Are Yin and the Yang Qualities too?
Yes. In Chinese astrology, yin and yang are qualities. But yin and yang are far more powerful than our qualities because yin and yang are the two major and only forces in the Chinese philosophical universe. For them, everything present in the universe is either yin or else yang. Everything. Tables. Chairs. Light bulbs, cousins, aunts, uncles and kitchen sinks!
in a way, yin and yang can be compared, in Western culture, to the application in certain languages of the qualities of “masculine” or “feminine. A shoe is also feminine. Parks are masculine. lakes too. Feet are masculine. So are eyes and foreheads. But mouths and even teeth are feminine. Worry is masculine. So are gossip and lipstick and panty hose.
Though we may want to look for sexual significance in the application of gender to nouns, there is none. That’s what makes it difficult to remember from one language to the next whether a noun is considered masculine or feminine. Is the application of gender to nouns then perfectly arbitrary? Well, it must have come from somewhere. But nobody knows exactly how, when and why.
There are no genders in the Chinese language. But, without saying how, when or why Chinese philosophers can feel whether a thing or a person or an idea is yin or yang. it’s just there. a known fact. Yin is rooted in the sun. Its goal is darkness. Yang is rooted in Earth. Its goal is light. like everything else, each Chinese animal sign is either yin or yang.
Rat-Yin: Horse–Yang: Ox-Yin: Goat-Yang: Tiger-Yang: Monkey-Yin: Cat-Yin: Rooster-Yang: Dragon-Yang: Dog-Yin: Snake-Yang: Pig-Yin
What Does It Mean? What is Yin? What I Yang? To be perfectly frank, I am not sure what yin is or what yang means. I have read a lot of books on the subject. Still, the concept is not easy for my logical little occidental head to grasp. Chinese philosophy is complicated even for the Chinese people! I’ll be brief.
What Is Yin? The Chinese say that yin people are mainly interested in what happens in groups. They are frequently preoccupied with the organization of collective or communal events. They are attracted to politics. They are self-confident. They trust nobody. They need success to survive. They worship efficiency. They are always questing after well-being for them-selves and for those they love and like. They have good health and long life but may be prone to accidents. They don’t smile a lot. They dress conservatively. They are not spiritual. They love their families. They are material.
The way I see it, yin is open, civilized, interested in the good of others. Yin likes parties, feasts, holidays, sex and anything else that provides it with intense company. Yin is not feminine. But it is sometimes said to be subjective. Yin is active in the world. other-directed. Public. It is different from an equal to yang.
What is Yang? The Chinese say that Yang people are loners. They are individualistic. They are meditative. They are spiritual. They smile a lot. They have no sense of groups or family. They have delicate health. They like to dress for show. They eschew chains of command. They love nature. They are nonmaterial. Their only goal in life is personal development. They are objective. They keep their own counsel. The way I see it, yang is closed, unsociable, private. Yang likes books, music, gardening, long walks or anything that brings him closer to himself and nature. Yang is solitary, Self-directed. Yang’s equilibrium comes from within.
Chinese astrology does not concern itself with celestial bodies. If Chinese astrologers look to nature for influence, they consult the climatic changes on earth, the seasons or the moon’s effects on the earth.
Reference: The New Astrology: Suzanne White
