The Hsia calendar was the official calendar of the empire of China until the revolution of 1512 Pisces (1912 AD).
According to Chinese legend the calendar was invented approximately 4700 years ago (103 Taurus - 2697 BC) by the astronomers Hsis and Ho at the order of the legendary Chinese Emperor Yao.
At first the calendar was used to regulate the agricultural and ritual year, but over time it came to be used for divinatory purposes as well. By the time of the Tang Dynasty (218 – 507 Pisces / 618 – 907 AD) the process of calendrical divination had become formalized and been written up in a definitive treatise available throughout China.
The Chinese calendar is composed of two parts: the 10 “Heavenly Stems” and the 12 “Earthly Branches.” Each year is governed by both an Earthly Branch and a Heavenly Stem, which form a combination. This is not normally mentioned on the placemats we mentioned earlier, but is an extremely important detail. Both the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches run through their sequence and repeat, but because they have different lengths they do not form the same combination but rather a series of five variations over the course of a sixty year cycle. This sixty year cycle forms a “century” after a manner of speaking, and traditionally the Chinese reckoned their history in sixty-year cycles just as the West used hundred-year cycles.
Both the Heavenly Stems and the Earthly Branches are important in many other aspects of Chinese thought as well, much like the Planets and Signs of western Astrology whose applications also go far beyond horoscopes.
The ten Heavenly Stems are Chia, Yi, Ping, Ting, Wu, Chi, Keng, Hsin, Jen, and Kuei. The Heavenly Stems are associated with the Five Elements of Chinese thought in groups of two, and may be regarded as Yin and Yang expressions of each Element. Chia and Yi are associated with Wood. Ping and Ting are associated with Fire. Wu and Chi are associated with Earth. Keng and Hsin are associated with Metal. Jen and Kuei are associated with Water.
The Earthly Branches are the twelve animal signs which make up the Asian zodiac. Each animal sign rules one year, and is influenced in that year by one of the Elements. These are Rat (Tzu), Ox (Ch’ou), Tiger (Yin), Rabbit (Mao), Dragon (Ch’en), Snake (Szu), Horse (Wu), Sheep (Wei), Monkey (Shen), Rooster (Yu), Dog Hsu), and Pig (Hai). Sheep is also sometimes termed Ram, or Goat.. Each of the 12 animal signs appears 5 times during the 60 year cycle, in a slightly different form depending upon its Elemental influence for that year.
Below follows a discussion of the 12 Earthly Branches, as well as the 5 variations caused by their interaction with the 12 Heavenly Stems during the 60 year cycle. The corresponding years ruled by each sign are provided in parentheses, and have been given in Gregorian rather than Correllian dates for ease of calculation. The qualities described pertain to both the year itself, and also those born in it.
Remember that the Chinese year begins with the New Moon in Aquarius, and so the first month or so of the Western year is considered part of the previous year in the Chinese system. Thus we see that the Blv. First Elder Gloria was born in 1527 Pisces (1927 AD) which was the Year of the Fire Rabbit/Rabbit Watching the Moon –but as Blv. Lady Gloria was born on 1 January, she was actually a Fire Tiger/Tiger in the Forest because the Year of the Rabbit had not yet begun (it began 2 February that year).
RAT (TZU)
Ambitious, determined, persistent, marked by keen intelligence and strong emotional drives, Rat can also be quite charming and sociable.
Rat does well in creative pursuits.
Prince Charles is a Rat.
Chia Tzu –“Rat on the Roof”
(Years: 1864, 1924, 1984, 2044, 2104)
Highly intelligent but also impatient and easily distracted. Self-sufficient and great at starting new things, but poor on follow-through.
Ping Tzu –“Rat in the Field”
(Years: 1876, 1936, 1996, 2056, 2116)
Energetic, ambitious, and competitive. Careful and good with details, but demanding and sometimes impatient.