From: Justin - 1
Date: 7/12/00
Time: 10:55:02 AM
The Chinese system of horoscope divination, in the patji of birth (eight characters, two each for year, month, day and hour), expresses the following ideas:-
1. Ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches, the pairing of one stem and one branch making up each pair of the four pairs constituting the eight characters. 2. The five agents or elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, water. Each of the eight characters and each pair is possessed of qualities of one oarticular agent. (On a separate subject, the Chang surname has the qualities of the metal agent. Chang was a leading state during the Chou dynasty well before China unified under Qin state. The most illustrious Lord of Chang state was a first-born born feet-first unloved and plotted against by his mother for this reason.) 3. The Yin and the Yang. Each of the eight characters and each pair of one stem and one branch is either Yin or Yang.
The twelve animal signs symbolically correspond to the twelve earthly branches, and is associated with a year in a 12 x 5 = 60 hexagenary cycle of the Chinese astrological calendar and with a two-hour period in a 12 x 2 = 24 hour day. Thus, the year and hour of birth is symbolised by one of the twelve animals. Commonly, a person is known to belong to a particular animal by the year of birth, the hour of birth being kept secret as knowledge of it completes the eight characters which lead to knowledge of the person's qualities and vulnerabilities, good and not good.
The order of the twelve animals is:
1 Rat,
2 Ox, 3 Tiger,
4 Rabbit, 5 Dragon,
6 Snake,
9 Monkey, 10 Cock, 11 Dog and 12 Pig.
The odd numbered animals are Yang and
the others Yin. This year is a Metal Dragon year.
Note: I know that this strictly not a story - but it makes interesting reading. I have taken the liberty to post it. WebMaster