The 12 Chinese zodiac animals in their cyclical order are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig.Whether you are born in the year of the rat, dragon, or horse, your Chinese zodiac sign is determined by your birth year. For instance, if born in 1992, you would belong to the Monkey zodiac sign.
Then, how does the Chinese zodiac help people to identify the compatibility between two persons? Some critical areas need to be carefully reviewed. You need to examine these in detail so you can know whether you and your partner are an excellent zodiac match or not.
The Trines
The first and most significant factor to consider in Chinese zodiac compatibility is the trine between the two signs. The 12 animal signs are the constituents of four trines or groups of three signs each. These trines have similarities and are recognised as the most compatible signs of the zodiac.
The four trines are:
First Trine: Rat, Dragon, Monkey.
Second Trine: Ox, Snake, and Rooster
Third Trine: Tiger, Horse, and Dog.
Fourth Trine: Rabbit, Ewe, Sow
If your zodiac sign and your partner’s sign are within the same trine group, your relationship will be compatible and harmonious. The implication here is that people in trine signs are more likely to have a good understanding of each other’s intentions and peculiarities because they share some traits in their personalities.
For example, Rats, Dragons, and Monkeys are the signs which are all considered to be cunning, creative, and unconventional. Therefore, if the Rat woman and the Monkey man or the Dragon man and the Rat woman are the partners, they would be the most compatible couples, as per Chinese astrology.
The Conflicts
Likewise, the trines symbolise harmony, yet in the Chinese system, a few zodiac sign pairings are considered to be in conflict or incompatible. These are known as conflicting pairs or opposites.
The six conflicting opposite pairs are:
Rat and Ox
Ox and Tiger
Tiger and Dog
Rabbit and Rooster
Dragon and Ox
Dog and Rooster
If your zodiac sign and your mate’s sign fall into one of the polar opposites, you may have recurring conflicts and problems with communication, and you may never be on the same page about many things. In such cases, the fundamental values, personalities and ways of life are usually at the opposite ends of the spectrum.
Take the Rat, for example, which values freedom and independence, and then the Ox, which is all about stability and commitment. A relationship between a Rat man and an Ox woman (and the other way around) might be a real challenge for them to overcome the differences in their core nature.
The Cycles
Finally, the cycle of the Chinese zodiac compatibility years is also important in the theory. The essence of the theory is that each sign has its own cyclic compatibility.
For instance, the Rat and Ox signs will be compatible every 12 years, the Tiger and the Ox every 12 years, and so on, until the cycle turns to the Rat again. In other years, the Rat may get along poorly with certain other signs or encounter more problems with them.
This cycle can give you a general idea of which years and periods will be bump-free and which will have some turbulence in your relationship.
The Elements
Besides the trines, conflict, and cycles, the Chinese zodiac also includes the elements of the signs when determining compatibility. The elemental connections for each zodiac animal are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water.
The elemental combinations and their compatibility levels are:
Wood complements Fire
Fire complements Earth
Earth complements Metal
Metal complements Water
Water complements Wood
Meanwhile, the clashing elemental combinations are considered incompatible:
The sound of wood colliding with metal is a common occurrence.
Fire and Water conflict.
Earth is clashing with Wood
The conflict between Metal and Fire is at play.
Water is hashing with the Earth.
For instance, when a Wood (like the Rat) and a Fire (like the Horse) sign combine, they are perceived as a team that can create a fertile environment, heat and passion in their romance.
However, the opposite signs, like the Pig (Water) and the Horse (Fire), could create problems due to their conflicting elements. These could lead to power struggles, mental tension, and an inability to connect at the emotional level.
The Polarities
In conclusion, the other aspect is the polarity or complementary duality of the yin and yang energies assigned to each zodiac sign. The signs of the Zodiac are divided into Yin (feminine) and yang (masculine) groups.
The yin or feminine signs are A Rat, A Rabbit, A Sheep, and A Pig.
The yang or masculine signs are the ox, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Rooster, and Dog.
In the best-case scenario, a couple would be composed of one yin and one yang partner, creating the desirable polarity of complementary masculine and feminine energies. In a partnership of two polarities, either two yins or two yangs, the energy balance and synergy may be missing.
Nevertheless, the balance of the yin-yang should also be a factor, as this combination should be suitable. For example, the union of a Rat woman with a Rooster man (yin and yang, respectively) is not as ideal as the union of a Rat woman and an Ox man (balanced yin and yang) because of the incompatibility of the Rat and Rooster signs.
