Thousands of years ago Buddha decided to reorganize the Chinese nation and thus sent out a summons to all the animals of the world. Only twelve chose to obey. These were the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, chicken, dog, and boar. As a result, Buddha gave each of these animals a year of its own in the order of its arrival. From then on, so the legend claims, each year of the Chinese calendar bears the characteristics of the animal of that name. Today, being able to count off this list of sheng-hsiao, or the twelve animals, is as much a part of the local Chinese culture as the Westerner’s horoscope is a part of American society.
Chinese astrology also divides the day into twelve two-hour vigils, each presided over by one of the twelve zodiac animals. Each animal is also modified by each of the five elements or phases (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). This forms an overall sixty year cycle, known as chia-tzu. During each cycle, smaller increments of time defined as the Twelve Earthly Branches and Ten Celestial stems combine with the signs of the zodiac to determine the Lunar New Year and other special dates on the Chinese calendar. Thus, this is Lunar year, 4697, the Year of the Earth Rabbit.
Chinese astrologers believe that people born in specific animal years are pre-dispositioned towards the nature of the animal under which they were born, much as with the American horoscope. The Chinese have used the five elements and twelve animals for many centuries for character reading and fate prediction. The data and time of birth is believed to correspond to a set of predetermined characteristics that help predict a person’s basic nature. Evaluating a person’s sign in association with the sign of those with whom she/he is involved has long been used to help make decisions on marriage, family, child naming, vocation, agriculture, relocation, and burial.
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