T. Z. Chang - 50 Life Answers. The Horse

50 LIFE ANSWERS

THE HORSE

BY T.Z. CHANG

THE HORSE, An Introduction

Independence, freedom, self-determination. These are the triad of values that the Horse holds most precious. The feel of the wind on your face as you race down a steep valley and the knowledge that there is nothing in the world that can stop you is at the very core of this creatures spirituality. To be caged and kept from the lure of open spaces is worse than torture for him. Give the Horse liberty or give him death!

Dynamic, energetic, impatient and often hotheaded because he wants what he wants exactly as he wants it, the Horse will go to great lengths to be able to do exactly as he wishes. This he accomplishes through a mix of street-smart cunning, popularity through sex appeal and aloof charm, as well as gusto for hard work that is well-nigh blue collar. Step out of the way or you might get trampled!

Being a creature of strength and speed the horse, historically, has had great relations with humanity, and efforts to domesticate them as early as 4000 BC proved a valuable foray that is felt to this day. With a strong fight-or flight response, the anatomy of the horse as a single-toed ungulate also enables them to make use of speed to escape predators. They also have such a well-evolved sense of balance that allows them to sleep standing up, though they can also do this lying down.

Though men have been making use of the horse as mounts, beasts of burden, pullers of chariots and wagons, as part of military maneuvers called cavalry, sources of food and milk, material for leather goods, and today mainly as part of the equestrian sporting spectacle, all horses evolved from the genes of the wild horse breed known as Equus Ferus. The streak of ferocity and a longing to thunder out in the open can be found in all horses as part of his ancestral bloodline.

In some parts of the world the breeding of horses is not only a valuable profession, it is also a very profitable one. Theres a vastly extensive and specialized veterinary science as well as vocabulary used in equine-related concepts that covers physical anatomy, biology, life stages, size, color, markings, locomotion, behavior, and especially breeds.

In China, the horse is considered the sigil of freedom, commonly associated with the traits of bravery, individuality and grace. The character for horse in simplified Chinese ( or Ma) is synonymous with swiftness and quick perception. Idioms about it abound in Chinese folk sayings as in the dismissive like a horse that grows only in the number of teeth and no more to refer to an elder whos accomplished nothing in his life. Theres the dual purpose Over a long distance, you learn about the strength of your horse; over a long period of time, you get to know what's in a person's heart translated from Lu yao zhi ma li, ri jiu jian ren xin. Then theres the blessing I wish you good luck and success as quick to arrive as a galloping horse!

Because this celestial sign prizes individualism and independent thought, people born under the sign of the Horseespecially the fiery and stubborn Fire Horsewere not widely liked in ancient China. Especially when China became a Communist state, the Fire Horse year had the lowest birth rate according to national statistics. Rebellion, free thought and eccentricity were understandably not encouraged during the times of empire and Chairman Maos regime.

As China moves into a new diaspora with the lifting of the bamboo veil for trade and commerce, the sign of the Horse continues to be a beacon of power through individual merit as well as the natural gifts of persuasion, sex appeal and work ethic laced with a dose of contradictory moodiness and one of the biggest egos in the Chinese Zodiac.

THE CHINESE ZODIAC

The Chinese animal signs or zodiac features a 12-year rotation. They represent a cyclical concept of time based on the moon, rather than a linear, solar-centric one, as in the Western calendar.

Thus, in the Chinese calendar, the beginning of the year falls somewhere between late January and early February. While the Chinese have adopted the Western calendar since 1911, the lunar calendar is still used for festivals and other cultural and religious occasions, like the Chinese New Year.

WHAT IS YIN AND YANG?

The concept of yin and yang permeates Chinese philosophy and metaphysics. Basically they are complementary opposites that interact within a greater whole. They are both part of a dynamic system. They are usually represented by the Taoist Taijitu (translated as the Diagram of the Supreme Ultimate) symbol.

In the Chinese Zodiac, certain signs are predominantly yin or yang. The balance of the two elements is often crucial to the well-being of a person, as an overabundance of his birth energy may lead to adversity or ruin.

The relationship between yin and yang is often described as sunlight playing over a mountain and in the valley. Yin is the dark area shadowed by the mountain's bulk, while yang is the brightly-lit portion of the land. As the sun moves across the sky, yin and yang gradually trade places with each other, revealing what was obscured and obscuring what was revealed.

Everything has both yin and yang aspects, but either of these aspects may manifest more strongly in particular objects, and may ebb or flow over time.

YIN

Yin is the black side with the white dot inside it. Yin people are group-oriented, usually concerned about the welfare of their family or the assembly that they move in. A yin person loves community events, group activities, parties, celebrations, gatherings and holidays. Yin is characterized as slow, soft, yielding and diffused. It is cold and is associated with wetness and moisture and passivity. The moon, femininity and nighttime fall under yin, and a yin person is serious and given to brooding. Yin people rarely smile and they tend to be grounded in the material and factual, rather despising those with their heads in the clouds.

YANG

Yang is the white side with the black dot inside it. Yang people are individualistic and tend to introversion. While they might prefer solitude it does not necessarily mean they are lonely people. Yang people are hard and fast-moving, focused, hot, dry and often aggressive in their personalities. Yang is associated with fire, the sky and the sun, masculinity and the daytime hours. Because of their sensitive natures, yang people tend to be meditative and spiritual. They are also often upbeat and at peace. Yang people focus more on inner growth and personal development, but tend to ignore the facts of the daily grind.

HORSE BIRTH DATES

THE HORSE AND THE REST OF THE ZODIAC

According to the legend of the Chinese zodiac, once upon a time the Jade Emperor wanted to find a means of measuring the passage of days. So he organized a race and invited all the animals to take part.