Chinese Astrology चीनी ज्योतिष

Chinese astrology is a distinct system from Vedic/Western. It is lunar-solar (uses lunar months but solar year), element-based (Wu Xing — 5 elements), and operates on a 60-year cycle combining 12 zodiac animals × 5 element pairs.

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The 12 Chinese Zodiac Animals (Sheng Xiao 生肖)

Animal personality archetypes

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The Five Elements (Wu Xing 五行)

Chinese astrology adds a layer beyond the animal: each year is also one of 5 elements, in a cycle of 10 years (2 years per element, one Yang + one Yin):

Combined with the 12 animals, this produces the 60-year cycle: 60 unique animal-element combinations.

The 2 cycles of element interaction

Generating cycle (Sheng): Wood → Fire → Earth → Metal → Water → Wood (each generates the next) Controlling cycle (Ke): Wood ← Metal (metal cuts wood); Earth ← Wood (wood breaks earth); Water ← Earth (earth dams water); Fire ← Water (water extinguishes fire); Metal ← Fire (fire melts metal)

Used in BaZi to analyse chart balance — too much of one element = imbalance; remedies aim to use the controlling or balancing element.

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BaZi (八字) — Chinese Four Pillars of Destiny

The Chinese equivalent of a natal chart. BaZi means "8 characters" — 8 because the chart has 4 "pillars" × 2 components each:

Each pillar = 1 Heavenly Stem (天干 — 10 stems, paired with 5 elements × Yin/Yang) + 1 Earthly Branch (地支 — 12 branches, paired with 12 animals).

How BaZi reading works (simplified)

1. The Day Master (the heavenly stem of the day pillar) = "you." Its element is your core nature.
2. Examine the elemental balance of all 8 characters. Is the Day Master strong (supported by like elements) or weak (suppressed by controlling elements)?
3. Identify the Favourable Element (Yong Shen) — the one that brings balance.
4. Time periods (luck cycles, 10-year periods) and yearly transits are evaluated against this favourable element.

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The "Trine" groups (best compatibility)

The 12 animals form 4 trine groups (every 4th animal):

• Rat – Dragon – Monkey (intellectuals' trine)
• Ox – Snake – Rooster (workers' trine)
• Tiger – Horse – Dog (independent thinkers' trine)
• Rabbit – Goat – Pig (diplomats' trine)

The opposites (avoid in marriage — traditional)

Animals 6 places apart are considered opposites:

• Rat ↔ Horse
• Ox ↔ Goat
• Tiger ↔ Monkey
• Rabbit ↔ Rooster
• Dragon ↔ Dog
• Snake ↔ Pig

These pairings are considered most challenging for marriage in traditional Chinese astrology. (Like all "incompatibility" warnings in any tradition, frame as "may require more conscious effort," not "doomed.")

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Feng Shui (风水) — basics

Feng Shui ("wind-water") is the Chinese science of arranging space for harmonious energy flow. It overlaps in spirit with Indian Vastu but has different rules.

Two main schools:

1. Form School (Luan Tou) — reads the landscape and surroundings of a space (hills, water, roads, neighbouring buildings).
2. Compass School (Li Qi) — uses the Luo Pan (geomantic compass) and Bagua (8-trigram map) to assign sectors of a space to life areas.

The Bagua — 8 trigrams + center

A 3×3 grid (9 sectors) overlaid on a home, with each sector representing a life area:

(There are two main mapping conventions — Western "BTB Bagua" aligns the entrance with knowledge/career/helpful people; traditional Chinese Bagua uses compass directions.)

Common Feng Shui rules (Form school)

• No straight road pointing at the front door (poison arrow / shar chi).
• Bed should not be in direct line with the door (the "coffin position").
• Mirror should not face the bed.
• Water features should be near the entrance, on the left side of the door (looking out).
• Avoid clutter — stagnant energy (sha qi).
• Plants in the wealth corner (far left from entrance, looking in).

Annual flying stars

A more advanced Feng Shui technique: each year, 9 "flying stars" (numbers 1–9) move to different sectors of the home, changing which areas are auspicious or inauspicious that year. Practitioners advise on which sectors to "activate" (e.g. with water features, lights) and which to "subdue" (e.g. with metal cures) each year.

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Data shape

id: chinese-zodiac.dragon
system: chinese
type: zodiac-animal
name: {en: "Dragon", zh: "龙 (Lóng)", hi: "ड्रैगन"}
sources: [TRADITIONAL]
years_recent: [1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024, 2036]
note: "Year starts at Chinese New Year (late Jan – mid Feb), not Jan 1"
element_pair_2024: "Wood Dragon"
trine_compatible: [rat, monkey]
opposite: dog
character:
  strengths: ["ambitious", "confident", "charismatic", "intelligent", "powerful"]
  weaknesses: ["arrogant", "impatient", "intolerant", "domineering"]
  general_en: |
    The Dragon is the most-prized animal in Chinese tradition — associated with
    royalty, power, and fortune. Dragon-year people are typically charismatic
    and ambitious, drawn to leadership and visible roles. They have natural
    confidence that can shade into arrogance when unchecked. Considered
    auspicious — many Chinese families plan births in Dragon years.
careers_suited: ["leadership", "politics", "entrepreneurship", "performing arts", "spokesperson roles"]