posted February 02, 2011 12:47 PM            

China celebrates the first day of the Lunar New Year on Thursday and many Chinese people are keen on using the occasion to get a glimpse of what might be in store next year.

"The 'Year of the Rabbit' will see a lot of unusual romantic relationships," Hong Kong astrologer Anthony Cheng told AFP. "Including extra-marital affairs and relationships with huge age differences."

Cheng said husbands and wives should keep watch for wandering eyes as their trusted partners look for stimulation elsewhere, although the coming year will also be lucky for couples planning to tie the knot.

"The Year of the Rabbit is an auspicious time for marriages, so I would expect to see a lot of people taking the plunge, including famous people," he added.

"Those who are single are likely to find girlfriends or boyfriends, those who are in relationships are likely to get married, while those who are married are likely to have babies," Cheng predicted.

But women could see more health problems than usual, astrologers say, and should place a yellow gourd on their desks at work to ward off pesky colds and other ills -- no matter what bemused colleagues might think.

The predictions are made by analysing a person's birth date as shown in the Chinese Solar Calendar, one of the most keenly-watched methods for laying out one's destiny among Chinese communities around the world.

In Chinese culture, many people take the predictions seriously and even adjust their lives accordingly.

The Chinese calendar moves in 60-year cycles, meaning the world will experience similar events to those seen 60 years in the past.

In the Chinese zodiac, the rabbit is fourth in a cycle of 12 animals that represent each Chinese New Year, with the Year of the Rabbit falling between February 3, 2011 to January 22, 2012.

But seismic events aren't just reserved for matters of the heart. Weird weather patterns and natural disasters are also in the offing.

"Countries like the US, Canada and Taiwan will probably suffer from natural disasters or accidents," astrologer Alion Yeo told AFP.

"The weather will oscillate between the extremes -- it will either be extremely cold or extremely hot."

North and South Korea will continue to exchange hostilities, but the hardline Stalinist state should be more concerned about a disastrous epidemic.

"North Korea will likely witness an epidemic that would require assistance from the international community," said Peter So, a prominent Hong Kong astrologer and television personality.

Major accidents including train wrecks, fires, falling buildings or bridges are likely in Korea, India, Pakistan and throughout Africa, said Cheng, adding that Russia and China's Inner Mongolia province will experience large-scale earthquakes, with magnitudes of five or higher on the Richter Scale.

And it'll be a mixed bag for some of the world's political leaders.

China's president Hu Jintao will have luck on his side but his US counterpart Barack Obama has a so-so year in store based on the Chinese fortune-telling system, known as the Four Pillars of Destiny.

"Lady Luck will continue to shine on (Hu)," Peter So, a prominent astrologer and TV personality, told AFP. "Obama, on the other hand, would find this year very average for him, where there are many things he wants to achieve but it is unlikely that he would be successful."

posted February 02, 2011 01:13 PM            

Thanks for sharing...it's indeed very interesting.

posted February 02, 2011 01:38 PM            

quote:

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Major accidents including train wrecks, fires, falling buildings or bridges are likely in Korea, India, Pakistan and throughout Africa, said Cheng, adding that Russia and China's Inner Mongolia province will experience large-scale earthquakes, with magnitudes of five or higher on the Richter Scale.

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posted February 03, 2011 01:00 PM            

There are 12 Chinese animals(rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, roster, dog, pig) and 5 different elements.(earth, metal, water, wood, and fire) (12x5=60) So its a 60 year cycle!

"THE METAL RABBIT 1951 AND 2011

Metal gives Rabbits a more resilient demeanor than the other more quiet Rabbit. These Rabbits are very ambitious and can be quite crafty in their dealings with others. They throw themselves and their emotions into everything they do, making them intense lovers, but not outwardly affectionate lovers. Their determination can affect their work as well, whether through personal relationships with colleagues or with the work itself, a Rabbit can be known to immerse himself in his projects…business and personal. "

Here is the link http://www.usbridalguide.com/special/chinesehoroscopes/Rabbit.htm
For much much for info on The rabbit, and other Chinese zodiac animals too.

posted February 03, 2011 05:48 PM            

In Rabbit years, life slows down. After the tumultuous and difficult Tiger year we lived through (or didn't) in 2010, we all need to decelerate. Nature must have planned it. Give people a horrible Tiger year, full of war and pestilence, struggle, strife and illness. Then tender them a whole year to recover.

So let's think of the Metal Rabbit Year as a 12 month long convalescent home for us troubled soldiers and hopeless cases. A recovery sanatorium for the unemployed and the over extended. Enter this Rabbit year on crutches and you will be comforted and cajoled, fed and clothed and perhaps even given a smashing new job.

Rabbits, you may remember, are sometimes called Cats. It depends on the culture. Vietnamese and some other small Asian countries use the Cat symbol. China uses Rabbit. Whichever name you give to this peculiarly refined and prosperous sign, people born in Rabbit years are : discreet, virtuous, sociable, tactful, sensitive, companionable, solicitous, ambitious, prudent, tradition-bound and hospitable.

The bad news is that Rabbit people are also quite old-fashioned, a bit pedantic, thin-skinned, devious, aloof, secretive, squeamish and ever so hypochondriacal.

The Rabbit character is an odd mix. Rabbits are cautious, family-oriented stay-at-homes. They love their interiors, adore puttering in their gardens and enjoy inviting small groups of well-brought up people to share tea, cucumber sandwiches and Scrabble. They despise conflict, prefer to do things in their own private space and remain above and outside of the madding crowd. You won't catch many Rabbits boogying down at the local after hours club. Too many germs and noise.

So what does this Metal Rabbit year have in store for us Earthlings? Quite simply put, 2011 will give us a year devoted to calm. The emphasis will be on matters related to family, higher education and improvement of the world picture and the environment. Everything to do with culture with a capital C will be favored. Artists will produce masterful works and receive much public acclaim. Everything to do with peace and negotiation will get front page attention.

Sound deadly? Well, for those among you who are hell bent on living life as though it were a three ring circus, this peace-loving Rabbit year might well bore you to extinction. If you don't make plans now to busy yourself with fascinating activities, you will do more than your share of thumb twiddling in the months ahead. Unlike Tigers and Dragons, Rabbits do not supply us with dazzling entertainment. Oh yes. They might encourage an evening of chamber music or invite an aging mezzo soprano to sing at your graduation. But they are not going to hire a DJ or allow dancing on the terrazzo floor in the foyer of their mansion. No way.

Because of the retiring nature of the Rabbit, the year will spawn an unusual amount of societal efforts at maintaining diplomatic relations, avoiding conflict and ending wars. We will see many international meetings and conferences, conventions and summits - all scheduled to sort out thorny issues which beleaguer nations, cause uprisings and encourage dissension. In the Rabbit year, nobody wants trouble. The trouble-filled Tiger year was quite turbulent enough, thank you very much.

posted February 03, 2011 06:05 PM            

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What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world is immortal"~