Chinese Astrology Structure
HOW CHINESE ASTROLOGY WORKS
The Chinese zodiac is the oldest in the world. Like Western astrology it divides people
into 12 personality types. Unlike Western astrology, the Chinese system does not look to
the constellations to portray human archetypes as mythical, celestial creatures. Instead,
Chinese astrology is rooted firmly in the shifting patterns of life on earth, the seasons,
the weather, and of course, complex Oriental philosophy.
The fundamentals of Eastern wisdom are derived from Taoism, which
perceives the universe as an eternal ebb and flow between the two principles of the male
and female, otherwise known as Yin and Yang. These two primal forces are represented by
the Sun and the Moon. This is the foundation of Chinese astrology because it is the
remaining five planets that are the basis of the Oriental zodiac system.
Chinese astrology is not content to rest with a division of 12
animals. There are also five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water). These five
elements are representations of the five visible planets of old. The Sun and Moon were not
regarded as planets because they are the primal forces of Yin and Yang. The 12 Chinese
signs are governed by the five elements. When these are considered individually, each
elements sign appears only once every 60 years calculated by multiplying 12
signs by five elements. Thus, the Chinese calendar is based on a 60-year cycle.
The Chinese saw these elements as being further examples of the
Yin-Yang polarity, so that each element would manifest itself in either a destructive or
constructive manner. For example, Metal in its most destructive form would be a weapon,
while in its constructive form could be a cooking pot. Fire could burn your house down or
be tamed to light your home and give out warmth as well. The five elements doubled in this
fashion as the ten element mothers, and they gave birth to 12 children. These twelve
children represent the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.
Thus, the horoscope divided into interlocking sets of numbers ten
and twelve (e.g. ten Celestial Stem signs and 12 Terrestrial Branch signs. The five
elements doubled in the fashion of destructive and constructive. In addition the ancient
principles of Yin and Yang (negative and positive forces) is very much involved in
charting a horoscope.
Constructive Elemental Cycle
Wood -> Fire -> Earth -> Metal -> Water -> Wood
Destructive Destructive Cycle
Water ->
Fire -> Metal -> Wood -> Earth -> Water
The Chinese Elements
Element |
Symbolizes |
Planet |
Wood |
Growth, creation, and nourishment
cycles |
Jupiter |
Fire |
Action, motivation, and intellect |
Mars |
Earth |
Stabilize, solid, reliable, and
confident |
Saturn |
Metal |
Wealth and financial success |
Venus |
Water |
Clarity, communication and the
transmissions of ideas |
Mercury |
NOTE: Sun and Moon are seen as Ying
and Yang.
ASCENDANCY TABLE
Ascendancy is determined by the reader's time of birth, each one
covering a two-hour period when the signs are in the ascendant. The ascendant sign remains
the same irrespective of the year of birth.
Between
hours |
Sign |
Between
Hours |
Sign |
11 p.m. and 1 a.m. |
Rat |
11 a.m. and 1 p.m. |
Horse |
1 a.m. and 3 a.m. |
Ox |
1 p.m. and 3 p.m. |
Sheep |
3 a.m. and 5 a.m. |
Tiger |
3 p.m. and 5 p.m. |
Monkey |
5 a.m. and 7 a.m. |
Rabbit |
5 p.m. and 7 p.m. |
Rooster |
7 a.m. and 9 a.m. |
Dragon |
7 p.m. and 9 p.m. |
Dog |
9 a.m. and 11 a.m. |
Snake |
9 p.m. and 11 p.m. |
Boar |
|