Chinese astrology

The Chinese Astrology (Chinese占星 术/占星 术, pinyin zhānxīngshù, art of star divination ') knows no calculation of the positions of the sun, moon and planets at the time of birth. It is therefore no astrology in the European sense. It has a calendar for the basis of calculation, the one interpretation has been highlighted. These include the Chinese philosophy and various " individual disciplines " which are interdependent and interpenetrate each other. These include the five- element theory, yin and yang and astronomy with five planets and the ten heaven stems ( sky sign ), the twelve Erdzweigen, as well as the Chinese calendar, a lunisolar calendar with the calendar by year, month, day, double hour.

The traditional legend as inventors of Chinese astrology (calendar interpretation ) the " Yellow Emperor " Huangdi ( 2698-2599 BC). Historically, the legend could be to this day neither proved nor disproved by archaeologists and historians of astronomy. It lacks is decisive evidence. A specific, datable sky constellation does not exist, because she was not one from the beginning to the condition of the calendar interpretation. Direct evidence (such as the Babylonian clay tablets ) have not been found in China. One reason why the "Chinese astrology " has survived to the present day, may well be the Chinese calendar. Over the millennia, it is, like the characters, an inseparable part of Chinese culture has become and is still part of Chinese daily life.

Art of star divination

With "Art of Star divination " is meant something else than astrology in the Western sense. The previously found during the Shang Dynasty ( 16th-11th century BC) designed collection " dragon bones ", provides oracle bones dating from around 1300 BC On a following text is written: " On the seventh day of the month was seen a star, accompanied by the fire star ( Antares ). " () If one of the constellations in the sky was visible again, learned of the emperor, who was considered the son of heaven, of this news through his Grand Secretary. According to the season and the theme of the emperor gave his ministers, princes and officials instructions. The Grand Secretary had to guard the task of laws and regulations and to observe the passage of the sun and moon, planets and stars, so that no errors occur and records agree with earlier times. Because the sun, moon, planets, stars, comets and meteors, and eclipses reveal the will of heaven. The background for these actions was the role of the emperor. He was considered the son of heaven, and through him heaven, earth and man can contact.

Chinese Philosophy

In Chinese philosophy it comes to the harmony of heaven, earth and man, the three components of the universe make the order ( Dao / Tao ) in the world. You should be reflected in human society. Therefore, the line promises with the cosmos a happy life. The knowledge of world history should help to perceive current and future trends.

Five Elements

The five elements, wood, fire, earth, metal and water are understood as a force in the sense of a development that takes place in five phases. They have their counterparts in various states of change of heaven, earth and man. It mean.

Yin and Yang

Yin and Yang are two terms from the Chinese philosophy of Taoism. They describe themselves as complementary opposing principles. The transition from one to the other is done fluently. Yin is associated with the feminine, passive, receiving, concealing and self-sacrificing, uncreative, negating principle. This also includes the moon and shadow, earth and night as well as the even numbers. Yang is associated with the male, enterprising, active, dynamic, compelling and productive, creative, affirmative principle. This includes the sun and light, sky and day and odd numbers.

"Lift up your head and look at the vastness of the sky, look around you and marvel at the manifestations of the earth! In heaven are the five planets in the earth are the five elements. The heavens are the heavens houses, on earth kingdoms and provinces. The three lights (sun, moon and planets) are the origin of yin and yang: the primal forces holding them live on earth. "

Astronomy

As everywhere in the world including China fell to the observers of the night sky next to the movements of the sun and moon on the planet. According to their conception of the world development, the water came first, then came fire, then wood, then metal and finally the earth. In accordance with this order you arranged the elements of the planet.

Sky map and seasons

In order to name accurately the positions of the sun, moon and planets in the sky, the court astronomer developed a sky map. Fixed stars were caught in four groups, the sections corresponded to the duration of a season, which was associated with a cardinal direction:

The entries in the movements of the sun, moon and planets in the first sky maps made ​​it possible to get an overview and to make predictions. Historically, secured the data published from about 700 BC observations of comets and meteors, eclipses and sun spots. You do not have great scientific value today. As historically not back up the front of it observations, such as the solar eclipse of October 3, 2137 BC The observation of the change of seasons in conjunction with the four cardinal directions and the allocation according to Yin and Yang as well as the five elements, led to the applicable special classification according sky tribes.

Ten Heavenly Stems

The ten Heavenly Stems (Heaven characters) arising from the four cardinal directions and a fifth that is assigned to the "middle" ( earth). Astronomically the middle part of the Polar Star ( Ursa Major and Ursa Minor ). The fifth direction is assigned to each last fifth of a season. The five senses are also distinguished according to yin and yang, resulting in twice five, so give ten celestial signs. Their distribution according to yin and yang, the five elements, the five planets and the five names of animals results in the following compilation:

The animals that are associated with the cardinal points, symbolizing life energy. The traditional characters for the animals in this context mean not mean that the living animal, such as the rat or mouse is meant. Put a sign in itself can mean something different than when it is presented together with a second or third. Especially the Chinese script uses the simplification that can be understood only in the context.

This corresponds to the transcriptions of the German language, individual words that stand for more than one term (not just the sky). Until the context is clear in such a case, what is meant. The situation is different with the words " sky" ( meteorological sky) and " heaven" ( religious sky). Every word already contains the assignment to a particular area. So it is selected and therefore can stand alone.

Twelve Earthly Branches

The division of the seasons was too coarse. Close observation of the moon's motion led to divide the fixed stars into groups, according to the retention time of the moon from new moon to new moon or full moon to full moon. Thus arose twelve equal groups, each of which corresponded to a month. Initially, the months had no names. They are numbered, the first, the second, the third month and so on. Soon, one called the twelve abstract sections because of their relation to agriculture "earthly branches ". They were given accordingly names of earthly animals: Dragon (Chen ), Rabbit / Cat ( Mao), Tiger ( Yin), sheep / goat ( Wi), Horse ( Wu ), Snake (Si ), Dog ( Xu ), chicken / rooster ( You), Monkey ( Shen ), buffalo / cattle ( Chou ), rat / mouse ( Zi), pork ( shark ). Since the characters are the same for some animal names, the nomenclature is regionally heterogeneous and match the characters in other animals: from the rabbit, the cat, from the sheep, a goat or a ram out of the tap a chicken out of the buffalo, a cow, from the rat, mouse, and from the pig a boar.

The sections were further grouped in accordance with the directions. This results in the following assignment:

Lunisolarer Calendar

The Chinese calendar is a calendar lunisolarer, that is, it is ruled by the Moon and corrected by the sun. A year consists of twelve months of alternately 29 or 30 days - the exact time between two new moons is 29.53 days - for a total of 354 days. Since this time period compared to the solar year by about eleven days is too short, shifts of the seasons would soon arise. This can be countered by filing a 13th month, when the difference of nearly a month is reached. After nineteen year Metonic cycle these insertions take place on the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 16th and 19th year.

In the Chinese calendar, the New Year falls on the second new moon after the winter solstice, which corresponds in non-leap years, the New Moon before the vernal equinox. This date falls between January and February.

The number 60

Wood Fire Earth Metal Water

From the combination of the ten heavenly stems with the twelve earthly branches (character ), the number 60 Each heavenly Yang (5 ) results with every earthly Yang (6 ) yields 30 and each heavenly Yin ( 5) with any earthly Yin (6 ) yields 30, a total of 60 connections = 60 double characters.

The number 60 was the basic unit of the Chinese calendar. The merging of the cardinal points and seasons, the ten heavenly stems with the twelve Erdzweigen and the five elements, distinguishing between yin and yang results as the following overview.

Earthly Branches and seasons

Spring

• Yang, Tiger ( Ying ), wood, Jupiter, East, Spring
• Yin, Rabbit (Mao ), wood, Jupiter, East, Spring
• Yang, Dragon ( Sheng ), wood, Jupiter, Earth / East / Mitte, Spring, the season last fifth

Summer

• Yin / Sze, snake, fire, Mars, South, Summer
• Yang / Wu, horse, fire, Mars, South, Summer
• Yin / As, goat / sheep, Fire, Earth, Mars, Saturn / south / center, summer, last of the season fifth

Autumn

• Yang / Sung, monkey, metal, Venus, West, Autumn
• Yin / Yu, Hahn, metal, western, Venus, autumn
• Yang / Shih, dog, metal, Venus, Earth, Saturn / West / Central, Autumn, the season last fifth

Winter

• Yin / Han, pork, water, Mercury, North, Winter
• Yang / Tze, rat / mouse, water, Mercury, North, Winter
• Yin / Kiu, buffalo / calf, water, Mercury, Earth, Saturn / North / mid- winter, the season last fifth

Counting from the beginning of

Between January and February, the Chinese year (Chinese New Year for the second new moon after the winter solstice, ie between January 21 and February 21 ) begins.

The following one another in rhythm twelve earth signs (twelve earthly branches :子,丑, ...) of the Chinese calendar, the zodiac (鼠,牛, ...) and characteristics associated with:

The designation of the year every year changes cyclically according to this list of names. Since January 31, 2014, the year of the horse applies.

Legend

According to legend, Buddha invited, according to other sources of mythological Jade Emperor Yu Di " [ ... ] once all 13 animals of the zodiac at a fixed one. The cat originally was one of them. The mouse told the cat, however, that the feast would take place a day later. The cat went to sleep and dreamed of the feast. So it happened that only twelve animals, all except the cat, came to the festival. The first animal was the rat (mouse), you followed the buffalo ( the ox ), tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat ( the sheep ), the monkey, the rooster ( chicken ), the dog and finally the pig. Each animal was given a year, and he named it after him. So the rat got the first, the buffalo ( the ox ), the second, the third year of the Tiger and the pig finally the twelfth. This was done in the order in which they had come. All gave their consent. Since the cat did not come, she was also assigned no year, and [ she ] was thus ruled out. "

Time circuits ( cycles or periods)

12 years and 60 years

Each time loop starts with a " Year of the Rat ", which returns in episode twelve years (1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 and so following). Since the zodiac is also assigned to an element of the five- element theory wood, fire, earth, metal or water for each year, there is not only the " Year of the Rat ," but the year of the " Water Rat " and the year of the "Fire Tiger". Such a timing circuit takes 60 years and then starts all over again. The 60-year period began, according to legend, in 2637 BC Following this, the characters, elements, yin and yang, and planets are also used to refer to the years, months, days and hours.

Elements table

The five elements are each associated with Yang and Yin. The thus resulting 10 combinations also correspond to a 10 year-end numbers.

Months

From 1900 BC the month counting to have been started with Tiger ( Ping Ying, fire). In the twelve months, the same characters are repeated after five years (12 months x 5 years = 60 months).

Days

Similarly, from 1900 BC to have been started with Tiger ( Kia, Ying, wood) the day count. They are numbered consecutively, regardless of the timing circuit continuously from 1 to 12, starting with Tiger, Rabbit / Cat, Dragon, .. to dog, pig, rat / mouse.

Hours

Counting starts by 23 clock and the first double lesson lasts up to 1 clock. Again, the 12 Earthly Branches to dive back (see above):

From the seven basic components: Chinese Philosophy ( five elements, yin and yang ), calendar ( moon, sun), Astronomy ( five planets ), 10 Heavenly Stems ( sign ), 12 earthly branches ( zodiac ), Cycles and county are compiled the text modules and formulated into a meaningful whole.

Interpretation

The association and linkage of the five cardinal points, ten heavenly stems and twelve earthly branches with the five elements ( the five basic substances) thereafter allow the interpretation.

When the heavenly signs of the day fire (Mars), so is

Albert Einstein, born 14 March 1879, 11:30 OZ, Ulm, 010 ° 00'00 " / 48 ° 23'48"

In 1879, the Chinese year begins on January 22, 1879 ( New Year's Day, the first day of the first new moon month).

Rough overview of the individual " text blocks":

Last digit of the year, 9: Earth, Yin, Saturn

Season Spring (March): Moon (Yi), Yin and Sun ( Kia ), Yang

Yin: female, passive, receptive, indulging and veiling, uncreative, negative one, on the other hand -held principle

Birthday March 14, corresponds to the 9th day, monkey:

Sky sign ( companion ) of the day

Criticism

There are no scientific studies on the topic " Chinese Astrology " known. In the textbook " The Chinese Horoscope" is discussed the question whether the cases cited were correct. The author says, " the most true, but not everything " and added, " since no one from himself knows to what extent he is the impulse nachzuhelfen, ' succumbed, this he has no probative value ... " The Chinese astrologer is not an explanation been embarrassed. He had a set of 24 books called, beginning around the year 1700, with which one could make the great Chinese Horoscope - but he denied the author access to it. In conclusion, Weber, " The study of Chinese astrology brings at least a profit: they led us to reconsider the conditions of our own astrology " ( Weber)

Historical Aspects

Starting from the idea that China is the "Middle Kingdom " on the flat earth, the faith of the " Son of Heaven ", the emperor is as earthly counterparts (Chinese mythology Shennong, Fu Xi, Huang Di ) was born. They did not believe in gods who determine the fate of the people. Rather, it was believed that a good fortune would, if you follow the directions of the sky. Disharmony on earth could be transferred to the celestial regions, and vice versa. So eclipses and comets were heavenly character disorders that pointed to improper behavior of the emperor and his ministers. The task of the emperor, as the " Son of Heaven ", it belonged to pay attention to the harmony between heaven and earth. In harmony we imagined heaven, man and earth were to be understood as an interplay of the forces that zustrebten a harmonious balance. This included the practical application of the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements theory ( Phases ). They are interdependent and interpenetrate, to be processed into a meaningful whole and applied in accordance with the rhythms of the year, month, day, and hour.

To understand and comply with the harmony rhythm, one needed an era. That was the birth of the located to this day in use Chinese calendar. The imperial astronomers were commissioned to design such. With his help, all measures at the right time should be taken. This included the times of the seasons ( sun's path, solar year ) and the different phases of the moon ( moon run, lunar year) to be determined. Thus, the lunar and solar calendar developed into a lunisolar calendar. It contained 24 items for farm activities such as sowing and harvesting, traditional festivals, celebrations and holidays ( Chinese calendar). In addition, information on the potential lucky and unlucky days, according to the Harmonies and the duration of the " retreat of the rulers ." The master of the calendar define the power of the king. " ... He traveled the kingdom in the direction of the sun's course (天道, Tian dào T'ien1 - tao4, ) so that as the directions come with the seasons and the insignia of his followers with the emblematic virtues of the four world quarters in line; he provides for his ability, in the ' land of the people ' (天下, Tian Xia, T'ien1 - hsia4 ) a heavenly order (天道, Tian dào, T'ien1 - tao4 ) introduce, demonstrate - and earns the title ' son of Heaven ' (天子, Tian zǐ, T'ien1 - tzu3 ), he shows yet so that he the ' way of Heaven ' (天道, Tian dào, T'ien1 - tao4 ) comply ... ".

The observation of the night sky was limited to the movements of the sun and moon. The other planets like Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were also observed, but their movements are not documented (as it did the Babylonians ). Similarly, we treated the star, the one, similar as in Babylonia, also grouped into constellations. We knew a star catalog with 809 stars in 122 constellations. Every now and then it was also observed an eclipse. It was only during the Han period ( 141-87 BC, one of the seven kingdoms ) astronomical knowledge formed out more. They allowed the later processing of sightings of Halley 's Comet in the years 989, 1066, 1145, 1301 and 1054 of the supernova in the constellation Taurus

The " Chinese Astrology " knows no calculation of the positions of the sun, moon and planets, therefore, any chart in the Western sense. It may therefore be described as a calendar interpretation. This reflects the everyday until today day. It is called the Chinese sages, the four periods: year and month, day and hour of birth.

* The January 28, 2006 is the last day of the year. Apparently, this two-hour heard the following year丙戌( borderline case ).

Then he calculates, according to the Chinese calendar, your fingers will " Eight Characters " from. The calendar sheet prepared in this way describes the people at the time of his birth. It is never of planets or stars of the question. Everything revolves only around the " Eight Characters " (八字, ba1zì ) - two each for the year and month, day and hour ( the " four pillars " / " four-pillar astrology " chinese八字 算命, Pinyin Bazi Suanming ). This is followed by a statement.

The origin of the eight characters is unknown. Narrated is an old saga. Subsequently, they are " [ ... ] in ancient times an emperor who was hard pressed by the umwohnenden barbarians, as have been transmitted from the sky to ward off his enemies gods gift. From the stars no word [ ... ] " ( Weber)

The " Chinese astrology " has been held since their early days in everyday life to our present day wide application, such as funeral or wedding. The " Eight Characters " of the couple are compared for compatibility towards one another. To date, it happens that the man to marry his beloved tells her his eight characters.

In the novel, Kin Ping Meh ( Jin Ping Mei ), published in 1600, the following scene is described: the matchmaker who advertises their client 's hand in Yu Loh says: " [ ... ] If ye are willing, my proposal to adopt, then be so kind and sign the card on the eight characters of your birth date so that Mr Li has your vows in writing. "Mon Yu Loh chose a strip of red satin fabric ( red, the color of decency ), and called by the provisor Fu the desired eight characters skilfully paint it [ ... ] " (quoted from Anton Luebke )

From a similar experience Erwin Wickert learned 379 years later. He writes: " [ ... ] I asked the son if he knew his bride a long time. ' No,' replied the father, " she is from the neighboring municipality; but the middle man has of course brought us the dates of birth, and one who knows how to have the birth sign compared and found that they fit together. Watched my son has it in the last week. ' " ( Wickert )

In Mongolia, which had taken over the Chinese calendar, the rule is that partners match each other if their birth sign apart five characters (years, months). Georg Timkowski reported:

" The second equally important obstacle of the marital union among the Mongols is that they explore, according to their prejudices, and their own superstitions with the help of books, the birth year of the groom and the bride, ie under what animal circles born they are, so that the sign under which the bride is born, not pity the groom, or not meet him in power; among them is to be understood that the women in the family do not get the upper hand over the man. Heaven characters you count bey them twelve, after which they the years, as we bey us months designate; they are known under the following names:

The fifth year, to be expected according to the above order, is always the one that allows entry into the marriage, and is called Ibegél, the seventh against: Charschi. For example: If the bride under the sign of the mouse or the calf, and the groom is born under the sign of the dragon or the serpent, so marriage is allowed; is born one of these under the sign of the mouse and the other under the sign of the horse, it is nevertheless, and it would be from various tribes, not allowing them to marry with each other. Besides, they assume that the calf with the tiger, the chicken with the horse, the pig with the snake, opposing or hostile characters ( Charschi ), and marriage among these characters is absolutely prohibited. "