1/ On Chinese astrological charts.
As you know, the chinese astrologers have a set of 12 terms that are known as the 'earthly branches', Dizhi 地支。 These 12 terms are conventionally known in the west as the '12 zodiac animals'.
As you know, the chinese astrologers have a set of 12 terms that are known as the 'earthly branches', Dizhi 地支。 These 12 terms are conventionally known in the west as the '12 zodiac animals'.
The diagram above is an annual diagram , published in the 2018 edition of the Zheng Fu Tang 正福堂 almanac. The Earthly branches are the large, bold characters in the middle of each of the 'ring' of 12 boxes.
Here is the diagram translated, as far as the Earthly branches are concerned. The words in blue are the 'zodiac animals' in english, the ones in red are their corresponding Tropical Zodiac signs.
The purpose of this diagram is twofold. First, it displays the [in]auspicious 'stars' 神煞 that attach themselves to the 12 Earthly branches for the year in question, in this case 2018.
Using this information, and their own horoscope, a person can have a rough idea of the [mis]fortune for each year. The vital data the "Palace of fate" 命宮 is is determined by a method that is identical to the 'ascendant' calculation in the Guolao Xingzhong
To make the task easier, the almanac makers alsoa dd short poems predicting the [mis]fortunes of each ascendant sign for the year: "ascendant-sign horoscopes" if you will.
7. The second purpose, which is unique to this almanac, and a few others pub'd in taiwan, is to show the sign ingresses of the planets -- specifically the Sun, Moon, Venus & Mercury. The Lunar ingresses recorded are the ones that are nearest to the sun's ingress in the same sign
Readers who are familiar with Indian astrology might find the format resembles the South Indian style of chart. However, there are significant differences. The Indian chart goes clockwise & starts at the top, the Chinese chart goes anticlockwise & starts at the bottom.
However, if you go according to the order of the Earthly branches, then the Chinese diagram does go clockwise. So there.
This arrangement of the 12 earthly branches is also used in horoscopes in the Ziwei doushu 紫微斗數system. The earthly branches->signs stay in the same position, whilst the houses are shifted about. This horoscope incidentally belongs to Chow Yun-fat, an actor.
NB.above is fr 專業用萬年曆 "Myriad-year calendar for professional use", published by Huangjiayun, 皇家運. It is a set of tables that shows the corresponding dates in the Chinese& Greg. calendar fr 1912-2054. It has 1 of the most concise & comprehensive intro to chinese div. arts
This system of displaying the zodiac can be represented on the joints and tips of the fingers , as this diagram fr. The 百年經 bai nian jing," classic of a hundred yrs" shows
So, the stem of the Tiger 寅 is attached to the base of the left index finger; the Rabbit 卯 to the 1st joint; 辰 the Dragon the 2nd joint of that finger; The Snake 巳 the tip of the index finger, the Horse 午 to the tip of the middle finger etc.
If the diviner has memorised this arrangement, they can perform extremely complex calculations by pointing to each joint in turn using the thumb. There are extensive collections of such methods,called "Palm formulae" Zhangjue 掌訣, one called "Calculate heaven&earth in your palm"
Indeed, Chinese diviners are stereotypically depicted as rapidly touching the fingers with the thumb, and coming up, almost instantaneously with some prediction or other.
