Chinese zodiac | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 生肖 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hanyu Pinyin | shēngxiào | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 屬相 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hanyu Pinyin | shǔxiàng | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Chinese zodiac is a classificationscheme that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating 12-year cycle. The 12-year cycle is an approximation to the 11.85-year orbital period of Jupiter.[1] It and its variations remain popular in many Asiancountries and regions including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macao, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, and Thailand.
The Chinese zodiac is also called Shēngxiào (生肖) in Mandarin. Identifying this scheme using the generic term 'zodiac' reflects several superficial similarities to the Westernzodiac: both have time cycles divided into 12 parts, each labels at least the majority of those parts with names of animals, and each is widely associated with a culture of ascribing a person's personality or events in his or her life to the supposed influence of the person's particular relationship to the cycle.
Nevertheless, there are major differences between the two: the animals of the Chinese zodiac are not associated with constellations spanned by the ecliptic plane. The Chinese 12-part cycle corresponds to years, rather than months.[citation needed] The Chinese zodiac is represented by 12 animals, whereas some of the signs in the Westernzodiac are not animals, despite the implication of the etymology of the word zodiac.
- 2Chinese calendar
- 5Four Animal Trines
- 6Zodiac origin stories
- 8In other countries
- 8.2Bulgars, Huns, Mongolian and Turkic people
- 11References
Signs[edit]
The zodiactraditionally begins with the sign of the Rat. The following are the twelve zodiac signs (each with its associated Earthly Branch) in order and their characteristics.[2]Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water as five nature elements.
- Rat – 鼠 (子) (Yin, 1st Trine, Fixed ElementWater)
- Ox – 牛 (丑) (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed ElementEarth)
- Tiger – 虎 (寅) (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed ElementWood)
- Rabbit – 兔 (卯) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed ElementWood)
- Dragon – 龍 (辰) (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed ElementEarth)
- Snake – 蛇 (巳) (Yang, 2nd Trine, Fixed ElementFire)
- Horse – 馬 (午) (Yin, 3rd Trine, Fixed ElementFire)
- Goat – 羊 (未) (Yin, 4th Trine, Fixed ElementEarth)
- Monkey – 猴 (申) (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed ElementMetal)
- Rooster – 雞 (酉) (Yin, 2nd Trine, Fixed ElementMetal)
- Dog – 狗 (戌) (Yang, 3rd Trine, Fixed ElementEarth)
- Pig – 豬 (亥) (Yang, 4th Trine, Fixed ElementWater)
In Chinese astrology the animal signs assigned by year represent how others perceive you or how you present yourself. It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many Western descriptions of Chinese astrology draw solely on this system. In fact, there are also animal signs assigned by month (called 'inner animals'), by day (called 'true animals') and hours (called 'secret animals'). The Earth is all 12 signs, 5 seasons.
While a person might appear to be a Dragon because they were born in the year of the Dragon, they might also be a Snake internally, an Ox truly, and a Goat secretively.
A conflict between a person's zodiac sign and how they live is known as Tai Sui or kai sui.
Chinese calendar[edit]
Years[edit]
Within the Four Pillars, the year is the pillar representing information about the person's family background and society or relationship with their grandparents. The person's age can also be easily deduced from the sign of the person, the current sign of the year and the person's perceived age (teens, mid-20s, 40s and so on). For example, a person who is a Tiger is either 12, 24, 36 or 48 years old in 2010, the year of the Tiger. In 2011, the year of the Rabbit, that person is one year older.
The following table shows the 60-year cycle matched up to the Gregorian calendar for the years 1924–2043 (see sexagenary cycle article for years 1804–2043). The sexagenary cycle begins at lichun about February 4 according to some astrological sources.[3]
Year | Associated element | Heavenly stem | Earthly branch | Associated animal | Year | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1924–1983 | 1984–2043 | |||||
1 | Feb 05 1924–Jan 23 1925 | Yang Wood | 甲 | 子 | Rat | Feb 02 1984–Feb 19 1985 |
2 | Jan 24 1925–Feb 12 1926 | Yin Wood | 乙 | 丑 | Ox | Feb 20 1985–Feb 08 1986 |
3 | Feb 13 1926–Feb 01 1927 | Yang Fire | 丙 | 寅 | Tiger | Feb 09 1986–Jan 28 1987 |
4 | Feb 02 1927–Jan 22 1928 | Yin Fire | 丁 | 卯 | Rabbit | Jan 29 1987–Feb 16 1988 |
5 | Jan 23 1928–Feb 09 1929 | Yang Earth | 戊 | 辰 | Dragon | Feb 17 1988–Feb 05 1989 |
6 | Feb 10 1929–Jan 29 1930 | Yin Earth | 己 | 巳 | Snake | Feb 06 1989–Jan 26 1990 |
7 | Jan 30 1930–Feb 16 1931 | Yang Metal | 庚 | 午 | Horse | Jan 27 1990–Feb 14 1991 |
8 | Feb 17 1931–Feb 05 1932 | Yin Metal | 辛 | 未 | Goat | Feb 15 1991–Feb 03 1992 |
9 | Feb 06 1932–Jan 25 1933 | Yang Water | 壬 | 申 | Monkey | Feb 04 1992–Jan 22 1993 |
10 | Jan 26 1933–Feb 13 1934 | Yin Water | 癸 | 酉 | Rooster | Jan 23 1993– Feb 09 1994 |
11 | Feb 14 1934–Feb 03 1935 | Yang Wood | 甲 | 戌 | Dog | Feb 10 1994–Jan 30 1995 |
12 | Feb 04 1935–Jan 23 1936 | Yin Wood | 乙 | 亥 | Pig | Jan 31 1995–Feb 18 1996 |
13 | Jan 24 1936–Feb 10 1937 | Yang Fire | 丙 | 子 | Rat | Feb 19 1996–Feb 06 1997 |
14 | Feb 11 1937–Jan 30 1938 | Yin Fire | 丁 | 丑 | Ox | Feb 07 1997–Jan 27 1998 |
15 | Jan 31 1938–Feb 18 1939 | Yang Earth | 戊 | 寅 | Tiger | Jan 28 1998–Feb 15 1999 |
16 | Feb 19 1939–Feb 07 1940 | Yin Earth | 己 | 卯 | Rabbit | Feb 16 1999–Feb 04 2000 |
17 | Feb 08 1940–Jan 26 1941 | Yang Metal | 庚 | 辰 | Dragon | Feb 05 2000–Jan 23 2001 |
18 | Jan 27 1941–Feb 14 1942 | Yin Metal | 辛 | 巳 | Snake | Jan 24 2001–Feb 11 2002 |
19 | Feb 15 1942–Feb 04 1943 | Yang Water | 壬 | 午 | Horse | Feb 12 2002–Jan 31 2003 |
20 | Feb 05 1943–Jan 24 1944 | Yin Water | 癸 | 未 | Goat | Feb 01 2003–Jan 21 2004 |
21 | Jan 25 1944–Feb 12 1945 | Yang Wood | 甲 | 申 | Monkey | Jan 22 2004–Feb 08 2005 |
22 | Feb 13 1945–Feb 01 1946 | Yin Wood | 乙 | 酉 | Rooster | Feb 09 2005–Jan 28 2006 |
23 | Feb 02 1946–Jan 21 1947 | Yang Fire | 丙 | 戌 | Dog | Jan 29 2006–Feb 17 2007 |
24 | Jan 22 1947–Feb 09 1948 | Yin Fire | 丁 | 亥 | Pig | Feb 18 2007–Feb 06 2008 |
25 | Feb 10 1948–Jan 28 1949 | Yang Earth | 戊 | 子 | Rat | Feb 07 2008–Jan 25 2009 |
26 | Jan 29 1949–Feb 16 1950 | Yin Earth | 己 | 丑 | Ox | Jan 26 2009–Feb 13 2010 |
27 | Feb 17 1950–Feb 05 1951 | Yang Metal | 庚 | 寅 | Tiger | Feb 14 2010–Feb 02 2011 |
28 | Feb 06 1951–Jan 26 1952 | Yin Metal | 辛 | 卯 | Rabbit | Feb 03 2011–Jan 22 2012 |
29 | Jan 27 1952–Feb 13 1953 | Yang Water | 壬 | 辰 | Dragon | Jan 23 2012–Feb 09 2013 |
30 | Feb 14 1953–Feb 02 1954 | Yin Water | 癸 | 巳 | Snake | Feb 10 2013–Jan 30 2014 |
31 | Feb 03 1954–Jan 23 1955 | Yang Wood | 甲 | 午 | Horse | Jan 31 2014–Feb 18 2015 |
32 | Jan 24 1955–Feb 11 1956 | Yin Wood | 乙 | 未 | Goat | Feb 19 2015–Feb 07 2016 |
33 | Feb 12 1956–Jan 30 1957 | Yang Fire | 丙 | 申 | Monkey | Feb 08 2016–Jan 27 2017 |
34 | Jan 31 1957–Feb 17 1958 | Yin Fire | 丁 | 酉 | Rooster | Jan 28 2017–Feb 15 2018 |
35 | Feb 18 1958–Feb 07 1959 | Yang Earth | 戊 | 戌 | Dog | Feb 16 2018–Feb 04 2019 |
36 | Feb 08 1959–Jan 27 1960 | Yin Earth | 己 | 亥 | Pig | Feb 05 2019–Jan 24 2020 |
37 | Jan 28 1960–Feb 14 1961 | Yang Metal | 庚 | 子 | Rat | Jan 25 2020–Feb. 11 2021 |
38 | Feb 15 1961–Feb 04 1962 | Yin Metal | 辛 | 丑 | Ox | Feb 12 2021–Jan 31 2022 |
39 | Feb 05 1962–Jan 24 1963 | Yang Water | 壬 | 寅 | Tiger | Feb 01 2022–Jan 21 2023 |
40 | Jan 25 1963–Feb 12 1964 | Yin Water | 癸 | 卯 | Rabbit | Jan 22 2023–Feb 09 2024 |
41 | Feb 13 1964–Feb 01 1965 | Yang Wood | 甲 | 辰 | Dragon | Feb 10 2024–Jan 28 2025 |
42 | Feb 02 1965–Jan 20 1966 | Yin Wood | 乙 | 巳 | Snake | Jan 29 2025–Feb 16 2026 |
43 | Jan 21 1966–Feb 08 1967 | Yang Fire | 丙 | 午 | Horse | Feb 17 2026–Feb 05 2027 |
44 | Feb 09 1967–Jan 29 1968 | Yin Fire | 丁 | 未 | Goat | Feb 06 2027–Jan 25 2028 |
45 | Jan 30 1968–Feb 16 1969 | Yang Earth | 戊 | 申 | Monkey | Jan 26 2028–Feb 12 2029 |
46 | Feb 17 1969–Feb 05 1970 | Yin Earth | 己 | 酉 | Rooster | Feb 13 2029–Feb 02 2030 |
47 | Feb 06 1970–Jan 26 1971 | Yang Metal | 庚 | 戌 | Dog | Feb 03 2030–Jan 22 2031 |
48 | Jan 27 1971–Feb 14 1972 | Yin Metal | 辛 | 亥 | Pig | Jan 23 2031–Feb 10 2032 |
49 | Feb 15 1972–Feb 02 1973 | Yang Water | 壬 | 子 | Rat | Feb 11 2032–Jan 30 2033 |
50 | Feb 03 1973–Jan 22 1974 | Yin Water | 癸 | 丑 | Ox | Jan 31 2033–Feb 18 2034 |
51 | Jan 23 1974–Feb 10 1975 | Yang Wood | 甲 | 寅 | Tiger | Feb 19 2034–Feb 07 2035 |
52 | Feb 11 1975–Jan 30 1976 | Yin Wood | 乙 | 卯 | Rabbit | Feb 08 2035–Jan 27 2036 |
53 | Jan 31 1976–Feb 17 1977 | Yang Fire | 丙 | 辰 | Dragon | Jan 28 2036–Feb 14 2037 |
54 | Feb 18 1977–Feb 06 1978 | Yin Fire | 丁 | 巳 | Snake | Feb 15 2037–Feb 03 2038 |
55 | Feb 07 1978–Jan 27 1979 | Yang Earth | 戊 | 午 | Horse | Feb 04 2038–Jan 23 2039 |
56 | Jan 28 1979–Feb 15 1980 | Yin Earth | 己 | 未 | Goat | Jan 24 2039–Feb 11 2040 |
57 | Feb 16 1980–Feb 04 1981 | Yang Metal | 庚 | 申 | Monkey | Feb 12 2040–Jan 31 2041 |
58 | Feb 05 1981–Jan 24 1982 | Yin Metal | 辛 | 酉 | Rooster | Feb 01 2041–Jan 21 2042 |
59 | Jan 25 1982–Feb 12 1983 | Yang Water | 壬 | 戌 | Dog | Jan 22 2042–Feb 09 2043 |
60 | Feb 13 1983–Feb 01 1984 | Yin Water | 癸 | 亥 | Pig | Feb 10 2043–Jan 29 2044 |
Months and solar terms[edit]
Within the Four Pillars, the month is the pillar representing information about the person's parents or childhood. Many Chinese astrologers consider the month pillar to be the most important one in determining the circumstances of one's adult life.
The 12 animals are also linked to traditional Chineseagricultural calendar, which runs alongside the better known Lunar calendar. Instead of months, this calendar is divided into 24 two week segments known as Solar Terms. Each animal is linked to two of these solar terms for a period similar to the Western month. Unlike the 60 year Lunar calendar, which can vary by as much as a month in relation to the Gregorian calendar, the agricultural calendar varies by only one day, beginning on the Gregorian calendar on February 3 or 4 every year. Again unlike the cycle of the lunar years, which begins with the Rat, the agricultural calendar begins with the Tiger as it is the first animal of spring. Around summer days are longer than winter days, because it occurs differences of perihelion and aphelion.[clarification needed]
As each sign is linked to a month of the solar year, it is thereby also linked to a season. Each of the elements is also linked to a season (see above), and the element that shares a season with a sign is known as that sign's fixed element. In other words, that element is believed to impart some of its characteristics to the sign concerned. The fixed element of each sign applies also to the year and hour signs, and not just the monthly sign. The fixed element is separate from the cycle of elements which interact with the signs in the 60-year cycle.
Season | Lunar month | Fixed element | Solar longitude | Solar term | Gregorian date | Approx. Western zodiac |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Spring | 1st – 寅 (yin) Tiger | Wood | 314° | 立春 lìchūn | Feb 4 – Feb 19 | Aquarius |
329° | 雨水 yǔshuǐ | Feb 20 – Mar 5 | Pisces | |||
2nd – 卯 (mao) Rabbit | Wood | 344° | 啓蟄 qǐzhé (驚蟄 jīngzhé) | Mar 6 – Mar 20 | ||
359° | 春分 chūnfēn | Mar 21 – Apr 4 | Aries | |||
3rd – 辰 (chen) Dragon | Wood | 14° | 清明 qīngmíng | Apr 5 – Apr 20 | ||
29° | 穀雨 gǔyǔ | Apr 21 – May 4 | Taurus | |||
Summer | 4th – 巳 (si) Snake | Fire | 44° | 立夏 lìxià | May 5 – May 21 | |
59° | 小滿 xiǎomǎn | May 22 – Jun 5 | Gemini | |||
5th – 午 (wu) Horse | Fire | 74° | 芒種 mángzhòng | Jun 6 – Jun 21 | ||
89° | 夏至 xiàzhì | Jun 22 – Jul 6 | Cancer | |||
6th – 未 (wei) Goat | Fire | 104° | 小暑 xiǎoshǔ | Jul 7 – Jul 22 | ||
119° | 大暑 dàshǔ | Jul 23 – Aug 6 | Leo | |||
Autumn | 7th – 申 (shen) Monkey | Metal | 134° | 立秋 lìqiū | Aug 7 – Aug 22 | |
149° | 處暑 chùshǔ | Aug 23 – Sep 7 | Virgo | |||
8th – 酉 (you) Rooster | Metal | 164° | 白露 báilù | Sep 8 – Sep 23 | ||
181° | 秋分 qiūfēn | Sep 24 – Oct 7 | Libra | |||
9th – 戌 (xu) Dog | Metal | 194° | 寒露 hánlù | Oct 8 – Oct 23 | ||
211° | 霜降 shuāngjiàng | Oct 24 – Nov 6 | Scorpio | |||
Winter | 10th – 亥 (hai) Pig | Water | 224° | 立冬 lìdōng | Nov 7 – Nov 22 | |
244° | 小雪 xiǎoxuě | Nov 23 – Dec 6 | Sagittarius | |||
11th – 子 (zi) Rat | Water | 251° | 大雪 dàxuě | Dec 7 – Dec 21 | ||
271° | 冬至 dōngzhì | Dec 22 – Jan 5 | Capricorn | |||
12th – 丑 (chou) Ox | Water | 284° | 小寒 xiǎohán | Jan 6 – Jan 20 | ||
299° | 大寒 dàhán | Jan 21 – Feb 3 | Aquarius |
Day[edit]
Four pillars calculators can determine the zodiac animal of the day.[4]Chinese animal signs rule over days of the week, too. The term for them is “True Animals”. If your astrologer wishes to prepare a chart, it is essential he or she knows the animals of your day of birth. Given there are only seven days of the week and 12 animals, there is some repetition or doubling up. The animals for each day are as follows:
- Monday: Goat
- Tuesday: Dragon, Pig
- Wednesday: Horse, Rooster
- Thursday: Rat
- Friday: Rabbit, Snake, Dog
- Saturday: Ox, Tiger
- Sunday: Monkey
Compatibility[edit]
As the Chinese zodiac is derived according to the ancientFive Elements Theory, every Chinese sign is composed of five elements[citation needed] with relations, among those elements, of interpolation, interaction, over-action, and counter-action—believed to be the common law of motions and changes of creatures in the universe. Different people born under each animal sign supposedly have different personalities,[citation needed] and practitioners of Chinese astrology consult such traditional details and compatibilities to offer putative guidance in life or for love and marriage.[5]
Chinese Zodiac Compatibility Grid[6]
Sign | Best Heavenly Match (Harmonious) | Better Match (Compatible) | Possible Match (Link) | Match | No Match (Direct Conflict) | Gossip (Harm; Best to Avoid) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rat | Rat, Dragon, Monkey | Ox | Pig, Rat, Ox | Snake, Rooster, Ox, Pig, Rabbit, Goat, Dog, Tiger | Horse | Goat |
Ox | Ox, Snake, Rooster | Rat | Pig, Rat, Ox | Dragon, Monkey, Rat, Dog, Tiger, Horse, Pig, Rabbit | Goat | Horse |
Tiger | Tiger, Horse, Dog | Pig | Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon | Pig, Rabbit, Goat, Snake, Rooster, Ox, Dragon, Rat | Monkey | Snake |
Rabbit | Rabbit, Goat,Pig, | Dog | Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon | Dog, Tiger, Horse, Dragon, Monkey, Rat, Snake, Ox | Rooster | Dragon |
Dragon | Dragon, Monkey, Rat | Rooster | Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon | Snake, Rooster, Ox, Pig, Rabbit, Goat, Tiger, Horse | Dog | Rabbit |
Snake | Snake, Rooster, Ox | Monkey | Snake, Horse, Goat | Dragon, Monkey, Rat, Dog, Tiger, Horse, Rabbit, Goat | Pig | Tiger |
Horse | Horse, Dog, Tiger | Goat | Snake, Horse, Goat | Pig, Rabbit, Goat, Snake, Rooster, Ox, Dragon, Monkey | Rat | Ox |
Goat | Goat, Pig, Rabbit | Horse | Snake, Horse, Goat | Dog, Tiger, Horse, Dragon, Monkey, Rat, Snake, Rooster | Ox | Rat |
Monkey | Monkey, Rat, Dragon | Snake | Monkey, Rooster, Dog | Snake, Rooster, Ox, Pig, Rabbit, Goat, Dog, Horse | Tiger | Pig |
Rooster | Rooster, Ox, Snake | Dragon | Monkey, Rooster, Dog | Dragon, Monkey, Rat, Dog, Tiger, Horse, Pig, Goat | Rabbit | Dog |
Dog | Dog, Tiger, Horse | Rabbit | Monkey, Rooster, Dog | Pig, Rabbit, Goat, Snake, Rooster, Ox, Monkey, Rat | Dragon | Rooster |
Pig | Pig, Rabbit, Goat | Tiger | Pig, Rat, Ox | Dog, Tiger, Horse, Dragon, Monkey, Rat, Rooster, Ox | Snake | Monkey |
Four Pillars[edit]
The Four Pillars method can be traced back to the Han dynasty (201 BC – 220 AD), and is still much used in Feng shuiastrology and general analysis today. The Four Pillars or columns chart is called such as the Chinese writing causes it to fall into columns. Each pillar or column contains a stem and a branch—and each column relates to the year, month, day and hour of birth. The first column refers to the year animal and element, the second to the month animal and element, the third to the day animal and element, and the last to the hour animal and element.
Within the Four Pillars, the year column purports to provide information about one's ancestor or early age, and the month column about one's parents or growing age. The day column purports to offer information about oneself (upper character) and one's spouse (lower character) or adult age, and the hour column about children or late age.[7]
Four Animal Trines[edit]
First Trine[edit]
The first Trine consists of the Rat, Dragon, and Monkey. These three signs are said to be intense and powerful individuals capable of great good, who make great leaders but are rather unpredictable. The three are said to be intelligent, magnanimous, charismatic, charming, authoritative, confident, eloquent and artistic, but can be manipulative, jealous, selfish, aggressive, vindictive, and deceitful.
Second Trine[edit]
The second Trine consists of the Ox, Snake, and Rooster. These three signs are said to possess endurance and application, with slow accumulation of energy, meticulous at planning but tending to hold fixed opinions. The three are said to be intelligent, hard-working, modest, industrious, loyal, philosophical, patient, goodhearted and morally upright, but can also be self-righteous, egotistical, vain, judgmental, narrow-minded, and petty.
Third Trine[edit]
The third Trine consists of the Tiger, Horse, and Dog. These three signs are said to seek true love, to pursue humanitarian causes, to be idealistic and independent but tending to be impulsive. The three are said to be productive, enthusiastic, independent, engaging, dynamic, honorable, loyal and protective, but can also be rash, rebellious, quarrelsome, anxious, disagreeable, and stubborn.
Fourth Trine[edit]
The fourth Trine consists of the Rabbit, Goat, and Pig. These three signs are said to have a calm nature and somewhat reasonable approach; they seek aesthetic beauty and are artistic, well-mannered and compassionate, yet detached and resigned to their condition. The three are said to be caring, self-sacrificing, obliging, sensible, creative, empathetic, tactful and prudent, but can also be naive, pedantic, insecure, selfish, indecisive, and pessimistic.
Zodiac origin stories[edit]
There are many stories and fables to explain the beginning of the zodiac. Since the Han Dynasty, the 12 Earthly Branches have been used to record the time of day. However, for the sake of entertainment and convenience, they have been replaced by the 12 animals. The 24 hours are divided into 12 periods, and a mnemonic refers to the behavior of the animals:
Earthly Branches may refer to a double-hour period. In the latter case it is the center of the period; for instance, 马 (Horse) means noon or a period from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
- Rat (Zishi): 23:00 to 00:59. This is the time when rats are most active in seeking food. Rats also have a different number of digits on front and hind legs, thus earning Rat the symbol of 'turn over' or 'new start'.
- Ox (Choushi): 01:00 to 02:59. This is the time when oxen begin to chew the cud slowly and comfortably.
- Tiger (Yinshi): 03:00 to 04:59. This is the time when tigers hunt their prey more and show their ferocity.
- Rabbit (Maoshi): 05:00 to 06:59. This is the time when the Jade Rabbit is busy pounding herbal medicine on the Moon according to the tale.
- Dragon (Chenshi): 07:00 to 08:59. This is the time when dragons are hovering in the sky to give rain.
- Snake (Sishi): 09:00 to 10:59. This is the time when snakes are leaving their caves.
- Horse (Wushi): 11:00 to 12:59. This is the time when the sun is high overhead and while other animals are lying down for a rest, horses are still standing.
- Goat (Weishi): 13:00 to 14:59. This is the time when goats eat grass and urinate frequently.
- Monkey (Shenshi): 15:00 to 16:59. This is the time when monkeys are lively.
- Rooster (Youshi): 17:00 to 18:59. This is the time when roosters begin to get back to their coops.
- Dog (Xushi): 19:00 to 20:59. This is the time when dogs carry out their duty of guarding the houses.
- Pig (Haishi): 21:00 to 22:59. This is the time when pigs are sleeping sweetly.
The Great Race[edit]
An ancientfolkstory tells that the Jade Emperor decreed that the years on the calendar would be named for each animal in the order they reached him. To get there, the animals would have to cross a river. Cat and Rat were very bad at swimming, but they were both quite intelligent. Cat and Rat decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of Ox. Ox, being kindhearted and naive, agreed to carry them both across.
As the Ox was about to reach the other side of the river, the Rat pushed the Cat into the water, and then jumped off the Ox and rushed to the Jade Emperor. It was named as the first animal of the zodiaccalendar. The Ox had to settle in second place. The third one to come, was the Tiger. Even though it was strong and powerful, it explained to the Jade Emperor that the currents were pushing him downstream.
Suddenly, from a distance came a thumping sound, and the Rabbit arrived. It explained how it crossed the river: by jumping from one stone to another, in a nimble fashion. Halfway through, it almost lost the race, but it was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed him to shore. For that, it became the fourth animal in the zodiac cycle. In fifth place, was the flying Dragon. The Jade Emperor was wondering why such a swift airborne creature such as the Dragon failed to come in first.
The Dragon explained that it had to stop by a village and brought rain for all the people, and therefore it was held back. Then, on its way to the finish, it saw the helpless Rabbit clinging onto a log, so it did a good deed and gave a puff of breath to the poor creature so that it could land on the shore. The Jade Emperor was astonished by the Dragon's good nature, and it was named as the fifth animal. As soon as it had done so, a galloping sound was heard, and the Horse appeared.
Hidden on the Horse's hoof was the Snake, whose sudden appearance gave it a fright, thus making it fall back and giving the Snake the sixth spot, while the Horse placed seventh. After a while, the Goat, Monkey, and Rooster came to the heavenly gate. With combined efforts, they managed to arrive to the other side. The Rooster found a raft, and the Monkey and the Goat tugged and pulled, trying to get all the weeds out of the way.
Horoscope Pdf
The Jade Emperor was pleased with their teamwork and decided to name the Goat as the eighth animal followed by the Monkey and then the Rooster. The eleventh animal placed in the zodiac cycle was the Dog. Although it should have been the best swimmer and runner, it spent its time to play in the water. Though his explanation for being late was because it needed a good bath after a long spell. For that, it almost did not make it to the finish line.
Right when the Emperor was going to close the race, an 'oink' sound was heard: it was the Pig. 'Lazy little Pig' originated from this story. The Pig felt hungry in the middle of the race, so it stopped, ate something and then fell asleep. After it awoke, it finished the race in twelfth place, and became the last animal to arrive. The cat eventually drowned, and did not make it in the zodiac. It is said that this is the reason cats always hunt Rats.
Another folkstory tells that the Rat deceived the Ox into letting it jump on its back, in order for the Ox to hear the Rat sing,[8] before jumping off at the finish line and finishing first.
In Chinese mythology, a story tells that the cat was tricked by the Rat so it could not go to the banquet. This is why the cat is ultimately not part of the Chinese zodiac.
In Buddhism, legend has it[citation needed] that Gautama Buddha summoned all of the animals of the Earth to come before him before his departure from this Earth, but only 12 animals actually came to bid him farewell. To reward the animals who came to him, he named a year after each of them. The years were given to them in the order they had arrived.
The twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were developed in the early stages of Chinese civilization; it is difficult to investigate its real origins. Most historians agree that the cat is not included, as they had not yet been introduced to China from India, with the arrival of Buddhism.
Problems with English translation[edit]
Due to confusion with synonyms during translation, some of the animals depicted by the English words did not exist in ancient China. For example, 羊 can mean Goat, ram, and sheep. Similarly, 鼠Rat can be translated as mouse, as there are no distinctive words for the two genera in Chinese. Further, 豬Pig is sometimes translated to boar after its Japanese name, and 牛 also plainly means both Ox and Cow, and not water buffalo, 水牛. 雞Rooster may also mean Chicken. However, Rooster is the most commonly used one among all the synonyms, same for 羊, 鼠.
In other countries[edit]
The Chinese zodiac signs are also used by cultures other than Chinese. For one example, they usually appear on Korean New Year and Japanese New Year's cards and stamps. The United States Postal Service and those of several other countries issue a 'Year of the ____' postage stamp each year to honor this Chineseheritage.
The Chinese lunar coins, depicting the zodiac animals, inspired the Canadian Silver Maple Leafcoins, as well as varieties from Australia, Korea, and Mongolia.
The Chinese zodiac is also used in some other Asiancountries that have been under the cultural influence of China. However, some of the animals in the zodiac may differ by country.
Asia [edit]
The Korean zodiac is essentially identical to the Chinese zodiac, but the Sino-Korean word 양 (yang) normally refers specifically to a sheep in the Korean language (where a native Korean word 염소 yeomso is used to mean 'Goat'), although the Chinese source of the loanword yang may refer to any goat-antelope.
The Japanese zodiac includes the Sheep (hitsuji) instead of the Goat (which would be yagi), and the Wild boar (inoshishi, i) instead of the Pig (buta).[9] Since 1873, the Japanese have celebrated the beginning of the new year on January 1 as per the Gregorian calendar.
The Vietnamese zodiac is almost identical to the Chinese zodiac except the second animal is the Water Buffalo instead of the Ox, and the fourth animal is the Cat instead of the Rabbit.
The Cham zodiac uses the same animals and order as the Chinese zodiac, but replaces the Monkey with the turtle (known locally as kra). Similarly the Malay zodiac is identical to the Chinese but replaces the Rabbit with the mousedeer (pelanduk) and the Pig with the tortoise (kura).[10] The Dragon is normally equated with the nāga but it is sometimes called Big Snake (ular besar) while the Snake sign is called Second Snake (ular sani).
The Thai zodiac includes a nāga in place of the Dragon[11] and begins, not at Chinese New Year, but either on the first day of fifth month in Thai lunar calendar, or during the Songkranfestival (now celebrated every 13–15 April), depending on the purpose of the use.[12]
Bulgars, Huns, Mongolian and Turkic people [edit]
This common ChineseZodiac was in use in BalkanBulgaria well into the Bulgars' adoption of Slavic languages and Orthodox Christianity.[citation needed] Following is the Hunnish or BulgarianPagan zodiac calendar, distinctive from the Greek zodiac but much in conformity with the Chinese one:
Torè calendar[edit]
Names of years
- Kuzgé – [Year of] Saravana – Rat
- Shiger (Syger) – Ox
- Kuman (Imén) – Cat
- Ügur – Tiger, Myachè Ügur – Tiger
- Taushan – Rabbit
- Samar – Dragon Birgün (Bergen, Birig, Baradj) – Dragon
- Dilan – Snake
- Tykha – Horse
- Téké – Goat
- Bichin, Michin – Monkey
- Tavuk – Rooster (also written tağuk – ğ is pronounced as v in Turk. verbs döğmek and öğmek)
- It – Dog
- Shushma – Pig (many[who?] mistake it as boar though) (Turk., Russ. 'Kaban' – Translator's note,[who?] also cognate of Turkish şişman, 'fat')
In Kazakhstan, an animal cycle similar to the Chinese is used, but the Dragon is substituted by a snail (Kazakh: улу), and Tiger appears as a leopard (Kazakh: барыс).
In Mongolia, 12 year beasts are called 'Арван хоёр жил' meaning '12 years'
- Hulgana – Хулгана – Rat
- Ukher – Үхэр – Ox
- Bar – Бар – Tiger
- Tuulai – Туулай – Rabbit
- Luu – Луу – Dragon
- Mogoi – Могой – Snake
- Mori – Морь – Horse
- Honi – Хонь – Goat
- Bichin, Michin, Mechin – Бич/Мич, Бичин, Мичин, Мэчин – Monkey
- Tahiya – Тахиа – Rooster
- Nohoi – Нохой – Dog
- Gahai – Гахай – Pig
In Kyrgyz 12-year cycle is called 'Мүчөл', words for Tiger, Dragon and Monkey are only used in 12-year cycle.
- Çıçqan – Чычкан – Mouse
- Uy – Уй – Cow
- Bars – Барс – Tiger
- Qoyon – Коён – Rabbit
- Uluu – Улуу – Dragon
- Jılan – Жылан – Snake
- Jılqı – Жылкы – Horse
- Qoy – Кой – Sheep
- Meçin – Мечин – Monkey
- Tooq – Тоок – Chicken
- It – Ит – Dog
- Doñuz – Доңуз – Wild boar
Gallery[edit]
A chart indicating good and bad bloodletting days and when to guard against demons. Detail: The chart contains a sme ba (9 figures symbolizing the elements in geomancy) in the center with the Chinese pa-kua (8 trigrams) surrounded by 12 animals of months and years.
Soyombo and several Buddhist, tengrist and Chinese zodiac symbols in a wall mosaic.
Twelve Chinese zodiac jade figurines. Capital Museum, Beijing, China.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^Dr Zai, J. Taoism and Science: Cosmology, Evolution, Morality, Health and more. Ultravisum, 2015.
- ^Theodora Lau, The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes, pp. 2–8, 30–5, 60–4, 88–94, 118–24, 148–53, 178–84, 208–13, 238–44, 270–8, 306–12, 338–44, Souvenir Press, New York, 2005
- ^''Almanac' 'lunar' zodiac beginning of spring as the boundary dislocation?'. China Network. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
- ^'Online Four Pillars Calculator'.
- ^'Chinese Compatibility Matching'. Jan 2016.
- ^'Chinese Zodiac Animal Signs Compatibility'. yourchineseastrology.com/.
- ^chinesefortunecalendar.com
- ^Cyndi Chen (2013-02-26). 'The 12 Animals of the Chinese Zodiac 十二生肖'. Archived from the original on 2013-03-06. Retrieved October 11, 2013.
- ^'Japanese Zodiac Signs and Symbols'. japanesezodiac.org/. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^Farouk Yahya (2015). Malay Magic and Divination in Illuminated Manuscripts.
- ^''งูใหญ่-พญานาค-มังกร' รู้จัก 3 สัญลักษณ์ปี 'มะโรง''. ประชาชาติธุรกิจ. 5 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
- ^'การเปลี่ยนวันใหม่ การนับวัน ทางโหราศาสตร์ไทย การเปลี่ยนปีนักษัตร โหราศาสตร์ ดูดวง ทำนายทายทัก'. Archived from the original on 2011-01-03.
Sources[edit]
- Shelly H. Wu. (2005). Chinese Astrology. Publisher: The Career Press, Inc. ISBN1-56414-796-7.
External links[edit]
- 'The Year of the Rooster: On Seeing'
- 'The Year of the Rooster, On Eating, Injecting, Imbibing & Speaking'
- '2016: The Golden Monkey, A Year to Remember'
- 'The Dragon Raises its Head 龍抬頭'
- '2019 year of the Pig'
- 'From the Year of the Ape to the Year of the Monkey' (on use of Zodiac figures for political criticism)
- Media related to Chinese zodiac at Wikimedia Commons
The well-trodden (no pun intended) story of the Chinese zodiac is cute, but a bit trite. The tale usually begins with the Jade Emperor, or Buddha, depending on the teller, who summoned all the animals of the universe for a race, or a banquet, depending on the teller. The 12 animals of the zodiac all headed to the palace. The order that they came in determined the order of the zodiac. The order is as follows:
Rat: (1984, 1996, 2008, add 12 years for each subsequent year)
Ox: (1985, 1997, 2009)
Tiger: (1986, 1998, 2010)
Rabbit: (1987, 1999, 2011)
Dragon: (1976, 1988, 2000)
Snake: (1977, 1989, 2001)
Horse: (1978, 1990, 2002)
Ram: (1979, 1991, 2003)
Monkey: (1980, 1992, 2004)
Chicken: (1981, 1993, 2005)
Dog: (1982, 1994, 2006)
Pig: (1983, 1995, 2007)
During the journey, however, the animals got involved in everything from high jinx to heroism. For example the rat, who won the race, only did so through guile and trickery: it jumped onto the back of the ox and won by a nose. The snake, apparently also a little sneaky, hid on the hoof of a horse in order to cross a river. When they got to the other side, it scared the horse and beat it in the contest. The dragon, however, proved to be honorable and altruistic. By all accounts, the dragon would have won the race as it could fly, but it had stopped to help villagers caught in a flooding river cross safely, or it stopped to assist the rabbit in crossing the river, or it stopped to help create rain for a drought-ridden farmland, depending on the teller.
Actual History of the Zodiac
The actual history behind the Chinese zodiac is much less fantastical and much harder to find. It’s known from pottery artifacts that the animals of the zodiac were popular in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), but they were also seen much earlier from artifacts from the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.), a period of disunity in ancient Chinese history, as differing factions fought for control.
It’s been written that the animals of the zodiac were brought to China via the Silk Road, the same central Asian trade route that brought the Buddhist belief from India to China. But some scholars argue that the belief predates Buddhism and has origins in early Chinese astronomy that used the planet Jupiter as a constant, as its orbit around the earth took place every 12 years. Still, others have argued that the use of animals in astrology began with nomadic tribes in ancient China who developed a calendar based on the animals they used to hunt and gather.
The scholar Christopher Cullen as written that beyond satisfying the spiritual needs of an agrarian society, the use of astronomy and astrology was also an imperative of the emperor, who had the responsibility for ensuring harmony of everything under heaven. To rule well and with prestige, one needed to be accurate in astronomical matters, Cullen wrote. Perhaps that is why the Chinese calendar, including the zodiac, became so entrenched in Chinese culture. In fact, reforming the calendar system was viewed as appropriate if political change was eminent.
Zodiac Fits With Confucianism
The belief that everyone and every animal has a role to play in society translates well with Confucian beliefs in a hierarchical society. Just as Confucian beliefs persist in Asia today alongside more modern social views, so does the use of the zodiac.
It’s been written by Paul Yip, Joseph Lee, and Y.B. Cheung that births in Hong Kong regularly increased, bucking declining trends, to coincide with the birth of a child in a dragon year. Temporary fertility rate increases were seen in the dragon years of 1988 and 2000, they wrote. This is a relatively modern phenomenon as the same increase wasn’t seen in 1976, another dragon year.
The Chinese zodiac also serves the practical purpose of figuring out a person’s age without having to ask directly and risk offending someone.
The zodiac is an area of the sky that extends approximately 8° north or south (as measured in celestial latitude) of the ecliptic, the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. The paths of the Moon and visible planets are also within the belt of the zodiac.[1]
In Western astrology, and formerly astronomy, the zodiac is divided into twelve signs, each occupying 30° of celestial longitude and roughly corresponding to the constellations Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.[2][3]
The twelve astrological signs form a celestial coordinate system, or more specifically an ecliptic coordinate system, which takes the ecliptic as the origin of latitude and the Sun's position at vernal equinox as the origin of longitude.[4]
- 3History
Name[edit]
The English word zodiac derives from zōdiacus, the Latinized form of the Ancient Greekzōidiakòs kýklos (), meaning 'cycle or circle of little animals'. Zōidion (ζῴδιον) is the diminutive of zōion (ζῷον, 'animal'). The name reflects the prominence of animals (and mythological hybrids) among the twelve signs.
Usage[edit]
The zodiac was in use by the Roman era, based on concepts inherited by Hellenistic astronomy from Babylonian astronomy of the Chaldean period (mid-1st millennium BC), which, in turn, derived from an earlier system of lists of stars along the ecliptic.[5] The construction of the zodiac is described in Ptolemy's vast 2nd century AD work, the Almagest.[6]
Although the zodiac remains the basis of the ecliptic coordinate system in use in astronomy besides the equatorial one,[7] the term and the names of the twelve signs are today mostly associated with horoscopic astrology.[8] The term 'zodiac' may also refer to the region of the celestial sphere encompassing the paths of the planets corresponding to the band of about eight arc degrees above and below the ecliptic. The zodiac of a given planet is the band that contains the path of that particular body; e.g., the 'zodiac of the Moon' is the band of five degrees above and below the ecliptic. By extension, the 'zodiac of the comets' may refer to the band encompassing most short-period comets.[9]
Chinese Zodiac Chart Pdf
History[edit]
Early history[edit]
The division of the ecliptic into the zodiacal signs originates in Babylonian ('Chaldean') astronomy during the first half of the 1st millennium BC. The zodiac draws on stars in earlier Babylonian star catalogues, such as the MUL.APIN catalogue, which was compiled around 1000 BC. Some of the constellations can be traced even further back, to Bronze Age (First Babylonian dynasty) sources, including Gemini 'The Twins', from MAŠ.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL 'The Great Twins', and Cancer 'The Crab', from AL.LUL 'The Crayfish', among others.[citation needed]
Around the end of the 5th century BC, Babylonian astronomers divided the ecliptic into twelve equal 'signs', by analogy to twelve schematic months of thirty days each. Each sign contained thirty degrees of celestial longitude, thus creating the first known celestial coordinate system. According to calculations by modern astrophysics, the zodiac was introduced between 409 and 398 BC and probably within a very few years of 401 BC[10] Unlike modern astronomers, who place the beginning of the sign of Aries at the place of the Sun at the vernal equinox; Babylonian astronomers fixed the zodiac in relation to stars, placing the beginning of Cancer at the 'Rear Twin Star' (β Geminorum) and the beginning of Aquarius at the 'Rear Star of the Goat-Fish' (δ Capricorni).[11] The divisions do not correspond exactly to where the constellations started and ended in the sky; this would have resulted in an irregular division. The Sun in fact passed through at least 13, not 12 Babylonian constellations. In order to align with the number of months in a year, designers of the system omitted the major constellation Ophiuchus.[12] Including smaller figures, astronomers have counted up to 21 eligible zodiac constellations. Changes in the orientation of the Earth's axis of rotation also means that the time of year the sun is in a given constellation has changed since Babylonian times.[13]
Because the division was made into equal arcs, 30° each, they constituted an ideal system of reference for making predictions about a planet's longitude. However, Babylonian techniques of observational measurements were in a rudimentary stage of evolution[14] and they measured the position of a planet in reference to a set of 'normal stars' close to the ecliptic (±9° of latitude) as observational reference points to help positioning a planet within this ecliptic coordinate system.[15]
In Babylonian astronomical diaries, a planet position was generally given with respect to a zodiacal sign alone, less often in specific degrees within a sign.[16] When the degrees of longitude were given, they were expressed with reference to the 30° of the zodiacal sign, i.e., not with a reference to the continuous 360° ecliptic.[17] In astronomical ephemerides, the positions of significant astronomical phenomena were computed in sexagesimal fractions of a degree (equivalent to minutes and seconds of arc).[18] For daily ephemerides, the daily positions of a planet were not as important as the astrologically significant dates when the planet crossed from one zodiacal sign to the next.[19]
Hebrew astronomy/astrology[edit]
Knowledge of the Babylonian zodiac is also reflected in the Hebrew Bible; E. W. Bullinger interpreted the creatures appearing in the book of Ezekiel as the middle signs of the four quarters of the Zodiac,[20][21] with the Lion as Leo, the Bull is Taurus, the Man representing Aquarius and the Eagle representing Scorpio.[22] Some authors have linked the twelve tribes of Israel with the twelve signs and/or the lunar Hebrew calendar having 12 lunar months in a lunar year. Martin and others have argued that the arrangement of the tribes around the Tabernacle (reported in the Book of Numbers) corresponded to the order of the Zodiac, with Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan representing the middle signs of Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Scorpio, respectively. Such connections were taken up by Thomas Mann, who in his novel Joseph and His Brothers attributes characteristics of a sign of the zodiac to each tribe in his rendition of the Blessing of Jacob.[citation needed]
Hellenistic and Roman era[edit]
The Babylonian star catalogs entered Greek astronomy in the 4th century BC, via Eudoxus of Cnidus.[23][24]Babylonia or Chaldea in the Hellenistic world came to be so identified with astrology that 'Chaldean wisdom' became among Greeks and Romans the synonym of divination through the planets and stars. Hellenistic astrology derived in part from Babylonian and Egyptian astrology.[25]Horoscopic astrology first appeared in Ptolemaic Egypt (305 BC–30 BC). The Dendera zodiac, a relief dating to ca. 50 BC, is the first known depiction of the classical zodiac of twelve signs.
The earliest extant Greek text using the Babylonian division of the zodiac into 12 signs of 30 equal degrees each is the Anaphoricus of Hypsicles of Alexandria (fl.190BC).[26] Particularly important in the development of Western horoscopic astrology was the astrologer and astronomer Ptolemy, whose work Tetrabiblos laid the basis of the Western astrological tradition.[27] Under the Greeks, and Ptolemy in particular, the planets, Houses, and signs of the zodiac were rationalized and their function set down in a way that has changed little to the present day.[28] Ptolemy lived in the 2nd century AD, three centuries after the discovery of the precession of the equinoxes by Hipparchus around 130 BC. Hipparchus's lost work on precession never circulated very widely until it was brought to prominence by Ptolemy,[29] and there are few explanations of precession outside the work of Ptolemy until late Antiquity, by which time Ptolemy's influence was widely established.[30] Ptolemy clearly explained the theoretical basis of the western zodiac as being a tropical coordinate system, by which the zodiac is aligned to the equinoxes and solstices, rather than the visible constellations that bear the same names as the zodiac signs.[31]
Hindu zodiac[edit]
The Hindu zodiac uses the sidereal coordinate system, which makes reference to the fixed stars. The Tropical zodiac (of Mesopotamian origin) is divided by the intersections of the ecliptic and equator, which shifts in relation to the backdrop of fixed stars at a rate of 1° every 72 years, creating the phenomenon known as precession of the equinoxes. The Hindu zodiac, being sidereal, does not maintain this seasonal alignment, but there are still similarities between the two systems. The Hindu zodiac signs and corresponding Greek signs sound very different, being in Sanskrit and Greek respectively, but their symbols are nearly identical.[32] For example, dhanu means 'bow' and corresponds to Sagittarius, the 'archer', and kumbha means 'water-pitcher' and corresponds to Aquarius, the 'water-carrier'.[33]
Middle Ages[edit]
The High Middle Ages saw a revival of interest in Greco-Roman magic, first in Kabbalism and later continued in Renaissance magic. This included magical uses of the zodiac, as found, e.g., in the Sefer Raziel HaMalakh.
The zodiac is found in medieval stained glass as at Angers Cathedral, where the master glassmaker, André Robin, made the ornate rosettes for the North and South transepts after the fire there in 1451.[34]
Mughal king Jahangir issued an attractive series of coins in gold and silver depicting the twelve signs of the Zodiac.[35]
Early modern[edit]
Chinese Horoscope
An example of the use of signs as astronomical coordinates may be found in the Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris for the year 1767. The 'Longitude of the Sun' columns show the sign (represented as a digit from 0 to and including 11), degrees from 0 to 29, minutes, and seconds.[36]
The zodiac symbols are Early Modern simplifications of conventional pictorial representations of the signs, attested since Hellenistic times.
Twelve signs[edit]
What follows is a list of the signs of the modern zodiac (with the ecliptic longitudes of their first points), where 0° Aries is understood as the vernal equinox, with their Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, and Babylonian names (but note that the Sanskrit and the Babylonian name equivalents (after c.500 BC) denote the constellations only, not the tropical zodiac signs). Also, the 'English translation' is not usually used by English speakers. The Latin names are standard English usage.
No. | Symbol | Long. | Latin name | English translation | Greek name (with Romanization of Greek) | Sanskrit name | Sumero-Babylonian name[37] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ♈ | 0° | Aries | The Ram | Κριός (Krios) | Meṣa (मेष) | MUL LU.ḪUŊ.GA 'The Agrarian Worker', Dumuzi |
2 | ♉ | 30° | Taurus | The Bull | Ταῦρος (Tauros) | Vṛṣabha (वृषभ) | MULGU4.AN.NA 'The Steer of Heaven' |
3 | ♊ | 60° | Gemini | The Twins | Δίδυμοι (Didymoi) | Mithuna (मिथुन) | MULMAŠ.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL 'The Great Twins' (Castor and Pollux) |
4 | ♋ | 90° | Cancer | The Crab | Καρκίνος (Karkinos) | Karkaṭa (कर्क) | MULAL.LUL 'The Crayfish' |
5 | ♌ | 120° | Leo | The Lion | Λέων (Leōn) | Siṃha (सिंह) | MULUR.GU.LA 'The Lion' |
6 | ♍ | 150° | Virgo | The Maiden | Παρθένος (Parthenos) | Kanyā (कन्या) | MULAB.SIN 'The Furrow'; 'The Furrow, the goddess Shala's ear of grain' |
7 | ♎ | 180° | Libra | The Scales | Ζυγός (Zygos) | Tulā (तूळ) | MULZIB.BA.AN.NA 'The Scales' |
8 | ♏ | 210° | Scorpio | The Scorpion | Σκoρπίος (Skorpios)[38] | Vṛścika (वृश्चिक) | MULGIR.TAB 'The Scorpion' |
9 | ♐ | 240° | Sagittarius | The (Centaur) Archer | Τοξότης (Toxotēs) | Dhanuṣa (धनु) | MULPA.BIL.SAG, Nedu 'soldier' |
10 | ♑ | 270° | Capricorn | 'Goat Mountain' or 'Goat-horned' (The Sea-Goat) | Αἰγόκερως (Aigokerōs) | Makara (मकर) | MULSUḪUR.MAŠ 'The Goat-Fish' of Enki |
11 | ♒ | 300° | Aquarius | The Water-Bearer | Ὑδροχόος (Hydrokhoos) | Kumbha (कुंभ) | MULGU.LA 'The Great One', later qâ 'pitcher' |
12 | ♓ | 330° | Pisces | The Fish[39] | Ἰχθύες (Ikhthyes) | Mīna (मीन) | MULSIM.MAḪ 'The Tail of the Swallow', later DU.NU.NU 'fish-cord' |
Constellations[edit]
The zodiacal signs are distinct from the constellations associated with them, not only because of their drifting apart due to the precession of equinoxes but also because the physical constellations take up varying widths of the ecliptic, so the Sun is not in each constellation for the same amount of time.[40]:25 Thus, Virgo takes up five times as much ecliptic longitude as Scorpius. The zodiacal signs are an abstraction from the physical constellations, and each represent exactly one twelfth of the full circle, or the longitude traversed by the Sun in about 30.4 days.[41]
The path of the Sun passes through thirteen constellations recognized by ancient Babylonian, Greek, and Roman astronomers (including in Ptolemy's Almagest)[42][43] and the modern International Astronomical Union. Because the Babylonians had a 12-month lunar calendar, they chose twelve and divided the year up evenly. The thirteenth was left out: Ophiuchus, the bottom part of which interjects between Scorpio and Sagittarius.
Occasionally this difference between the astronomical constellations and the astrological signs is mistakenly reported in the popular press as a 'change' to the list of traditional signs by some astronomical body like the IAU, NASA, or the Royal Astronomical Society. This happened in a 1995 report of the BBC Nine O'Clock News and various reports in 2011 and 2016.[44][45][46][47] Professional astronomers generally consider astrology a pseudoscience which has been disproven by scientific experimentation. For example, in drawing a distinction between astrology and scientific astronomy, NASA notes that 'No one has shown that astrology can be used to predict the future or describe what people are like based on their birth dates.'[48]
Some 'parazodiacal' constellations are also touched by the paths of the planets, leading to counts of up to 25 'constellations of the zodiac'.[49] The ancient Babylonian MUL.APIN catalog lists Orion, Perseus, Auriga, and Andromeda. Modern astronomers have noted that planets also pass through Crater, Sextans, Cetus, Pegasus, Corvus, Hydra, and Scutum; with Venus very rarely passing through Aquila, Canis Minor, Auriga, and Serpens.[49]
Some other constellations are also mythologically associated with the zodiacal ones: Piscis Austrinus, The Southern Fish, is attached to Aquarius. In classical maps, it swallows the stream poured out of Aquarius' pitcher, but perhaps it formerly just swam in it. Aquila, The Eagle, was possibly associated with the zodiac by virtue of its main star, Altair.[citation needed]Hydra in the Early Bronze Age marked the celestial equator and was associated with Leo, which is shown standing on the serpent on the Dendera zodiac.[citation needed]Corvus is the Crow or Raven mysteriously perched on the tail of Hydra.
Table of dates[edit]
The following table compares the Gregorian dates on which the Sun enters
- a sign in the Ptolemaic tropical zodiac
- a sign in the Hindusidereal system (date given below may change by one or two days each year)
- the astronomical constellation of the same name as the sign, with constellation boundaries as defined in 1930 by the International Astronomical Union.
The theoretical beginning of Aries is the moment of vernal equinox, and all other dates shift accordingly.[50]
The precise Gregorian times and dates vary slightly from year to year as the Gregorian calendar shifts relative to the tropical year.[51] These variations remain within less than two days' difference in the recent past and the near-future, vernal equinox in UT always falling either on 20 or 21 March in the period of 1797 to 2043, falling on 19 March in 1796 the last time and in 2044 the next. Except for 2003 and 2007, the vernal equinox has started on 20 March since 1980, and is projected to until 2043.[52]
Sign[53][unreliable source?] | Constellation | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Symbol[54] | Tropical zodiac | Sidereal zodiac | Name | IAU boundaries[55] | Solar stay[55] | Brightest star |
Aries | 21 March – 20 April | 15 April – 15 May | Aries | 19 April – 13 May | 25 days | Hamal | |
Taurus | 21 April – 21 May | 16 May – 15 June | Taurus | 14 May – 19 June | 37 days | Aldebaran | |
Gemini | 22 May – 21 June | 16 June – 15 July | Gemini | 20 June – 20 July | 31 days | Pollux | |
Cancer | 22 June – 22 July | 16 July – 15 August | Cancer | 21 July – 9 August | 20 days | Al Tarf | |
Leo | 23 July – 22 August | 16 August – 15 September | Leo | 10 August – 15 September | 37 days | Regulus | |
Virgo | 23 August – 23 September | 16 September – 15 October | Virgo | 16 September – 30 October | 45 days | Spica | |
Libra | 24 September – 23 October | 16 October – 15 November | Libra | 31 October – 22 November | 23 days | Zubeneschamali | |
Scorpio | 24 October – 22 November | 16 November – 15 December | Scorpius | 23 November – 29 November | 7 days | Antares | |
Ophiuchus | N/A | Ophiuchus | 30 November – 17 December | 18 days | Rasalhague | ||
Sagittarius | 23 November – 21 December | 16 December – 14 January | Sagittarius | 18 December – 18 January | 32 days | Kaus Australis | |
Capricorn | 22 December – 20 January | 15 January – 14 February | Capricornus | 19 January – 15 February | 28 days | Deneb Algedi | |
Aquarius | 21 January – 19 February | 15 February – 14 March | Aquarius | 16 February – 11 March | 24 days | Sadalsuud | |
Pisces | 20 February – 20 March | 15 March – 14 April | Pisces | 12 March – 18 April | 38 days | Eta Piscium | |
Cetus | N/A | Cetus | 14 March | <1 day | Deneb Kaitos |
Because the Earth's axis is at an angle, some signs take longer to rise than others, and the farther away from the equator the observer is situated, the greater the difference. Thus, signs are spoken of as 'long' or 'short' ascension.[56]
Precession of the equinoxes[edit]
The zodiac system was developed in Babylonia, some 2,500 years ago, during the 'Age of Aries'.[57] At the time, it is assumed, the precession of the equinoxes was unknown. Contemporary use of the coordinate system is presented with the choice of interpreting the system either as sidereal, with the signs fixed to the stellar background, or as tropical, with the signs fixed to the point of vernal equinox.[58]
Western astrology takes the tropical approach, whereas Hindu astrology takes the sidereal one. This results in the originally unified zodiacal coordinate system drifting apart gradually, with a clockwise (westward) precession of 1.4 degrees per century.
For the tropical zodiac used in Western astronomy and astrology, this means that the tropical sign of Aries currently lies somewhere within the constellation Pisces ('Age of Pisces').
The sidereal coordinate system takes into account the ayanamsa, ayan meaning transit or movement, and amsa meaning small part, i.e. movement of equinoxes in small parts. It is unclear when Indians became aware of the precession of the equinoxes, but Bhaskara 2's 12th-century treatise Siddhanta Shiromani gives equations for measurement of precession of equinoxes, and says his equations are based on some lost equations of Suryasiddhanta plus the equation of Munjaala.
The discovery of precession is attributed to Hipparchus around 130 BC. Ptolemy quotes from Hipparchus’ now lost work entitled 'On the Displacement of the Solstitial and Equinoctial Points' in the seventh book of his 2nd century astronomical text, Almagest, where he describes the phenomenon of precession and estimates its value.[29] Ptolemy clarified that the convention of Greek mathematical astronomy was to commence the zodiac from the point of the vernal equinox and to always refer to this point as 'the first degree' of Aries.[59] This is known as the 'tropical zodiac' (from the Greek word trópos, turn)[60] because its starting point revolves through the circle of background constellations over time.
The principle of the vernal point acting as the first degree of the zodiac for Greek astronomers is also described in the 1st century BC astronomical text of Geminus of Rhodes. Geminus explains that Greek astronomers of his era associate the first degrees of the zodiac signs with the two solstices and the two equinoxes, in contrast to the older Chaldean (Babylonian) system, which placed these points within the zodiac signs.[59] This illustrates that Ptolemy merely clarified the convention of Greek astronomers and did not originate the principle of the tropical zodiac, as is sometimes assumed.
Ptolemy also demonstrates that the principle of the tropical zodiac was well known to his predecessors within his astrological text, the Tetrabiblos, where he explains why it would be an error to associate the regularly spaced signs of the seasonally aligned zodiac with the irregular boundaries of the visible constellations:
- The beginnings of the signs, and likewise those of the terms, are to be taken from the equinoctial and tropical points. This rule is not only clearly stated by writers on the subject, but is also especially evident by the demonstration constantly afforded, that their natures, influences and familiarities have no other origin than from the tropics and equinoxes, as has been already plainly shown. And, if other beginnings were allowed, it would either be necessary to exclude the natures of the signs from the theory of prognostication, or impossible to avoid error in then retaining and making use of them; as the regularity of their spaces and distances, upon which their influence depends, would then be invaded and broken in upon.[31]
In modern astronomy[edit]
Astronomically, the zodiac defines a belt of space extending 9° either side of the ecliptic, within which the orbits of the Moon and the principal planets remain.[61] It is a feature of a celestial coordinate system centered upon the ecliptic, (the plane of the Earth's orbit and the Sun's apparent path), by which celestial longitude is measured in degrees east of the vernal equinox (the ascending intersection of the ecliptic and equator).[62] Stars within the zodiac are subject to occultations by the moon and other solar system bodies. These events can be useful, for example, to estimate the cross-sectional dimensions of a minor planet, or check a star for a close companion.[63]
The Sun's placement upon the vernal equinox, which occurs annually around 21 March, defines the starting point for measurement, the first degree of which is historically known as the 'first point of Aries'. The first 30° along the ecliptic is nominally designated as the zodiac sign Aries, which no longer falls within the proximity of the constellation Aries since the effect of precession is to move the vernal point through the backdrop of visible constellations (it is currently located near the end of the constellation Pisces, having been within that constellation since the 2nd century AD).[64] The subsequent 30° of the ecliptic is nominally designated the zodiac sign Taurus, and so on through the twelve signs of the zodiac so that each occupies 1/12th (30°) of the zodiac's great circle. Zodiac signs have never been used to determine the boundaries of astronomical constellations that lie in the vicinity of the zodiac, which are, and always have been, irregular in their size and shape.[61]
The convention of measuring celestial longitude within individual signs was still being used in the mid-19th century,[65] but modern astronomy now numbers degrees of celestial longitude from 0° to 360°, rather than 0° to 30° within each sign.
The use of the zodiac as a means to determine astronomical measurement remained the main method for defining celestial positions by Western astronomers until the Renaissance, at which time preference moved to the equatorial coordinate system, which measures astronomical positions by right ascension and declination rather than the ecliptic-based definitions of celestial longitude and celestial latitude.[64]
The word 'zodiac' is also used in reference to the zodiacal cloud of dust grains that move among the planets, and the zodiacal light that originates from their scattering of sunlight.
Unicode characters[edit]
In Unicode, the symbols of zodiac signs are encoded in block 'Miscellaneous Symbols':[54]
- U+2648♈ARIES (HTML
♈
) - U+2649♉TAURUS (HTML
♉
) - U+264A♊GEMINI (HTML
♊
) - U+264B♋CANCER (HTML
♋
) - U+264C♌LEO (HTML
♌
) - U+264D♍VIRGO (HTML
♍
) - U+264E♎LIBRA (HTML
♎
) - U+264F♏SCORPIUS (HTML
♏
) - U+2650♐SAGITTARIUS (HTML
♐
) - U+2651♑CAPRICORN (HTML
♑
) - U+2652♒AQUARIUS (HTML
♒
) - U+2653♓PISCES (HTML
♓
)
In Unicode 6.0 the sign for Ophiuchus has been added, too:
- U+26CE⛎OPHIUCHUS (HTML
⛎
)
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'zodiac'. Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 19 September 2017.
- ^Because the signs are each 30° in longitude but constellations have irregular shapes, and because of precession, they do not correspond exactly to the boundaries of the constellations after which they are named.
- ^Noble, William, 'Papers communicated to the Association. The Signs of the Zodiac.', Journal of the British Astronomical Association, 12: 242–244
- ^Leadbetter, Charles (1742), A Compleat System of Astronomy, J. Wilcox, London, p. 94; numerous examples of this notation appear throughout the book.
- ^See MUL.APIN. See also Lankford, John; Rothenberg, Marc (1997). History of Astronomy: An Encyclopedia. Taylor & Francis. p. 43. ISBN978-0-8153-0322-0.
- ^Ptolemy, Claudius (1998). The Almagest. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN0-691-00260-6. Translated and annotated by G. J. Toomer; with a foreword by Owen Gingerich.
- ^Shapiro, Lee T. 'Constellations in the zodiac.' NASA. 27 April 2011.
- ^B. L. van der Waerden, 'History of the zodiac', Archiv für Orientforschung16 (1953) 216–230.
- ^OED, citing J. Harris, Lexicon Technicum (1704): 'Zodiack of the Comets, Cassini hath observed a certain Tract [..] within whose Bounds [..] he hath found most Comets [..] to keep.'
- ^Britton, John P. (2010), 'Studies in Babylonian lunar theory: part III. The introduction of the uniform zodiac', Archive for History of Exact Sciences, 64 (6): 617–663, doi:10.1007/S00407-010-0064-Z, JSTOR41134332,
[T]he zodiac was introduced between −408 and −397 and probably within a very few years of −400.
- ^Steele, John M. (2012) [2008], A Brief Introduction to Astronomy in the Middle East (electronic ed.), London: Saqi, ISBN9780863568961
- ^Constellations and the Calendar
- ^Plait, Phil (26 September 2016), 'No, NASA hasn't changed the zodiac signs or added a new one', Bad Astronomy, retrieved 14 May 2018
- ^Sachs (1948), p. 289.
- ^Aaboe, Asger H. (2001), Episodes from the Early History of Astronomy, New York: Springer, pp. 37–38, ISBN9780387951362
- ^Rochberg, Francesca (1988), Babylonian Horoscopes, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 88 (1), p. 7, doi:10.2307/1006632, JSTOR1006632
- ^Rochberg, Francesca (1988), Babylonian Horoscopes, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 88 (1), p. 17, doi:10.2307/1006632, JSTOR1006632
- ^Aaboe, Asger H. (2001), Episodes from the Early History of Astronomy, New York: Springer, pp. 41–45, ISBN9780387951362
- ^Rochberg, Francesca (1988), Babylonian Horoscopes, Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, 88 (1), p. 8, doi:10.2307/1006632, JSTOR1006632
- ^E.W. Bullinger, The Witness of the Stars
- ^D. James Kennedy, The Real Meaning of the Zodiac.
- ^Richard Hinckley Allen, Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, Vol. 1 (New York: Dover Publications, 1899, p. 213-215.) argued for Scorpio having previously been called Eagle. for Scorpio.
- ^Rogers, John H. 'Origins of the ancient constellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions.' Journal of the British Astronomical Assoc. 108.1 (1998): 9–28. Astronomical Data Service.
- ^Rogers, John H. 'Origins of the ancient constellations: II. The Mesopotamian traditions.' Journal of the British Astronomical Assoc. 108.2 (1998): 79–89. Astronomical Data Service.
- ^Powell, Robert, Influence of Babylonian Astronomy on the Subsequent Defining of the Zodiac (2004), PhD thesis, summarized by anonymous editor, Archived 21 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
- ^Montelle, Clemency (2016), 'The Anaphoricus of Hypsicles of Alexandria', in Steele, John M. (ed.), The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World, Time, Astronomy, and Calendars: Texts and Studies, 6, Leiden: Brill, pp. 287–315, ISBN978-90-0431561-7
- ^Saliba, George, 1994. A History of Arabic Astronomy: Planetary Theories During the Golden Age of Islam. New York: New York University Press. ISBN978-0-8147-8023-7. Page 67.
- ^Derek and Julia Parker, Ibid, p16, 1990
- ^ abGraßhoff, Gerd (1990). The History of Ptolemy’s Star Catalogue. Springer. p. 73. ISBN9780387971810.
- ^Evans, James; Berggren, J. Lennart (2006). Geminos's Introduction to the Phenomena. Princeton University Press. p. 113. ISBN069112339X.
- ^ abAshmand, J. M. Ptolemy's Tetrabiblos. Astrology Classics. p. 37 (I.XXV).
- ^Schmidt, Robert H. 'The Relation of Hellenistic to Indian Astrology'. Project Hindsight. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
- ^Dalal, Roshen (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books India. p. 89. ISBN978-0-14-341421-6.
- ^King, David. 'Angers Cathedral’, (book review of Karine Boulanger’s 2010 book, Les Vitraux de la Cathédrale d’Angers, the 11th volume of the Corpus Vitrearum series from France), Vitemus: the only on-line magazine devoted to medieval stained glass, Issue 48, February 2011, retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^http://coinindia.com/galleries-jahangir.html
- ^Nautical Almanac and Astronomical Ephemeris for the year 1767. London: Board of Longitude, 1766.
- ^MUL.APIN; Peter Whitfield, History of Astrology (2001); W. Muss-Arnolt, The Names of the Assyro-Babylonian Months and Their Regents, Journal of Biblical Literature (1892).
- ^Alternative form: ΣκορπίωνSkorpiōn. Later form (with synizesis): Σκορπιός.
- ^American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language 3rd ed., s.v. 'Pisces.'
- ^James, Edward W. (1982). Patrick Grim (ed.). Philosophy of science and the occult. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN0873955722.
- ^30.4368 SI days or 2629743 seconds in tropical astrology and 30.4380 SI days or 2629846 seconds in sidereal astrology on average (the time spent by the Sun in each sign varies slightly due to the eccentricity of the Earth's orbit).
- ^Peters, Christian Heinrich Friedrich and Edward Ball Knobel. Ptolemy's Catalogue of Stars: a revision of the Almagest. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1915.
- ^Ptolemy (1982) [2nd cent.]. 'VII.5'. In R. Catesby Taliaferro (ed.). Almagest. p. 239. Ptolemy refers to the constellation as Septentarius 'the serpent holder'.
- ^Kollerstrom, N. (October 1995). 'Ophiuchus and the media'. The Observatory. KNUDSEN; OBS. 115: 261–262. Bibcode:1995Obs..115.261K.Reproduced online at SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS), retrieved 13 July 2011.
- ^Kollerstrom, N. (October 1995). 'Ophiuchus and the media'. The Observatory. KNUDSEN; OBS. 115: 261–262. Bibcode:1995Obs..115.261K.
- ^The notion received further international media attention in January 2011, when it was reported that astronomer Parke Kunkle, a board-member of the Minnesota Planetarium Society, had suggested that Ophiuchus was the zodiac's '13th sign'. He later issued a statement to say he had not reported that the zodiac ought to include 13 signs instead of 12, but was only mentioning that there were 13 constellations; reported in Mad Astronomy: Why did your zodiac sign change? 13 January 2011.
- ^Plait, Phil (26 September 2016). 'No, NASA Didn't Change Your Astrological Sign'.
- ^NASA (20 September 2016). 'Constellations and the Calendar'.
- ^ abMosley, John (2011). 'The Real, Real Constellations of the Zodiac'. International Planetarium Society. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
- ^https://usm.maine.edu/planet/why-vernal-equinox-called-first-point-aries-when-sun-actually-pisces-date
- ^The Gregorian calendar is built to satisfy the First Council of Nicaea, which placed vernal equinox is on 21 March, but it is not possible to keep it on a single day within a reasonable system of leap days.
- ^See Jean Meeus, Astronomical Tables of the Sun, Moon, and Planets, 1983 published by Willmann-Bell, Inc., Richmond, VirginiaArchived 9 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine. The date in other time zones may vary.
- ^Swift, Jackson (2015). 'Astrology: Tropical Zodiac and Sidereal Zodiac'. goarticles.com. Archived from the original on 18 November 2015. Retrieved 24 March 2016.[unreliable source?]
- ^ ab'Zodiacal symbols in Unicode block Miscellaneous Symbols'(PDF). The Unicode Standard. 2010.
- ^ abThe Real Constellations of the Zodiac. Lee T. Shapiro, director of Morehead Planetarium University of North Carolina (Spring 1977)
- ^Julia Parker 'The Astrologer's Handbook', pp 10, Alva Press, NJ, 2010
- ^Sachs, Abraham (1948), 'A Classification of the Babylonian Astronomical Tablets of the Seleucid Period', Journal of Cuneiform Studies, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp. 271–290
- ^Rochberg, Francesca (1998), 'Babylonian Horoscopes', American Philosophical Society, New Series, Vol. 88, No. 1, pp i-164
- ^ abEvans, James; Berggren, J. Lennart (2006). Geminos's Introduction to the Phenomena. Princeton University Press. p. 115. ISBN069112339X.
- ^'tropo-'. Dictionary.com. Random House, Inc. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
- ^ abEncyclopædia Britannica. 'Zodiac'. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^Encyclopædia Britannica. 'Ecliptic'. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^'International Occultation Timing Association'. 18 December 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
- ^ abEncyclopædia Britannica. 'Astronomical map'. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
- ^G. Rubie (1830). The British Celestial Atlas: Being a Complete Guide to the Attainment of a Practical Knowledge of the Heavenly Bodies. Baldwin & Cradock. p. 79.
External links[edit]
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- 'A Treatise on Zodiacal Signs and Constallations: Unique Jewels on the Benefits of Keeping Time' is a manuscript that dates back to 1831 with a focus on Arabic, Coptic and Syriac calendars.