- Chinese Bad Luck Animals
- Japanese Good Luck Animals
- Chinese Luck Symbols And Meanings
- Chinese Good Luck Animal Symbols
One of the 4 famed Feng Shui animals – the Chinese animals of good luck, a tortoise is believed to bring significant prosperity, luck, and stability. If you need luck playing online casino games, have a tortoise figure or picture on hand. These serpent-like animals are powerful but good-natured, and are thought to be the master of the storm clouds, which it is often portrayed in. Unlike Western dragons, Chinese dragons are often a symbol of justice and strength, as opposed to the greed of their Western counterparts often display.
Zodiac year, or Ben Ming Nian, is any year of your Chinese zodiac animal sign, determined by your birth year. As there are 12 animal signs, a year of your birth sign comes once per 12-year-cycle: when you are (about) 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, and so on.
When is your Zodiac Year?
Your zodiac year starts from Chinese New Year and ends on the last day of the Chinese lunar year (Chinese New Year's Eve). For example, 2020 is a year of the Rat, and Rats' zodiac year starts from Chinese New Year 2020 (January 25th), and ends on February 11th, 2021.
See the table below for each of the 12 zodiac animals' zodiac year, and find out which years are your zodiac sign years. (If you were born in January or February, you may need to check your birth sign using our Zodiac Sign Calculator.)
| Chinese Zodiac Animal | Zodiac Year (Birth Sign Year) |
|---|---|
| Rat | 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008, 2020 |
| Ox | 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997, 2009, 2021 |
| Tiger | 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2022 |
| Rabbit | 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023 |
| Dragon | 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012, 2024 |
| Snake | 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013, 2025 |
| Horse | 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002, 2014, 2026 |
| Goat | 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015, 2027 |
| Monkey | 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028 |
| Rooster | 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993, 2005, 2017, 2029 |
| Dog | 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, 2018, 2030 |
| Pig | 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007, 2019, 2031 |
Why is a Zodiac Year an Unlucky Year? — Offend the God of Age
According to Chinese astrology, people in their zodiac year are believed to offend Tai Sui, the God of Age, and incur his curse. It is believed to bring nothing but bad luck. Therefore Chinese astrology followers pay special attention to their conduct every twelfth year of their lives, i.e. in their birth sign years.
What is the 'God of Age' Star (Tai Sui)?
Tai Sui doesn't actually exist as a real star! (It roughly corresponds to Jupiter, which takes 11.86 years to orbit earth, and is probably where the idea for the star came from). It's an imaginary star that changes position exactly 30 degrees of direction each year, i.e. orbiting Earth every 12 years exactly.
The star Tai Sui is said to bring misfortune to people in zodiac years matching their year of birth.
Later, during the course of history, Tai Sui evolved into the God of Age, and has been worshipped by Chinese people from one generation to another. People offer sacrifices to the God of Age to get rid of misfortune and pray for blessings in a zodiac year.
Getting Good Luck in a Zodiac Year — Wearing Red
According to Chinese tradition, there are some things that people can do to fend off bad luck in a zodiac year.
By Wearing Red — Drive Away Bad Luck
Red is one of the luckiest colors in Chinese culture, standing for prosperity, loyalty, success, and happiness. Red can drive away bad luck and evil spirits.
Therefore wearing red during your zodiac year (or zodiac year) will bring you good luck and give you a good year. You can wear a red belt, red socks, red shoes, or red clothes, and red underwear is highly recommended during your zodiac year.
However, there is a rule that you need to pay attention to, or the red won't ward off bad luck. You cannot buy, for example, the red underwear yourself. It should be bought by a spouse, family member, or friend.
By Wearing Jade Accessories
Besides wearing red, you can also wear jade accessories during your zodiac year to ward off bad luck, like pendants, earrings, rings, and bracelets.
By Facing the Right Direction — Face Away from Tai Sui
People are often told by fortune-tellers that Tai Sui will bring bad luck. Actually in theory you can make use of Tai Sui to bring good luck, by facing in the opposite direction. The position of Tai Sui for each year in its cycle is listed below.
| Chinese Zodiac Animal | Year (e.g.) | Position of God of Age |
|---|---|---|
| Monkey | 2016 | Southwest (240 °) |
| Rooster | 2017 | West (270 °) |
| Dog | 2018 | Northwest (300 °) |
| Pig | 2019 | Northwest (330 °) |
| Rat | 2020 | North (0 °) |
| Ox | 2021 | Northeast (30 °) |
| Tiger | 2022 | Northeast (60 °) |
| Rabbit | 2023 | East (90 °) |
| Dragon | 2024 | Southeast (120 °) |
| Snake | 2025 | Southeast (150 °) |
| Horse | 2026 | South (180 °) |
| Goat | 2027 | Southwest (210 °) |
People adjust the direction of beds, seats, desks, and even where they live and work to face away from Tai Sui, i.e. 'to get Tai Sui behind them', in an effort to incur good luck.
For example, in 2021 (a year of the Ox) Tai Sui is in the northeast. So in 2021 Qxes adjust your furniture and dwellings to face southwest to get good luck. When doing something important, such as a business negotiation, Pigs should face southeast, and you will stand a good chance of succeeding.
Fengshui (风水), literally 'wind-water', pronounced fnng-shway, is an ancient Chinese philosophy studying the auspiciousness of environments, based on Yin-Yang Theory and Five Elements Theory. It's a form of geomancy.
Fengshui philosophy states that qi (气 /chee/ 'energy') exists in all things and is the life of the nature. The core idea of fengshui is the harmony between humans and nature (or the universe). Good fengshui means good fortune, while bad fengshui means bad luck. It is believed that fengshui can affect the destiny of an individual and even a country.
Through the knowledge of fengshui, it is believed people can know how to make themselves more compatible with nature, their surroundings and their own destiny, so they can have good fortune in finances, health, and life.
What is Yin-Yang Theory?
According to Yin-Yang Theory, everything in the universe is composed of two opposing, but deeply interconnected forces: yin (feminine, dark, and negative) and yang (masculine, light, and positive). These two forces deeply support and nourish each other, and cannot exist without the other. Fengshui aims to create a balance between yin and yang in an environment.
What is Five Elements Theory?
Five Elements Theory is the other important component of fengshui. The five elements are critical to defining correct fengshui in a space. They are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Each element has a characteristic and represents specific aspects of life.
The 'five elements' is the fengshui term used to describe the composition of nature. It's believed these components work together and should be kept in balance.
Making Good Fengshui for Chinese Zodiac Animals
According to traditional Chinese culture, good fengshui brings good luck, while bad fengshui brings bad luck. You might want to know how you can make good fengshui for yourself according to your Chinese zodiac animal sign. Below is a simple introduction to fengshui arrangements for the 12 zodiac signs.
Rats - add Water in the North
The Water element helps people born in a year of the Rat to make a fortune. They should place a water tank with some gold fish in the north of their office, and then fortune will find its way to them.
Oxes - add Fire
People born in a year of the Ox can only make a great fortune with the help of a strong Fire element according to the Five Element Theory. So they should put some ceramic articles in their offices or bedrooms to bring themselves good luck, because ceramic articles are heated by fire. Jackpot capital codes.
Tigers - add Earth
The Earth element is very helpful for the people born in a year of the Tiger. It's necessary for them to add something prominent representing the Earth element, for example a potted plant, to their life to make a great fortune.
It's better if the potted plant bears fruit abundantly, which will help people born in the year of Tiger to make a profit from all sides.
Rabbits - add Earth in the Northeast
When it comes to making a fortune, people born in a year of the Rabbit need an invisible Earth element in their life; they should hide a jade item in the northeast of their bedrooms to bring themselves good luck.
It's believed that jade, buried in the earth for thousands of years, is the essence of heaven and earth, and will bring good luck to people born in a year of the Rabbit.
Dragons - add Water in the Northwest
The northwest direction is ideal for people born in a year of the Dragon to make a fortune. They should put a basin of clear water with a handful of soil in the northwest of their bedrooms, and then place several lotus flowers in the basin to bring them good luck in their life.
Snakes - add Metal in the West
As far as making a fortune is concerned, the direction west is ideal for people born in a year of the Snake. Wearing metal ornaments, particularly gold or silver ones, will bring good luck.
It's believed that wearing gold and silver ornaments (Metal element influence) will ensure people born in a year of the Snake won't need to worry about food and clothes, even if they do not make a huge fortune.
Horses -add Metal in the Northwest
The direction northwest is ideal for people born in a year of the Horse to make a huge fortune. They should place a bronze toad (something of the Metal element) in the northwest of their bedrooms, and it will bring them good luck both in career and fortune.
Goats - add Wood in the North
The direction north is ideal for people born in a year of Goat to make a huge fortune.
They should place a mahogany box (a Wood element item) in the north of their offices, and then put an object related to their professions in the box. For example, a cook can put a ladle in the box.
Monkeys - add Wood in the West
In terms of making a fortune, the direction west is ideal for people born in a year of the Monkey. They should put a plant (it is better if the plant is taller than the person) in the west of their houses.
Roosters - add Wood
When it comes to making a fortune, people born in a year of the Rooster should put some grass seeds in a non-metal container, and it should be a dark-red enameled one (use the Earth element not Metal). The grass seeds in the container contain limitless possibilities, which will bring people born in a year of the Rooster huge fortune.
Dogs - add Wood
As far as making fortune is concerned, those born in a year of the Dog should avoid the Water and Earth elements in life. They should place some peach tree branches (a Wood element item) in their office; however they should not insert them into water or soil.
Pigs - add Fire
The people born in a year of the Pig need the Fire element to bring them good fortune. They should put a set of ceramic articles (including a tray) in their living rooms, because ceramic articles are baked in kilns heated by fire.
How Has Fengshui Been Used?
Fengshui has a history of over 3,500 years. It appears to have been first used when ancient Chinese selected dwelling sites.
In Ancient Times…
Archaeologists have confirmed that ancient Chinese's dwelling sites were usually selected at places that are surrounded by mountains and girdled by a river. It wasn't just that these places supplied the basics for survival, like clean water, farmland, firewood, shelter, and sunshine: settlements followed such a pattern that fengshui seems to have been used.
In Imperial Times…
In the Han Dynasty (220 BC – 220 AD), the basic theory of fengshui formed; it started to be studied alongside geography and astrology. During the seventh to tenth centuries (Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms eras), fengshui became more 'scientific' and its activities gradually became differentiated. During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1911) it became popular among common people in deciding the location of dwelling sites, buildings, furniture placement, and burial sites for dead people.
Chinese Bad Luck Animals
In Chinese Architecture…
When we talk about Chinese architecture, fengshui has to be mentioned. It is a special Chinese architectural tradition that prevailed especially in ancient times. It usually links the process from site selection, design, and construction, to interior and exterior decoration.
Japanese Good Luck Animals
Fengshui seeks to balance the relationship between human beings and nature, so human beings can live auspiciously within the environment around them.
All capital cities of China followed rules of fengshui for their design and layout. One of the great examples that follows the principles of classical Chinese architecture is Beijing's Forbidden City, the imperial palace of Ming and Qing dynasties.
Now…
Now fengshui is available to everyone. Banks, hotels, houses, and even communities in Hong Kong have been planned according to fengshui. Many people even use fengshui to attempt to attain greater happiness and well-being, improve family communication, restore employee cooperation, and improve business.
Chinese Luck Symbols And Meanings
Monthly Fortune Prospects for Chinese Zodiac Signs
Chinese Good Luck Animal Symbols
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