Chinese Zodiac

             Astrology is something I have been interested in for a very long time.  It’s not something I take overly seriously, but I do like to read my horoscope and see if who I am matches the characteristics of my sign.  The answer to that is yes and no, which I suspect would be most people’s answer.  So many things help determine who a person is, not just their astrological sign, but it is fun to read about.  I know I’m not alone in this feeling because there are so many daily horoscopes in the world and if they weren’t popular the newspapers wouldn’t publish them every day.  Even if someone isn’t interested in reading their horoscope, most people probably at least know what their sign is.  Hopefully they do for more than just the opportunity to use a cheesy pick-up line, but the point is, Western astrology is pretty universally known in the United States.  The Chinese Zodiac, I’m not so sure.

                Most have probably heard of the Chinese Zodiac, but I don’t know how many have truly looked into their sign.  First one has to figure out what that sign is.  Instead of being determined by what day and month a person is born, as with the astrological signs, the Chinese Zodiac signs are figured based upon a person’s birth year.  The Chinese New Year also comes into play, so it is probably best for those born in January and February to look at a Chinese Zodiac chart to figure their sign as it may be different from others born in the same year.  Another thing about the Chinese Zodiac is all the signs are animals.  Depending on what year you were born, you could be a rat, an ox, or a goat, to name a few.  Some may not like which sign they happen to be (somehow I doubt that those born in the Year of the Dragon are ever upset about their sign), but they each have good qualities that should not be overlooked. 

                I have known for a long time what my sign is, but it wasn’t until I really looked into it recently that I knew much about it.  When I decided I wanted to, I went into my research full force.  I looked up information online and ordered a number of books from the library.  It was quite fascinating to read about my sign, especially since everything I read said a little bit different things.  As with my astrological sign, not everything matched who I am, but I didn’t expect it to.  Nor did I expect other people’s signs to perfectly match them.  Although I did have a great time reading about the signs of people I know.  It was especially fun when I came across something and could say it fit the person I had in mind to a T. 

              The funny thing I discovered while researching the Chinese Zodiac, and I notice this with astrological signs too, is no two sources are ever fully in agreement. Personality characteristics are to some extent, but when it comes to compatibility, there are a wide range of answers. One source may say two signs will never work well together, while another will say under certain circumstances they will. Then there is the third source that says the same two signs will be great together. It can all get very confusing, but it is still fun to see what each source says. To me that is the important part of learning about my Chinese Zodiac sign. It is to have fun with and maybe learn something about myself along the way.