Symbolism In The Zodiac: The Journey Of Animals
The symbolism in the zodiac is closely linked to the etymology of this term, “way of animals” or, according to other philologists, “images of animals”, referring to the shapes of the constellations.
The origin of the zodiac is uncertain: the debate between who attributes its authorship to the Egyptians and who to the Babylonians is open. However, there seems to be some consensus regarding the contribution made by the Egyptians to the expansion of astrology in the world.
Western zodiac symbols are associated with Greek mythology, and although many are animals, other characters related to the Olympian gods also appear.
Today there are many other interpretations and zodiacal representations depending on the civilization studied. For example, while the Celts based astrology on trees, the Chinese created a zodiac made up of the animals of their mythology.
The Chinese case is one of the best known, even if, like every legend, it has different versions. The most famous one connects the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac with the race to the so-called Heavenly Gate.
This fact justifies the zodiacal order of these animals based on the time of arrival before the Jade Emperor: mouse, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog and pig.
The tradition of the Chinese zodiac
Tradition has it that the Jade Emperor, one of the most important for the Chinese religious tradition, organized a competition to choose 12 guardians. To do this, he sent an immortal being to earth who could spread the message among future participants.
The next day, the mouse, which was the first, was ahead of the others. However, he had to stop in front of the river, until he took the opportunity to cross it hanging on the ear of the ox that followed him.
Thus, the mouse, and later the ox, were the first and second animals to arrive before the Emperor after passing through the Heavenly Gate. The tiger and the rabbit finished in third and fourth place.
The dragon, kinder than you think, took a few minutes away from running to put out a fire and finished fifth. Later, there was the horse he thought would be the sixth, but he didn’t notice the snake that managed to overtake him. Thus, the snake and the horse were the sixth and the seventh to arrive.
The goat, the monkey and the rooster stood out for their teamwork, thanks to which they built a raft to cross the river. They reached eighth, ninth and tenth positions respectively. In some regions the goat is replaced by a sheep. Finally the dog and the pig arrived, who had stopped to play in the river and to eat.
You may be surprised by the absence of the cat, which is very popular in Chinese tradition. However, legend says that the mouse, despite being friends, forgot to wake him up.
Astrology and the search for answers
The stars have always been used by men to predict the future. However, animals have also been instrumental in this function since prehistoric times. In fact, according to astronomer Sten Odenwald, director of the NASA Education Consortium, the cave paintings already showed the cult of an animal spirit that influenced the lives of humans through hunting.
Another example is that of the Babylonians and the Sumerians who, in addition to looking at the sky, analyzed the livers and entrails of animals during their divination practices.
Astrology, with the zodiac, horoscopes and so-called astral charts, is considered a pseudoscience, since its methodology does not present any objectively proven scientific support. However, its practice, born in prehistoric times, has evolved and consolidated until today.
