Chinese Astrology Signs & Compatibility

If you were born in the year 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989 or 2001 then you were born in the Chinese Year of the Snake and you are governed by that sign’s qualities and attractions. People born in the Year of the Snake tend to be physically beautiful, quiet, wise, and possess an exterior calm and an aura of mystery. Snakes are highly intelligent and alert. They do not talk much, but they are determined and they notice everything. They can be unpredictable and somewhat ruthless. They tend to be successful and achieve their goals using their keen intelligence and intuition, and their substantial personal charm.

Although snakes are calm on the surface, this outward serenity masks intense inner passion. They hate to lose and can be suddenly vicious. In love they are seductive and desirable but also fickle. Snakes tend to have multiple partners and find can monogamy challenging. Snake people are drawn to occult topics and may have psychic abilities or paranormal powers. They are artistic and love fine things and beautiful surroundings. On the negative side, snakes can be vain, selfish, and a bit stingy.

Snakes are most compatible with the Ox or the Rooster. Some famous snakes include Bob Dylan, Greta Garbo, Brad Pitt, Paul Simon, and Oprah Winfrey.

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Tags: astrology sign, astrology signs, Bob Dylan, Brad Pitt, chinese astrology, chinese year of the snake, chinese zodiac, five elements, Greta Garbo, horoscope, Oprah Winfrey, Paul Simon, western zodiac, Zodiac

Chinese astrology is based on a twelve year cycle which in turn in part of a 60 year cycle. Each of the twelve years corresponds to a symbolic animal with specific personality traits and tendencies, and each twelve year cluster corresponds to a Chinese element that modifies the personality traits of the animals. Five x twelve = sixty years.

This 12 and 60 year cyclic calendar was originally based on the Chinese agricultural calendar and is very different from the western calendar and is also very different from western astrology. The five elements: water, earth, fire, metal, and wood, do not correspond so much to physical states of matter but rather to subtle forms of change. In addition to all this, each year is also modified by a yin or a yang direction. Most westerners think of yin as feminine and yang as masculine, but again this not really the Chinese meaning of those terms. Both yin and yang refer to specific subtle qualities that may or may not be related to gender.

Chinese Calendar Astrology can be very challenging for westerners to understand because its understanding of time, matter, elements, and change are rooted in a culture that is unfamiliar. Even so, taking the time to understand an ancient tradition that is new to the west can result in insights we could never obtain using our own systems and tools. For the determined student, it is totally worth the effort.

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Have you ever read through those menus at Chinese restaurants that show your Chinese astrology sign and the animal that is associated with it? If you have (and who hasn’t!) you know that Chinese astrology is very different from Western Astrology.

Chinese astrology is not tied to specific planets and their movements through the heavens. Instead, it is based on a twelve-year cycle. Each year is associated with a specific animal: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar. Each animal year is also associated with one of the five Chinese elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.

All five elements in Chinese Astrology have both Yin and Yang forms. Yin and Yang are understood popularly as female (Yin) and male (Yang), but this is a misunderstanding of the actual Chinese meanings, which refer to subtle aspects of change that may or may not have male or female qualities.

Obviously, Chinese astrology can get a lot more complicated than a paragraph on a paper menu, but to get started, you first need to find your birth year and match it to the animal associated with that year. The animals roughly correspond to signs of the western Zodiac in that each has specific general characteristics. Beyond that similarity, the two traditions are completely different. Curious? You can find your Chinese astrology sign at chineseastrology.com

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