The Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes (40th Anniversary Edition)

by Theodora Lau

  The Seasons of the Monkey

  Spring

  Monkeys born in the spring are optimistic and outgoing. They also tend to surround themselves with a large circle of friends and supporters. Exploring their environment, they are astute, sociable, and most likely to take the initiative. Springtime is great for Monkeys, as vegetation and fruits sprout and they will be well fed. They are quick studies and can master anything in a short time; in addition, they often introduce a few shortcuts of their own. However, they are also nervous and easily agitated due to their superior intelligence and active imagination. Independent and adventurous, they will not like to stay in one place or work at one job for too long. Self-starters and risk takers, they prefer to call the shots and are used to having their way.

  Summer

  Summer brings long, indolent days for the Monkey. They sit around and chatter with friends and family. Likewise, Monkeys born in the summer love luxury and are fond of material possessions. They will not have to work hard, and they tend to be less aggressive. They are confident and quite capable of finding their own niches in life. Actually, they will know how to talk their way into any position they want or manipulate situations to their advantage. Wonderful as friends and reliable as leaders, summer Monkeys love the limelight and are usually commanding speakers or writers. Life could be one long party for them, and they do not tend to worry as much as Monkeys of the other seasons.

  Autumn

  Monkeys born in the fall tend to be serious and intellectual. They have more insight than other Monkeys and tend to be less outspoken or given to taking risks. They have considerable staying power and know how to bide their time when they want something. Not ones to make hurried decisions, they will collect all the facts before acting. Autumn Monkeys are the savers and investors of the lot. They will work diligently for lasting results and are usually less flamboyant than Monkeys of the other seasons. For them, long-term goals and strong relationships are more important than being the life of the party.

  Winter

  Winter Monkeys are the thinkers and philosophers of the group. Calculating and hard to predict, they never take things for granted. They love technical matters and can manage intricate tasks with ease. Most likely, they will make good linguists, software experts, medical technologists, doctors, engineers, and mathematicians. They enjoy intellectual challenges and can be skillful money handlers as well. Monkeys of the winter season will have to work hard to make their mark on the world, but they wouldn’t have it any other way. They love to be in control of their own destiny and will strive to excel in whatever area captures their imagination and attention.

  Famous People Born in the Year of the Monkey

  Metal

  Christina Aguilera

  Federico Fellini

  Ryan Gosling

  Jake Gyllenhaal

  Kim Kardashian

  Alicia Keys

  Walter Matthau

  Pope John Paul II

  Jessica Simpson

  Channing Tatum

  Justin Timberlake

  Venus WilliamsWater

  Miley Cyrus

  Leonardo da Vinci

  Charles Dickens

  Selena Gomez

  Ted Kennedy

  Demi Lovato

  Omar Sharif

  Elizabeth Taylor

  Wood

  Michael Douglas

  Mick Jagger

  George Lucas

  Harry S. Truman

  Eleanor Roosevelt

  Diana Ross

  Rod Stewart

  Fire

  Kim Cattrall

  Katie Couric

  Martina Navratilova

  Wallis Simpson

  Tom Hanks

  Earth

  Jennifer Aniston

  Bette Davis

  Celine Dion

  Ian Fleming

  Hugh Jackman

  Lucy Liu

  John Milton

  Kylie Minogue

  Paul Gauguin

  Lyndon B. Johnson

  Guy Ritchie

  Will Smith

  Christy Turlington Burns

  10

  The Tenth Sign of the Lunar Cycle

  The Rooster

  I am on hand

  to herald the day

  and to announce its exit.

  I thrive by clockwork and precision.

  In my unending quest for perfection

  all things will be restored to

  their rightful place.

  I am the exacting taskmaster,

  the ever-watchful administrator.

  I seek perfect order in my world.

  I represent unfailing dedication.

  I AM THE ROOSTER.

  Lunar Years of the Rooster in the Western Calendar Elements

  January 26, 1933, to February 13, 1934 Water

  February 13, 1945, to February 1, 1946 Wood

  January 31, 1957, to February 17, 1958 Fire

  February 17, 1969, to February 5, 1970 Earth

  February 5, 1981, to January 24, 1982 Metal

  January 23, 1993, to February 9, 1994 Water

  February 9, 2005, to January 28, 2006 Wood

  January 28, 2017, to February 15, 2018 Fire

  February 13, , to February 2, 2030 Earth

  February 1, 2041, to January 21, 2042 Metal

  If you were born on the day before the start of the lunar year of the Rooster, e.g., January 22, 1993, your sign is the one before the Rooster: the Monkey, the ninth lunar sign.

  If you were born on the day after the lunar year of the Rooster, e.g., February 10, 1994, your sign is the one following the Rooster: the Dog, the eleventh lunar sign.

  The sign of the Rooster rules the two-hour segment of the day from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. People born during this period are said to have the Rooster sign as their ascendant; they will display many of the characteristics peculiar to this sign and will have great affinity for people born under this sign. Quite possibly, one parent or grandparent will also have been born in the year of the Rooster.

  The direction appointed to the Rooster is directly west. Its season is autumn and its principal month is September. This is a yin or feminine sign, and its fixed element is Metal. The Rooster corresponds to the Western astrological sign of Virgo, which rules from August 22 to September 22.

  The Rooster Personality

  The Rooster, also known as the Chicken, is the Don Quixote of the Chinese cycle. The dauntless hero who must look to the earth to survive, this is the most misunderstood and eccentric of all the signs. Outwardly, Roosters are the epitome of self-assurance and aggression, but at heart they can be conservative and old-fashioned.

  The Rooster-born, especially the men, will be attractive, even devastatingly handsome. These princely fowl are proud of their fine feathers and have an impeccable carriage. You don’t find any roosters slouching; they strut about with dignity. Even the shyest member of the Rooster family will cut a neat, trim figure and maintain a special bearing wherever he or she goes.

  There are two distinct types of Roosters: the rapid-firing, extremely talkative ones and the deadly solemn observers with X-ray vision. Both are equally hard to deal with. Roosters do have many outstanding qualities to crow about: they are acute, neat, meticulous, organized, decisive, upright, alert, and direct. They can also be critical to the point of brutality. Don’t ever ask them for their frank, candid opinion; you may never recover from their comments. They love to argue and debate, especially in order to show how knowledgeable and smart they are, but sometimes they have little regard for the feelings of others. Nevertheless, the Internet is certainly thankful for the excellent content written by the Rooster. This sign is responsible for the most detailed reviews, lengthy articles, and of course the unsolicited feedback worthy of the web’s unofficial copy editor. Typos and incorrect facts will not be tolerated! And be warned: if you put your thoughts out there for the public to see, Roosters will give you their opinion unfiltered. And should the Rooster’s f
eathers be ruffled, he or she will be insufferable. A Rooster will argue down to the last detail, giving you chapter and verse on why the Rooster is right and you are wrong. Needless to say, Roosters aren’t cut out to be diplomats. Situations requiring tact, delicacy, and discretion will cramp their style. With missionary zeal, they cannot help trying to convert everyone to their way of thinking.

  Roosters are outstanding performers, and they shine when they are the center of attention. Tremendously imposing as a personality, they could well pursue any career that exposes them to the public eye. Warm, witty, and amusing, the magnificent Rooster will never pass up an opportunity to recount their adventures and enumerate their accomplishments. Roosters are adroit at expressing themselves both in speech and in writing. You will have to concede that the Rooster is well-versed and prepared for any subject discussed. If you intend to challenge them on a controversial issue, be ready to fight long and hard—Roosters have amazing stamina, do their homework, and can wear you out.

  When Roosters are negative, they are egotistical, opinionated, and too abrasive for their own good. In the Rooster’s mind, he or she is 100 percent right. They preside over gatherings to exhibit the excellent opinion they have of themselves. However, if you look closely, you will find they put on this act more to constantly reassure themselves of their own worth than to irritate anyone. For all their poise and bravado, Roosters are not that sure of themselves and are therefore most susceptible to flattery or delusions of grandeur. They are also likely to filibuster until they get their way.

  All members of the Chicken family are good at handling money. They are just fascinated by accounting, sorting out finances, and guarding the cash box. Roosters set up a budget for everything they can get their hands on, and that includes their time, your time, company time, the children’s schedule, and so on. Even the youngest Roosters are likely to be elected treasurer of their elementary school class. They will handle their pennies wisely, and before you know it they may be running their own mini-bank, giving loans and charging interest to more spendthrift youngsters.

  If you have problems with your finances due to lack of self-control, turn your money over to a Rooster. They’ll make you an ironclad budget and slap your wrists every time you touch a penny more than is allowed.

  While you may live to lament this move, you can be sure everything the Rooster does is for your own good—even if he or she does seem to be sadistically enjoying it a bit too much. Don’t be so ungrateful! You should thank your lucky stars the Rooster condescended to help you. After all, they do have your interests at heart.

  Now all those bits and pieces of paper you scattered around have been neatly filed by this efficiency expert. Your income is reconciled with your expenditures for the first time in years, and your receipts no longer live in a shoebox. You start to see the light of day. And the wolf of procrastination has not cast his dark shadow on your doorstep now that the Rooster is here, nor do your creditors haunt you day and night. You would be worse off, you know, if it weren’t for this financial savior and organizational expert.

  All that said, you may think you’ve gotten more than you bargained for. You will complain bitterly about how the Rooster jumps on you even for your smallest error. You are now in a state of perfect financial accord yet totally miserable in this newfound bliss. Your blood pressure shoots up every time you have one of those profound discussions with the Rooster. Well, relax. Don’t take it so hard. Try to think back. Remember that day you took the Rooster on and how he or she made that sacred vow to help you out of the woods and stick with you “for better or for worse”? You’re just getting to see the “worse” part first. Stick around; things are bound to get better. The Rooster’s key word is service, and he or she won’t disappoint even your loftiest expectations. You may not be able to live with the Rooster, but you will find that you can’t get along without them, either.

  The Chinese word for the Rooster is Ji, which simply means “Chicken.” But since these people will do anything but “chicken out” of a situation, Theodora respectfully chose to address them as the Rooster a long time ago. Besides, the Rooster’s personality really enhances and dominates that of the entire Chicken family. If there were to be an ad in tomorrow’s paper seeking a “Superman with Fine Fiscal Skills,” you can be sure the Rooster would apply—and would be more than qualified for the job, too.

  The Rooster is the sign of the bill collector, too. Outstanding accounts and clutter bug the Rooster terribly—and you know what roosters do with bugs. My, my, you have all these unpaid debts owed to you? Just watch the Rooster roll up his or her sleeves and take on the culprits who owe you money. You cannot find anyone better to carry out an important directive. Roosters love difficult assignments. But don’t expect them to improvise. Roosters are explicit people, and you have to give them explicit orders. On top of all their other virtues, you cannot ask them to be versatile and inventive too. That would be asking too much!

  To truly understand a Rooster, you must accept their predilection for controversy. This may be because of the mental exercise it provides. You must comprehend, difficult as it may seem, that there is nothing personal in the Rooster’s moves. You should have enough sense to keep out of the crossfire, since you know the Rooster’s gun is always loaded. And while the Rooster does seem knowledgeable and worldly about everything else, it should be noted that the Rooster can be puritanical regarding sex or affairs of the heart.

  For Roosters to make smooth, unimpeded progress, it would be well for them to realize that people would be less reluctant to accept their excellent advice if they could only package it better. A little sugar coating, perhaps? They don’t have to be like the old-fashioned doctor who prescribes bitter-tasting concoctions with no regard for our delicate taste buds!

  When Roosters spend lavishly, they’re often doing it to appease their oversized ego. Or it may be their way of saying they’re sorry. Don’t expect long, detailed apologies; sometimes, they’d rather bite off their tongue than admit they’re wrong. So take what you can and rest assured they will make it up to you in more ways than one. The Rooster has a good heart, a strong conscience, and the best of intentions. It’s just that sometimes their noble ideals and oversized self-image get the better of them. Take their criticism lightly and with a sense of humor. There is no point in getting ticked off. No matter what Roosters threaten, they rarely go through with it, and in the end, they will still roll up their sleeves and come to your aid. They’ll never turn their back on someone who needs their help.

  Roosters spend a good deal of money on their clothes. They are sharp dressers who love to attract attention. Occasionally, they will have the tendency to overdecorate their home, office, or even themselves. They are also very impressed with awards of all kinds—medals, trophies, and titles (honorary or real). Every Rooster will try to win at least one award, have one professional title to their credit, or get a minimum of one medal per war. With money, they will only be generous with their immediate family or to win the love and admiration of their followers. Otherwise, the only thing one can be assured of getting from a Rooster free of charge is advice.

  Roosters born at the crack of dawn, during the Tiger’s hours, or at sundown (between 5 and 7 p.m., the hours of the Rooster) are definitely going to be the noisiest of the lot. Laura personally knows of one Rooster whose family has long been considering using a muzzle to silence his lengthy discourses. Too bad none of them has worked up the courage for the task. Night Roosters tend to be the exact opposite. These quiet Roosters tend to be doubly eccentric, bookish, aloof, or isolated in their quest for perfection.

  All Roosters are perfectionists in one way or another. They will have a sharp eye for details mixed with theoretical flights of fancy. Their ideas sometimes work better on paper than in actual application because the Rooster forgets to allow for human frailties and other varying factors. They have scientific minds and may fail to see why other people cannot exist by fixed formulas as they do.

 
; Yet for all their faults and interfering ways, Rooster natives are usually sincere in their desire to help others and undoubtedly mean well in their endeavors. They come on too strong because they are so sure they are right that they close their minds to the views of others.

  If the Rooster’s dreams are too far-fetched and overambitious, he or she will suffer many disappointments in life. Roosters must learn to stop reaching for the sky. Although they can be practical about difficult matters, they can be very unreasonable over simple things. But it is useless to stand between them and their goals. The Rooster is the dauntless knight who recovers at a moment’s notice and goes off to chase another rainbow. Who knows—he or she may succeed at the next try. Roosters are brave and chivalrous under stress, but sometimes they carry their heroism far beyond what is required.

  One would be hard-pressed to find a more helpful animal than the Chicken, with the exception of a Boar. Although Roosters sometimes act as if they have been press-ganged into their labors, the truth is that they love to conscript themselves to a life of involvement and dedication. What would they do with their vast reserves of energy otherwise? Whereas others are only bored when they find extra time on their hands, the Rooster can actually be frightened by the prospect.

  Despite their quirks, Roosters can interact well with others, and they can always be motivated to change if the goal is worthwhile and practical. They will have no qualms about being a mere worker, one of the group, if it gets them where they want to go. Routine appeals to them, and they are always on schedule if not ahead of it.