The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes (40th Anniversary Edition)

by Theodora Lau

  9 a.m. to 11 a.m. = Hours of the Snake

  Having the same sign as your ascendant makes you a pure Snake sign, with the result that all your good and bad traits are doubled in this combination. Possessive, enigmatic, and very, very deep, you will be extremely difficult for others to figure out. You will only show what you want the public to see—nothing else. Your thoughts and ambitions are private and guarded. The only thing one can count on is that once you get a grip on what you are after, you will never let go!

  11 a.m. to 1 p.m. = Hours of the Horse

  The Horse’s ascendant makes you a carefree lover of freedom. You could be a happier Snake personality who sees the brighter side of life and opts for an active, sporty lifestyle with less responsibility than other Snakes who cling to power or wealth. However, because both of these signs are strongly amorous and sensual, you are very attractive to others, and your love life is never without excitement or intrigue.

  1 p.m. to 3 p.m. = Hours of the Sheep

  Having the Sheep as your ascendant brings true love of humanity and kindness into your soul. From this combination may emerge a very powerful and artistic Snake with impeccable flair and dynamic vision. What’s more, the Snake in you will know how to support the Sheep’s expensive taste and love of luxury. But watch out for the Sheep’s inclination to spend beyond his or her means. All in all, however, with the Snake’s tenacity, you should have no problems forging ahead.

  3 p.m. to 5 p.m. = Hours of the Monkey

  The Monkey ascendant will make you incredibly hard to resist or ignore. The Monkey’s genius combined with the Snake’s hypnotic charm will break many a heart or defeat many a business opponent. Wisdom, glamour, and wit blended to perfection, or devious cunning hidden under a veil of elegance—we will never know until after you have struck. With this super combination, you are a person who will never willingly play any game you cannot win. By the way, you are a sore loser, too.

  5 p.m. to 7 p.m. = Hours of the Rooster

  The brilliant Rooster brings sunshine into your life. The Rooster is very persistent, demanding and fiercely competitive, so you will have strong views and be outspoken and critical where your likes and dislikes are concerned. Never content with second best, you will be an overachiever and a perfectionist. You could also be a community bandleader type with serious designs on absolute power behind your gaily decorated front. With your meticulous precision and perseverance, you could outlast us all.

  7 p.m. to 9 p.m. = Hours of the Dog

  The loyal Dog blends equanimity and propensity for self-sacrifice into your Snake personality. As a result, you will be altruistic and won’t hesitate to stand up for others. You may even favor militant measures to right wrongs. Less selfish and ambitious than many Snakes, you possess noble convictions and a profound moral sense. As both signs are contemplative thinkers, you are likely to be very intellectual. But the Dog in you makes you more popular, sociable, and involved with people.

  9 p.m. to 11 p.m. = Hours of the Boar

  The Boar’s large appetite combined with your natural Snake instincts and ambition could be devastating or helpful to others, depending on how you handle them. The Pig is a great partygoer who does everything on a grand scale but who can also motivate us with through honesty and conscientiousness. With the Boar’s natural simplicity and generosity, you could turn out to be a popular leader who really knows how to live it up. This combination makes you more inclined to share your good fortune with others, and you will be loved for your big-hearted ways.

  When Moon Signs Meet Sun Signs

  In our interpretation of Chinese horoscopes, the first lunar sign, the Rat, is not linked with the first Western astrological sun sign, Aries. Instead, we pair the Rat with its Western counterpart based on the month and season of the Rat, which are December and winter. This makes the most sense, as the lunar month of December (also called the Twelfth Moon or the Twelfth Earth Branch) is supposed to parallel the sun sign Sagittarius, the Archer. We envision the Eastern and Western horoscope cycles as two large wheels, each with twelve spokes. To correctly juxtapose these cycles, we must find the matching notch that will join them together. Once the Rat and Sagittarius are paired as the first signs, the other eleven signs of both systems fall into place.

  Following are the twelve Western solar signs, with descriptions of each sign’s effect on the Snake born under that sign.

  Sagittarius: November 22 to December 21

  Sagittarius Snake = Fire + Negative Fire

  Here is a Snake who is lighter, freer, and more relaxed, endowed with the Sagittarian’s cultivated air of nonchalance. Less secretive and fickle, this Snake is fashionable, informed, and dashing in a leisurely sort of way. This person will also have a somewhat diminished sense of duty because of the Archer’s love of freedom. You won’t find this Snake chained to the workbench. This personality prefers variety, and lots of it. Both solar and lunar signs here are classy, have lofty ideals, and love success and recognition—but in different ways. Snakes are tenacious and careful and like to bide their time. Archers strike when the iron is hot and never hesitate to take action to shape their destiny. The outcome of this combination produces a wise but less dutiful Snake.

  Capricorn: December 22 to January 20

  Capricorn Snake = Earth + Negative Fire

  Brainy and aloof, staid and pious, expertly elusive while playing his or her own game—the Capricorn Snake is a veritable Rock of Gibraltar. Because neither solar nor lunar sign is extroverted, this person’s thoughts and passions will run very deep and be well concealed. Not inclined to confide in others or require advice or consolation, they are secure in their beliefs. The Capricorn Snake is possessed of a remarkably high level of endurance and can outwait enemies with the patience of Father Time. These avid learners will realize their grand visions through careful planning and stern stick-to-itiveness. With the sure-footed Mountain Goat as his or her other self, the Capricorn Snake is never caught second-guessing anything.

  Aquarius: January 21 to February 19

  Aquarius Snake = Air + Negative Fire

  With open and airy Aquarius blowing on them, these Snakes are less subtle than other Snakes. They are more cheerful and bright, and they rarely brood over circumstances they cannot alter. They shift their direction as the situation warrants and are generally buoyant in outlook. With this free and easy attitude, Aquarian Snakes are occasionally erratic in their thinking. Because they need freedom in expressing themselves, they are prone to nervous disorders if they cannot release their tensions. The Snake’s influence makes them susceptible to jealous thoughts, and they will withdraw to their innermost selves when upset. Otherwise, they should find wide acceptance, as people with this type of personality have the telepathic ability to convey their wishes without making a deliberate effort to influence others.

  Pisces: February 20 to March 20

  Pisces Snake = Water + Negative Fire

  With gracious charm and fluid manners, elegant Pisces Snakes conceal their wisdom and psychic powers well. They may look ineffectual and dreamy at times, but they always make a good public appearance. The Snake is intense, passionate, and lucid; the Fish is deep and silent. A person of this nature is easily hurt by callous gestures because they tend to invest all their relationships, whether love or friendship, with deep and unfathomable emotions. The Pisces sign compensates for the Snake’s ruthless determination by being compassionate. This warm, watery, reserved personality brings forth surrealistic dreams and brilliant observations.

  Aries: March 21 to April 19

  Aries Snake = Fire + Negative Fire

  This profound personality is deliberate in all he or she does. They can criticize with finesse and accuracy and can cow lesser beings into obedience. The Snake is wise and guarded, while the Ram is expansive and confident. The result is a capable and intelligent leader, and probably a prolific overachiever as well. Here is a combination in which the plotter and the capable doer are happily joined.

  Taurus: A
pril 20 to May 20

  Taurus Snake = Earth + Negative Fire

  The Taurean Snake could well surpass us all for tenacity and durability. This is a personality with both feet planted solidly on the ground. Because both signs in this combination subscribe to the belief that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, a native of this solar-lunar mixture will be especially careful about money and disinclined to gamble. Although they can be very security conscious, they are never plagued by doubts or fears. They rely on their own abilities and sail assiduously toward their destiny. They will be especially sensitive to music or other arts and stimuli that affect their refined senses. Taurean Snakes rarely have regrets about their course of action. They are set in their ways and do not look back once they have made a decision.

  Gemini: May 21 to June 21

  Gemini Snake = Air + Negative Fire

  Distinctively effervescent and poised, the Gemini Snake strikes quickly and accurately. Full of charm and enigmatic reserve, Gemini Snakes never give away their true motives. They have a strong, easy appeal that people find irresistible. A person of this combination is easily agitated but strives to maintain emotional control. Still, the Gemini Snake can be a kind of brinksman, taking things to the very edge as if to test their own judgment and superior reflexes. But if anyone can get away with doing this, they can. The Snake is sensible enough to stabilize the volatile Gemini spirit.

  Cancer: June 22 to July 21

  Cancer Snake = Water + Negative Fire

  This personality might possess a mysterious and highly enchanting nature, like the shimmering reflection of the moon on a placid body of water. They seek permanence, fame, and strong material security, yet they are hampered in these pursuits by the Snake’s philosophical qualities and the Crab’s inhibited nature. They love to have family and friends around, even if they are parasitic and make undue impositions. The moon’s child is protective of others and is dependent on love, and the Snake half of this personality is defensive, suspicious, and even paranoid about failure. They could well be very successful, but will they be happy and at home with their complicated inner selves?

  Leo: July 22 to August 21

  Leo Snake = Fire + Negative Fire

  Life is lined with self-made success and tragedy for Leo Snakes because of their great intensity and refusal to take second place to anyone. At their best, these people will be radiant examples of grace under pressure, intelligence, and understated elegance. They need a great deal of love and understanding to bring out their virtues and will perform lavishly when admired. However, they are also inclined to be spoiled, selfish, and conceited, as a result of having too much attention paid to them or getting their own way too often. Beneath a fiery exterior lies a generous lion heart, but their warmth and sincerity will emerge only if they are allowed to lead a quiet life and forget themselves by helping others.

  Virgo: August 22 to September 22

  Virgo Snake = Earth + Negative Fire

  Virgo’s eye for detail and love of organization plus the Snake’s ability to shield their feelings and conduct clandestine maneuvers will surely turn this personality into a secretive and extremely aware and discriminating being. Scholarly, fiercely dedicated, and thoroughly goal oriented, people born with this combination could chain themselves to a fixed objective until they succeed in achieving it. While the rest of humanity is weighed down with the rigors and struggles of daily life, Virgo Snakes can block all that out of their mind once they concentrate. Vices? None, unless you consider it a vice to be autocratic, unemotional, and ruthlessly efficient.

  Libra: September 23 to October 22

  Libra Snake = Air + Negative Fire

  This tantalizing combination of warm negative Fire that caresses is easy to relate to. Endowed with impeccable taste, the alluring Libran Snake is muy simpático indeed! They may be abstruse thinkers, but they take care to express themselves in more conventional ways. With the Snake’s steadfastness and patience, a person of this combination wavers little. They will certainly be able to charm people with their wit and sense of humor. Cool as a cucumber and very desirable, they can be rather self-indulgent and may rely too much on popular consensus when it is clear they should act independently.

  Scorpio: October 23 to November 21

  Scorpio Snake = Water + Negative Fire

  A skeptical, elusive, and mystical spellbinder, the Scorpio Snake possesses intense emotions and could be a brilliant tactician. Cloaking their feelings under a powerful aura, they will prove quite inscrutable. Hard to read and understand, this ambitious and performance-oriented person will soak up knowledge like a sponge. They will closely examine whatever arouses their curiosity, with no expense spared. Self-contained and secretive, you won’t catch them handing out explanations. Honestly, they care little about idle gossip because they do not not intend to ever explain their motives. Just remember, hell hath no fury like a Scorpio Snake scorned!

  The Seasons of the Snake

  Spring

  Spring brings out the most dangerous snakes, as they emerge from hibernation with a ravenous appetite. A Snake person born in the spring will likewise be aggressive and adventurous. Awakened from the long sleep of winter, these natives will be more involved in things than other Snakes and will strive to make an impression in all they do. These careful, achievement-conscious planners will be mentally and physically alert and guarded. Intelligent and creative, they will not shy away from the limelight and may attain the highest positions of power. They also tend to lead perilous lives, as they are willing to go where others fear to tread and take fearsome risks when they have set their sights on reaching the pinnacle of success.

  Summer

  Summer Snakes sun themselves endlessly and are slow and deliberate thinkers. They tend to examine every angle of a puzzle before proceeding to take action. But while they may look deceptively indolent and detached, their razor-sharp minds and keen powers of observation are always working. When they decide to strike, they usually act swiftly and effectively. Snakes born during the heat of summer have exciting lives and are known to be intuitive and extravagant. They are secretive, possessive, and jealous when negative, but they are also amusing, generous, and loyal to their friends.

  Autumn

  The Snakes of autumn are the quiet, intuitive geniuses of the cycle. Often deeply religious, with high moral and intellectual standards, they are soft-spoken and contemplative. Reserved and absorbed in their own interests, these people will pursue a career or profession and seek to be the best in their field. Snakes born in the fall are artistic, elegant patrons of beauty and the arts. They are apt to be loners who do not like to move with the crowd. Rather, they prefer to stand out as original thinkers and tenaciously follow their ideals with an almost religious zeal. They can be rigid in their views, but they usually will keep their own counsel and will not be openly hostile unless sorely provoked.

  Winter

  Winter Snakes are the guardians of wisdom and wealth. They have a protected existence and are usually docile and peaceful. They care about their safety and are guarded in their emotions. Philosophical and patient, the winter Snake is not one to venture out and court trouble. This more retiring Snake stays close to the bosom of Mother Earth and learns to rely on the proven way of doing things. Still, it is never wise to take the Snake for granted, and winter Snakes may not be as harmless as they look. Underneath whatever disguise they may choose to assume, they are still equipped to be lethal, vindictive foes if attacked.

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Snake

  Metal

  Bob Dylan

  Carole King

  Ann-Margret

  Pablo Picasso

  Paul Simon

  Martha Stewart

  Virginia Woolf

  Water

  Johannes Brahms

  Pierce Brosnan

  Steve Coogan

  J. Paul Getty

  Mary Pickford

  Mao Zedong

  Shania Twain

&n
bsp; Oprah Winfrey

  Wood

  Joan Crawford

  Robert Downey Jr.

  Greta Garbo

  Howard Hughes

  Sarah Jessica Parker

  Fire

  Orlando Bloom

  Ella Fitzgerald

  Henry Ford

  Indira Gandhi

  Tom Hardy

  Thierry Henry

  Ronan Keating

  John F. Kennedy

  Gamal Abdel Nasser

  Franz Schubert

  Kanye West

  Earth

  Gareth Bale

  Audrey Hepburn

  Anthony Joshua

  Abraham Lincoln

  Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

  Edgar Allan Poe

  Grace Kelly

  Daniel Radcliffe

  Ben Stiller

  Taylor Swift

  7

  The Seventh Sign of the Lunar Cycle