HINDU ASTROLOGY VERSUS CHINESE ASTROLOGY

Hindu Astrology and Chinese Astrology are two oldest forms of ancient art which have their own peculiarities. The main difference in them is in their way of approach. Indian Astrology is also known as or Jyotish Shastra or Vedic Astrology which  comprises  of Phalita (astrology) and Ganita (astronomy). In Vedic astrology, the position of planets and constellations is used for calculations and predictions. To understand the differences between Indian and Chinese astrology, you need to first understand the primary concept on which they are based. Let’s begin with Indian Astrology

Hindu Astrology

The Hindu Astrology concept is based primarily on the Zodiac signs. According to Indian Astrology, the Zodiac Wheel is divided into 12 equal sections of 30 degrees each. The Zodiac signs are also referred as Rashis. The 12 Zodiac Signs and their Sanskrit names

The 12 Rashis are further divided into 27 Nakshatras (constellations) each with a span of 13.20° .The 27 Nakshatras are – Ashwini, Krittika, Bharani, Rohini, Aridra, Mrigashira, Punarvasu, Ashlesha, Pushya, Magha, Uttara Phalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Swati, Poorva Phalguni, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyestha, Purva Ashadha, Sravana, Moola, Dhanishta, Bhadra, Uttar Ashadha, Satabisha, Purva Uttara Bhadra, and Revati.

In Hindu Astrology there are around 16 types of horoscopes also known as “Shodashvarga”. Each horoscope represents a different aspect of human life. The different types of horoscopes are as follows-

• Lagan, or Rashi or Birth chart -> All aspects of human life
• Hora or 1/2 of a sign -> Wealth
• Drekkana or 1/3^rd of a sign-> Siblings
• Chaturthamsha or 1/4^th of a sign -> Fixed Assets and Destiny.
• Saptamsha or 1/7^th of a sign -> Progeny.
• Navamsa or 1/9^th of a sign -> Spouse.
• Dashamsa or 1/10^th of a sign -> Profession and Career
• Dwadashamsha or 1/12^th of a sign -> Parents.
• Shodashamsha or 1/16^th of a sign -> Conveyance.
• Vimshamsha or 1/20^th of a sign -> Spiritual Progress.
• Chaturvimshamsha or 1/24^th of a sign -> Knowledge.
• Saptavimshamsha or 1/27^th of a sign -> Strength.
• Trimshamsha or 1/30^th of a sign -> Characteristics and Misfortunes.
• Khavedamsha or 1/40^th of a sign -> Auspicious and Inauspicious effects.
• Akshavedamsha or 1/45^th of a sign -> all areas of life.
• Shashtyamsha or 1/60^th of a sign -> all general effects.

Elements in Hindu Astrology

According to Vedic Astrology, the planets are filtered by four elements- Earth, Water, Fire, and Air where each element is related to a specific function

• Earth – Body and Matter
• Water- Emotions
• Air – Mind and Intellect
• Fire – Intuition and Spirit

Now that you know the main classification, and the concept of Indian Astrology, let’s learn same things about Chinese Astrology.

Chinese Astrology

The main difference between Chinese and Indian astrology is the Zodiac signs. In Indian astrology, the Zodiac signs are Sun signs whereas in Chinese astrology the Zodiac signs are represented by different animals. The different animals that represent Zodiac signs in Chinese Astrology are- Pig, Rooster, Rat, Tiger, Ox, Horse, Dog, Monkey, Sheep, Snake, Rabbit, And Dragon.

The zodiac wheel in Chinese Astrology has a repeating cycle of 12 years where each year is marked by a specific animal and its reputed attributes. The Chinese have a single 60-year calendar which follows a 12-year cycle.

According to Chinese Astrology, your Zodiac sign is decided by the year of birth. For example, the year 2017 was the year of Rooster and the year 2018 is the year of the Dog. The characteristics associated with Zodiac signs help in making a generalization of the traits and characteristics of an individual. If you want to know the Chinese Zodiac sign as per year of birth, refer the table given below.

• Rooster: 1969, 1981, 1993,2005, 2017,
• Dog: 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006 and 2018
• Pig: 1971, 1983, 1995, 2007,2019
• Rat: 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, 2008
• Ox: 1961, 19731985, 1997, , 2009
• Tiger: 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010,
• Rabbit: 1963, 1975, 19871999, , 2011,
• Dragon: 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000, 2012
• Monkey: 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016
• Goat: 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003, 2015
• Horse: 1966, 1978, 1990, , 2002, 2014
• Snake: 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013

You may wonder why the Chinese Zodiac signs are represented by animals. One of the reasons might be these animals are closely related to daily lives of Chinese people. Animals like dog, pig, rooster, goat, horse, and ox are main domestic animals while animals like monkey, snake, dragon, rabbit, tiger, and rat are loved by Chinese people.

Besides the difference in Zodiac signs, the division of the Zodiac Sign is also a significant difference between two.  In Indian Astrology is Zodiac wheel division is monthly while in Chinese Zodiac wheel the division of signs is yearly.

Though you know each Chinese zodiac signs represent a year, many people do not know each hour is also associated with a Chinese zodiac sign. The characteristic of a person is more determined by the birth hour and less by the birth year. Here is the 12-hour chart and the corresponding Chinese zodiac sign

Now that you know individual characteristics, classifications, and the concept of Chinese Astrology, let’s understand the primary differences between Hindu and Chinese Astrology.

Primary differences between Hindu and Chinese Astrology

Wrapping Up

The Chinese and Hindu Astrology are ancient and tested methods of Astrology. They have been used and practiced by people for hundreds of years to know what is stored in the future. Even in the digital age, many people successfully use both ancient sciences to find answers to complex questions in their life. There is no doubt the Hindu Astrology and Chinese Astrology play a major role in lives of people even today.