According to Chinese legend and folklore, the animals quarreled to see who should lead the Zodiac cycle. To establish the order of the Chinese Zodiac, the gods decided to hold a race. The animal that reached the opposite side of the river first would lead the Chinese Zodiac cycle; the rest of the animals would receive their position in the cycle according to their finish. All the animals lined up on the bank of a river and were given the task of getting to the opposite bank. The animals order in the Chinese Zodiac Calendar would be determined by the order in which they reached the other river bank.
The Race:
Being afraid of water, the cat contemplated how it would get across the river. At the same time, the ox/buffalo was trying to figure out how it would cross with its poor eyesight. The calculating rat suggested to the cat that they jump onto the ox’s back and help guide him across. Being steady and hard-working, the ox did not notice the commotion brewing on his back. While crossing the river on the ox’s back, the rat snuck up behind the unsuspecting cat and pushed him into the river. As the ox came ashore, the rat jumped off its back onto the bank and finished the race first. And so the rat got the first year named after him, the ox got the second year, and so on; the lazy pig ended up as the last year in the cycle. The cat finished too late to win any place in the Zodiac Calendar, and vowed to be the enemy of the rat forevermore.
The Twelve animals (十二生肖: shí’èr shēngxiào, or colloquially 十二屬相: shí’èr shǔxiàng) representing the twelve Earthly Branches are, in order, the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep (or goat), monkey, rooster, dog, and pig (or boar).
As well as the twelve animal signs, Chinese astrology also incorporates five elements – metal, water, wood, fire, and earth – with each element combining with an animal symbol in sixty year cycles. Dragons born in 2012 will be a water dragon.
The Black Water Snake 蛇 (2013):
The Snake symbolize such character traits as intuitive, philosophical, altruistic, honorable, amiable, compromising, fun-loving, sympathetic, charitable, introspective, refined, and a paragon of fashion. Water Snakes have the ability to read complicated situation quickly in a controlled manner which is good for business. They’re thinkers who like to live well and enjoy books, music, clothes, and fine food; but with all their fondness for the good things of life, innate elegance gives them a dislike for frivolities and foolish talk.
Equivalent Western Sign: Taurus
Lucky Numbers: 1, 2, 4, 6, 13, 24, 42, 46
Element: Fire – Color: Red
Yin/Yang: Yang – Direction: South-South-East
Famous Snake People:
Brad Pitt, Brooke Shields, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Dionne Warwick, Oprah Winfrey, Kim Basinger, Randy Crawford, Dean Martin, Greta Garbo, Art Garfunkel, Audrey Hepburn, Paul Hogan, Liz Hurley, Carole King, Robert Mitchum, Mike Oldfield, Ryan O’Neal, Dorothy Parker, Virginia Woolf, Susannah York.