Chinese Astrology
Current Chinese Elements & Signs
| Element Level | Hour | Day | Month | Year |
| Heavenly Stem | Yin Metal | Yang Fire | Yang Wood | Yang Earth |
| Earth Branch (Animal Sign) |  | | | |
| Hidden Dominating | Yin Wood | Yin Water | Yin Water | Yang Earth |
| Hidden Remaining | — | — | Yin Metal | |
| Treasure Chest | — | — | — | Yin Fire |
| Wood | Fire | Earth | Metal | Water | |
| Now | 200 | 120 | 160 | 120 | 200 |
| Strength | balanced | weak | balanced | weak | balanced |
The Year of the Earth-Dog
Feb 15, 2018 4pm - Feb 4, 2019 4pmThank the heavens, some may say now, because with the Earth-Dog as the new regent, it'll be much calmer the upcoming months than it had been the two past years. The Monkey's and Rooster's task had been to dare something new and to initiate change. The Dog considers very carefully whether the things initiated make really sense for the long-term.
The doubled Earth (sign itself and year element) of the Dog take care of assessing things realistically which needs time. Thus, things will only slowly evolve during the year of the Earth-Dog which might be a harsh time for the rather impatient signs of the Chinese Zodiac. They should bethink that better thought-through things will also hold a lot longer.
Security and stability lie at the core of the Dog. Thereby, the Dog would never take centre stage. Instead, the Dog acts constructively and in the interest of all. That also means, family, partner and friends become more important this year, as well as the love and relationships.
Family members are once more included in making decisions. The focus lies on mutual trust and solidarity with which the Earth-Dog secures its support. The Dog may be not very open to innovation since it is just in its nature to question anything and everything, but that also offers the chance to right the things that went wrong in the past years.
The doubled Earth energy of this year's Earth-Dog provides us with the opportunity to get a grip on the own life, so it should have gotten out of hand, to get back on track.
Seen more globally and overall, measures to the disadvantage of many should be omitted in the year of the Earth Dog, as well as things forced onto many that are not wanted. The Earth-Dog stands by the values of the people and will vehemently reject anything going against moral values. Those trying anyway, will be met with an ice-cold wind and opposition.
The Year Sign
The meaning of the Chinese Star Sign is not based on the Year Sign only but additionally it is influenced by the Month, Day and Double Hour Sign. It is further influenced by one of the 5 elements. Thus you'll have an endless combination making it nearly impossible for one person to have the same characteristics as the other.
There are 12 Signs in the Chinese Horoscope which repeat themselves every 12 years. Often this sign is wrongly calculated. The Chinese Year does not start with January 1st like ours but on different days in January or February, always on the second new moon after the winter solstice. If you have your birthday in one of those two months it may be absolutely possible that you have always believed to be another sign. Those 12 Star Signs are Dog, Dragon, Goat, Horse, Monkey, Ox, Pig, Rabbit, Rat, Rooster, Snake and Tiger.
These 12 Star Signs show what inherent character lies within us. What is easy to do and on what we have to work; and where the difficulties lie.
The Elements
The second important component of the Chinese Horoscope is the element which is also acquainted with the year. Thus the Star Signs repeat themselves along with their according element only every 60 years.
There are five elements; Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.
Each element rules two succeeding years so that you have a 10-year-rhythm. This 60-year-cycle you also find in human life. It mirrors the gap between two generations. And often you'll see that the children get better along with the grandparents than with the parents.
The element itself does not simply add an attribute but rather influences the Star Sign. For example the element Earth which stands for stability. Do you have a hectic sign such as the Monkey then this element has a positive influence on it.
The elements and respective signs by the teachings of Bazi Suan Ming give a more complete analysis of a person than the normally known only chinese year sign. In Bazi Suan Ming ("Four Pillars of Destiny = eight signs") the day sign is the one that represents the me, and thus the key personality of a person.
Of course the interaction between the elements and signs play also a significant role. Going into the depth of how to calculate those elements and how they interact with each other would go a step too far on this page. Only a person can be defined by his or her 8 elements which are represented by four heavenly stems and four earth branches. The earth branches consist of one of the animal signs which in themselves also represent an element.
The Year Pillar shows the relationship with family and society at large. The Month Pillar represents your childhood and how you relate with your parents. The Day Pillar provides information on your relationship with your spouse or partner - whereas the Day Stem (the upper sign) is considered your "Self Element" as it represents you within the chart. The Hour Pillar refers to career and/or the relationship with children.
Each element (each phase) in the chart represents a specific person and your path in life. An optimal balanced element chart features each of the elements in the same strength, which of course, is seldomly the case. The interaction of the heavenly stems among each other as well as with the earth branches can create more elements.
The Month Sign
The Year Sign with its element shows the personality of a person. The Month Sign shows the more individual. Already given characteristics by the Star Sign with its element are further modified. The Month Sign shows the individual will and the intellect of a personality. The Month Signs are again the 12 animal symbols we already know.
The Day Sign
Like before the animal symbol standing for the Day Sign is one of the ones we already know. The Day Sign shows what we feel intuitively before it gets to our awareness. It is a hint into your world of feelings, your inner being and the ability to accept joy and pain and to process it. It also shows how you get in touch with your environment.
The Double Hour
After we have now the Year Sign (the inherent character and its possibilities), the element (the basic direction the character is going), the Month Sign (the orientation of the will and the life task) and finally the Day Sign (your world of feelings) we now come last but not least to the Double Hour.
The birth hour is very personal and shows your inner self; the self which surrounds you with an aura and which works on your fellowmen. It both makes you congenial or unlikable and passes on the first impression people have of you. This second self is often contrary to your strong conscious self and from time to time the one wants to dominate the other.
The day does not start in China at 0:00 am but already at 23:00. Thus the first double hour is between 23:00 and 01:00.
Please take into consideration that the Chinese calculate with sun hours. It means that you have to add daylight savings time. If your birth certificate shows a birth hour to a time where daylight savings time was already put in place you have to consider that accordingly. You have to add an hour. For example you were born at 19:58 then the Hour Sign is the symbol for 20:58.