Chinese Astrology: Exploring The Eastern Zodiac

257 Pages·2005·1.75 MB·English

by  Shelly Wu

The Ox 1
Chinese Astrology
Exploring the Eastern Zodiac
By Shelly Wu
New Page Books
A division of The Career Press, Inc.
Franklin Lakes, NJ
2 Chinese Astrology
Copyright  2005 by Shelly Wu
All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright
Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form
or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,
or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter
invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.
CHINESE ASTROLOGY
EDITED AND TYPESET BY CHRISTOPHER CAROLEI
ORIGINAL ARTWORK BY SHERIDAH D. DAVIS AND ROBERT R. LANGWELL
Cover design by Lu Rossman/Digi Dog Design
Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press
To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201-
848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for further information on
books from Career Press.
The Career Press, Inc., 3 Tice Road, PO Box 687,
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www.careerpress.com
www.newpagebooks.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wu, Shelly, 1959-
Chinese astrology : exploring the eastern zodiac / by Shelly Wu.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-56414-796-7
1. Astrology, Chinese. I. Title.
BF1714.C5W795 2005
133.5’9251- - dc21
2004058460
Animal Name Here 3
Chapter X
Dedication
Losing my mother was a defining moment in my life. When this
happened, I found myself faced with the daunting task of going through
and distributing her personal belongings. Each closet I opened be-
came more difficult as I pictured her wearing each flowered dress.
Despite being a grown woman, on that day I was no more than a
grieving child. I buried my face into the clothing, which still smelled
of her perfume—the loss was almost unbearable. I knew that her
mother, my maternal grandmother, was a poet and a Goat born in
1907. In a weathered nightstand amongst my mother’s belongings, I
found both her’s and my grandmother’s poetry. My tears were re-
placed by a smile as I read the tattered piece of paper that was ad-
dressed to me:
They say you are a tom boy child,
Small daughter of the wind;
With clothes awry, and hair blown wild,
Your hands and knees well-skinned.
You do not play with dolls, or sit
And meekly learn to sew;
Because you do not care one bit
What little girls should know.
You gather creatures you have found
Along your gypsy roads;
A fallen bird...a sorry hound...
Or “needy” cats and toads.
4 Chinese Astrology
You love to face a bully’s threat
And stand up to his dare;
Or see that others don’t forget
The rules of “playing fair.”
But sometimes in your wanderings,
You cause us real alarm;
You seem to think God gave you wings
Instead of girlish charm!
Until you grow into your teens,
When boys begin to care.
It’s then you’ll give up bugs and jeans,
For flowers in your hair!
My grandmother wrote this poem for me when I was a young girl,
but I had never seen it. I was dumbstruck to read this perfect descrip-
tion of a child born into a Dog year. These are amazing insights, con-
sidering she had no knowledge of astrology. Perhaps all truth is indeed
universal and stands the test of time.
I would like to dedicate this book to my mother, whose insight-
ful poetry is used throughout the book; to my grandmother, who
taught me to love words; and to my father, who introduced me to
the spiritual world. Finally, I wish to dedicate this book to my pre-
cious children: Sheridah, Tyler, and Katie Rose. My writing is a
part of me, but you are the best of me.
Animal Name Here 5
Chapter X
Acknowledgments
My deepest thanks to the irrepressible Linda Marie Stein, Ph.D.,
for her assistance with the book, her encouragement, and her
friendship.
Thank you to our Goat-year artist, Sheridah Davis, for the
beautiful artwork throughout the book.
And a special thanks to my long-suffering Aristotle. Why can’t
all men be Pigs?
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Animal Name Here 7
Chapter X
Contents
Preface 9
Introduction 11
Chapter 1 What Is Chinese Astrology? 13
Chapter 2 The 12 Signs of the Eastern Zodiac 17
Chapter 3 The Rat 23
Chapter 4 The Ox 35
Chapter 5 The Tiger 47
Chapter 6 The Rabbit/Cat 57
Chapter 7 The Dragon 69
Chapter 8 The Snake 81
Chapter 9 The Horse 93
Chapter 10 The Goat/Sheep 105
Chapter 11 The Monkey 117
Chapter 12 The Rooster 129
Chapter 13 The Dog 141
Chapter 14 The Pig/Boar 153
Chapter 15 The Elements 163
Chapter 16 Your Birth Time Companion 189
Chapter 17 Chinese Love Signs—
Karmic Connections 195
Chapter 18 Quick Reference Guide to the 12 Signs
of the Eastern Zodiac 235
Endnotes 249
Index 251
About the Author 255
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Animal Name Here 9
Chapter X
Preface
Within this book is the knowledge that each of us is a combina-
tion of light and darkness, and that we are capable of functioning
either at a higher vibrational level of love and acceptance, or choos-
ing to use our lower-level base personality, which can be unenlight-
ened and petty.
No astrological sign is superior to another. Together they swirl
like a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors, standing in contrast to gray
shadows. We will learn that we control our own destinies to a great
degree.
If I have done my job, after reading this book you will have learned
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that bombastic boss of yours may very well be a Tiger or a Dragon;
your demure librarian a Rabbit or a Snake; your fun-loving friend a
Monkey, and your methodical, hardworking business associate an Ox.
I hope that you will have a better understanding of your own tem-
perament, and those of your friends and loved ones. It is only with
understanding that we come to accept ourselves and those around us.
The purpose of this book is to give you some “aha!” moments about
yourself and those whom you meet along life’s path.
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