AstroChina: Chinese Astrology on the iPhone
Well known are the animals usually tied to a year:
子 Rat, 丑 Ox, 寅 Tiger, 卯 Rabbit, 辰 Dragon, 巳 Snake, 午 Horse, 未 Ram, 申 Monkey, 酉 Rooster, 戌 Dog, 亥 Pig
Less known is that this is only part of the story. This is due to a simplified view on Chinese astrology, it figures that not everyone born in the same year has the same character. Interactions between solar and lunar cycles define character. A Chinese horoscope sign is defined at birth. Influence of personal traits and cyclic forces around us yield an interesting view on life.
紫微斗数
In fact the "four column" method yields much more information, but knowledge about this is not widely spread, also due to the complexity of the Chinese calendar. Chinese Astrology is based on 阴 阳 yin & yang and the five elements metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Apprentices in Taoism and divination with the I Ching might be interested in an explanation of this intricate concept presented here on litebeam.net
AstroChina, my first iPhone application released in October 2008, shows your sign & element and those of the year of your birth along with the phase of the moon on that day. This helps attain a higher level of understanding Chinese astrology so you can apply it to your own life and that of your peers. What is your sign in Chinese astrology? Enter your birth day, or someone else's, and find out about character and ruling elements and where in the 60 year cycle your birth took place.
AstroChina is usable in these languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian.
Chinese Astrology is ancient knowledge and more information is readily available on the internet, some links for the interested users:
Wiktionary helped me getting the Chinese characters right.
The Mathematics of the Chinese Calendar
Wikipedia has more detailed information available in these languages: English Deutsch Español Português Français Nederlands Italiano
