Chinese Zodiac

Understanding the Chinese zodiac

The Chinese zodiac gives each year one of twelve animals, matched to the twelve Earthly Branches. Each year also has a Heavenly Stem, which gives it an element and a polarity, so the full cycle runs sixty years. The Qing manual 《協紀辨方書》 traces the animals back at least as far as the Zhou and Han.

How it works

1. Decide where the year beginsMost people change sign at the lunar new year. 八字 changes at 立春, around 4 February.
2. Find the year pillarThe year gives a stem and a branch from the sixty-year cycle.
3. Read the animalThe branch gives the animal. The stem gives the element and polarity.
4. Find the relationsFixed patterns among the branches give the signs that harmonise, clash or harm.

How to read it

1. Check the dateIf you were born in January or early February, look at both systems.
2. Read your signThe large character is your year’s branch.
3. Use the relations as a mapThey show traditional patterns, not a verdict on any person.
4. Go furtherYour year is one of the eight characters in a Four Pillars chart.

Our method

Two systems

We show the sign by 立春 first because our Four Pillars tool uses it. When the two differ you see both.

Time zone

立春 is read on China Standard Time. On that very day the hour decides, and the page tells you so.

Why these animals

The short notes come from 《蠡海集》 as quoted in 卷一. The manual doubts other explanations.

Relations

三合 and 六合 are from 卷一. 六害 is from 卷六. We left out 三刑.

Left out

Personality and yearly fortune lists are later popular writing. We have not found a classic for them, so we do not show them.

Common questions

Sources

• 《欽定協紀辨方書》卷一 (十二辰, 三合, 六合), Siku Quanshu text on Chinese Wikisource.
• 《欽定協紀辨方書》卷六 (六害).
• 《蠡海集》, as quoted in 卷一.