Westernized Chinese Astrology

by Jaime Silvela, ages and ages ago

So you want to know the secrets of your personality and that of those around you? This page describes a blend of Chinese and Western astrology. Blending Chinese and Western astrology is not a new idea, but the view in this page is unconventional. I hope it’s interesting.

The interesting bits

The view in this page

Given the title of this page, it shouldn’t be a surprise that I favor Chinese astrology. It has been noted by many people that there is an equivalence between Chinese and Western signs, based on the Chinese lunar ascendants. I take this one step further, and base the yearly Chinese sign on the motion of Jupiter, which spends about 1 year on each sign, but not always 1 year. This has also been suggested before. For example in Laurene Petit and Shao-Hin’s series on Chinese Astrology.

Chinese animal	Equivalent Western sign
Rat	Sagittarius
Ox	Capricorn
Tiger	Aquarius
Rabbit	Pisces
Dragon	Aries
Snake	Taurus
Horse	Gemini
Goat	Cancer
Monkey	Leo
Rooster	Virgo
Dog	Libra
Pig	Scorpio

How to find your sign

You need to find the positions of Jupiter and the Sun at the time of your birth. You can find this on an ephemeris which you can get in Western astrology guides, or also, online.

There are online ephemerides.
Your main sign is given by the position of Jupiter. The position of the Sun gives the secondary sign, a more subtle influence.

Once you have them, use the conversion table below to find your equivalent signs. One caveat: if you were born in the Southern hemisphere, you should look at your opposite sign (that is, add or subtract 6 signs from your sign). For instance, an Aussie with the Jupiter in Cancer should consider he has Jupiter in Capricorn. Why, I hear you cry? Well, basically because I said so. But if you prefer your old sign, that’s good too. This is just another pointless but fun pursuit.

Western sign	Chinese animal
Aries	Dragon
Taurus	Snake
Gemini	Horse
Cancer	Goat
Leo	Monkey
Virgo	Rooster
Libra	Dog
Scorpio	Pig
Sagittarius	Rat
Capricorn	Ox
Aquarius	Tiger
Pisces	Rabbit

Descriptions of the signs

Rat (Jupiter in Sagittarius)

Quality: Mutable: Dynamic, exploratory, elegant
Underlying element: Water: Spiritual, Visionary, Extreme
The most: Spiritual

People often don’t like being told this is their sign, but for the Chinese, the Rat is a sign of good fortune and great wisdom, even clairvoyance.

The Rat, together with the Ox is the most spiritual of signs. It is in touch with its abstract feelings and thoughts. It is good at communication, though it can be reserved. It is intuitive about other people, to the point where it can appear clairvoyant. The Rat requires calm to develop its insights.

As a Mutable sign, the Rat perceives a multiplicity of paths open ahead that it wants to explore, and it develops a sense of the quick touch. There is elegance and dynamism in the Rat’s actions. But there is a danger that it switches paths too often and scatters or becomes a diletante.

Its underlying water element gives the Rat an apparently calm nature that belies constant thought, a search for clarity that may make it appear timorous or reserved, and a tendency to go to extremes, when it finally attains clarity.

Famous Rats

Actors: Val Kilmer, Harpo Marx, Kate McKinnon, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Lee Remick, Jean Arthur, Marlon Brando, Robert Redford
Film directors: Atom Egoyan, Ava DuVernay, Richard Linklater, John Carpenter, Mike Figgis, Claude Sautet, John Carpenter
Artists: Art Spiegelman, Vincent van Gogh, Francisco Goya, Jackson Pollock
Musicians: Kris Kristofferson, Richard D. James (Aphex Twin), Johnny Greenwood (Radiohead), Dua Lipa
Scientists/philosophers: Alan Turing, W. Edwards Deming, Nicolaus Copernicus
Politicians/military: Silvio Berlusconi
Sports: Nikola Jokić, John McEnroe
Writers: Tony Judt, Michael Lewis, Neal Stephenson, Eckhart Tolle
Misc: Jim Henson, Dick Cavett
Spaniards: José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Mario Conde, Yolanda Díaz, Karlos Arguiñano

Ox (Jupiter in Capricorn)

Quality: Cardinal: Central, coherent, strategic
Underlying element: Metal: Spiritual, Reactive, Steady
The most: Spiritual

The Ox, together with the Rat, is the most spiritual of signs. It is in touch with its abstract feelings and thoughts. It is good at communication, though it can be reserved. It is intuitive about other people, to the point where it can appear clairvoyant. The Ox requires calm to develop its insights.

As it is a cardinal sign, the Ox likes occupying a central spot, being indispensable, a solid presence that others rely on. It is capable of looking at issues thoroughly and finding solutions to intractable problems. With this comes a deliberate, tenacious character that can at times become controlling.

Its underlying metal element gives the Ox a desire for belonging and protection, an appreciation of good manners and agreements to be honored. The Ox is aware of the challenges that lie ahead, but at times it may act hastily and with undue firmness. To counter that, metal also bestows steadiness and a taste for quotidian rhythms and incremental change.

Famous Oxen

Actors: Marlene Dietrich, Jack Nicholson, Vivien Leigh, Sigourney Weaver, Tilda Swinton, Gerard Depardieu, Jennifer Garner, Richard Burton, Dylan McDermott
Film directors: Charles Chaplin, Robert Bresson, Pedro Almodóvar, Sam Peckinpah, Robert Altman
Artists: Walt Disney
Musicians: Ludwig van Beethoven, Bono, Mark Knopfler, Bruce Springsteen, Paco de Lucía
Scientists/philosophers: Karl Marx, Henri Poincaré, Douglas Engelbart
Politicians/military: Bibi Netanyahu,Richard Nixon, Malcolm X, Adolf Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Margaret Thatcher
Sports: LeBron James, Gregg Popovich, Lewis Hamilton, Wayne Gretzky
Writers: Oscar Wilde, Haruki Murakami, Emily Brontë, Neil Gaiman, Albert Camus
Misc: Mary Tyler Moore, Johnny Carson, Anna Wintour, Mark Zuckerberg
Spaniards: Rodrigo Rato, Perico Delgado, Pedro Sánchez, Alberto Núñez Feijoo, Fernando Torres, Almudena Grandes

Tiger (Jupiter in Aquarius)

Quality: Fixed: Bold, episodic, poetic
Underlying element: Fire: Sensual, Reactive, Extreme
The most: Extreme

The Tiger is the most extreme of signs, together with the Monkey. It has a strong tendency to go all-in in its quests and beliefs, and then possibly to go all-out midway. The extreme nature will shine when the Tiger drops everything to help a friend in need, or when it reacts immediately to disruption.

As it is a fixed sign, the Tiger is receptive to signals from the ether, trying to find a purpose, a mission. Once the mission arrives, the Tiger becomes illuminated and goes in pursuit, reciting its new mantra. This makes it spectacular to watch. On the bad side, when lacking the mission, the Tiger may be shiftless.

Its underlying fire element gives the Tiger an appealing vitality and spontaneity. The Tiger says what it thinks and means what it does. It may get boisterous or rebellious, but at the same time it’s warm and loyal and protective of loved ones. In other words, the Tiger is suited to society and is probably popular and loved.

Famous Tigers

Actors: Groucho Marx, Meryl Streep, Olivia Colman, Marylin Monroe, Romy Schneider, Jim Carrey, Jerry Lewis, Eddie Murphy, Louis de Funès, Bill Murray, Jeff Bridges, George Clooney, Christian Bale, Anthony Hopkins, Amanda Seyfried, Léa Seydoux, Klaus Kinski, Daniel Auteuil, William Hurt, Cybill Shepherd
Film directors: William Wyler, Max Ophüls, Terry Zwigoff, Roger Corman
Artists: Michelangelo, Nijinski, Nureyev, Wassily Kandinsky
Musicians: Edvard Grieg, Erik Satie, Axl Rose, Pharrell Williams, Miles Davis, Peter Gabriel, Adriano Celentano
Scientists/philosophers: Albert Einstein, James Clerk Maxwell, Immanuel Kant, Donald Knuth, Marie Curie, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Cédric Villani
Politicians/military: Queen Elizabeth 2nd, Charles de Gaulle, Stalin, Barak Obama, Elizabeth Warren, Hô Chi Minh, Dwight Eisenhower
Sports: Mark Spitz, Carl Lewis, Michael Phelps, Dennis Rodman, Nadia Comaneci, Joe Dimaggio
Writers: Aaron Sorkin, George Eliot, Agatha Christie, Walt Whitman, Lewis Carroll, David Foster Wallace
Misc: Evel Knievel, Lady Di, Sam Altman, Alan Greenspan, Hugh Hefner, Alex Jones, Bernie Madoff, Larry Page & Sergey Brin (Google co-founders)
Spaniards: Juan Carlos I, Javier Clemente, Candela Peña, Ada Colau

Rabbit (Jupiter in Pisces)

Quality: Mutable: Dynamic, exploratory, elegant
Underlying element: Wood: Sensual, Visionary, Steady
The most: Visionary

Also known as Cat or Hare.

The Rabbit is a visionary. It pays attention to practical issues and tries to tackle them with clarity in its objectives and in its next actions. When it’s missing clarity, it may appear aloof or distracted. The Rabbit despises empty busyness. When all goes well, the vision is strong and the Rabbit appears focused and prescient in its execution.

As a Mutable sign, the Rabbit perceives a multiplicity of paths open ahead that it wants to explore, and it develops a sense of the quick touch. There is elegance and dynamism in the Rabbit’s actions. But there is a danger that it switches paths too often and scatters or becomes a diletante.

The Rabbit’s underlying element is Wood, which gives it a horror of ugliness and strife, a sensual nature that seeks comfort and pleasure, a quest for elegance and clarity in its actions, and a taste for the quotidian, for steady gradual labor.

Famous Rabbits

Actors: Cary Grant, David Mitchell (comedian), Ralph Fiennes, Ingrid Bergman, Tom Cruise, Amy Adams, Steve Carell, Tony Leung, Demi Moore
Film directors: Yasujiro Ozu, David Fincher, Francis Ford Coppola, Orson Welles, Quentin Tarantino, Vincente Minelli
Artists: Leonardo da Vinci, Paul Klee, Rembrandt, Caravaggio, Adrian Tomine
Musicians: Lady Gaga, Frank Sinatra, Tina Turner, Edith Piaf, Juliette Gréco, Billie Holiday, Geir Jenssen (Biosphere), Eva Cassidy
Scientists/philosophers: Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Nietzsche, Johannes Kepler, Sigmund Freud, Florence Nightingale
Politicians/military: Abraham Lincoln, Erwin Rommel, Leon Trotsky
Sports: Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Tadej Pogačar, Kylian Mbappé, Rafa Nadal, José Mourinho, Usain Bolt
Writers: J.R.R. Tolkien, Goethe, George Orwell, Miguel Cervantes, Edgar Allan Poe, Anaïs Nin, Arthur Miller
Misc: Steve Wozniak, Gustave Eiffel, Jordan Peterson, Richard Branson, Chelsea Handler, John Stewart, Craig Ferguson, Jay Leno
Spaniards: Penélope Cruz, Vicente del Bosque, Isabel Preysler, José Antonio Primo de Rivera, Jordi Évole, Ferrán Adriá, Carles Puigdemont

Dragon (Jupiter in Aries)

Quality: Cardinal: Central, coherent, strategic
Underlying element: Water: Spiritual, Visionary, Extreme
The most: Visionary

The Dragon is a visionary. It pays attention to practical issues and tries to tackle them with clarity in its objectives and in its next actions. It needs time to get clarity, so it may at times appear aloof while it mulls things. The Dragon despises empty busyness. When all goes well, the vision is strong and the Dragon appears unbeatable and prescient in its execution.

As it is a cardinal sign, the Dragon likes occupying a central spot, being indispensable, a solid presence that others rely on. It is capable of looking at issues thoroughly and finding solutions to intractable problems. With this comes a deliberate, tenacious character that can at times become controlling.

Its water element gives the Dragon an apparently calm nature that belies constant thought, a search for clarity that may make it appear timorous or reserved, and a tendency to go to extremes, when it finally attains clarity.

Famous Dragons

Actors: Al Pacino, Jean Smart, Ian McKellen, Mike Myers, Juliette Binoche, Brad Pitt, Kate Winslet, John Cleese, Gregory Peck, Steven Seagal, Lisa Kudrow, Joan Crawford, Jet Li, Anjelica Huston, Bridget Fonda, Stellan Skarsgård, John Hurt
Film directors: Agnès Varda, Kathryn Bigelow, Park Chan-wook, Kelly Reichardt
Artists: Salvador Dalí, W. A. Dwiggins, Christian Dior
Musicians: Lauryn Hill, Serge Gainsbourg, Kendrick Lamar, Bela Bartok, Rihanna, Chopin, Julianna Barwick, George Michael, Sting, Tracy Chapman, Johannes Brahms
Scientists/philosophers: Georg Cantor, René Descartes, Élie Cartan, Hermann Grassman, Alexander Grothendieck, Claude Shannon
Politicians/military: Francisco Franco, Viktor Orbán, Charlemagne, Hermann Göring, Nigel Farage, Tito (Josip Broz Tito), Robert McNamara, Michelle Obama, Nancy Pelosi, Lee Harvey Oswald, Ariel Sharon
Sports: Luka Dončić, Allen Iverson, Novak Djokovic, Tiger Woods, Garry Kasparov, Karim Benzema
Writers: Ayn Rand, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Walter Tevis, Charles Baudelaire, Joseph Campbell, Mary Shelley, Nikoloai Gogol
Misc: Jeff Bezos, Graham Norton, Chelsea Manning, Hideo Kojima, Maureen Dowd, Harvey Weinstein, Grigori Rasputin, Conan O’Brien
Spaniards: Arturo Pérez Reverte, Camilo José Cela, Jaime Mayor Oreja, Emilio Butragueño, Ana Belén, Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez (MAR)

Snake (Jupiter in Taurus)

Quality: Fixed: Bold, episodic, poetic
Underlying element: Metal: Spiritual, Reactive, Steady
The most: Steady

People often don’t like being told this is their sign, but for the Chinese, the Snake is a sign of beauty and philosophical clairvoyance.

The Snake is as steady as they come. A creature of habit. It has the capacity to detect subtle changes spread in time, and reacts to them steadily and subtly. It may not get to new things right this minute if its in the midst of its routine, and in turn it does not expect others to drop all they’re doing when it commands.

As it is a fixed sign, the Snake is receptive to signals from the ether, trying to find a purpose, a mission. Once the mission arrives, the Snake becomes illuminated and goes in pursuit, reciting its new mantra. This makes it spectacular to watch. On the bad side, when lacking the mission, the Snake may be shiftless.

Its underlying metal element gives the Snake a desire for belonging and protection, an appreciation of good manners and agreements to be honored. The Snake is aware of the challenges that lie ahead, but at times it may act hastily and with undue firmness. To counter that, metal also bestows steadiness and a taste for quotidian rhythms and incremental change.

Famous Snakes

Actors: Audrey Hepburn, Keanu Reeves, Edward G. Robinson, Robert Downey Jr., Henry Fonda, Jeff Goldblum, Isabelle Huppert, Maggie Cheung
Film directors: John Ford, Stanley Kubrick, Hayao Miyazaki, Jim Jarmusch
Artists: Pablo Picasso
Musicians: John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Frank Zappa
Scientists/philosophers: Paul Krugman, Max Planck,
Politicians/military: Lenin, Julius Caesar, Vladimir Putin, Giorgia Meloni, Martin Luther King, Mao Zedong, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Henry VIII, Tony Blair
Sports: Bruce Lee, Miguel Induráin
Writers: Jean Paul Sartre, Robert Pirsing, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf
Misc: Richard Stallman, Stephen Colbert, Noam Chomsky
Spaniards: José María Aznar, Joaquin Leguina, Miguel Primo de Rivera, Alfonso Guerra, Victor Erice, Plácido Domingo, Santiago Abascal, Andreu Buenafuente

Horse (Jupiter in Gemini)

Quality: Mutable: Dynamic, exploratory, elegant
Underlying element: Fire: Sensual, Reactive, Extreme
The most: Sensual

The Horse is the most sensual of signs, together with the Goat. It is in touch with its bodily sensations, and seeks pleasure and comfort. It is also intuitive at others’s sensualities. It has the ability to express itself vividly and with rustic simplicity, it may possess artistic talent.

As a Mutable sign, the Horse perceives a multiplicity of paths open ahead that it wants to explore, and it develops a sense of the quick touch. There is elegance and dynamism in the Horse’s actions. But there is a danger that it switches paths too often and scatters or becomes a diletante.

Its underlying fire element gives the Horse an appealing vitality and spontaneity. The Horse says what it thinks and means what it does. It may get boisterous or rebellious, but at the same time it’s warm and loyal and protective of loved ones. In other words, the Horse is suited to society and is probably popular and loved.

Famous Horses

Actors: Jackie Chan, Steve McQueen, Dennis Quaid, Alicia Silverstone, Myrna Loy, Robert Mitchum, Grace Kelly
Film directors: Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Barbara Streissand, Ben Stiller, Alicia Silverstone, Virginie Efira, Lily James, Billy Wilder, William Holden, John Cassavettes, Gena Rowlands, Jackie Chan, Michael Haneke, Josef von Sternberg, John Travolta, Charlie Sheen
Artists: Josephine Baker
Musicians: Aretha Franklin, Kanye West, Igor Stravinsky, Lou Reed, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel
Scientists/philosophers: Richard Feynman, Thomas Edison, Stephen Hawking, Alexander Graham Bell
Politicians/military: Bernie Sanders, Theodore Roosevelt, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Xi Jinping, Slobodan Milosevic, Yasser Arafat, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Bachar al-Assad, Henry VIII, Nikita Khrushchev
Sports: Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Thierry Henry, Erling Haaland, Kevin Durant
Writers: Marquis de Sade, Jane Austen, Molière, Lord Byron, J.K. Rowling, Aldous Huxley, Charles Dickens, Samuel Beckett, Louis-Ferdinand Céline, Arthur Conan Doyle
Misc: Oprah Winfrey, Thomas Friedmann, Martha Stewart, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Howard Stern, Jerry Seinfeld, Ted Kaczynski
Spaniards: Felipe González, Jordi Pujol, Álex de la Iglesia, María Teresa Campos, Rosa María Sardá, Ana Botella, Santiago Segura, Pablo Motos

Goat (Jupiter in Cancer)

Quality: Cardinal: Central, coherent, strategic
Underlying element: Wood: Sensual, Visionary, Steady
The most: Sensual

The Goat is the most sensual of signs, together with the Horse. It is in touch with its bodily sensations, and seeks pleasure and comfort. It is also intuitive at others’s sensualities. It has the ability to express itself vividly and with rustic simplicity, it may possess artistic talent.

As it is a cardinal sign, the Goat likes occupying a central spot, being indispensable, a solid presence that others rely on. It is capable of looking at issues thoroughly and finding solutions to intractable problems. With this comes a deliberate, tenacious character that can at times become controlling.

The Goat’s underlying element is Wood, which gives it a horror of ugliness and strife, a sensual nature that seeks comfort and pleasure, a quest for elegance and clarity in its actions, and a taste for the quotidian, for steady gradual labor.

Famous Goats

Actors: Jessie Buckley, Barbara Stanwyck, Teresa Wright, Bruce Willis, Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Bill Hader, Laurence Olivier, Eric Idle, Michael Palin
Film directors: Michael Mann, Martin Scorsese, Jean-Luc Godard, Ingmar Bergman, Werner Herzog, Jean Renoir
Artists: Velázquez
Musicians: Taylor Swift, Carl Orff, George Harrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Billie Eilish, Carlos Kleiber, Paul McCartney
Scientists/philosophers: Carl Friedrich Gauss, Ken Thompson, Gottfried Leibniz, Évariste Galois
Politicians/military: Augustus, Emmanuel Macron, Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, Joe Biden, Angela Merkel, Mikhail Gorbachev, Benito Mussolini, Harry S. Truman
Sports: Mike Tyson, Bobby Fischer, Kobe Bryant
Writers: Franz Kafka, Marcel Proust, J.D. Salinger, Mark Twain, Alice Munro
Misc: Steve Jobs, Harold Bloom, Warren Buffett
Spaniards: Maruja Torres, Mariano Rajoy, Javier Solana, Iñaki Gabilondo, Antonio Gala, Ana Pastor, Antonio García Ferreras, Eduardo Mendoza

Monkey (Jupiter in Leo)

Quality: Fixed: Bold, episodic, poetic
Underlying element: Water: Spiritual, Visionary, Extreme
The most: Extreme

The Monkey is the most extreme of signs, together with the Tiger. It has a strong tendency to go all-in in its quests and beliefs, and then possibly to go all-out midway. The extreme nature will shine when the Monkey drops everything to help a friend in need, or when it reacts immediately to disruption.

As it is a fixed sign, the Monkey is receptive to signals from the ether, trying to find a purpose, a mission. Once the mission arrives, the Monkey becomes illuminated and goes in pursuit, reciting its new mantra. This makes it spectacular to watch. On the bad side, when lacking the mission, the Monkey may be shiftless.

Its underlying water element gives the Monkey an apparently calm nature that belies constant thought, a search for clarity that may make it appear timorous or reserved, and a tendency to go to extremes, when it finally attains clarity.

Famous Monkeys

Actors: Robert de Niro, Elizabeth Taylor, Will Ferrell, James Stewart, Willem Dafoe, Debbie Reynolds, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ashley Judd, Patricia Arquette, Peter O’Toole, Ian Holm, Catherine Deneuve, Setsuko Hara, Austin Butler
Film directors: Howard Hawks, Terrence Malick, Federico Fellini, Eric Rohmer, David Lean, Lars von Trier, Andrei Tarkovsky, Jaques Tati, Alan Rudolph
Artists: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Crumb
Musicians: Richard Wagner, Herbert von Karajan, Sinéad O’Connor, Joni Mitchell, John Williams, Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison
Scientists/philosophers: Leonhard Euler,Blaise Pascal, Søren Kierkegaard
Politicians/military: John Kerry, Gerhard Schröder
Sports: Magnus Carlsen, Björn Borg, Kawhi Leonard
Writers: William Shakespeare, Ian Fleming, Umberto Eco, Sally Rooney
Misc: Pope Leo 14th, Pope John Paul 2nd, Bill Gates, Peter Thiel, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Rogan, Greta Thunberg, Anthony Bourdain,
Spaniards: Carlos Alcaraz, Julio Iglesias, Pablo Iglesias, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, Macarena Olona, Rocío Jurado, Ramón Trecet, Baltasar Garzón, Manuela Carmena, Francisco Umbral

Rooster (Jupiter in Virgo)

Quality: Mutable: Dynamic, exploratory, elegant
Underlying element: Metal: Spiritual, Reactive, Steady
The most: Reactive

The Rooster is the most reactive sign, together with the Dog. It sees many dangers and opportunities ahead, and is an alert observer, ready to act. It pays attention, but it also requires attention. The Rooster is dying for a compliment. The Rooster wants to belong and to provide a sense of belonging and security.

As a Mutable sign, the Rooster perceives a multiplicity of paths open ahead that it wants to explore, and it develops a sense of the quick touch. There is elegance and dynamism in the Rooster’s actions. But there is a danger that it switches paths too often and scatters or becomes a diletante.

Its underlying metal element gives the Rooster a desire for belonging and protection, an appreciation of good manners and agreements to be honored. The Rooster is aware of the challenges that lie ahead, but at times it may act hastily and with undue firmness. To counter that, metal also bestows steadiness and a taste for quotidian rhythms and incremental change.

Famous Roosters

Actors: Daniel Day-Lewis, Tom Hanks, Carrie Fisher, Carole Lombard, Michael Caine, Jean Paul Belmondo, Gene Tierney, Jaqueline Bisset, Danny DeVito, Frances McDormand, Michael Douglas, Will Smith, Gillian Anderson
Film directors: Frank Capra, Roman Polanski, Wes Anderson,
Artists: Albrecht Dürer
Musicians: Thom Yorke (Radiohead)
Scientists/philosophers: Niels Henrik Abel
Politicians/military: Alexander the Great, Jaques Chirac, Thomas Jefferson
Sports: Larry Bird, Paolo Maldini, Pat Riley, Severiano Ballesteros, Steffi Graf, Eddy Merckx, Martina Navratilova, Victor Wembanyama
Writers: Victor Hugo, Sylvia Plath, William Faulkner, Edith Wharton
Misc: Harry Houdini, Tucker Carlson, Kim Kardashian, Carol Burnett, John Glenn
Spaniards: Ana Rosa Quintana, Felipe VI, Pau Gasol, Pío Baroja, Antonio Muñoz Molina, Isabel Pantoja, Adolfo Suárez, Silvia Intxaurrondo, Montserrat Caballé

Dog (Jupiter in Libra)

Quality: Cardinal: Central, coherent, strategic
Underlying element: Fire: Sensual, Reactive, Extreme
The most: Reactive

The Dog is the most reactive sign, together with the Rooster. It sees many dangers and opportunities ahead, and is an alert observer, ready to act. It pays attention, but it also requires attention. The Dog is dying for a compliment. The Dog wants to belong and to provide a sense of belonging and security.

As it is a cardinal sign, the Dog likes occupying a central spot, being indispensable, a solid presence that others rely on. It is capable of looking at issues thoroughly and finding solutions to intractable problems. With this comes a deliberate, tenacious character that can at times become controlling.

Its underlying fire element gives the Dog an appealing vitality and spontaneity. The Dog says what it thinks and means what it does. It may get boisterous or rebellious, but at the same time it’s warm and loyal and protective of loved ones. In other words, the Dog is suited to society and is probably popular and loved.

Famous Dogs

Actors: Ryan Gosling, Owen Wilson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Diane Keaton, Jodie Comer, Lucy Liu, Shirley Maclaine, Sylvester Stallone, Cher, Edward Norton, Carrie Coon, Jennifer Aniston, Brigitte Bardot, Michelle Pfeiffer
Film directors: David Lynch, Wong Kar-Wai, Christopher Nolan, Akira Kurosawa
Artists: René Magritte, Giorgio Armani
Musicians: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Prince, Dolly Parton, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Johann Sebastian Bach, Beyoncé Knowles, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Leonard Cohen
Scientists/philosophers: Cicero, Carl Jung
Politicians/military: Donald Trump, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther (protestantism), Joan of Arc, George Washington, Otto von Bismark, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George Patton, Genghis Khan
Sports: Serena Williams, Michael Schumacher, Roger Federer, Phil Jackson, Hristo Stoichkov, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Writers: Jack Kerouac
Misc: Larry King, Henry Ford, Tina Fey, Ann Boleyn, Paris Hilton, Marie Antoinette, Amy Schumer, Caterina de Medici, Bonnie Parker
Spaniards: Iker Casillas, Carmen Maura, Nacho Duato, Marisa Paredes, Eusebio Poncela, Carlos Alsina, Javier Bardem, Máximo Pradera, Willy Toledo

Pig (Jupiter in Scorpion)

Quality: Fixed: Bold, episodic, poetic
Underlying element: Wood: Sensual, Visionary, Steady
The most: Steady

Also known as Boar.

People often don’t like being told this is their sign, but for the Chinese, the Pig is a sign of good fortune and many good qualities.

The Pig is as steady as they come. A creature of habit. It has the capacity to detect subtle changes spread in time, and reacts to them steadily and subtly. It may not get to new things right this minute if its in the midst of its routine, and in turn it does not expect others to drop all they’re doing when it commands.

As it is a fixed sign, the Pig is receptive to signals from the ether, trying to find a purpose, a mission. Once the mission arrives, the Pig becomes illuminated and goes in pursuit, reciting its new mantra. This makes it spectacular to watch. On the bad side, when lacking the mission, the Pig may be shiftless.

The Pig’s underlying element is Wood, which gives it a horror of ugliness and strife, a sensual nature that seeks comfort and pleasure, a quest for elegance and clarity in its actions, and a taste for the quotidian, for steady gradual labor.

Famous Pigs

Actors: Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball, Sharon Stone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Ethan Hawke, Hugh Laurie, Glenn Close, Gary Oldman, Rupert Everett, Donald Sutherland, Adèle Exarchopoulos
Film directors: Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Julio Medem, Rob Reiner
Artists: Claude Monet, Marina Abramovic, Gianni Versace
Musicians: Hoagy Carmichael, Britney Spears, Elvis Presley, David Bowie, Marianne Faithful, Jerry Lee Lewis, Janelle Monáe, Luciano Pavarotti
Scientists/philosophers: Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Alain de Botton
Politicians/military: Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis XIV, T.E. Lawrence, Ronald Reagan
Sports: Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Andre Agassi, Johan Cruyff, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Marco Pantani
Writers: Leo Tolstoy, Jonathan Franzen, Jack London, Ernest Hemingway, Stephen King, Jules Verne
Misc: Linus Torvalds, Al Capone, David Letterman, Chuck Yeager, Marshall McLuhan, Dalai Lama, Claudia Schiffer
Spaniards: Javier Gurruchaga, Lola Flores, Iván Espinosa de los Monteros, Gabriel Rufián, Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, Manuel Fraga Iribarne, Jose Borrell, Julia Otero, Victoria Abril, Massiel, Nancho Novo, Maribel Verdú

The Philosophy of the Signs. Qualities and Elements

I like the Chinese signs better than the Western signs, but Chinese astrology gets at times excessively convoluted and esoteric (wink, smiley face). The Western zodiac is better organized even if it’s less inspired. What follows is a synthesis, keeping a Chinese view of the signs and elements, but systematized in a Western way.

I pick and choose the bits I like, like a magpie. While there are books and pages that attempt to reconcile the Western and Chinese view, and I have borrowed liberally from them, I think that my view is largely original.

Roles: the Qualities

If you put the 12 signs on a circle, and make a set taking every third sign, you get the three Qualities. The qualities express a sign’s role. Each Quality applies to four signs, which make a square if you draw them in the circle of the zodiac.

Qualities don’t exist as such in Chinese astrology, though there are analogues (see the comparison section below). In Chinese astrology, seasons begin with the equivalent of the Fixed signs, and the equivalents of the Cardinal signs conclude seasons. I like this sequencing of Qualities better than the Western one, where Cardinals initiate seasons.

Different signs of the same Quality have conflicting relationships. On one hand they play a similar role and take inspiration from each other; on the other hand there is a fundamental discrepancy in their temperaments, and that can lead to friction.

Some people will tell you that this friction is a good thing for long term relationships, to keep the spark alive.

Western Quality	Signs
Fixed	Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Pig
Mutable	Horse, Rooster, Rat, Rabbit
Cardinal	Dog, Ox, Dragon, Goat

Fixed

Signs: Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Pig
Characteristics: Bold, poetic, episodic

These signs listen to a sign from the ether to give them a clear single purpose. When have a clear purpose, they are bold in single pursuit, and appear in relief, illuminated. They can drop startling nuggets of simple truth.

These are the hedgehogs, not the foxes. They put their eggs in one basket, and win big or lose big. This makes them spectacular to watch. When they are in passive mode, waiting for a vision, these signs live in the here and the now, and are almost malleable by others.

At their best, these signs are poetic, distilling all into a simple mantra and manifesting it boldly. At points they appear childlike and transparent.

At their worst, they’re bold without the poetry, and they engage in empty sensationalism. They can be simplistic, even puerile. If they lack the vision they can become erratic, or can leave everything behind as if it was a previous life.

Mutable

Signs: Horse, Rooster, Rat, Rabbit
Characteristics: Dynamic, exploratory, elegant

These signs see a multiplicity of paths ahead of them that they want to explore quickly. They are mercurial and hard to pin down. The mutables are the explorers. Variety is the spice of life. They are spunky and quick to start. In fact they may start several things at the same time.

When things are going well, the mutables are full of variety and elegance and richness. They see so much that they like, and they adopt it. They see a green light telling them Go, and are perpetually curious.

At their best, they develop an ability for the quick touch, settling issues in the blink of an eye. They don’t belabor the point and are elegant in their variety and speed.

At their worst, they have the quickness without the elegance, so they don’t know when to stop, can be hotheaded and inconsistent, or may engage in games of equivocation to trick others. Or they have the elegance without the quickness and you get dandyism.

Cardinal

Signs: Dog, Ox, Dragon, Goat
Characteristics: Central, coherent, strategic

These signs occupy a central spot. They’re there, they don’t hide, people know where to find them, people count on their presence. “The buck stops here.” might be a motto. They like to feel indispensable.

The cardinals take a panoramic view from their central spot. They take it all in, and work tenaciously to make everything cohere, getting rid of inconsistencies. The cardinals can be solid team members content to run the show discreetly. But they can also crave the recognition, in which case they can become controlling, attention seeking, even tyrannical.

At their best they are a solid substrate for others, have ability to prioritize, study issues thoroughly, bring coherence and strategy. They can be resolutive without excessive wheel turning.

At their worst they have the centrality without the strategy, and you get someone who overstays their welcome and has empty discourse or is taciturn. Or they have the coherence without the centrality, and you get someone who overcomplicates things and is anxious, plodding, too timid to get started.

Complementaries

Something I like about the Chinese way is the emphasis on complementary qualities, in the form of Yin / Yang, instead of opposite qualities.

Not that I have figured out a good way to tell which is Yin and which is Yang, so I won’t use Yin / Yang in my synthesis. What I do take to heart is that there are always two complementary sides to the coin, not opposites. To prepare for the introduction of the Elements, here are some pairings of complementaries-not-opposites which have a Myers-Briggs feel to them, but are better than Myers-Briggs, or at least that’s what I wish to tell you.

Sensation

Sensation is about our bodily signals. Fear, pain, pleasure, desire. Sensation can be raw and immediate, for example the smart of a wasp sting. It can be more meditated, for example feelings of nostalgia, or of being in a rut. Sensation can also be interpersonal, when one can intuit someone else’s sensations or have compassion.

To have more descriptive words, let’s call people of raw sensation Sensual, and people of meditated sensation Spiritual.

Sensual: Sensual people see the world through their body and their senses. They perceive the world as it presents itself. They seek and provide warmth and comfort.; Sensual people can become too attached to their senses, rendering them too prosaic and turbulent, and unable to just let perceptions percolate and clarify.; Sensual are less in touch with their inner disembodied thoughts. They hate insipidness and discomfort, and may become epicurean and indulgent.; At their best, sensual people are warm, gallant, spontaneous, compassionate.; At their worst, they can be incurious, indulgent, unruly, turbulent.
Spiritual: Spiritual people are more meditative, and see the world from their disembodied self. While a Sensual person might concentrate on pain or joy, an Spiritual person might concentrate on ennui or overall harmony. Spiritual people need calm to see clearly. Constant stimuli may wear them down.; Spiritual people can become too attached to their abstractions and lose sight of the sensual and vivid, rendering them cold and joyless; At their best, they are curious, calm, insightful, foresighted.; At their worst they can be coldly analytical, speculative, unsympathetic, joyless.

Action

Action is about external reality, the material world. About problems to be overcome, plans and constraints. Trouble, but also possibility and wonder. Action can be raw and immediate, say a reflex action that comes after a bee sting. It can be more meditated, for example figuring out how to achieve a goal with less effort.

To have more descriptive words, let’s call people of raw action Reactive, and people of meditated action Visionary.

Reactive: Reactive people are alert, ready for danger, ready for possibilities, and ready to act quickly on them, sometimes without forethought. They require attention and enjoy being in the thick of things: it feeds their need for action.; Reactive people abhor idleness and rootlessness, and may at times indulge in drudgery or conformity.; At their best they are firm, protective, provide a sense of belonging, are well informed of the troubles ahead.; At their worst they can be authoritarian, overprotective, cynical, conventional, uninspired.
Visionary: Visionary people are calmly watchful, often see the world as a place full of possibilities and wonder. They don’t always feel compelled to react, which may at times give them a standoffish air. Give them time, they’re figuring things.; Visionary people dislike conformity and uninspired labor, and to avoid those things they may become withdrawn or willful or apathetic.; At their best, they are free, truthful, tolerant, inspired, open to the wonders ahead.; At their worst the can be distant, secretive, willful, eccentric, neglectful, unrealistic.

Rhythm

Rhythm is about the way we spend our time. Whether we find fulfillment in our quotidian lives, or instead have a taste for the atypical. To have more descriptive terms, let’s call people of quotidian rhythm Steady, people of atypical rhythm Extreme.

Extreme: Extreme people enjoy having grand missions and grand periods of leisure, so that days and seasons are clearly different. They have a taste for the atypical.; At their best, Extreme people act quickly with the necessary force, settle issues in the moment and let bygones be bygones.; At their worst, they can be imperious, or can become bored and leave things unfinished.
Steady: Steady people enjoy a quotidian sense of labor and of leisure. They are adept at building routines and tackling issues incrementally. Days look like each other. They are creatures of habit.; At their best, steady people act subtly, settle issues in a phased way, and don’t expect people to drop everything and follow them right this minute.; At their worst, they can be slow to react to drastic change, too mired in their routines. They can become stuck in a rut, and be rancorous.

Harmonies: the Elements

If you put the 12 signs on a circle, and make sets taking every fourth sign, you get the four Elements. The Elements express the temperament of a sign. Signs with the same underlying element are harmonic. Each element underlies three signs.

Underlying element	Signs
Fire	Horse, Dog, Tiger
Metal	Rooster, Ox, Snake
Water	Rat, Dragon, Monkey
Wood	Rabbit, Goat, Pig

Fire

Signs it underlies: Horse, Dog, Tiger
Season: summer
Characteristics: Sensual, Reactive, Extreme

Fire people are sensual. They are in touch with their body and seek pleasure. They are warm and vivid. They may be turbulent at times, cycling through different emotions in quick succession.

Fire people are reactive. They act spontaneously, they are ready for the dangers of the world, and like nothing more than protecting their loved ones. They are firm, they seek and provide a sense of belonging.

Fire people are extreme. They don’t like half measures, and will go headlong in pursuit of goals, or will suddenly stop or change direction. They react quickly to disruption, but may be unable to accommodate slow incremental change.

Metal

Signs it underlies: Rooster, Ox, Snake
Season: autumn
Characteristics: Spiritual, Reactive, Steady

Metal people are spiritual. They are in touch with their inner selves and seek calm to meditate their feelings and gain clarity. At times they may appear insensitive, but give them time.

Metal people are reactive. They act spontaneously, they are ready for the dangers of the world, and like nothing more than protecting their loved ones. They are firm, they seek and provide a sense of belonging.

Metal people are steady. They don’t like abrupt changes, and prefer to pursue goals incrementally and sustainably. In the face of disruption, they may be slow to move, as they instinctively try to make things fit their routine. Creatures of habit.

Water

Signs it underlies: Rat, Dragon, Monkey
Season: winter
Characteristics: Spiritual, Visionary, Extreme

Water people are Spiritual. They are in touch with their inner selves and seek calm to meditate their feelings and gain clarity. At times they may appear insensitive, but give them time.

Water people are visionary. They like clarity in their objectives and in their actions to achieve those objectives. At times, this may give them an air of passiveness or standoffishness, but they need time to get clarity.

Water people are extreme. They don’t like half measures, and will go headlong in pursuit of goals, or will suddenly stop or change direction. They react quickly to disruption, but may be unable to accommodate slow incremental change.

Wood

Signs it underlies: Rabbit, Goat, Pig
Season: spring
Characteristics: Sensual, Visionary, Steady

Wood people are sensual. They are in touch with their body and seek pleasure. They are warm and vivid. They may be turbulent at times, cycling through different emotions in quick succession.

Wood people are visionary. They like clarity in their objectives and in their actions to achieve those objectives. At times, this may give them an air of passiveness or standoffishness, but they need time to get clarity.

Wood people are steady. They don’t like abrupt changes, and prefer to pursue goals incrementally and sustainably. In the face of disruption, they may be slow to move, as they instinctively try to make things fit their routine. Creatures of habit.

Seasons and specialties

The organization of the elements into signs by harmonic elements is my nod to Western astrology. In Chinese astrology, though the grouping into Elements is based on seasons, the harmonies follow the same pattern as the Western Elements. By this I mean that if in Western astrology, say, the Air signs of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius are harmonic, in Chinese astrology the corresponding signs of Horse, Dog, and Tiger, are harmonic though they are considered to have different Elements.

In a nod to the Chinese way, let’s consider grouping the signs according to their season.

Season	Seasonal element	Signs
Summer	Fire	Goat, Monkey, Rooster
Autumn	Metal	Dog, Pig, Rat
Winter	Water	Ox, Tiger, Rabbit
Spring	Wood	Dragon, Snake, Horse

Each sign has an underlying element and a seasonal element which combine accentuating some aspects and moderating others. Each sign gets one aspect accentuated.

For example, the Rat has underlying Water and seasonal Metal. Metal and Water both are spiritual, so that aspect gets accentuated. Metal is reactive and Water is visionary, so that aspect is moderated. Metal is steady while Water is extreme, so that aspect is moderated.
The Ox has underlying Metal and seasonal Water, and the Metal and Water combination accentuates the same aspects and moderates the same aspects as in the case of the Rat.

The most…

Spiritual: Rat (underlying Water, seasonal Metal); Ox (underlying Metal, seasonal Water)
Extreme: Tiger (underlying Fire, seasonal Water); Monkey (underlying Water, seasonal Fire)
Visionary: Rabbit (underlying Wood, seasonal Water); Dragon (underlying Water, seasonal Wood)
Steady: Snake (underlying Metal, seasonal Wood); Pig (underlying Wood, seasonal Metal)
Sensual: Horse (underlying Fire, seasonal Wood); Goat (underlying Wood, seasonal Fire)
Reactive: Rooster (underlying Metal, seasonal Fire); Dog (underlying Fire, seasonal Metal)

Chinese astrology also has harmonies and qualities

The information in this section about Hidden Elements and seasonal characteristics is not widely written about in Chinese astrology books and pages.

I got the information from Classical Five Element Chinese Astrology Made Easy by David Twicken, published by Writers Club Press, 2000. I don’t follow it fully, but this is a book I found really helpful to reconcile Western and Chinese astrologies.

Harmonies: Hidden Elements

Here is the table of seasons from the Seasons section:

Seasonal element	Signs
Fire	Goat, Monkey, Rooster
Metal	Dog, Pig, Rat
Water	Ox, Tiger, Rabbit
Wood	Dragon, Snake, Horse

The seasons here are at odds with Chinese astrology books, since in Chinese astrology the seasons are assigned differently. Spring is considered to begin in February and end in April. Summer is considered to star in May.
This is how it looks:

Chinese seasonal element	Signs
Fire	Snake, Horse, Goat
Metal	Monkey, Rooster, Dog
Water	Pig, Rat, Ox
Wood	Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon

Harmonic trios in Chinese astrology are handled with “Hidden Elements”, with the signs at the middle of Chinese seasons, i.e. the Rat, Rabbit, Horse, and Rooster, having no Hidden Element, being considered pure manifestations of the Element.
For example, the Horse is considered the paradigm of Fire, and the harmonic signs of Dog and Tiger are said to have Hidden Element Fire.

Element	Embodied in	Hidden in
Fire	Horse	Dog, Tiger
Metal	Rooster	Ox, Snake
Water	Rat	Dragon, Monkey
Wood	Rabbit	Goat, Pig

This matches the table of underlying elements from the Elements section:

Underlying element	Signs
Fire	Horse, Dog, Tiger
Metal	Rooster, Ox, Snake
Water	Rat, Dragon, Monkey
Wood	Rabbit, Goat, Pig

Qualities: Earth and Yin/Yang

In Chinese astrology there is a fifth Element: Earth. It is considered to represent a combination of the other Elements, and it doesn’t really have a season. Its “season” is the end of each of the other seasons. Since in Chinese astrology, spring is considered to end in April (Dragon), summer in July (Goat), autumn in October (Dog), and winter in January (Ox), it means those animals are considered to be native Earths. Which means that in Chinese astrology, the Earth Element corresponds to the Western Cardinal quality.

We saw previously that the signs of Horse, Rooster, Rat, and Rabbit are considered pure manifestations of their underlying element. These correspond to the Western Mutable Quality.

Lastly, in Chinese astrology, spring is considered to begin in February (Tiger), summer in May (Snake), autumn in August (Monkey), and winter in November (Pig). These signs are considered to have Yang energy, as they are the initiators of seasons. Compared to the pure signs, they have some more stability, expressed by a Hidden Element Earth (Yang). These signs correspond to the Fixed Quality in Western astrology.

Speaking of Yin and Yang, the pure signs of Horse, Rooster, Rat and Rabbit are considered Yin. And of the Earth signs, half are Yang (Dragon and Dog), half are Yin (Ox and Goat).

Essence	Yin / Yang	Hidden elements	Signs
Yang	Yang	Underlying element, Yang Earth	Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Pig
Element	Yin	-	Horse, Rooster, Rat, Rabbit
Earth	Yin / Yang	Underlying element	Dog, Dragon (Yang Earth) Ox, Goat (Yin Earth)

For example, the essence of the Horse is the Fire element. The essence of the Tiger is that it’s Yang, and has hidden Fire and hidden Earth (adding stability). The essence of the Dog is Earth (Yang), and hidden Fire.

The table above strongly resembles the table in the Qualities section:

Western Quality	Signs
Fixed	Tiger, Snake, Monkey, Pig
Mutable	Horse, Rooster, Rat, Rabbit
Cardinal	Dog, Ox, Dragon, Goat

We got to this point in the Qualities section with a lot less trouble. Not to mention that if Earth and Hidden Elements seem obscure, the Yin and Yang is read differently from different perspectives. In this section we’ve said, for example, that the Horse is Yin. However, the Horse is often also regarded as Yang, and strongly so.

Ah well.