The Story of the Chinese Zodiac Signs
The most interesting that you can find about the origin something in Astrology is that of Chinese Zodiac Signs.
It is believed that Chinese Astrology as we know it today originated in Zhan Guo period i.e. around 5th century B.C. Although, the system of Chinese Zodiac were officially identified during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. — 9 A.D.).
Unlike the Vedic and Western Zodiac Signs which are limited to particular months, the Chinese Zodiac Signs are assigned to complete years, and each signs repeat itself after 12 years.
The Story of Origin goes something like this:
The most famous legend about the origin of the Chinese zodiac signs is the Legend of “The Great Race”.
Jade Emperor is one of the most important deity and is considered the ruler of Heaven.
The legend has it that the Jade Emperor called upon all the animals of the Earth on his birthday to race against each other. To become the part of the zodiac, the animals had to cross a huge river. The rank of the animals in the race would be their position in the zodiac.
There are countless versions of this myth but I am recounting the most revered one:
The story starts with the cat and the rat being friends. One day The Rat heard about the race that was being organized by the Jade Emperor. He told The Cat about the race and the Cat asked the Rat to wake her up. Well, due to the excitement of participating in the race, The Rat forgot to wake the cat up.
The forgetfulness of the rat is also the reason behind the constant fight and hatred between the rat and the cat.
Every animal except the cat participated in the Race. When the time came to cross the river, the rat asked the Ox whether he would help him cross the river. Ox said Yes and the rat jumped on the back of the ox. When the Ox reached the other side of the river, the rat grasping the moment jumped on the land and ran to touch the feet of the Jade Emperor. Hence, becoming the first in the zodiac. Ox came second so he was placed after the rat. The next animal to arrive was the Tiger, than the rabbit came who used stones and a log to get across. The fifth animal to finish the race was the Dragon. The dragon stopped to help pull the rabbit’s log across the river. After the Dragon, Horse would have been the sixth zodiac but was defeated by the snake that hid in the horse’s hooves and reached before him. The tenth position was held by the Sheep, then Monkey and the rooster. 11th was the dog and the pig was the last.
The five Elements in Chinese Astrology are:
Wood: People born under the element of wood are patient and understanding. They are also warm, sociable and affectionate. People born under the element of wood are strong just like the Bamboo but can also break under pressure. The zodiac signs of rabbit and tiger come under this element.
Fire: People born under the fire elements are passionate and enthusiastic. They are also creative, spontaneous and adventurous. Just like the fire, the energy of fire people is also contagious with the ability to absorb everything in the surrounding. The zodiac signs of snake and horse come under this element.
Earth: Earth is stabilizing and strong. These people are born peacemaker. People born under the Earth element are patient, thoughtful and calm. Just as much as these people can be nurturing, they can also become self-centric. The zodiacs signs of ox, dragon, sheep and dog come under this element.
Metal: People born under the metal element are unyielding, strong and also a bit obstinate. These people are inclined towards peaceful life and simplicity. But on the other side, the people born under this element can also be controlling. The zodiac sign of monkey and rooster come under this element.
Water: Water is the representative of intelligence and wisdom. It is flexible and strong, calm, but also dangerous. The people born under the water element are observant, persistent and diplomatic. They can also passive and a bit self-indulgent. The zodiac sign of rat and pig come under this element.
