Showing posts with label Zodiac Signs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Zodiac Signs. Show all posts

Happy New Year Dragon 2012

According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Year of 2012 is the Year of the Dragon, which begins on January 23, 2012 and ends on February 9, 2013. The Dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac, which consists of 12 Animal signs. The Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. In ancient China, the celestial Dragon represents an emperor and power. Today, it is the ultimate auspicious symbol signifying success and happiness. May the celestial Dragon bring great good luck to everyone.




In Sung Dynasty (a Chinese imperial dynasty lasting from AD 960 - 1279) texts, the dragon is described as having the head of an ox, muzzle of a donkey, eyes of a shrimp, horns of a deer, body of a serpent covered with fish scales, and feet of a phoenix. The dragon usually clutches a pearl symbolic of its super-natural powers. Invariably accompanied by thunder and rain, dragons move like lightning and whirlwinds - - all powerful yet totally unpredictable.


The Sign of the Dragon

People born in the Year of the Dragon share certain characteristics: Innovative, enterprising, self-assured, brave, passionate, conceited, and quick-tempered. The Dragons are the free spirits of the Chinese Zodiac. Restrictions blow out their creative spark that is ready to flame into life. So, they must be free and uninhibited. The Dragon is a beautiful creature, colorful and flamboyant. An extroverted bundle of energy, gifted and irrepressible, everything Dragons do is on a grand scale - big ideas and extreme ambitions. However, this behavior is natural and isn't meant for show. Because they are confident, fearless in the face of challenge, they are almost inevitably successful.

People born in the Year of the Dragon usually make it to the top. But, they must be aware of that too much enthusiasm can leave them tired and unfulfilled. They find pleasure in helping others, and you can always count on their help. Even though they are willing to assist when necessary, their pride can often impede them from accepting the same kind of help from others. Their generous personalities give them the ability to attract friends, but they can be rather solitary people at heart. Their self-sufficiency can mean that they have no need for close bonds with other people.

Dragon people tend to take thrilling risks, and burn the candle at both ends so they are fortunate to be blessed with good health. However, they can suffer bad health as a result of excess stress. Symtoms of their personalities often stem from emotional outbursts and can range from tension headaches to depression to hypertension. They can remedy these problems by maintaining their cool, implementing a routine in their daily lives, and practice meditation, Tai Chi or Yoga that soothe the mind and spirit as well as tone the body.

The Dragon is not the most domesticated of the Animal signs. So, people born in the Year of the Dragon prefer enjoying outdoor activities rather than staying at home. They are extroverts who have a deep love for nature. Their homes should be as large and majestic as their personalities, providing space for the fiery temperament or emotional eruptions that accompany their character. They have true and sincere love, which comes from the depths of their hearts.

Dragon people are quite imaginative, always able to see new paths and will take a radical approach. They have innate explorative spirit and try to succeed at one stroke. They are very adaptable and are fit for various occupations, especially if those occupations allow them to take the limelight. They work hard, but would rather give orders than receive them. They should avoid jobs that encompass too much routine, and should move toward jobs in which their self-reliance can be an asset.

People born in the Year of the Dragon like to spend money and are charitable themselves as well as with others. Many Dragon people will take big chances with their finances. It is very rare that they remain poor for long. They will always be straightforward in financial dealings and can always be trusted.

Dragon Years: 02/19/1904 to 02/03/1905 (Wood), 02/03/1916 to 01/22/1917 (Fire), 01/23/1928 to 02/09/1929 (Earth), 02/08/1940 to 01/26/1941 (Metal), 01/27/1952 to 02/13/1953 (Water), 02/13/1964 to 02/01/1965 (Wood), 01/31/1976 to 02/17/1977 (Fire), 02/17/1988 to 02/05/1989 (Earth), 02/05/2000 to 01/23/2001 (Metal), 01/23/2012 to 02/09/2013 (Water).

Famous Dragon People: Calista Flockhart, Colin Farrell, Courtney Cox, Courtney Love, Dinah Shore, Isabella Rossellini, Julia Ormond, Juliette Binoche, Reese Witherspoon, Roseanne Barr, Sandra Bullock, and Wynonna Judd.

Happy New Year Greetings

Chinese Zodiac Signs

Asian communities throughout the world will mark the Lunar New Year beginning Jan. 26 with festivities that include plenty of food, firecrackers (to chase away evil spirits), red paper lanterns (red being a bright color that portends a sunny future) and dragon and lion dances for good luck. (In the dances, a group of performers holds up a model of the animal's head and a long train symbolizing its body and moves sinuously as a way to demonstrate power and dignity — no lions or dragons are harmed.) Such traditions are rooted in an astrological system that dates back to the Shang Dynasty (about 1700 B.C.), when soothsayers would burn turtle shells or shoulder blades of goats or cattle and use the cracks to interpret what the future held. The remains of these "readings" were unearthed years later and called dragon bones. Although these methods weren't specifically astrological, the period marks the beginning of the Chinese connection to the celestial bodies that form the basis of the Chinese zodiac. (See pictures of Chinese New Year celebrations)

Because the Chinese calendar is based on the moon's rotation, the new year can occur anytime from mid-January to late February. According to legend, the calendar was created by Ta Nao, a minister of Emperor Huang Ti's, and has been used in Asia since 4000 B.C. It is based on 12 temperaments represented by 12 symbolic animals — rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog and pig (the dragon being the well-known favorite). After 12 years, the cycle restarts, matching the length of Jupiter's solar orbit. (Read "China Not So Bullish About the Year of the Ox.")

Each animal in the zodiac is associated with its own element — metal, wood, earth, water or fire — while each year is assigned an element. The combination of these two elements is said to define a person's personality. For example, 2009 is the year of the earth ox, but the ox's fixed element is water; the mix of the two elements, earth and water, is believed by some to be a destructive blend.

Animals and some of their corresponding years:

• Goat/Sheep (well-mannered, altruistic, insecure, irresponsible): 1931, 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003

• Monkey (independent, enthusiastic, unscrupulous, childlike personality): 1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

• Rooster (resourceful, adventurous, short-sighted, impractical): 1933, 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005

• Dog (attentive, loyal, stubborn, guarded): 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006

• Pig/Boar (sincere, cultured, noncompetitive, gullible): 1935, 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007

• Rat (hardworking, thrifty, quick-tempered, neurotic): 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008

• Ox (patient, self-sacrificing, jealous, rigid): 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009

• Tiger (lucky, courageous, vain, undisciplined): 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010

• Rabbit (ambitious, unflappable, aloof, private): 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011

• Dragon (intuitive, influential, demanding, judgmental): 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000

• Snake (calm, intelligent, lazy, possessive): 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001

• Horse (entertaining, powerful, selfish, rebellious): 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002

Elements that correspond to particular animals:

Metal (monkey, rooster, dog): resolute and intense, can be stubborn

Wood (tiger, rabbit, dragon): high moral standards, tendency to take on too much

Earth (not fixed because it is composed of the four other elements): practical and reliable, can suffer from lack of imagination)

Water (pig, rat, ox): skillful communicators but can be too passive

Fire (snake, horse, sheep): aggressive, domineering, dynamic in speech and action

A Chinese astrologer takes all these factors into consideration when charting an individual's personality or determining what a new year will bring. These predictions aren't just for carnival sideshows or fortune cookies: in many Asian cultures, each year's forecasts are studied carefully for portents relating to business, romantic and family decisions for the coming year. Some Chinese plan births during dragon years to improve their children's fortune. Some people born in "wrong" years have reportedly been excluded from attending weddings and funerals. As for those making plans for 2009, be warned: because the element of fire is lacking from this year's forecast, fortune tellers don't believe the economy will fare any better than it did in 2008's year of the rat.

Read more: http ://www.time. com/time/world/article/0,8599,1873900,00.html#ixzz1hcDacrHO