The roots of Chinese astrology go back thousands of years. Needless to say that in the course of this time a number of different systems have been developed and are in use to this very day.

There are two main types, those that rely on birth data alone, and those that use birth data but are also reliant on the position of stars and planets. All place at least some emphasis on the Five Elements, one of the laws that permeate all of Chinese Metaphysics.

The five elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The balance of these elements and their positioning in a Chinese horoscope can communicate many different features about a person's personality, opportunities, past, present and future.

Basic Chinese Astrology has twelve primary signs. They are; Rat, Ox (sometimes called the buffalo), Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig (also known as the boar). This style is based on the year of birth and is sometimes known as Chinese Animal Astrology. Please view below to determine your personal animal sign.

RAT: 1900, 1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

OX: 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

TIGER: 1902, 1914, 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998

RABBIT: 1903, 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999

DRAGON: 1904, 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000

SNAKE: 1917, 1929, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001

HORSE: 1918, 1930, 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002

GOAT: 1907, 1919, 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003

MONKEY: 1908, 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

ROOSTER: 1909, 1921, 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

DOG: 1910, 1922, 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

PIG: 1911, 1923, 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

A more intricate and dedicated style of Chinese astrology is known as the ‘Four Pillars of Destiny’ and has four main pillars; one for the year, the month, the day and the hour of birth. In fact, there are two additional pillars (silent pillars) that are used in this style for a more in depth reading – particularly relevant at critical times of life.

Chinese astrology can be complicated for, when you put the twelve animal signs together with the five elements, there is a total of sixty signs. Then you have to consider that each person has four of these within their set of birth data. In addition, each of these pillars (that consist of two elements) are attributed the notion of Yin or Yang (another universal law that is infused in Chinese Metaphysics). The practical effect of this is you could be in a room full of people, all born in the same year, yet no two having exactly the same "four pillars" chart. Each of us being unique.

There is one more very important thing to know about Chinese astrology. Chinese astrologers do not believe a person's fate is sealed in stone from the moment of birth. What they do believe is that a person's time and place of birth set parameters, boundaries within which a person has some freedom. What happens within these boundaries is influenced not only by "free will" but also by external factors such as financial status of the family, the culture, the local economy, the wisdom gained throughout the years, education, luck cycles and of course Feng Shui.

Not everyone is cut out to be a professional athlete, nor an entrepreneur or an educator.
Balance plays a key role in Chinese philosophy - true strength comes from being balanced. And so when assessing charts they are viewed from this perspective and most people fall into the category of either being strong or weak – both equate to being ‘out of balance’. The art is determining the primary elements that, when introduced, will provide the balance for the individual. Hence its relevance and necessary application when practicing Feng Shui.

However, the original purpose and focus of Chinese astrology was to establish what will happen to a person at certain times of their lives and even what people should do (or not) on a particular day or in a certain month or any given year.