The 12 Zodiac Signs & Fortune Telling
Last week, we briefly looked at the background story of the 12 Chinese zodiacs. And now you should know how to look up your birthday or any other important dates in lunar calendar also. In today’s Korean social culture where there was a 5-hour wait for a Five Guys hamburger when the American franchise opened its first store a few weeks ago in Seoul (true story!), the lunar calendar culture is still alive and well.
There are a number of reasons why the lunar calendar is still in heavy use. One of the biggest is that it lays the foundation for fortune-telling. Depending on your birthyear, month, date, and time, the belief goes that your life is assigned a certain path and will not deviate much from it. It is so individualized (obviously) that it’s meaningless to go over it here—not that I know anything about it.
What I do know about it is that it’s often used in measuring the compatibility of would-be married couples. It’s called 궁합 (goong-hahp, 宮合) and I don’t know any Korean couples that do not seek this before they get married.
There is a general rule for this. If the couple’s age difference is 4 years (doesn’t matter who’s older), it is considered ideal and there is no need for the 궁합. On the flip side, if the age difference is 6 years, you’re in for a rollercoaster ride. Here’s the table that shows which 띠 combination goes well and which doesn’t. (needless to say, for fun only.)
With that, let’s finally get into what I was going to talk about last week and couldn’t.
Mouse, Rat (쥐):
11pm to 1am
frugal // accommodative to others // looks soft and weak but once mind set to something, will see it to the end // happier when busy // socially active // likes to make things happen instead of waiting for them to happen //
Cow, Ox (소):
1am to 3am
persistent and hard-working through all kinds of obstacles // appearance of thick-headedness but charismatic and reasonable decision-making // likes to help others in need //
Tiger (호랑이, 범):
3am to 5am
happy-go-lucky attitude about life // but strong personality often rubs the wrong way with others // not a very tidy finisher of tasks // hates being controlled or told what to do by others //
Rabbit (토끼):
5am to 7am
kind // likes to avoid confrontation and make deals // appearance of wishy-washy and misunderstood by others // very focused when given tasks and not think about anything else //
Dragon (용):
7am to 9am
strong self-esteem // hates to lose // but soft inside // innocent and warm disposition // imaginative and creative //
Snake (뱀):
9am to 11am
very adept at assessing surroundings // logical // very realistic and self-centric // doesn’t listen to others’ advice and gets into trouble at times // hard to figure out what they’re thinking //
Horse (말):
11am to 1pm
all about planning and following through with it with precision // very driven and likes to lead by example // sometimes gets hurt because of it and pays less than ideal attention to family //
Sheep (양):
1pm to 3pm
of gentle and mild character // but stubborn as an ox to never give up on a goal // high sense of self-respect and likes to keep everything close to chest //
Monkey (원숭이):
3pm to 5pm
very crafty // quick decision-making when facing danger // weak at completing tasks and objectives // pleasant to be around with // has the knack to make people cry and laugh //
Rooster, Chicken (닭):
5pm to 7pm
very understanding and wise decision-making // excels at school and academics // too preoccupied with self-comfort // when faced with difficulty, tend to easily give up // likes to help others //
Dog (개):
7pm to 9pm
considered the most well-rounded characteristics for the modern society // creative // likes to follow through and complete tasks at hand // very loyal // once relationship established, lasts forever //
Pig (돼지):
9pm to 11pm
honest, straight-shooter // trustworthy // tendency to belittle people who are opposed or disliked // calm and doesn’t like to move around // likely to have health issues //
