Understanding and knowing your zodiac sign as it relates to Chinese tradition can reveal much about your personality. Each person is represented by one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac like the dog. These 12 animals correspond to the rotating 12-year cycle which is the core of the Chinese zodiac. You've likely heard of a particular year being the According to tales, these were the animals that came to Buddha (or the Jade Emperor, depending on the story) responding to an invitation. The animals of the Chinese zodiac are representative of the order of the arrival of each animal. The legends and tales characterizing each animal's journey are a bit different, but the order that prevails is as follows: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.

The understanding most people have of the Chinese zodiac doesn't extend far beyond what they read on the place mats covering the tables of their favorite Chinese restaurants. But really, there's a lot more to know and understand about this doctrine that dates back more than two thousand years. The Chinese zodiac is considered a guide to figure out the most ideal and best matches between individuals in work and romance. Each of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac has other specific animals with which they are considered most compatible. Chinese astrology compatibility can be used to make a determination regarding people's best romantic match. It's also important to bear in mind that there are other features of Chinese astrology that go past which animal represents you, that also are considered imperative in making a determination regarding people that are most compatible.

The Chinese zodiac chart doesn't only deal with the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, but also has additional more complex relationships. In addition to the animals, the Chinese Zodiac also involves 5 elements: water, metal, fire, wood and Earth. These elements are connected with the 5 core planets: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Saturn. The connections that are presented by these elements and the 12 animals actually come together to generate the 60-year cycle of the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac. This rotation, along with directions, Yin and Yang, a person's date and time of birth, and the sun and moon positioning are all used to help predict a person's future in more elaborate detail than just using one's Chinese zodiac animal as a guide. While the Chinese zodiac signs are significant, the way in which the elements of the Chinese zodiac chart interact and connect must be utilized to develop a complete understanding of an individual person. To totally and completely understand the Chinese Zodiac, it is important and essential to also understand the relationships between all the elements, something most won't get from an ordinary overview of the Chinese zodiac.

Chinese astrology can be traced back a few thousand years to ancient Astronomy in China. The predictions of the Chinese are predicated on the Chinese calendar built by these ancient Chinese astronomers. Over time, astrologists in China made a sophisticated organization of beliefs about how the celestial bodies effect people's everyday lives. The Chinese zodiac calendar and the familiar animals arise from Ancient Chinese astrology.