The 12 sign animals

Characteristics of 12 sign

According to the Chinese Astrologists, the characteristics of an individual could be determined from the year, month, time and place of birth. The reality of such prediction is only 60% accurate since one could change ones character and attitude either for better or worst as the years go by. The environment and our determination can affect the characteristics. The following information could help you to know yourself and change to a better and successful

Rat Born in the year1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
IN GENERAL
Creative, problem solver, imaginative, hyperactive worker and respected for its resourcefulness. Intuitive with ability in acquiring and holding on to things it values. Outward personality is certainly appealing, but below the surface there often abides a crafty and opportunist character. In financial matters, they are erratic, scrimping, cutting corners and budgeting carefully when money is scarce, but spending lavishly instead of saving in time of plenty.

FIVE ELEMENT RAT TYPES
Metal(1960)
Self-confident, hardworking, helpful, problem solver, prefer to work alone, and difficult to express their good points.
Wood(1924)(1984)
Freedom lover, imaginative, highly principled and not many close friends.
Water(1912)(1972)
Introvert, creative, adventurous until a safe haven found, systematic and believes in justice.
Fire(1936)(1996)
Warm-hearted, aggressive, without caring about the consequences to follow after bad-tempered action. "Control" will gain more friends.
Earth(1948) (2008)
Materialistic, hard-worker and hates the routine life. Not giving up when facing defeat will lead to success.

Ox Born in the year1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009
IN GENERAL
Gentle, peace loving, possesses great physical strength that makes it dangerous if angered. Conservative, independent, trusting and accepts others for what they are. They may be unromantic, but there is no lack of affection for a few select friends. In business, they often bring prosperity - not through entrepreneurial imagination and risk, but as a result of logical thought, resolute practicality and honest endurance.

FIVE ELEMENT OX TYPES
Metal(1961)
Honest, hard working, opinionated, inflexible, trusting others, relaxation will lead to success.
Wood(1925)(1985)
Bad-tempered, conservative, without caring about consequence to follow after volcanic temper, "cool head" will lead to gaining more friends.
Water(1913)(1973)
Peace-lover, good-listener, perfect lover, no ambition for self-advancement and unromantic.
Fire(1937)(1997)
Kind-hearted, sociable, energetic; relaxing and accepting changes will lead to success.
Earth(1949) (2009)
Prefers stable and peaceful life. No ambitious but hard-worker.

Tiger Born in the year1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998
IN GENERAL
Strong, noble, aggressive, independent and courageous. It also tends to be selfish and short tempered. Tiger characteristics are considered unfeminine. Aggressive business will bring more favorable returns. Tigers are likely to succeed in sales, personnel management and uniformed careers.

FIVE ELEMENT TIGER TYPES:
Metal (1950)
Energetic, difficult to express their own opinion, ambitious and not a good diplomat. Relaxing and enjoying life will bring more enjoyment.
Wood (1914) (1974)
Gentle, warm-hearted, relaxation will lead to having more close friends; express your talent when opportunity arises.
Water (1962)
Hard-worker, responsible, ambitious, self-assured, expressing their talent will lead to success.
Fire (1926) (1986)
Outgoing, energetic, observant slow down and relax to lead to further advancement.
Earth (1938) (1998)
Self-indulgent, not ambitious, takes things as they come, a little aggressiveness will lead to success.

Rabbit Born in the year1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999
IN GENERAL
Uncomplicated, affectionate, attractive to the opposite sex, talented and ambitious. Realistic about its characteristics it leaves leadership roles to the stronger. Traditionally associated with clear-sightedness and is an excellent judge of character, with an instinct for recognizing sincerity in others and an almost uncanny ability for sensing falsehood. In personal relationships, even the most innocent deceptions will be identified almost at the moment they are perpetrated.

FIVE ELEMENT RABBIT TYPES
Metal(1951)
Hard-worker, ambitious, good planner, love to help others, confident; relax to avoid nervous break down.
Wood(1915) (1975)
Gentle, kind-hearted, less ambitious, peace and naturalist lover, develop the artistic field to lead to success.
Water(1963)
Lack of ambition, self-contented, tend to escape from reality if matter is not according to their wishes.
Fire(1927)(1987)
Passionate, sociable, smile always on their faces; not good planners.
Earth(1939)(1999)
Peace loving, hard-worker, realistic and no ambition.

Dragon Born in the year1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000
IN GENERAL
Powerful, gifted, full of vitality, possesses outstanding leadership capabilities, quick-tempered, prone to worry, and is perhaps too fastidious. Strong and decisively resolute in a determination to follow interesting tracks which may lead nowhere. Dragons would become wealthy were it not for the fact that spectacular gains are as often as not offset by money wasted elsewhere.

FIVE ELEMENT DRAGON TYPES
Metal(1940)(2000)
Brave, arrogant, frank, bad-tempered, opinionated, few close friends.
Wood(1964)
Peace loving, elegant with a good eye for spotting the latest trends, impetuous and lack of judgment.
Water(1952)
Kind-hearted, caring, ambitious, withstands pressure, loves challenge, and uses their good-relationships to succeed when opportunities are recognized.
Fire(1916) (1976)
Warm hearted, lack of organization in decision-making and detailed planning.
Earth(1928)(1988)
Introvert, hard-working, meticulous planner, puts work ahead of family and friends.

Snake Born in the year1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
IN GENERAL
Intellectual, quick-witted, passionate and sometimes feared. Females are noted for their brains and beauty. Snake-types are also adept at giving the impression they know far more about a subject than they intend to divulge, and while a strict sense of propriety prevents them from telling lies, they are not averse to double-dealing when it suits them. Their ability to gather up information suggests an aptitude for research, detection or academia, all areas that should satisfy their analytical brain. Social or domestic activities will generally need to be tailored to allow for powerful sensuality.

FIVE ELEMENT SNAKE TYPES
Metal(1941)(2001)
Self-opinionated, egotistic, hard working, difficulty to accept criticism, strong will-power and will take any measures to achieve ambition.
Wood(1965)
Imaginative, creative, friendly, uses their relationship with others to achieve their goal; "patience" will lead to success.
Water(1953)
Introvert, good-tempered, cool, gentle and honorable, but lack of ambition and enthusiasm in result in being unaware of to make the most of opportunities.
Fire(1917) (1977)
Strong character with bad temper, without caring about the consequences to follow after bad-tempered action. "Slow down and Rethink" will gain more friends.
Earth(1929)(1989)
Friendly, conservative, dreamer but has difficulty in accepting change.

Horse Born in the year1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002
IN GENERAL
The Horse loves life, has plenty of sex appeal, charming, smart, popular and moody. On the serious side, they are hardworking, tenacious, and loyal. Horse-types are good talkers, never short of conversation, though less quick with ready ideas. The latest news is always a good opening gambit, and the Horse is always keen to hear other peoples' opinions. Deep-seated prejudices however are hard to dislodge. Love of social contact remains the most important force in the Horse's life, and whatever career is chosen, ideally it will involve close liaison with others.

FIVE ELEMENT HORSE TYPES
Metal(1930)(1990)
Trustworthy, wide range of interests, hard working, good leader and able to make the most of opportunities offered.
Wood(1954)
Introvert, lack of confidence, imaginative, openness and communicating with others will lead to a better life.
Water(1942)(2002)
Knows how to grasp the most of opportunities, charming, confident. Systematic approach together with willingness to accept advice will lead to success.
Fire(1966)
Energetic, will sacrifice anything to realize their ambition.
Earth(1918) (1978)
Down to earth, un-ambitious, loves the good life. If long-term plan applied will lead to success.

Goat (sheep) Born in the year1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003
IN GENERAL
The Sheep with its strong forehead and horns represents strength and fortitude. It is confident, persevering, and protective of the weak. Non-judgmental of others, it is comfortable to be with the Sheep and its cousin, the goat. The Sheep nature is best seen in its artistic talent. Sheep can also be a touch too fastidious, which in many respects explains why their creative natures are not normally fully explored. The Sheep may be involved, either professionally or voluntarily, in social work of some description, while a sensitivity for the arts may well lead to a career in music or a craft.

FIVE ELEMENT GOAT (SHEEP) TYPES
Metal(1931) (1991)
Opinionated, difficult to accepting reality, systematic, believes in justice and will argue a case to the very end. Easily upset by strangers, should learn to relax.
Wood(1955)
Kind-hearted, generous, always looks on the bright side when crisis arises, always think of others first.
Water(1943) (2003)
Kind-hearted, self-controlled, values friendship, puts others first, self-confident, never afraid to face difficulties and will always complete a task.
Fire(1967)
Aggressive, ambitious, courageous, will always claim credit, unwilling to recognize self-faults.
Earth(1919) (1979)
Careful but suspicious and mistrustful of others' abilities; works hard to improve material needs, with no ambition for self-advancement.



Monkey Born in the year1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004
IN GENERAL
The Monkey is intelligent with a sense of humor, original thinker, practical, carries out plans successfully, curious, observant, friendly and introvert. In general, they are extremely versatile and can do well at almost anything. Success however can easily go to their head, bringing out a latent arrogance that often alienates friends. But it is rarely long before the Monkey's agreeable humor and other engaging sociable qualities win them back. Older and wiser Monkeys are able to channel their energetic and fertile imaginations into the solving of extremely complex problems.

FIVE ELEMENT MONKEY TYPES
Metal(1920)(1980)
Risk taker, hark worker in order to achieve target, independent and freedom lover.
Wood(1944)(2004)
Talented, creative, warm-hearted, if confident will lead to further success.
Water(1932)(1992)
Patient, quick thinking, adventurer, popular in social circle and recognizes opportunities.
Fire(1956)
Charming, aggressive, impetuous, ambitious, recognizing self-faults and accepting advice will lead to success.
Earth(1968)
Funny, new invention lover, not an adventurer, no initiative with opposite sex when relationships arise.

Rooster Born in the year1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981,1993, 2005 (1993 see Water Rooster)
IN GENERAL
The Rooster carries out the assignments conscientiously and when faced with an adversary it fights boldly. Always busy, seemingly self-centered, sensitive and attentive to its friends. The Rooster is alert, joining a fundamental punctiliousness with precise attention to detail. The problems arrive when so many projects are taken on that, inevitably, the less troublesome get lost in the sheer volume. In business and personal relationships the quieter more reserved members of the Rooster's social circle or family may be neglected or forgotten.

FIVE ELEMENT ROOSTER TYPES
Metal(1921)(1981)
Self-opinionated, inflexible, highly principled, relaxing will lead to success.
Wood(1945)(2005)
Kind-hearted, enthusiastic, lacks in confidence, over consideration for consequences, difficulties in taking up challenges.
Water(1933)(1980)
Ambitious, frank, self-confident, adventurous, caring, without consideration for other consequences when achieving their own target.
Fire(1957)
Welcomes praise from others, enjoys a luxurious life, hard-worker, seldom stays at home, not many close friends.
Earth(1969)
Conservative, moody, lacks in ambition.

Dog Born in the year1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006
IN GENERAL
Loyal, trusted, compassionate, protector and is always ready to give aid. Intensely defensive where friends and family are concerned, they will not stand by while others are maligned, but sometimes a refusal to listen to warnings regarding the behavior of children or other loved ones can lead to severe domestic problems. They have a sympathetic ear for other people's woes and are always ready with a shoulder to cry on. Rare displays of violent anger are almost always justified, but wrongs are quickly forgotten, and resentment only borne against those outside the intimate circle of family and friends.

FIVE ELEMENT DOG TYPES
Metal(1970)
Loyal, work with their intuition, calm will lead to success, know how to control outgoings.
Wood(1934)(1994)
Independent, creative, protective, if confidence increase will lead to success.
Water(1922)(1982)
Active, charming, sociable, systematic, accept advice from friends and have numbers of close friends.
Fire(1946)(2006)
Intractable, kind-hearted, patient, controlling temper will lead to success.
Earth(1958)
Materialistic ambitions, hard-worker, uses the relationship with friends to gain success, not many close friends.

Pig Born in the year1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007 (1995 see Wood Pig)
IN GENERAL
They are courageous, independent, quick-tempered, do not like to compromise, loners and have few friends that will keep for life. They possess great inner strength and fortitude. In business, they are the finishers who put the last necessary touches to a project, and in this respect they may become extremely successful financially. On the debit side, they are naive and trusting, falling easy prey to the confidence trickster. For a career, caring professions as nursing or counseling. Otherwise the Pig's genuine concern for others will become apparent through voluntary work and a good neighbor.

FIVE ELEMENT PIG TYPES
Metal(1971)
Ambitious, calm, materialistic, sociable, will take any measures to achieve their goals. If less aggressive will lead to having more friends.
Wood(1935)(1995)
Quick-tempered, hard-worker, have a world on their own, use their relationship with friends to gain success.
Water(1923)(1983)
Kind-hearted, peace-lover, lack of ambition, hard-worker, helps others and has lots of friends.
Fire(1947)(2007)
Complicated temper, adventurous, hard-worker, difficult to accept criticism and will take any measures to achieve their goal.
Earth(1959)
Home loving, hard-working, materialistic and realistic.

12 Signs Animals

Chinese Lunar Calendar
Background and Concept The Chines animal signs are a 12-year cycle used for dating the years. They represent a cyclical concept of time, rather than the Western linear concept of time. The Chinese Lunar Calendar is based on the cycles of the moon, and is constructed in a different fashion than the Western solar calendar. In the Chinese calendar, the beginning of the year falls somewhere between late January and early February. The Chinese have adopted the Western calendar since 1911, but the lunar calendar is still used for festive occasions such as the Chinese New Year. Many Chinese calendars will print both the solar dates and the Chinese lunar dates.

The Twelve Animal Signs
Background InformationIn the United States, the years are dated from the birth of Jesus Christ, for example, 1977 means 1,977 years after the birth of Christ. This represents a linear perception of time, with time proceeding in a straight line from the past to the present and the future. In traditional China, dating methods were cyclical, cyclical meaning something that is repeated time after time according to a pattern. A popular folk method which reflected this cyclical method of recording years are the Twelve Animal Signs. Every year is assigned an animal name or "sign" according to a repeating cycle: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Boar. Therefore, every twelve years the same animal name or "sign" would reappear.
A cultural sidelight of the animal signs in Chinese folklore is that horoscopes have developed around the animal signs, much like monthly horoscopes in the West have been developed for the different moon signs, Pisces, Aries, etc. For example, a Chinese horoscope may predict that a person born in the Year of the Horse would be, "cheerful, popular, and loves to compliment others". These horoscopes are amusing, but not regarded seriously by the Chinese people.
The animal signs also serve a useful social function for finding out people's ages. Instead of asking directly how old a person is, people often ask what is his or her animal sign. This would place that person's age within a cycle of 12 years, and with a bit of common sense, we can deduce the exact age. More often, though, people ask for animal signs not to compute a person's exact numerical age, but to simply know who is older among friends and acquaintances.
LegendAccording to Chinese legend, the twelve animals quarreled one day as to who was to head the cycle of years. The gods were asked to decide and they held a contest: whoever was to reach the opposite bank of the river would be first, and the rest of the animals would receive their years according to their finish.
All the twelve animals gathered at the river bank and jumped in. Unknown to the ox, the rat had jumped upon his back. As the ox was about to jump ashore, the rat jumped off the ox's back, and won the race. The pig, who was very lazy, ended up last. That is why the rat is the first year of the animal cycle, the ox second, and the pig last.
Zodiac Chart: The rotating cycle of twelve animal signs was a folk method for naming the years in traditional China. The animal signs for one another in an established order, and are repeated every twelve years. 1976 was the Year of the Dragon, and 1977 was the year of the Snake.