The eastern calendar, which is also often called Chinese, is no less popular in our country than the traditional concept of the zodiacal constellations. At the same time, the cycle of the Eastern calendar is longer - one symbol in it corresponds to a whole year.
The basis of the Eastern or Chinese calendar is a 12-year cycle based on the motion of Jupiter. During this period, it makes a complete revolution around the main star of our system - the Sun. The creators of the calendar divided the entire path that it makes around the sun into 12 equal parts, each of which corresponds to a calendar year.
Symbols used in the oriental calendar
Each year from the Jupiter cycle corresponds to a specific animal. Their list, the legend claims, was formed by the Buddha himself, who called all the animals to say goodbye to him at the moment when he was preparing to leave the earth. However, only 12 of them responded to the invitation. As a reward for their devotion, the Buddha granted each of these animals the opportunity to rule the earth for a whole year. This is how the legend explains the choice of animals that are used as symbols of the Eastern calendar. These included rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig. Each new 12-year cycle, according to its rules, begins with the year of the rat and ends with the year of the pig, after which a new cycle of the same length begins. At the same time, it is generally accepted that the symbol of the year, on the one hand, has an impact on people born under this sign, and on the other hand, it affects all of humanity during the coming of this year.
The role of the elements in the eastern calendar
In addition to the concept of changing the power of certain animals, the eastern calendar also takes into account the influence of the elements on the life of the population of our planet. In the Chinese tradition, it is customary to distinguish five main elements - wood, fire, metal, water and earth. It is believed that during a period of time equal to the duration of Jupiter's revolution around the sun, that is, during a 12-year period, one of the elements plays a decisive role. Thus, the full cycle of passage of the Eastern calendar takes 5 times in 12 years, that is, it is 60 years. However, it should be borne in mind that the elements do not act for 12 years in a row, but replace each other every year. That is why, when the next year comes, its symbol becomes not just an animal, but an animal with a certain characteristic. These characteristics, in turn, make the years that pass under the "reign" of one animal different. For example, the creators of the eastern calendar believed that the earthly element gives people born during the period of its action, pragmatism and earthiness, and, for example, fiery makes them more creative and active.
