Many people are familiar with chinese astrology, from the placemats in Chinese restrants. However, like western astrology the art of chinese astrology is much richer then the simple horoscopes fund in popular culture. In Chinese Astrology the each year is also assigned an element. Every two years the element changes so that the entire cycle takes ten years. When matched with the Signs of the Chinese Zodiac it which cycles every twelve years, you achive a system that cycles through the complete astrological signs every 60 years. For example 1976 was the year of the fire dragon, and the next year of the fire dragon arrives 2036. Often the month and hour of birth are also taken into consideration.
Chinese Astrology is based on two tables of Correspondence, the Chineese Zodiac and the Wu-Hsing (Five Elements in chineese Cosmology).
In richer forms of Chinese astrology more then just the year is considered. Each month and hour of the day are also assigned correspondences to the zodiac. Thus a person could be born in the year of the fire Dragon, in the month of the Dog in the hour of the Rat. The table for the Chinese elements lists the months and hours associated with the Sign of the Zodiac, and a number of years associated with the sign. The table for the Wu-Hsing lists a number of years associated with then elements.
| The year is actually determined based from the Chinese new year, which starts a little latter in the year then the Gregorian New year. The actual date varies from year to year and requires certain astronomical calculation. This only affects those born in January or Febuary. If you were born in one of those month and wish to find your true sign, you need to find out when the new year occured on the year of your birth. (see the table below) If you were born before the Chinese new year subtract a year from your year of birth and use that number. If you were born after the Chinese new year, then you use your year of birth. |
| Year Begins | Year of | Year Begins | Year of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960.01.28 | Metal | Rat | 1982.02.25 | Water | Dog |
| 1961.02.15 | Metal | Ox | 1983.02.13 | Water | Boar |
| 1963.02.05 | Water | Tiger | 1984.02.02 | Wood | Rat |
| 1963.01.25 | Water | Rabit | 1985.02.20 | Wood | Ox |
| 1964.02.13 | Wood | Dragon | 1986.02.09 | Fire | Tiger |
| 1965.02.02 | Wood | Snake | 1987.01.29 | Fire | Rabit |
| 1966.01.21 | Fire | Horse | 1988.02.17 | Earth | Dragon |
| 1967.02.09 | Fire | Sheep | 1989.02.06 | Earth | Snake |
| 1968.01.30 | Earth | Monkey | 1990.01.27 | Metal | Horse |
| 1969.02.17 | Earth | Rooster | 1991.02.15 | Metal | Sheep |
| 1970.02.06 | Metal | Dog | 1993.01.22 | Water | Monkey |
| 1971.01.27 | Metal | Boar | 1993.01.23 | Water | Rooster |
| 1972.01.16 | Water | Rat | 1994.02.10 | Wood | Dog |
| 1973.02.03 | Water | Ox | 1995.01.31 | Wood | Boar |
| 1974.01.23 | Wood | Tiger | 1996.02.19 | Fire | Rat |
| 1975.02.11 | Wood | Rabit | 1997.02.08 | Fire | Ox |
| 1976.01.31 | Fire | Dragon | 1998.01.28 | Earth | Tiger |
| 1977.02.18 | Fire | Snake | 1999.02.16 | Earth | Rabit |
| 1978.02.07 | Earth | Horse | 2000.02.05 | Metal | Dragon |
| 1979.01.28 | Earth | Sheep | 2001.02.24 | Metal | Snake |
| 1980.02.16 | Metal | Monkey | 2002.01.31 | Water | Horse |
| 1981.02.05 | Metal | Rooster | |||