Zodiac signs that are popular in our country are not at all as popular in China. If you ask an ordinary Chinese what their zodiac sign is, they will answer you with difficulty. However, in China, horoscopes are popular, but not European, but Eastern.
What is eastern or chinese horoscope, we'll figure it out below.
The legend of the origin of the Chinese horoscope
Legends and myths occupy important role in Chinese culture for thousands of years. The origin of the Chinese horoscope is also rooted in Chinese mythology.
There are two main legends that explain where the 12 animals (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig) representing the Chinese horoscope came from, as well as their sequence.
First legend tells how the Buddha invited all the animals to take part in a competition: they had to swim across a cold, wide river, and the prize was a place in one of the 12 months of the Chinese zodiac calendar. The first 12 animals to cross the river took their place in the order in which they reached the Buddha.
The first animal to reach the finish line, according to legend, was a rat. It may seem strange that, of all the participants in the competition, such a small animal became the winner.
The legend explains that the rat's intelligence helped him win. Jumping onto the back of the best swimmer - the bull, she, having reached the shore, jumped off his back and managed to complete the race faster than the bull.
The next second, a bull appeared and took second place among the animals listed in the Chinese horoscope.
The tiger was also strong, so he came third.
The rabbit came fourth. Some eastern peoples had a cat as their fourth animal. To today there is no consensus on this matter.
The dragon reached the finish line fifth.
Hiding in the horse's hoof, the snake crossed the river, and when it got ashore, it scared the horse and took sixth place.
The horse came in seventh.
The goat, monkey and rooster, helping each other, reached the shore and took their places in the calendar.
The dog decided that taking a swim was more important to her than taking a place on the calendar, so she only came in eleventh.
The last one to appear was the pig. According to legend, she ate and rested half the way, but, nevertheless, took her rightful place among other animals.
According to second legend, Jade Emperor(according to some versions, it was Buddha) invited all the animals to the holiday. Some sources say that it was a celebration of his birthday, others - the New Year, and thirdly - the day of his death.
Of all the animals, only 12 came and in the order in which they came, the animals received their places in the Chinese zodiac calendar as a gift.
But no matter how legends describe the origins of the Chinese horoscope, it has continued to amaze and entertain people all over the world for thousands of years.
Chinese horoscope signs
The basis of the Chinese zodiac calendar is the 12 animals, which represent a repeating 12-year cycle.
Below are the characteristics that are attributed to people born in the year of each animal:
Rat
Those born under the Chinese zodiac sign of the rat are quick-witted, intelligent, sociable, charming and cunning. They taste great and are good friends, generous and loyal to others. People of this sign are motivated by money, can be greedy, are always curious and strive for knowledge. Compatibility: with dragon and monkey.
Bull
Another strong sign of the Chinese horoscope is the ox. He is a consistent, committed and detail oriented leader. Oxen are also hardworking, stubborn, serious and reserved, but can feel lonely and insecure. They feel comfortable around friends and family, and are reliable protectors and strong companions. Compatibility: with a snake or rooster.
Tiger
Those born under the sign of the Chinese horoscope - tiger: are authoritative, cold-blooded, possessing leadership qualities, at the same time very charming and very seductive. They are driven, brave, warm-hearted, moody, intense and ready to pounce at any moment. Compatibility: with a horse or dog.
Rabbit
Those born under the Chinese horoscope sign of the Rabbit: love to be surrounded by family and friends. They are compassionate, sincere, prefer to avoid conflict and sometimes seem too simple. Attentive to detail and practical. Rabbits love home and love to spend time indoors. Compatibility: with a goat or pig.
Dragon
Born under this strong sign– dragon: energetic and sincere, charming, selfish and lucky in love. They are natural leaders, good at giving orders and doing what they need to do to stay on top. Compatibility: with monkey and rat.
Snake
Those born under the Chinese horoscope sign are the snake: attractive, sociable, charming, good analysts, love money, but at the same time generous. They are also introverted, insecure, envious, can even be slightly dangerous, smart, they rely on intuition, hardworking and intelligent. Compatibility: with a rooster or bull.
Horse
Those born under the Chinese horoscope sign - horse: love freedom. They are energetic, independent, wise with money, and love to travel. They are wonderful seducers, witty, impatient, and often selfish. Compatibility: with a dog or a tiger.
Goat
Those born under the Chinese horoscope sign - Goat: love privacy in their thoughts. This creative people, thinkers, wanderers, they are disorganized, easily excitable, unsure of themselves, and can be restless. They need love, support and comfort. Appearance is also very important to them. Compatibility: with pig or rabbit.
Monkey
Those born under the sign of the monkey: they love to live for their own pleasure. They are energetic, cheerful, good listeners, but they lack self-control. They are cunning, ironic, resourceful, smart, and first of all think about themselves and not about others. They are heartthrobs, not prone to long-term relationships, and can be immoral. Compatibility: with a rat or a dragon.
Rooster
Those born under the Chinese zodiac sign are the Rooster: practical, resourceful, observant, good analysts, but impractical. They are straightforward, trusting, honest, perfectionists, neat and conservative. Compatibility: with a bull or snake.
Dog
Those born under the sign of the dog: loyal, faithful, honest, distrustful, afraid of offending another person. They are temperamental, prone to mood swings, categorical and sensitive. Dogs are successful in business, but they may have trouble finding partners. Compatibility: with a tiger or horse.
Pig
Those born under the Chinese zodiac sign are the Pig: people are very nice, well-mannered and have good taste. They are perfectionists who like good things without being perceived as snobs. They love to help others and are good companions, but if anyone gets in their way, then watch out! They are intelligent, smart, always in search of new knowledge, and picky about making acquaintances. Compatibility: with a rabbit or goat.
Compatibility according to the Chinese horoscope
Animals representing the Chinese horoscope are always depicted in a circle. It is believed that signs located opposite each other are complete opposites and therefore are not compatible.
Also, all signs of the Chinese horoscope are divided into four groups, corresponding to four types of temperament. It is believed that people born under the signs of the same group can more easily find a common language.
- Rat, Dragon, Monkey– energetic, open, active signs.
- Bull, Snake, Rooster– hardworking, purposeful, self-confident signs.
- Tiger, Horse, Dog– decisive, strong-willed, friendly signs.
- Rabbit, Goat, Pig– responsive, sensitive, creative signs.
Inner Animal and Secret Animal of the Chinese Zodiac
In addition to the animal representing the year of birth, there are also the so-called inner and secret animals in the Chinese horoscope.
According to the year of our birth, we can easily determine which of the 12 animals we were born under. But in reality, our inner and secret animals will tell us who we really are and our future.
The 12 signs of the Chinese horoscope are associated with the year of birth of a person, and these signs repeat in a circle every 12 years.
The internal and secret animals are associated with the person’s month of birth (of which there are also 12) and with the hour of birth (all daily time can be divided into 12, with each period lasting 2 hours), respectively. Taken together, the 12 zodiac signs, 5 elements, 12 birth months and 12 time periods of birth make up 8640 different personal combinations!
Simply put, the animal that represents your birth year determines your “outer” side.
The animal that represents your birth month determines your “inner” state—the person you would like to be.
The animal that represents your time of birth defines your “secret” side - who you really are, but carefully hide it from the outside world.
When you look at the Chinese horoscope, you determine that you were born, for example, under the sign of the goat. But in reality, your nature is characterized not only by this one sign, but by a combination of 3 different Chinese zodiac animals! To truly understand who you are, you need to consider the combination of qualities of these 3 animals. And this combination will help determine your uniqueness.
The table below shows the zodiac animals and their corresponding time periods:
What characterizes the inner animal?
As mentioned above, your inner animal, according to the Chinese horoscope, represents the type of person you think you would like to be. Additionally, your inner animal helps determine which other zodiac animals you are not compatible with.
What characterizes a secret animal?
The secret animal is believed to be the most accurate representation of a person, as the animal is determined by the lowest denominator: the hour of the person's birth.
The Chinese horoscope is based on astrology, so those 2 hours of time coincide with the position of the sun in the sky; not your local time. The so-called solar time does not coincide with summer time or Greenwich Mean Time, so make sure you calculate your birth time correctly, otherwise you may get your secret animal wrong.
The next time you use the Chinese horoscope to predict your future, remember that most of the information will be based on your inner and secret zodiac animals!
Elements of the Chinese horoscope
Much of Chinese philosophy is based on the characteristics of the five basic elements or elements and their interaction with each other. It is believed that everything on earth is made up of these five elements.
The Five Elements have been a part of Chinese culture almost from the beginning. Interestingly, few people outside of Asia understand the importance of the five elements, and especially how each of them relates to the Chinese horoscope.
The five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water are associated with the five major planets solar system: Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Venus and Mercury, respectively.
These five elements represent natural phenomena, which have a generative and destructive influence on each other. For example, wood creates fire, water creates wood, water destroys fire, fire destroys metal, etc.
The five elements: metal, wood, fire, water and earth influence the twelve animals of the Chinese horoscope, giving them different characteristics.
- Metal– color: white; season: autumn; main qualities: willpower, determination, straightforwardness, intelligence.
- Tree– color: green (blue); season: spring; main qualities: kindness, responsiveness, individualism, pessimism, well-developed imagination.
- Fire– color: red; season summer; main qualities: passion, energy, persistence, emotionality.
- Water– color: black; season: winter; main qualities: flexibility, determination, sociability, calmness, intuition.
- Earth– color: yellow (brown); time of year: all year; main qualities: practicality, endurance, prudence, reliability, conservatism, morality.
The interaction of the 12-year cycle defined by the zodiac animals with the five elements actually creates 60 different combinations.
Yin and Yang in the Chinese horoscope
Hieroglyph Yin and Yang in the Chinese horoscope
One more thing important concept in Chinese philosophy, these are Yin and Yang: two opposites, two principles that complement each other or a balance that can be traced in all phenomena of our life, such as day and night, femininity and masculinity, etc.
The concepts of Yin and Yang influence the five elements of the Chinese horoscope, attributing certain characteristics to them. Each of the elements can exist in both states. Zodiac animals are found in only one of the forms: Yin or Yang.
Yin represents the feminine, passive principle, and Yang is the masculine, active principle.
Thus, even years: Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster, Pig are under the auspices of the feminine principle Yin.
And odd years, such as Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog, are under the auspices of the Yang masculine principle.
Chinese horoscope by year
If you don't know your Chinese horoscope sign, to determine it, find your birth year in the table below. But be careful and keep in mind that the New Year in China does not begin as usual here - on January 1st.
New Year in China it is celebrated on any of the dates between January 21 and February 20, which is determined by lunar calendar. Accordingly, the change of sign also occurs according to the lunar calendar.
| Rat | Bull | Tiger | Rabbit | Dragon | Snake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1948 10.02 (Earth) |
1949 29.01 (Earth) |
1950 17.02 (metal) |
1951 06.02 (metal) |
1952 27.01 (water) |
1953 14.02 (water) |
|
1960 28.01 (metal) |
1961 15.02 (metal) |
1962 05.02 (water) |
1963 25.01 (water) |
1964 13.02 (tree) |
1965 02.02 (tree) |
|
1972 15.02 (water) |
1973 03.02 (water) |
1974 23.01 (tree) |
1975 11.02 (tree) |
1976 31.01 (fire) |
1977 18.02 (fire) |
|
1984 02.02 (tree) |
1985 20.02 (tree) |
1986 09.02 (fire) |
1987 29.01 (fire) |
1988 17.02 (Earth) |
1989 06.02 (Earth) |
|
1996 19.02 (fire) |
1997 07.02 (fire) |
1998 28.01 (Earth) |
1999 16.02 (Earth) |
2000 05.02 (metal) |
2001 24.02 (metal) |
|
2008 07.02 (Earth) |
2009 26.01 (Earth) |
2010 14.02 (metal) |
2011 03.02 (metal) |
2012 23.01 (water) |
2013 10.02 (water) |
|
2020 25.01 (metal) |
2021 12.02 (metal) |
2022 01.02 (water) |
2023 22.01 (water) |
2024 10.02 (tree) |
2025 29.01 (tree) |
| Horse | Goat | Monkey | Rooster | Dog | Pig |
|
1954 03.02 (tree) |
1955 24.01 (tree) |
1956 12.02 (fire) |
1957 31.01 (fire) |
1958 18.02 (Earth) |
1959 08.02 (Earth) |
|
1966 21.01 (fire) |
1967 09.02 (fire) |
1968 30.01 (Earth) |
1969 17.02 (Earth) |
1970 06.02 (metal) |
1971 27.01 (metal) |
|
1978 07.02 (Earth) |
1979 28.01 (Earth) |
1980 16.02 (metal) |
1981 05.02 (metal) |
1982 25.01 (water) |
1983 13.02 (water) |
|
1990 27.01 (metal) |
1991 15.02 (metal) |
1992 04.02 (water) |
1993 23.01 (water) |
1994 10.02 (tree) |
1995 31.01 (tree) |
|
2002 12.02 (water) |
2003 01.02 (water) |
2004 22.01 (tree) |
2005 09.02 (tree) |
2006 29.01 (fire) |
2007 18.02 (fire) |
|
2014 31.01 (tree) |
2015 19.02 (tree) |
2016 08.02 (fire) |
2017 28.01 (fire) |
2018 16.02 (Earth) |
2019 05.02 (Earth) |
|
2026 17.02 (fire) |
2027 06.02 (fire) |
2028 26.01 (Earth) |
2029 13.02 (Earth) |
2030 03.02 (metal) |
2031 23.01 (metal) |
The Chinese believe that the year of birth does not represent a person's age, but rather their position in the 60-year cycle. The characteristics personified by the zodiac animals, as well as the influence of the five elements and the Yin and Yang elements, collectively determine “good” and “bad” periods, “good” and “bad luck,” and other details of life.
Thus, the Chinese horoscope serves as a powerful tool for determining one's own destiny.
The eastern horoscope describes mainly not events, but relationships between people. From the point of view of the Eastern worldview, it is the relationships between people that determine the events that happen to us. Indeed, the ability to properly build relationships with your immediate environment guarantees you success, financial well-being, career, and family harmony. This is often more important than choosing the right behavior.
Animals act as objects of a developed mythological system, as well as objects fine arts, play an important role in religious rituals.
The role of animals in the mythology of the peoples of the world is exceptionally great and is determined by the significance that animals had on early stage development of humanity. Images of animals were used in epic, sculpture and graphics; the behavior of animals influenced the models of building the life of human society and connections with nature, primarily in terms of cyclicality and fertility. Gradually, the animals of the eastern horoscope began to act as a mythological code, in which individual elements have permanently assigned meanings: animals are known to be correlated with the cardinal points, seasons, elements, etc. Animal images also encode months, days or years - usually in a 12-year cycle, in particular among the peoples of Central and Southeast Asia. Thus, in China, months were associated successively with the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig. In Tibet and Mongolia - with a mouse, a cow, a tiger, a hare, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a sheep, a monkey, a rooster, a dog and a pig. IN Ancient Greece The cat, dog, snake, crab, donkey, lion, goat, ox, hawk, monkey, ibis, crocodile were considered conductors of the Sun. Muslims associated ten animals with the sky: the ram, the donkey, the lapwing, the whale, the horse, the ox, the dove, the camel, the dog and the ant.
For example, in the legends of South American Indians, each of the constellations embodies the soul of one of the animals, and the further development of such myths leads to the construction of a system of correspondences between 12 constellations and the same number of animals. In its main features this system is close to the system that existed in Ancient Babylonia, where the identification of 12 zodiac signs, later adopted by Greek and other European traditions, was based on it. These systems show similarities with ancient Chinese and other East Asian ones, on the one hand, and American Indian ones, on the other. Based on all these systems, which can be either the result of independent parallel development, or a consequence of the diffusion of the same set of ideas (as is assumed in relation to the ancient Chinese cycle of 12 animals of the Eastern horoscope, which apparently developed under the influence of the Western Asian) , a natural picture of the movement of heavenly bodies was constructed, described through mythological symbols - animals.
The main legends that are supposedly taken as a basis
As a basis eastern calendar the orbital period of Jupiter is taken (itself big planet Solar system), which during this time will make five revolutions. The Jovian year is equal to 12 Earth years and is close to the period of changes in solar activity (about 11 years). Chinese sages attached special significance to the number five. It corresponded to the five primary elements of the Universe: Fire, Wood (or sky), Metal, Earth, Water. These primary elements (or elements) formed ten “celestial trunks”. Each of them was combined with one of the 12 animals - signs of the “earthly branches”, which gave the name to one or another year in the 60-year cycle.
If you multiply these numbers, you get a full cycle of 60 years.
Each element has its own color: Wood - green, Water - blue/black, Metal - white, Earth - yellow, ocher, Fire - red. The eastern horoscope is inextricably linked with the Chinese calendar.B lately The eastern horoscope is no less widespread than the European one that is already familiar to us.
The elements are arranged in a kind of circle, and the order of placement is not very difficult to remember: wood, when burned, produces fire; fire, burning, gives earth (ash); metal is extracted from the earth, from ores; water appears as droplets on cold metal; and water grows a tree, etc.
You can determine your element by the last digit of your year of birth:
- “4” or “5” - Tree (color green, blue);
- “6” or “7” - Fire (color red, pink);
- “8” or “9” - Earth (color yellow, lemon, ocher);
- “0” or “1” - Metal (white);
- “2” or “3” - Water (color black, blue).
The color given to the coming year is the color of one of these elements. The tree is green (or blue). Fire - red, Earth - yellow, Metal - white, Water - blue (or black).
In the East, it is customary to give the same color for two years in a row. Let's say the years 1980, 1981 are white; 1982, 1983 - blue (black); 1984, 1985 - green (blue); 1986, 1987 - red; 1988, 1989 - yellow, then again “white” and so on.
Finding out the color of any year (whichever year you want!) is quite easy to do. First, divide the number of the year by ten. For example, 1991 divided by 10 is 199 and the remainder is 1. The remainder is what is important to us. If the remainder is 0 or 1, this is a “white” year; if 2 or 3 - “blue” (black), Year of Water; 4 or 5 - “green” (blue), Year of the Tree; 6 or 7 - “red”, Year of Fire; 8 or 9 - “yellow”, Year of the Earth. It turns out that 1989 is the Year of the Yellow (earth) Snake, 1990 is the Year of the White (metal, iron) Horse, 1991 is the Year of the White Ram.
The interpretation of color in the East is as follows: blue refers to cold and fear, green - wind and anger, red - heat and joy, yellow - dampness and anxiety, white - sadness and dryness. In ancient times, it was believed that the “red” years - the Years of Fire - were always hot, and, for example, the “yellow” Years of the Earth were damp, with heavy rains.
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One day, Buddha invited all the animals who wanted to come to his holiday (according to other versions, Buddha invited the animals in honor of his departure from this world), and promised those who came to pay tribute by giving a gift. In addition, as a sign of honor and distinction, each of them was to receive a year, which henceforth would be called only by the name of one animal.
Only twelve animals responded to Buddha's call. But in order to get to Buddha, it was necessary to swim across a wide river, and Buddha suggested organizing a competition: whoever swims first will get the first year, whoever comes second will get the second, and so on.
The cat was very puzzled by this, as she was afraid of water, and asked the rat what she should do. Then a bull appeared nearby, suffering poor eyesight and also didn’t know what to do. The clever rat suggested that the cat ride on the back of the bull and control it so that it would not go astray. the right path. Everyone agreed, but when the crossing was being made, the calculating rat pushed the cat into the water, leaving her with nothing. Since then, the rat has been the mortal enemy of any cat.
Of course, the mighty Bull arrived first. But when he shook himself off to appear before the Buddha in proper form, he shook his tail, and a Rat flew off his tail, right at the feet of the Buddha! She bit him painfully on the tail so that the Ox would throw the Rat to the Buddha! So the Rat became the first of the twelve animals, and the Ox only the second! Tiger, who was in his third year, was a little behind the Bull. Since then, the Ox and the Tiger have always competed with each other!
The competition between the Ox and the Tiger so captivated the Buddha that he did not consider what kind of animal came in fourth! Or a Cat, or a Hare or a Rabbit. Over the years, it is impossible to establish the truth, and various eastern peoples still have different interpretations regarding the owner of the fourth year. The fifth was the Dragon, the sixth was the Snake, the seventh was the Horse. Here a strip of fog began to flow along the river, and again it was unclear who was eighth - the Goat or the Sheep (or maybe the Ram).
Ninth in line was the Monkey. Why did the nimble monkey come so late? She just didn't want to take any risks and kept a close eye on the swimmers. Only after making sure that the event was safe did she enter the water.
The tenth came the Rooster (and maybe the Chicken, who can sort them out, wet ones). He was delayed because he told his large family at length and in detail how they should live in his absence.
The Dog galloped up eleventh. In the morning she had a lot of household chores to do, and, barely having managed with them, she - heated - rushed into the water. They say she coughed for a long time.
And finally, the last to appear was the Boar (according to other sources, he sent the Pig instead). He was not in a hurry: not very ambitious, not too picky. Buddha gave him the last, but most good year: The year of the Pig is characterized by abundance and tranquility.
Having become the owner for a whole year, the animal passed on its typical features to him. As for a person, now, depending on what year he was born, it was possible to determine his character and fate. A person born under one of these signs also acquired the typical traits of an animal - its strength or weakness, kindness or anger, pride or modesty.
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One day, the Jade Emperor from heaven sent his servant to earth to bring twelve of the most beautiful animals in the world to reward them. Having descended to the ground, the servant immediately saw the Rat and invited her to the emperor. The audience with the emperor was scheduled for six o'clock in the morning.
The joyful Rat immediately ran to preen itself before such an important meeting! After wandering around the earth, the servant decided that the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster and Dog were very beautiful animals, and he also invited them to the Emperor. It remains to choose the last animal. Traveling around the earth, he was told a lot about the beauty of the Cat, so he searched for him for a very long time.
But I personally couldn’t find it. Then the servant asked the Rat to find the Cat and give him the invitation! The Rat complied with the request and conveyed the invitation. And the Cat was very lazy, he loved to sleep, and did not like to get up early, he asked the Rat to wake him up in the morning. The rat agreed. And only then I realized that the cat is very beautiful! And he will definitely outshine the Rat in the eyes of the emperor. The Rat couldn’t allow this to happen and decided not to wake the Cat.
The next day, eleven animals gathered at the Emperor's, but the Cat was not among them; he was sleeping peacefully. The animals decided to put on a show for the Emperor. The Rat became the most cunning and inventive. She climbed onto the Bull's back and began to play the pipe, thereby conquering the king and causing a storm of delight in him. For this, the king awarded her first place. I gave second place to the Ox for his kindness, third to the Tiger, fourth to the Rabbit for his beautiful fur coat, and fourth to the Dragon for his unusualness. appearance fifth, Snake for wisdom - sixth, Horse - seventh, Sheep - eighth, Monkey for dexterity - ninth, Rooster - tenth and Dog - eleventh. Then they noticed that the last twelfth animal was missing. The servant had to return to earth and urgently look for the last symbol of the year. The Pig was the first to catch his eye, although she was not beautiful, but the servant no longer had time to choose, and he invited her.
Legend has it that the Cat woke up, realized that the Rat had fooled him and rushed as fast as he could to the Emperor's palace. The cat ran into the hall, but it was too late. All 12 Animals of the Year have been confirmed. And even despite the fact that the king really liked the cat, nothing could be changed.
They say that since then the Cat has been terribly offended by the Rat and there has been a long-standing irreconcilable enmity between them.
Material used:
Article by astrologer Valery "Animals of the Eastern Horoscope" and the vast expanses of the Internet http://lora-noc7.livejournal.com/
Eastern or Chinese calendar consists of from five elements(wood, fire, earth, metal and water) and 12 animals(rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig). The full cycle of such a calendar is 60 years. The current cycle began in 1984 - the year of the wood rat.
Let's figure it out: Why every year in Chinese calendar does it correspond to a certain animal? Why exactly twelve of them? And why are they arranged in this order?
There are several legends about this:
Legend one
The first legend is about how the Jade Emperor - the supreme deity of the Taoist pantheon, the lord of heaven - chose twelve animals, each of which rules a year once every twelve years.
The Jade Emperor ruled the sky and everything in the heavens. And he never went down to earth, so he was interested in the appearance of all creatures living on earth. One day the emperor summoned his chief adviser.
“I have ruled the heavens for a long time,” the emperor said to the adviser, “but I have never seen these strange animals and I don’t know what they look like.” I would like to know them characteristic features and properties. I would like to see how they move and hear the sounds they make. How smart are they and how do they help people?
“There are thousands of different creatures on earth,” the adviser answered the emperor, “some of them run, others fly, and others crawl.” It will take a very long time to collect all earthly creatures. Do you really want to see them all?
No, I can't waste that much time. Select twelve of the most interesting animals and bring them to me so that I can sort them by color and shape.
The adviser went through all the animals he knew in his head and decided, first, to invite the rat, but asked her to also convey the invitation to her friend the cat. He also sent invitations to the bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster and dog and ordered them to appear before the emperor tomorrow at 6 o'clock in the morning.
The Rat was very flattered by this invitation, she immediately went to convey good news friend's cat. The cat was also very happy, but was worried that at 6 am it was very early and he might oversleep. Therefore, he asked the rat to wake him up in time. All night the rat thought about how cute and shiny the cat was and how ugly she would look in comparison to him in front of the emperor. And I decided that the only way The best way to prevent the cat from getting all the praise is to not wake him up in the morning.
At six o'clock in the morning, all the animals except the cat lined up in front of the Jade Emperor, who began to slowly examine them. Having reached the last animal, he turned to the adviser and said:
All animals are interesting, but why are there only eleven of them?
The adviser could not answer and immediately sent a servant to earth, ordering him to deliver to heaven the first animal that he met. The servant went down the country road and saw a peasant carrying a pig to the market.
Please stop,” the servant begged. - I need your pig. The Jade Emperor wishes to see this creature immediately. Think of the great honor - after all, your pig will appear before the ruler of heaven himself.
The peasant appreciated the servant's words and gave him his pig. And she was immediately taken to heaven.
And at this time the rat, afraid that it would remain unnoticed, jumped on the back of the bull and began to play the flute. The emperor liked this unusual animal so much that he gave him first place. The emperor gave second place to the bull - after all, he was so generous that he allowed the rat to sit on his back. The tiger received third place for his brave appearance, and the rabbit for his gentle appearance. white fur got fourth place. The emperor decided that the dragon looked like a powerful snake with paws, and placed him in fifth place. The snake received sixth place for its flexible body, the horse - seventh for its elegant posture, and the ram - eighth for its strong horns. The agile and restless monkey got ninth place, the rooster got tenth place for its beautiful feathers, and the vigilant guard dog- eleventh. The pig stood at the end: it may not have been as interesting as the other animals, but it still made it to heaven and was therefore awarded last place.
When the ceremony came to an end, the cat ran into the palace and began to beg the emperor to evaluate him too, but it was too late: the emperor had already chosen twelve animals. Seeing the rat standing in first place, the cat rushed at her with the intention of killing her because she did not wake him up. That is why, to this day, the cat and the rat remain bitter enemies.
Legend two
One day Buddha invited all the animals inhabiting the earth to his place for the New Year. To those who came first to congratulate him and express their respect, he promised to give a whole year, which will henceforth be called by their names. The mouse was ahead of everyone. A bull came for her, then a tiger, a cat, a dragon, a snake, a horse, a goat, a monkey, a rooster, and a dog. The pig came twelfth. Having received its own year, each animal, as it were, passed on typical traits of its character to it, and man acquired the properties inherent in the animal in whose year he was born.
Legend three
Before Buddha left the Earth, he called all the animals to him to say goodbye to them. But only 12 of them came to this call: the cunning Rat, the diligent Ox, the brave Tiger, the quiet Rabbit, the strong Dragon, the wise Snake, the elegant Horse, the artistic Goat, the quick-witted Monkey, the colorful Rooster and faithful Dog. The last one to run out into the sacred clearing was the happy Pig. She was a little late, but was not at all embarrassed by this circumstance.
Parting with the animals, the enlightened Buddha gave each of them one year of reign as a sign of gratitude for coming to say goodbye to him.
Sly Rat
Zealous Bull
Brave Tiger
Quiet Rabbit
We all know that there is some kind of eastern horoscope in which some animal is responsible for each year. And here is the history of the origin Eastern horoscope hardly familiar to anyone. But HoroscopeGuru will tell you what's what! Read on.
Chinese folklore, as you know, is incredibly rich in all sorts of exotic legends. They explain to us where every phenomenon and thing in this world came from. Of course, there are stories about the emergence of this very Eastern horoscope:
The history of the Eastern horoscope - the first legend
The most popular legend says that on his birthday, Buddha invited all the animals who wanted to attend. In general, I had a party! But not simple. It wasn't that easy to get there! First we had to cross a huge, almost icy river. So to speak, entry is only for VIP clients.
Only 12 animals decided to undertake such a feat. Buddha gave each of them a whole year of power. The first was the cunning Rat, who swam across the river, climbing on the back of the Bull. While still on land, while the Ox was trying to put himself in order in order to appear before the Buddha in all his glory, the Rat wasted no time - he took it and jumped forward. But no one scolded her! On the contrary, the sage appreciated her ability to take advantage of the opportunity! That's why she became the main one in the Eastern horoscope.
The history of the Eastern horoscope - the second legend
According to this story, the heavenly Emperor decided to hold a competition to determine the most beautiful animal on planet Earth. First of all, it was necessary to identify the most worthy participants and, in fact, invite them to the event (which was supposed to take place at 6 o’clock in the morning). For this, the Emperor sent his Servant, who selected 12 animals. Among them was the Cat, who, knowing about his weaknesses, asked the Rat to wake him up, because he simply did not know how to get up so early. Eh, naive! Of course, she didn’t do this, even though she promised. So one competitor was removed.
At the event, the Emperor liked the Ox the most, but the Rat again was not at a loss. She climbed onto the back of the Bull and began to play the pipe so soulfully that it was she who was eventually given the palm. And the Cat, who had slept through his happiness, was replaced by a completely random animal - a Pig.
The history of the Eastern horoscope - animals and elements
A very important component of the eastern horoscope is the element that corresponds to it in a certain year, as well as the characteristics of its strength. Each of the five elements has its own color shade: – green, – blue (or black), – white, – yellow (or ocher), – red. Their strength is denoted by either (that is, the masculine principle) or (that is, the feminine principle). The combination of all these factors, as well as the particular movements of Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon, form the character traits of a person.
As you already know, the years are also ruled by 12 animals, which are symbols of certain human qualities:
- Sign: determination and talent;
- Sign: strength and flexibility;
- Sign: courage and grace;
- Sign: art of speaking;
- Sign: originality and freedom;
- Sign: wisdom and intuition;
- Sign
The most popular one reads:
One day, Buddha invited all the animals who wanted to come to his holiday (according to other versions, Buddha invited the animals in honor of his departure from this world), and promised those who came to pay tribute by giving a gift. In addition, as a sign of honor and distinction, each of them was to receive a year, which henceforth would be called only by the name of one animal. Only twelve animals responded to Buddha's call. But in order to get to Buddha, it was necessary to swim across a wide river, and Buddha suggested organizing a competition: whoever swims first will get the first year, whoever comes second will get the second, and so on.
Of course, the mighty Bull came first. But when he shook himself off to appear before the Buddha in proper form, he shook his tail, and a Rat flew off his tail, right at the feet of the Buddha! She still clung to the Bull on the other side, and when he swam, she bit him painfully on the tail so that the Bull would throw the Rat to the Buddha! So the Rat became the first of the twelve animals, and the Ox only the second! Tiger, who was in his third year, was a little behind the Bull. Since then, the Ox and the Tiger have always competed with each other!
The competition between the Ox and the Tiger so captivated the Buddha that he did not consider what kind of animal came in fourth! Or a Cat, or a Hare or a Rabbit. Over the years, it is impossible to establish the truth, and various eastern peoples still have different interpretations regarding the owner of the fourth year. The fifth was the Dragon, the sixth was the Snake, the seventh was the Horse. Here a strip of fog began to flow along the river, and again it was unclear who was eighth - the Goat or the Sheep (or maybe the Ram).
Ninth in line was the Monkey. Why did the nimble monkey come so late? She just didn't want to take any risks and kept a close eye on the swimmers. Only after making sure that the event was safe did she enter the water.
The tenth came the Rooster (and maybe the Chicken, who can sort them out, wet ones). He was delayed because he told his large family at length and in detail how they should live in his absence.
The Dog galloped up eleventh. In the morning she had a lot of household chores to do, and, barely having managed with them, she - heated - rushed into the water. They say she coughed for a long time.
And finally, the last to appear was the Boar (according to other sources, he sent the Pig instead). He was not in a hurry: not very ambitious, not too picky. Buddha gave him the last, but the best year: the year of the Pig is distinguished by abundance and tranquility.
Having become the owner for a whole year, the animal passed on its typical features to him. As for a person, now, depending on what year he was born, it was possible to determine his character and fate. A person born under one of these signs also acquired the typical traits of an animal - its strength or weakness, kindness or anger, pride or modesty.
There is another legend
One day, the Jade Emperor from heaven sent his servant to earth to bring twelve of the most beautiful animals in the world to reward them. Having descended to the ground, the servant immediately saw the Rat and invited her to the emperor. The audience with the emperor was scheduled for six o'clock in the morning. The joyful Rat immediately ran to preen itself before such an important meeting! After wandering around the earth, the servant decided that the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster and Dog were very beautiful animals, and he also invited them to the Emperor. It remains to choose the last animal. Traveling around the earth, he was told a lot about the beauty of the Cat, so he searched for him for a very long time.
But I personally couldn’t find it. Then the servant asked the Rat to find the Cat and give him the invitation! The Rat complied with the request and conveyed the invitation. And the Cat was very lazy, he loved to sleep, and did not like to get up early, he asked the Rat to wake him up in the morning. The rat agreed. And only then I realized that the cat is very beautiful! And he will definitely outshine the Rat in the eyes of the emperor. The Rat couldn’t allow this to happen and decided not to wake the Cat.
The next day, eleven animals gathered with the Emperor, but the Cat was not among them, he was sleeping peacefully. The animals decided to put on a show for the Emperor. The Rat became the most cunning and inventive. She climbed onto the Bull's back and began to play the pipe, thereby conquering the king and causing a storm of delight in him. For this, the king awarded her first place. I gave second place to the Ox for his kindness, third to the Tiger, fourth to the Rabbit for his beautiful fur coat, fifth to the Dragon for his unusual appearance, sixth to the Snake for wisdom, seventh to the Horse, eighth to the Sheep, ninth to the Monkey for his dexterity, tenth to the rooster and tenth to the Dog. - eleventh. Then they noticed that the last twelfth animal was missing. The servant had to return to earth and urgently look for the last symbol of the year. The Pig was the first to catch his eye, although she was not beautiful, but the servant no longer had time to choose, and he invited her.
The legend says that the Cat woke up, realized that the Rat had fooled him and rushed as fast as he could to the Emperor's palace. The cat ran into the hall, but it was too late. All 12 Animals of the Year have been confirmed. And even despite the fact that the king really liked the cat, nothing could be changed.
They say that since then the Cat has been terribly offended by the Rat and there has been a long-standing irreconcilable enmity between them.
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