HOW CHINESE ASTROLOGY WORKS

From the Year of the Rat through the Year of the Pig, there are twelve animal signs in the Oriental astrological system. To find your own sign, all you need to know is the year of your birth. Though there are no complicated rising signs nor intricate charts to reckon with, the Chinese New Year (or TET as it is called in Vietnam) falls on a different date each year. It can occur as early as mid-January or as late as mid-February. So if you were born in either of these two months, please con¬sult the charts at the beginning of each chapter for accuracy. A person born in late January of a Snake year might not be a Snake subject, but rather will come under the influence of the preceding Dragon year.

The cycle of the Chinese zodiac renews itself every dozen years. As luck would have it, 1900 was a Rat year. Since Rat is first in the series of twelve signs and its year opened our century, we could calculate the signs of our contemporaries with ease. The year 2000 was not so convenient. Instead of rounding out nicely to start the new century with a Rat year again, 2000 was a Dragon year. The Dragon, unlike the Rat, is not the first sign of the Chinese Zodiac but the fifth. So in this new century we have to work a bit harder to calculate our Chinese sign.

Chinese legend has it that the order of the twelve animal signs was determined thousands of years ago by Buddha himself. According to an age-old tale, there came a day when Buddha felt that the Chinese nation was sadly in need of a new order. On the occasion of the New Year, he called all the animals in the kingdom together for a meeting. But only twelve beasts showed up for this convention.

First came the aggressive Rat, then the hard-working Ox. At their heels bounded the smiling Tiger and his crony, the cautious Cat/Rabbit. Soon the spiffy Dragon appeared, followed by the wise Snake. The gifted Horse came galloping after them, and up gamboled the gentle Goat. In their wake came the merry Monkey, then in strutted the proud Rooster. The last to be heard from were the faithful Dog and the scrupulous Pig.

Buddha honored them in the order of their arrival at his summit conference, and endowed each of the twelve animals with a year of its own. From that New Year forward, each successive year of the Chinese calendar bore the character of the animal that gave it a name. Moreover, those people born in specific animal years are marked by the nature and disposition of their natal animal. Obviously, we do not take these symbolic badges altogether literally. People born in Ox years are not necessarily big-boned or muscular. But little by little, as you study the signs, you may notice some remarkable physical likenesses. Once you are familiar with the characteristics of your own sign and have examined the characteristic that describe your lovers, friends, coworkers, and family members, you might begin trying to guess at the possible signs of strangers.

FACTS ABOUT CHINESE ASTROLOGY

What you are about to discover is an ancient Oriental art of character reading and fate prediction upon which the Orient has depended for many, many centuries. Although the Chinese horoscope is different from our Western astrology, like all systems of presage, it applies the date of a subject's birth to a set or predetermined characteristics that help to predict what the basic nature of that person will be. Unlike our Western plan, the Chinese horoscope does not consider only the influence of stars and planets upon the human personality. The Chinese horoscope eliminates complication. We do not have to consult with an old sage in Peking in order to read about ourselves. Our animal symbol will tell us enough to keep us going through thick and thin for many a year.

Every Asian person about to make a great decision about marriage, family, profession, burial, or relocation will first check to see if his sign and those of the people involved indicate that any benefit will result from his prospective move. In Japan and China parents still arrange many marriages. If the family considers that a Rooster son is not well matched to a Rat woman, oftentimes the wedding is called off.

Every sixty years, there occurs a Horse year that is called the Year of the Fire Horse. The birth of a Fire Horse child, though fortu¬nate for the child himself, is thought to be disruptive to a home and family. Since 1966 was a Fire Horse year and many Japanese women did not wish their families to come under malevolent influences, the abortion rate in many Asian countries soared to a dizzying rate in 1965.

Certain years are not particularly productive for agriculture. Oxen subjects, who are gifted for farming, do not thrive in these years. Oxen are advised to store up provisions during the period preceding Goat and Monkey years so as not to suffer from want during these leaner times. You will find similar predictions for your own sign at the end of each chapter.

It is not unusual to see entire blocks of derelict buildings in cities like Hong Kong, awaiting demolition because sages have said the time is not right. The temporary burial of family members is not uncommon in Japan. Ancestors, according to the Oriental horoscope, must be laid to rest under auspicious conditions. Permanent grave sites are decided upon only after due consultation with augurs.

HOW TO USE YOUR CHINESE HOROSCOPE

Astrology - like psychology and various other "ologies" - is yet another way of finding out who we are and how we can be happier. Astrologers do not claim to have all the answers. As a soothsayer, I cannot (and will not) presume to know if you must or must not buy a new car on Thursday, the twenty-ninth of July, 2021. But what I do know is that the animal symbol that rules the year of your birth had endowed you with certain basic characteristics and helped to define your funda¬mental nature.

Once you are made aware of these qualities and have accepted certain of your faults, it is conceivable that you will have a better chance of making life cooperate with you. Given definite attributes to work with, you will have the possibility of molding your own life to fit your desires and ambitions. Moreover, as you examine the characteristics pertaining to your friends or acquaintances, you may learn why they behave in ways hitherto incomprehensible to you.

Life is undoubtedly fuller and richer for those of us who are gifted with self-knowledge. Yet, no matter how much we think we know, sometimes we can actually stand by and watch ourselves falling into negative patterns of behavior and repeating our old mistakes. We need to be reminded of the pitfalls to watch for in our individual character so we can avoid falling into ruts.

It is true that society or circumstance can prevent us from following our true natures. Poor environment or unfortunate childhood experiences have marred many a soul and thwarted more than one person from attaining desired goals. For all kinds of reasons, we sometimes repress or otherwise modify our real selves for the sake of another person, a job, or family situation. These modifications are however only survival tactics and may hinder our personal progress for a lifetime. In this day of open forum and the right to personal freedom, we should no longer be imprisoned or held back by outside restraints.

For most of us, the discovery of our "own thing" is half the battle. Without the knowledge of who we are, we cannot hope to do anything but bog down in confusion or wonder, Why me? Where have I gone wrong? And these and other such self-pitying or deluding quicksand states of mind are the biggest inhibitors of all. To get the most out of life, you can begin by getting the most out of this information. Not only is the Chinese horoscope amusing and informative, it's my guess that it will provide you with many a pleasant surprise. Let's hope too that you will glean enough extra knowledge of yourself to assist in casting your own future more satisfactorily.

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