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Chinese Astrology

Chinese Astrology is a horoscope system based on the Chinese calendar and astronomy. It was used to foretell fortunes on Earth according to astronomical phenomena that were thought to be the representation of Heaven's will. An astronomical phenomenon, or celestial phenomenon, technically represents the locations of planets relative to one another.

It's said that one's horoscope at birth is the potential basis of our life changes. In ancient China, people used astrology to predict the grand affairs of the country and the destiny of the emperor. A special astrological government organ was responsible for celestial observation. However, ancient astronomers were mostly astrologers.

Chinese Astrology dates from the Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties, and became popular during the Qin, Han and Tang Dynasties. It was closely related to Chinese philosophy and was greatly influenced by Yin Yang Theory and the principles of the Five Elements (Wu Xing). Like western astrology, there are twelve zodiac signs and the stars in sky are also charted into twelve different locations.

Chinese Calendar

The early one was a complicated lunar-isolar calendar. It is also called the Agricultural calendar (Nong Li). Each year was divided into 24 solar terms, which were an important guide in ancient agriculture. The more modern Chinese lunar calendar is based on cycles of the moon: crescent, first quarter, full moon and last quarter. Each standard year has 12 moon cycles, while a leap year has 13 moon cycles. Each moon cycle has 28-30 days.

Chinese Zodiac (Sheng Xiao)

Based on the Chinese calendar that used ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches to represent years, twelve zodiac animal signs were created for a cycle of twelve years: rabbit, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In traditional astrology and in the practice of divination, the Beginning of Spring, the first solar term of a year, was believed to be the real start of a year. Today, the start of a new animal year falls on the Chinese New Years Day. This was first certified by law in 1912. However, there are still folk fortune tellers using the old rule.

See: Four Pillars of Destiny

Lucky Number

A lucky numbers is basically associated with homophone principles, based on Chinese pronunciation that sounds similar to Chinese words with bad or good meanings. It is one of the basic concepts of Chinese numerology. Number 0-9 is said to be ruled by corresponding celestial bodies and zodiac signs has their particular numbers too.

Yin Yang Theory

The concept of Yin Yang originated from people's attitude toward nature in ancient China. The observation of mutually related and apposite aspects inspired the theory philosophically. Yin Yang Theory had come to pervade every aspect of Chinese traditional culture, including religion, philosophy, calligraphy, architecture and the geographical study of Feng Shui.

Five Elements (Wu Xing)

This is a concept about substance in ancient China and is usually used in philosophy, Chinese medicine and divination. The five elements refer to metal, wood, water, fire and earth, which were thought to make up the entire world. Ups and downs of these five elements were thought to cause changes in the world, affecting everything in the universe including human destiny. Their interrelationship was determined by their unique properties, generating or overcoming. The proper knowledge of the energy interaction helps the Feng Shui practitioner to arrange energy in a way that is beneficial fto the receiver of the Feng Shui treatment.

I ching (The Book of Change)

This is the oldest Chinese astrology classic derived from previous knowledge and was the originator of the Iching Ba Gua diagram. It uses symbolic signs to represent Yin and Yang. Combinations of different signs represent the properties of everything and the personalities of all humans on earth.

Feng Shui

Feng Shui was initially a discipline of geographical surveying widely used to locate a building in an auspicious way. It was used when planning tombs, dwellings and other structures. Feng shui masters in old times relied on astronomy and later the magnetic compass to find a correspondence between the universe and subjects or humans on earth.