The Chinese & Western Zodiacs Explained
Disclaimer: This article does not aim to discredit or advocate astrology. This aims to just explain what it is and how it relates to our identities. I am also by no means an expert in astrology.
Why Do We Love Zodiacs?
While there isn’t any scientific backing to astrology, there is a sense of excitement when it comes to learning about your own or someone else’s zodiac sign. In fact, there has been a rising interest in astrology among Gen Z and Millennials, in recent years. Even the most skeptical individuals can warm up to the zodiacs, after scrolling through thousands of sites on the topic.
Zodiacs and horoscopes are also designed to make us feel good about ourselves. They provide a framework on how we can approach self-improvement. Furthermore, a daily horoscope, despite how broad it may be, can provide the reassurance someone needs to get through the day. And overall, despite whether you believe in it or not, it is a fun read.
One other reason why we love our zodiac signs is categorization. As human beings, we love to categorize everything. Our brains love to sort and classify various objects so that it is easier to collect information and to make connections. It also helps us plan and coordinate various situations. Knowing, for instance, that you may be Taurus and are part of the year of the Ox, gives you a sense of pride within yourself. You get a boost of serotonin whenever you are able to identify a certain aspect of yourself.
In other parts of the world, other countries and cultures have their own “Zodiac” with entirely different symbols and meanings, like the Chinese Zodiac.
The Chinese Zodiac
I personally find the Chinese Zodiac fascinating. It offers a bit of insight into Chinese culture. It is often incorporated as part of many Lunar New Year celebrations after all. Additionally, the story behind the zodiac is what I find most interesting.
It isn’t clear when the Chinese Zodiac was first established, but many scholars argue that it predates Buddhism. We don't know who was the creator of the Chinese Zodiac, but we do know that it was used to help those who didn’t understand the duodenary (12 year) cycle to keep track of the years.
There are 12 animals that follow a specific order: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. There are many myths and legends that surround these animals, but there is one that explains the order. It was known as The Great Race.
The tale starts with the Jade Emperor. Sometimes, in the story, it is Buddha or God who replaces the Emperor. But anyway, the Jade Emperor summons all animals to participate in a race on New Years. The first twelve animals that join him, will be selected as guards and will be rewarded as part of the zodiac.
The first was the rat, who woke up early and then rode on the ox until he was near the finish line. The rat dashed to first place, while the ox settled for second. After the ox, the tiger came in third and the rabbit came in fourth due to their fast, competitive natures. In fifth, there was the dragon who wasn’t afraid to help extinguish a fire that was endangering a village before rushing back to the race. In the sixth, was the snake, who coiled himself around the horse. The horse was seventh. Eighth, ninth and tenth were the sheep (sometimes the goat), the monkey, and the rooster.
All three demonstrated teamwork as they constructed a small raft to cross a river. Then, eleventh was the dog, who was interested in splashing the river more so than crossing it. And then finally, the pig was twelfth, as he was peckish and sleepy throughout the journey.
Many often wonder what happened to the cat, especially since in Chinese culture they represent good luck. Well, the story goes like this. The cat and the rat were once good friends. When they both heard of the race, they were both ecstatic. The cat, knowing they might sleep late, asks the rat to wake him up before the race starts. Unfortunately, when the rat wakes up early, he gets too excited and leaves, forgetting his promise. This broken promise evidently hurts their friendship.
But now that you know the tale, how does this relate to the Chinese Zodiac as a whole? Well, the tale often helps indicate some of the characteristics each animal represents. But unfortunately, a good chunk is missing due to the ancient tradition of oral storytelling. We have a general idea, but there may be more to it that could give more insight into the Chinese Zodiac.
Now, you may be wondering, what year of the animal am I? Well, here are the respective years for each animal:
Rat:1960. 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020, 2032
Ox: 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021, 2033
Tiger: 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022, 2034
Rabbit: 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023, 2035
Dragon: 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036
Snake: 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025, 2037
Horse: 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026, 2038
Sheep: 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027, 2039
Monkey: 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028, 2040
Rooster: 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029, 2041
Dog: 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030, 2042
Pig: 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031, 2043
Of course, as time goes on, this is updated to include more years to come. But the Chinese Zodiac is not as simple as that. For one thing, this is based on the lunar calendar, so even if a baby was born in 2021, but they were born before February 12th of this year, they would be considered a Rat instead of an Ox.
The Chinese Zodiac also includes elements, to define what type of animal you are. The elements depend on the year as well. The elements are based on the Five Elements Theory—or Wu Xing—a philosophy used to describe the relationship and interdependence between all things. The Five Elements are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These five elements act as a cycle, as one element can create or destroy another.
If you curious as to what element you might be, consider the following list:
Wood: If the last number in your birth year is 4 or 5
Fire: If the last number in your birth year is 6 or 7
Earth: If the last number in your birth year is 8 or 9
Metal: If the last number in your birth year is 0 or 1
Water: If the last number in your birth year is 2 or 3
Overall, the Chinese Zodiac, like the Western Zodiac, can be used to interpret personalities and life experiences, but it’s deeply rooted in a rich ancient history.
The Western Zodiac
Most people are very familiar with the Western Zodiac. In fact, over 30% of Americans believe in it. But, in this article, we’ll go over the basics.
So, western astrology relies on the belief that the sun, the moon, the planets, and the constellations have a strong
effect on us and the world around us. Astrologists often look at the planet and star positions to determine someone’s horoscope. Furthermore, your signs are based on the constellations. There are 12 star signs in the Western Zodiac. Of course, there are more than 12 constellations, but it helps align to the 12 months of the year (based on the solar calendar). The Western Zodiac also has three main categories for the 12 signs: sun, moon and rising. Each category refers to different aspects of someone’s personality. So, for example, someone could identify as an Aquarius sun, an Aries moon, and a Gemini rising. If that already sounded a bit confusing, it’s because it is. Because western astrology is a bit more complex than what meets the eye. Western astrology aims to show how varied your personality is. But let’s continue and get into each of the main categories.
The sun signs are the main foundation. Usually, when someone asks “what’s your sign?”, you respond with your sun sign. The sun sign is the one easiest to figure out. It is based on where the sun is on your birthday. So, depending on the month and day you were born, you can determine which sun sign you are.
Here are the list of signs and their corresponding dates:
Aries: March 21st - April 19th
Taurus: April 20th - May 20th
Gemini: May 21st - June 20th
Cancer: June 21st - July 22nd
Leo: July 23rd - August 22nd
Virgo: August 23rd - September 22nd
Libra: September 23rd - October 22nd
Scorpio: October 23rd - November 21st
Sagittarius: November 22nd - December 21st
Capricorn: December 22nd - January 19th
Aquarius: January 20th - February 18th
Pisces: February 19th - March 20th
So, for example, my birthday is March 1st, meaning my sun sign is Pisces. So, when looking up my sun sign, I will be given a list of characteristics most Pisces have. Furthermore, the sun sign represents your true self; it reflects your individuality and what drives you the most.
To get a bit deeper, the moon and rising signs are a bit more difficult to figure out. If you know where you were born and at what time, you can learn what your moon and rising signs are. The moon sign represents your soul; it is your subconscious side, and it reflects how you react emotionally. The rising sign represents your social personality; it is your outward energy, and how others often perceive you.
There are more categories we could get into, but we could be here for a long while. But, like the Chinese Zodiac, the Western Zodiac has elements as well. Each of the star signs, in fact, are classified by the elements. These elements reflect the four seasons. The four elements are water, fire, earth and air. Here is a clear breakdown of the signs and the respective elements:
Water Signs: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces
Fire Signs: Aries, Leo, Sagitarrius
Earth Signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air Signs: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Overall, the Western Zodiac is a complex system reliant on organization.
The main similarity between the Western and Chinese Zodiacs is that there are both 12-sign systems based on when you were born. But that’s sort of where it ends. After each in-depth explanation, you can gather that the two differ greatly. But despite the differences, they both offer a framework on how to improve and develop as people.
Written by Farah Sallam
