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CHAPTER 1
CHINESE LOVE SIGNS — KARMIC CONNECTIONS
I BELIEVE IN ONLY MEANINGFUL COINCIDENCES. The time that our spirits choose to enter this physical world is both significant and informative. When we first encounter someone, our eyes meet and we see their hair color, eyes, and smile, but we also "see," or sense, their spirit energy or qi (chi). Physical appearance, professional aspirations, or social circumstances cannot explain the intense attraction that exists between certain souls. This attraction is not based on sexual chemistry alone (although that element is often present); rather, it is a "spiritual rendezvous" between kindred or familiar spirits.
It has been said that there is a special someone for all of us. Actually, there are many "special someones" with whom we could be very happy. However, there comes a time when most of us yearn to unite with one kindred spirit. While any relationship is possible, given enough understanding and maturity, Eastern sages have known for millennia that certain souls seek out each other and become powerfully attached. In Eastern culture, the spirit or soul is of utmost importance, and it is through the ongoing process of love relationships that we become whole. Therefore, it is important to cultivate these spiritual connections in order to harmoniously merge our minds, and subsequently our sexual energies, with another person.
The following relationship guidelines are time-tested and true through thousands of years of experience.
What Is a Karmic Connection?
A karmic connection is a powerful psychic connection and a tangible chemistry between two people. It is the successful reuniting of spirit, mind, and body with a matching/kindred/familiar soul, and an ongoing relationship that our spirit picks up time and again and in various guises and places. While it is sometimes true that opposites attract each other, more often than not, like attracts like. Kindred or familiar souls always gravitate toward each other and seek to reunite once again. These relationships can occur between spouses, between parents and children, between best friends, between work colleagues, and even between ourselves and a beloved pet. However, those that occur within the context of a sexual or love relationship are extraordinarily profound.
Where Will I Find My Soul Mate?
Significant people come into our lives at appointed times. As we are presented with many choices throughout our lives, there are also many individuals who will, in their own way, take us down a certain life path. Each potential partner carries their own unique combination of spirit-improving or spirit-destroying potentials. Is searching for one's soul mate a gamble of sorts? Definitely. But by using the universal principles of Chinese astrology we can make more-informed decisions about who might be a better bet for us to further our spiritual, mental, and physical happiness.
As we are spiritual creatures contained within a mutable, physical body, our ultimate purpose in this earthly existence is spiritual or soul development. Love, enticement, and affection all originate at a soul level. The closest experience we can have with our Creator is through the experience of loving others; indeed, it is through the selfless act of giving with no thought of getting anything in return that we can glimpse the very essence of our Creator and nurture the very best of ourselves. A true soul mate can be identified as one who walks alongside of us in support and agreement of purpose. Soul mates share a life goal and steadfastly work together to achieve it. On the darker side, potential, joy, and one's higher purpose can all be destroyed by uniting with the wrong individual.
A spiritual connection is the first and most crucial support for a successful mental and physical relationship. In order to have a fulfilling physical union and a lasting friendship, this critical first step in the spirit, mind, and body connection cannot be skipped or ignored. All superior and truly fulfilling sexual relationships are built upon this cornerstone. However, it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between infatuation, lust, and love. Therefore, one must ask the critical questions: Will a certain romantic alliance make me a better person? Is this a "balanced" relationship of give and take? Or does this attachment elicit only discouragement, continually bringing out the worst in me? Hopefully, the guidelines in this book will assist you in determining whether the people you encounter are potential long-term relationship material, or merely passing attractions that enable you to work through some unfinished business.
We need not look far to find significant connections in our lives. Most of the relationships that we would consider important today can find their origin in past associations. The reality is that there is no need to go searching for our soul mates, as twin souls have an ongoing connection that neither time nor mortality can separate. Whether we identify them in the moment or in retrospect, these karmic relationships will inevitably unfold before us — we have only to recognize them.
These kinds of spiritual and soul mate relationships can occur between same-sex persons as well as in male-female relationships, but both have one thing in common: They are unions in which each couple is brought together to achieve a common goal, and each person contributes to the personal growth of the other. This doesn't mean that two soul mates won't experience friction, however. At times, each may feel that the other person is the source of, rather than the remedy for, their pain. This feeling is due to the fact that the soul mate "mirrors" the other and thus spiritually empowers their partner to develop their strengths and confront their weaknesses. In essence, the soul mate enables their partner to emerge as the whole and fulfilled human being they were meant to be.
Fresh insights, new sets of choices, and new arenas in which to make these choices are the gifts given to us as we identify and pursue our life's purpose and seek spiritual enlightenment. Destiny will assist us and steer that familiar soul into our path, but our fate will be determined by what we do with these opportunities, as well as by the natural consequences of our choices.
Whether you long for a soul mate who will assist you in spiritual growth, or a twin soul who joins with you to complete an important work or purpose, let's continue on and see if any of these connections are occurring in your life right now!
CHAPTER 2
YIN/YANG — STILLNESS AND MOVEMENT
THE ANCIENT CHINESE ATTRIBUTED THE SOURCE OF ALL LIFE to the balance between heaven and earth, the yin and the yang. The yin represents the negative, passive night force — female, water, and receiving. The yang represents the positive, aggressive, day force — male, fire, and giving. These two halves, the yin and the yang, are represented in the familiar Chinese symbol for the tai ji. The two semi-circles of light and dark that make up the complete tai ji merge into each other and move in harmony.
One yin and one yang are called Tao (pronounced "dow"). Meaning "the way," Tao is the ancient Chinese term for the ordering principle that makes harmony possible. In the ancient text of the Tao Te Ching, the Chinese philosopher Laozi formulated a philosophical system that introduced the concept of health and prosperity through awareness of the natural cosmic cycles. This awareness of life, he suggested, was the path to finding balance and achieving a "satisfied mind." According to this principle, the Tao gives birth to one perfect whole that carries yin on its back and embraces yang in its arms. This blending of qi then becomes balanced and harmonious. Yin and yang are the Tao of heaven and earth, and the principle and root beginning of life and death, of mother and father, and of spiritual enlightenment.
Contained within the light or yang half of the yin/yang symbol is a small circle of dark yin, representing the feminine within the masculine. Similarly, within the dark or yin half of this symbol is a circle of light yang, representing the masculine within the feminine. The yang seeks to find the yin, which in turn is powerfully magnetized toward its other half. Finding out your birth-year polarity (whether you are yin or yang) will reveal which side of the karmic coin you represent. You can discover whether you are, in essence, an ardent front-line yang lover or a dreamy backseat yin lover.
Yang Lovers (+ Movement): Rat, Tiger, Dragon, Horse, Monkey, Dog
Yang lovers take the lead in life and in the bedroom. Their sexual energy builds rapidly and originates in the genitals. This energy needs to be brought out gradually toward the other parts of the body. In love, yang lovers can be quick out of the gate and possess a potent and passionate soul. This positive polarity represents: giving, movement, masculine energy, fire, the sun, daylight, heat, dryness, quickness, assertiveness, angular shapes, the intellect, and the heavens.
Yin Lovers (- Stillness): Ox, Rabbit, Snake, Goat, Rooster, Pig
Yin lovers are receptive, passive lovers who are sensitive, sensual, and feeling-oriented. Their sexual energy originates in the outer areas of the body and needs to be brought in toward the genitals. Yin lovers like to take their time and enjoy the build-up preliminaries in love. This negative polarity represents: receiving, stillness, female energy, the moon, nighttime, coolness, moisture, slowness, passivity, receptiveness, round smooth shapes, intuition, and the earth.
Our spirits know no gender, and are much more than the amorphous human expression of masculinity or femininity. According to ancient Chinese wisdom, it is yin or yang essence, and not physical gender, that will influence your sensibilities and inclinations. In this sense, any one of us has the capacity to be either the giver or the receiver. For instance, yin males, such as Rabbits, Goats, or Pigs, possess a yin soul and are able to express their "feminine face" more readily than other men. Yang females, such as Tigers, Horses, and Dogs, possess a yang soul and are able to express their assertive "masculine face" more readily than other women.
After determining whether you are yin or yang, it's time to see where your birth-year animal sign (earthly branch) is placed within the eight major relationship power patterns or energies. In these groupings, notice that some relationships are set up for drama. Those signs with a double whammy of, say, peach blossom and combatant, personify the love/hate relationship. Others, such as the double blessing of being a soul mate and lover in kind, bring harmony and happiness. Familiarize yourself with your sign's unique network of connections and refer back to this section frequently for reference.
Relationship Energies
Rat (+ Yang):
Soul mate to — Ox
In trine with — Monkey, Dragon
In opposition to — Horse
Combatant to — Goat
In kind with — Ox
Resolving karma with — Rabbit
Steed — Tiger
Peach blossom — Rooster
Ox (- Yin):
Soul mate to — Rat
In trine with — Snake, Rooster
In opposition to — Goat
Combatant to — Horse
In kind with — Rat
Resolving karma with — Dragon
Steed — Pig
Peach blossom — Horse
Tiger (+ Yang):
Soul mate to — Pig
In trine with — Horse, Dog
In opposition to — Monkey
Combatant to — Snake
In kind with — Rabbit
Resolving karma with — Snake
Steed — Monkey
Peach blossom — Rabbit
Rabbit (- Yin):
Soul mate to — Dog
In trine with — Goat, Pig
In opposition to — Rooster
Combatant to — Dragon
In kind with — Tiger
Resolving karma with — Horse
Steed — Snake
Peach blossom — Rat
Dragon (+ Yang):
Soul mate to — Rooster
In trine with — Rat, Monkey
In opposition to — Dog
Combatant to — Rabbit
In kind with — Snake
Resolving karma with — Goat
Steed — Tiger
Peach blossom — Rooster
Snake (-Yin):
Soul mate to — Monkey
In trine with — Ox, Rooster
In opposition to — Pig
Combatant to — Tiger
In kind with — Dragon
Resolving karma with — Monkey
Steed — Pig
Peach blossom — Horse
Horse (+ Yang):
Soul mate to — Goat
In trine with — Tiger, Dog
In opposition to — Rat
Combatant to — Ox
In kind with — Goat
Resolving karma with — Rooster
Steed — Monkey
Peach blossom — Rabbit
Goat (-Yin):
Soul mate to — Horse
In trine with — Rabbit, Pig
In opposition to — Ox
Combatant to — Rat
In kind with — Horse
Resolving karma with — Dog
Steed — Snake
Peach blossom — Rat
Monkey (+ Yang):
Soul mate to — Snake
In trine with — Rat, Dragon
In opposition to — Tiger
Combatant to — Pig
In kind with — Rooster
Resolving karma with — Pig
Steed — Tiger
Peach blossom — Rooster
Rooster (-Yin):
Soul mate to — Dragon
In trine with — Ox, Snake
In opposition to — Rabbit
Combatant to — Dog
In kind with — Monkey
Resolving karma with — Rat
Steed — Pig
Peach blossom — Horse
Dog (+ Yang):
Soul mate to — Rabbit
In trine with — Tiger, Horse
In opposition to — Dragon
Combatant to — Rooster
In kind with — Pig
Resolving karma with — Ox
Steed — Monkey
Peach blossom — Rabbit
Pig (- Yin):
Soul mate to — Tiger
In trine with — Horse, Dog
In opposition to — Snake
Combatant to — Monkey
In kind with — Dog
Resolving karma with — Tiger
Steed — Snake
Peach blossom — Rat
CHAPTER 3
LOVE WRITTEN IN THE STARS — SOUL MATE CONNECTIONS
IF DESIRE, ATTRACTION, AND LOVE ORIGINATE at a soul level, how can we determine if a relationship has long-term potential or is just a passing flame? While some relationships are simply ones of convenience or duty, others are truly karmic in nature. In the relationship energies chart (see Chapter 2), you will find a rapport road map of sorts. Find your sign and see what the karmic connection is.
Soul Mates
The idea of soul mates has existed from time immemorial. Soul mates are the kindred spirits and true spiritual helpmates of the Eastern Zodiac. The soul mate connection is the most potent of the compatibility connections and is comprised of familiar souls attached spiritually from previous associations. They are drawn together in the present because of their association in the past. Within this unforgettable connection we will find our karmic cohorts, our twin souls, and those who will be best suited to assist us in our spiritual development. The attraction between two soul mates is a powerful one, and if separation ensues, neither may fully recover.
These are the most complimentary couples of the Zodiac, and each will be an invaluable asset in, and catalyst to, the other's spiritual growth. Whether you desire a soul mate, who will encourage your spiritual growth, or a "twin flame," who will work side by side with you in a united purpose, it is not necessary to actively search for these relationships, as they tend to unfold before our eyes. When the spirit, mind, and body are ready, the soul mate will appear.
Rat — Ox
Those born into Rat and Ox years are sentimental and vulnerable to each other. These two signs form a mutual admiration society and compliment each other in many ways. Both souls are family- and security-oriented and are drawn together in life and in love. The stable Ox provides consistency and practicality to the Rat's clever ideas and projects. Because they are opposite sides of the same coin, they allow each other to revel in strengths and face weaknesses in a safe emotional environment. While no relationship is perfect, this one promises to be pretty close to ideal for each partner. Growth occurs and problems are overcome, even when the other seems to be the source of the problem.
Tiger — Pig
The deepest of bonds and connections are found between the affectionate Pig and the forthright Tiger. The Pig is never threatened by the Tiger's grand accomplishments and truly enjoys the Tiger's success as if it were their own. In friendship and in love, this relationship is a keeper. These two soul mates can work through nearly any difficulty and walk side by side spiritually, mentally, and physically. Each "reflects" the other, thus allowing deep insight into the inner self. The Tiger's need for change and outside interests combined with the Pig's need for affection and physical comforts makes for a perfect yin/yang communion. Not only can the Tiger and Pig live and love together successfully, but they can also work arm-in- arm as a team in vocational efforts.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Chinese Sexual Astrology"
by .
Copyright © 2007 Shelly Wu.
Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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