The Chinese Astrology Legend

Mythology is as much a part of horoscopes and zodiac signs as it is our world in general. The zodiac of the west was given stories that coincided with the ancient myths of Greek and Roman times. The Chinese zodiac is the same way. Not very many people in the west have been exposed to the legend or even knew it existed.

The year of a person’s birth, according to the Chinese zodiac, does not just indicate their age. It also indicates exactly where in the sixty year cycle of time you fall. Sixty years is one-third of the entire 180 year cycle the Chinese use to mark not only their calendars, but zodiac signs. When determining the phase of the year you were born in, Chinese astrologers will classify you using three different systems: the ten Heavenly Stems, the twelve Earthly Branches, and the twelve Animals. This will give a person a very detailed, comprehensive look at their overall horoscope.

Interestingly enough – especially in a culture that is so expressive in their stories, dance, and history – the origins of the zodiac legend is unknown. No one knows how the twelve animals for the legend were picked for the signs. It has just always been that way. The legend goes as follows. Enjoy.

One day whole sitting in Heaven, the Jade King was bored. He had nothing to do, and he was not paying attention to what was happening on Earth. His servants were seeing to his every wish. To break the monotony, he decided to see what animals lived on Earth. He told his advisors to go and fetch twelve different animals, thinking that twelve would be a nice representation of the species found below.

The advisors sent out invitations to the animals, sending the first one to the rat and asking if the rat would bring the cat. But the rat was a jealous sort and he didn’t extend the invitation. The ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, and dog also got invitations to visit the Jade King in heaven. Imagine his surprise when he only counted eleven. He sent his advisor back to Earth to get another animal. The advisor grabbed the first one he saw, the pig, and returned to Heaven and set the animal before his King.

While the animals stood before the Jade King in no order, the rat, being smaller than everyone else, decided he needed to be seen. Jumping up onto the ox’s back, the rat began to play the flute, impressing the King so much that he awarded the whiskered animal first place, making him the first of the zodiac in the cycle. Because the ox didn’t complain about the rat’s antics, the King made him second. The tiger was third because of his courage, followed by the rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, and dog. The twelfth place went to the pig, and it has remained the pigs even though the cat complained he didn’t get an invitation and begged the Jade King to change his mind.