About the 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs

The Chinese calendar as we know it goes back past 400BC. It is said to have started in the Shang Dynasty. The Chinese Calendar has a 60 year cycle and has 12 animal signs and five flavors of each. The current 60 year cycle started in 1984 and will end in 2043. Each year is associated with an animal. Chinese Astrology has 12 signs like western astrology. In Chinese Astrology the animal signs are not based on the constellations above. The 12 Chinese zodiac signs are based on a lunar year. It always starts on a new moon as seen in China. It has 12 animal signs. Your Chinese Zodiac sign do not change from month to month, but instead follow an annual lunar cycle. The animal signs change in late January or February on a new moon.

12 Chinese Horoscope Signs

The 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac are the: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Lamb, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. The Rat, Ox, and the Pig are water signs. The Tiger, Rabbit, and Dragon are wood signs. The Snake, Horse, and Lamb are fire signs. The Monkey, Rooster, and Dog are metal signs. To learn how these 12 animals became the 12 animal signs, read The Legend of the 12 Animal Signs. Each year has a different animal sign associated with it and character traits of that animal sign are assigned to those born in that year. Read about the character traits of your Chinese zodiac sign.

Yin and Yang Chinese Zodiac Signs

Just as there are two side to a coin, also there are two side to Chinese Astrology. In chinese astrology you have Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang can be thought of as Feminity and Masculinity. There are Yin animal sign and Yang animal signs. The Yin sigs are: Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Sheep, Rooster, and Pig. The Yang signs are: Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, and Dog. Years can also be Yin or Yang. Yang years end in 0,2,4,6,8. Yin years end in 1,3,5,7,9. Besides have Yin or Yang associated with an animal sign, each animal sign has an element associated with.

The 5 Chinese Astrology Elements

Each year of the Chinese calendar is associated with an animal sign and an element. Each element lasts 2 years. All elements can be Yin and Yang. Elements occuring in odd years are Yin and elements occuring in even years are Yang. They Elements are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Metal years end in 0 or 1. Water years end in 2 or 3. Wood years end in 4 and 5. Fire years end in 6 and 7. Earth years end in 8 and 9. Each element is associated with a planet. The Wood Element is associated with Jupiter. The Fire Element is associated with Mars. The Earth Element is associated with Saturn. The Metal Element is associated with Venus. The Water Element is associated with Mercury. Each Element and its Yin or Yang repeats every 10 years. When paired with the Chinese animal signs, it gives us a 60 year cycle.

The 60 Year Cycle

The current 60 year cycle last started in 1984 and the next one will start in 2044. Previously cycle it started in 1924. The 60 year cycle is a combination of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs and the elements. It starts with the first sign, The Rat and the element Wood and the Yang. The next year will be Yin, and the element will be Wood, and the year will be OX. The next year will be Tiger and the element will change to Fire for this and the next year as Yang and Yin cycle. The next year will be the Rabbit. This continues until the year 2043 and the year of the Pig and the element of Yin Water. The next year ,2044, will start a new cycle with the Rat and the element of the Yang Wood.

Other Uses of 12 Chinese Zodiac Signs

The 12 Chinese Zodiac signs are also used to denote months of the year. They are used to denote time periods of the day. When the year, month, day and hour are combined, they are used to tell you your desity.

The hours start at 2300 hours and the Rat zodiac sign. It is the hour of the rat for 2 hours. Then at 0100 hours it changes to the OX. This progression follows through the twelve chinese animal signs. Every day has a two hour period that is represented by one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animal signs.