The Story of the Twelve Zodiac Animals — Personalities and Compatibility
The zodiac animal is East Asia's most familiar form of fortune-telling. The culture of gauging someone's age and temperament from a single question — 'What's your zodiac sign?' — has endured for a long time. The twelve animals are not mere symbols; they connect directly to the twelve earthly branches (Jiji) we learned about earlier.
How the twelve signs were fixed
The twelve zodiac animals pair the twelve branch characters — Ja, Chuk, In, Myo, Jin, Sa, O, Mi, Sin, Yu, Sul, Hae — with the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig respectively. The animal that corresponds to the branch of the year you were born becomes your zodiac sign. As each year passes it advances in order, and the same sign comes around every twelve years. Note that whether the sign's boundary falls on January 1 of the solar calendar, on Ipchun, or on the lunar New Year differs by tradition; maiunse calculates it based on the lunar New Year (the first of the first lunar month).
Each animal, a different temperament
Each sign carries personality symbolism built up over long ages. The rat is clever and quick; the ox is diligent and persistent; the tiger is brave and commanding. The rabbit is gentle and delicate; the dragon is dignified with lofty ideals; the snake is wise and prudent. The horse is active and free; the sheep is warm-hearted and artistic; the monkey is witty and flexible. The rooster is industrious and meticulous; the dog is loyal and honest; and the pig is said to be generous and blessed with good fortune.
Three harmonies — the three signs that click best
The heart of zodiac compatibility is the 'three harmonies (samhap, 三合).' The twelve signs are grouped into three sets of four, and signs within the same harmony are seen to share goals and temperament, creating synergy together. Monkey-rat-dragon (the Water bureau), tiger-horse-dog (the Fire bureau), snake-rooster-ox (the Metal bureau), and pig-rabbit-sheep (the Wood bureau) each form one harmony. In romance, business, and friendship, the three harmonies are read as bonds that fit well over the long run.
Six unions and clashes — attraction and collision
Beyond the three harmonies, the 'six unions (yukhap, 六合),' in which two signs form a pair, are a relationship of easy attraction — stable, with little friction. Conversely, the six pairs that face each other head-on are called 'clashes (chung, 沖)': their temperaments are polar opposites and prone to collision, yet for that very reason they can be relationships that spur each other to grow. Signs six positions (six 'hours') apart — like rat and horse, ox and sheep, tiger and monkey — form the clashing pairs. A clash is not necessarily bad; understand the difference and it becomes a strong bond.
Samjae — the three-year cycle of caution
The 'samjae (三災),' which comes up often in zodiac fortune, is a traditional notion that within the twelve years there is a particular three-year span to be careful. Each harmony group has fixed years in which samjae falls, so the three years run as the entering year (deul-samjae), the staying year (nul-samjae), and the leaving year (nal-samjae). Take samjae as a signal to avoid big changes and reckless decisions and to look after your body and mind.
The zodiac sign is age-old wisdom for reading each other's temperament and bonds, beyond mere age. If you're curious about this year's flow for your sign and your compatibility with someone on your mind, check it right below.