Chinese Zodiac Horoscope

Yin and Yang

Concepts and Philosophical Background

In ancient Chinese philosophy, Yin and Yang are two opposite elementary principles from which all phenomena are produced. As a result of the transformation of Yang and its union with Yin the cosmos is thought to be in a well ordered but perpetual state of cyclic changes and readjustments, rather than in an equilibrium or steady state. This activity emerges from cycles of Yin and Yang. Parts of the cosmos interact with each other by generating and overcoming forces or energy flows, so that the quantity or strength of Yin and Yang is anti-cyclically going up and down over time. In this concept the appearance of oscillations and cycles is self-evident as visualized by the famous symbol (Chinese , Pinyin: Tàijí Tú "diagram of supreme ultimate"). The opposites of Yin and Yang are necessary for the formation of an evolving system, and thus a precondition for living organisms.

This thinking way is in some aspects very close to modern science. For example, life with its ever repeating cycles of birth and death is a dynamic system that – following the theory of thermodynamics – can only exits in a non-equilibrium environment, where it is possible to build up – and maintain for a while – ordered structures against the ever growing sea of entropy.

Symbolism and Properties

Yang is associated with high energetic quantities, e.g. movement, outward and upward direction, heat, brightness, stimulation, activity and excitement. Yin has less energetic quantities and is more associated with the physical form of an object. It symbolizes rest, inward and downward direction, cold, darkness. Some characteristics of yin and yang pairs are summarized in the following table.

Appearance	Yin	Yang
General properties	negative principle in nature, descending	positive principle in nature, rising
Manifestation	substantial, more material, dense	non-substantial, more energy
Transformation	grows, produces substance, forms shape	generates, produces energy
Action	rest, passive	movement, active
Speed	slow	fast
Directions	inward, contraction, west (sunset), right	outward, expansion, east (sunrise), left
Position	below, north side of a hill, south side of a river,	above, south side of a hill, north side of a river,
Location	earth	sky, heaven
Time	night	day
Shape	flat	round
Texture	soft, yielding	hard, solid
Light	dark, shady	bright, sunny
Temperature	cold	hot
Heavenly body	Moon	Sun
Physiological functions	inhibitory	excitatory
Gender	female	male
Others	wet, water; diffuse, turbid	dry, fire; clear