Flying Snake of Paradise and the Zodiac

History of the Chinese Zodiac-

The Chinese zodiac appears as a cycle of 12 animals; the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, cock, dog and boar. The Chinese zodiac was created as a way to represent the the 12 year cycle following the cyclic movement of time using the lunar cycles.

For each animal, certain attributes are given, much like Western horoscopes. Each animals attributes, in turn, represent a certain aspect of the animal itself. For example, horses can often be seen frolicking in their enclosures and playing with fellow horses. This led to horses generally having a horoscope that places that person as someone who is happy and enjoys the company of others.

Over the centuries, numerous stories as to how the animals were chosen have arisen. There are two major stories that tend to be used more than the rest and are summed up as follows:

1. One day, the Buddha called for a great race and the first 12 animals that finished would receive a place in the zodiac. As one would expect, the animals finished in the order they are placed in the zodiac.

2. The Buddha called for a gathering for his departure of the world, inviting all animals. The animals in the zodiac were the ones who showed up and in that order.

Here's were everything comes together:

I chose the paradise tree snake for a multitude of reasons that are all connected. To begin, the snake is an integral part of the Chinese New Year, which like the American New year celebrates the passing of the old and the coming of the new.

The only problem was the time frame in which the Chinese New year occurs, the organism was suppose to coincide with a holiday that resides in the months of December and January, not February, like the Chinese. That's where the years past come in. Every year is designated in the sign of an animal in the order that appears in the zodiac. The snake lands on the years of 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001.

 

 Now, 1989 just happens to be my birthday, which in a matter of coincidence also happens to reside in December.

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                       

 

 

 

 ****If you would like to learn more about the animals pictured, a relative, or, in the case of the dragon, an organism that was named after it; then just click the image****

 

Fought a monkey; slink back to Interactions.                              Almost to the top; keep going to meet a fellow snake. Click the snake.