Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2014 2:59 pm
Hi Ming,
Sorry about taking so much time for my reply! I needed to do a little research first.
Even though perhaps Chinese and Western astrology cannot be made exactly congruent with each other, I again see some remarkable coincidences between the two.
Since from traditional Western-style astrology, we know a parallel way of equating the cardinal directions, the seasons, and the elements with each other.
Earlier authors like Ptolemy ascribed the four qualities Hot, Cold, Wet, Dry to the spring, summer, autumn, and winter signs of the zodiac. Since in Aristotelian physics, the hottest element is Fire, the coldest Water, the moistest Air, and the driest Earth, the four seasonal quadrants were later seen as expressing the four elements accordingly (i.e. Paulus Alexandrinus.)
The attribution of the quadrants with the four cardinal direction as in the following enlistment is probably the most common scheme in the Western tradition; it can be found already in Abu Ma'sar. Even though, like every so often, there is no agreement between all the different authors.
If we now compare Chinese and Western astrology in this manner, we should clearly see the parallels:
C: East - Spring - Wood (a.k.a. Wind)
W: East - Spring - Air
C: South - Summer - Fire
W: South - Summer - Fire
C: West - Autumn - Metal
W: West - Autumn - Earth Comment: There seems to be a discrepancy here ? however, interestingly, in the Chinese list Saturn/Earth is irregularly linked with the (autumn-like) last month of summer.
C: North - Winter - Water
W: North - Winter - Water
Is all this incidental? Perhaps these parallels are hinting at an influence from ancient astrology on bazi Or people in completely different cultures simply reached the same conclusions independently when they were studying these topics! Or - Eastern and Western esoteric traditions share a mysterious common ancient root (unbeknownst to orthodox historical science)...
Food for thought, anyway, I believe!
Ming, I would like to know, does your system of bazi take into account the real positions of the planets at all? Or is it all numerical abstraction?
Best wishes
Michael
Sorry about taking so much time for my reply! I needed to do a little research first.
Even though perhaps Chinese and Western astrology cannot be made exactly congruent with each other, I again see some remarkable coincidences between the two.
Since from traditional Western-style astrology, we know a parallel way of equating the cardinal directions, the seasons, and the elements with each other.
Earlier authors like Ptolemy ascribed the four qualities Hot, Cold, Wet, Dry to the spring, summer, autumn, and winter signs of the zodiac. Since in Aristotelian physics, the hottest element is Fire, the coldest Water, the moistest Air, and the driest Earth, the four seasonal quadrants were later seen as expressing the four elements accordingly (i.e. Paulus Alexandrinus.)
The attribution of the quadrants with the four cardinal direction as in the following enlistment is probably the most common scheme in the Western tradition; it can be found already in Abu Ma'sar. Even though, like every so often, there is no agreement between all the different authors.
If we now compare Chinese and Western astrology in this manner, we should clearly see the parallels:
C: East - Spring - Wood (a.k.a. Wind)
W: East - Spring - Air
C: South - Summer - Fire
W: South - Summer - Fire
C: West - Autumn - Metal
W: West - Autumn - Earth Comment: There seems to be a discrepancy here ? however, interestingly, in the Chinese list Saturn/Earth is irregularly linked with the (autumn-like) last month of summer.
C: North - Winter - Water
W: North - Winter - Water
Is all this incidental? Perhaps these parallels are hinting at an influence from ancient astrology on bazi Or people in completely different cultures simply reached the same conclusions independently when they were studying these topics! Or - Eastern and Western esoteric traditions share a mysterious common ancient root (unbeknownst to orthodox historical science)...
Food for thought, anyway, I believe!
Ming, I would like to know, does your system of bazi take into account the real positions of the planets at all? Or is it all numerical abstraction?
Best wishes
Michael