I was just wondering if there was a big difference between each kind of elemental year. So for instance would an earth dragon be alot different from a metal dragon?
Mook Jong
I am no expert but, I do know that each Zodiac is influenced by one of the elements. Each element will influence the zodiac differently but the zodiac will in essence be the same. If that makes sense. So yes an earth dragon and a metal dragon are of the same influence but will differ to some degree based on their elemental alignment.
Some basic calendar info:
There are three primary calendar types in the world: Solar, Lunar, and Luni-Solar.
In a lunar calendar, months are determined by the moon’s cyclic phases. A new moon signifies the beginning of the month, a full moon the middle. The new year is determined by the ending of the 13th month, placing the new year ten days ahead each year. This calendar was/is more relevant in terms of hunter-gatherer societies.
In a solar calendar, the new year is determined by the arrival of a specific date in a fairly rigid cycle of light and dark - the solstices and equinoxes. This calendar payed close attention to seasons and light levels in the year, and is/was therefore more relevant to agricultural societies.
The Luni-Solar Calendar takes both the solar and lunar years into account when calculating a date. The solar calendar is used as the foundation, since it is more fixed than the lunar calendar. The lunar calendar is then overlayed and synchronized with the solar calendar.
In the solar calendar, the winter solstice is the time when yin reaches its utmost and gives birth to yang, and the summer solstice is the utmost of yang and the birth of yin. The equinoxes (days of equal light and dark) are times when yang and yin are equal. In the chinese calendar, the are considered the MIDDLES of the seasons, rather than the beginning and ending of seasons. Hence, the spring equinox is the middle of spring - the time when yang and yin are equal. Since each season is three months long, the equinox is placed at the 1.5 month mark. Counting backwards, this puts the beginning of spring (the chinese solar new year) on February 4th.
In the chinese calendar, the new year is calculated by “synchronizing” the two calendars - that is, the lunar new year is annually reset to the new moon closest to february 4th.
A new year where the new moon fell on february 4th would be considered a perfectly syncrhonized (or balanced) year. This is rarely the case, and most years have either a few extra or a few less days than the balanced year. Up to a month can be added or subtracted from the year. When a month is added, it is called a “leap month.” Since months are lunar, a leap month must therefore fit into a season, meaning one season has an extra month. Likewise, seasons can have missing months. This is where the excess and deficiency of years and phases (also known as elements) comes in.
If a year has a extra days, it is a yang year. The phase of the year is determined by the season which will have the extra days or month. If the year is missing days, it is a yin year. Again, the phase is determined by the season which is affected by the missing days.
So, every year is either yin or yang, and relates to one of the seasons or phases.
Originally, People simply worked off of the natural cycle. Eventually, a system was designed in which fit harmoniously, however this formalized calendar quickly went out of sync with the natural cycle. It is still the one in use today. The system is based on the combination of 10 heavenly stems (yin and yang transformations of the five elements) 12 earthly branches (generally symbolized by the 12 animals) for a total of sixty permutations.
So, yes, there is a difference between each year, season, month, and even time of day, however calendars are not necessarily accurate portrayals of the natural cycles. If you want to understand the synchronization between a person and nature, it is best to learn about the five phases, twelve meridians, and the principles of date calculation. The Nei Jing is one of the better sources, but don’t discount modern astronomy, physics, and chronobiology, either.
That should get you started, at any rate.
CSP
elemental siginificance is similar to the build/destroy pentagram/circle that you see in 5 phase theory.
so a water sign would hold up a wood sign while being stifling to a fire sign.
a metal sign would cut down a wood sign, an earth sign would smother a water sign and so on.
worthy of note that you generally, as a rule of thumb can’t have 2 dragons in the same house. It’s in teh nature of dragons to not want to share the horde with another dragon.
5 phase theory has two natural transformations and three “unnatural” transformations.
The first transformation is that of engenderment, and is generally represented as a mother/child relationship. The mother nourishes the child. Spring nourishes summer. Wood nourishes fire. Plans nourish accomplishment.
The second transformation is that of natural restraint. It is generally represented as a grandparent/grandchild relationship. The grandparent naturally restrains the child while still allowing the child to flourish (keeps the child from running into the street while waiting at a crosswalk, for example.) Fall naturally restrains spring. Metal naturally restrains wood. Sensory input naturally restrains planning.
These two transformations can be unbalanced. The mother can fail to nourish enough, and the child can take more than the mother has to offer. The grandparent can be overbearing, and squash the child’s potential.
A third imbalance is a transformation known as “insulting.” That is, the grandchild rebels against the grandparent. If the grandchild were water, it would insult earth. An example of this is fear not allowing proper reflection of the situation.
When discussing personalities, makes sure you take into account which person is excess or deficient, yin or yang.
CSP
Hi Xiao3 Meng4,
Very impressive! 
To All,
Solar Calendar is approx. 365 1/4 (5 hours 48 mins)
Luna Calendar is approx. 29 days 12 hours 44 mins - 354 or 355 days per year
There is about 11 days difference so adjustment is need.
Stem-branch Calendar is said to have been in use since the legendary Yellow Emperor’s time. It is a constant 360 days a year. It is pretty much the only known calendar that’s in continuous use since its invention. So it is thousands of years old. The SBC is also holistic and organic. Qi theory largely based on this knowledge. If this is understood, then we can see the fallacy of new age “Qigong” that’s being made up by the so called masters.
The SBC is technically sexageismal (a base of 60) but it is basically mixed-radix system of base 10 and 6. This is interestingly similar to Babylonian numerals.
The 12 Earthly Branches (basic unit of hour and month) are believe to be related to movements of Jupiter while the 5 phases would have been related to the movements of Venus (hence, the star shape which is also a later invention). The animal attributes are assigned according to the hour of the day (ie first/Zi hour - rodens are most active during midnight, etc)
So there is no such thing as a wood dragon or a metal dragon is good or bad by default. It’s a matter of how the astrological conditions at the time come together so to speak. So watch out for people trying to scam your money by giving you false reading on your fortune. 
But if you are entertained by it, well I suppose it’s money well spent lol…
Mantis108
Hi Mantis108,
I’ve heard of a middle-eastern numerical connection as well, only in relation to the Sumerians.
Here’s a quote from Alexander Waugh, describing a plausible Sumerian Finger-counting system devised by French Mathematical Historian Georges Ifrah. (square brackets added by me.)
“Look at your right hand with the palm facing. You will (unless there is something peculiar about your hand) notice that each of the four fingers is distinctly divided into three articulations or phalanges. Might the Sumerians have counted these phalanges? Since these people were built the same as we are, let us imagine, as we inspect our beautifully clean modern digits, that we have before us the primitive paw of a mathematically inclined Sumerian. If you count the phalanges [of the four right fingers with your right thumb], they should come to 12. In much the same way as an abacus works, the fingers of the right hand can be used to count single numbers from one to 12 while the fingers of the left mark off the twelves. The little finger of the left hand, let’s say, represents 12, the next 24, the long middle finger 36, the left index 48 and the thumb 60. There you have it. The fingers, once you get used to working them, form a perfectly adequate abacus in base 12, of which the highest number is 60.”(Time, Waugh, p.24)
Consider, then, that the Chinese calendar, which works off of the same base, may have come from a similar finger counting system.
CSP
Chinese Horoscopes
Check out our Chinese horoscopes section. Our Feng Shui Astrologist, Wilson Sun, will occasionally distinguish between forecasts for different elements in the same sign. That gets pretty complicated pretty quickly since it expands a system of twelve into a cycle of sixty. He’ll make the distinction for specific readings, but for our horoscopes column, it gets to be too much.
What A Depressing Horoscope
WTF!! All of my horoscopes in KF Magazine have been a real bummer. Besides the general 2008 horoscope for the Rat, which says stuff like, “If you gamble, misfortune will befall you. Expect emotional crises. You want to be alone. Your creative juices dry up. Youll waste time and energy mending broken relationships,” the last couple of months have said stuff like, “Prepare for emotional lows,” and, “You’ll be trapped by your emotions. You’ll feel hypersensitive.”
Now this month’s and next month’s horoscopes for the Rat are especially grim. I don’t have the issue on me but it says stuff like, “nothing works out for you no matter how hard you try,” and “old sicknesses reemerge,” and, “I’ll experience bitterness over old sickness.”
What the hell?!?!? Isn’t it supposed to be the year of the Rat?? Can’t I read something just a little more upbeat? I have to admit, things are looking pretty grim for me in all areas of my life right now. I broke up with my girlfriend, I’m nearly bankrupt, etc. But I really don’t need to hear that crap.
everything has its time, just like the tides of the ocean.
from full moon to eclipse.
We just have to hang loose and stay low during the off time or bad time.
even the weather is not sunny all the time.
and so are the days of our life.
keep or stay cool and chilling during bad weather or time.
some would play ma jong.
some would read a novel.
some would –
the year of rat is my element of life year or ben ming nian.
the 4th cycle for me.
–
:D;):)
:eek:
well, you can take comfort in the fact that astrology is a load of crap and horoscopes have about as much meaning as pocket lint.
You are captain of your own ship and if you have a goal, work towards it and arm yourself with the best methods to do so. If you have questions, seek answers, but don’t look to hocus pocus voodoo nonsense for answers in your life or your life will amount to nothing more than misplaced actions built on misplaced beliefs.
horoscopes are for idle fun and not serious in the least. You do not honestly think yoruself exactly the same as everyone who was born in the same year as you do you? what a dry and dull world it would be if that was the way! lol
Go buy a fortune cookie.
The cosmic forces are not so kind. The gods have whispered something into my ear:
“You’re ****ed.”
Go buy a fortune cookie.
The cosmic forces are not so kind. The gods have whispered something into my ear:
“You’re ****ed.”
lol
Gee, thanks. I feel a sh!tload better now.
[QUOTE=Siu Lum Fighter;866071]lol
Gee, thanks. I feel a sh!tload better now.[/QUOTE]
Your horoscope did say you’d feel hypersensitive.
there is a big camp of people
that like to be positive thinking, and pro-active.
but there are times that we just have to do nothing or wait it out.
true, positive altitude and mood would effect people around you and may achieve more in a working environment.
but there are times that nothing is needed either way.
when it is all gloom and doom and nothing is going the right direction.
may be hands off for a while and let the world spin by itself, or let things go its own way and take care of itself by itself.
this is a very hard concept when I was young.
when we do nothing, actually we let ourself out of the picture for a while, sometimes, that is all that is needed.
–
:D;)
when I feel down and out and nothing is working out for me.
some music always cheer me up or comfort me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-idDbIfGvw
a dude is away and missing his love one. sad and depressed but with the anticipation of meeting her again that brought some sweetness and excitement and made the waiting and loneliness more bearable etc etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ONH3hIjO3c&feature=related
I love this song since a little kid. I did not know what it was saying.
but I sense that there is a great emotion of affection/love and anticipation.
–
sort of confide our feeling/emotions in music and songs and let them vent or let them out.
–
we may also confide our feeling/emotions in the mountain and water such as painting and touring the great scenic spots.
watching the waves on the ocean and gaze at the stars at nite etc, including going to the zoo.
–
they work for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVu4oXw8aoY
chinese flute.
it is a song about a young boy watching cows at play.
the tempo is off, but it is a long note to remember and play.
the music let me unwind, loosen up and free of worries.
some times we have let our worried or worked mind rest.
–
peace and harmony.
–
etc etc.
no want, no need, and then no worries.
–
Siu Lum Fighter, our horoscopes are wildly popular
To the best of my knowledge, we are the only magazine or website that does monthly Chinese horoscope forecasts. I am strangely proud of this, although if you had told me I’d be writing a horoscope ten years ago, I’d have thought you were being insulting. It came about in a most circuitous fashion. We had met with our feng shui horoscope columnist Wilson Sun and Gigi was very impressed by his skills. Personally, I take the Penn & Teller perspective on feng sham (I’m sure you’ve noticed my skepticism in some of my coverage). Much to my chagrin, feng shui was gaining huge popularity with the new millennium, so we even did a pseudo feng shui special to try to crossover to the new age audience (it did horribly on the newsstands - ironically today we are often found in the new age section next to the yoga, spirituality and renn faire mags :o, because the MMA mags have pushed us out of sports). Nevertheless, Gigi insisted we find a place for Wilson in the magazine, so we worked on a four-part series on Feng Shui for Kungfu Schools, which started in 2000 March and concluded in 2000 June. That was fun and relevant. Then Wilson floundered for a spell - he did a romance article which was really off topic (Feng Shui and Your Soulmate, 2000 July) and a two-part crystal piece, which is slightly connected to qigong but our readers didn’t buy it at all (Crystal Qi-Feng Shui Power Healing for Kungfu, 2000 August, 2000 September). Things weren’t looking up for Wilson.
I should mention here that Wilson Sun is popular, established feng shui master in Taiwan. He has written newspaper columns and made T.V. appearances. He has immigrated to America, but still speaks little English.
While researching magazine industry trends, I discovered that horoscopes are hugely popular in print. Think about it - every newspaper has a horoscope and they are simply irresistible reads, if only for your own. So I suggested he write a monthly Chinese horoscope, just because I’d never seen such a thing, and that it be themed towards kung fu practice. Thus in November 2000 (our Halloween issue because it was on newsstands in October - and that was not my idea either :rolleyes:), Kung Fu Horoscopes was born. God, I’ve been writing a horoscope for 8 years. What has become of me? :o
At first it was really weird. Wilson would make strange forecasts like ‘this month, diarrhea’ or ‘your mouth will be prone to sores’. Gigi did the heavy-lifting in translating, and then I massaged it into something more digestible for Western readers. Then it started getting eerie. Wilson started hitting. We were getting very positive responses. He even made several predictions that rang true in our office here. Keep in mind that we usually prep the horoscope a few months before its time and then forget about it. It’s only later when we go back that sometimes we’ll find something that resonated with what had happened. Now I don’t do much to interpret Wilson. We just translate it as he gives it to us, fairly literally. So if he says ‘misfortune coming’ that’s what I print. Half of his stuff is negative, but in a cautionary way.
OK, end of Kung Fu Tai Chi history lesson. I’m moving this to our TC Media forum because I think it will live better there.
To address your question specifically, Siu Lum Fighter, in Chinese horoscopes, you actually do poorly in the year of your birth. I’m not sure why exactly, but this is often a confusing issue for Westerners. If you are a rat this year, it doesn’t bode well. Gigi is a rat, so I totally sympathize. Things should get better next year.
[QUOTE=GeneChing;866616]
‘this month, diarrhea’
[/QUOTE]
Gene is a fountain of sig lines