Happy Chinese New Year everyone.
Although I don't believe in any form of astrology or Zodiac I think the whole animal based chinese zodiac system interesting. It is much more so than the western zodiac system of 12 signs a year. To my mind the whole idea of the 4 pillars of the Chinese system allows for a very long repeating cycle and possibly a closer fix to the individual. That is if you believed in it of course.
I looked it up and starting with the year then month, day and hour my animals are Rat, Ox, Dragon and Tiger. That will fix my birth down to the exact 2 hours on a particular day. A lot better than down to a month. Of course include in all the astrological positions of bodies, like with the western one, and I think it becomes very complex. However, without meaning any offence to anyone who does believe in it, I do not. I guess I find the permutations that are possible make it a more interesting zodiac than other ones.
PS my 4 animals I find interesting. In the race to become part of the zodiac you have the first animal in the rat (he pushed the cat off the back of the ox resulting in its drowning) then the second was the ox, The dragon is later down the list because it delayed to make rain for everyone and to help the rabbit across the river. Then the third animal is the tiger in this race to the zodiac. That story is interesting because the negative tendencies that are possible in the rat (and other zodiac animal types) is psychopathy. Think the rat showed that to the cat.