[Guide] Astrology

[Bastenchury]

A SMALL EXCERPT ABOUT CHINESE ASTROLOGY
If you have any questions, please hold them until Lesson Three.

Chinese astrology is the divination of the future from the Chinese calendar, which is based on astronomy, and ancient Chinese philosophy. In particular, it is based on the age-old sexagenary cycle of 60 years that has been documented since the time of the Shang Dynasty at the latest. This basic cycle has been constructed from two cycles: the 10 heavenly stems (the five elements in their yin and yang forms) and the 12 earthly branches, or the 12-year cycle of animals referred to as the Chinese zodiac. The Chinese animal zodiac also operates on a cycle of months or 'moons' and of hours of the day.

The Chinese zodiac refers to a pure calendrical cycle; there are no equivalent constellations like those of the occidental zodiac. In imperial times there were astrologers who watched the sky for heavenly omens that would predict the future of the state, but this was a quite different practice of divination from the popular present-day methods.

(Please excuse me for having to double post!!!! n_n;; wink  

[Kutter Dypere]

Thank you, that cleared some things up. However I shall wait until lesson three ^^ *claps happily*  

[SkylarHawk]

In answer to your questions as to why the Chinese New Year follows no set pattern is because of the way the traditional Chinese Calendar runs. Traditionally the New year was the first new moon following the Winter Solstice. But as the traditional Chinese calendar is lunarsolar, IE: it's based on the Moon. This gives you a traditional year of approx 356 days. Therefore, every 3rd year or so, they insert an intercalculary month to bring it back into synch with the sun (Gregorian Year). This intercalculary month is what causes the New Year to jump so drastically some years.  

[Bastenchury]

SkylarHawk

In answer to your questions as to why the Chinese New Year follows no set pattern is because of the way the traditional Chinese Calendar runs. Traditionally the New year was the first new moon following the Winter Solstice. But as the traditional Chinese calendar is lunarsolar, IE: it's based on the Moon. This gives you a traditional year of approx 356 days. Therefore, every 3rd year or so, they insert an intercalculary month to bring it back into synch with the sun (Gregorian Year). This intercalculary month is what causes the New Year to jump so drastically some years.

Ah...thanks for clearing that up. I never really bothered to ask myself that question so I kinda never really looked it up XD thank you very much! n_n  

[PathlessPlot]

So there is pretty much no way of knowing the date anymore w/o looking on a calender?? This is just a question that has been bugging me. sweatdrop  

[Bastenchury]

Rebo_Nicky

So there is pretty much no way of knowing the date anymore w/o looking on a calender?? This is just a question that has been bugging me. sweatdrop

Referance SkylarHawk's post. Yes you must check a calender, but if you want I'll post the coming up dates.  

[rikuizo]

http://www.hyscience.com/PigsFly.jpg  

[Bastenchury]

I've decided to extend Lesson Two's discussion for another few days because of Mabon/Ostra. So please read the last post on page 3 and take part! It closes 5pm September 27th, 2007 PST (My time, California USA XD wink
So please take part it does go toward your grade lol, not that you really need to excel but Honor Roll students and the 'Student of the Month' does get a reward so do your best!  

[PathlessPlot]

Well, I looked it up and one source says that the Chinese New Year starts on the first day of the first new moon. It usually falls on the second and sometimes third new moon after the winter sostice. mrgreen  

[Bastenchury]

Rebo_Nicky

Well, I looked it up and one source says that the Chinese New Year starts on the first day of the first new moon. It usually falls on the second and sometimes third new moon after the winter sostice. mrgreen

Yup. That's what Skylar said. lol but good job looking that up.  

[PathlessPlot]

sorry I wan't paying attention, I was trying to do two things at once and didn't think to look back.  

[Bastenchury]

LESSON THREE

The lunisolar calendar

The 60-year cycle consists of two separate cycles interacting with each other. The first is the cycle of ten heavenly stems, namely the Five Elements (in order; Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water) in their Yin and Yang forms.

The second is the cycle of the twelve Zodiac animal signs or Earthly Branches . They are in order as follows: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (ram or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and boar(or pig).

This combination of 5 elements × 12 animals creates the 60-year cycle (5X12=60, yay math!), which always starts with Wood Rat and ends with Water Boar. Since the zodiac animal cycle of 12 is divisible by two, every zodiac sign can also only occur in either yin or yang: the dragon is always yang, the snake is always yin, etc.

When trying to calculate the relevant year, an easy rule to follow is that years that end in an even number are yang, those that end with an odd number are yin. The cycle proceeds as follows:

* If the year ends in 0 it is Yang Metal.
* If the year ends in 1 it is Yin Metal.
* If the year ends in 2 it is Yang Water.
* If the year ends in 3 it is Yin Water.
* If the year ends in 4 it is Yang Wood.
* If the year ends in 5 it is Yin Wood.
* If the year ends in 6 it is Yang Fire.
* If the year ends in 7 it is Yin Fire.
* If the year ends in 8 it is Yang Earth.
* If the year ends in 9 it is Yin Earth.

(this you should already know, but I'm gonna review)Since the traditional Chinese zodiac follows the (lunisolar) Chinese calendar, the switch over date is the Chinese New Year, not January 1 as in the Gregorian calendar. Therefore, a person who was born in January or early February has the sign of the previous year. For example, if a person was born in January 1970, his or her element would still be Yin Earth, not Yang Metal. Similarly, although 1990 was called the year of the horse, anyone born from January 1 to January 26, 1990 was in fact born in the Year of the Snake (the sign of the previous year), because the 1990 Year of the Horse did not begin until January 27, 1990. For this reason, many online sign calculators (and Chinese restaurant placemats) will give a person the wrong sign if he/she was born in January or early February.

Lesson Three discussion: This small excerpt was pretty self explanatory, but I just want to see if you have questions. Refer to the Post I made before this, the fist post on page four. That ties in with this. As you saw the Earthly and Heavenly branches were mentioned. The small chart is extremley helpful when you're not entirely sure of the current year. For example, this year is 2007 the year of the Pig, but you notice I never mentioned what element or symbol. Look at the chart and find out (if you haven't already). Any questions? Feed back?  

[PathlessPlot]

I suppose this would mean that since I am Earth Dragon. This is pretty cool because I took a miniquiz online that told me that my element is Earth when I thought it was only fire. Turns out that I am both.LOL xd

OOOh, this also means that my baby born March 5 of this year, is Pig Fire!!!  

[Foxmore]

Ah, so I am a fire rabbit. That could explain why I am a bit of a pyro, eh? I had wondered about that, seeing that I am an Aquarian, I didn't see astrologicly where I could have such an offiliation. If we do enough of these I might have something in all of the elements (though maybe not earth... earth is a bit to stable for my personality).

I didn't understand at all at the beginning where people were getting the element signs from, now it makes sense. Though I have one question, didn't the Chinese count air/wind as an element? Or does metal take over air's place in this branch of astrology?

Off topic, are we going to have any classes over Western astrology, or are you going to focus mainly on Eastern?  

[rikuizo]

he that means that i'm a yin metal,....i know this may sound kinda stupid but what animal is the year 92