|
|
The Chinese Elements
An extra layer of meaning for your chinese animal sign
|
Chinese elements what are they?
The Chinese elements add an extra layer of meaning to each of the Chinese animal signs. They provide a deeper understanding to the nature of the animals in the Chinese zodiac. In other words, the Elements of Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth serve to put our basic "animal" characteristics in a clearer light.
Chinese years and elementsChinese years revolve in cycles of ten years each. Every set of two consecutive years is governed by a Chinese cosmic element. |
 Click each element for more information |
Thus, there are five Chinese elements in all: Metal, Water. Wood, Fire and Earth.
Each Chinese Element also has a unique color associated with it. (i.e. metal = white, water = black, wood = blue/green, fire = red, and earth = yellow)
|
|
How to find your Chinese Element
 1) To find your Chinese element, take into account the last figure of your year of birth. (If for example you were born in 1941, 1951, etc. your Chinese element would be "metal".) See chart below.
2) Look at the list below, find your Chinese element and click on it for an in depth description of your Chinese birth element. ( For example, If you were born in 1972, your Chinese element would be Water.)
|
Chinese elements and characteristics
|
| Click on your Chinese Element for an in depth description of your elemental qualities |
0 to 1:
 Metal |
feelings which conduct electricity, likes power (color: white) |
2 to 3:
 Water |
silent & constant, influences others' thoughts (color: black) |
4 to 5:
 Wood |
value ethics, cooperative & generous nature (color: green) |
6 to 7:
 Fire |
attractive & impulsive, strong leadership qualities (color: red) |
8 to 9:
 Earth |
deductive powers, prefers solid & reliable pursuits (color: yellow) |
|
|
Therefore, your Chinese year of birth determines your Chinese animal sign as well as your Chinese cosmic element. If you were born between January 21, 1966 and February 8, 1967 — that is, in the course of a Horse year, which was at the same time a Fire year — your Chinese animal sign is Horse, and your Chinese cosmic element is Fire.
|
|
In other words, you are known as a Fire Horse. Likewise, anyone born in an Earth Ox year is known as an Earth Ox.
Yin Yang and the Chinese Elements
The elements are combined with the binary Yin Yang cycle, which enlarges the element cycle to a cycle of ten. Even years are yang, odd years are yin. Since the zodiac animal cycle of 12 is divisible by two, every zodiac can only occur in either yin or yang: the dragon is always yang, the snake is always yin, etc. This combination creates a 60-year cycle, starting with Wood Rat and ending with Water Pig. The current cycle began in the year 1984.
See: Yin Yang
|
|
|
