What it's All About:
It's totally different from the astrology that we all learned when we first started paganism and in school. There is a story behind why Chinese Astrology is the way it is. I will talk about that, what symbol means and more.
Songs Featured:
Rats are Following by Elvenking
Black Snake by Pandemonean
Down the Rabbit Hole by Fay Brotherhood
Luck Is A Jade by Cynthia McQuillin
The Dragon by Elvendrum
Links Mentioned:
Spirit Guide of the Week:
Jade Emperor
Dream Symbol: (There are two)
Kick
Purse
Transcript
(04:45)
Welcome to another episode of the Music From the Goddess’ Vault. I am your host, Midnight Starr. What you heard was “The Rats are Following” by Elvenking. Today’s show is all about Chinese Astrology. By the way, I just received a message on Facebook from Harold Carter the Third. He thanked me for playing his song "R U Witchy 2" on the last show. Once again, thank you very much Harold for your message. But first, if you haven’t done this yet, check out the blog. Its goddess vault one dot wixsite dot com forward slash home. Go ahead and let me know what you think of it and this show. And you can even listen to this podcast on the website. If you can, please share this podcast via Twitter, Facebook, goddess vault one dot wixsite dot com forward slash home, or wherever you can talk to everyone you know.
Now for the topic: Chinese Astrology. This is the year of the Ox. I was born in the year of the Ox. You already know that Chinese Astrology is quite different from the Western one that we all learned. But like the latter, there is more to it than meets the eye. I’ll explain more about Chinese Astrology after you hear “Black Snake'' by Pandemonean.
(09:46)
Before I go on, there is a fable about how the Chinese Zodiac came into being. I will explain that later. For now, the real history behind this exciting astrology. It first appeared in the Zhan Guo period, around the fifth century B.C. However, there are scholars that debate that Chinese Astrology started much earlier than that. As you know, it is still commonly used today. This zodiac became popular in the Han Dynasty, between 206 B.C. to 9 A.D. This is based on Western Astrology; the only difference is that twelve animals represent the year you were born, not the month and day. Each of these animals represents a different year. For example, if you were born in 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, and so on, you were born in the year of the rat. As you can see, Chinese Astrology goes in a 12-year cycle. The reason for this cycle has to do with the lunar calendar itself. And you know that it means that it follows the cycles of the moon. Not only does modern Chinese Astrology count the years, but the month, day, and hour that you were born. As you see, like the Western Zodiac, it does get complicated. This form of Astrology is based on the Chinese philosophy of achieving the optimal balance and harmony of us on the earth and the physical world we are surrounded by. I will later explain each of the animals in this zodiac. First, here’s a tune from Fay Brotherhood - “Down the Rabbit Hole.”
(15:03)
It's time for the spirit guide of the week. For this week’s spirit guide, I am going to China to talk about the Jade Emperor. He’s the Celestial Emperor, ruler of the world. A very important spirit in the Chinese Pantheon. He’s also known by many names, including “Heavenly Duke.”
The Jade Emperor rules over lesser deities. He does keep track of every human life on earth by networking with lesser spirits. His name translates to “Superior Emperor.” The Jade Emperor is also married to the Celestial Queen. He was believed to have been a prince in ancient China. When the Jade Emperor was a child, he was helping the needy. As he grew, he showed respect and benevolence to both creatures and men. The Jade Emperor made sure that his kingdom was peaceful and content. He plays a significant role in daily Chinese life. It is also true around Chinese New Year. It is when the Jade Emperor is said to judge the character of everyone over the past year. And that he punishes or rewards people accordingly. I can’t find anything for what you can offer the Jade King on your altar. So you are on your own. That is it for now. Stay tuned for another spirit guide of the week.
(18:43)
That was “Luck is a Jade by Cynthia McQuillin. I am going to talk about each of the 12 Chinese Zodiac signs. I’m not going to mention the year they represent. You can google that on your own. The first one is the year of the rat. People born under this sign can adapt to different circumstances. If you were born under this sign, you set clear goals in life and your career. Rat people love to save money and are thrifty. You have an easygoing personality and are always cheerful. People born in the year of the rat are friendly and can liven up a party.
The year of the Ox. Us ox people are persistent. We are slow at first, but with good planning, we overcome obstacles to finish a task. We are hard workers with responsibilities, which is why the people who we work with praise us. We ox people may lack in the romance department because we are not that great in expressing our emotions or communication. But we are pleased to be around. Tiger. People born under this sign are very independent and have high self-esteem. If you were under this sign that makes you a great leader. You love to be in positions of authority. You are very ambitious in achieving your career goals. Even though sometimes you make bad decisions, you might fall, but you will never give up. You are very faithful and will fight with whatever injustices there are in the world. And you might be sometimes impatient and likes to argue with others. The year of the rabbit. People born under this sign are quiet and polite. If you were born under this sign, you are an intelligent moderator in any family discussion. You are a gentle and patient parent. You rabbit people are loyal and dedicated to your significant other. As with friends, you are kind, polite, and honest. You are very professional and have great attention to detail at work. The year of the dragon. If you were born under this sign, you are an ambitious dreamer who seeks adventure and romance. You are very energetic and enthusiastic. However, when there is a setback, you get discouraged and give up. And you dragon people love to be the center of attention in any social situation. Snake. If you were born under this sign, you’re an idealist. You snake people have a strong will and a clear plan to reach your goals. You are also passionate when you are with your best friends but calm and indifferent to strangers. You love to spend money on luxuries. You are very reluctant when you start a relationship. That is because you are unsure of that person at first. And it irks you when you can’t understand someone. The year of the horse. If you are born under this sign, you’re not one to surrender to anything. You love social activity and are popular among people because of your easygoing, cheerful, and energetic nature. You horse people make a lot of friends because you are very active and talkative. You have a strong desire to express yourself but have a hard time taking in other people’s ideas. You’re very good at sports. And you enjoy a luxurious life but cannot save any money to afford it. The sheep or goat, depending on where you get your information. If you are born under this sign, you have a gentle and kind heart. You also tend to be shy and indecisive at times. You would need a partner or a friend who is strong-willed in work and life. You are generous to help a friend out if they have any problems. Hey, you love to give to any charity you choose. And you sheep or goat people are very family-oriented. The year of the monkey. If you were born under this sign, you are very intelligent. You are also devoted to your work and are interested in things that you like. You are also content with your marriage and family life. As for friends, you are frank, sincere, and always willing to help. And you monkey people love adventure and seek free and easy life full of new discoveries. Rooster. If you were born under this sign, you are very intuitive in what others are thinking and feeling. It is what makes you popular with other people. You have clear plans as to what the future will bring to you. However, sometimes you set impossible goals, and because of that, you are quick-tempered. You are also keen on beautifying yourself and your home with colors. You love to joke around and are interested in adventure and travel. Plus, you rooster people love to plan everything carefully. The year of the dog. If you are born under this sign, you are loyal and have a strong sense of justice. You like to help and serve others. You have a clear mindset, but you lack any expression. You are a wonderful friend to other people, but it will take you a long while to be best friends with them. It is because you are introverted and just being cautious. And finally, Pig. If you were born under this sign, you’re a logical thinker and can fix anything. At work, you pay attention to whatever tasks you are doing. You are warm-hearted, outgoing, and have lots of friends. If you have difficulties with anything, you always have a friend to help you with that. However, trusting others at times might make you fall into a trap. I apologize for this segment to be long. If you are interested in learning more about Chinese Astrology, there are tons of books and information on it on the web. Here is “The Dragon” by Elvendrum.
(27:53)
Here's a dream symbol to interpret. Again there are two in this week’s dream symbol. They are Kick and purse. If you dreamt that you kicked someone, it denotes you suppressing your anger and cannot express it in your waking life. If you had a dream where you kicked something, then it means that you are distancing yourself from some situation. If you dreamt that you kicked down a door or a wall, it represents determination. To dream that you are being kicked is telling you that you are being taken advantage of. If in your dreams you see or carry a purse, it means closely guarded secrets, thoughts, and desires. If you dreamt that someone gives you a new purse, that signifies that you will be receiving some good luck or fortune. To dream that you lost your purse implies that you lost control and power. If you had a dream where you lost your purse but found the contents that tell you about what is inside, that counts and is important. If you dreamt that you find a purse, it means a renewed sense of self. And to dream that you see an empty purse, it's telling you of feelings of vulnerability and insecurity. That is it for this week's dream symbol. If you want a dream for me to interpret, and maybe have a dream symbol featured, the contact information will be mentioned at the end of this show.
(31:52)
Here's another myth. This next tale is not from Folktext; it's from immeqi.com. As I promised, this next story is from China, and it's called “The Great Race.” By the way, the title of the article is “The Great Race - Origins of the Chinese Zodiac.” Cat and Rat were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. Although they were poor swimmers, they were both quite intelligent. To get to the meeting called by the Jade Emperor, they had to cross a river to reach the meeting place. The Jade Emperor had decreed that the years on the calendar would be named for each animal in the order they arrived at the meeting. Cat and Rat decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to hop on the back of Ox. Ox, being naïve and good-natured, agreed to carry them both across. Midway across the river, Rat pushed Cat into the water. Then as Ox neared the other side of the river, Rat jumped ahead and reached the shore first. So he claimed first place in the competition and the zodiac. Following closely behind was a strong Ox who was named the second animal in the zodiac. After Ox came Tiger, panting while explaining to the Jade Emperor how difficult it was to cross the river with the heavy currents pushing it downstream all the time. But with its mighty strength, Tiger made it to shore and was named the third animal in the cycle. Suddenly, from a distance came a thumping sound, and the Rabbit arrived. It explained how it crossed the river: by jumping from one stone to another in a graceful fashion. Halfway through, it almost lost the race, but the Rabbit was lucky enough to grab hold of a floating log that later washed him to shore. For that, it became the fourth animal in the Zodiac cycle. In fifth place was the Flying Dragon. Of course, the Jade Emperor was deeply curious about why a swift flying creature such as the Dragon should fail to reach first place. The mighty Dragon explained that he had to stop and make rain to help all the people and creatures of the earth, and therefore he was held back. Then, on his way to the finish, he saw a little helpless Rabbit clinging onto a log, so he did a good deed and gave a puff of breath to the poor creature so that it could land on the shore. The Jade Emperor was very pleased with the Dragon's actions, and he was added into the zodiac cycle. As soon as he had done so, a galloping sound was heard, and the Horse appeared. Hidden on the Horse’s hoof was the Snake, whose sudden appearance frightened the Horse, thus making it fall back and giving the Snake the sixth spot, while the Horse placed seventh. Not long after that, a little distance away, the Goat, Monkey, and Rooster came to the shore. These three creatures helped each other to get to where they are. The Rooster spotted a raft and took the other two animals with it. Together, the Goat and the Monkey cleared the weeds, tugged and pulled, and finally got the raft to the shore. Because of their combined efforts, the Emperor was very pleased and promptly named the Goat as the eighth creature, the Monkey as the ninth, and the Rooster the 10th. The 11th animal was the Dog. Although he was supposed to be the best swimmer, he could not resist the temptation to play a little longer in the river. However, his explanation for being late was because he needed a suitable bath after a long spell. For that, he almost didn’t make it to the finish line. Just as the Jade Emperor was about to call it a day, an oink and squeal were heard from a little Pig. The Pig got hungry during the race, promptly stopped for a feast, and then fell asleep. After the nap, the Pig continued the race and was named the 12th animal of the zodiac cycle. The Cat drowned in 13th place and did not make it in the zodiac. It is said that that is the reason why Cats always chase Rats; to get back at them for what they have done.
(39:51)
That was “Dreaming Wild White Horses” by Hagalaz Runedance. Before that, you heard Michelle Mays singing “Snake Woman.” That is it for the show. Again, I am your host, Midnight Starr. If you have a suggestion for a song, show topic, spirit guide, or dream symbol; or you just want to like, share or comment: you can do so at goddess vault one dot wixsite dot com, through Music From the Goddess’ Vault Facebook page, and on Instagram and Twitter at Goddess Vault. I am going to leave you with “The Goat” by Inkubus Sukkubus. Blessed be and be safe.
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