The Chinese Zodiac used to be a way of counting the years. After development of thousands of years, the Chinese Zodiac becomes a kind of astrology. Chinese astrology is based on a twelve-year lunar cycle. Each of the 12 years is presented by an animal. Which animal you belong to is determined by the year in which you were born. To be accurate about your born year, you must use a Chinese calendar. Each sign is ascribed a set of attributes the Chinese believe comprise the nature of each particular animal.
Some scholars believe that the origin of Chinese Astrology is from the zootheism. The 12 animals in Chinese Zodiac are all related closely to human life. Half of the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals live with human: ox, sheep, horse, pig, dog and Rooster. Five of them are related closely to human life: tiger, rabbit, monkey, rat and snake. And the last one-the symbol of the spirit of China- the dragon.
The Chinese believe that the world is made of five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. These are modifiers and affect the characteristics of each of the 12 animal signs. Thus, each of the 12 animals is governed by an element plus a Yin Yang Direction.
If a Chinese ask you: "what do you belong to?" It means which animal sign you belong to in the 12 Chinese Zodiacs. In China, this is a polite way to ask how old you are.
2008 is the year of Earth Rat, the beginning of the 12-year cycle in Chinese Astrology. We provide free yearly horoscope for every sign. But first, you have to find out which zodiac sign you belong to.
Resource: http://www.chinesezodiacs.org/
http://www.chinesezodiacs.org/Introduction_To_Chinese_Zodiac.html
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