Each of the elements are also linked to a season (see above), and the element that shares a season with a sign is known as the sign's fixed element. Again unlike the cycle of the lunar years, which begins with the Rat, the agricultural calendar begins with the Tiger as it is the first animal of spring.Īs each sign is linked to a month of the solar year, it is thereby also linked to a season. Unlike the 60 year Lunar calendar, which can vary by as much as a month in relation to the Gregorian calendar, the agricultural calendar varies by only one day, beginning on the Gregorian calendar on 3 or 4 February every year. Each animal is linked to two of these solar terms for a period similar to the Western month. Instead of months, this calendar is divided into 24 two-week segments known as Solar Terms. The twelve animals are also linked to the traditional Chinese agricultural calendar, which runs alongside the better known Lunar calendar. Many Chinese astrologers consider the month pillar to be the most important one in determining the circumstances of one's adult life. Within the Four Pillars, the month is the pillar representing information about the person's parents or childhood. The sexagenary cycle begins at lichun about February 4 according to some astrological sources. The following table shows the 60-year cycle matched up to the Gregorian calendar for the years 1924–2043 (see sexagenary cycle article for years 1804–2043). In 2011, the year of the Rabbit, that person is one year older. For example, a person who is a Tiger is either 12, 24, 36 or 48 years old in 2010, the year of the Tiger. The person's age can also be easily deduced from the sign of the person, the current sign of the year and the person's perceived age (teens, mid-20s, 40s and so on). Within the Four Pillars, the year is the pillar representing information about the person's family background and society or relationship with their grandparents. The Earth is all twelve signs, with five seasons. In fact, there are also animal signs assigned by month (called 'inner animals'), by day (called 'true animals') and hours (called 'secret animals'). It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many Western descriptions of Chinese astrology draw solely on this system. In Chinese astrology the animal signs assigned by year represent how others perceive one or how one presents oneself. The following are the twelve zodiac signs in order, each with its associated characteristics ( Earthly Branch, yin/yang force, Trine, and nature element). The zodiac traditionally begins with the sign of the Rat. The Chinese zodiac is represented by twelve animals, whereas some of the signs in the Western zodiac are not animals, despite the implication of the etymology of the English word zodiac, which derives from zōdiacus, the Latinized form of the Ancient Greek zōdiakòs kýklos ( ζῳδιακός κύκλος), meaning 'cycle of animals'.

The Chinese twelve-part cycle corresponds to years, rather than months. Nevertheless, there are major differences between the two: the animals of the Chinese zodiac are not associated with constellations spanned by the ecliptic plane. Identifying this scheme using the generic term ' zodiac' reflects several superficial similarities to the Western zodiac: both have time cycles divided into twelve parts, each labels at least the majority of those parts with names of animals, and each is widely associated with a culture of ascribing a person's personality or events in their life to the supposed influence of the person's particular relationship to the cycle. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan and Thailand. The Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the lunar calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. JSTOR ( January 2022) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources.

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Chinese animal age