Chinese Astrology

 

Legend has it that one Chinese New Year many centuries ago, Buddha invited all the animals in creation to come to him. Of all the animals, most ignored his call except for the twelve animals that did go to him. They were, in order of their arrival, the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig (some traditions replace the Rabbit with the Cat and the Pig with the Wild Boar). To thank them, Buddha offered each a year which would be dedicated to that animal alone through the ages. Each year would carry the animal’s name and express the animal’s symbolic character and specific psychological traits, marking the personality and behaviour of people born during that year. It's fun to take a look at the qualities of each sign, perhaps not to be taken too seriously!

Personality qualities of each sign:

The Rat:

·         Postives: Charm, intelligent, imagination

·         Negatives: Aggressive and individualistic. Insists on living only at their own rhythm

The Ox

·         Positives: Hard worker, well balanced, patient

·         Negatives: Stubborn, a bad loser. Not particularly lucid about what concerns them personally

The Tiger

·         Positives: Loyalty, courage, enthusiasm, generosity

·         Negatives: Imprudence, toughness, selfishness, impulsiveness

The Rabbit

·         Positives: Discreet, prudent, profoundly honest

·         Negatives: Easily offended, egotistic, sometimes pedantic

The Dragon

·         Positives: Active, dynamic, scrupulous and lucky

·         Negatives: Demanding, impatient, intolerant

The Snake

·         Positives: Reflective, organised, alert and wise

·         Negatives: Jealous and obstinate. Does not listen to a word one says to them

The Horse

·         Positives: Loyal, enthusiastic, enterprising

·         Negatives: Unstable, flares up easily, impatient and talkative

The Goat

·         Positives: Peaceful and adaptable and has a gentle and easy character

·         Negatives: Irresponsible, irrational, inconstant, unsatisfied, undisciplined

The Monkey

·         Positives: Intelligence, clear-sightedness, keenness of mind

·         Negatives: A slight superiority complex and often indulges in low opinion of others

The Rooster

·         Positives: Honest, frank, obliging, courageous

·         Negatives: Vain, thoughtless, preoccupied with appearance

The Dog

·         Positives: Loyal, faithful, unselfish

·         Negatives: Anxious, pessimistic, doubting everything

The Pig

·         Positives: Honest, rigorous, tolerant

·         Negatives: Profoundly egotistical despite their generosity, their own well-being always comes first

Reference: "Chinese Zodiac Signs" 1982