According to legend, before departing from Earth, a god summoned all creatures to wish him farewell. Only 12 of them, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig, arrived, and each was granted a year’s worth of honor depending on their arrival order.
In This Article...
What is the significance of the Chinese zodiac’s 12 animals?
According to legend, the Jade Emperor, one of the most significant gods in traditional Chinese religion, organized a race and invited all of the world’s animals to participate. A pig, dog, rooster, monkey, sheep, horse, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, ox, and rat were among the twelve animals that arrived at the starting line.
Is there a thirteenth Chinese zodiac sign?
Emperor Huangdi, the first Chinese emperor, is claimed to have invented what is now known as the Chinese zodiac in 2637 B.C. (the 14th century). During the North Zhou Dynasty, the zodiac became quite popular as a technique to determine a child’s birth year, and it is still widely used today. The Chinese zodiac was used to calculate years, months, days, and even hours in a calendar, and it was based on Chinese astrology. The Chinese zodiac consists of 12 animals, one for each year.
Many people are aware of the origins of the zodiac, but they are unaware of the existence of the 13th animal, the cat.
Most of you are familiar with the legend that the Jade Emperor once invited the whole animal kingdom to compete in a massive race! In order of appearance, the first 12 animals to cross the river would be ascribed to a Chinese zodiac year. The word travelled quickly, and each animal was eager for the race to begin. On the day of the race, all of the animals congregated around the river’s edge. The rat won the race, which seems improbable given his small size and lack of swimming ability, but he was clever and used his expertise to defeat each animal. The rat had persuaded the ox that they would have a better chance of winning the race if they worked together. Because the ox was strong, the rat was carried to the finish line by the ox. The rat leaped off the ox and crossed the finish line first as they got closer. The tiger was the next animal to cross the river, followed by the rabbit, who was then followed by the dragon, then the snake, horse, goat, monkey, and rooster. The dog was the 11th animal to cross the river, and the pig followed him.
This was correct, but they had overlooked an important component. This detail would alter your perception of the story. The tale of the cat and the rat is told here.
The cat and the mouse were the best of friends, the kind of friends who spent almost every waking hour together. Both were ecstatic when they heard about the massive race and immediately began making plans to cross the river. Cat needed a little rest before the race started because it would certainly take a lot of effort and energy, so he asked his best friend the rat to wake him up when the race started. The only thing on rat’s mind was winning the race.
Instead of waking up his best friend, the cat, when the race was about to begin, the rat crept out and made his way to the river’s edge. Cat awoke from his restful snooze to find that the race had already ended and that his best friend rat had won first place. The cat was saddened and enraged at the same moment, vowing to hate rats for the rest of his life. That is why the rat is pursued by the cat.
The Rat is the Chinese Zodiac sign for 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, and 1960. Rats are quick-witted, intelligent, charming, sharp, and amusing. They have outstanding taste, are fantastic friends, and are generous and devoted to those who are regarded members of their pack. Money motivates him, and he can be greedy. He is always curious, seeks education, and enjoys difficulties. Compatible with either the Dragon or the Monkey.
The Ox is a sturdy, strong, goal-oriented leader who is detail-oriented, hard-working, stubborn, serious, and introverted, yet might feel lonely and insecure. Is a dependable, protective, and strong companion who finds solace in friends and family. Snake and Rooster are both compatible.
Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Tiger are powerful leaders, charming, ambitious, fearless, warm-hearted, very alluring, moody, intense, and ready to pounce at any moment. Horses and dogs are both compatible.
Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rabbit value their relationships with family and friends. They’re well-liked, sympathetic, and truthful, yet they want to avoid conflict and are sometimes viewed as softies. Rabbits prefer spending time at home and entertaining guests. Goat and pig are both compatible.
Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964- Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Dragon are energetic and warm-hearted, charming, love-lucky, and egotistic. They’re natural born leaders who know how to give instructions and do what it takes to stay on top. Monkey and Rat are both compatible.
Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Snake are seductive, sociable, introverted, generous, charming, good with money, analytical, insecure, jealous, slightly dangerous, smart, they trust their gut impulses, and they are hardworking and intelligent. Compatible with either the Rooster or the Ox.
Horse (Chinese Zodiac sign): 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Horse enjoy freedom. They’re vivacious, financially self-sufficient, and like traveling, love, and intimacy. They’re good at seducing, quick-witted, impatient, and a bit of a drifter. Can be used with either a dog or a tiger.
2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, and 1967-
The Goat, according to the Chinese Zodiac, enjoys being alone with their thoughts. They’re imaginative, thinkers, wanderers, unorganized, high-strung, insecure, and anxious. They require a great deal of love, support, and assurance. It’s also crucial to look good. Pig and Rabbit are both compatible.
Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Monkey are happiest when they are having a good time. They’re vivacious, enthusiastic, and attentive, but they lack self-control. They prefer to be active and stimulated, and they prefer to please themselves before satisfying others. They’re heartbreakers, bad at long-term relationships, and have questionable morality. Compatible with either the Rat or the Dragon.
Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Rooster are practical, resourceful, observant, analytical, direct, trusting, honest, perfectionists, neat, and conservative. Ox or Snake are both compatible.
Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Dog are loyal, faithful, honest, distrustful, prone to white lies, temperamental, moody, dogmatic, and sensitive. Dogs are great at business, but they have a hard time finding partners. Compatible with either the Tiger or the Horse.
Pig (Chinese Zodiac Sign): 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971-Those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Pig are exceptionally kind, polite, and tasteful. They’re perfectionists who appreciate finer things without being labeled as snobs. They adore assisting people and make terrific companions until someone close to them crosses them, at which point they should be avoided! They’re intelligent, always on the lookout for new information, and exclusive. Rabbit and Goat are both compatible.
What is the order of the 12 zodiac signs by month?
- Aries is the first sign of the zodiac (March 21April 19)
- Taurus is the sign of the bull (April 20May 20)
- Gemini is a sign of the zodiac (May 21June 20)
- Cancer is a disease that affects people (June 21July 22)
- Leo is a sign of the zodiac (July 23August 22)
- Virgo is the sign of the Virgin (August 23September 22)
- Libra is a sign of the zodia (September 23October 22)
- Scorpio is a zodiac sign that (October 23November 21)
- Sagittarius is the sign of the eagle (November 22December 21)
- Capricorn is a sign in the zodiac that (December 22January 19)
- Aquarius is the sign of the water bearer (January 20February 18)
- Pisces is a water sign (February 19March 20)
What are the three most important indications in my life?
Your Sun sign, Moon sign, and rising sign, also known as ascending sign, are the three most important places in your birth chart. Your Sun sign is the foundation of your personality and who you are as a person. Your Moon sign indicates your emotional side and who you are when you’re alone. Finally, your rising sign is the initial impression others get of you and how you appear on the outside.
Why was the cat omitted from the Chinese horoscope?
The Cat is the 13th animal emblem in the Vietnamese and Gurung zodiacs’ 12-year cycle, replacing the Rabbit in the Chinese zodiac. As a result, the Rabbit’s characteristics are assigned to the Cat. The Rat and the Cat are at odds.
Legends about the Chinese zodiac arrangement frequently include tales about why the cat was not included among the twelve animals. Because the Rat duped the cat into missing the Jade Emperor’s dinner, the cat was not invited, was unaware that the feast was taking place, and was not given a year, and thus began the animosity between cats and rats. Domesticated cats may not have been widespread in China at the time of the zodiac’s inception.
Another mythology, known as “The Great Race,” claims that all of the zodiac animals were on their way to the Jade Emperor. The Cat and Rat were the smartest of the animals, but they were also bad swimmers and ended up in a river. They both conned the helpful, ignorant Ox into letting them ride on its back across the river. The Rat pushed the Cat into the river as the Ox approached the opposite side, then hopped from the Ox and dashed to the Jade Emperor, becoming the first of the zodiac. The other animals made it to the Jade Emperor, but the Cat was sabotaged by the Rat and left to drown in the river. This is also supposed to be why cats are continuously on the lookout for rats.
There have been several theories as to why the Vietnamese, unlike all other countries that use the Sino lunar calendar, have the cat as their zodiac animal rather than the Rabbit. The most frequent reason is that “rabbit” (mao) sounds like “cat” in ancient Chinese (meo).
Which zodiac has the best luck?
Sagittarius, the free-spirited, globe-trotting sign, is also willing to take a chance in life, which can lead to serendipitous encounters. According to Kovach, “those born under this sign are lovely and prominent.” “They are naturally drawn to opportunities to travel the world and expand their knowledge.”
The good fortune of Sagittarians may even be a self-fulfilling prophecy. “They’re upbeat enough to make the best of any situation,” Kovach says. “Perhaps it’s because they honestly feel they can accomplish anything they set their minds to.”
Which Chinese zodiac is the most fortunate?
The rat is the first of the twelve Chinese zodiac signs. It’s also regarded to be the luckiest zodiac signperhaps because the first one is always the greatest. People born in the year of the rat will have good fortune. They will have a better chance of living a happy and prosperous life.
Rats born into wealthy homes will receive financial assistance from their families in order to succeed in their jobs.
People born in the year of the rat excel at seizing opportunities and making the most of them in order to achieve success in life. When they are having challenges in their employment or education, they will seek assistance from others.
Rat guys have a good chance of marrying a beautiful wife since they are quick-witted and intelligent. Details regarding the Rat’s Horoscope in 2022 may be found here.
What is the spirit animal of Ophiuchus?
Were you born between the 30th of November and the 18th of December?
On your birthday, the sun will most likely pass in front of the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer.
I’m almost expecting to hear someone say:
You’re entirely correct. Because Ophiuchus is a constellation rather than a zodiac sign, this is the case. Continue reading to learn more about the differences between astrological signs and astronomical constellations, when and where to look for Ophiuchus, the deep-sky gems it holds, its mythology, science, and more.
Signs versus constellations
On August and September evenings, the Serpent Bearer stands tall in the south to southwest sky from Northern Hemisphere latitudes. Ophiuchus is closer to above from the Southern Hemisphere. Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius the Scorpionis, is also close by.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) drew up the official boundary lines for all 88 constellations in the 1930s. Rasalhague, Ophiuchus’ brightest star, and Antares, Scorpius’ brightest star, are labeled in the photo below of the constellation Ophiuchus. Rasalhague is a bright star that marks Ophiuchus’ head, although it pales in comparison to Antares, the star that depicts the Scorpion’s beating heart.
Ophiuchus is in a bad way. Despite the fact that the ecliptic passes through him, no one ever claims him as a birth sign. After all, the zodiac band stretches 8 degrees north and south of the ecliptic, with a total width of 16 degrees. The constellations aren’t evenly distributed along this area in our sky, either. Everyone who reads astrological advice online is familiar with the zodiac signs. There are 12 zodiac signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, and so forth. However, there is no Ophiuchus.
However, the moon and planets pass through Ophiuchus on a regular basis. Likewise, the sun. From roughly November 30 to December 18, the sun is in front of Ophiuchus.
Around November 21, or anytime the sun is exactly 30 degrees west of the December solstice point, the sun is said to enter the sign of Sagittarius. On the December 21 solstice, the sun enters the sign of Capricorn. So, regardless of the sun shining in front of the constellation Ophiuchus from November 30 to December 18, the sun passes through the sign Sagittarius for the month leading up to the December solstice.
By the way, in around 72 years, the December solstice point advances one degree westward in front of the zodiacal constellationsor backdrop stars. By the year 2269, the December solstice point will have finally moved into the constellation Ophiuchus.
When and where to locate Ophiuchus
Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is the ideal time to see Ophiuchus (Southern Hemisphere winter). Late July and early August in the Northern Hemisphere show this constellation high in the southern sky during twilight and early evening. On fall evenings in the Northern Hemisphere, it can be visible in the southwest sky.
This relatively large constellation lies to the north of Scorpius the Scorpion and to the south of Hercules the Hero in the sky. If you’re familiar with the brightest star in Scorpius, Antares, try star-hopping to Ophiuchus from this crimson beauty. The star Rasalhague appears on Ophiuchus’ skull (Alpha Ophiuchi).
In tradition and in the sky, Ophiuchus is associated with the Serpent constellation.
If you have a dark sky, you might notice that this is one constellation that looks exactly how it should: a large man holding a snake.
Ophiuchus is derived from two Greek words that signify serpent and holding.
Deep-sky objects in Ophiuchus
Take your binoculars and scan Ophiuchus, which lies in the Milky Way band and has numerous deep-sky wonders, on a night when the moon isn’t visible. For example, Ophiuchus has a lot of globular clusters. M10 and M12 are the two simplest globular clusters to see with conventional binoculars, as seen in the chart above. They seem as weak puffs of light via binoculars, but with a telescope, you can see these globular clusters for what they are. They’re massive stellar metropolis with hundreds of thousands of stars that span a hundred to a few hundred light-years in diameter.
The Pipe Nebula, a massive interstellar cloud of gas and dust spreading across nearly 7 degrees of sky, is another big deep-sky favorite. That’s about the width of three to four fingers at arm’s length. This dark nebula is located in southern Ophiuchus at a distance of 600 to 700 light-years and can be viewed with the naked eye in a dark, transparent sky. The Pipe Nebula is located to the east of Antares and to the north of Shaula and Lesath. The above chart shows these two stars (but not the Pipe Nebula).
Ophiuchus in myth and star lore
Ophiuchus represents Asclepius, the Greek deity of medicine and doctors, in Greek mythology. He is always shown with a large serpent or snake in his hand. A snake’s venom can either kill or cure, depending on how it’s utilized. Asclepius is claimed to have manufactured a healing elixir from Serpens the Serpent’s venom, Gorgon’s blood, and an unknown herb. Until the god of the underworld, Pluto, appealed to the king of the gods, this potion granted humanity immortality. Pluto urged Zeus to rethink the consequences of death’s death.
We have no idea how Pluto made his case. Maybe he just said that what never lives never dies, and that no mortal can have one without the other. Sophocles may have summed up the myth’s core theme when he said:
It is preferable to die and sleep the never-waking slumber than to live after the soul’s life has passed.
In his Four Quartets, poet T.S. Eliot may have mirrored the notion of the ever-living story:
We perish in the company of the dying:
We are born with the dead in our midst:
In any case, according to legend, Zeus seized the elixir, exiled Asclepius from Earth, and enshrined the great physician in the celestial realms. Today, the Staff of Asclepius, a symbol of the World Health Organization and other medical organizations, pays homage to this myth and mirrors the magnificent celestial shape of Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer constellation.
Ophiuchus in history and science
A supernova explosion of a star within our own Milky Way galaxy hasn’t been seen in almost 400 years. However, in the year 1604, a supernova known as Kepler’s Supernova blasted into the scene, allowing for 18 months of naked-eye sight. It sparkled in the southern hemisphere of Ophiuchus, not far from the Pipe Nebula.
Tycho’s Supernova, which lighted up Cassiopeia in 1572, was followed by Kepler’s Supernova in 1604. The Aristotelian notion of an unchangeable world outside the orbit of the moon was shattered by these supernovae, which sent shock waves through Europe’s elite. Tycho Brahe measured the 1572 supernova’s parallax, proving that it was not an atmospheric phenomenon. In reality, the supernova flashed well beyond the orbit of the moon. Shortly after, in 1604, Kepler’s Supernova seemed to hammer home the point once more.
Furthermore, in 1577, Tycho Brahe estimated the distance of a comet and discovered that it was also farther away than the moon. Aristotelians wanted to believe comets were gases burning in the atmosphere, but Tycho disproved Aristotle’s unchanging universe theory once more.
Bottom line: For nearly two weeks each year, the sun passes through the constellation Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, making Ophiuchus an unofficial member of the zodiac. Learn the difference between astrological signs and astronomy constellations, as well as how to find Ophiuchus.
In Chinese, what year is 2021?
The Metal Ox is the animal of the year. The Year of the Ox officially begins on February 12, 2021. While you may be familiar with the 12-year Chinese zodiac calendar, which is symbolized by 12 different animals, it is actually far more complicated.