What is Your Chinese Zodiac Sign?

To many people, their Chinese Zodiac sign is meaningless, while others put a lot of stock in what they have to say. Whether it works or doesn’t, it’s fun to look at. In order, the twelve signs are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.

Each sign and the animal assigned, typifies the traits that someone born in this year are to possess and even their possible destiny. The calendar is based on a sixty year cycle based on twelve animals signs and five elements; metal, water, wood, fire, and earth.

The Zodiac is divided into parts based on the year you were born; however if you are born early in the year, before the Chinese New Year, you will take the sign of the year before. Because the Chinese Zodiac is based on a lunar calendar, the date of the New Year changes. It will however, always fall between January 21 and February 21.

The following traits are assigned to each animal (according to the following website www.infoplease.com/culture-entertainment/mythology-folklore/chinese-zodiac)

Rat: quick-witted, smart, charming, and persuasive
Ox: patient, kind, stubborn, and conservative
Tiger: authoritative, emotional, courageous, and intense
Rabbit: popular, compassionate, and sincere
Dragon: energetic, fearless, warm-hearted, and charismatic
Snake: charming, gregarious, introverted, generous, and smart
Horse: energetic, independent, impatient, and enjoy traveling
Sheep: mild-mannered, shy, kind, and peace-loving
Monkey: fun, energetic, and active
Rooster: independent, practical, hard-working, and observant
Dog: patient, diligent, generous, faithful, and kind
Pig: loving, tolerant, honest, and appreciative of luxury

How do these relate to relationships? The Chinese Zodiac is laid out in a circle and, based on the wisdom of this system, signs on the opposite side of the Zodiac chart are poor matches.

Based on this, these are poor pairings:

The rat and the horse
The ox and the sheep
The tiger and the monkey
The rabbit and the rooster
The dragon and the dog
The snake and the pig

How do you know what makes a good partner choice? The Chinese Zodiac is further broken down into four compatibility triangles that determines what two other animal signs you are most aligned with. The premise is that the characteristics within these groups are similar enough that enable them to get along, not just in a romantic relationship, but also in friendship and business.

These groupings are:

First Trine: Rat, dragon, and monkey. This grouping is said to have a never-ending supply of ideas and the determination and comfort with risk to make these dreams a reality. These three may be viewed by others as so intense that they are overwhelming. Negative attributes of this group are jealousy, selfishness, aggression, and a tendency to leap before they look. Couples from this trine are said to have the most satisfying relationships. The monkey and rat are said to be the best pairing of these three.

Second Trine: Ox, snake, and rooster. This group is not known for the speed with which they make decisions, but when they do, you can rest assured they have made a very solid choice. They are hardworking, productive, and reliable. While these sort may have great heads for business, they aren’t likely to overwhelm their loved one with romantic gestures or long talks about their feelings. They also have a tendency to be critical, rigid, and stubborn. While the ox and rooster is a good combination, an ox/ox couple is the best choice.

Third Trine: Tiger, horse, and dog. A strong sense of morals and decency is a hallmark of this group. They have the highest of ideals. A negative aspect is a strong need for affection and ego stroking and they can be argumentative and moody. Of these three, the best pairing is said to be the horse and the tiger and that they do very well as parents.

Fourth Trine: Rabbit, sheep, and pig. These three are givers, rather than takers. They value harmony, tranquility, and artistic pursuits. They can also be gullible, needy, and easily be subjected to abuse from an unwise pairing. Because of this, it is advised that this trine stick to it’s own kind in matters of the heart as they can be easily misled in love. The pig and the goat make a very complimentary couple.

This article is a simplistic look at the Chinese Zodiac. As I mentioned earlier, there is also the influence of the five elements to be taken into account, which is beyond the scope of this article.

Thank you to alignedsigns.com for the information contained in this article.