Here be Magic: 2015: The Year of the Sheep

2015: The Year of the Dragon. Sounds very cool. But no, 2015 is actually the Year of the Sheep, according to Chinese culture. And it's not a fortuitous year to be born, since sheep are considered meek creatures raised for slaughter. It's considered unlucky to have a child born in a sheep year, as perhaps maybe one in ten will find true happiness.

Wait. What? So your success in life is based on what year you were born? Even more, what month, what day, what hour? According to some superstitious folks, yep. Now I really can't see how random people born in the same year, in different cultures, different environments, and from different DNA, can all fall under one lump sum of characteristics, but there you have it.

I find this kind of stuff interesting to read about, so I thought I'd share a little trivia. Personally, I don't hold with anything that paints a blanket of traits over someone. Period. We're all individuals. That said, it's still fun to see where you fit in. There's a lot more involved then what I'm going to mention, but I'm skimming the surface to get you the gist of it all.

There are 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac:

Rat
Ox
Tiger
Rabbit
Dragon
Snake
Horse
Goat
Monkey
Rooster
Dog
Pig

Apparently, the animal signs assigned by year are only how others perceive you. But these same animals signs assigned by month (inner animals), by day (true animals) and by hour (secret animals) can paint a more realistic portrait. So just because you might be born a sheep, you could also be a dog deep inside, a rooster in truth, or a dragon, secretly.

But what do these signs mean? Per http://www.chinesezodiac.com/signs.php :

RAT quick-witted, clever, charming, sharp and funny. They have excellent taste, are a good friend and are generous and loyal to others considered part of its pack. Motivated by money, can be greedy, is ever curious, seeks knowledge and welcomes challenges.
OX steadfast, solid, a goal-oriented leader, detail-oriented, hard-working, stubborn, serious and introverted but can feel lonely and insecure. Takes comfort in friends and family and is a reliable, protective and strong companion.
TIGER authoritative, self-possessed, have strong leadership qualities, are charming, ambitious, courageous, warm-hearted, highly seductive, moody, intense, and they’re ready to pounce at any time.
RABBIT enjoy being surrounded by family and friends. They’re popular, compassionate, sincere, and they like to avoid conflict and are sometimes seen as pushovers. Rabbits enjoy home and entertaining at home.
DRAGON A powerful sign, those born under the Chinese Zodiac sign of the Dragon are energetic and warm-hearted, charismatic, lucky at love and egotistic. They’re natural born leaders, good at giving orders and doing what’s necessary to remain on top.
SNAKE seductive, gregarious, introverted, generous, charming, good with money, analytical, insecure, jealous, slightly dangerous, smart, they rely on gut feelings, are hard-working and intelligent.
HORSE energetic, self-reliant, money-wise, and they enjoy traveling, love and intimacy. They’re great at seducing, sharp-witted, impatient and sometimes seen as a drifter.
SHEEP/GOAT creative, thinkers, wanderers, unorganized, high-strung and insecure, and can be anxiety-ridden. They need lots of love, support and reassurance.
MONKEY energetic, upbeat, and good at listening but lack self-control. They like being active and stimulated and enjoy pleasing self before pleasing others. They’re heart-breakers, not good at long-term relationships, morals are weak.
ROOSTER practical, resourceful, observant, analytical, straightforward, trusting, honest, perfectionists, neat and conservative.
DOG loyal, faithful, honest, distrustful, often guilty of telling white lies, temperamental, prone to mood swings, dogmatic, and sensitive. Dogs excel in business but have trouble finding mates.
PIG/BOAR extremely nice, good-mannered and tasteful. They’re perfectionists who enjoy finer things but are not perceived as snobs. They enjoy helping others and are good companions until someone close crosses them, then look out! They’re intelligent, always seeking more knowledge, and exclusive.

You know, I don't put a whole lot of stock in this, but it's fun to go through and see what fits with me and what doesn't. And here's a litttle more to stir your interest: a compatibility grid. Now go out and find your true love, be he a snake, pig, or dog. LOL

Sign	Best Match	Match	No Match
Rat	Ox, Dragon, Monkey	Dog, Rat, Goat, Snake, Pig, Tiger	Horse, Rabbit, Rooster
Ox	Rat, Rooster, Pig, Snake	Ox, Tiger, Monkey, Dragon, Rabbit	Goat, Horse, Dog
Tiger	Pig, Dog, Rabbit, Horse, Rooster	Goat, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Dragon, Snake	Monkey
Rabbit	Dog, Pig, Tiger, Goat	Snake, Monkey, Ox, Dragon, Horse, Rabbit	Rooster, Rat
Dragon	Rooster, Monkey, Rat, Goat, Snake	Tiger, Pig, Ox, Rabbit, Horse, Dragon	Dog
Snake	Monkey, Rooster, Ox, Dragon	Rabbit, Horse, Tiger, Goat, Snake, Dog, Rat	Pig
Horse	Goat, Dog, Tiger	Dragon, Monkey, Rooster, Pig, Rabbit, Snake, Horse	Rat, Ox
Goat	Horse, Rabbit, Pig, Dragon	Monkey, Goat, Snake, Rooster, Rat, Dog, Tiger	Ox
Monkey	Snake, Rat, Dragon	Horse, Goat, Ox, Pig, Rooster, Monkey, Rabbit, Dog	Tiger
Rooster	Dragon, Ox, Tiger, Pig, Snake	Rooster, Dog, Goat, Monkey, Horse	Rabbit, Rat
Dog	Rabbit, Tiger, Horse, Pig	Rat, Snake, Dog, Goat, Monkey, Rooster	Dragon, Ox
Pig	Tiger, Rabbit, Rooster, Goat, Ox, Dog	Pig, Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Horse	Snake