What is the Relationship between Zodiac and Wuxing Elements?

Everyone has their own Chinese zodiac sign, no matter which year you were born in.The Chinese Zodiac, also known as animal signs, refers to twelve animals that are matched with the twelve Earthly Branches according to people's birth years in China. They include the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. It has a long history and rich cultural connotations, and has a profound impact on many aspects of Chinese people's daily life, traditional customs, and so on.

I. Origin and Legends

There are various theories regarding the origin of the Chinese Zodiac.One theory is that it originated from ancient animal worship. In ancient times, people held a sense of awe towards various animals in nature. For example, although the rat is small in size, it has a strong survival ability and reproduces rapidly; the ox was an important labor force in the farming society, being diligent and down-to-earth; the tiger is majestic and represents strength and dignity, etc. Gradually, people deified these animals and combined them with concepts such as time, slowly forming the system of the Chinese Zodiac.There are also mythological legends to explain its origin. It is said that the Jade Emperor wanted to select twelve kinds of animals as representatives and set a date for the animals to come to the Heavenly Court to apply. The earlier an animal arrived, the higher its ranking would be. So the rat, relying on its small size and agility, climbed onto the back of the ox and jumped into the Heavenly Court just before the ox arrived, thus ranking first. The ox came second, followed by the tiger, rabbit, and other animals in turn, and in this way, the order of the Chinese Zodiac was determined.

II. Order and the Corresponding Twelve Earthly Branches

The Rat corresponds to the Branch of Zi, the Ox to the Branch of Chou, the Tiger to the Branch of Yin, the Rabbit to the Branch of Mao, the Dragon to the Branch of Chen, the Snake to the Branch of Si, the Horse to the Branch of Wu, the Sheep to the Branch of Wei, the Monkey to the Branch of Shen, the Rooster to the Branch of You, the Dog to the Branch of Xu, and the Pig to the Branch of Hai. Each zodiac animal corresponds to an Earthly Branch, and they are cyclically matched in a fixed order to record years, months, days, and hours in turn, forming a unique timekeeping system such as the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches Chronological Method. For example, the year 2024 is the Year of Yisi. "Yi" corresponds to the Heavenly Stem, and "Si" corresponds to the zodiac snake, indicating that this year is the Year of the Snake.

III. The Zodiac and Personality Traits

• Rat: It is usually considered to be clever, quick-witted, and have strong adaptability, but sometimes it may also give people the impression of being a bit sly.
• Ox: It symbolizes diligence, down-to-earthness, hard work without complaint, patience in doing things, and being stable and reliable.
• Tiger: It represents bravery, fearlessness, full of self-confidence, having strong leadership skills and a sense of dignity.
• Rabbit: It is often described as gentle, kind-hearted, delicate in mind, with a relatively docile personality and being friendly to others.
• Dragon: In people's minds, it is a symbol of sacredness, dignity, and full of ambition, possessing extraordinary creativity and a pioneering spirit.
• Snake: It is mostly regarded as being resourceful, calm, good at thinking, having its own plans when doing things, and full of mystery.
• Horse: It is often considered to be enthusiastic, full of vitality, quick in action, and having an active pursuit spirit for goals.
• Sheep: It implies gentleness, kindness, introversion, being compassionate, and giving people a feeling of peace and tranquility.
• Monkey: People think that monkeys are clever, lively, curious, quick in thinking, and good at learning new things.
• Rooster: It symbolizes diligence, punctuality, a sense of responsibility, being serious and responsible for things, and usually being quite straightforward.
• Dog: It represents loyalty, honesty, being friendly to others, being able to give people a strong sense of security, and being a reliable partner.
• Pig: It is usually depicted as being optimistic, open-minded, kind-hearted, easy-going, and enjoying life.

IV. The Five Elements Attributes of the Chinese Zodiac

1. Zodiac Animals Belonging to the Metal Element

Monkey (Shen) and Rooster (You): Monkeys and roosters belong to the metal element in the Five Elements. Metal symbolizes righteousness, so people born in the Year of the Monkey or the Year of the Rooster generally attach great importance to loyalty and righteousness. They are also relatively straightforward in personality, have a flexible mind, strong adaptability, and have a relatively strong insight and judgment on things, but sometimes they may be too stubborn and proud. 

2. Zodiac Animals Belonging to the Wood Element

Tiger (Yin) and Rabbit (Mao): Tigers and rabbits belong to the wood element in the Five Elements. Wood symbolizes benevolence, so people born in the Year of the Tiger or the Year of the Rabbit are usually kind-hearted, gentle and polite, full of compassion and a sense of justice, and have good interpersonal relationships, but sometimes they may be indecisive and lack their own opinions.

3. Zodiac Animals Belonging to the Water Element

Rat (Zi) and Pig (Hai): Rats and pigs belong to the water element in the Five Elements. Water symbolizes wisdom, so people born in the Year of the Rat or the Year of the Pig are often clever, witty, quick in thinking, good at adapting, and have strong adaptability, but they may be too sensitive and their emotions are prone to fluctuations.

4. Zodiac Animals Belonging to the Fire Element

Snake (Si) and Horse (Wu): Snakes and horses belong to the fire element in the Five Elements. Fire symbolizes propriety, so people born in the Year of the Snake or the Year of the Horse are generally enthusiastic, open-minded, optimistic, positive, full of vitality and creativity, and are enthusiastic and generous to others, but sometimes they may be too impulsive and have a quick temper.

5. Zodiac Animals Belonging to the Earth Element

Ox (Chou), Dragon (Chen), Sheep (Wei), Dog (Xu): Oxen, dragons, sheep, and dogs belong to the earth element in the Five Elements. Earth symbolizes trustworthiness, so people born under these four zodiac signs are usually honest, trustworthy, down-to-earth, stable, have a strong sense of responsibility, possess the spirit of dedication and team cooperation awareness, but sometimes they may be too conservative and lack an innovative spirit.

V. The Embodiment of the Chinese Zodiac in Traditional Cultural Customs

1. Year of One's Birth Sign (Benming Nian): When a person reaches the year of their own zodiac animal, it is their Benming Nian. Folk beliefs hold that there tend to be more difficulties in the Benming Nian, so there are customs such as wearing red underwear, tying a red belt, and wearing red accessories. Red is used to ward off evil spirits and disasters and pray for peace and smoothness. For example, 2025 is the year of snake, so if your Zodiac is snake, it'll be helpful to wear something red on you.

• Marriage Matching: In traditional marriage matching concepts, reference is also made to whether the zodiac signs are compatible. For example, the combination of the Tiger and the Dragon is considered not very harmonious, while combinations like the Dragon and the Phoenix, and the Horse and the Sheep are regarded as relatively suitable pairings.
• Spring Festival Zodiac Elements: Every Spring Festival, a large number of zodiac-themed jewelry, paper-cuts, New Year pictures, dolls, etc. will emerge. People use these items with zodiac patterns to add to the festive atmosphere of the festival, symbolizing good luck and happiness in the new year.