 I have read a number of popular books on the Chinese Zodiac, and I can usually tell the Character of the author. However, I have never read an author who admits their Character upfront, which is strange to me. Personal Astrology is usually considered private, and people are often discrete when discussing it in traditional cultures, but not usually among family and friends, for it is considered an essential guide to relating. Most writing on the Chinese Zodiac is, to me, impersonal, and descriptions are usually lopsided. Writers often exalt or diminish certain animals based on their personal Character’s bias.
Personally, I see Astrology as a tool for self-reflection. Any consideration of Astrology begins with the study your own Character and Fate. I can only understand the 12 Animals through my primary Character—the Yang Fire Tiger, and I display this Character until death; it is my capacity to resolve Fate/Karma. The Tiger relates differently with each animal. In other words, no description of the 12 Animals can be fair or equal, for they do not relate equally. The 12 Animals are patterns of Qi, and some match like a Phillips Head Screw and Screwdriver. Others may relate to one another like dialing a cell phone with a sledge hammer, or as the saying goes—like a square peg in a round hole. So I am up front about my Astrology; I have even published my birth time. To a Monkey (Tiger’s opposite), my way of life may seem like a sledge hammer. I am a Fire Tiger. Therefore, this exploration of Tiger Qi will be fundamentally different than my other expositions, because this one I know from the inside out. And remember, the Year is primary in a person’s Qi Character. I cannot help that this is personal, perhaps even emotional, for understanding the Tiger has been a tremendous source of personal revelation. I imagine that other Tigers will resonate with this, but perhaps not. Hopefully, my personal experience does not get in the way too much. Although the Chinese love the Tiger, it is in many ways the antithesis of China. It therefore holds a special place in Chinese Cosmology. For the Chinese always welcome chaos because no healthy society can function without destruction and renewal. In my last blog on the Ox, I mention that the Ox is a symbol of China, and the Tiger is a rebellion against everything the Ox stands for, energetically speaking. In the Cycle of Time, Ox Qi transforms into Tiger Qi. If Ox represents the stability, continuity, tradition, and consistency of Yin Earth, the Tiger, whose nature is Yang Wood, represents a forceful breaking away from all these qualities, for Wood eats/destroys/controls Earth in the Five Element Cycle. In order to understand Tiger Qi, we must understand its Native Element—Yang Wood. Yang Wood is the first element in the cycle, which is why the Tiger Moon coincides with the Chinese New Year and the first day of Spring. Yang Wood is the fresh, dynamic, naive, innocent, pliant, new, unformed, spontaneous, impulsive, and forceful arising of movement from complete stillness. Yang Wood is invisible, pure; it represents birth, initiation, renewal, potentiality, creativity, and adaptation. Force arising from stillness—this is the Tiger. Imagine a cat, still and unmoving, pouncing on their pray. Like all the Animal Characters, the Tiger has many layers, both historic and symbolic. These symbols hold the key to understanding each animal, in this case the Tiger, as a pattern of Qi in the Cycle of Time. Historically, the Tiger is the most successful predator of humans, and conversely, humans are the only successful predator of Tigers. At one point, there were millions of Tigers in Asia. Many of the earliest recorded human remains were found with the bones of Tigers, which has puzzled archaeologists for years. They’re not sure who killed whom. In the Han Dynasty, the number one cause of death among peasants listed in medical records (besides war) was Tigers. They roamed freely and would wander into villages at whim, eating anything that came in their path. In short, Tigers disrupted orderly society (as do Tiger People), which is why they’re the antithesis of China. The Han Government waged war on Tigers, and in less than a century they murdered over 3 million of them. This trend continued, which is why the Tiger came close to extinction in Asia but has since been coming back. Famous Generals were depicted wearing Tiger skins as a symbol of their fearlessness in battle. Killing a Tiger earned you the title “Tiger.” The Chinese character for Tiger depicts a bow drawn and about to fire, implying a long history of hunting Tigers. We can call the early religion of China “Animistic Shamanism,” which later became Daoism. Rural and tribal religion was officiated by Shaman Priests who were great arbiters of the Spirit World. Today they are known as “Red Hat Daoists.” “Black Hat Daoists” are the Orthodox Priests who uphold the more official lineages. Alive, Tigers presented great threat, but dead they were considered the most powerful spirit protector. Part of the war on Tigers, then, was to “put them on the other side,” so to speak. After the systematic murder of Tigers, Shaman priests would work to command Tiger Spirits. Zhang Dao-Ling, the founder of Orthodox Daoism, is depicted riding a Tiger, symbolizing his command of the Spirit World. This trend is also found in Tantra, for Tigers were just as common in India, and great Tantric Masters and Deities are often depicted sitting on Tiger skins, wearing Tiger shawls, using Tigers as pillows, and so on. This symbolizes that a practitioner has conquered their fear and impulsiveness. Tiger Qi is considered the Wisdom of Fearlessness and the Victory over Danger. Still to this day, it is common in China to write the Chinese symbol for Tiger on doors or amulets in order to ward off fire, theft, illness, and possession. The Tiger is a symbol of exorcism, dispossession, power, and warriorship. In many Martial Art traditions the Tiger is depicted with the Dragon in a Yin-Yang Symbol. Tigers (such as myself) born in Dragon Hour are considered to have adept potential to be Shaman/Warriors and should receive training very early in life. This may sound impressive, but the Tiger Character is complex and not easy to understand. I often say—it isn’t easy being a Tiger. So before delving into the Key Terms, we must backup and examine the primary symbol of the Tiger—its stripes. The Tiger is striped. Tigers wish they could be lions or panthers (i.e. one color), but we cannot; we have stripes, and this symbolizes a fundamentally dual nature, which Tigers seek their whole lives to reconcile. This dual nature comes from Yang Wood. Yang Wood is pure impulse. So the first and most important thing we can say about Tigers is that they’re impulsive, which causes a kind of alternating or lurching quality symbolized by the stripes. The impulse of the Tiger is always to change, to break free, to innovate, to create, to destroy, to jump headfirst. Tigers feel the full force of primal energy with startling intensity. By nature, this impulsive lurching often causes inconsistent and unreliable behavior, which confuses others. This behavior is often perceived as aggressive—the Tiger needs to hunt. But really, Tiger Qi is in a constant intimate interaction with its surroundings, deeply sensitive, drawing all other energies into it, alert to minute changes, moods, emotions, ready to pounce in an instant. Even when resting, we are like a loaded weapon. Without challenges, we can be champion loafers, lazy housecats, but we are always primed to jump and knock things over. Tiger Qi is very physical; we need to use our bodies. By nature, Tigers possess strong constitutions and boundless energy, which can express complete stillness, meditative equipoise, and an immense physical capacity, vitality, and endurance. Tiger Qi is fully present, ready for action, but it is naïve; Wood Element is always naïve. Liu Ming told the story of a Tiger running through the jungle, leaping over obstacles—suddenly, the Tiger leaps off a cliff. Halfway down, the Tiger realizes—oh, I’m falling! In other words, Tiger Qi lurches, jumps eagerly into danger, and often doesn’t realize its mistakes until too late. Our stripes, our impulsiveness, make us difficult for others to understand. The stripes denote a powerful need to act, to connect, to be in the world, to love, and at the same time to run away, to hide, to be still, and to be alone in our caves. Tigers are solitary animals. They are independent and need huge territories in which to roam. By nature, Tigers are hard to pair up with, so Tiger Characters tend to pair with other Tigers. In the wild, Tigers mate and then go their separate ways. If there are too many cubs born, the parents may actually kill a few as not to encroach on their hunting territory. Tigers are pillars of strength and capacity, but then they disappear. They can be the life of the party, and then you may not see them for three months. We often jump full force into things, and then abandon them, and then we must abandon our abandoning, and so on. I cannot tell you how many times I have done this. We’re always changing, never consistent, but this is actually our power. Yang Wood is spontaneity, creativity, and innovation. We may not be reliable, but we can change things, break the mold, think outside the box (although we’re not very practical and have a hard time making our creativity actually manifest). Tiger Qi rebels against everything no matter what; we hate to be confined, and we hate expectations. This rebellion is impossible to control and can only be handled with our own self-discipline. We have to see outside ourselves and choose self-discipline. The Tiger finds their Qi power when fear becomes transparent and their power turns to natural discipline and leadership. With training, Tigers make tremendous warriors, soldiers, fighters, shaman; they are heroic and noble defenders. Without training, the impulsive force of the Tiger can be disastrous, manifesting as intense anger and frequent losses of temper. Violence is the most available in the Tiger (also in Dragon, Horse, Pig, Rabbit), for some of the Characters must be willing to fight, and all Tigers need to recognize this part of them and accept it in order to be whole. The influence of Tiger Qi is powerful; Tiger’s have a magnetic, hypnotizing quality, and they are often charismatic, dynamic, and innovative leaders and great orators. That being said, their inconsistency and unreliability dictates that they should not be in charge. Tigers are meant to inspire, dazzle, and then disappear. They are exemplars of power, action, and creativity. Out of all the animals, Tigers, Goats, and Monkeys are considered the most creative and artistic (of course everyone can be artistic). Tiger Art is very “Jackson Pollock,” very modern. The impulse to splatter paint on a wall and call it art in order to break convention is a Tiger impulse. Yang Wood is imagination and an immense appetite for knowledge, information, and expression. Because of our stripes, our impulsiveness, Tigers are seen to have the greatest capacity for self-destruction. The alternating quality of our stripes and our forceful internal impulse can cause great inner conflict and turmoil, and we can be our own worst enemies. It is hard for Tigers, with our unpredictable, impulsive creativity and strangeness, to find a place in the world, to accomplish anything and remain consistent, which goes against the grain of ordinary culture that expects us to get a job and be the same person all the time. We rebel, and without the proper environment and support we self destruct. Tigers need unconditional acceptance, love, and tolerance. This is why Pigs are a great support, for they are the most tolerant. Oxen, too, are quite tolerant. Others need to know that we will always “let you down” if you expect constancy from us. It may sound harsh, but the only way Tigers can be in relationship is if others manage to not need us. We will do our best and need training in this regard, but we will most likely show you our stripes. Because of the Tiger’s dual nature and tendency towards inner conflict and self-destruction, they tend toward great spiritual awakening. Many Tigers become mystics hell bent on the spiritual path, seeking the reconciliation and union of their opposites. Many Tigers become famous spiritual teachers, many of which have been an inspiration to me. My personal favorites—Alan Watts, Thomas Merton, Walt Whitman, Namkai Norbu, my Guru—Dharma Bodhi, Alan Wallace, and Adyashanti to name a few. I always recommend that everyone “google” famous people born in their year for inspiration. Tiger Years can be explosive, bold—a time of extremes when life is experienced on a grand scale, with drama and excitement. The classics say—expect political rebellion and military coups. So now we get to the Key Words. The first are courageous, daring, brave. Tiger Qi, again, represents fearlessness, a kind of Samurai mentality, hurling into danger, charging into the unknown, seeking adventure. This courage comes from a deep flirting with death in the core of our being, for Yang Wood emerges from death (Yin Water). This courage lends to being strong-willed, seeking to conquer the fear of death, and despite our impulsiveness, Tigers have famously terrifying will power, usually to accomplish or study strange and unusual things. Tiger Qi is energetic, passionate, and enthusiastic. The force of Yang Wood is both physically and mentally expressed in the Tiger. Physically active, even hyperactive, Tigers can be balls of energy, freely expressing themselves in all kinds of uncontrollable ways, which is why they need self-discipline early in life. Discipline forced upon them will most likely be rebelled against. Mentally and energetically, this unstoppable energy bubbles forth as enthusiasm and dedication. Tigers usually get really, really into things and champion what they love. If you’re around me for more than a minute, you will undoubtedly hear me ramble about the Dharma, Astrology, Chinese Medicine, and so on, and I don’t shut up. Once we love something, or someone, we become incredibly dedicated. However, this dedication rarely leads to mastery, unless we can direct/focus our will, which is part of our challenge. Tigers are by nature unconventional, free-thinkers, who never conform. We have to do things differently and in our own way. Our mission is to break convention, shatter expectations, destroy boundaries, and forge new ground. I admit this is not easy for others or for us. But Tiger Qi is pure inspiration, fresh and new. This unconventionality goes hand and hand with imagination and creativity. Tigers are natural poets, musicians, and artists. Walt Whitman, to me, is a fantastic example of the Tiger’s creative expression. I have dedicated huge amounts of energy towards creative expression—music, writing, art, astrology, mediation; at my best, I feel like an inexhaustible well. Of course, I have abandoned everything at some point and made no “career” out of my endeavors, but I’m trying to put it all together. Tiger Qi is competitive. Tigers are always looking for opportunities to demonstrate their strength, mostly to themselves. The Tiger’s motivation often derives from inner conflict however, from our dual nature, as a need to prove something to ourselves. So often, we compete with ourselves and test this competition through others. Tigers are honest due to our naivety. Yang Wood does not have maturity or discretion, so Tigers tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves. We usually don’t make very good actors, due to an inability to be anything other than what we are. Because of this we can be incredibly vulnerable. As Cubs/kids, Tigers are very vulnerable, and if traumatized we can get stuck in arrested development. Tigers are often very dignified in their expression. Imagine a big noble jungle cat. Or, just look at any house cat that spends all day licking itself. This dignity lends to what the Chinese call the “Awesome Deportment,” and Tigers often find great value in cultivating and expressing a powerful or impressive image. Places, things, skills all must have power, meaning, and significance to add to the Tiger expression, otherwise we’re not interested. Tigers can treat people this way too; we love everybody, but to get us really interested, we must be mesmerized and impressed. Finally, Tigers are considered lucky and generous. Luck is a very Chinese idea, and some Characters are considered to have it more than others. Luck is defined by being in the right place at the right time, which is usually a matter of Fate. At their best, Tiger’s are gregarious pleasure seekers who love sharing their luck with others. So now we get to the flipside of all this—of course, this is about self reflection, so we must admit to the depleted qualities of Tiger Qi. As I have already mentioned, our impulsiveness can turn to a profound restless/rebellion. All Yang Characters are prone to be restless, but Tiger restlessness is scary and goes hand in hand with feeling confined, stuck, in need of exploding out of our situation. If we do not have problems/obstacle, we often create them in order to have something to rebel against, something to break out of, something to pounce on. We are rebels without a cause, our own worst enemies. Tigers, especially Fire Tigers, can be risk taking landmines of passion and emotion. Uncontrolled drama and half-baked scheming can make their lives calamitous. Something usually becomes a “savior,” whether it is a teacher/mentor, a partner, a child. Tigers need to be regulated, so family is good for them if they can settle down. At our worst, we are indecisive, always second guessing, so having others take over, a strong partner for example, can be a blessing. Often, we are so busy generating problems that we are inconsiderate of others. At our best, Tigers are incredibly generous and part of our path is to learn to give, let go, and see outside our problems to a bigger picture. Our inconsiderateness can come from being self-involved, morose, negative, and moody. Tiger Qi can go very dark, but it always comes back, which is part of our stripes. No matter how dark it gets, we can always turn to see the light. Our restlessness can lead to a unique kind of stubborn egotism, thinking and being utterly convinced we are right (Ox, Horse, Dog, and Goat do this as well). Tigers are unchallenged in the wild; they have no natural predators. We are flustered, confused, and bewildered when challenged, for in the end, Tigers are sure they’re right, and we’re going to do what we want, and we’re probably not going to change our minds. It is difficult to convince us otherwise unless we can adopt things as our own idea, like in the movie Inception. Because of their strength, Tigers usually want to dominate situations, be in charge, which can come across as aggressive, egotistical, and overbearing. Finally, the Tiger’s dignity and deportment can lead to tremendous vanity and pride. Tigers can be very concerned about their appearance and the opinions of others, although we’ll never admit it. Tigers are very sensitive to criticism and rejection and can be wounded deeply by others if we do not possess a strong sense of self-love/self-possession. As you can probably tell, I have a love/hate relationship with my Tigerness, which is classic Tiger. It is classical that Tiger Qi is difficult, so I’m not making this up. Studying Tiger Qi has been a personal revelation. Many of the qualities I do not like about myself, that I wish I could change, I find written in plain English in two dollar paperbacks on the 12 Animals. The suggestion of Chinese Astrology is that our Qi Character does not change. I must learn to live with my impulsiveness and find the best way to “go with it,” channel it, and express it for the benefit of others. Tiger Qi is an immense capacity when it is trained and focused. So I am grateful that I have had a strong sense of self-discipline and a spiritual path since I was young. This has done a lot to temper by extremely Yang/Aggressive Character. I must insist, too, that I am a Fire Tiger, which is like a “teenage” Tiger. Fire Characters have a perpetual teenage angst. Wood Characters are forever children, Fire—teenagers, Earth—adults/mature, Metal—middle aged, Water—elderly. Since Wood feeds Fire, the Fire Tiger is particularly explosive and traditionally seen as good cannon-fodder. The Earth Tiger would be the most grounded and stable, the Metal Tiger the most disciplined and refined, the Water Tiger the most dramatic and morose, and the Wood Tiger the most natural and at ease with their impulsiveness. Fire Tigers are a handful, so I tip my hat to my peers, born in the lunar year of 86. Of course, this can be tempered a lot by the hour. A Tiger born in Pig, Rabbit, Goat, any of the Yin Hours, can be softened a great deal in terms of the basic Tiger expression. As I go through the 12 Animals, remember that we have Four Pillars. The Year is primary, but we also have a Month, Day, and Hour. I hope you enjoyed this exposition of Tiger Qi. Next up, the Tiger turns to the Rabbit!
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 Let me be honest—of all the 12 Qi Characters, I find Ox the most difficult to express. I often find myself stumbling to communicate the energetic experience of Ox to my clients, and often it comes out sounding negative. Perhaps, this is because I’m a Tiger, and as I will write about in my next blog, Tiger Qi is a rebellion against everything the Ox stands for, energetically speaking. Every astrologer, every person, is limited by the bias of their character—it is the lens through which we view the world. Naturally, with self reflection, our Four Pillars are available to us, and so they are the easiest to understand. But a Tiger can never become an Ox.
That being said, I know many Oxen. My father is an Earth Ox, and one of my childhood best friends is a Wood Ox. I entered kindergarten a year early, so many of my peers at school were Wood Ox, which makes a lot of sense to me in hindsight, for I never fit in, and many of my friends were also weirdo Tigers who didn’t fit in. We herd children together, and school teachers (if they’re paying attention) should recognize that every year’s batch of kids is different, and yet each group is similar. So I was herded in with the Oxen, and although I find Ox Qi rather incomprehensible, I am intimate with it and will do my best to transmit the experience. In many ways, the Ox is a symbol of China, for if China is anything, it is perseverant, and its traditions are enduring. China and the Ox represent the virtue of the heroic preserver, the continuity of Tradition. I am amazed that I am sitting here expressing a continuity of wisdom over 8,000 years old, a wisdom just as relevant and profound today as it was in ancient China. In the scheme of the 10 Heavenly Stems, this continuity of tradition is represented by the Ox and its Native Element Yin Earth (which is also the Native Element of the Goat). The Chinese character for Earth contains two horizontal lines, representing a surface and a deep sense of stability. There is no Earth season in Chinese Astrology, for Earth represents the continuity, the ground beneath the changing seasons. The symbol of the Ox, then, related to Yin (rather than Yang) Earth, expresses the strength of the plow animal, shaping the Earth beneath us. China was one the world’s greatest agricultural societies, and the Ox was the main event which made this possible. The Chinese attempted to domesticate the Mongolian Horse for hundreds of years, but the wild nature of the Horse could not be made to plow. The Ox Clans brought the Ox up from the swampy regions of southern China, and as soon as they attached reigns to it, they were amazed to find the Ox walked in straight lines, plowing even furrows with no goading. Farmers could let go of the reigns, and the Ox would plow forward, turn around, and come back on its own. Because of the Ox, China’s agricultural productivity increased exponentially, and in a few centuries China became the most successful and wealthy society on earth. The Ox was always then associated with the rewards of consistent hard work and the Confucian value of perseverance in what is right. The Ox embodies a natural (Yin) strength achieved through gentleness rather than aggression. The western image of the gentle giant comes to mind. In Asia, it is not uncommon to see children fearlessly running side by side with these enormous animals. Oxen are strong, but they are not aggressive, and this is a valuable symbol for interpreting Ox Qi. China and India are the world’s oldest continuous civilizations, but India was more or less invented by the British. Before British colonial rule, India was incredibly diverse and never consistently unified. The past 500 years of foreign rule in India forced the many subcultures of South Asia to unify, creating a melting pot responsible for what we now call “Hinduism.” Furthermore, India kept awful historical records, so studying anything Indian is questionable and often dubious. China, on the other hand, was a Chinese invention, the intentional unification of 80 or more separate cultures into Dynasties that endured for over 2500 years, passing on a consistent and coherent tradition. China kept some of the most detailed and precise historical records on Earth. Of course, the continuity of this tradition was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, but thankfully, due to the Ox like nature of China, we can have at least some confidence in the Chinese Tradition, which was preserved in places like Taiwan. In order to really understand the nature of Ox Qi, we must look to the Tong Shu, the Chinese Calendar. The Ox rules the 12th Moon, the dead of winter and the hour 1-3am. Ox exemplifies the still, silent, calm, and slow power of winter. In the cycle of the day, Ox represents the middle of the night, the time of deep sleep, rest, and rejuvenation. Everyone knows they should be asleep from 1-3am. Qi wise, this is the time of day when we are most apt to fall into deep sleep. Even insomniacs can fall asleep during this hour. The tendency of Ox hour is to draw us deep into the dark, silent, still, calm, and peaceful nature of “don’t know.” During Ox hour, you should be like a catfish, hidden in the murky depths of your unconscious. Ox Qi is therefore described as sedate, sleepy, calm, stable, which is reflected in the Ox Character. Ox is the wisdom of thoughtlessness and steadfastness. In China, Oxen are also associated with Kwan Yin, the goddess of compassion and wisdom, because of their peaceful and gentle nature. In India, the Cow is revered and worshiped as a symbol of nourishment and the abundance of the Earth. So the first quality of Ox Qi is calm, in the modern parlance “chill.” Ox is by nature easy going and relaxed. This easy going nature comes from the symbol of the Ox’s size and strength—not much can kill an Ox. They are not intimidated or scared easily. Their strength is unquestionable and therefore unhurried, unrushed, natural. Left alone in the wild, Oxen tend to just stand around eating grass, but when put to work they can do anything. Ox Qi, Yin Earth, is grounded and steady. Qi wise, this comes out as a kind of natural dignity, at home in their self and skin. In terms of the Five Elemental Oxen, the Wood Ox would be the least grounded Ox, and my Wood Ox friends would probably identify the least with the following exposition. The natural strength of the Ox demonstrates as a kind of self-assured confidence. Oxen tend to believe resolutely (and often unconsciously) that their way of seeing the world and their way of doings things is normal. “Doesn’t everyone do that?” or “this is the way we’ve always done it” are very Ox statements. In the Classical Tradition, this is often described as “conventional.” Even the strangest Oxen I have known do their strangeness in a conventional, consistent, and dependable way. Most of them think their strangeness is normal and can be perplexed when others do not share their views. This confidence often demonstrates as being just and committed. The Ox is a symbol of the Confucian values of family, society, and nature, which are fundamentally rooted in equality and the fair distribution of resources. Oxen often possess a strong sense of justice, which makes them good leaders. Oxen are natural born leaders and are at their best when in charge and constantly challenged. Ox are the most likely to receive criticism for being “stuck in their ways,” for not growing/changing/improving/etc. That being said, the consistent and dependable nature of the Ox is natural and the least apt towards innovation, which is not to say they are not creative. It is detrimental to expect an Ox to change based on abstract notions of self-improvement. Their wisdom comes from their consistency, and it is harmful to force them to change—they won’t. The Tiger, then, is the opposite—we’re always changing, and it is a disservice to expect us to be consistent. The calm nature of the Ox often expresses as quiet and reserved, but this is not always the case. I have known plenty of extroverted Oxen. That being said, Ox tends towards a kind of “sleepiness,” which can be literal. Oxen are often champion sleepers and can cure most illness with deep sleep. They also possess a strong physical constitution by nature and are long lived, rarely taken out by illness or injury. Ox Qi is unflappable (my favorite word in the English language btw) and “thick skinned.” Of all the Characters, Ox (and Pig) are the least likely to be traumatized. Ox Qi has a tremendous capacity to undergo hardship and difficulties and come through unscathed. The difficulties my Father has faced would have probably killed most people, but he came through everything with wisdom. Despite the calm nature of Ox Qi, they are tenacious and uncompromising. It is the nature of the Ox to work, to plow forward, to lead, and to take on responsibility. They need tasks, and they need to be constantly challenged, otherwise their strength is wasted and stagnates. They often have a strong work ethic and lead lives of great accomplishment. By nature, they are dependable, reliable, consistent, punctual, and so on, all characteristics of Yin Earth—the manifestation of smooth, steady, even Qi. Although they are often materially successful, they usually lack attachment to material things because they are self sufficient and don’t need much. As a work animal, the Ox is independent and yet carries others. Oxen are not usually loners however. They do not rely on other people but rather others tend to rely on them; they are protectors. They take it upon themselves to do things for other people and rarely ask anything in return. The independence, strength, and conventionality of the ox cause them to assume responsibility for everything. They can see it as their mission to carry others and the world on their shoulders. Recently, I was working on a school project with some lab partners, and we collectively made a mistake. Immediately, our Ox partner assumed the blame and saw the situation as her fault, apologizing for letting the group down. We assured her that we were all responsible, but her reaction was to assume leadership as if she carried the group. This Ox tendency while natural can be heavy for Ox characters, generating problems and hardships in order to demonstrate their strength. Ox Qi is also loyal and supportive, sometimes to a fault. It is hard to get on the bad side of an Ox, and if you become a jerk they probably don’t notice. Once they accept others, they usually do so for life and will protect them until the end. Sometimes, they can stay in difficult situations for a long time out of duty or responsibility. Oxen tend to be outdoorsy and at home in Nature. The natural element of Yin Earth lends to a deep connection with nature and a desire to connect to the wilderness and seek refuge in solitude. I have known many an Ox with a strong sense of adventure. Finally, Ox is sincere, humble, and often sweet, sometimes naive. The image of the Ox is a gentle doe eyed cow. Generally, Oxen are honest and straightforward and not mysterious or confusing in their intentions. They mean what they say and are always sincere in their beliefs and efforts. Of course, when discussing Qi Character we must look at the virtue displays, but we must also look at the constricted qualities of the same virtues. This is the basis of Astrology as a wisdom path. Ox Qi can tend toward a kind of seriousness, and Oxen tend to grow up very fast. They often miss out on childhood and become children later in life, especially the Fire Ox. This seriousness can also turn sullen, depressed, and even humorless. Oxen are, perhaps, the most susceptible to “toxic seriousness” and their experience can become very heavy and downtrodden (Wood Ox being the least susceptible). The heavy and dense quality of Yin Earth can turn to a kind of insensitivity and thoughtlessness. Many of the Oxen I know have been accused of being oblivious, unaware, and clueless. Oxen tend to “not notice” things, people, situations, and they can hurt or offend others by become aloof and dull. The routine, conventional, and consistent qualities can easily get “stuck in a rut.” Oxen possess an immense capacity to do the same old thing, and they can become slaves to their own conventions—physically, mental, spiritually. Their confidence can be quite convinced and unwilling to change. Furthermore, they can be fearful of change and resist the messages of others for a long time. Oxen can be ruthless is crossed. As I mentioned, it is hard to get on the bad side of an Ox, but when you do, they can become belligerent and hold grudges for a long time, fixated in their opinions about others and situations. They can have a difficult time letting things go, bringing up the past, repeating patterns of negativity, stuck in a loop. Once drawn into confrontation, Ox Qi can be a scary and formidable adversary (Hitler was a Fire Ox!). Finally, they can be too strong for their own good. If they are not challenged, they can use their strength to deplete themselves without noticing and break down in old age. Or they can generate problems and challenges where there are none and become their own worst enemies. All that being said, Ox Qi has a tremendous capacity for resolving Fate. I am always impressed by Ox characters, and I have been blessed to know many in my life. If you want a great model for Ox Qi, look at Obama—classic Ox (Metal Ox if you’re curious). In these brief expositions, I can only hope to give you a taste of each Qi Character as a basis for self-reflection, and I want to insist that I am talking about patterns of energy and how they tend to manifest in people. The qualities of Ox Qi, and all Qi Characters, are found everywhere in nature, and in the end, we are talking about Time. Ox is a pattern in Time. Remember, Astrology is the study of Time, and the View Teachings say that we express the natural tendencies of whatever pattern displays in the cyclical procession of Time. Rat Qi turns to Ox which turns to Tiger. Stay tuned next time for my exposition of Tiger Qi, which happens to be my Qi Character.  A famous Chinese story describes a contest set by the Buddha, or sometimes the Jade-Emperor of Daoism—a race to determine who would be the first Animal in the Cycle of Time. At the end of the race was a mighty river. Ox was the only animal strong enough to cross. Rat small yet clever jumped on Ox’s back and jumped off his nose just in time to cross the finish line first. Rat won the honor of first in the cycle, and the Character of Rat, Rat Qi, came to represent the wisdom, virtue (te), and resourcefulness of all things small.
Of the 12 Zodiac animals, some are small and some are large. The differences in size symbolize the Chinese view that strength comes in all sizes, and that every perspective is valuable and has a proper place. As a cycle of View Teachings, the 12 Qi Characters are a study in perspective and represent 12 (or really 60) ways of viewing the world. We find wisdom through learning our own perspective in contrast/relation to others. The tallest rat will never see the world in the same way as a Horse, so which perspective is correct? The question is of course meaningless—both are valid and describe different perspectives. Rat Qi represents the perspective of little creatures, the most “zoomed in” quality of life. The Natural Element of the Rat is Yang Water—the power of the weak, the yielding, the adaptable, the soft, the pliant to overcome all obstacles, like water carving the Grand Canyon. Water may be weak, but through diligent perseverance it carves canyons, and in great mass, waves devastate. This is the Yang Water nature of Rat Qi—the paradoxical strength of weakness. But do not let the image of smallness fool you, Rat Qi is anything by “mousy.” Rat Qi is definitely Yang, and the power of the Rat is ambitious and unstoppable like water. Yang Water also represents synthesis, sentiment, sensitivity, reflection, cooperation, persuasion, and effectiveness, among other virtues. Of all the 12 Animals, I find people most dismayed to find out they are Rats. This is due largely to the image of the Rat as a rodent, a vermin, and a carrier of disease in Western culture. In Asian cultures, the Rat has a much different image, one that I would like to encourage. The Rat of Chinese Cosmology was well known to farmers as the “Grain Rat.” Grain Rats would appear with the harvest, and so in Asia, the Rat has always been associated with prosperity, wealth, resources, and with the rewards of diligent hard work. In many forms of Asian Lore, the Rat is the God of Wealth, and Rat Years in Asia are considered auspicious and expected to be profitable in every sense of the word. That being said, the symbol of wealth is important and often glossed over. People are all too quick to associate wealth with money, especially Americans. Understanding wealth, however, is essential to understanding Rat Qi. What is wealth? In short, wealth is resources—material, food, energy, land, intelligence, etc, and money is an abstract symbol measuring these tangible/demonstrable realities. And why are resources important to the Rat? Because they are tiny. Individually, Rats are small and not very strong, and so they always appear in groups and work together to mange resources to their advantage. Together Rats can undermine an entire building by gnawing and nibbling away at the foundation piece by piece. For this reason, Rat Qi represents the fact that all humans must make alliances. Alone, we can’t do much, but together, we can accomplish anything. In the Chinese View, individuals are pretty much redundant. It is only through alliances that we do anything. No person ever did anything great. Period. Our culture exalts heroes, saints, sports stars, and so on, but all sports heroes play on a team. So Rat Qi is the antithesis of American Individualism, for it views social life as central to existence and represents the human virtue of community in the most basic sense. Sociability is required to survive, and no person is special. This is a “Rat realization. Rat Qi, in a sense, stands for the little guy, the underdog, the meek, and the unacknowledged, and it abhors the abuse of the strong over the weak. The Character Piglet from Winnie the Pooh represents this virtue of the small, and there is a popular book on this very subject. Because the Rat is small, it must band together with others, and it must value resources. Rat Qi represents a fundamental insight into the nature and value of “things,” appearances, stuff—the resources that compose the world. And in order to work with resources Rat must take them apart. Not to analyze (that’s Rooster), but to make it small enough to carry. Rat Qi represents the most “zoomed in” quality to life—the Rat is very close to everything and sees how everything works, how everything is composed, sort of like a magnifying glass or microscope. The impulse to “zoom in” in order to understand is a Rat impulse. The impulse to take apart, dismantle, and dissect are also Rat impulses, again not to analyze but simply to observe, look closely, and take in the details. Modern science is very Rat, and I in fact know many Rat scientists. Academia, in general, is very Rat like, especially the kind that involves footnotes. Rat Qi probes, inquires, and studies in order to make sense of the overwhelming amount of data we perceive through the senses. Rat power breaks everything down in to bite sized manageable pieces. This ability allows for incredible “productivity” in the Western sense, and as such, Rats are very capable. A recent trip to India was mostly being organized by Tigers (myself included), and of course, like all things run by Tigers, we had great vision and inspiration but terrible follow through. As soon as our Rat friends Wendy and Kanika joined, all the pieces came together and everything, little by little, was organized. They made the trip happen in a way I could not even comprehend. For me, this was a great lesson in Rat Qi. Wendy saw everything in pieces and was able to manage the variables amidst the chaos of India. Every Character has their place—Tigers need the little bits managed so they can be enigmatic, so they can shine and dazzle and then disappear. If things were left to Tigers, we would have amazing creative visions, but little would ever happen. Tiger Qi throws out a hundred big ideas, but Rat Qi narrows everything down to something we can actually do. Rat Qi makes the world go ‘round as a kind of engineering force discovered through observation and activated from of a kind of nervous compulsion. Rat Qi sees that everything is constantly falling apart, and someone needs to pick up the pieces. Rats (the animals) tend to have big bulging eyes, and they make short, quick, twitchy movements. Rat Qi has a nervous quality due to its constant observation, evaluating safety, taking stock. The observant quality of Rat Qi applies to all areas of life. Rat’s acute observation makes them incredibly studious, industrious, clever, and insightful. In essence, Rat Qi is the wisdom of the compound nature of things, that everything is composed of pieces ad infinitum. This wisdom communicates that everything compound is impermanent, which is the source of Rat’s power and fear. Seeing into the compound nature of everything, Rat Qi seeks to work with reality as it is which can turn fear into insight. Yang Water when depleted clings when things fall apart, but when energized it can actively let go, Water representing dissolution and Yang being the active principal. Rat Qi represents the beginning of the Cycle emerging from Pig Qi, which is why I began with Pig. If Pig represents complete dissolution, everything falling apart, Rat Qi represents everything coming back into fragments, still dissolute but active, the dust cloud settling, and everything coming back into focus, starting over. Pig is the final blowout, the party, the big bang, and Rat is left to pick up the pieces. Pig parties through the night, and Rat picks up the beer bottles and cigarette butts the morning after. Rat Qi can therefore manifest as a kind of hard boiled responsibility to “clean up” the world. Rat Qi, embodied in individuals, is first and foremost charming. As astute social observers, Rats make fantastic actors, mimics, and they love being center stage, especially when they can play at being someone else. Other people are resources, so Rat charm is a kind of social power and is often their greatest resource in life. Rat Qi is fundamentally social/community oriented and cooperative but more in the sense of making things happen than out of pure enjoyment. That being sad, Rats are fun loving and funny, and they often possess a rye kind of wit derived from their social observations. Rat Qi is and methodical and “detail oriented.” Many of the professions we value in our culture are very “Rat.” Engineering, accounting, “I-T,” consulting, what we can call information work, anything that requires manipulating data, money, or numbers, moving around bits and pieces, filling out spread sheets and forms—all of this is Rat work, busy work, and it goes to show that our culture actually exalts and highly values Rat Intelligence, which is incomprehensible to some Characters. Math and the sciences—chemistry, physics, biology, and western medicine are also very Rat like, what we can call reductionist disciplines. Rat Qi revels in detail. And although I have mentioned science and math, Rat Qi can be wonderfully artistic. Rats can spend hours painting and penciling in details, focusing in and fleshing out pattern, shade, and texture. A famous architect once said, “God is in the details;” this is a very Rat sentiment. Shakespeare, in theory, was a Rat, and he invented thousands of words by taking existing words apart and putting then putting them back together in new formations, words like auspicious, sanctimonious, and multitudinous. Shakespeare also exemplified the poetic nature of Rat insight. Rat Qi also exemplifies the Chinese Virtue of industry, diligence, and perseverance. Imagine you’re on a long journey and come across a mountain in your path. Some characters might go around; some might climb to the top heroically overcoming obstacles; some might wax philosophical and never go anywhere. Rat Qi might get a shovel and carve a path through the mountain one shovel-full at a time. You may laugh at such an approach, but Rat Qi can actually move mountains in this fashion. At its best, Rat Qi is diligent and patient. Perhaps your family lost everything in a war, exiled to a foreign land with nothing. So the family bands together and starts a small dry cleaning business. For three generations the family perseveres and eventually builds back their fortune. This is Rat work ethic—eventually the little things pay off. Since Rats are famously discrete and frugal, they can manage resources, money, and make a little go a long way. As you can imagine, the virtues of Rat Qi have their opposites. Rat charm and social observation can turn to nervousness and complaining, seeing endless faults and problems in themselves and others. Rat Qi can be self-conscious, worried about appearance, nit picky, and overly critical of details. At its core, Rat Qi is very susceptible to the fear of impermanence, deficiency, and loss, which can turn to a panic over resources. This can turn to scheming, manipulating situations, people, things, money, and so on, in order to create safety, security. This can also turn to stinginess and selfishness, and Rats are often stereotyped as hoarders, living in clutter, developing strong attachment to possessions. Rat can turn cowardly, afraid to take risks. Rats can easily become overwhelmed with details and so become paralyzed, over analyzing and never taking action. “But…wait!” is a very Rat response. Rat Qi can feel small in a big scary world. Alone Rat Qi is vulnerable. Without a nest--resources, friends, partners, family, or a support system, Rats are at their weakest and can wander, felling lost and depressed. Rat Qi when charged can be an immense ability to focus, but depleted, the close in quality of Rat Qi can turn fidgety, restless; it can turn to over-concentration and a racing mind, endlessly thinking, reevaluating, second guessing, a kind of mono-focus or tunnel vision that can obsess. Because Rat Qi is fragmented, Rats have the ability to compartmentalize their experience. They can put memories, feelings, thoughts, emotions, and so on into categories and boxes. If traumatized, this compartmentalization can become detached, unemotional, and unable to connect to whatever they lock up. The fundamental impulse of Rat Qi is to make sense of the world. Rat Qi represents active dissolution, characterized by Yang Water, what we can call “activated impermanence,” a primal fear which can easily turn spiritual, and I have met many Rats with a strong spiritual bent. Rat spiritual insight awakens through deep observation, breaking down appearances. Buddhist Logic, I find, is a very Rat like spiritual discipline, teasing, taking apart concepts and ideas in order to show their relativity. This observant quality of the Rat is available to all of us every Rat Month, which is in the beginning of winter, every Rat Day, and every Rat Hour, which is between 11pm and 1am. Rat Hour is the most active part of the early night, a time when we dissect and tease apart the fragments of the day in dream. I hope you enjoyed this exposition of Rat Qi. Stay tuned; in the next installment, I will explore the nature of Ox and Yin Earth.  The Chinese Tradition uses animals to communicate complex ideas and has since the beginning of their culture. The first important clan to take charge among the myriad tribes of East Asia was called the Bear Clan, and most tribal people associated with a particular animal as their Ancestral/Tribal symbol. Animals were a common part of everyday life; everyone was familiar with them, for certain animals have lived with humans since forever.
The Ox, for example, has been happily domesticated for over 12,000 years. So it is not a stretch to think of a person in terms of an Ox. The Ox Clan, perhaps, came from the swampy regions of southern China and was the first to domesticate the ox/water buffalo and so identified with them. The history of the Chinese Animal Zodiac is really a connection to our human nomadic, tribal, shamanic, and agricultural history which is far, far older than anything we know today. Humans and animals go together because humans are animals. The Chinese Astrological vocabulary settled on 28 Animals to represent the constellations of their lunar cycle. For example, I am writing this on the day of the Leopard Constellation, and there was once a Leopard Clan. Among these 28, the Chinese eventually settled on 12 as iconic. These twelve animal characters eventually became the 12 Earthly Branches, which are well known throughout the world. I have been reluctant to write about these because so much has already been written. Most books on Chinese Astrology cover the 12 Animals and not much else. And while most of these books are fine, they are often too general to be helpful, and they often focus on the Animals solely in terms of personality traits. I think I can do a little better. I have already explained the significance of Qi Character in my New Year’s blog, so rather than repeat myself, I will simply jump in. And rather than focus too much on personality, my goal here is to describe the essential impulse that characterizes each of the 12 Animals as well as describe them in terms of human characteristics. Of course, I as a Tiger, so I interpret the 12 from a Tiger lens. But to the best of my ability, I would like to describe these as I have come to understand them. I often describe Qi Character as a kind of impulse, a pattern, a set of tendencies that can manifest as a wide variety of personalities. Of course, not everyone born in an Ox year has the same personality. But Chinese Astrology would say everyone born in an Ox year would have the same character, meaning you all share something in common. Each of the 12 Animals has 5 elemental flavors, which can make them quite different. The 5 Tigers, for example, are very different. So there are 60 all together. In order to get to 60 though, first we have to understand the basic impulse of the 12. If you want to know what makes your Elemental Qi Character unique, get an Astrology Reading. Usually, the series begins with the Rat, but since that has been done to death, I would like to begin from the end with Pig in honor of Liu Ming, who was a Fire Pig. I was born under the House or Pig Constellation, so although it is not part of my Qi Character, Pig is my totemic protector and has a lot to do with who I am. Pig (Hai) Qi The Natural Element of Pig is Yin Water—dissolution, death, collapse, return, resolve, completion, the end, and in my eyes, it makes sense to begin with the end for the very reason that there is no end in the Chinese View. No start makes sense without stop. Liu Ming once described the Western notion of death as annihilation to his Daoist teacher, and he replied, “stop…you stop! Tell me, how do you stop?” In other words, the very meaning of Cyclical Time is that nothing stops, everything cycles, but things do appear to stop because they have to in order to appear to start, relatively speaking. And Pig Qi is the expression and character associated with this dissolution into “don’t know.” In order for things to appear fresh and new, they must appear to come from nothing, from “don’t know.” Our fear of death could be allayed if only we could remember our Immortality, but if we had to remember our past lives, this life would seem an insufferable bore. So in the cycle of time Yin Water, Pig Qi, is the dissolution that allows for wonder and newness. What is the nature of things as they fall apart and dissolve? Turns out, it’s a celebration. The Pig Character in the Chinese View, despite being characterized by Yin Water, by this dissolution, is the party animal. Pig is the party at the end of the cycle, the warmth of homecoming and the gathering around the hearth. The Chinese written character for home includes the character for Pig, and of all the Characters, Pig is considered the most domestic, associated with the comforts of home. Wealth in Chinese culture was often measured by the number of Pigs you owned, for Pigs were the mainstay of the Chinese diet, along with cabbage and of course rice. Pigs are seen as “the great transformers,” able to turn garbage into sweet white meat. The wild boar mother is considered one of the fiercest animals alive, for she is the only animal (besides humans) who will sacrifice her life for her children, hurling herself in front of Tigers and the like. As such, Pigs are considered the ultimate protectors, associated with the power and wrath of the feminine—the energy of momma bear, and originally the Pig was related to the Bear in Chinese Cosmology, associated with the Big Dipper and the House Constellation of the Northern Palace. Pig Qi itself, embodied in human individuals, is this impulse to let go, to release all conceptualization (Metal) into direct experience through the senses (Water). In one sense, Yin Water represents emptiness, but it does so in the Buddhist sense as the emptiness of our concepts, not our direct experience. The experience of Pig Qi, then, is actually the fullness of life beyond conceptualization. Pig Character seeks fullness/completion through the senses. Our senses offer us the most direct experience of life; our body is how we know reality. Pigs, then, see and experience everything material, physical, and manifest to the senses as art, as food, as the reason we come into being. If you were to ask a Pig—why are people born? They may respond—food! And this is not shallow. Perhaps the only reason the universe manifests is so you can enjoy the taste of ice cream. Losing yourself in the moment is a Pig moment. If no one was looking, a Pig might lick a book rather than read it, and in doing so they would probably get just as much valuable information , for they are the most apt to understand reality through the senses. From the Pig Qi perspective, the complete experience of our senses is realization of the Dao because the senses generate the world. Pig Qi sees the fullness of the manifest world as art, as food, as something to be devoured, savored, and enjoyed. Pig Qi revels in music, food, dance, clothing, painting, and the emotions/feelings they inspire. Pigs collect material items and derive great power/sustenance from them, for objects are not mere symbols but energy. Pigs, therefore, are sensuous Characters who make great chefs, artists, musicians, lovers, and parents/nurtures. Liu Ming was a great chef and devoted much of his life to food as art and medicine, at one point owning a restaurant and a catering company and later teaching Daoist Dietetics. The key word for Pig Qi is honesty. The direct experience of our senses beyond thinking is a kind of honesty. We all wish we could let ourselves enjoy without guilt, but so many of us do feel guilty when we indulge. We overthink, justify, and strategize when it comes to our senses. We “treat” ourselves for hard work, as if enjoyment must be earned through suffering. Pig Qi is enjoyment without guilt. If we’re truly honest, we all want to eat and screw, and sometimes that’s just fine. This honesty manifests as plain-speaking, confessing to deep sensual desire, seeking simplicity. Enjoyment is human honesty. Pigs Qi is blunt and to the point, yet it is also caring and compromising, like a grand-mother who wants to see everyone happy. This grandmother energy of the Pig is associated with the family, and Pig Qi is the very symbol of family life. As part of the “domestic trine,” alongside Goats and Rabbits, Pigs are often homebodies who would rather throw a barbeque and socialize than be alone and meditate. Pig Qi is gregarious; it enjoys people and relating to others, especially through enjoyment. So Pigs are often fun loving and fun seeking. Because Pigs want everyone to be happy and enjoy themselves, they are among the most tolerant and accepting of Characters. Pig Qi (and Ox Qi) is the symbol of tolerance, and so Pigs are often very humanitarian, unselfish, and interested in human rights and dignity. Yin Water, the end of the cycle, has seen it all and done it all and so accepts everything in totality and just wants to have fun. This accepting quality of the Pig is a form of generosity. Pig generosity would give you the shirt its back. As the end of the cycle, Pig Qi represents everything being let go of, given away. If a Pig had only one bowl of soup, they would most likely divide it up and give away spoonfuls so everyone could taste it. And they really want you to taste it and enjoy it in the same way they do. When describing themselves, Pigs may very well describe their favorite food, let’s say strawberries, and in tasting that strawberry, you taste them. Ming once described a fellow Pig he met travelling who kept a journal of all the desserts he tried in each country, for to him these tastes represented the quintessence of his experience. This sensuous nature of the Pig is not stupid however. Pig Qi is the height of eloquence, for they experience words, ideas, and symbols too as food and art, and they revel in finding delicious ways to express and say things in the hope of evoking deep feeling in the body/heart. Liu Ming was like this; he was a gifted speaker, and his talks invoked deep experiential rather than conceptual understanding, as if his wisdom came directly from unmediated experience. Liu Ming was also a great comedian who spent most of his life giggling. Pig Qi is naturally funny, and their humor comes from their honesty. Being honest with ourselves about our selfish desires should make us laugh, and laughing at ourselves is high wisdom. Pig Characters are naturally spiritual, for Pig Qi and Yin Water represent the fluidity, interconnectedness, emotion, and empathy associated with the profundity of chaos, death, and dissolution beyond reckoning. Pig Qi represents the headlong charge into letting go, giving everything away into direct experience. It represents the pure compassion of a wise grandmother, hosting the chaos of youth. Pig Characters are often unstoppable and have a unique kind of aggression. Their fierce and protective character lends to a hardworking nature that stops at nothing to get what it wants. That being said, this struggle feels heroic to the Pig because they share the rewards of their struggle with others and give everything away for the greater good. Pigs often start out aggressive and end up heroes. So far I have been describing the virtue qualities of the Pig, what Pig Qi expresses when it is charged and unrestricted. In astrology sessions, I usually describe the basic qualities of each Qi Character, followed by their elemental influence depending on the year, and then I usually finish by describing their challenges. When we are happy, harmonious, and healthy, we tend to express virtue qualities. When we are depleted, unhappy, and out of balance, we tend to express the more constricted qualities of our Character. Often the depleted Qi qualities are the inverse of each virtue. Pig’s natural experience of the senses can lead to self-indulgence. The image of the Pig is often associated with overeating, and in our culture calling someone a “pig” is very specific. This revelation of the senses and the nature of Yin Water can lead to drugs, drink, risky sex, and depletion through hedonism and self-destruction. The artistic and sensual nature can also become an addiction to comfort and luxury as well as a kind of flamboyance, spending money thoughtlessly on material objects and finery. This comfort seeking can turn to lethargy, laziness, and aimless loafing. Pig Qi is well represented by the character Pig-Pen from Charlie Brown, a disheveled kind of dust cloud associated with a lack of care. The desire for material objects can also turn greedy towards a selfish secretiveness that strives to get what it wants so it can indulge. The generous, accepting, and loving nature of the Pig can easily turn to gullibility. Pigs are the most likely to trust and can be easily duped, likely to give everything away to the first stranger with a sad story. Their honesty expects honesty, and so Pigs may believe everything you tell them. And they can be generous to a fault, giving everything away until they have nothing. Pig tolerance can turn to long suffering abuse. Known as “great transformers,” out of all the Characters, Pigs (and Oxen) can take the most abuse and are likely to stay in bad situations for a long time, especially in domestic situations, and especially because they love so deeply and want to help their abuser. That being said, Pig Qi can handle anything without trauma because Yin Water lets everything go. The Great Transformer can turn any difficulty into enjoyment and humor, and Pigs are able to laugh at the most difficult situations. Finally, the eloquence of the Pig can turn to what is commonly known as “Pig Headedness.” Pigs can be forceful, aggressive, argumentative, and can hold very strong opinions. Their honesty in speech can also get them into trouble, for they are likely to say anything despite the consequences. Liu Ming in his own words often “shot from the hip,” and he was quite ruthless in his straightforwardness. Although I have described Pig in terms of characteristics, I want to insist again that this is Qi, which is time in Astrology. These descriptions and any of the 11 that follow represent the patterning and expression of Qi during specific time periods. These qualities of the Pig are available for everyone during Pig years, months, days, and hours. Pig Hour is between 9-11 pm and is the time for relaxation, sex, and sleep, all very “piggy” experiences. And this time of day naturally tends towards these activities; it is common for a party to begin in the Pig Hour, for example. A person born during Pig Years and Hours naturally express these qualities, but Pig Qi is available to everyone. I hope you enjoyed this exposition of the Pig. Stayed tuned for the next in the cycle when I examine Rat Qi. |
Tiger's Play--the View Teachings of Chinese AstrologyThis page is your source for pithy articles on the view teachings of Chinese Astrology. Here, I will share everything I have learned about how to follow Astrology as a spiritual path. Archives
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