Year of the Sheep–Superstition or Insight?

Happy Chinese New Year. February 19th marks the Year of the Sheep/Goat/Ram—one of 12 zodiac signs—in the lunar calendar.

Knowing the zodiac year can be like having an advisor who offers a practical path to the best fortune we can gain each year.

If your sign has good predictions for the year, then you may find inspiration in the zodiac. For example, a Tiger in a Sheep year will “find good luck with money.” But if your fortune is bad, then you may chalk the zodiac up to superstition. For example, Sheep people “may easily get injured this year.” Sorry, Sheep.

With minimal research—as in the examples above—you will find that each zodiac is destined to experience the year in a different way. This is the matching of personality types with outward conditions in order to identify probable outcomes.

This forecasting is based on timing, or cycles. For it is recognized that cycles occur naturally for environmental conditions. This includes the social climate within a community. These cycles can be observed, recorded and analyzed. They may also be viewed as predictable trends.

The Chinese zodiac and lunar calendar is simply the study of man and nature, coalesced into probability theory. While probabilities are not guarantees, they can provide a basis for the actions we choose to take in life.

Often our actions are not mindful, and many of our decisions are impulsive. An example is the constant need for immediate gratification, fostered by a consumer culture. But there is an opportunity to practice mindfulness when we study the lunar calendar. For this is the point of mapping the zodiac years: to ensure that our actions work toward our best interests, based on our natures (tendencies) and the climate we’re in—social, economic, political, and environmental.

The Chinese zodiac is not based on hard data but soft data. That is, the data comes from interpretations of phenomena. It is qualitative rather than quantitative. It may be labeled as superstition since it is subjective. However, qualitative analysis accords well with real life because of the infinite variables and interactions we see outside a laboratory—where quantitative analysis takes place.

To argue whether the zodiac is superstition is moot. For the zodiac is a way of engaging our creativity, and thus adds value. This value comes when we are encouraged to evaluate our lives in the context of whatever the lunar calendar foretells. Upon such reflection, we have an opportunity to devise solutions to our problems, and to develop strategies for our success—based on our personality types (dispositions) and the outward conditions that affect us.

Find your sign below, as well as some 2015 predictions for each zodiac:

Rat

• Feb 10, 1948 – Jan 28, 1949
• Jan 28, 1960 – Feb 14, 1961
• Feb 15, 1972 – Feb 2, 1973
• Feb 2, 1984 – Feb 19, 1985
• Feb 19, 1996 – Feb 6, 1997
• Feb 7, 2008 – Jan 25, 2009

Characteristics: Imaginative, generous, successful, popular, curious

Ox

• Jan 29, 1949 – Feb 16, 1950
• Feb 15, 1961 – Feb 4, 1962
• Feb 3, 1973 – Jan 22, 1974
• Feb 20, 1985 – Feb 8, 1986
• Feb 7, 1997 – Jan 27, 1998
• Jan 26, 2009 – Feb 13, 2010

Characteristics: Confident, honest, patient, conservative, strong

Tiger

• Feb 17, 1950 – Feb 5, 1951
• Feb 5, 1962 – Jan 24, 1963
• Jan 23, 1974 – Feb 10, 1975
• Feb 9, 1986 – Jan 28, 1987
• Jan 28, 1998 – Feb 15, 1999
• Feb 14, 2010 – Feb 2, 2011

Characteristics: Sensitive, tolerant, brave, active, resilient

Rabbit

• Feb 6, 1951 – Jan 26, 1952
• Jan 25, 1963 – Feb 12, 1964
• Feb 11, 1975 – Jan 30, 1976
• Jan 29, 1987 – Feb 16, 1988
• Feb 16, 1999 – Feb 4, 2000
• Feb 3, 2011 – Jan 22, 2012

Characteristics: Affectionate, kind, gentle, compassionate, merciful

Dragon

• Jan 27, 1952 – Feb 13, 1953
• Feb 13, 1964 – Feb 1, 1965
• Jan 31, 1976 – Feb 17, 1977
• Feb 17, 1988 – Feb 5, 1989
• Feb 5, 2000 – Jan 23, 2001
• Jan 23, 2012 – Feb 9, 2013

Characteristics: Enthusiastic, intelligent, lively, energetic, innovative

Snake

• Feb 14, 1953 – Feb 2, 1954
• Feb 2, 1965 – Jan 20, 1966
• Feb 18, 1977 – Feb 6, 1978
• Feb 6, 1989 – Jan 26, 1990
• Jan 24, 2001 – Feb 11, 2002
• Feb 10, 2013 – Jan 30, 2014

Characteristics: Charming, intuitive, romantic, highly perceptive, polite

Horse

• Feb 3, 1954 – Jan 23, 1955
• Jan 21, 1966 – Feb 8, 1967
• Feb 7, 1978 – Jan 27, 1979
• Jan 27, 1990 – Feb 14, 1991
• Feb 12, 2002 – Jan 31, 2003
• Jan 31, 2014 – Feb 18, 2015

Characteristics: Diligent, friendly, sophisticated, talented, clever

Sheep / Goat / Ram

• Jan 24, 1955 – Feb 11, 1956
• Feb 9, 1967 – Jan 29, 1968
• Jan 28, 1979 – Feb 15, 1980
• Feb 15, 1991 – Feb 3, 1992
• Feb 1, 2003 – Jan 21, 2004
• Feb 19, 2015 – Feb 7, 2016

Characteristics: Artistic, calm, reserved, happy, kind

Monkey

• Feb 12, 1956 – Jan 30, 1957
• Jan 30, 1968 – Feb 16, 1969
• Feb 16, 1980 – Feb 4, 1981
• Feb 4, 1992 – Jan 22, 1993
• Jan 22, 2004 – Feb 8, 2005

Characteristics: Witty, lively, flexible, humorous, curious

Rooster

• Jan 31, 1957 – Feb 17, 1958
• Feb 17, 1969 – Feb 5, 1970
• Feb 5, 1981 – Jan 24, 1982
• Jan 23, 1993 – Feb 9, 1994
• Feb 9, 2005 – Jan 28, 2006

Characteristics: Shrewd, honest, communicative, motivated, punctual

Dog

• Feb 18, 1958 – Feb 8, 1959
• Feb 6, 1970 – Jan 26, 1971
• Jan 25, 1982 – Feb 12, 1983
• Feb 10, 1994 – Jan 30, 1995
• Jan 29, 2006 – Feb 17, 2007

Characteristics: Loyal, honest, responsible, courageous, warm-hearted

Pig

• Feb 8, 1959 – Jan 27, 1960
• Jan 27, 1971 – Feb 14, 1972
• Feb 13, 1983 – Feb 1, 1984
• Jan 31, 1995 – Feb 18, 1996
• Feb 18, 2007 – Feb 6, 2008

Characteristics: Sincere, tolerant, hard-working, honest, optimistic

Ref. http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/chinese-zodiac-signs.html

 

2015 Predictions

Click here for some 2015 predictions for each zodiac. (Your mileage may vary.)