Chinese Astrology

Many of us would have observed the animal signs on napkins in Chinese restaurants. These animal signs are actually the ancient sun signs of Chinese astrology. They are symbols used to define the basic qualities of humans. The Chinese astrology uses the person's date of birth to associate a sign with him. It makes use of the calendar, cosmos, and philosophy to predict the events in the future. Every sign in the Chinese zodiac is associated with a different animal name and also corresponds to one complete Chinese calendar year. The Chinese New Year occurs on different dates every year. The reason for the use of the twelve animal signs is not exactly known, although there are some ancient theories. According to a legend, Lord Buddha had invited all the earth’s animals for a gathering before he was about to leave for his final departure and only twelve of the animals had turned up. In order to appreciate this, Buddha named a year after them in order of which they had arrived.

According to another legend, Jade emperor had held a race to find out who is the fastest animal. He said that the first twelve animals that would be successful in crossing a chosen river would be given the honor to represent the twelve earthy branches which constitute the order of the Lunar years. It is said that the ox had offered to allow a cat and a rat to ride on his back while crossing the river because they were both poor swimmers. However, during the course of the race, the rat pushed the cat into the river and crossed it by sitting next to the ox’s ear. When they were about to reach the shore, the rat jumped and landed before the ox to become the winner. The pig finished last.

According to this legend, the cat which drowned in the river never made it to the shore and was not included in the zodiac. But due to its tricky nature, the cat finds its way into the zodiac every now and then. The years 1989 and 2002 were cat years because they were divisible by thirteen. Since these years are also snake and horse years respectively, the person belonging to this zodiac will have combined traits, associated with the cat and the animal under which they are born. Since this now is a thirteen year cycle instead of a twelve year cycle, the cat advances each time by one place until it reaches the end of the cycle. It is somewhat similar to the concept of the leap year in the Gregorian calendar.

The details of the animal signs are given below:

Rat - 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
The Rat is respected in China for his agility, cleverness and wit. He is known to be the harbinger of wealth and good luck in China and Japan. Rats are very expressive, aggressive, strong and confident people. They make devoted family members and are loyal to friends.

Ox - 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
The Ox is a very strong and powerful animal. People influenced by the Ox are introverts and are not easily influenced by other people’s opinions. They tend to follow their own instincts and do what they feel is best in their interest. They are not very social and get comfort from close friends and family. They are supposed to have remarkable memories along with being highly creative.

Tiger - 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010
The tiger is an extremely strong and fierce animal that possesses leadership qualities. He is the symbol of raw energy, courage and ambition. People influenced by the tiger are always in a hurry and are pursuing some cause. They are charming and it is hard to resist them. They have very poor tempers and should learn to keep their passions under control.

Rabbit - 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011
Unlike the Tiger, who conquers by force, the rabbit wins over others by diplomacy. People influenced by the rabbit are very calm, kind, sweet and have a lot of friends. They do not prefer confrontations, and are very deep emotionally. They can be insecure and afraid to express themselves. In some cases, they also possess a strong poetic or artistic nature.

Dragon - 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
The Dragon is known to be one of the most charming and powerful symbols in the Chinese Zodiac. Although it possesses fiery energy, it also has a warm heart. The people who are influenced by the dragon receive a lot of attention. It is the symbol of intelligence, energy, perseverance and determination. They are self confident and love power, which they also handle quite well. Since it is the symbol of good luck, most of the Chinese people prefer a dragon child.

Snake - 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013
According to the Chinese traditions, the snake is a charming intellectual who has a lot of grace and intelligence. People influenced by the Snake are very deep thinkers and enjoy a bit of luxury. They are lazy but have a very good sense of humor. They do not like to take suggestions from other people but follow their own gut instincts instead. People influenced by the Snake love reading and are generally complacent.

Horse - 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014
They are born to run. The Horse is very productive and hard working. People influenced by the Horse love social events and prefer the spotlight. They are active and physical people who hate to be told what to do. They are very cunning and street smart kind of people. They lose temper easily and are hot blooded. They like searching for new horizons and projects since they are freedom loving people. They are followers of romance, seduction and like to be involved in strong intimate relationships. They possess a sharp wit and sense of humor which often please the listeners.

Goat - 1919, 1931, 1943, 19455, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015
The Goat is perhaps the most creative of the symbols of the Chinese zodiac. However, it is also known to be the most insecure. People influenced by the Goat are not very organized but still succeed in creative events. They are romantic, artistic, gentle and nature loving. They also stay away from any confrontations and heavy decision making. They are not at all materialistic and love to enjoy the world of their imagination rather than money.

Monkey - 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016
The Monkey is the most fun loving animal and craves to be the centre of attraction all the time. People who are influenced by this sign are very good at solving problems and also enjoy listening to their friends’ problems. They are not good at hiding their feelings from others and are very opportunistic, which makes them selfish at times. They love to wear their hearts on their sleeves. They are carefree and full of life. Such people are generally very curious.

Rooster - 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017
The people influenced by the Rooster turn up to become great business people. They possess strong analytical skills and very fierce determination. They are highly social and also have a strong emotional nature. They are very straightforward and do not like to play games. They love to stay where they are rather than venturing for unnecessary risks. They are very observant and pay good attention to detail.

Dog - 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018
A Dog is a symbol of loyalty, faithfulness and sincerity. He is undoubtedly the most honest friend. The people influenced by it are extremely reliable and good listeners. They show good courage when in tough times and are righteous and judgmental as well. They also have a good sense to differentiate between what is right and what is wrong.

Pig - 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019
Pigs are very intelligent, and are perhaps the most generous and honorable among all the twelve animals. They are fond of luxuries and are fun loving. The people influenced by the Pig have great qualities and expect the same from others. They are perfectionists and therefore, often confused as snobs. They take delight in food, clothing and houses.