Chinese zodiacThe Chinese zodiac is a traditional classification scheme based on the Chinese calendar that assigns an animal and its reputed attributes to each year in a repeating twelve-year cycle. Originating from China, the zodiac and its variations remain popular in many East Asian and Southeast Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan, Cambodia, and Thailand.
Branche terrestrevignette|260px|Luopan simple composé des branches terrestres et des points cardinaux. Les douze branches terrestres, également appelées rameaux terrestres (en chinois : 地支, dìzhī, ou 十二支, shí èr zhī « douze branches ») sont un ancien système chinois et turcs de mesure du temps qui fut ensuite associé aux douze animaux du zodiaque chinois. Il était également utilisé comme système de points cardinaux. Ce système se couplait avec les dix tiges célestes pour former le calendrier sexagésimal utilisé encore de nos jours en astrologie chinoise et dans certaines disciplines du feng shui.
Astrologie chinoiseL'astrologie chinoise ( ; ; ou ) repose sur des notions astronomiques et calendaires traditionnelles fondées sur un cycle de douze années représentées par autant d'animaux, souvent associés aux rameaux terrestres (). Ces douze animaux-signes () apparaissent dans l'ordre suivant : Rat ou Souris ; Bœuf ou Vache ou Buffle d’Asie ; Tigre ; Lapin ou Chat ; Dragon ; Serpent (Petit Dragon à l'oral) ; Cheval ; Chèvre ou Bélier ; Singe ; Coq ou Phoenix ; Chien ; Cochon ou Sanglier ou Éléphant.
Dragon (astrologie chinoise)The Dragon, also known as Loong, () is the fifth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. The Year of the Dragon is associated with the Earthly Branch symbol 辰, pronounced chen. It has been proposed by one academic researcher that the Earthly Branch character may have been associated with scorpions; it may have symbolized the star Antares. In the Buddhist calendar used in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Sri Lanka, the Dragon is replaced by the nāga.
Buffle (astrologie chinoise)The Ox (牛) is the second of the 12-year periodic sequence (cycle) of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar, and also appears in related calendar systems. The Chinese term translated here as ox is in Chinese niú (牛), a word generally referring to cows, bulls, or neutered types of the bovine family, such as common cattle or water buffalo. The zodiacal ox may be construed as male, female, neutered, hermaphroditic, and either singular or plural.
