Many years ago, in 2016, I spent a total of $4.50 to go see the newest art installation at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. (If you’re a yinzer wondering how that’s possible, read on.)
On display was Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads. Ai created them in honor of a similar installation that appeared as a clock-like display in front of a royal building in Beijing. The original installation was destroyed by the British in the 1800s.
Ai’s pretty political, so when he spoke out against the communist regime, he was imprisoned. Even through his imprisonment, this installation toured the world. Ai was eventually released. At the time this installation was in Pittsburgh, he was in Greece helping with the refugee crisis. Now he’s living outside Lisbon.
The exhibit was impressive to behold. In the Carnegie Museum, it was displayed in the self-same hall that we visited when my ex and I were pursuing our staycation-esque Paris in Pittsburgh project.
This room is full of European reliefs, including a massive structure that replicates the front of the Cathedral of Saint-Andre (Bordeaux,) which was built in the 13th century. As you walked around and took pictures, it created a powerful mesh of two very old traditions, contrasting the East and the West.
As we walked around, I couldn’t help but question: was there a geometric relation to the signs that did well together or the signs that were enemies? Were these animals based on constellations in their relationship to the moon? (It is a lunar calendar, after all.)
Why the Chinese Zodiac is Important to Your Wallet
The answers I found weren’t necessarily what I was expecting, but they were amazing. Believe it or not, the Chinese Zodiac is important to your wallet, even if you don’t believe in it at all.
Here’s why:
Normally I’d expand, but this is only a six-minute video and I really want you to watch it as ShaoLan explains it natively—something I can’t do. Here’s some of the things you’ll learn:
- Even if you think the Chinese Zodiac is in no way predictive or real, a quarter of the world’s population would argue with you. With that many people making decisions (sometimes financial) based on this belief, it doesn’t really matter if you believe or not — you will experience the influence of others’ beliefs.
- Why the world’s richest people are born in unlucky years.
- How the Chinese Zodiac is now affecting the stock market. As world economies become increasingly interdependent, this is something investors are going to want to understand.
The Art and How the Chinese Zodiac Applies to You
The Chinese calendar is not linear like our own, but cyclical. It runs for sixty years and then starts over again. During those sixty years, five elements and twelve animals interact with each other. Below you’ll find which animal (and which element) you are.
Want to be super cool? Pin the image of your animal to Pinterest!
Also outlined below are the animals that are complimentary to you. These may be your ideal love interests, or they may help you decide when to have a baby as complimentary animals tend to work well together in family units. This is only one aspect of family planning that ShaoLan discusses in the above video.
Additionally, you’ll find quotes about each animal’s qualities from the Ai exhibit.
Keep in mind that if you have a January or February birthday, you’ll want to check when the lunar calendar turned over in the year you were born; it’s not always January 1.
Rat
Wood Rat: 1924, 1984, 2044
Fire Rat: 1936, 1996, 2056
Earth Rat: 1948, 2008, 2068
Metal Rat: 1960, 2020
Water Rat: 1972, 2032
Best Compatible Signs: Monkey, Dragon
Sign in Opposition: Horse
Ox
Wood Ox: 1925, 1985, 2045
Fire Ox: 1937, 1997, 2057
Earth Ox: 1949, 2009, 2069
Metal Ox: 1961, 2021
Water Ox: 1973, 2033
Best Compatible Signs: Rooster, Snake
Sign in Opposition: Goat/Sheep
Tiger
Fire Tiger: 1926, 1986, 2046
Earth Tiger: 1938, 1998, 2058
Metal Tiger: 1950, 2010, 2070
Water Tiger: 1962, 2022
Wood Tiger: 1974, 2034
Best Compatible Signs: Horse, Dog
Sign in Opposition: Monkey
Rabbit
Fire Rabbit: 1927, 1987, 2047
Earth Rabbit: 1939, 1999, 2059
Metal Rabbit: 1951, 2011, 2071
Water Rabbit: 1963, 2023
Wood Rabbit: 1975, 2035
Best Compatible Signs: Pig, Sheep/Goat
Sign in Opposition: Rooster
Dragon
Earth Dragon: 1928, 1988, 2048
Metal Dragon: 1940, 2000, 2060
Water Dragon: 1952, 2012, 2072
Wood Dragon: 1964, 2024
Fire Dragon: 1976, 2036
Best Compatible Signs: Monkey, Rat
Sign in Opposition: Dog
Snake
Earth Snake: 1929, 1989, 2049
Metal Snake: 1941, 2001, 2061
Water Snake: 1953, 2013, 2073
Wood Snake: 1965, 2025
Fire Snake: 1977, 2037
Best Compatible Signs: Rooster, Ox
Sign in Opposition: Pig
Horse
Metal Horse: 1930, 1990, 2050
Water Horse: 1942, 2002, 2062
Wood Horse: 1954, 2014, 2074
Fire Horse: 1966, 2026
Earth Horse: 1978, 2038
Best Compatible Signs: Tiger, Dog
Sign in Opposition: Rat
Goat/Sheep
Metal Goat/Sheep: 1931, 1991, 2051
Water Goat/Sheep: 1943, 2003, 2063
Wood Goat/Sheep: 1955, 2015, 2075
Fire Goat/Sheep: 1967, 2027
Earth Goat/Sheep: 1979, 2039
Best Compatible Signs: Rabbit, Pig
Sign in Opposition: Ox
Monkey
Water Monkey: 1932, 1992, 2052
Wood Monkey: 1944, 2004, 2064
Fire Monkey: 1956, 2016, 2076
Earth Monkey: 1968, 2028
Metal Monkey: 1980, 2040
Best Compatible Signs: Rat, Dragon
Sign in Opposition: Tiger
Rooster
Water Rooster: 1933, 1993, 2053
Wood Rooster: 1945, 2005, 2065
Fire Rooster: 1957, 2017, 2077
Earth Rooster: 1969, 2029
Metal Rooster: 1981, 2041
Best Compatible Signs: Ox, Snake
Sign in Opposition: Rabbit
Dog
Wood Dog: 1934, 1994, 2054
Fire Dog: 1946, 2006, 2066
Earth Dog: 1958, 2018
Metal Dog: 1970, 2030
Water Dog: 1982, 2042
Best Compatible Signs: Horse, Tiger
Sign in Opposition: Dragon
Pig
Wood Pig: 1935, 1995, 2055
Fire Pig: 1947, 2007, 2067
Earth Pig: 1959, 2019
Metal Pig: 1971, 2031
Water Pig: 1983, 2043
Best Compatible Signs: Rabbit, Sheep/Goat
Sign in Opposition: Snake
Get into Carnegie Museums for Cheap
Those of you from Pittsburgh are probably choking at the price of admission (including parking!) that I got. Per diem at the museums are expensive, but there are ways to get in for cheap. You can:
- Buy a membership. From $50-$250 depending on how many people you want included. If you go to the museums a lot, this can save you a bundle.
- Bring your student ID. Get $8 off the price of admission. ($10 off at the Andy Warhol Museum.)
- Check your student life office. Student life offices typically have discounted, or sometimes even free, tickets to local attractions.
- Bring your ACCESS card. If someone in your household has a disability and is on Medicaid, or if you receive state benefits, the state should issue you an ACCESS card. This gets you into many attractions in Pittsburgh for a pittance. At the Carnegie Museums of Art & Natural History, admission will only be $1 for everyone in your household when you present your card.
- Go later in the day. If you make your visit at 3PM or after, you’ll get half-price admission through 8PM.
- Go on Thursday evenings. In February and March, you can get into the Carnegie Museums of Art & Natural History for free on Thursday evenings.
Which sign are you? Do you believe in the Chinese Zodiac? Do you agree with ShaoLan that belief is irrelevant?
I’m not a huge believe in all that stuff although it’s fun to kind of play around with it. I was born in the year of the rooster. All this time I thought I was born in the year of the dog! I’ll have to look up the details about that later to see what my “type” is about!
Nope, I totally made a typo! You’re a dog! 🙂 Thanks for bringing that up…I was typing too many numbers the other day when writing.
And I’m with you. I in no way think that my personality is the same as every one else born the same year as me. I’m a fire animal, and as I was researching this I read up on the attributes of that element. I only identified with about 50% of it.
But the interesting thing to me is that regardless of whether or not I believe or just play with it for fun, there is a significant portion of the world population that’s using it to make significant decisions that collectively affect global markets and competition. Pretty heavy stuff!
Interesting point that, whatever we might believe about the zodiac signs, it can impact the world economy.
I think the same concept is applicable to a lot of things in life; all the more reason to understand and respect others’ traditions, even if we don’t adopt them into our own belief system!
Monkey here. I’m not a true believer but hey, that doesn’t mean this stuff can’t impact markets.
Really interesting take.
I know, right? Did you hear the part about the year of the dragon? A one million baby INCREASE over other years in 2012 because it fell under a sign considered to be lucky!
I’m a water rabbit, and I fit the bill pretty well! My husband is an earth pig (such a flattering identity!) and he does not fit the bill . . . unless his pig potential is hidden? (Hmmm… Can’t get past the sound of that.) You’re right about the significance of all of this simply in light of China’s population and impact on the world economy. Fascinating stuff!
Haha I know a pig or two myself. And now that I think about it, many of them are not what you’d describe as amiable people!
This was really interesting! I’m a fire rabbit and I’d line up pretty well with most parts, but definitely not with others. I’ve always found the Chinese zodiac interesting, more interesting than astrological zodiac. Though I have to admit I’d never thought about its impact on the financial industry.
Yay for the fires! Though as I told Tonya, I find I only identify with about 50% of the traits. 🙂 I have to admit, I find something interesting in Greco-Roman astrology. Not so much the sweeping signs, but when it’s used based on your exact birth date, time and location…
I find it interesting. Not gospel. And truth be told, I find this interesting, too, even if I don’t buy into it. Who doesn’t want to sit across the table from their love interest and be told their romance is fortunate?
And ShaoLan definitely put it into a different perspective for me, too!
That video was super interesting! I totally think she has a point – anything that has the power to spike the birth rate 5% is worth at least knowing about!
I did pick up on the fact that she said strict adherence to the zodiac, particularly pertaining to financial decision-making, was fairly recent, which leads me to wonder if there’ll be a decline in influence in the future?
Interesting question! I can’t profess to be familiar with all the intricacies of the culture, but the argument is that because Chinese people now have a growing wealth, they have the ability to make proactive decisions rather than reactive; that’s what allows them to do things like have babies and invest money according to their belief system. Following this argument, I can’t see any reason that would change in the foreseeable future, but again, I may not be qualified to make that observation.
“It doesn’t really matter if you believe or not—you will experience the influence of others’ beliefs.” I love this – although I don’t think about it too often, when I was studying religion, I thought it was so important to branch out from my own, because if you have strong beliefs, they’re really the epicenter of who you are and I think the world we be a lot better off if we all took steps towards trying to understand the things that are “other” to us rather than just ignorantly judging them.
I’m so with you on this. Even just accepting that others have beliefs and convictions that are equally as powerful as your own can be so eye opening. It helps in establishing a type of mutual respect, and, dare I dream, peace and harmony. I don’t really have any beliefs at this time in my life that are anything more than fluid, though being raised in a religious household I distinctly remember the moment I came upon this realization; that outside beliefs matter, and that they are often felt at least as powerfully as our own.
Hey, I’m an Earth snake! I did know that I was born in the year of the snake, but I didn’t know about the elements! Cool stuff, and a thought-provoking read
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