Chinese Astrology - 12 Signs Of The Animal Zodiac

Unlike Western or Indian astrology, both based on the movements of the planets, the sun and the moon through the zodiac, the Chinese astrology or 'calendarism' as it is more popularly called is concerned only with the ancient agricultural calendar, based upon complex lunar cycles, and a sixty-fold sun/moon cycle.
 

The form of predicting the future on the basis of the Chinese Lunar Calendar is known as Chinese Astrology. The Chinese lunar calendar is made up of sixty year cycle. Each year is represented by an element and one of the 12 animals. There are in all five elements and twelve zodiac animals in the sixty year lunar cycle.

The five elements are as follows:

1. Metal

2. Wood

3. Fire

4. Water

5. Earth

The Chinese Zodiac is also termed as Animal Signs. The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animal signs which are repeated in the sixty year cycle. The Chinese zodiacal system comprises of time being calculated in a cyclical format. The Chinese Calendar depends on the lunar cycles whereas the Western calendar depends on the movement of the sun. Unlike the western zodiac which has a fixed day as start of the year, the beginning of a Chinese year falls on a different day every year sometime in January to February.

The twelve Chinese zodiac signs are:

1. Dog

2. Dragon

3. Horse

4. Monkey

5. Pig

6. Ox

7. Rabbit

8. Rat

9. Rooster

10. Sheep

11. Snake

12. Tiger

It is believed that a person born in a particular year is governed by the animal that governs that year. In order to make the understanding and determination of the Chinese astrology predictions simpler, a free Chinese Horoscope reading is a must.