WHAT IS THE CHINESE ZODIAC

Something very important in the culture of the country of China is the Chinese zodiac, which is an astrological cycle of 12 years in which a zodiac animal is assigned to each year of a constant rotation. With the arrival of each Chinese New Year comes the country's most important day, as the zodiac animals of the given year begin to advance to the next in the 12-year lineup.

People like to explore the meaning of the zodiac and all those personality traits that a person has according to the animal assigned to him, but fun and curiosity about the Chinese zodiac is not the only reason to learn, but so is understanding the beliefs and traditions of the country of China. It may be that you want to find out what your Chinese horoscope sign is.

WHAT IS THE CHINESE ZODIAC?

Today we will begin by explaining what the Chinese zodiac is and then we will delve deeper into the subject. The Chinese zodiac is a very ancient belief system, which is still considered today as a tool used to decide a person's destiny. This is used following the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar.

The scheme that this calendar has is based on a 12-year cycle in which each new year is represented by one of the 12 animals that make up the Chinese zodiac, and it is very different from our zodiacal system, in which you can even know which is the most unfaithful sign of the zodiac.

STORIES BEHIND THE CHINESE ZODIAC

Many scholars in the country believe that the Chinese zodiac emerged during the Warring States period, which took place in 475 BC to 221 BC, but the truth is that it did not happen until the Han dynasty that appeared, it was there where the popularity of the Chinese astrological calendar began to grow and expand without stopping.

There are several different theories about the origin of the animals of the Chinese zodiac, so understanding the emergence of all this can become very confusing if due attention is not paid to the subject.

One of the most popular theories about this is that the Chinese zodiac originated along trade routes on the Silk Road, those who believe in this theory say that the animals of the Chinese zodiac are responsible for representing those that were introduced in the country of China thanks to the Indian Buddhists.

Another quite famous theory about the Chinese zodiac, and perhaps the most widespread, is about the great and legendary Jade Emperor. The story of him says that he invited all the animals of the world to a great banquet, but not all of them attended, only 12 animals were present. Because of this, the emperor decided to honor these 12 animals, which are the ones we see in the Chinese zodiac.

However, the story that people in the country of China believe the most about the origin of the Chinese zodiac is the following. The Chinese affirm that it was the Buddha himself who asked the 12 sacred animals to protect his palace, it was then that Buddha decided to organize a race where all the animals would participate, from which he would choose the 12 most worthy, and it was from this race that the animals of the zodiac came out.

THE CHINESE ZODIAC FOCUSES ON THE YEAR, NOT THE MONTH.

In Western astrology, they focus on the day and month in which a person was born. On the other hand, when we talk about the Chinese system, it is the opposite. The Chinese believe that a person's year of birth is the most important factor in determining someone's destiny and what are the most notable traits of their personality.

They even believe that it is the personality that an individual possesses that leads him to the most dramatic events that will happen in his life. These on the other hand are being influenced by the zodiac animal that is associated with the person's year of birth.

THE 5 ELEMENTS OF THE CHINESE ZODIAC

Another belief held in the country of China is that each lunisolar year is accompanied by one of the five elements, which are water, metal, earth, wood, and fire. As we see in traditional Chinese philosophy, the elements are affected by the delicate balance of Yin and Yang, a wonderful example of this is that this year 2022 is the year of the tiger and Yang water.

The element of wood symbolizes elegance, warmth, generosity, and sensitivity; the element of fire symbolizes innovation, joy, decision, and dynamism; the earth is responsible for symbolizing prudence, honesty, and hard work; metal symbolizes independence, strength, and ambition; and finally, the element of water symbolizes diplomacy, flexibility, persuasiveness, and kindness.

THE CHINESE ZODIAC AND ITS COMPATIBILITY

For many years, fortune tellers have used the Chinese zodiac in order to determine the fate and fortune of many people. The predictions also reach the realm of relationships and love interests. Something curious is that many animals of the Chinese zodiac are used to determine if the personality of one of them is compatible with the animal of its possible mate.

Almost always, those people who have faith in the predictive powers of the zodiac, affirm that each animal of the zodiac can interact in a positive or negative way with the others.

CHINESE ZODIAC ANIMALS

The animal that heads the Chinese horoscope is the rat. There is a theory that explains that he is the first since he was the first to arrive at the emperor's dinner. After the rat comes to the Ox, followed by the tiger, then it is the turn of the rabbit, then comes the dragon, then comes the snake, followed by the horse, then the ram, then the monkey, then the rooster, followed by the dog and then the pig.

Now that you know a little more about this Chinese tradition that has been going on for so many years, what are you waiting for to discover which animal you have in the Chinese zodiac?

 

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