The Translation Riddle of Chinese to Western Astrology

I wrote this article in 2004 at the beginning of the year of the Monkey so there are a few allusions to that sign. I have updated it for this year 2010.  However, the main message is still intact so it does not hurt to keep it this way.  Interestingly, the Monkey is the polar opposite sign to the Tiger! P.S. I offer a quick outline on the bottom so you can more easily decode the riddle of corresponding signs from both the Lunar and the Solar perspectives.

To appreciate the Chinese way you have to reverse some of your thinking as in the cartoons where they depict a character boring a hole through the earth only to end up in China on the other side of the world upside down - Bugs Bunny comes clearly to mind. Figuring out the translation is something of a riddle. As with all riddles, there is an aswer but you have to think differently to get it. The following is a little story about my process of endeavouring to solve this riddle, if it can actually be done at all and I think it can.

I will first introduce the 12 main animal totems of the Chinese Zodiac and then I will explain the riddle, which as riddles sometimes go has more than one layer to it.

The first sign in Chinese Astrology is the Rat and corresponds to the Western sign Sagittarius. This fact long intrigued me because in the West the first sign is Aries. Here was the first riddle between the two systems to solve. You see, Sagittarius is the 9th sign of our Zodiac but it translates to the 1st in the Chinese. So, what was this monkey business that we in the West start the Zodiac (wheel of life) with Aries, which corresponds to the Dragon and the Chinese start with the Rat or Sagittarius?

The first part of the riddle stems from the fact that the Natural Zodiac has the 9th sign of Sagittarius in what is the # 1 position on a clock. This set me to thinking about how there might be a relationship. My first clue was that there is a natural harmonious Trine Aspect of 120 degrees (Equilateral Triangle) between Sagittarius and Aries based on the fact that both share the same Element of Fire. Hmmm.... I just knew that there was something in that.

The first answer then lead me to the second consideration that there might be two Western signs that primarily correspond with each Chinese sign. The sequence is based on signs in sequence of element. In other words, the Rat is Sagittarius and Aries. Again, in Western Astrology, both are Fire signs and Aries is the next Fire sign in order following Sagittarius. It is that simple. Of course, one needs to know the order of the 12 signs of the Western Zodiac and their corresponding elements, which include Fire, Earth Air and Water. The Chinese do have five Elements, which are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal compared with the four Elements in the West. However, we will leave the deeper implications of the Element comparison out of it for now.

The third clue stems from the descriptions offered for each Chinese Sign. The wise, acquisitive, adventurous characteristics given to the Rat sure sound like Sagittarius and the progressive, exploratory, initiative (first sign) does sound like Aries. 

So, I consider that there are two key Western Signs for each Chinese Sign...initially.

The rest of the list is as follows and if you go to your Chinese Astrology books or websites and you know something of both of the Western Signs; you should begin to see a mix of characteristics that correspond to both, even though there are some characteristics that seem to relate to other signs yet. I will address that fact more later on. 

After the Rat which corresponds to Sagittarius and Aries comes the Ox corresponding to the Earth signs Capricorn and Taurus. Then there is the Tiger, which translates as the Air signs Aquarius and Gemini. After the Tiger is the Rabbit, relating to Pisces and Cancer, both Water signs. Then there is the mythical Dragon, which is Aries and Leo, both Fire Signs! The Snake slides in next, or does it slither? Taurus and Virgo are the Earth sign pair for Snake. Galloping in next is the majestic Horse, which links to the Airy pair of Gemini and Libra. The Sheep follows and translates into the Water duo of Cancer and Scorpio. Monkey swings in next as Leo and Sagittarius, Fire again! The friendly, loyal yet suspicious Dog is the Air pair of Libra and Aquarius. Completing the circle is Boar, symbolic of the Water couplet Scorpio and Pisces.

With this list of correspondences, I began to look for these signs in people's charts from the standpoint of knowing their Chinese Astrology Sign and sure enough they were more often than not prominent in delightfully interesting ways; but, not always as strongly and evidently as I supposed they 'should be' from the standpoint of my theory.

Now that you have this part figured out, in principle at least, here is the next layer of the riddle. Chinese Astrology is Lunar or Moon based while the Western is Solar or Sun based. The translation get a bit tricky when you consider that the Chinese Astrology books will refer to each Chinese totem animal as a Sun but they are actually trying to say that each Sun sign in China is really a Moon sign, remember it is Lunar based. But you now know that each Sun sign, or Moon sign in China corresponds to two Western Sun Signs of the same Western element. I told you the riddle had a few layers to it.

So which is it, you might ask, Sun or Moon? Part of the answer lies in the eyes. The eyes are windows to the soul you know, truly! However, the eyes that I am referring to here are not those in ones head; they are what are poetically referred to as the eyes of God, which are the Sun and the Moon. After all, although we know that the Sun is much larger than the Moon, they occasionally appear to be the same size. We know this to be true because of the eclipses, which occur when the Moon is full. O.K. I am unnecessarily adding to the complexity of the riddle so in simple terms the next clue to the riddle is that it is both the Sun and Moon!

 The important point to remember is that because Chinese Astrology is Lunar based, when reference is being made to the Sign, which some will call the Sun Sign; they are actually referring to the Moon and more particularly to Full Moon. (By the way, the Full Moon emits more microwaves than the Sun.) Have you figured out the riddle yet?

They key to the next clue is to ask: What is the Sun’s position when the Moon is exactly Full? If you guessed that, the Sun’s position is the opposite point or 180 degrees from the Moon, then you are right and you win an organic banana!

So now, what does this leave us to conclude about this Sun/Moon riddle? Even if you do not guess this one you can still keep the banana, heck you might even want to eat it. But, please do not throw the peel on the ground for someone to slip on like a prankster monkey might.

The answer to this part of the translation riddle is that the Western Sign pairs listed above corresponding with each Chinese sign refer to the Full Moons in those signs. 

So there are two Western Sun Signs corresponding to the two Western Moon signs for each Chinese sign. so the answer to the translation riddle for every Chinese sign is that there are four Western Signs as opposed to two!

This is where the riddle requires that one extra and important step of translation. the Moon is always Full when it is 180 degrees away or opposing the Sun. Since there are two Western Full Moon Signs for each Chinese Sign, one has to take the extra step of deciphering what is the Sun's position when the Moon is full.

Given this consideration, go back to your descriptions of each Chinese Sign and include the Sun Sign pairs of the same Element, given initially above, such as Sagittarius and Aries for the Rat and determine their polar opposite signs to determine where the Sun would be to determine those Full Moons. (I provide them for you below.)

With the Lunar and Solar correspondences below, some of you may identify with one pair of Western Signs more than the other. In some cases, the list may seem mixed. In my experience and opinion, both pairs are valid and indeed almost necessary to gain a full appreciation of each Chinese Sign. So, once you get the two pairs of signs for the Sun and Moon, go back to your Chinese Sign and then look up the descriptions and you will see that blended in there are the descriptions for the polar opposite signs. So, for the Rat Sagittarius and Aries would represent the Full Moon Signs and their polar opposite signs - Gemini and Libra - represent the Sun Signs. Whether you look to the Sun or the Moon Sign descriptions in Western Astrology, you will usually find enough key words from each to satisfy the overall combined 'flavour' of the Chinese Sign. 

*Note:

When the Moon is in its exact Full position, it is exactly 180 degrees away from the Sun or in the exact opposite position. So, when the Sun is any of the signs below and the Moon is exactly full, it will be so in the polar opposite sign. You can read them both ways. For example, when the Sun is in Aries and there is an exact Full Moon, you can be certain it is Full in Libra at the exact same degree, minute and second of arc time.

(Interestingly, it is also true in Western Astrology that regardless of whether or not you were born during an exact Full Moon, the Earth, yes the planet and not the element, is always positioned at the exact opposition point of the Sun, just as with the Full Moon. o people who were born at the exact Full Moon have it exactly conjunct the position of the planet Earth in their chart. I will tell you more about the implications of that in a future New Moon Newsletter or during a reading if you ask.)

The polar opposite Signs in Western Astrology are as follows:

Aries – Libra

Taurus – Scorpio

Gemini – Sagittarius

Cancer – Capricorn

Leo – Aquarius

Virgo – Pisces

Western “Lunar Signs” (or Sign of the Full Moon) corresponding to each Chinese Sign:

Rat – Sagittarius/Aries

Ox – Capricorn/Taurus

Tiger – Aquarius/Gemini

Rabbit – Pisces/Cancer

Dragon – Aries/Leo

Snake – Taurus/Virgo

Horse – Gemini/Libra

Sheep – Cancer/Scorpio

Monkey – Leo/Sagittarius

Rooster – Virgo/Capricorn

Dog – Libra/Aquarius

Boar – Scorpio/Pisces

Western “Solar Signs” Corresponding to each Chinese Sign:

Rat – Gemini/Libra

Ox –Cancer/Scorpio

Tiger – Leo/Sagittarius

Rabbit –Virgo/Capricorn

Dragon – Libra/Aquarius

Snake – Scorpio/Pisces

Horse – Sagittarius/Aries

Sheep – Capricorn/Taurus

Monkey – Aquarius/Gemini

Rooster – Pisces/Cancer

Dog – Aries/Leo

Boar – Taurus/Virgo

PS

I do take note of the Chinese Sign and element sometimes when I do readings. As mentioned, I have noticed how remarkably well they translate into one another. Interestingly, sometimes the leaning is towards the lunar correspondences and sometimes it is towards the solar and sometimes all four signs are prominent. This may actually offer another clue as to whether the person is more of a lunar type personality or a solar or is a balanced soli-lunar balance type. Each has its advantages by the way but admittedly, those with either a strong solar or lunar leaning may be deemed unbalanced and are more prone to certain types of personality disorders. (Read an introduction to this topic here). If you would ever like me to look at your chart this way to decipher which one you are, please contact me for an appointment. Kung Hey Fat Choy!

Michael O’Connor sunstarastrology@gmail.com 1.888.352.2936