The Rat in 2014: Your Chinese Horoscope

About the Author

Neil Somerville is one of the leading writers in the West on Chinese horoscopes. He has been interested in Eastern forms of divination for many years and believes that much can be learned from the ancient wisdom of the East. His annual book on Chinese horoscopes has built up an international following and he is also the author of What’s Your Chinese Love Sign? (Thorsons, 2000; HarperElement, 2013), Chinese Success Signs (Thorsons, 2001) and The Answers (Element, 2004).

Neil Somerville was born in the year of the Water Snake. His wife was born under the sign of the Monkey, his son is an Ox and daughter a Horse.

TO ROS, RICHARD AND EMILY

Epigraph

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

Contents

Cover

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Epigraph

Acknowledgements

Introduction

The Chinese Years

Welcome to the Year of the Horse

The Rat

Appendix

Relationships between the Signs

Your Ascendant

How to Get the Best from your Chinese Sign and the Year

A Closing Thought

Other titles in this series

Copyright

About the Publisher

Acknowledgements

In writing Your Chinese Horoscope 2014 I am grateful for the assistance and invaluable support that those around me have given.

I would also like to acknowledge Theodora Lau’s The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes (Harper & Row, 1979; Arrow, 1981), which was particularly useful to me in my research.

In addition to Ms Lau’s work, I commend the following books to those who wish to find out more about Chinese horoscopes: Kristyna Arcarti, Chinese Horoscopes for Beginners (Headway, 1995); Catherine Aubier, Chinese Zodiac Signs (Arrow, 1984), series of 12 books; E. A. Crawford and Teresa Kennedy, Chinese Elemental Astrology (Piatkus Books, 1992); Paula Delsol, Chinese Horoscopes (Pan, 1973); Barry Fantoni, Barry Fantoni’s Chinese Horoscopes (Warner, 1994); Bridget Giles and the Diagram Group, Chinese Astrology (HarperCollinsPublishers, 1996); Kwok Man-Ho, Complete Chinese Horoscopes (Sunburst Books, 1995); Lori Reid, The Complete Book of Chinese Horoscopes (Element Books, 1997); Paul Rigby and Harvey Bean, Chinese Astrologics (Publications Division, South China Morning Post Ltd, 1981); Ruth Q. Sun, The Asian Animal Zodiac (Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc., 1996); Derek Walters, Ming Shu (Pagoda Books, 1987) and The Chinese Astrology Workbook (The Aquarian Press, 1988); Suzanne White, The New Astrology (Pan, 1987), The New Chinese Astrology (Pan, 1994) and Chinese Astrology Plain and Simple (Eden Grove Editions, 1998).

Introduction

The origins of Chinese horoscopes have been lost in the mists of time. It is known, however, that oriental astrologers practised their art many thousands of years ago and even today Chinese astrology continues to fascinate and intrigue.

In Chinese astrology there are 12 signs named after 12 different animals. No one quite knows how the signs acquired their names, but there is one legend that offers an explanation. According to this legend, one Chinese New Year the Buddha invited all the animals in his kingdom to come before him. Unfortunately, for reasons best known to the animals, only 12 turned up. The first to arrive was the Rat, followed by the Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and finally Pig. In gratitude, the Buddha decided to name a year after each of the animals and that those born during that year would inherit some of the personality of that animal. Therefore those born in the year of the Ox would be hardworking, resolute and stubborn, just like the Ox, while those born in the year of the Dog would be loyal and faithful, just like the Dog.

In addition to the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac there are five elements and these have a strengthening or moderating influence upon the signs. While it is not possible that everyone born in a particular year can have all the characteristics of the sign, it is incredible what similarities do occur, and this is partly where the fascination of Chinese horoscopes lies.

To find out which sign you were born under, refer to the Chinese Year tables. As the Chinese year is based on the lunar year and does not start until late January or early February, it is particularly important for anyone born in those two months to check carefully the dates of the Chinese year in which they were born.

Also included, in the appendix, are two charts showing the compatibility between the signs for personal and business relationships and details about the signs ruling the different hours of the day. From this it is possible to locate your ascendant and, as in Western astrology, this has a significant influence on your personality.

In writing this book I have taken the unusual step of combining the intriguing nature of Chinese horoscopes with the Western desire to know what the future holds, and have based my interpretations upon various factors relating to each of the signs. Over the years in which Your Chinese Horoscope has been published I have been pleased that so many have found the sections on the forthcoming year of interest and hope that the horoscope has been constructive and useful. Remember, though, that at all times you are master of your own destiny.

I sincerely hope that Your Chinese Horoscope 2014 will prove interesting and helpful for the year ahead.

Welcome to the Year of the Horse

Whether pulling a cart, working on a farm, being ridden for pleasure or sport or displaying the graceful skills of dressage, the horse is a good worker. And has style. Many of these qualities will be evident during the Year of the Horse.

The Horse enjoys activity and a prominent feature of the Horse year is that it favours action. Whether on the world stage or in the arts, media, technology, medicine or other spheres, there will be significant developments this year and the emphasis will be on innovation and pushing the boundaries.

Internationally, too, the focus will be on moving situations forward and some landmark agreements will be forged which will bring hope to troubled regions. Previous Horse years have seen the formal reunification of East and West Germany following the collapse of the Berlin Wall, the release of Nelson Mandela, which led to dramatic change in South Africa, and, in 1918, the ending of the First World War. In 2014 again, important conflict resolutions can lift the shadow of oppression from certain regions. Middle Eastern and African countries will, in particular, continue to experience great change during the year.

Although the accent will be on progress, there will, though, inevitably be flashpoints and sudden acts of aggression, as in the Horse year of 1990, when Iraqi troops invaded Kuwait, but generally the troubles will be of short duration and the reaction from international communities swift.

Another area which will continue to exercise the minds of those in authority will be the world economy. After the austerity and fiscal measures imposed by some governments, 2014 will bring improvement. The green shoots of recovery already seen in some economies will grow stronger during the year, with many governments taking greater measures to stimulate growth and reduce unemployment. With the Horse year favouring initiative, several dynamic approaches will be put forward. Quite a few sectors will see steady growth, but industries which are likely to fare especially well are transport, technology, fashion and those connected with the use and manufacture of renewable energy. Also, while economic considerations will be paramount, attention will again focus on environmental concerns, particularly on reducing pollution in heavily industrialized areas.

This Horse year will also see lively debate in quite a few countries as governmental and constitutional issues are discussed and new ideas put forward. In the UK in particular, great interest will be focused on the Scottish referendum and the constitutional implications. Other countries, too, will see significant issues debated which could affect national identity and ways of governance.

Horse years have energy and passion and focus the mind. They have their lighter sides too, including great successes on stage and screen and in the music industry. This year again some influential new figures could emerge on the music scene and new television series and film releases attract great followings. Star Trek and the American reality series The Osbournes both started in Horse years, and Spider-Man and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers were especially successful in 2002. Interestingly, it was a Horse year, 1894, when Louis Lumière invented the cinematograph, and another Horse year when Sony made the first Walkman, a device which was to transform the listening habits of so many. The entertainment industry is set to have another pioneering year in 2014.

The fashion industry too will enjoy a revival, with new trends and styles quickly coming to prominence. A more elegant look could well be a feature.

The energy of horses will also be seen in sport. The 2014 Winter Olympics and then the World Cup in Brazil will be colourful and exciting spectacles and there will be historic moments as new sporting milestones are achieved. It was 60 years ago, in a previous Horse year, that Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile, a record that made sporting history.

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