Your Chinese Sign: RAT (“I rule”):
_________________________________
Acquisitiveness
Appeal
Charisma
Guile
Influence
Intellectual skill
Meddling
Nervousness
Sociability
Thirst for power
Thrift
Verbosity
Influence: Yin*
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*ARE THE YIN AND THE YANG QUALITIES TOO?
Yes. In Chinese astrology, yin and yang are qualities. But yin and yang are far more powerful than our qualities because yin and yang are the two major and only forces in the Chinese philosophical universe. For them, everything present in the universe is either yin or else it is yang. Everything. Tables. Chairs. Light bulbs, cousins, aunts, uncles and kitchen sinks!
In a way, yin and yang can be compared, in Western culture, to the application in certain languages of the qualities of “masculine” or “feminine” to inanimate objects or intangible nouns. Though it does not seem to make sense, in French a table is feminine. A log is feminine. A shoe is also feminine. Parks are masculine. Lakes too. Feet are masculine. So are eyes and foreheads. But mouths and even teeth are feminine. Worry is masculine. So are gossip and lipstick and panty hose.
Though we may want to look for sexual significance in the application of gender to nuns, there is none. That’s what makes it so difficult to remember from one language to the next whether a noun is considered masculine or feminine. Is the application of gender to nouns then perfectly arbitrary? Well it must have come from somewhere. But nobody knows exactly how, when or why.
There are no genders in the Chinese language. But, without saying how, when or why, Chinese philosophers can feel whether a thing or a person or an idea is yin or yang. It’s just there. A know fact. Yin is rooted in the sun. Its goal is darkness. Yang is rooted in the Earth. Its goal is light.
Like everything else, each Chinese animal sign is either yin or yang. Rat is yin.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT IS YIN? WHAT IS YANG?
To be perfectly frank, I am not even sure what yin is or what yang means. I have read a lot of books on the subject. Still, the concept is not easy for my logical little occidental head to grasp. Chinese philosophy is complicated even for Chinese people! I’ll be brief.
WHAT IS YIN?
The Chinese say that yin people are mainly interested in what happens in groups. They are frequently preoccupied with the organization of collective or communal events. They are attracted to politics. They are self-confident. They trust nobody. They need success to survive. They worship efficiency. They are always questing after well-being for themselves and for those they love or like. They have good health and long life but may be prone to accidents. They don’t smile a lot. They dress conservatively. They are not spiritual. They love their families. They are material.
They way I see it, yin is open, civilized, interested in the good of others. Yin likes parties, feasts, holidays, sex and anything else that provides it with intense company. Yin is not feminine. But it is sometimes said to be subjective. Yin is active in the world. Other-directed. Public. It is different from and equal to yang.
WHAT IS YANG?
The Chinese say that yang people are loners. They are individualistic. They are meditative. They are spiritual. They smile a lot. They have no sense of groups or family. They have delicate health. They like to dress for show. They eschew chains of command. They love nature. They are nonmaterial. Their only goal in life is personal development. They are objective. They keep their own counsel.
The way I see it, yang is closed, unsociable, private. Yang likes books, music, gardening, long walks or anything that brings him closer to himself and nature. Yang is solitary. Self-directed. Yang’s equilibrium comes from within.
►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄
Chinese astrology, like the rest of life, is really just another rat race. According to legend, many many years ago Buddha summoned all the animals in the kingdom to his side. Only twelve showed up and the rat got there first. To compensate the dozen animals who answered Buddha’s behest, their leader awarded one year of the Chinese calendar to each. As the rat had won the race, he got to have his name on the first out of twelve. How Buddha classed the rest of the animals I don’t know, except that they fall in order. Ox, Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, following the Rat. Each gives his name to a year.
Whenever I inform people that their astrological sign is Rat, they squiggle up their little snouts in disgust. “Ugh!” They don’t was to be Rats. They’d rather be something less revolting. A hummingbird? A hamster? Let’s face it. Rats don’t have a very elegant reputation in our occidental urbanized society.
But think for a moment of the clever farm rat. It is this rat, the collector, the deft and admirable country rat, whom Buddha honored. This rural rat is, to this day, an amazing scrounger for food, finder of places to nest and procreator par excellence. For the purposes of this exercise, let’s put aside ou base image of the city rat and concentrate on his country cousin.
The key words I always use for Rat people are “charm” and “aggressiveness”. You’ll never meet an unattractive Rat. Nor will you find a Rat person who does not seek to achieve and succeeded, stand out from the crowd and even assume power over others. Rats are movers and drivers. They are born with leadership qualities and a hefty measure of guile. The Rat’s ends frequently justify his means.
Rat people usually appear calm and at ease in company. They’re talkative (to a fault sometimes) and make pleasant conversationalists. But take a closer look. That Rat has a rubber band in his hand which he incessantly snaps back and forth between two fingers. The Rat woman keeps jiggling the fastener on her handbag. Rats only seem tranquil. Inside they are nuclear reactors of nerves that bubble and twist, but never – or rarely – explode.
Rats are stashers of food and have a well-developed sense of economy. They know where their money goes and for which frivolities they are willing to spend lavishly. Parties and gatherings of all sorts please the Rat. In fact, any chance to communicate with others is seen as a joyful occasion. Rats love – no, need – to talk. If Rats have problems, they talk them through. If they are depressed, they blab it out. If they lose a lover, they can only cure themselves of heartbreak by exposing the whole gory story until the listener’s ears are red from hearing and the Rat has emptied his soul of despondency. If you have a gabby Rat pal, keep your IPod handy and turn up the volume.
If you are loved by a Rat, consider yourself lucky. Rats will defend and spoil the people they love without hesitation. Outsiders don’t count. The Rat wants to be surrounded with those who like and admire him. He will lavish presents on them and feed them all till they burst from admiration. Companionship is the Rat’s idea of contentment.
Rats are not necessarily high-minded. Nor are they artistic dreamers. Rats are simply smart. They make excellent lawyers and executives. Rats dabble more than a little in politics. Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter are both Rats.
Rats are not infrequently found dabbling in other peoples’ lives. They enjoy a facility for getting involved with friends and neighbours. Rats are not quite busybodies, but almost. They love to be engaged in the running of some committee or the administration of a board of directors. Rats will not volunteer to be on the cleanup committee. No. It’s power they are after – power and influence and lots of big old-fashioned kudos.
*****
_________________________________
Acquisitiveness
Appeal
Charisma
Guile
Influence
Intellectual skill
Meddling
Nervousness
Sociability
Thirst for power
Thrift
Verbosity
Influence: Yin*
►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄
*ARE THE YIN AND THE YANG QUALITIES TOO?
Yes. In Chinese astrology, yin and yang are qualities. But yin and yang are far more powerful than our qualities because yin and yang are the two major and only forces in the Chinese philosophical universe. For them, everything present in the universe is either yin or else it is yang. Everything. Tables. Chairs. Light bulbs, cousins, aunts, uncles and kitchen sinks!
In a way, yin and yang can be compared, in Western culture, to the application in certain languages of the qualities of “masculine” or “feminine” to inanimate objects or intangible nouns. Though it does not seem to make sense, in French a table is feminine. A log is feminine. A shoe is also feminine. Parks are masculine. Lakes too. Feet are masculine. So are eyes and foreheads. But mouths and even teeth are feminine. Worry is masculine. So are gossip and lipstick and panty hose.
Though we may want to look for sexual significance in the application of gender to nuns, there is none. That’s what makes it so difficult to remember from one language to the next whether a noun is considered masculine or feminine. Is the application of gender to nouns then perfectly arbitrary? Well it must have come from somewhere. But nobody knows exactly how, when or why.
There are no genders in the Chinese language. But, without saying how, when or why, Chinese philosophers can feel whether a thing or a person or an idea is yin or yang. It’s just there. A know fact. Yin is rooted in the sun. Its goal is darkness. Yang is rooted in the Earth. Its goal is light.
Like everything else, each Chinese animal sign is either yin or yang. Rat is yin.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT IS YIN? WHAT IS YANG?
To be perfectly frank, I am not even sure what yin is or what yang means. I have read a lot of books on the subject. Still, the concept is not easy for my logical little occidental head to grasp. Chinese philosophy is complicated even for Chinese people! I’ll be brief.
WHAT IS YIN?
The Chinese say that yin people are mainly interested in what happens in groups. They are frequently preoccupied with the organization of collective or communal events. They are attracted to politics. They are self-confident. They trust nobody. They need success to survive. They worship efficiency. They are always questing after well-being for themselves and for those they love or like. They have good health and long life but may be prone to accidents. They don’t smile a lot. They dress conservatively. They are not spiritual. They love their families. They are material.
They way I see it, yin is open, civilized, interested in the good of others. Yin likes parties, feasts, holidays, sex and anything else that provides it with intense company. Yin is not feminine. But it is sometimes said to be subjective. Yin is active in the world. Other-directed. Public. It is different from and equal to yang.
WHAT IS YANG?
The Chinese say that yang people are loners. They are individualistic. They are meditative. They are spiritual. They smile a lot. They have no sense of groups or family. They have delicate health. They like to dress for show. They eschew chains of command. They love nature. They are nonmaterial. Their only goal in life is personal development. They are objective. They keep their own counsel.
The way I see it, yang is closed, unsociable, private. Yang likes books, music, gardening, long walks or anything that brings him closer to himself and nature. Yang is solitary. Self-directed. Yang’s equilibrium comes from within.
►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄►▼◄
Chinese astrology, like the rest of life, is really just another rat race. According to legend, many many years ago Buddha summoned all the animals in the kingdom to his side. Only twelve showed up and the rat got there first. To compensate the dozen animals who answered Buddha’s behest, their leader awarded one year of the Chinese calendar to each. As the rat had won the race, he got to have his name on the first out of twelve. How Buddha classed the rest of the animals I don’t know, except that they fall in order. Ox, Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, following the Rat. Each gives his name to a year.
Whenever I inform people that their astrological sign is Rat, they squiggle up their little snouts in disgust. “Ugh!” They don’t was to be Rats. They’d rather be something less revolting. A hummingbird? A hamster? Let’s face it. Rats don’t have a very elegant reputation in our occidental urbanized society.
But think for a moment of the clever farm rat. It is this rat, the collector, the deft and admirable country rat, whom Buddha honored. This rural rat is, to this day, an amazing scrounger for food, finder of places to nest and procreator par excellence. For the purposes of this exercise, let’s put aside ou base image of the city rat and concentrate on his country cousin.
The key words I always use for Rat people are “charm” and “aggressiveness”. You’ll never meet an unattractive Rat. Nor will you find a Rat person who does not seek to achieve and succeeded, stand out from the crowd and even assume power over others. Rats are movers and drivers. They are born with leadership qualities and a hefty measure of guile. The Rat’s ends frequently justify his means.
Rat people usually appear calm and at ease in company. They’re talkative (to a fault sometimes) and make pleasant conversationalists. But take a closer look. That Rat has a rubber band in his hand which he incessantly snaps back and forth between two fingers. The Rat woman keeps jiggling the fastener on her handbag. Rats only seem tranquil. Inside they are nuclear reactors of nerves that bubble and twist, but never – or rarely – explode.
Rats are stashers of food and have a well-developed sense of economy. They know where their money goes and for which frivolities they are willing to spend lavishly. Parties and gatherings of all sorts please the Rat. In fact, any chance to communicate with others is seen as a joyful occasion. Rats love – no, need – to talk. If Rats have problems, they talk them through. If they are depressed, they blab it out. If they lose a lover, they can only cure themselves of heartbreak by exposing the whole gory story until the listener’s ears are red from hearing and the Rat has emptied his soul of despondency. If you have a gabby Rat pal, keep your IPod handy and turn up the volume.
If you are loved by a Rat, consider yourself lucky. Rats will defend and spoil the people they love without hesitation. Outsiders don’t count. The Rat wants to be surrounded with those who like and admire him. He will lavish presents on them and feed them all till they burst from admiration. Companionship is the Rat’s idea of contentment.
Rats are not necessarily high-minded. Nor are they artistic dreamers. Rats are simply smart. They make excellent lawyers and executives. Rats dabble more than a little in politics. Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter are both Rats.
Rats are not infrequently found dabbling in other peoples’ lives. They enjoy a facility for getting involved with friends and neighbours. Rats are not quite busybodies, but almost. They love to be engaged in the running of some committee or the administration of a board of directors. Rats will not volunteer to be on the cleanup committee. No. It’s power they are after – power and influence and lots of big old-fashioned kudos.
*****
During the night, the folks came across this scene.
An abandoned dog was looking for a comfortable, protected place to sleep.
He chose baby Jesus as his comfort.
No one had the heart to send him away, so he was there all night.
We should all have the good sense of this dog and curl up in Jesus' lap from time to time.
Love is always there. Sometimes it just takes our attention being shifted back to it to truly feel it.
Practice kindness and gratitude with everybody, including yourself, everywhere, every day, it's great for the soul!
This is too sweet not to share.
P.S. No one mentioned that the dog breed is a "shepherd" …
All humanity lost.
Your social line crossed.
Within yourself a burning pain.
It feels as if you are going insane.
Your mind gone.
All feelings withdrawn.
Trapped within yourself.
You no longer crave wealth.
Perhaps a blessing in desgise.
You no longer have to see through your already blind eyes.
You've been lied to your whole life.
Now your only escape is through that blood stained knife.
Now all that pain is leaving you.
Your mind refuses to accept what you are going through.
You begin to take your pain out on others.
You forget those who you once knew as sisters and brothers.
You are now trapped inside the shell of what was once you.
You don't even know whose eyes you're looking through.
Now you are too far in.
you'll never remember those you love again.
Your social line crossed.
Within yourself a burning pain.
It feels as if you are going insane.
Your mind gone.
All feelings withdrawn.
Trapped within yourself.
You no longer crave wealth.
Perhaps a blessing in desgise.
You no longer have to see through your already blind eyes.
You've been lied to your whole life.
Now your only escape is through that blood stained knife.
Now all that pain is leaving you.
Your mind refuses to accept what you are going through.
You begin to take your pain out on others.
You forget those who you once knew as sisters and brothers.
You are now trapped inside the shell of what was once you.
You don't even know whose eyes you're looking through.
Now you are too far in.
you'll never remember those you love again.
So far away
And yet so close
We change each others ways
We make each other smile
We make each other cry
This is our love
We cannot hold each others hand
We cannot touch each others skin
We cannot feel each others warth
This is our love
I reach for your hand but it isnt there
I stretch my arms out to hug you but there is no embrace
I look for your face but see only thin air
This is our love
I think about you at night
You give words to soothe me
But its no enough
This is our love
I long to hear your voice
To see you face to face
For all this to be clear in front of me and yet it cant
This is our love
pain sadness love happyness tears laughter joy despair
This is our love
Watching waiting longing listening comforting
This is our love
You and me
This is our love
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I love you baby.
And yet so close
We change each others ways
We make each other smile
We make each other cry
This is our love
We cannot hold each others hand
We cannot touch each others skin
We cannot feel each others warth
This is our love
I reach for your hand but it isnt there
I stretch my arms out to hug you but there is no embrace
I look for your face but see only thin air
This is our love
I think about you at night
You give words to soothe me
But its no enough
This is our love
I long to hear your voice
To see you face to face
For all this to be clear in front of me and yet it cant
This is our love
pain sadness love happyness tears laughter joy despair
This is our love
Watching waiting longing listening comforting
This is our love
You and me
This is our love
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
I love you baby.