When the East meets the West, Zodiac basics

Western and Chinese Astrology: A Guide to Zodiacs, Elements, and Personality

In Western astrology, the zodiac is divided into twelve signs, each lasting roughly a month in a repeating annual cycle. These signs are linked to specific dates and grouped into four classical elements: Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. Each element governs three signs, offering insight into a person’s temperament, emotional tendencies, and motivations.

Western Zodiac Signs & Their Traits

♉️ Sign (Dates)	🌟 Traits	🎨 Symbol & Vibe
Aries (21 Mar – 19 Apr)	Bold, driven, impulsive	🔥 Energetic, fiery ram
Taurus (20 Apr – 20 May)	Grounded, sensual, loyal	🌿 Stable, earthy bull
Gemini (21 May – 20 Jun)	Curious, talkative, adaptable	🌬️ Airy, dual-natured twins
Cancer (21 Jun – 22 Jul)	Emotional, protective, nurturing	🌊 Sensitive, caring crab
Leo (23 Jul – 22 Aug)	Charismatic, proud, creative	☀️ Radiant, bold lion
Virgo (23 Aug – 22 Sep)	Analytical, practical, perfectionist	🌾 Grounded, meticulous maiden
Libra (23 Sep – 22 Oct)	Harmonious, social, indecisive	⚖️ Balanced, charming scales
Scorpio (23 Oct – 21 Nov)	Intense, passionate, secretive	🦂 Mysterious, powerful scorpion
Sagittarius (22 Nov – 21 Dec)	Adventurous, philosophical, honest	🏹 Free-spirited, optimistic archer
Capricorn (22 Dec – 19 Jan)	Ambitious, disciplined, reserved	🐐 Determined, steady mountain goat
Aquarius (20 Jan – 18 Feb)	Independent, unconventional, intellectual	🌬️ Innovative, visionary water bearer
Pisces (19 Feb – 20 Mar)	Empathetic, artistic, dreamy	🌊 Compassionate, intuitive fish

Western Elements

🔥 Element	✨ Qualities	🌟 Signs
Fire	Passionate, energetic, bold	Aries, Leo, Sagittarius
Earth	Practical, stable, grounded	Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn
Air	Intellectual, communicative, idealistic	Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Water	Intuitive, emotional, sensitive	Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces

The 12 Astrological Houses

Each of the twelve astrological houses represents a different area of life:

🏠 House	🌟 Area of Life
1st House: Self	Identity, appearance
2nd House: Money	Finances, possessions
3rd House: Communication	Siblings, intellect
4th House: Home	Roots, family
5th House: Creativity	Romance, children
6th House: Health	Work, wellbeing
7th House: Partnerships	Marriage, one-on-one dynamics
8th House: Transformation	Death, rebirth, shared assets
9th House: Beliefs	Travel, philosophy
10th House: Career	Reputation, ambitions
11th House: Community	Friendships, social groups
12th House: Subconscious	Secrets, healing, the unseen

Chinese Astrology and the Lunar Zodiac

The Chinese zodiac follows the lunar calendar and is based on a twelve-year cycle. Each year is associated with a zodiac animal and one of the five elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water), resulting in a full 60-year cycle.

Chinese Zodiac Signs & Their Traits

🐾 Sign	🌟 Traits	🎨 Symbol & Vibe
Rat	Intelligent, quick-witted, strategic	🐀 Clever and resourceful
Ox	Dependable, methodical, strong-willed	🐂 Steady and powerful
Tiger	Courageous, assertive, unpredictable	🐅 Fierce and bold
Rabbit	Gentle, elegant, compassionate	🐇 Soft and graceful
Dragon	Ambitious, magnetic, innovative	🐉 Majestic and dynamic
Snake	Wise, intuitive, discreet	🐍 Mysterious and thoughtful
Horse	Independent, energetic, impatient	🐎 Free-spirited and lively
Goat	Kind, artistic, peace-seeking	🐐 Gentle and creative
Monkey	Clever, resourceful, mischievous	🐒 Playful and sharp
Rooster	Honest, observant, perfectionist	🐓 Proud and detail-oriented
Dog	Loyal, responsible, fair-minded	🐕 Faithful and protective
Pig	Generous, sincere, easy-going	🐖 Warm-hearted and easy-going

Chinese Elements

🌱 Element	✨ Qualities	🌟 Symbol & Vibe
Wood	Growth, creativity, compassion	🌳 Life, renewal, and nurture
Fire	Passion, energy, transformation	🔥 Warmth, power, and change
Earth	Stability, nourishment, loyalty	🏞️ Grounded, dependable, steady
Metal	Precision, determination, control	⚔️ Sharp, resilient, and focused
Water	Wisdom, adaptability, depth	🌊 Fluid, deep, and intuitive

Each element has a Yin or Yang nature, affecting how each animal's traits express themselves.

Yin and Yang in Astrology

Yin and Yang are dual but complementary forces:

🌙 Yin	☀️ Yang
Feminine, dark, intuitive, passive	Masculine, light, logical, active

Each Chinese zodiac sign and element is either Yin or Yang. This dynamic affects personality, health, behaviour, and energy flow.

BaZi: The Four Pillars of Destiny

The BaZi system uses four key data points from your birth:

📅 Pillar	🌟 Description
Year	Represents ancestral influences and early life
Month	Reflects your upbringing and family environment
Day	Core self—personality and inner nature
Hour	Hidden potential and future opportunities

What Is an Ephemeris?

An ephemeris is a table of the positions of celestial bodies at specific dates and times. In Western astrology, it helps calculate where planets were during your birth—used to create your natal chart. Today, digital ephemerides are used in astrology software.

How Natal Charts Work

Western Natal Charts

A map of the sky at your birth based on:

Date, Time and Location

It shows where the planets and signs were, across the twelve houses. It reveals your personality, emotions, potential, and spiritual path.

Chinese Natal Charts (BaZi)

Uses: Year, Month, Day, and Hour of birth

Each time stamp contains elemental and animal influences. The balance and interaction of these give insight into your destiny, health, and fortune cycles.

Astrology and Witchcraft

Western Astrology and Witchcraft

In Europe, astrology has long been intertwined with mysticism and occult traditions. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance:

• Astrological knowledge was used in alchemy, herbalism, and magical timing (known as electional astrology).

• Witches, cunning folk, and occultists used planetary positions to cast spells, make talismans, predict weather, and diagnose ailments.

• The zodiac and planetary influences were part of grimoires (books of magic) and ritual calendars.

The association of astrology with witchcraft contributed to suspicion and persecution, especially during the Inquisition and witch trials, though elite scholars continued to use astrology for kings and courts.

Today, in modern witchcraft and pagan traditions (such as Wicca), astrology is used to:

• Align rituals with lunar and planetary cycles

• Personalise spellwork and magical timing

• Understand personal archetypes and spiritual journeys

Chinese Astrology and Mystical Practice

Chinese astrology is more commonly part of Daoist metaphysics than witchcraft. It’s used in:

Spirit rituals
Feng Shui and ancestral rites

Choosing auspicious dates

Spellcasting in a Western sense is uncommon and often culturally discouraged.

Cultural Taboos and Closed Practices

Western astrology is generally open and widely used and shared. Though there are some "experts" who look down on those without knowledge of the fundamentals before utilising astrology 

Chinese metaphysics ( Including BaZi and Feng Shui) should be approached respectfully
Some rituals are sacred or lineage-based and may be inappropriate for outsiders to teach, sell, modify or partake in.
Sharing someone else's BaZi chart without consent may be taboo

Other Zodiac Systems Around the World

🌟 Zodiac System	🌍 Origin	🔮 Key Features
Vedic Astrology (Jyotish)	🇮🇳 India	Uses the sidereal zodiac and 27 lunar mansions (Nakshatras). Focuses on karma, dharma, and life path.
Babylonian Astrology	🏺 Ancient Mesopotamia	The earliest known zodiac system. Foundation of modern Western astrology, using omens and celestial patterns.
Egyptian Zodiac	🌞 Ancient Egypt	Centered around deities like Ra and Thoth. Later merged with Greek astrology during the Ptolemaic era.
Mayan Astrology	🌿 Mesoamerica	Based on the 260-day Tzolk’in calendar and 20 day-signs. Deeply spiritual and tied to divine timing.
Celtic Tree Zodiac	🌳 Britain & Ireland (modern)	Reconstructed system based on sacred trees and lunar cycles. Influenced by Druidic spiritual beliefs.
Native American Zodiac	🐾 North America (modern)	Animal-based and nature-focused. Represents seasonal energies; varies across different tribes.
Tibetan Astrology	🕉️ Tibet	Combines Indian, Chinese, and Bon traditions. Used for medical astrology, karma, and spiritual insight.
Romani Zodiac	🎭 Romani Diaspora	Spiritual and symbolic system blending Indian roots with European folk traditions.
Persian Astrology	🏜️ Ancient Iran	Rooted in ancient star lore; influenced by Babylonian and Hellenistic astrology, focusing on planetary cycles.

Update on me- Where did i go?

OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

My days, it's been so, so long since I updated this blog!

To anyone who still reads, I am so, so, so sorry. 

Life just sort of got in the way—big time.

So, how are you? That's a good question. Well, while I can't hear your answer, I can only say that I hope you are doing as well as you can.

How am I? Geez, what a long question. How do we cover three years in one short post... well, let's try.

Well, I started an apprenticeship 4 years ago at my local authority as a member of business support, while finishing off my master's degree, which had been extended due to COVID. COVID actually helped me in many ways. Not actually getting it—that made me very, very unwell—but I learned who my true friends are, that I was really burnt out mentally; and being surrounded by such high death numbers has actually cured (almost) my phobia of death—long story short, in school, my drama teacher made us re-enact a school shooting, and I developed the phobia and would have nightly panic attacks for the next 10 years. Then COVID happened, and over the 2 years, it's virtually gone. Now it's 2025, and I can actually have a restful night's sleep.

Anyhoo, so I started an apprenticeship which ended with me becoming a permanent member of staff, and now I've been there 4 years. I work in health, specifically paying hospital bills and analyzing data. But I'm always learning. I've also been on the next level of apprenticeship... and I'm ready for it to be over.

I no longer have contact with a toxic ex-friend, a narcissist. That's relatively old news, but a good banishment spell after our last argument has meant I've not had to deal with her. Though she does do this comical strut suddenly if she notices me in town. At this point, it's such old news that now I just chuckle at it.

My best friend got married! In fact, today is their first wedding anniversary and 11th year being together. I hope they've had a magical time today!

I finally got diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which has now meant that at work, I get some accommodations to make working easier for me, and it means I've got quite a bit of work to do compared to most people. I go to bed, and I risk my shoulders dislocating. I have to have a diet rich in protein, magnesium, and vitamin B12, as well as a higher level of sodium. It’s been both liberating to have my condition confirmed and draining, as now I need to care for myself differently, or at least in a way that's better for my body.

Last year, I went on antidepressants after a concussion, so I was put on sertraline as the damage was causing mood problems. We found out it helps with my pain levels and anxiety. So I stuck with it until the last couple of weeks—I am now dealing with the symptoms that come with tapering off medication that affects your brain. Vitamin B12 spray helps with the symptoms, though!

I can legally drive now—scary thing and very hard work for me due to the above condition, causing issues with my hand, but the car is called Freddie-Ray after my grandad, who sadly, last month, died due to poor mental health, self-neglect, and health problems. It has been very hard and upsetting. But we are trying to take it one step at a time. Also, if you're wondering why I named the car after him—well, it was his car, and while he was alive, he wanted to give it to my family, so it made its way to me. It is now pimped out with mushroom decor, and pop music is already in its stereo.

I had a boyfriend; however, we split up 3 months ago this week after a year and a bit—honestly I'm at the "good riddance" stage and whilst I do wish good luck to him- I also wish him to take on board a very hard lesson on how to treat people- or better yet how not to treat them- because you can't just treat people the way I was treated no matter what you've been through or feel like. Not one of my better partners, for sure. I’d basically been led on to the point we were buying a house together at his request—only for him to become avoidant, emotionally cold, and then snarky and even a little mean towards the end. He told me that he was certain the only reason he’d been getting off during the last couple of times we were intimate was because he’d been drinking alcohol... not gonna lie, no matter what, that's just arseholeeee vibes... Glad to say I am finally moving on, because that was just a cruel thing to say, and now I have to build my confidence up from scratch—all because of his words and behaviour towards me. I always had confidence issues with my face, my weight and the fact that I have a resting grumpy face; and I come from a background where you had to appear a certain way to prevent bullying.
 I also found out within a week of my grandfather's funeral that he had actually got in contact with his ex within days of the break-up. I won't grass up what he was doing, but let's just say that I lost respect for him, and I really didn't need to see screenshots of some of those conversations from his ex as she played things off dramatically. He's been blocked and unfollowed where possible to prevent drama, as I just can't deal with any more of it. I told him I'd be respectful in a group setting, but that girls stick out for each other, and to lose my number. It's all I could say as I'm so drained right now, and I was so angry, and it was like rubbing salt in the wound. I am also avoiding his ex, too, as I have a sneaky suspicion she was stirring the pot- she's friends with the toxic narcissist I mentioned. So I'm just being careful and avoiding. Means a delay in seeing my family over in Australia, as she's also where my aunt lives. But easy enough to avoid day to day.

So yes, the years haven't been kind, especially the last 2, but there've been a lot of good things too. I have my very first tattoo. It's a reminder to breathe, using the air alchemy symbol, moon phases, and other symbolism for home and pathways. I got it done in brown ink only, as I want my skin decorated with a more natural colour. I would say I am trying to be healthy again, but after that first break-up month, where I was working out daily and starving myself until I felt unwell... I've decided the focus should be on loving myself again- carbs and belly and all. 

I will eventually get back into fitness, but I have a lot going on right now first. I will be trading at a convention in August over a three-day event! I sell alternative jewellery- specifically choker collar necklaces. Which I upcycle and add crystals and other things too. I just hope they sell well! I'm super excited and have even bought new business cards, made a custom tablecloth and runner- I have even sorted camping gear as it's a three-day event!

My main priority at the moment is investing in myself, spoiling myself with self-care. For instance, I put off buying quirky glasses to fit in; I wore a cheap, ugly pair that wasn't my style. Now I am sitting here in prescription heart-shaped glasses typing like there's no tomorrow. I'm organising my finances so I can finally be debt-free- soonish ish I hope, because I want to start saving for my house deposit. I'd like to purchase my grandparents' family home to keep it in the family. Though it's probably too expensive to run and I'd only own a portion, as my grandmother, though not at capacity, is still alive, so it would be super wrong to move in. I'll keep my options open.

I have been social too, I try to meet up with some of the good people I met through my ex; I've also tried to meet up with them and other friends and family more. Though it is difficult with the mutual friends as they're all very music-oriented, and I'm very out of touch with that. Sometimes it's like they speak another language; I feel sad when I can't connect with people. So I hope I'm able to find a place of some sort, still with them- awkwardness between me and ex and all. Though I have a sneaky suspicion things are cooling off between me and them on their part, as I tend not to go out in the evenings compared to them. And when I do, I feel so awkward and like I shouldn't be there- the vibe is beginning to feel off, and I can't put my finger on it. Which is ridiculous, as they always said I'd be welcome. Gotta love anxiety, right? I guess we will find out if it's in my head as a silly worry or if my gut is right.


 I've booked a week off to rest and sort my convention stuff out, so hopefully I'll be able to do some fun stuff soon too. Some DIY, some driving, sneaky Starbucks or Maccies trip. Double chocolate chip frappe, anyone?

I really want to get back into writing this blog. And I'd love to compile what I learn into a book for beginners. With enough info in to get people started, without shoving ideology down people's throats and encouraging its readers to make their own choices and get creative.

We'll have to see how this goes; I can't promise a perfect, regular upload. And whilst I know I only have like 3 followers. Blogging just helps me relax, gives me a creative outlet without needing to worry about energy. 

So let's welcome in a new adventure and some new content!

BB
- WitchyBird