What is the zodiac animal system and where does it come from?
The zodiac animal system, also called the twelve zodiac animals or birth sign, is the folk name for the system of twelve Earthly Branches in Can Chi culture. Each branch is assigned an animal: Rat (Tý), Ox (Sửu), Tiger (Dần), Cat or Rabbit (Mão), Dragon (Thìn), Snake (Tỵ), Horse (Ngọ), Goat (Mùi), Monkey (Thân), Rooster (Dậu), Dog (Tuất), Pig (Hợi). This system originates from how ancient people observed time cycles and linked them to familiar images in agricultural life.
How is the zodiac animal system used?
In daily life, the zodiac animals are mainly used to reckon ages. A person born in a Rat year is called a Rat person, one born in an Ox year is called an Ox person. In addition, the twelve branches combine with the ten Heavenly Stems to form the sixty-year Can Chi cycle. People also use the branches to count months and hours of the day. In astrology and date selection, the zodiac animals are also used to assess compatible and incompatible relations such as triple harmony, four-way conflict, and six harms.
Why is Mão a Cat in Vietnam but a Rabbit in China?
This is an interesting difference between the two cultures. In Vietnam's twelve zodiac animals, the Mão branch corresponds to the Cat, while in China this branch usually corresponds to the Rabbit. This difference reflects how each culture chooses animal images close to its own life. The remaining branches are generally similar between the two systems.
Distinguishing zodiac animals from Can Chi and from astrology
The zodiac animal system is the folk name for the twelve Earthly Branches, not identical to the entire Can Chi system. Can Chi is the system of sixty combinations of ten Stems and twelve Branches, while the zodiac animals only refer to the Branches. Astrology is a method of fortune reading based on a chart, in which the zodiac animal is only one factor. Therefore, knowing a person's zodiac animal is not enough to conclude about their personality or destiny.
What should be noted when using the zodiac animal system?
Content about personality, compatibility and conflict by zodiac animal belongs to traditional knowledge for reference, not yet scientifically verified. It should be seen as an interesting cultural feature rather than a basis for deciding important matters such as marriage, business, or career choice.