by Robert Wilkinson
Today we continue our adventure in learning about another kind of astrology that's been practiced by billions of people across many centuries. Welcome to Chinese Astrology!
First, some context: Most articles on this site approach the art and science of life cycles through the lens of “Western Astrology,” i.e., astrology generally derived from the Greco-Roman-Babylonian model used thousands of years ago. Over the centuries, Western Astrology has greatly evolved beyond those roots in that era so that what we now call "Western Astrology" bears zero resemblance to what the ancients studied and practiced.
Every culture has had its form of astrology, and there are many other types of astrology practiced in our world. The two most prominent forms of "Eastern Astrology" are Vedic Astrology, derived from the Vedas, ancient Holy books of India, and Chinese Astrology, supposedly the elaboration of the twelve creatures who first made obeisance to the Buddha, indicative of the twelve types of natural human characteristics.
Eastern systems are more based in Lunar cycles, whereas Western Astrology has a much different focus and is primarily a Solar based system. However, most systems have 12 “signs” of some sort, and Chinese Astrology is no exception.
Chinese Astrology offers us 12 different animals than the 12 figures in Western Astrology, in the following order: the Rat is the first sign, followed in order by the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit/Hare/Cat, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Sheep/Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Boar/Pig.
Regarding these 12 animals, I've found that the character descriptions for each of the Chinese signs often approximate the character descriptions for the corresponding Western signs, and there are interesting parallels. And I'll also note that within these 12, there are sympathies and antipathies that exactly parallel the Western signs.
In one significant difference, besides just naming the animal associated with the birth year, Chinese Astrology also gives an animal for what month, what day, and what hour we are born. That gives us a blend of many different energies that describe the complexities of our nature. However, a thorough exploration of that branch of the craft is beyond the time and space we can give it here.
So like other systems, Chinese Astrology has twelve "signs." However, in another significant difference with Western Astrology, Chinese Astrology gives us five elements, rather than the four elements of Western Astrology. In Chinese Astrology, people born in years ending in 0 or 1 are said to be Metal; those born in years ending in 2 or 3 are Water; those born in years ending in 4 or 5 are Wood; those born in years ending in 6 or 7 are Fire; and those born in years ending in 8 or 9 are Earth.
This gives a natural cycle of 60 years, which is a very significant number in both Chinese and Vedic Astrology, and symbolizes the halfway point in an archetypal human life. Each element plus animal gives a specific quality to that human characteristic, and so the possibilities are quite extensive.
2012 is said to be the Year of the Water Dragon. This new year begins with the New Moon 11:39 pm PST January 22, 7:39 am Greenwich, 3:39 pm Hong Kong on January 23. The reason it begins then is because that is the New Moon, and Chinese Astrology is a Lunar-based system.
In coming articles we'll explore more Chinese Astrological indicators regarding the quality of recent past years as well as the year to come. This can help us get a broader perspective on how the year ahead will have similar energies to the past year, but also how the year ahead will be different than the energies of the past.
© Copyright 2012 Robert Wilkinson
"Regarding these 12 animals, I've found that the character descriptions for each of the Chinese signs often approximate the character descriptions for the corresponding Western signs, and there are interesting parallels. And I'll also note that within these 12, there are sympathies and antipathies that exactly parallel the Western signs."
I've compared my birth chart's transits (going back not just years but decades), and have found a lot of parallels with my chinese astrology elemental forecasts. in my chinese astrology forecasts it shows that I go through major change in careers every 12 years. I found that it corresponds to major uranus transits for me when I looked at the time frames in my birth chart for western astrology.
I now use both systems as a check and balance and have been finding it refreshing that I can verify a planetary transit's effect to the elemental interaction analysis in chinese astrology.
for now, both chinese and western astrology are showing a major turn around in my career for 2012....a new cycle of upward momentum in auspicious luck (as defined in chinese astrology - the availability of opportunity) and the start of a new cycle as explained in western astrology (uranus moving to 2nd house, jupiter will conjunct my sun in May along with the solar eclipse at 0 deg gemini just a few deg from my sun).
I've posted in the past about the turmoil that the saturn uranus opposition did to my career and finances....and now it appears that it was necessary to lose what I lost so I can start fresh starting this year.
as always, Robert and this site has been a tremendous resource and guide for me....I may not post that much, but I read the site religiously and find much needed clearance as to what is happening with my life.
as always, thanks Robert!
Posted by: Ed | January 20, 2012 at 05:52 PM
by the way, if it's alright to post a site....a good site for beginners in chinese astrology is geomancy.net...learn what your favorable elements are and you can easily forecast whether the current year is good for you or not.
Posted by: Ed | January 20, 2012 at 06:34 PM