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

  Although people with conflicting ascendants and birth or month signs do experience more inner conflict and possess a great many opposing traits, it is our observation that such people often turn out to be excellent mediators and intermediaries. They understand how opposite sides think and work, so they make the best go-betweens. Such people excel in bridging the differences between signs that otherwise could not get along together. The world would be a poorer place without these invaluable diplomats!

  Basically, Chinese lunar horoscopes depict a kaleidoscope of relationships based on the interactions among signs or combinations with the highest likelihood of success. Working out variations with high affinity or the least possibility of discord has proven effective for the matchmakers who were indispensable in traditional Chinese society. Success was considered synonymous with good or workable relationships. Everyone had to have guan xi or special relationships in order to get things done.

  In other words, whom you know or have good relations with is more important than what you know. It is relationships that open doors for us. Relationships bring us into contact with people who can effect changes in our lives or make us part of a bigger, better team; they foster synergy and symbiosis. Relationships help us manage the unmanageable. They bring the unreachable within our grasp and foster ties that were previously impossible. Relationships are influence. It may sound simplistic, but in the end, everything boils down to good, working, harmonious relationships. Society cannot exist without them. In the final analysis, we are all social animals.

  Modern society has created all kinds of new names for relationships. For instance, the business world talks a lot about networking. Connecting with the right parties is the major aim of networking. The connections within a network or among networks are essential to making it in today’s corporate world. We are all encouraged to send emissaries to feel out the competition or to get some feedback on the likes and dislikes of others before making a move. Lobbying is a way of life in the United States Congress. When relations break down, we resort to arbitrators to work out our differences. Whether we are busy mending broken fences of friendship, building new communications bridges, making new connections to other networks, or simply expanding our sphere of influence, we are employing the basic principles of trying to establish good relationships.

  The knowledge acquired in this book should help you to both make and maintain good relationships. It may help you dismiss the occasional crankiness of your Dog boss and deal with the changeable and capricious mind of a Horse client, the domineering but expansive ways of a Dragon friend, or the serene but skeptical attitude of a Snake.

  You may be surprised to find that your local handyperson, who is capable of fixing everything, was indeed born in the year of the dexterous Monkey, and that your slow, sure, and conservative banker just happens to belong to the year of the reliable Ox. You may be more patient with that annoying associate who is always the first to complain and cry wolf when you discover they were born in the year of the Sheep. And you may laugh to learn that the business colleague who wears such garish outfits was born in the year of the flamboyant Rooster.

  Perhaps after reading this book you may believe enough to listen to the wise counsel of the Snake, look for sympathy from the gentle Sheep, go along with the clever schemes of the Monkey, have fun with the ever-youthful and carefree Horse, rely on the Rabbit’s good taste and unerring diplomacy, or depend on the strength of the indomitable Dragon. You may get your way by humoring the critical Rooster, reasoning with the fair-minded Dog, joining forces with the optimistic Tiger, or bargaining with the indefatigable, cost-conscious Rat. It’s up to you to use the knowledge you gain to make life easier and more productive for yourself and others.

  As a final note, we’d like to point out that although the Western calendar, which is based on the movements of the sun, is more consistent and easier to follow, the East’s lunar calendar is more accurate in registering the changes in the seasons and the growth of all life. Chinese farmers originally used the calendar as an almanac for selecting the most favorable days of the year to sow and reap their crops. Long before modern science developed ways to forecast the weather, the Chinese relied heavily on the horoscope to predict their rains. (This holds true even at the present time.) Gradually, over the years the calendar began to be consulted for such things as the most auspicious days to visit the barber, start building a home, get married, and of course to hold the numerous Chinese festivals. An authentic lunar calendar contains all the dos and don’ts for each day of the year, down to the most favorable and unfavorable hours of each day. This complete calendar-almanac is still published yearly in Hong Kong and Taiwan. It requires special technical knowledge to interpret, but no self-respecting fortune-teller would be found without it.

  We hope our interpretations will bring you new insights into a subject with rich potential for self-analysis, understanding of others, and acknowledgment of the value of compromise and shared success.

  Tables

  TABLE 1. The Lunar Signs from 1924 to 2043

  Rat 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972 ,1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032

  Ox 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033

  Tiger 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034

  Rabbit 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035

  Dragon 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036

  Snake 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037

  Horse 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038

  Sheep 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039

  Monkey 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, , 2040

  Rooster 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, , 2041

  Dog 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042

  Boar 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043

  Note: The twenty-first century starts on the cusp of the Dragon and Snake years. Please check your exact birth date against the more detailed listing later in this book, because the years overlap between the solar and lunar calendars.

  TABLE 2. The Exact Lunar Years from 1924 to 20441

  Sign Exact Solar Dates Element

  Rat February 5, 1924, to January 24, 1925 Wood (+)

  Ox January 25, 1925, to February 12, 1926 Wood (-)

  Tiger February 13, 1926, to February 1, 1927 Fire (+)

  Rabbit February 2, 1927, to January 22, 1928 Fire (-)

  Dragon January 23, 1928, to February 9, 1929 Earth (+)

  Snake February 10, 1929, to January 29, 1930 Earth (-)

  Horse January 30, 1930, to February 16, 1931 Metal (+)

  Sheep February 17, 1931, to February 5, 1932 Metal (-)

  Monkey February 6, 1932, to January 25, 1933 Water (+)

  Rooster January 26, 1933, to February 13, 1934 Water (-)

  Dog February 14, 1934, to February 3, 1935 Wood (+)

  Boar February 4, 1935, to January 23, 1936 Wood (-)

  Rat January 24, 1936, to February 10, 1937 Fire (+)

  Ox February 11, 1937, to January 30, 1938 Fire (-)

  Tiger January 31, 1938, to February 18, 1939 Earth (+)

  Rabbit February 19,1939, to February 7, 1940 Earth (-)

  Dragon February 8, 1940, to January 26, 1941 Metal (+)

  Snake January 27, 1941, to February 14, 1942 Metal (-)

  Horse February 15, 1942, to February 4, 1943 Water (+)

  Sheep February 5, 1943, to January 24, 1944 Water (-)

  Monkey January 25, 1944, to February 12, 1945 Wood (+)

  Rooster February 13, 1945, to February 1, 1946 Wood (-)

  Dog February 2, 1946, to January 21, 1947 Fire (+)

  Boar January 22, 1947, to February 9, 1948 Fire (-)

  Rat February 10, 1948, to January 28, 1949 Earth (+)

  Ox January 29, 1949, to February 16, 1950 Earth (-)

  Tiger February 17, 1950, to February
5, 1951 Metal (+)

  Rabbit February 6, 1951, to January 26, 1952 Metal (-)

  Dragon January 27, 1952, to February 13, 1953 Water (+)

  Snake February 14, 1953, to February 2, 1954 Water (-)

  Horse February 3, 1954, to January 23, 1955 Wood (+)

  Sheep January 24, 1955, to February 11, 1956 Wood (-)

  Monkey February 12, 1956, to January 30, 1957 Fire (+)

  Rooster January 31, 1957, to February 17, 1958 Fire (-)

  Dog February 18, 1958, to February 7, 1959 Earth (+)

  Boar February 8, 1959, to January 27, 1960 Earth (-)

  Rat January 28, 1960, to February 14, 1961 Metal (+)

  Ox February 15, 1961, to February 4, 1962 Metal (-)

  Tiger February 5, 1962, to January 24, 1963 Water (+)

  Rabbit January 25, 1963, to February 12, 1964 Water (-)

  Dragon February 13, 1964, to February 1, 1965 Wood (+)

  Snake February 2, 1965, to January 20, 1966 Wood (-)

  Horse January 21, 1966, to February 8, 1967 Fire (+)

  Sheep February 9, 1967, to January 29, 1968 Fire (-)

  Monkey January 30, 1968, to February 16, 1969 Earth (+)

  Rooster February 17, 1969, to February 5, 1970 Earth (-)

  Dog February 6, 1970, to January 26, 1971 Metal (+)

  Boar January 27, 1971, to February 15, 1972 Metal (-)

  Rat February 15, 1972, to February 2, 1973 Water (+)

  Ox February 3, 1973, to January 22, 1974 Water (-)

  Tiger January 23, 1974, to February 10, 1975 Wood (+)

  Rabbit February 11, 1975, to January 30, 1976 Wood (-)

  Dragon January 31, 1976, to February 17, 1977 Fire (+)

  Snake February 18, 1977, to February 6, 1978 Fire (-)

  Horse February 7, 1978, to January 27, 1979 Earth (+)

  Sheep January 28, 1979, to February 15, 1980 Earth (-)

  Monkey February 16, 1980, to February 4, 1981 Metal (+)

  Rooster February 5, 1981, to January 24, 1982 Metal (-)

  Dog January 25, 1982, to February 12, 1983 Water (+)

  Boar February 13, 1983, to February 1, 1984 Water (-)

  Rat February 2, 1984, to February 19, 1985 Wood (+)

  Ox February 20, 1985, to February 8, 1986 Wood (-)

  Tiger February 9, 1986, to January 28, 1987 Fire (+)

  Rabbit January 29, 1987, to February 16, 1988 Fire (-)

  Dragon February 17, 1988, to February 5, 1989 Earth (+)

  Snake February 6, 1989, to January 26, 1990 Earth (-)

  Horse January 27, 1990, to February 14, 1991 Metal (+)

  Sheep February 15, 1991, to February 3, 1992 Metal (-)

  Monkey February 4, 1992, to January 22, 1993 Water (+)

  Rooster January 23, 1993, to February 9, 1994 Water (-)

  Dog February 10, 1994, to January 30, 1995 Wood (+)

  Boar January 31, 1995, to February 18, 1996 Wood (-)

  Rat February 19, 1996, to February 6, 1997 Fire (+)

  Ox February 7, 1997, to January 27, 1998 Fire (-)

  Tiger January 28, 1998, to February 15, 1999 Earth (+)

  Rabbit February 16, 1999, to February 4, 2000 Earth (-)

  Dragon February 5, 2000, to January 23, 2001 Metal (+)

  Snake January 24, 2001, to February 11, 2002 Metal (-)

  Horse February 12, 2002, to January 31, 2003 Water (+)

  Sheep February 1, 2003, to January 21, 2004 Water (-)

  Monkey January 22, 2004, to February 8, 2005 Wood (+)

  Rooster February 9, 2005, to January 28, 2006 Wood (-)

  Dog January 29, 2006, to February 17, 2007 Fire (+)

  Boar February 18, 2007, to February 6, 2008 Fire (-)

  Rat February 7, 2008, to January 25, 2009 Earth (+)

  Ox January 26, 2009, to February 13, 2010 Earth (-)

  Tiger February 14, 2010, to February 2, 2011 Metal (+)

  Rabbit February 3, 2011, to January 22, 2012 Metal (-)

  Dragon January 23, 2012, to February 9, 2013 Water (+)

  Snake February 10, 2013, to January 30, 2014 Water (-)

  Horse January 31, 2014, to February 18, 2015 Wood (+)

  Sheep February 19, 2015, to February 7, 2016 Wood (-)

  Monkey February 8, 2016, to January 27, 2017 Fire (+)

  Rooster January 28, 2017, to February 15, 2018 Fire (-)

  Dog February 16, 2018, to February 4, 2019 Earth (+)

  Boar February 5, 2019, to January 24, 2020 Earth (-)

  Rat January 25, 2020, to February 11, 2021 Metal (+)

  Ox February 12, 2021, to January 31, 2022 Metal (-)

  Tiger February 1, 2022, to January 21, 2023 Water (+)

  Rabbit January 22, 2023, to February 9, 2024 Water (-)

  Dragon February 10, 2024, to January 28, 2025 Wood (+)

  Snake January 29, 2025, to February 16, 2026 Wood (-)

  Horse February 17, 2026, to February 5, 2027 Fire (+)

  Sheep February 6, 2027, to January 25, Fire (-)

  Monkey January 26, , to February 12, Earth (+)

  Rooster February 13, , to February 2, 2030 Earth (-)

  Dog February 3, 2030, to January 22, 2031 Metal (+)

  Boar January 23, 2031, to February 10, 2032 Metal (-)

  Rat February 11, 2032, to January 30, 2033 Water (+)

  Ox January 31, 2033, to February 18, 2034 Water (-)

  Tiger February 19, 2034, to February 7, 2035 Wood (+)

  Rabbit February 8, 2035, to January 27, 2036 Wood (-)

  Dragon January 28, 2036, to February 14, 2037 Fire (+)

  Snake February 15, 2037, to February 3, 2038 Fire (-)

  Horse February 4, 2038, to January 23, 2039 Earth (+)

  Sheep January 24, 2039, to February 11, 2040 Earth (-)

  Monkey February 12, 2040, to January 31, 2041 Metal (+)

  Rooster February 1, 2041, to January 21, 2042 Metal (-)

  Dog January 22, 2042, to February 9, 2043 Water (+)

  Boar February 10, 2043, to January 29, 2044 Water (-)

  1 Year texts taken from the Chinese ten thousand years (perpetual) lunar calendar.

  TABLE 3. The Interaction of the Five Elements

  North WATER = WINTER

  Guards the kidneys

  Controls Fire East WOOD = SPRING

  Guards the liver

  Controls Earth

  West METAL = AUTUMN

  Guards the lungs

  Controls Wood South FIRE = SUMMER

  Guards the heart

  Controls Metal

  Center EARTH

  Guards the spleen

  Controls Water

  TABLE 4. The Animal Signs and Their Fixed Elements, Seasons, and Stems

  Stem Sign North (Winter) East (Spring) South (Summer) West (Autumn)

  – Boar Water

  + Rat Water

  – Ox Water

  + Tiger Wood

  – Rabbit Wood

  + Dragon Wood

  – Snake Fire

  + Horse Fire

  – Sheep Fire

  + Monkey Metal

  – Rooster Metal

  + Dog Metal

  Note: The Earth element is not present in the chart because Earth is symbolically composed of the four other elements and therefore cannot be appointed to any one of the twelve lunar signs. Some Chinese astrologers take one representative from each of the other elements—the Ox from Water, the Dragon from Wood, the Sheep from Fire, and the Dog from Metal—and appoint Earth as their secondary element. Other fortune-tellers insist that the presence of all the four other elements in one’s natal chart create the missing Earth element.

  TABLE 5. Ascendants: The Twelve Animal Signs and Their Hours

  11 p.m. to 1 a.m. Hours ruled by the Rat

  1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Hours ruled by the Ox

  3 a.m. to 5 a.m. Hours ruled by the Tiger

  5 a.m. to 7 a.m. Hours ruled by the Rabbit

  7 a.m. to 9 a.m. Hours ruled by the Dragon

 
9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Hours ruled by the Snake

  11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Hours ruled by the Horse

  1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Hours ruled by the Sheep

  3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Hours ruled by the Monkey

  5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Hours ruled by the Rooster

  7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Hours ruled by the Dog

  9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Hours ruled by the Boar

  TABLE 6. The Months of the Lunar Signs and Their Matching Solar Astrological Signs

  Have you ever wondered why Western astrological signs fall on odd days of the month instead of simply on the first or thirtieth? Theodora found the answer when she learned that the lunar calendar is divided into twenty-four sections that were originally used as a guide for agriculture. In matching these twenty-four sections or stems with the closest dates in the Western calendar, one finds that they coincide with the twelve astrological signs of the West. The twelve animal signs are also assigned a month in this calendar, so we can readily match Eastern lunar signs with Western solar signs.

  Lunar Sign Solar Sign Corresponding Dates

  Rat Sagittarius November 22–December 21

  Ox Capricorn December 22–January 20

  Tiger Aquarius January 21–February 19

  Rabbit Pisces February 20–March 20

  Dragon Aries March 21–April 19

  Snake Taurus April 20–May 20

  Horse Gemini May 21–June 21

  Sheep Cancer June 22–July 21

  Monkey Leo July 22–August 21

  Rooster Virgo August 22–September 22

  Dog Libra September 23–October 22

  Boar Scorpio October 23–November 21

  Special Section

  Long and Short Lunar Years and the Influence of the Li Chun

  Short lunar years are made up of twelve months of twenty-nine days each. Long lunar years, or “leap” years, have thirteen months of twenty-nine days each. Because the lunar month is shorter than the solar month by one day each month, every twenty-nine months an extra month is added to that year to create a lunar leap year.