The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes (40th Anniversary Edition) Read online

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Preface: Self-Discovery through Chinese Horoscopes Learning the Language of Chinese Astrology

  How to Use This Book

  Tables

  Special Section

  Special Section

  Special Section

  Acknowledgments

  1: The First Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Rat Personality

  The Rat Child

  The Five Different Rats

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Rat

  The Rat and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Rat

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Rat

  2: The Second Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Ox Personality

  The Ox Child

  The Five Different Oxen

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Ox

  The Ox and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Ox

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Ox

  3: The Third Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Tiger Personality

  The Tiger Child

  The Five Different Tigers

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Tiger

  The Tiger and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Tiger

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Tiger

  4 : The Fourth Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Rabbit Personality

  The Rabbit Child

  The Five Different Rabbits

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Rabbit

  The Rabbit and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Rabbit

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Rabbit

  5: The Fifth Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Dragon Personality

  The Dragon Child

  The Five Different Dragons

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Dragon

  The Dragon and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Dragon

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Dragon

  6: The Sixth Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Snake Personality

  The Snake Child

  The Five Different Snakes

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Snake

  The Snake and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Snake

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Snake

  7: The Seventh Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Horse Personality

  The Horse Child

  The Five Different Horses

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Horse

  The Horse and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Horse

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Horse

  8: The Eighth Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Sheep Personality

  The Sheep Child

  The Five Different Sheep

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Sheep

  The Sheep and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Sheep

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Sheep

  9: The Ninth Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Monkey Personality

  The Monkey Child

  The Five Different Monkeys

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Monkey

  The Monkey and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Monkey

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Monkey

  10: The Tenth Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Rooster Personality

  The Rooster Child

  The Five Different Roosters

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Rooster

  The Rooster and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Rooster

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Rooster

  11: The Eleventh Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Dog Personality

  The Dog Child

  The Five Different Dogs

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Dog

  The Dog and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Dog

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Dog

  12: The Twelfth Sign of the Lunar Cycle The Boar Personality

  The Boar Child

  The Five Different Boars

  Compatibility and Conflict for the Boar

  The Boar and Its Ascendant Relationships

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  The Seasons of the Boar

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Boar

  13: Choosing Wedding Dates by the Lunar Almanac

  14: Relationship Combinations The Rat’s Relationships

  The Ox’s Relationships

  The Tiger’s Relationships

  The Rabbit’s Relationships

  The Dragon’s Relationships

  The Snake’s Relationships

  The Horse’s Relationships

  The Sheep’s Relationships

  The Monkey’s Relationships

  The Rooster’s Relationships

  The Dog’s Relationships

  The Boar’s Relationships

  Index

  About the Authors

  The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes

  40th Anniversary Edition

  Theodora Lau and Laura Lau

  Calligraphy and Illustrations by Kenneth Lau

  Copyright © 1979, 1988, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2007 by Theodora Lau. Copyright © 2019 by the Estate of Theodora and Laura Lau, a.k.a. Laura Karmarkar. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.

  Published by

  North Atlantic Books

  Berkeley, California 94712

  Calligraphy and cover art by Kenneth Lau

  Cover design by Howie Severson

  Book design by Happenstance Type-O-Rama

  Printed in Canada

  The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes: 40th Anniversary Edition is sponsored and published by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences (dba North Atlantic Books), an educational nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that collaborates with partners to develop cross-cultural perspectives, nurture holistic views of art, science, the humanities, and healing, and seed personal and global transformation by publishing work on the relationship of body, spirit, and nature. North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 800-733-3000.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Lau, Theodora, author. | Lau, Laura, illustrator.

  Title: The handbook of Chinese horoscopes / Theodora Lau and Laura Lau ;

  calligraphy and illustrations by Kenneth Lau.

  Description: 40th [edition]. | Berkeley : North Atlantic Books, 2019. |

  Includes bibliographical references and index. |

 
Identifiers: LCCN 2019017409 (print) | LCCN 2019018734 (ebook) | ISBN

  9781623173746 (E-book) | ISBN 9781623173739 (trade paper : alk. paper)

  Subjects: LCSH: Astrology, Chinese. | Horoscopes.

  Classification: LCC Bc17f014.C5 (ebook) | LCC Bc17f014.C5 L38 2019 (print) | DDC

  133.5/9251—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019017409

  This book includes material from well-managed forests and from recycled materials. North Atlantic Books is committed to the protection of our environment. We print on recycled paper whenever possible and partner with printers who strive to use environmentally responsible practices.

  For Alexander

  Preface: Self-Discovery through Chinese Horoscopes

  Learning the Language of Chinese Astrology

  When my mother, Theodora Lau, wrote the first edition of The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes forty years ago, few books of any depth were available on Chinese astrology in English. The zodiac and its twelve animals were only known in a very simple way. As a result, people knew their animal birth year but little more than a short list of adjectives to go with it. Theodora’s clear teaching of Chinese astrology, paired with her gift for interpreting each animal’s full personality in captivating stories, helped many readers around the world unlock a connection to their zodiac animal. With an animal as their guide, many found a previously undiscovered path of self-reflection. Today, a new generation is ushering in a fresh perspective on personal growth, and with it a renaissance of sorts in astrology. In a time when everything old is being reexamined, Chinese astrology and wisdom have found a new and very engaged audience. With the recent explosion of interest in living in harmony with nature, Chinese astrology joins a mix of modern and ancient tools to help us navigate our lives.

  The Chinese traditionally kept their birth dates secret, not solely out of vanity (though this is the case for many) but also to maintain their privacy. After all, our date and time of birth reveal significant clues to our personality, communication style, and thoughts, which is why Chinese people rarely shared these intimate details with anyone. Fortune-tellers entrusted with such knowledge were often part of a family’s inner circle for years, perhaps generations. Only life milestones, such as matchmaking with a worthy spouse, would warrant exchanging these secret dates with a trusted intermediary. Our astrological chart gives insight into whom we are compatible with, how we engage with the world, and how we adapt to changing situations, so the very act of personally taking control of one’s astrological chart is incredibly empowering. Theodora referred to this path of self-discovery through Chinese astrology as learning about “the animal that hides in your heart.” By truly getting to know our animal, we are forced to analyze ourselves and confront our strengths and weaknesses. The process is thrilling, thought provoking, and sometimes humbling.

  Many readers have written letters and emails to my mother and me to share their inspiring stories of personal growth and self-discovery aided by past editions of The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes. For example, a Rooster English teacher who described himself as “more honest than kind” was infamous for his brutal honesty. He shared how he learned to soften his constructive criticism in his high school classroom and formed the habit of having private conversations rather than public ones with his more tenderhearted students. For many years he was unaware of how harshly he was perceived because he saw his honesty—and the time he took to dispense it—as among his most generous gifts to students. But when he read how other animal signs responded to his approach, he was inspired to modify his blunt conversational style because he realized that his students could learn even more from him if he softened his language.

  Then there was the Ox mother who lamented her rebellious young Horse son’s need to learn through “experimentation.” The young man listened to his heart more than his head, and his ups and downs in love and his career were often difficult to watch. However, after the mother contemplated how he inhabited his Horse sign, she did her best to embrace his spirit and support him to avoid pushing him away. She came to accept her son’s need to explore as a counterpoint to her rigid guidelines. Over the years, her Horse got much of his adventuring out of his system and came to appreciate his Ox mother’s strength and stability, even seeking out her advice and eventually her approval. It was through Chinese astrology that this mother could reflect upon and even laugh at how her son was a force of nature. Indeed, our animals can be a powerful tool for evaluating our loved ones and ourselves. The wisdom of Chinese astrology is perhaps most illuminating and comforting at key decision points of our lives. During these times of happiness and struggle, we look for answers—often in the stars. From flirtation to heartbreak, commitment to parenthood, starting a business to shuttering one, we are able to gain a valuable perspective on ourselves—a wider view that brings our whole being into focus—by way of the zodiac.

  An editor once remarked to me that it must be strange to have written a book that readers do not read from beginning to end. It is true. This is a book in which one hops, skips, and jumps around, not in one sitting, but sometimes through many years. The first reading is always a deep dive into oneself. What is my sign? What is my ascendant? What does the new year hold? As one’s relevant chapters become quite dog-eared, slowly but surely one starts to visit the other animals as one learns (and often guesses) what another person’s sign may be. A challenging boss, a charming new neighbor, or perhaps the hope of welcoming a child to the family—new encounters with the people in our lives inspire us to travel through the zodiac and the Handbook. We cannot help but see patterns in the people we connect with. There are zodiac signs we are drawn to, others we are repelled by, and some we always seem to have in our lives no matter what we do. When I was a very young child I remember asking my mother, “Which animal is the best?” I will always remember her answer: “What do you define as the best? Every animal has good and bad qualities. Who you love and get along with may be different from someone else’s preferences. Every animal is the best to someone.” Wise and diplomatic words indeed, but also a great encapsulation of how Chinese astrology is a tool and language for understanding. It is important to remember that while we may have different affinities for different animals, each one can provide lessons to each of us.

  Theodora began writing this book forty years ago based on her own theories, research, and empirical observations. She and I worked together professionally on writing and predictions for more than twenty-five years. However, a few years ago we lost my mother, and I took a short break from updating the Handbook. The shift to continuing the series without her has been a big change. With this fortieth-anniversary edition, it is my hope that you and your family continue to learn, grow, and explore with Chinese horoscopes, which have endured through countless generations. This book is a family tradition, and Chinese astrology is a language that guides us in our lives. I wish you the same wise guidance and tools for understanding yourselves.

  Sincerely,

  Laura Lau

  How to Use This Book

  To get the most out of this book, you must study not only the animal of the year in which you were born (see table 2) but also several other factors as well: your ascendant—the lunar sign that rules the hour of your birth (see table 5); the Western sun sign corresponding to your moon sign (see table 6); the element of your lunar birth year (see table 2); and your sign’s fixed element (see table 4). By integrating all these factors and assessing their effects, you should discover—if you don’t already know—the person you truly are. And by analyzing the horoscopes of others, you may discover the people they truly are as well.

  Besides being able to understand your total self, you may be able to predict the course and nature of your personal and professional relationships in any given year. The knowledge gained by analyzing your horoscope may also shed light on why you dislike certain people and why you have an almost instant rapport with others.

  The sections in each chapter on
relationship combinations and compatibility serve as general guides only. The assumption in these sections is that we are dealing with “pure” or strongly dominant lunar signs. For instance, a Snake born during the hours of the Snake is a pure sign. However, a Dragon born during the hours of the Rabbit will usually maintain their more dominant Dragon characteristics. On the other hand, a Sheep born during the hours of the Tiger may display the stronger Tiger traits of their ascendant sign and could be compatible with a Dog, which would not normally be the case according to the principles of compatibility.

  That is why, when consulting the sections on compatibility, conflict, and relationship combinations, you should keep in mind other factors in the horoscope that may affect the relationship. For instance, most people display a strong affinity for persons born under their ascendant, even if that sign is the most incompatible with their own birth sign. Thus, a Boar born during the hours of the Snake may get along extremely well with Snake people, even though the compatibility section shows that a Snake is the worst possible partner for a Boar.

  When a person is born during the hours of the sign most incompatible with their birth sign, it is often very difficult—even for experienced fortune-tellers—to predict which traits are most likely to come to the fore. Take, for instance, a Rooster born during the hours of the Rabbit. They may turn out to be an extremely shy Rooster who secretly harbors grand designs and lofty ambitions, or they may be a loquacious one who is shrewd, diplomatic, and strictly noncommittal in spite of all the noise they make. Needless to say, such people are usually complicated in nature and volatile in temperament. A sure way to determine which sign dominates such a person is to observe the lunar signs of the people they prefer to work with or are attracted to. The person will probably be drawn to people with a close affinity to their ascendant, even if they do not match the person’s birth sign.