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Taoism and Astrology: The Creation of the Taoist (Chinese) Zodiac by Isabela Tablan

CHIN 206 Blog Post #1

Word Count: 523

In most of the Western world, especially in Christian-centric countries, astrology is considered a pseudoscience that is sinful and a false, idolatrous belief system. However, in ancient Chinese religion Taoism, astrology and zodiac were incorporated into religion. Taoist zodiac, astrology, and the positioning of constellations in space influenced how people in China and countries around East Asia look at their destiny or “future.” 

The religion and philosophy of Taoism in China, dating back to the early 500 B.C.E and the philosopher Lao Tzu, has influenced Chinese culture for centuries. The present-day Chinese zodiac and Chinese calendar are associated with Taoism and Taoist beliefs. 

Taoism Philosopher, Lao Tzu

Taoism is rooted in the belief of energy, rather than a god. Rather, Taoist beliefs hold that humans and animals should live in harmony with the Tao, otherwise known as the universe. Those who believe in Taoism believe in spiritual immortality, in which the spirit of the body will join the universe after death. 

Taoist also believed that the constellations and spaces determined a person’s future, similar to what we know today as Chinese astrology or Taoist zodiac. Present-day Taoist zodiac is rooted in Taoism as the it is consistently present with the yin-yang symbol, representing the balancing forces. The yin-yang combines the Taoist zodiac’s five elements in order to read the ten stems, in which the zodiac uses to count days, months, and years. When all elements (Fire, Water Earth, Wood, Metal) are combined, the yin-yang also affects the characteristics of the 12 zodiac animals which we know in present-day Taoist zodiac. 

The Taoist zodiac incorporated 12 zodiac animals because Taoism believed that humanity’s relationship with animals was necessary for survival. Thus, the Taoist astrology and the Chinese zodiac were created by Taoist monks that observed animals’ traits. The Taoist monks developed a system of twelve animals for a twelve-year cycle, in which they correlated human attributes with certain years. In 2637 BC, Chinese emperor Huang Ti honored this cycle as the Taoist twelve-year calendar, which is still used today. 

Taoist Zodiac Calendar

Now you may be wondering, what is my Taoist zodiac animal sign? Well, the cycle includes 12 animal signs including the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Phoenix (Rooster), Dog, and Pig. 

Each animal is associated with different human traits and represents a specific phase of harvest growth. For example, I was born in the year 2000, the year of the Dragon. The Dragon is the fifth sign of the 12 zodiac animals and is associated with the phase that happens when plants are growing intensely and the element of Earth. The Dragon is also represented by the yang part of the universe, indicating a strong life force. 

Year of the Dragon and the Chinese symbol

Today, over 1.5 billion people follow the Chinese calendar and the Taoist zodiac, celebrating Lunar New Year. While I do not practice Taoism, growing up, I learned about Lunar New Year and the Chinese zodiac, and what animal I am associated with. I find it fascinating the influence that Taoism had on the Chinese calendar and the belief in Taoist astrology and zodiac. I hope to learn more about Taoism and its philosophical influence in the present day. 

To learn more about the Taoist zodiac, check out this TedTalk video: https://youtu.be/Kxg0_EpOcWs

Sources:

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