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[table=100%][tr=][td=][attachment=0]Micks footage Nikon, Chinese New year 2014 031.JPG[/attachment][/td][/tr][/table]

[align=center]Chinese Astrology[/align]



Welcome to the introduction on Chinese astrology. Chinese Astrology is based upon observations made by Chinese people over the course of some 33 centuries.

In Chinese astrology there are 12 animals. The rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig or boar. Each animal has certain characteristics, for example, the rat, who is first in the order got to be first because it is shrewd and fast at taking advantage, whereas the pig or boar came last because it is less interested in competition.

There is a 60 year cycle of animals, which is then repeated. There are elements that are important to understanding Chinese astrology too. There are five elements: water, metal, wood, fire, and earth. Each animal sign has an associated element and the elements colour the characteristics of the animal. There is a 60 year cycle because each animal has its turn of association with each of the five elements.

People have more than one animal.

• There is a year of birth animal, which is associated with what you present to others and what others perceive of you. Then there is the inner animal, which is determined by the month of birth. December = rat, January= ox, and so on. The inner animal determines a persons drives and motivations in life. Then there is a secret animal, which is a secret because it is made from the hour of a persons birth. This secret animal is an important animal to know as it determines the essence of a person and in a way is their true animal. You can work out your secret animal if you break the 24 hour clock into 2 hour segments as follows:
• 23:00 - 01:00: 子 rat
• 01:00 - 03:00: 丑 ox
• 03:00 - 05:00: 寅 tiger
• 05:00 - 07:00: 卯 rabbit
• 07:00 - 09:00: 辰 dragon
• 09:00 - 11:00: 巳 snake
• 11:00 - 13:00: 午 horse
• 13:00 - 15:00: 未 sheep
• 15:00 - 17:00: 申 monkey
• 17:00 - 19:00: 酉 rooster
• 19:00 - 21:00: 戌 dog
• 21:00 - 23:00: 亥 pig
There is even an animal and element that affects you for the actual day of your birth, but not many people get to know their day of birth animal (although with research on the internet you may get lucky..).

Ok, something about the different animals. There is a lot of information available on the internet, so research more broadly and you will be surprised how fitting the information is. …uncannily so.

The rat. Interested in money. Good at coping with things. Talkative, and a shrewd survivor. Playful.
The ox. Pragmatic. Sensible. Works hard.
The tiger. Humanitarian. Passionate. Sympathetic. Caring. Protector. Savage
The rabbit. Quiet. Avoids conflict. concerned with aesthetics and how things look around them.
The dragon. Powerful. Outspoken. Dramatic. Leader. Upstanding.
The snake. Often attractive. Materialistic. Philosophical.
The horse. Athletic. Physical. Natural. Hard worker. Talkative and sociable.
The goat. Artistic. creative. dreamy.
The monkey. The persuader. Clever. Difficulty sleeping due to its active mind.
The rooster. Showy. Strutting. Outspoken. Observant.
The dog. Loyal. Humanitarian. Sharp tongue. Critical.
The pig or boar. Natural. Wise. Likes to party.

Each animal has its good and its bad parts. ….Good luck researching.

Also, of note: each animal is either a ying or yang. Ying is a more feminine and quiet energy, whereas yang is more masculine and more loud and dominant The rat starts off with a yang and then it alternates through the rest of the twelve.

Chinese astrology is a good way of making sense of yourself and those around you. Although it makes no rational sense, it is always true in my experience and I have correctly predicted the different animals of the last 6 people I have spoken to about it! Chinese astrology can be misused if you take it to be fatalistic. In this life we have the opportunity and capacity to evolve ourselves and better ourselves and nothing is set in stone.

Wikepedia is a good source as is book titled, ‘simple Chinese astrology’ by Damien Sharpe (available on Amazon). Both sources will offer more detailed information than detailed here regarding your animals and the details of your birth year. I was born in 1979 and so I am an earth goat. Actually, I should give a brief break down of the elements before I leave because that is very important.
:
Earth-objective, natural. Conservative in so far they don’t like taking too many chances.
Metal-concerned with structure in their life’s and so more materialistic and pragmatic.
Wood. Possess high moral standards. Self confident. Generous and sympathetic
Water. Fluid. Penetrate rather than dominate like a river or a stream. Able to get past obstacles. And good communicators. Often creative thinkers.
Fire. Passionate. Fiery. Ambition. Forceful. Inspirational. Can be selfish and inconsiderate.

Whatever animals’ you are influenced by we are all special, and Chinese astrology can help you to reflect upon this and grow as people and as citizens of the world.

Thanks and good luck to you all,

Steven Townsend.

You can use the following to work out your outer year of birth animal as long as you are born in one of the years it lists :
[table=100%][tr=][td=border:3px solid #cccccc;]Begin End Heaven Element Sign
1960 Feb 4 1961 Jun 3 金 Metal 庚 鼠 Rat
1961 Feb 4 1962 Jun 3 金 Metal 辛 牛 Ox
1962 Feb 4 1963 Jun 3 水 Water 虎 Tiger
1963 Feb 4 1964 Jun 3 水 Water 兔 Rabbit
1964 Feb 4 1965 Jun 3 木 Wood 龍 Dragon
1965 Feb 4 1966 Jun 3 木 Wood 蛇 Snake
1966 Feb 4 1967 Jun 3 火 Fire 馬 Horse
1967 Feb 4 1968 Jun 3 火 Fire 羊 Sheep
1968 Feb 4 1969 Jun 3 土 Earth 猴 Monkey
1969 Feb 4 1970 Jun 3 土 Earth 雞 Rooster
1970 Feb 4 1971 Jun 3 金 Metal 狗 Dog
1971 Feb 4 1972 Jun 3 金 Metal 豬 Pig
1972 Feb 4 1973 Jun 3 水 Water 鼠 Rat[/td][td=border:3px solid #cccccc;]1973 Feb 4 1974 Jun 3 水 Water 牛 Ox
1974 Feb 4 1975 Jun 3 木 Wood 虎 Tiger
1975 Feb 4 1976 Jun 3 木 Wood 兔 Rabbit
1976 Feb 4 1977 Jun 3 火 Fire 龍 Dragon
1977 Feb 4 1978 Jun 3 火 Fire 蛇 Snake
1978 Feb 4 1979 Jun 3 土 Earth 馬 Horse
1979 Feb 4 1980 Jun 3 土 Earth 羊 Sheep
1980 Feb 4 1981 Jun 3 金 Metal 猴 Monkey
1981 Feb 4 1982 Jun 3 金 Metal 雞 Rooster
1982 Feb 4 1983 Jun 3 水 Water 狗 Dog
1983 Feb 4 1984 Jun 3 水 Water 豬 Pig
1984 Feb 4 1985 Jun 3 木 Wood 鼠 Rat
1985 Feb 4 1986 Jun 3 木 Wood 牛 Ox
1986 Feb 4 1987 Jun 3 火 Fire 虎 Tiger[/td][td=border:3px solid #cccccc;]1973 Feb 4 1974 Jun 3 水 Water 牛 Ox
1974 Feb 4 1975 Jun 3 木 Wood 虎 Tiger
1975 Feb 4 1976 Jun 3 木 Wood 兔 Rabbit
1976 Feb 4 1977 Jun 3 火 Fire 龍 Dragon
1977 Feb 4 1978 Jun 3 火 Fire 蛇 Snake
1978 Feb 4 1979 Jun 3 土 Earth 馬 Horse
1979 Feb 4 1980 Jun 3 土 Earth 羊 Sheep
1980 Feb 4 1981 Jun 3 金 Metal 猴 Monkey
1981 Feb 4 1982 Jun 3 金 Metal 雞 Rooster
1982 Feb 4 1983 Jun 3 水 Water 狗 Dog
1983 Feb 4 1984 Jun 3 水 Water 豬 Pig
1984 Feb 4 1985 Jun 3 木 Wood 鼠 Rat
1985 Feb 4 1986 Jun 3 木 Wood 牛 Ox
1986 Feb 4 1987 Jun 3 火 Fire 虎 Tiger
1987 Feb 4 1988 Jun 3 火 Fire 兔 Rabbit
1988 Feb 4 1989 Jun 3 土 Earth 龍 Dragon[/td][/tr][/table]



1989 Feb 4 1990 Jun 3 土 Earth 蛇 Snake
1990 Feb 4 1991 Jun 3 金 Metal 馬 Horse
1991 Feb 4 1992 Jun 3 金 Metal 羊 Sheep
1992 Feb 4 1993 Jun 3 水 Water 猴 Monkey
1993 Feb 4 1994 Jun 3 水 Water 雞 Rooster
1994 Feb 4 1995 Jun 3 木 Wood 狗 Dog
1995 Feb 4 1996 Jun 3 木 Wood 豬 Pig
1996 Feb 4 1997 Jun 3 火 Fire 鼠 Rat
1997 Feb 4 1998 Jun 3 火 Fire 牛 Ox
1998 Feb 4 1999 Jun 3 土 Earth 虎 Tiger
1999 Feb 4 2000 Jun 3 土 Earth 兔 Rabbit
2000 Feb 4 2001 Jun 3 金 Metal 龍 Dragon
2001 Feb 4 2002 Jun 3 金 Metal 蛇 Snake
2002 Feb 4 2003 Jun 3 水 Water 馬 Horse
2003 Feb 4 2004 Jun 3 水 Water 羊 Sheep
2004 Feb 4 2005 Jun 3 木 Wood 猴 Monkey
2005 Feb 4 2006 Jun 3 木 Wood 雞 Rooster
2006 Feb 4 2007 Jun 3 火 Fire 狗 Dog
2007 Feb 4 2008 Jun 3 火 Fire 豬 Pig
2008 Feb 4 2009 Jun 3 土 Earth 鼠 Rat
2009 Feb 4 2010 Jun 3 土 Earth 牛 Ox
2010 Feb 4 2011 Jun 3 金 Metal 虎 Tiger