Ying and Yang
Ying and Yang are the heart and soul of Chinese philosophy. They are the two complementary and contradictory forces in this universe.
YIN represents female, moisture, negative, night time, softness and even numbers where as YANG denotes male, dryness, positive, brightness, day time, hardness and odd numbers. They are always looking to find a balance point and hence are in a continuous state of flux. As one of them changes, the other will respond accordingly. In terms of life, Yang represents birth and growth where as Yin represents the following phases of ageing and weakness.
The Chinese astrologers greatly emphasize on the concept of balance. You can find out your lucky element by looking up your 4 pillars charts, which is explained later. It can help you find out which element you are lacking and you need to bring it into your life. Yin and Yang illustrate the concept of balance perhaps better than anything else. No Yin can exist without Yang, and no Yang can exist without Yin. Whenever negative happens to a person, it can be attributed to the imbalance between Yin and Yang and the five elements. Until and unless a proper balance has been attained between them, things will not go right for the person. It is because of the existence of Yin and Yang that the universe exists and things work as they do. It is also because of the constructive and destructive cycles of the five elements.
In the Chinese culture, the Sun is called the Great Yang and the Moon is called the Great Yin. Yang is the symbol for masculinity and represents aggressiveness, hardness and things which are evident and illuminated. On the other hand, Yin signifies feminism, and represents things which are dark, passive, cool and soft. Light is considered to be Yin whereas the shadow is considered to be Yang,
Out of the twelve animals that are associated with the Chinese calendar, six are categorized as Yin and the remaining six as Yang. A normal Yin animal, if found in a Yang year will possess more aggression.
Rat
Element - Yang Water
Season - Winter
Month - December
Ox
Element - Yin Earth
Season - Winter
Month - January
Tiger
Element - Yang Wood
Season - Spring
Month - February
Rabbit
Element - Yin Wood
Season - Spring
Month - March
Dragon
Element - Yang Earth
Season - Spring
Month - April
Snake
Element - Yin Fire
Season - Summer
Month - May
Horse
Element - Yang Fire
Season - Summer
Month - June
Goat
Element - Yin Earth
Season - Summer
Month - July
Monkey
Element - Yang Metal
Season - Autumn
Month - August
Rooster
Element - Yin Metal
Season - Autumn
Month - September
Dog
Element - Yang Earth
Season - Autumn
Month - October
Pig
Element - Yin Water
Season - Winter
Month - November
This concept of Yin and Yang in animal signs can also be attributed to the Natural House.
There are six houses like:
Creativity
Yang- Rat
Yin - Ox
The Rat is the starter where as the Ox is the terminator.
Development
Yang - Tiger
Yin - Rabbit
The Tiger tries to conquer life by using force where as the Rabbit conquers life using negotiations and diplomacy.
Spirituality
Yang - Dragon
Yin - Snake
The Dragon plays the role of a magician while the Snake becomes the mystic.
Sexuality
Yang - Horse
Yin - Goat
Horse is the representative of masculinity where as Goat is the symbol of femininity.
Career
Yang - Monkey
Yin - Rooster
The Monkey has speed and skill while the Rooster has expressiveness and flair.
Home Life
Yang - Dog
Yin - Pig
The Dog is the protector and the Pig is the furnisher to make the home comfortable.
Just like the animals represent Yin and Yang, the five elements also represent the same. For example, the Yin metal will be quite soft where as Yang metal will be hard like steel. According to Feng Shui, the reason behind people who remain single is that they have too many representations in their home d?cor than required. It says that it is important to add representations of the correct polarity in order to remove all imbalances in life. A few examples of the elements that represent elemental polarity are:
> Yin Wood - Paper, bamboo, dried plants
> Yang Wood - Green and Healthy plants
> Yin Water - Wavy curtains, water paintings
> Yang Water - Fountains, fish tanks
> Yin Metal - Silver, jewelry
> Yang Metal - Steel, knives, swords
> Yin Fire - Soft lighting, candles
> Yang Fire - Ovens, stoves, fireplaces
> Yin Earth - Dirt, semiprecious and precious stones
> Yang Earth - Bricks, rocks, tiles
The concept of Yin and Yang has also been used by the Chinese in medicine. Diseases which are categorized as Yin are obesity, depression, abnormalities in female organs and lethargy. Yang diseases are heart diseases, flu, blood pressure and nervous disorders. The patients suffering from these diseases are prescribed to change their surroundings and diet so that a balance is obtained in the elements.
There are foods like rice, pasta, oatmeal and milk which are known as Yin foods where as foods like tomato sauces, meat, wine and spices are known as Yang foods. An upset stomach is also a Yang condition.