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Chinese New Year of the Red Fire Monkey: this week on the Night Sky

Certainly you've heard that today marks the Chinese New Year of the Monkey. But to be more specific, did you know that this is actually the New Year of the Red Fire Monkey, which only comes around once every 60 years?

Chinese astrology is a centuries-old tradition that dates back to the Han Dynasty of the 2nd century BC and in some renderings originates with the story of the Jade Emperor. He invited all the animals of the kingdom to a feast. In the competition to get their first, the rat, not necessarily the quickest creature, but the most clever, arrives first, followed in order by the remaining animals which includes the monkey, in 9th place. 

So here we have this system of 12 animals that repeats every 12 years. But in addition to the ‘year animal’ there are also five elements to consider: wood, fire, earth, metal, water. When combined, it takes a full 60 years for the same animal to repeat with the same element.

But this year animal just scratches the surface of a really elaborate horoscope system that also includes an animal for the month, day, and hour that you were born.

And here’s the really fascinating thing to me: the most intimate part of the Chinese horoscope is the animal that governs the hour of the day that you were born. This is referred to as the ‘secret animal’ and it is believed to represent your truest self and your contribution to the world. And it is the exact opposite of the Western astrological tradition. In western astrology, the hour you were born reveals the mask that you wear in dealing with the outer world. 

In a Fire Monkey Year, it is said people are no longer satisfied with just the pursuit of our dreams; we want to bring things into reality. But the danger is in the fire~don’t get so excited by the brilliance of the flame that you forget to tend it properly lest it burn quickly and die out too soon.