| 2008 - Year of the Rat |
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| Sunday, 03 February 2008 | |
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What sign in the Chinese Zodiac are you?
By the Chinese Calendar, 2008 is the Year of the Rat, which is also known by its former name of Wu Zi. (http://www.chinapage.com/main2.html) The Chinese animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. They represent a cyclical concept of time, rather than the Western linear concept of time. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and is constructed in a different fashion than the Western solar calendar. In the Chinese calendar, the beginning of the year falls somewhere between late January and early February. (Source: http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/zodiac.html#Sign%20Background) As the first in the cycle of 12 Chinese zodiac signs, people born in the Year of the Rat are natural leaders with a strong drive for success. According to legend, the order of the cycle was decided by all animals racing across a river to the Jade Emperor. Seeking a faster route, the Rat and the Cat snuck onto the back of the Ox. Wanting to avoid competition, the Rat pushed the Cat into the water during the crossing, causing it to lose its place in the cycle and making them sworn enemies ever since. When approaching the bank, the Rat jumped from the back of the Ox, winning the race and its place as first sign of the zodiac cycle. Rats are charming and hard working perfectionists. They are motivated by a desire for material success, making them thrifty but usually very successful. Rats are one of the most intelligent of the zodiac signs, with a strong sense of curiosity and a powerful imagination. They enjoy taking on responsibility, but can take on more than they can handle as they push towards success. 2008 is the Year of the Earth Rat. Earth Rats are very stable, establishing solid roots early in their lives as a strong basis for their future successes. They take a slow and steady approach to acquiring wealth and influence, avoiding risks which could compromise their achievements. Rats make good politicians, lawyers, detectives, engineers and authors. (Source: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/CNY/Rat/Default.asp) According to Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_astrology, 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 sexagenary cycle of 60 years that has been documented since at least the time of the Shang Dynasty. 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.
If you are still interested in your zodiac sign, please see http://www.rainfall.com/horoscop/chinese.htm Enjoy!! |
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| Last Updated ( Sunday, 03 February 2008 ) |
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