Romana. 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. Varadero. The month born affects a person's inner animal, as stated above. Santiago. The Twelve animals also apply to the lunar months. Santa Clara. Many western displays of the chinese zodiac omit these, as well as the elements, for easier consumption and understanding. Manzanillo. These are said to be critical for the proper use of chinese astrology. Havana. 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. Cayo Coco. The secret animal is determined by exact time of birth and is your own true sign with your personality is based in. New York LaGuardia. It may be considered what the individual wishes to become, or believes to be their true self. New York
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. Las Vegas. It is common misconception that there are only the singular animal assigned by year. Nevada
Each individual personality is associated with an animal which represents it. St. (Notice the title "Green (Wooden) Chicken Year".). Sarasota/Bradenton. See [1]. Sanford (Orlando). Some websites denote the years by the colour and zodiac sign (as opposed to animal sign and element). Fort Myers. The traditional correspondences are green to Wood, red to Fire, brown to Earth, white to Metal, and black to Water. Fort Lauderdale. The elements are also associated with colours. Florida
Pig , Rooster, Dog. Saskatoon. 'Governs'. Saskatchewan
Tiger, Hare, Snake. Quebec
Divided into 4 groups. Charlottetown. Each of the 12 animals are governed by an element plus a Yin Yang Direction. Prince Edward Island
The Yin or Yang is broken down into Five Elements ( Water, Wood, Fire, Metal (Gold), Earth) on top of the cycle of animals. Sydney. The current cycle began in the year 1984. Halifax. This combination creates a 60-year cycle, starting with Wood Rat and ending with Water Pig. Nova Scotia
Even years are yang, odd years are yin. St. There is a binary Yin Yang cycle, which enlarges the 5 element cycle to a cycle of ten (seen below). Stephenville. See Qi Xi for more versions of this story. Newfoundland
The cowherd carries their two sons (the two stars on each side of Altair) across the bridge to reunite with their fairy mother. Manitoba
In addition to astrological readings of the heavenly bodies, the stars in the sky form the basis of many fairy tales. Kelowna. Xuan Wu is also known as the spirit of the northern sky or the spirit of Water in Taoism belief. Abbotsford. The seven northern constellations are referred to as xúanwǔ (玄武). British Columbia
The twenty-eight Chinese constellations (宿 xìu) are quite different from the eighty-eight Western constellations. Edmonton. 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. Calgary. 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. Alberta
. 2005 - 7. 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. 2004 - 32. 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. 2003 - 15. Shushma - Boar (Türk, Russ "Kaban" - Translator's Note). 2002 - 5. It - Dog. Year # of incidents. Taguk - Rooster, Hen. 220 customer service representatives. Bichin, Michin - Monkey. 430 maintenance and ramp crew. Téké - Goat (Sheep). 550 pilots and flight attendants. Tuki (Tykha) - Horse. 1,350 part-time. Dilan - Snake. 1,200 full-time. 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. |