What Chinese Astrology is telling you
Chinese Astrology is an ancient practice that dates back to 2637 BC when the fist Zodiac cycle was introduced. The introduction was made by Emperor Huang Ti. As the writing system for the Chinese emerged, it joined with Chinese philosophy to come up with the 12 Zodiac signs. The signs revealed one's character, the lifestyle one leads, and his or her emotional makeup.
The philosophy that Chinese Astrology was said to have rooted from came from the beliefs and teachings of several Chinese philosophers like Lao-tse, Yi Jing, and Confucius. There is even a Chinese legend that exists that tells the story that the 12 animals each Zodiac represented was determined by none other than Buddha. During the Chinese New Year celebration, Buddha was said to have invited all the different animals that lived in his kingdom. However, only twelve among all the animals attended. These animals that arrived in the correct order are the rat, the Ox, the Tiger, the Cat, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey, the Rooster, the Dog, and the Pig.
Buddha then gave each of the animals a year of their own to represent. Each of these animals possessed their own unique traits and characteristics and whoever was born during the year of any animal would possess the same personality. The rat signifies one who is aggressive. The Ox represented someone serious, hard-working, and enduring. The Tiger signified someone who is honorable while the Cat represented one who is cautious. The Dragon symbolized one who is talkative and the Snake represented one who is philosophical. The horse typifies one who is physically active while the Goat represented one who is artistic. The Monkey shows a spirited individual and the Rooster personifies a showy individual. The Dog represented one who is ever watchful and the Pig represented one who is meticulous and resigned.
While this is a common and popular legend in depicting Chinese Astrology, there are also other components that make up this system. Another way to read Chinese Astrology was the use of the magical universal elements. There are five of these elements common to Chinese beliefs and are the following: Earth, metal, wood, fire, and water.
Yet another component that most people fail to relate to Chinese and its astrology is the Yin and Yang. This divine and cosmic force plays an important role in the interpretation of astrology for the Chinese. The Yin represents a female character while the Yang represents a male character. The Yin is also said to represent Evil whereas the Yang is supposed to represent the Good. When combined properly, these two make a universal harmony that is essential for one's existence. As you can see, Chinese Astrology is rich, colorful, and interesting which gives you all the more reason to understand and appreciate it.