All this while this site has focus on Chinese Metaphysics articles. I thought it is a good change to feature something on Western Astrology. Here goes an article
This zodiac sign is the 1st sign and is known to be the the youngest and care free sign of them all.
Aries is ruled by planet Mars which is also known as the Planet of Passion and Aggression.
This planet influences this sign to take a more dynamic approach with life opportunities and relationships.
In order for Aries to succeed in life he/she must learn how to wait things out a bit more. This zodiac sign can be very impatient and by this they may gain some and lose some in life.
Your 6 Quotes on Success for Aries
1
In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it.
~Jane Smiley
2
Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.
~ George Bernard Shaw
3
For true success ask yourself these four questions: Why? Why not? Why not me? Why not now?
~ James Allen
4
The successful man is the one who had the chance and took it.
~ Roger Babson
5
When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure.
~ Mary Kay Ash
6
If we listened to our intellect, we’d never have a love affair. We’d never have a friendship. We’d never go into business, because we’d be cynical. Well, that’s nonsense. You’ve got to jump off cliffs all the time and build your wings on the way down.
The tradition of the Red Envelope began many centuries ago in China. In Feng Shui, red envelopes, (“ang pow” pronounced hong boa or lisee- lay see), are used in Black Sect Tibetan Tantric Buddhism as an honourable tradition, affording payment to the Feng Shui practitioner. Ang pow is said to enhance energy (chi), abundance and happiness. The envelope is also utilized to ward-off, inauspicious chi and negative energy. The envelopes are red because they are considered yang energy.
The red envelope is presented to the Feng Shui consultant, when a client pays for the consultation. Because of the high energy of the colour red and the blessings associated with its tradition, it is believed that the client, (presenter), as well as the consultant, (receiver), are both graced with auspicious chi. The envelope also represents the imparting of sacred knowledge and can enhance the efficacy of a transcendental cure. Usually, the payment to the Feng Shui consultant is in denominations of nine.
The number nine in Feng Shui is a very special and significant number; it is a number unto itself. Whenever you multiply the number nine, the sum can be added together and it will again become, or turn into, the number nine. Example: 9X9=81 this sum is added, once more, and becomes nine (8+1=9). Another example is: 23X9=207 (2+0+7=9).
It is a Chinese custom to put three Chinese coins, or $3.00 in American currency, in a red envelope, placing it above the frame of your entrance door, in your abundance corner, or in your wallet to attract more money. When the red envelope is placed at the entrance, it is said to protect the household, and in the abundance corner, wealth in the pathways of life. Yet, the Chinese custom of giving money in a white envelope signifies death or a sad occasion, such as helping the family members of the deceased, with funeral expenses.
The legend of Ang Pow, red envelopes
In China, during the time of the Sung Dynasty, a legend arose that the village people of Chang-Chieu were living in fear of an evil presence among them. No one could rid the town of this evil, dragon-like creature, not even the greatest noblemen or strongest warriors. The villagers lived in constant fear. Then, one day, a brave, young man, whose ancestors bequeathed to him a magical sabre, called a Ma Dao, waited for the dragon to appear. Unflinching, the young man, wielding his magical sword, defeated the evil presence of the dragon and it was no more. The villagers were so relieved and thankful that they had the elders present, to the brave, young man, ang pow, a red packet filled with money. The villagers believed that by giving this red packet to the heroic, young man that they, the young man and their village would be blessed. And so, from that happy day in the village of Chang-Chieu, and throughout the centuries, the story has become a Chinese tradition, in giving a red envelope as a blessing.
Presently, as a Chinese custom, the red envelope is most popularly given as a gift during the Chinese New Year– for a wedding– or to a small child, upward, to an unmarried adult, for their birthday–or to pay off a debt. “Ang pow” can also be given, at any time, even for no specific occasion, if the presenter feels compelled to do so. Whenever a red envelope is given and handled with the right-intention, it is always considered auspicious and invokes a blessing from the presenter to the receiver.
Illustrations on the front of the red envelope signify blessings, long life, good health–and prosperity. Some of the good luck symbols printed on the envelopes are the animals of the Chinese zodiac, Buddha with children, a flowering lotus, a dragon with the phoenix and the three immortals, Fu, Lu and Shou, the gods of Happiness, Wealth and Longevity.
Dolores Kozielski is a certified Feng Shui consultant practising in NJ, PA. She is also trained in Kabbalah, Qigong, Tai Chi, I Ching and the art of Iconography. Dolores is an author, published with major publishing houses, including HarperCollins, Scholastic and “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books. She may be reached at: www.FengShuiWrite.com
One of the many things that an astrologer can tell about from your birth chart is your general health condition and the health challenges that you can expect as you go through life.
Acupuncture Points
For example in Zi Wei Dou Shu the astrologer can do this by looking at the Health Palace and to a lesser extent, the Fu De or Mental palace and the stars within. Each star has a yin or yang property as well as one of the Five Element and an experienced astrologer can make an educated guess about your health condition and the disease that you may suffer from.
But how do they do it?
internal organs In Chinese medicine the internal organs are classified into the Five Zang and Six Fu organs. The five Zang organs are the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidney. They are yin in nature. The six Fu organs on the other hand are yang in nature and they consist of the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, gallbladder, bladder and the pericardium.
Each of these is also associated with one of the Five Element as shown in the table below:-
Internal Organs and the Five Elements
Wood
Fire
Earth
Metal
Water
Zang (Yin)
Liver
Heart
Spleen
Lung
Kidney
Fu (Yang)
Gallbladder
Small Intestine
Stomach
Large Intestine
Bladder
Let’s suppose you have the Qi Sha star in your health court. A star by itself does not mean much but let’s say that there are other factors present that indicate a weakness. Qi Sha is yin metal which means the lung. From this an astrologer will infer that you are likely to have a problem related to the lungs!
An experience astrologer can also verify his analysis by observation. For example he detects a weakness in the heart in the chart. He will normally look at your face. If it is pale, then it is likely that your heart is weak. Other the other hand if it is rosy, it may not be!
Similarly a liver deficiency is indicated by thin, soft and pale nails while a spleen deficiency is indicated by pale lips. The skin is also associated with the lung and the metal element. Therefore a healthy skin indicated good lung function. Finally thick and glossy hair indicated healthy kidney while hair loss reflects (but not necessarily) weak kidneys!
As you can see, the Five Elements is not just used in Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology but also in Chinese Medicine and other Chinese disciplines.
What about the Cowherd? (Also known as the Spring God).
The Cowherd can appear as a child, a young or an old man. In the years of the Rat, Pig, Horse and Rooster he is shown as a child. In the years of the Ox, Dragon, Goat and Dog as a young man and in the years of the Tiger, Snake, Monkey and Pig as an old man.
Spring Ox and Cowherd
The colours of the Cowherd’s costume and belt depend on the Earthy Branch of the first day of Li Chun (Start of Spring). On a Rat or Pig day (Zi or Hai) it is a yellow costume with a green belt On an Ox, Dragon, Goat or Dog day (Chou, Chen, Wei and Xu) it is a green costume with a white belt. On a Tiger or Rabbit day (Yin or Mao) it is a white costume with red belt and on a Snake or Horse day (Si or Wu) it is a black costume with a yellow belt. Finally on a Monkey or Rooster day (Shen and You) it is a red costume with a black belt.
The position of the Cowherd’s bun on his head denotes the Na Yin element of the first day of Li Cun. On a metal day they are in front of the ears. On a wood day, they are behind the ears. On a water day, the left bun is in front while the right bun is behind the ears. On a fire day, the right bun is in front of the ear while the left bun is behind. Finally on an earth day, both the buns are on top.
The Na Yin element of the first day of Li Cun determines how the Cowherd wears his shoes, leggings or pants. On a metal day he wears the pants and shoes with the left legging dangling from the waist. On a wood day he wears the pants and shoes with the right legging dangling from the waist. On a water day he wears them all and on a fire day he wears none of them. Finally on an earth day, he wears only pants without shoes or leggings.
The material of the branch that he uses as a ward depends on the Earthly Branch of the first day of Li Cun. It is hemp on a Rat, Rabbit, Horse or Rooster day, silk on an Ox, Dragon, Goat or Dog day and linen on a Tiger, Snake, Monkey or Pig day.
This gets a little complicated. Due to the complicity of the Chinese Solar and Lunar calendar, Li Cun or the Start of Spring can come before or after the Chinese New Year or first day of the Chinese Lunar Calendar for a particular year.
If Li Chu is less than five days ahead or behind Chinese New Year date, the Cowherd stands side by side with the Spring Ox. It Li Cun is more than five days ahead or behind Chinese New Year date, the Cowherd stands in front or behind the Spring Ox respectively.
Finally the Cowherd stands on the right of the Spring Ox in a Yin year and on the left in a Yang year.
With the above information, you can draw your own Spring Ox and Cowherd drawing for any year. Anyone game to try?
On the first and last page of a traditional Chinese Almanac you will find an illustration of an ox and cowherd. If you look at them carefully you will find subtle differences between the illustrations. What do the illustrations mean? Does it convey some information?
The illustration is normally called the Spring Ox drawing and it provides overall climatic information in a pictorial manner. The illustration on the front page shows climatic information for the current year while the one on the back page is for following year.
The Spring Ox was originally a clay figure for ceremonial purposes. In the old days, royal officials would whip the Ox on the first day of spring (Li Cun) to signify the start of a new solar year.
There are rules governing the relative dimensions of the Spring Ox and the Cowherd. The height of the Ox is four units of length to represent the four seasons. The length of the Ox is eight units of length to represent the eight seasonal nodes while the tail is 1.2 units of length to represent the twelve months of a year.
The length of the branch that the Cowherd uses as a wand is 2.4 units of length to represent the 24 knots and qi of a year. Finally, the height of the Cowherd is 3.65 units of length to represent the 365 days of a year.
Spring Ox and Cowherd
For the Spring Ox diagram to convey weather information effectively it should be in colour. Nowadays as society become less dependent on the illustration, it is shown in black and white on most almanacs.
What kind of information does it convey?
The colour of the head of the Ox tells the element of the Heavenly Stem of year. In a Wood year (Jia or Yi), the color of the Ox’s head is green. In a Fire year (Bing or Ding) it is Red while in an Earth Year (Wu or Ji) it is Yellow. During a metal year (Geng or Xin) it is white while in a Water year (Ren or Gui) it is black.
The colour of the body of the Ox tells the element of the Earthly Branch of the year. In the Wood years of the Tiger or Rabbit (Yin or Mao) it is green while in the Fire years of the Snake or Horse (Si or Wu) it is Red. In the Metal Years of the Monkey and Rooster (Shen or You) it is white while in the Water Years of the Pig and Rat (Hai or Zi) it is black. Finally in the Earth years of the Dragon or Goat or Dog or Ox it is yellow.
The colour of the Ox’s stomach denotes the The Na Yin (received notes or hidden) element of the year. It is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black water.
The colour of the Ox’s horns, ears and tail denotes on the element of the Heavenly Stem of the first day of Li Cun (Start of Spring – usually on or around 4th Feb). The colour of the Ox’s knees denotes the element of the Earthly Branch of the first day of Li Cun. Again it is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black for water.
The Na Yin element of the first day of Li Cun is denoted by the colour of the hooves of the Ox.
The Yin or Yang of the year is denoted by the side to which the Ox’s tails bend. It bends to the right in a Yin year and to the left in a Yang year. In addition, the Ox’s mouth is shut in a Yin year and opened in a Yang year.
Even the texture and colour of the rein tells denotes something about the Stem and Branch (or animal sign) of Li Cun (first day of spring). If the first day of spring is a Rat, Rabbit, Horse of Rooster day, the rein is made from hemp. For an Ox, Dragon, Goat or Dog day it is made of silk. Finally for a Tiger, Snake, monkey or Pig day it is made of linen.
The colour of the rein is determined by the element of the day. As usual it is green for wood, red for fire, yellow for earth, white for metal and black for water.
The Chinese Almanac has a legendary history that stretches back 2000 over years before Christ. The current version is believed to date back to the Qing dynasty and has been in continuous publication for over 200 years. Previous versions existed – very likely less extensive that the current version – throughout Chinese history in one form or another.
‘Tung’ in Chinese means ‘pass thru’. As with most Chinese translation the meaning is not accurately conveyed. A more accurate meaning would be ‘everything become clear’. ‘Shu’ means book. Therefore ‘Tung Shu’ is a book about everything or a book about myriad of things.
In Hong Kong which is predominately Cantonese, the book is known as ‘Tong Sing’. You see, ‘Shu’ sounds like losing while ‘Sing’ sounds like victory which is vastly more auspicious and more accepted by the Cantonese.
The core of the book is the calendar which gives the outlook of the year and auspicious and inauspicious dates. Surrounding this calendar core are a fascinating collection of materials that include fortune telling, predictions, geomancy, physiognomy, palmistry, divination, herbal medicine, numerology, moral codes, dictionary, pregnancy chart, charms and talisman etc.
The Chinese Almanac is thus an extensive collection of traditional Chinese belief and practices. Most traditional Chinese families have a copy that they refer to and even today it still influence the lives of millions of Chinese people.
Much of the Chinese Almanac remains the same each year. Only a few sections of the Almanac such as the calendar changes every year. Some publishers also offer an express version that only contains the parts that change every year.
So what’s in the Chinese Almanac?
Versions of the Chinese Almanac may differ slightly by publishers. Here are the typical sections.
In the olden days the Chinese people celebrate Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice Festival) much like Chinese Lunar New Year by visiting relatives and friends. There is the usual feasting and businesses will take a break on that day. On this day, people will gather around to eat “tang yuan” (glutinous floor balls) which is symbolic of family unity and harmony.
But just what is the winter solstice?
A solstice is an astronomical term used to describe the day of the year when the sun is the greatest distance from our equator. There are two solstices, therefore, one in the summer and one in the winter each causing either the longest or shortest day of the year. The times of these vary, however, depending on which hemisphere you are discussing.
Solstices are caused by the earth being tilted the farthest from the Sun for that hemisphere. While the earth orbits the sun, it meanwhile spins on its axis. This tilt causes one hemisphere to be closer to the sun, creating summer, while the other hemisphere is tilted further way, creating winter.
The term solstice actually come form the Latin word solstitium. They derived the word solstitium from sol meaning the sun and stitium, which means to stop. During the solstice, the sun appears to do exactly that. It reaches almost the same elevation everyday at noon for the several days before and after the solstice.
The winter solstice for the northern hemisphere occurs on one of two dates: December 21st or 22nd every year and the sun will be shinning directly over the tropic of Capricorn. June 20th or 21st is the winter solstice for the southern hemisphere, which occurs when the sun is shinning directly over the tropic of Cancer.
The winter solstice always marks the shortest day of the year and the longest night of the year. Most cultures consider this day to be the middle of winter in their calendars. The date of solstice has surprisingly only moved by one day in the past three thousand years.
Many ancient cultures celebrated the winter solstice as a time of new birth because the sun seemed reborn as the days began to stay lighter longer. This was often seen as a positive change and a purge of evil from the world as the darkness (evil) was defeated by light (good.)
Today, festivals of light are still celebrated by some cultures. In addition to the Chinese Dong Zhi festival, the Germanic cultures celebrate Yule and Hindus celebrate Diwali, a festival of light.
When ringing in the new year in traditional Chinese fashion, you have to consider the importance of Chinese New Year food as well. Food plays a huge part in such celebrations. The Chinese New Year is a particularly special one. It is one of the most important Chinese holidays.
Sometimes called the Spring Festival, sometimes called the Lunar New Year, it takes place on the first day of the first lunar month, as denoted by the Chinese calendar. It ends on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.
Now, back to the subject of food – it is indeed hugely important during this celebration. Foods which are considered lucky and fortuitous are served throughout the entire fifteen days. The qualifications for lucky or symbolic foods vary.
In some cases, foods are considered precursors of good fortune because of how they appear. A whole chicken, for instance, is a symbol of family togetherness. Thus, offering a whole chicken during the Chinese New Year festivities promises that the family will remain together throughout the coming year.
Noodles are another food traditionally found during Chinese New Year’s celebrations. In fact, they are practically required. In the Chinese culture, noodles symbolize a long, long life. For that reason, certain superstitions say they should not be cut. To do so would bring bad luck or worse. The inclusion of clams and Spring rolls are used to bring luck in matters of wealth. Clams are said to look a lot like bouillon. Spring rolls represent wealth because they look a bit like bars of gold.
Other foods are significant during the New Year because of the way they sound. Literally, they are used because of the Chinese pronunciation of the word. Lettuce is a good example of this. In Cantonese, the word for it sounds fortuitous. Likewise, certain citrus fruits are served because the words for them sound like forebears of good fortune, such as “luck” and “wealth.”
Fish is symbolic in several ways, and thus is frequently served. One reason is because the word for it is “yu.” This word resembles the terms for “wish” and “abundance.” Both of those are good things to have on your side in the new year. Symbolically, serving the fish whole is good luck as well. When the head and tail are still attached, then the fish is a symbol for a good beginning and a good ending in the year ahead.
The I Ching (Romanized as Yi Jing in Pinyin which I will use interchangeably in this article) is without a doubt the most influential book of the entire Chinese civilization. It came to life over 5000 years ago and it has influenced people from all walks of life – both directly and indirectly.
Its influence is not just limited to China but beyond to other civilization in the Far East and the West. For example, books on the Yi Jing written in English are widely available.
A typical I Ching publication would consist of pages devoted to each of the hexagrams. It includes the name of the hexagram, how it is constructed (from two Trigrams), the meaning, judgement, commentary, images and comments on the lines.
According to Chinese literatures, four persons influenced the present form of the Yi Jing. They are Fu Xi, King Wen, his son the Duke of Chou and Confucius.
The originator of the I Ching is the legendary first Chinese emperor Fu Xi (2953-2833 BC). He devised the basic ‘Gua’ and according to legend, the Early Heaven Bagua based on Hetu pattern discovered earlier on the back of a dragon horse (or unicorn). In addition to the eight basic ‘Gua’, either Fu Xi or his successor multiplied the original eight ‘Gua’ eight folds to create the Sixty Four Hexagrams that we know today.
Besides the Bagua which is the foundation of the I Ching, Fu Xi taught his people to hunt, to fish, and to rear live stocks. He contributed to the development of silk threads, a rudimentary musical instrument, some kind of calendar and the institution of marriage!
After Fu Xi, it received farther enhancements made by King Wen (1231-1135 BC) the founder of the Chou dynasty. Before he founded the Chou dynasty and became king, he was imprisoned by the tyrant emperor Chou Hsin of the Shang dynasty for an extended period. While undergoing imprisonment, he devoted his time to the study of the hexagram and appended to each of them certain observations and explanation which become the judgements. His son the Duke of Chou was believed to be responsible for the text on the changing lines.
A few hundred years later (around 550 BC), Confucius came on the old text and he gave it intensive study. It is believe that he added to the commentary and contributed the images to the original text.
What is the purpose of the I Ching or Yi Jing?
The I Ching is first a divining device and is used by countless millions of people to divine on the important issues of life. However it is also meant to be a book of wisdom and philosophy.
Due to its universal appeal, it has also come to mean different things to different people. Confucius sees it as a source of ethics while Buddhists and Taoists sees it as a means of predicting one’s conduct and a guide to living rightly to avoid unnecessary suffering and a tragic fate.
Interestingly, to Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz, who invented calculus, it was the essence of binary mathematics while to Carl Jung, the rival to Sigmund Freud in psychology; it was an explorer of the unconscious mind.
And in modern times Wall Street executives, according to Adam Smith of the “Powers of Mind” fame, believe that it can predict the stock market!
The Yi Jing has come a long way from its initial usage as a book of oracles. It has become a dominant influence in Chinese culture and still touches the lives of millions of people through its role in astrology, geomancy, medical theory etc.
The basic premise at the root of the I Ching is that cosmic order and human nature is one. Divination by various methods are a means of stopping time to see the changes that are in progress at a given time thus allowing one to align with these changes instead of going against nature.
We are very lucky to have the Yi Jing today. Around 220 BC, Emperor Shih Huang-Ti ordered the great Burning of Books in his persecution and massacres of Chinese philosophers. Many ancient texts including those by Confucius were destroyed.
