CHINESE ASTROLOGY - THE CHINESE CALENDAR SYSTEM

Chinese Metaphysics uses either the Chinese Solar or Chinese Lunar calendar. 

What is the different between the two calendars?

Well, it depends on the different schools of Chinese Metaphysics, be it Chinese Astrology or Feng Shui. But before we go into the various systems of Chinese Metaphysics, let’s look at how a Chinese calendar comes about. 

From the astronomical aspect, the Chinese calendar can be traced to the cosmos.

Learn the amazing skills of reading your own birth chart and Find Your Luck with Ba Zi (Four Pillars of Destiny) by Alvin Yap.

A lunar calendar centers on the rotation of the moon around the earth. The first day of the lunar year generally falls between late January and late February of the Gregorian calendar. The Chinese refer to the lunar calendar to pin point the days for celebration of major festivals such as Chinese New year which typically falls on the first day of the first month of the lunar year. 

A solar calendar on the other hand, is based on the rotation of the earth around the sun. By the way, the solar calendar is also known as the Farmer’s calendar in ancient China. It was used in the old days to tract major harvesting and other farming activities. The first day of the solar year usually begins on or around the 4^th of February based on the Gregorian calendar. 

When it comes to Chinese Astrology, the solar and lunar calendar is used differently based on the various schools of studies. There are two popular systems of Chinese Astrology. One is known as the Four Pillars of Destiny or Ba Zi. The other goes by the name of Purple Heart Astrology or Zi Wei Dou Shu. The former uses the solar calendar whereas the latter the lunar calendar. 

The other branch of Chinese Metaphysic is Feng Shui. Its various schools of studies can also be differentiated by the type of calendar they used for charting of time. Some of the popular systems of Feng Shui such as Eight Mansions, Flying Stars and Xuan Gong Da Gua use the solar calendar. The Zi Wei Dou Shu  Feng Shui on the other hand uses the lunar calendar. 

With most of us having our birth dates tag to the Gregorian calendar system, the need for a conversion manual to convert the western dates of birth to the respective solar or lunar dates has led to the creation of the Ten Thousand Years Calendar. The latter converts the Gregorian calendar dates into their equivalent Chinese solar or lunar dates for purposes of birth date destiny analysis and geomancy.

Chinese Astrology is a powerful ancient art. It's rules and ideas are quite simple for anyone to understand. The purpose of Chinese astrology is to help people achieve their goals through self awareness and continuous advances of the mind and soul. Through the study of a person's personal Chinese horoscope, important aspects of that person's personality and destiny can be revealed. Chinese Astrology can help you find your purpose on this planet and discover an appropriate and joyful way of life.
Like western astrology, the Chinese astrology system is trying to determine a person's health, career direction, likes and dislikes, compatibility with other people, luck attraction and a lot more. The system works based on the usual birth details (year of birth, month of birth and day of birth) and a few significant other concepts. Chinese astrology is a gift of the gods according to ancient Chinese. This ancient art has successfully guided and guarded the Chinese from ancient times through modern times. Today, this horoscope system still plays a significant role in the lives of millions of people across the world.
Let's look at some key components of the Chinese zodiac system which is based on a twelve-year astrological cycle (aligned with the sun and moon cycle). First of all the Chinese astrology cycle is divided into five parts that represent the five magical universal elements according to the Chinese. These elements are: Metal, Earth, Fire, Wood and Water. The elements are a creation of the Chinese heavenly god who magically embedded them in Chinese Astrology and the Chinese Calendar.
Then the Chinese Horoscope cycle is enhanced with the divisions of the twelve Chinese horoscope signs that are represented by twelve carefully chosen animals. These are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. The animals where not selected by luck, but each one of them is highly associated with the human culture and way of life. There's also a legend that explains in detail how the 12 animals where selected. According to the scriptures, the Chinese god of earth conducted a race between all the animals on planet earth. The first twelve animals would represent the twelve astrological signs. The twelve Chinese Horoscope signs shape the twelve-year cycle. When the year-cycle ends, a new one begins by repeating itself.
Last but not least there is the cosmic and divine force that influences the entire Chinese astrology system. This force is well known to many people as The Yin and The Yang. The Yin represents the female and the Yang represents the male. Another interpretation claims that the Ying represents the Evil and the Yang represents the Good. When properly combined the Ying and Yang produce universal harmony and eternal balance. The combination of Yin and Yang is the secret power behind the Chinese Horoscope system.
So, these are the key elements of Chinese Astrology. I will not go into further details in this article but let's summarize:
- We have the five Chinese Astrology Elements which are universal and magical and these are: Metal, Earth, Fire, Wood and Water as ordered by the Chinese Heavenly God.
- Then we have the twelve Chinese horoscope signs which are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig as ordered by the Chinese Earthly God.
- And lastly, we have the cosmic power named as Yin and Yang, that symbolizes the eternal harmony.
It is as simple as that to begin with. All these comprehensive ideas are carefully, strategically and magically mixed by the gods to produce the entire Chinese Astrological System. Of course, one can go deeper and deeper into the meanings of these concepts and come up with unlimited combinations and interpretations of this system, but the basic components of Chinese Astrology are summed up as described above.

Ewyen Minh is an eccentric Chinese Astrologer with over 30 years of experience in divination and the Chinese Zodiac system. Visit Ewyen's website about Chinese Astrology [http://www.chineseastrologer.org] and Chinese Horoscope [http://www.chineseastrologer.org] to find free information about your Chinese sign and discover a way to communicate with your soul and fulfill your destiny.

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