Chinese Astrology and Chinese Zodiac

Knowing your zodiac sign in relation to Chinese tradition and customs can divulge a lot about your personality. Each person is represented by one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac like the rat. These animals are representative of the 12 year, rotating cycle that's the basis of the Chinese zodiac. You have probably heard people refer to a specific year as the “year of the rat.” Tales and legends say that these were the animals that came to Buddha (or the Jade Emperor, depending on which story you are talking about) as they responded to an invitation. The 12 Chinese zodiac animals are representative of the order of the arrival of each animal. The stories and legends that describe each of the 12 animal's expedition will differ slightly, but the order that prevails is as follows: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

The Chinese zodiac chart won't only deal with the 12 animals of the zodiac, but also has other more intricate relationships. In addition to the animals, the Chinese Zodiac includes 5 elements: wood, metal, fire, water and Earth. These 5 elements are connected with the 5 core planets: Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. The associations presented by the 5 elements and the animals actually combine to create the 60-year rotation of the Chinese zodiac calendar. This cycle, and a person's date and time of birth, Yin and Yang, the sun and moon positioning, and directions are used to help predict a person's future in more elaborate detail than only using the zodiac animal as a guide. While the animals of the Chinese zodiac are significant, the way the elements of the Chinese zodiac chart connect must be used in order to establish a full understanding of an individual person. To fully understand the Chinese Zodiac, it's essential to also understand the relationship between all the Chinese zodiac elements, which is something most aren't going to get from a general overview of the Chinese zodiac.

The understanding that many have of the Chinese zodiac does not extend far beyond what they read on the paper place mats that are on the tables of their favorite Chinese restaurants. But there really is a lot more to know and understand about this ancient doctrine that dates back more than two millennium. The Chinese zodiac is considered a guide to figure out the very best and most compatible matches between people in both love and work. Each animal in the Chinese zodiac has specific other animals with which it is considered most compatible. Chinese zodiac compatibility could be used to figure out the best romantic match for people. It's also necessary to consider that there are other features of Chinese astrology that go beyond which animal represents you, that are additionally considered significant in making a determination regarding people that are most compatible.

Chinese astrology dates back more than 2,000 years to ancient Astronomy in China. The predictions of the Chinese are predicated on the Chinese calendar created by early Chinese astronomers. Over many years, Chinese astrologists developed a complex belief structure regarding the celestial bodies' effect on day to day lives of people.  The animals and the Chinese zodiac come from Ancient Chinese astrology.