Chinese astrology is based on astronomy and ancient calendars. The development of Chinese divination is linked to that of astronomy which flourished during the period of the Han dynasty (1406-256 BC). Chinese fortune telling is one of the oldest forms of astrology; the genesis of naming the years after animals is unknown. The importance of the Chinese horoscope is that the birth year of an individual is enough to know about one’s future rather than her age.
The main circle of the Chinese zodiac was proposed in the year 2637 BC by the Chinese emperor Huang Ti. In the Chinese astrological method, the great cycle of 60 years is deeply significant. With origins dating back to 2637 B.C. C., Chinese-based astrology can predict surprising information about a person’s lifestyle, character, and emotional makeup.
The inception of Chinese zodiac signs can be attributed to the popular belief that Lord Buddha (c563-c483 BCE) once called all animals to bid him farewell before his departure from Earth. Earth. However, only 12 animals showed up for the meeting called by Lord Buddha.
As a token of gratitude to those who gathered, he named the animals each year according to the order in which they were present: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dog, Pig, Horse, Sheep, Dragon and Snake, etc. According to the order determined by Lord Buddha, the Chinese New Year is celebrated on different dates, from mid-January to mid-February.
Each of these 12 animal signs reflects five elements: wood, fire, metal, water, and earth. Although each animal sign repeats itself once every 12 years, the exclusive combination of the Sign and the Element takes place once every 60 years. These twelve animal signs, in turn, are divided into four groups of three.
Among these groups, Group one includes Rat, Monkey, and Dragon. The second group contains animals such as the ox, the snake and the rooster, while the third group is completed by the tiger, the horse and the dog. The last (fourth) group is assembled with Rabbit, Sheep and Pig.
During the Han regime, well-defined elements of traditional Chinese culture were combined: the theory of the five elements as Heaven, Confucian morality and Earth, the Ying-Yang Philosophy to formalize the philosophical beliefs of Chinese medicine, astrology, fortune telling and alchemy. .
Chinese zodiac signs allow us to understand and get the missing energies that each of us has in our lives. Chinese zodiac signs have long been used as a way of dating ages in a 12-year cycle of the Chinese calendar. These zodiac signs are so intertwined with Chinese culture that animal signs have made their way into stories and folklore. These signs produced different personality characteristics that are represented by each animal.