Neil Somerville - Your Chinese Horoscope for Each and Every Year

Thorsons

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First published by Thorsons 2017

FIRST EDITION

Neil Somerville 2017

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Source ISBN: 9780008191054

Ebook Edition June 2017 ISBN: 9780008191047

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Neil Somerville is one of the most widely read writers in the West on Chinese horoscopes. His 30-year annual series, Your Chinese Horoscope, enjoyed an international following and was translated into many languages. He is also the author of the bestselling books Chinese Love Signs (Thorsons, 2000), Chinese Success Signs (Thorsons, 2001), The Answers (Element, 2004) and Cat Wisdom (Thorsons, 2017).

Neil has always felt that much can be learned from the wisdom of the East and, as a hobby, enjoys writing haiku. A keen walker and traveller, he lives with his wife in Berkshire, England, and has a son and a daughter and far too many books.

TO ROS, RICHARD AND EMILY

As we march through life,

we each have our hopes, our ambitions and our dreams.

Sometimes fate and circumstance will assist us,

sometimes we will struggle and despair,

but march we must.

For it is those who keep going,

and who keep their aspirations alive,

who stand the greatest chance of securing what they want.

March determinedly,

and your determination will, in some way, be rewarded.

Neil Somerville

The world of a writer is both wonderful and strange, and I would like to give a special thanks to my family, Ros, Richard and Emily, for their great support and for putting up with the mountain of paperwork I produce and trail of notes I leave in my wake. And thank you too to my parents, Peggy and Don, for all they did.

Thanks too to Carolyn Thorne, my editor at HarperCollins, for her encouragement and support, as well as to Lizzie Henry for all her work over the years. A special mention as well to Barbara Booker for her thoughtfulness and faith, and to Barbara Smith, who has kindly given me an opinion on many an occasion.

I am also grateful to the many who have helped me in my study of Chinese horoscopes, including those who first awakened my interest in the wisdom of the East. And I acknowledge too the work of other writers on Chinese horoscopes, all of whom have added to the subject and shared their insights. Particularly to Derek Walters, Theodora Lau and Suzanne White, all of whose work I recommend, and other luminaries, thank you.

And to you who are now reading these words, thank you for taking the time and for your interest. And wherever you may be reading and at whatever time, I hope that in some way this book will help and encourage you as well as alert you to the specialness and potential that are within you.

Whether in indicating portents or highlighting strengths and weaknesses, Chinese horoscopes offer a timeless wisdom from which we can all profit. Although their origins date back to at least 2637 BC, when Emperor Huang Ti introduced the Chinese calendar, it is only recently that the subject has gained prominence in the West. As a result, many are now familiar with their animal sign and look forward to reading what each Chinese year has in store. It is a fascinating subject and a helpful one.

For those new to Chinese horoscopes, the Chinese year is based on the lunar year, which starts in late January or early February. Each of the Chinese years is named after an animal and there is a legend offering an explanation for this. It describes how one Chinese new year, the Buddha invited all the animals in the kingdom to a party. Only 12 showed up the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. In gratitude, the Buddha named a year after each of the animals and said that those born in that year would have some of the personality of that animal.

Another legend offers an explanation for the order of the years. According to this, the animals had to race across a river and the order they finished in would be the order of the years. The Rat, very much an opportunist and determined to win, craftily rode on the back of the Ox and, just as the Ox reached the riverbank, leaped off and ran ahead, so winning the race. This is said to be why the Rat starts the cycle of years and the Ox is next, followed by the other 10 animals. The Pig, who is known as a great finisher, aptly came in last.

To discover which animal year you were born in, you will need to look up your year of birth in the table of years that follows. If born in 1988, for example, you were born in the Year of the Dragon and born under the sign of luck. However, if your birthday falls in January or February, do carefully check the dates to see in which year your birthdate actually falls.

Once you have identified your sign, you can look up the traits of the animal in the relevant chapter. Although there are many variations, which can be studied in more detail by considering elements and ascendants (described in the appendix), it is remarkable how Chinese horoscopes can indicate our true natures. Whether these show the loyalty and sense of duty seen in so many born under the sign of the Dog or the versatility, quick wits and memory skills of those born in the Monkey year, Chinese horoscopes can be illuminating. In addition to the main traits described in each chapter, there are also special tips to help each sign be at their best, together with inspirational quotes from people born under that sign.

The subject of relationships is also a fascinating one and each chapter contains a guide to how each sign relates to the other signs. Some signs are considered to be compatible and others complete opposites, but there are again many exceptions. While, for example, a Chinese proverb decrees, The Ox and the Horse cannot share the same stable, I am sure there are some born under these two signs who love each other very much and live happily together.

The main part of this book is, however, devoted to horoscopes, which are based on the trends and influences of each Chinese year. These give an indication of the most propitious years and the most problematic. Forewarned is forearmed, and Chinese horoscopes can help us to make the best of what is to come. This is one of the key values of them (and, I believe, of the I Ching too). They speak to us as if to a friend, but it is we ourselves who are masters of our destiny and we who must determine how best to direct our lives.

There is a Chinese proverb which reminds us, Every moment is precious and what we do with our lives is precious too.