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Astro*Dictionary by Michael Erlewine

 

 

 

 

2 article for "Chinese"

Chinese Astrology [Astro*Index]

The twelve signs of Chinese astrology differ from those used in Western astrology, as does their basis, which is not the Sun's transit through the sky but yearlong periods in a cycle of twelve years. Chinese astrology makes use of five elements: water, fire, earth (as in Western astrology), metal, and wood. The elements are given a cycle of ten years, two years to an element (following an order of metal, water, wood, fire, and earth). The elements are ruled by planets and have familiar Western interpretations: metal-Venus; water-Mercury; wood-Jupiter; fire-Mars; earth-Saturn.

The order of signs (or zodiac symbols) in Chinese astrology, given with recent year intervals and elements, is as follows. (Every 60 years, the same sign-element pairings repeat.)

 

Monkey   metal;   1956,   1968,   1980,   1992,   2004,   2016
Rooster   metal;   1957,   1969,   1981,   1993,   2005,   2017
Dog   water;   1958,   1970,   1982,   1994,   2006,   2018
Pig   water;   1959,   1971,   1983,   1995,   2007,   2019
Rat   wood;   1960,   1972,   1984,   1996,   2008,   2020
Ox   wood;   1961,   1973,   1985,   1997,   2009,   2021
Tiger   fire;   1962,   1974,   1986,   1998,   2010,   2022  
Cat   fire;   1963,   1975,   1987,   1999,   2011,   2023
Dragon   earth;   1964,   1976,   1988,   2000,   2012,   2024
Serpent   earth;   1965,   1977,   1989,   2001,   2013,   2025
Horse   metal;   1966,   1978,   1990,   2002,   2014,   2026
Goat   metal;   1967,   1979,   1991,   2003,   2015,   2027

 

See also:
♦ Astrology
Chinese Calendar [Astro*Index]

Based on the lunar cycle, the time between two New Moons being a month. Astrologically, there are 28 lunar houses, one for each day's passage of the Moon. Since the time between New Moons (synodic period) is not exactly 28 days, some months are given a day or two more to keep the cycle in balance. There are twelve months in the Chinese year. Sometimes one intercalary month is added to the twelve to maintain a rough synchrony between the solar and lunar cycles. Chinese New Year is the second New Moon after the Winter Solstice.

See also:
♦ Synodic Period

 

Astro*Index Copyright © 1997 Michael Erlewine