Thursday, 14 March 2013

Feng Shui and 12 Chinese Astrological Animals


Is there a link between Feng Shui and the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals?  We are not talking about the Dragon, Tiger, Phoenix and Turtle known as the celestial animals of Feng Shui.  The celestial animals are associated with the external landscape and how it affects your living environment.
The Five Element Theory as well as the balance of Yin and Yang is fundamental to the effective practice of Feng Shui.  The productive, exhaustive and the destructive cycles of the Five Elements are a vital tool in determining the good, the bad and the ugly in your environment and your home.  Yin and Yang is what creates balance in an ideal situation.
On an individual level the Personal Eight Mansions from which you can calculate your personal Kua Number based on your year of birth also has Elements associated with it.  You have four good and four bad directions each with an Element.
The 12 Astrological Animals have elements associated with them together with either a Yin or a Yang aspect.
Each one of the 12 Chinese Astrological Animals resides in a 150 sector around the compass.  Well that only covers 1800 in total so how does it work?  Do they follow consecutively around the compass?    
The Later Heaven arrangement of the Pa Kua (the eight-sided  symbol synonymous with Feng Shui) moves in a cyclical, seasonal pattern. 
The third month of each season is the transition point between seasons.  As an example; we are now in the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere.  The Chinese solar calendar runs from 4 February each year making February the first month of Spring.  It also represents the Yang half of the Wood Element.  The Chinese Astrological Animal associated with February is Yang Tiger and its position around the compass is NE3 (52.5-67.5.) March signifies the Yin half of Wood and its animal is the Yin Rabbit.  Its home is E2 (82.5-97.5.)  April is another Yang month, the month of the Yang Dragon (112.5-127.5) but this time it is the Yang month of Earth; it is the transition month between Spring and the first month of Summer in May. 
There are four seasons and 12 Astrological Animals.  Two Wood (Yang Tiger and Yin Rabbit), two Fire (Yin Snake and Yang Horse), two Metal (Yang Monkey and Yin Rooster) and two Water (Yin Boar and Yang Rat.)  The four Earth elements sub-dividing each season are the two Yang (Dragon and Dog) and two Yin (Sheep and Ox) giving a total of 12.
To make it easier to follow, the two Yang Earth Animals are directly opposite each other on the compass (Dragon 112.5-127.5 and Dog 292.5-307.5) and the two Yin Earth Animals are directly opposite one another on the compass (Sheep 202.5-217.5 and Ox 22.5-37.5.)
So how else do the animals impact on Feng Shui?  Although termed ‘hours’ by the Chinese their hours translate as two Western hours.  Each of these 12 'hours' is identified by one of the animals, as follows:
11.00-00.59         Rat        
01.00-02.59         Ox
03.00-04.59         Tiger
05.00-06.59         Rabbit
07.00-08.59         Dragon
09.00-10.59         Snake
11.00-12.59         Horse   
13.00.14.59         Goat
15.00-16.59         Monkey
17.00-18.59         Rooster
19.00-20.59         Dog
21.00-22.59         Pig
These hours have an influence on Chinese Astrology when calculating your birth chart. 
So while the practice of Feng Shui and the study of Chinese Astrology are independent and they stand alone; just like the Five Elements and Yin/Yang they are complementary and can be used together to enhance your life in a more complete and balanced way.
To the fulfillment of your dreams
LynC

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