Details of Tibetan Astrology 3: Animal-Signs and Elements

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Overview of the Chinese-Derived Material

Let us now turn to the Chinese-derived, or black calculations, which are also called element calculations (’byung-rtsis). It adds a few more features to the Tibetan calendar, such as correlations with animal and element cycles, like the year of the iron-horse. It also provides further sets of variables to examine for both analyzing the personality as well as for making general predictive personal horoscopes, which then must be integrated with the horoscope information derived from the white calculation system. 

This system contains calculations for five major areas: 

  • Yearly progressions – to see what will happen during each year of a life. 
  • Illnesses (nad-rtsis) – determining if they were caused by harmful spirits and, if so, what type of spirit and which rituals to perform to appease them, and also predicting how long the illnesses will last. 
  • The dead (dur-rtsis) – based on when death occurs, calculations are made for what time and in which direction to remove the corpse from where it has been laid in state and take it to its burial or cremation. Classical Chinese astrology always emphasizes and interprets the direction in which various activities begin, not only funerals, but also journeys, where visitors come from and so on. This is found in Tibetan astrology as well, and the directions will vary from month to month. The actual time of the cremation or funeral is not calculated. The type of ceremonies to perform for the dead are also determined in this system, particularly if harmful spirits were involved with the death. 
  • Obstacles (keg-rtsis) – when they will occur in the calendar in general and during a specific person’s life. 
  • Marriage (bag-rtsis) – particularly the harmony between the perspective couples. Element calculations, then, are used primarily for astrological purposes. 

As was the case with the Indian-derived side, there are many features that this Chinese-derived system share in common with the classical Chinese astro schools. But the way they are developed and used by the Tibetans has many differences. 

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