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Sun-sign date variations

You may notice variations in the dates given for your sun sign, depending on which source you consult. This is because the zodiac has 360 degrees, whereas a year has 365 days, or 366 if it is a leap year. In addition, the sun does not enter the various sections of the zodiac on exactly the same date each year. The dates in this book try to take into account sun-sign variations from one year to another, but if you are born within two or three days of the dates given for each sign, your birthday lies on what astrologers call the cusp. If you were born on a cusp this is exciting, as you can read and benefit from the sun-sign insight in the Heed Your Signs section for two signs—the one your birthday falls in and the sign that follows or precedes it. For example, if you were born on April 19, you will share both Aries and Taurus characteristics. If you were born on September 23, you will share both Libra and Virgo traits. Needless to say, I have taken the characteristics of both signs into account when creating all the cusp birthday profiles. And, if you were born a few hours after or a few hours before midnight, you may want to read the profile for the day before or after your birthday too, as those influences will cross over to your birthday.

The Science of Astrology

For the skeptics who struggle with the concept of “as above, so below,” ponder this: Science has shown that the gravitational pull of the moon on the Earth impacts the water in our oceans and tides. And up to 60 percent of the human adult body is made up of water!

Although some studies show that lunar phases can affect a person’s mood and behavior, to date there is no proven link between the position of the moon, sun and planets at time of birth and human personality. However, research into the seasons, and even the month in which a person is born, suggests otherwise.

In the early 1970s, researchers from the UK compiled data from the British population census showing clearly that architects tended to be born in the spring, secretaries in the summer, miners in the autumn and electricians in the winter. The researchers asked members of the British Astrological Association (BAA) to indicate which signs were associated with the professions of nurse and labor union official. The astrologers’ predictions corresponded with the researchers’ own findings that there was a statistical bias toward nurses being born under the signs of Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio and Pisces, and labor union officials being born under one or other of the other signs.

Over the years research has focused on the influence of one star in particular—the sun. This is because ultraviolet radiation (UVR), a type of radiation emitted by the sun, is believed to cause genetic changes in the developing baby that may have a shaping effect on their life and personality. This could explain from a scientific perspective why many of us believe that common characteristics and fates are shared by those born at the same time of the year. For example, researchers have found that your chances of living beyond 100 are higher if you are born in November or December. However, it is important to remember that the research on which this is based, on the impact of sun radiation, doesn’t necessarily apply to people born in the southern hemisphere, where summer starts in December and finishes at the end of February.

Here’s a snapshot of other significant findings by different researchers to date. Bear in mind that new studies come out all the time; now you have this book, you may want to keep track of them.

Happiness: According to a UK study, people born in March, April and May tend to be more optimistic than people born at other times of the year. But those born in winter and spring can also be more prone to mood swings, with January being the month most linked with bipolar disorder and May being the month most linked with depression. Those born in September, October and November have the lowest rates of depression, but can be more prone to irritability. Another study from Austria suggested that happy people are more likely to have been born in June, July and August. Meanwhile, research from Japan found that people born in December, January and February were likely to be more pessimistic than those born at other times of the year.

Personality: Swedish researchers found that women born between February and April were more likely to be novelty seekers than those born in October and November. Men born in spring were more likely to be impulsive, while those born in winter were prone to introspection. According to small studies of celebrities, being born in January and February increases the chances of becoming famous, as these months are linked to creativity. In general, many studies show that those born in winter are less positive in their outlook on life than those born in the summer. In addition, November- and winter-born children may end up being bigger, taller and more academically inclined than those born in summer, according to American psychiatrists, with September-born babies most likely to go to college. Babies born in the fall also tend to perform better at athletics and sports.

Health: British research has shown that those born in winter have a greater risk of developing heart disease and an increased risk of obesity. In general, the latest research into our month of birth and health in the northern hemisphere suggests that being born in January, June, August and December neither increases nor decreases the risk of disease; October and November are associated with increased risk, with September not far behind; February, March, April and July have a decreased risk; and May is the healthiest month of all in which to be born.

None of this research should encourage prospective parents to try to time the births of their children. There are many academic children born in the spring and many healthy people born in November. Your personality and your health are influenced by so many things other than the month you were born in. But what all this science of birthdays does show is that there is some scientific correlation between month of birth and personality traits. I have taken this correlation into account when creating the 366 profiles.

Highly Influential

You’ll notice a “Born today” list of names for each of the birthday profiles. The characteristics these people had or have in common were also taken into account during the creation of each profile. Some of these people are world famous, but others less so. They were selected for inclusion because in my opinion in their different ways they are all people who maximized or are maximizing the mystical potential of the day they were born.

The people chosen all tilted or are tilting the world in a more positive or uplifting direction. (You won’t find Hitler, born on April 20, listed, for example, or Charles Manson, born on November 12.) In other words, we can admire and learn from them. Knowing you share a birthday with someone influential or inspirational can be educational and motivational.

Details about these individuals have been kept as concise as possible, simply listing their full name and what they are most well known for. This brevity will hopefully encourage you to do your own research about them because their life choices may offer you further inspiration about your own life choices. If in your research about people born on your birthday you do stumble across less savory examples, don’t let that dishearten you. Every person is born a complex mix of positive and negative potential. There are saints and sinners born every single day of the year. Your personality is formed and your destiny created not by your potential for positive or negative, but by the choices you make every day and what you actually decide to do with your one precious life.

Potential and Pitfalls

Even though there may be certain similarities for people born on the same day, as mentioned earlier, never ever forget that every person is born unique and full of their own potential, just as every new day is also unique and full of its own potential. Bear in mind, too, that there are going to be both blessings and challenges associated with each birthday in the year.

We all have free will. Each one of us has a choice. We can choose to maximize the blessings of the day or allow negative choices to drain our potential. The purpose of our lives is to evolve. It is only by facing and overcoming challenges that we learn and grow. Sometimes growth hurts, but this struggle isn’t necessarily a negative thing. It can be the very best thing for your evolution or spiritual awakening. In other words, if your birthday seems to focus more on overcoming challenges, this doesn’t put you at a disadvantage. Quite the opposite. It suggests huge potential for personal growth and living a life of deep meaning.

The Basics of Chinese Astrology

Chinese astrology is similar to Western astrology in that it helps its followers understand themselves and others better. It also consists of 12 signs and each of these signs offers profound insight into personality traits. And just as in Western astrology your horoscope consists of more than your sun sign, that’s also the case with Chinese astrology. Each sign has an element, a balance of yin and yang and divisions to consider.

However, the similarities end there. The names of the 12 signs in Western astrology derive from constellations, whereas the names of the 12 signs in Chinese astrology derive from animals. The Chinese believe that the animal sign you are born under impacts your personality and destiny, as expressed in the saying, “This animal hides in your heart.” According to ancient myth, the Jade Emperor (some variations say it was the Buddha) called all the animals to take part in a race. But only 12 animals came, so these 12 were given the honor of having a year named after them according to their finishing place in the race, with the rat coming in first and the wild boar or pig last.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the two systems is that Chinese astrology determines your zodiac sign by year of birth, while Western astrology determines it by day and month of birth. Also, the Western zodiac year begins at the spring equinox. In the East each Chinese sign is determined by the lunar calendar and begins at Chinese New Year, which is the second new moon after the winter solstice.

So, given these differences, is it possible to find correspondences between Chinese astrology and the Western signs? The answer is yes, because the 12 Chinese signs that make up the 12-year cycle known as Sheng Xiao (“birth likeness”) actually correspond to the 12-year cycle of the planet Jupiter in Western astrology. It is therefore possible to match each Chinese sign to a Western counterpart. I have taken this East-meets-West astrology correspondence into account when creating each birthday profile.

In the Heed Your Signs section of this book, you will notice that each sun-sign description also includes its Chinese astrology counterpart description. For example, if you are an Aries, your Chinese sign correspondence is the Dragon. You will therefore have a natural affinity with the symbolic qualities of that mythical animal.

In addition to your Chinese astrology sun-sign match, you are also encouraged to read the relevant section for the animal that corresponds with your year of birth (see tables below). That animal may well be associated with a different sun sign to your own. For example, if you are a Taurus born in 1996, you should read your corresponding Chinese astrology sign, which is the Snake, but you should also read the section about the Rat, as you will have an affinity with both Snake and Rat characteristics and can discover much of value about yourself from reading both.

1920s

1921	Rooster
1922	Dog
1923	Pig
1924	Rat
1925	Ox
1926	Tiger
1927	Rabbit
1928	Dragon
1929	Snake

1930s

1930	Horse
1931	Goat
1932	Monkey
1933	Rooster
1934	Dog
1935	Pig
1936	Rat
1937	Ox
1938	Tiger
1939	Rabbit

1940s

1940	Dragon
1941	Snake
1942	Horse
1943	Goat
1944	Monkey
1945	Rooster
1946	Dog
1947	Pig
1948	Rat
1949	Ox

1950s

1950	Tiger
1951	Rabbit
1952	Dragon
1953	Snake
1954	Horse
1955	Goat
1956	Monkey
1957	Rooster
1958	Dog
1959	Pig

1960s

1960	Rat
1961	Ox
1962	Tiger
1963	Rabbit
1964	Dragon
1965	Snake
1966	Horse
1967	Goat
1968	Monkey
1969	Rooster

1970s

1970	Dog
1971	Pig
1972	Rat
1973	Ox
1974	Tiger
1975	Rabbit
1976	Dragon
1977	Snake
1978	Horse
1979	Goat

1980s

1980	Monkey
1981	Rooster
1982	Dog
1983	Pig
1984	Rat
1985	Ox
1986	Tiger
1987	Rabbit
1988	Dragon
1989	Snake

1990s

1990	Horse
1991	Goat
1992	Monkey
1993	Rooster
1994	Dog
1995	Pig
1996	Rat
1997	Ox
1998	Tiger
1999	Rabbit

2000s

2000	Dragon
2001	Snake
2002	Horse
2003	Goat
2004	Monkey
2005	Rooster
2006	Dog
2007	Pig
2008	Rat
2009	Ox

2010s

2010	Tiger
2011	Rabbit
2012	Dragon
2013	Snake
2014	Horse
2015	Goat
2016	Monkey
2017	Rooster
2018	Dog
2019	Pig

2020s

2020	Rat
2021	Ox
2022	Tiger
2023	Rabbit
2024	Dragon
2025	Snake
2026	Horse
2027	Goat
2028	Monkey
2029	Rooster

2030s

2030	Dog
2031	Pig
2032	Rat
2033	Ox
2034	Tiger
2035	Rabbit
2036	Dragon
2037	Snake
2038	Horse
2039	Goat

Numerology Basics

What astrology does through sun or animal signs, numerology does through numbers. Like astrology, numerology is an ancient symbolic method that can be incorporated into a birthday profile to help you reach a better understanding of yourself and the meaning of your life. Numerologists assert that the universe is a mathematical construct. God is believed to be the master mathematician and the vibrational energy of people, places and things is expressed through the sacred power of numbers. By reducing birth dates and names to a number, we can allegedly reveal a person’s personality and destiny.

Although numerology probably has its origins in ancient Babylonia and among the early Hebrews, and many different systems have been used in different parts of the world, numerology is most often associated with the fifth-century BC Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras. He believed that there were mathematical connections between the cosmos, humanity, music, shapes, colors and numbers. If certain number patterns appeared, they could be used to predict the destiny of a person. According to Pythagoras, numbers were the source of energy in the world and the numbers 1 to 9 represent the nine stages of life. He is quoted as having said, “The world is built upon the power of numbers.”

Numerology assigns characteristics to the digits 1 to 9. Any larger number than 9 is reduced to a single digit by adding all the digits together—for example, the number 123 becomes 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. The qualities of 123 are therefore equivalent to the number 6. Using the single digits as a guide, the patterns of different dates and a person’s name (each letter of the alphabet is assigned to a number between 1 and 9 and several letters are therefore attached to the same number) can be examined to define character and future influences. Briefly, the numbers 1 to 9 represent the following characteristics or qualities:

1 1. Independent, creative, ambitious, extrovertDownside: Can be arrogant and selfish, with tunnel vision

2 2. Sensitive, domestic, imaginative, musicalDownside: Can be timid and gullible

3 3. Scientific, powerful, knowledgeable, multitalentedDownside: Can be superficial and hedonistic

4 4. Practical, stable, honest, trustworthyDownside: Can be stubborn and overly serious

5 5. Energetic, sensual, daring, flirtatiousDownside: Can find it hard to commit

6 6. Perfectionist, creative, artistic, compassionateDownside: Can be super-sensitive and overemotional

7 7. Intellectual, philosophical, imaginative, intuitiveDownside: Can be impractical and secretive

8 8. Practical, just, trustworthy, noble, powerfulDownside: Can be opinionated, impatient and intolerant

9 9. Spiritual, humanitarian, visionary, a healerDownside: Can be self-serving, possessive and volatile

Although in the majority of cases number combinations are reduced to singledigit numbers, it is important to point out that this is not the case for the master numbers, 11, 22 and 33, which are believed to have extra intuitive potential due to the pairing of the same number. Just as astrologers believe no one sign is better than another, numerologists believe no number is better or worse than any other. All the numbers have potential as well as a downside in the same way that every person has a light as well as a dark or shadow side. The downside simply suggests challenges associated with this number; if these challenges can be faced and overcome, they can be a source of incredible personal growth.

In the creation of each profile for this book, the interpretations of numbers in relation to the date of the month in which you were born is taken into consideration. This is called your birth day number. It is one of the five core numbers in numerology based on either your birth date or birth name and indicates the skills that come naturally to you as well as any day-to-day challenges you need to face. According to numerologists, your birth day number has a permanent influence on your life and has great significance in helping you understand who you are and where your talents lie.

Tarot Basics

Each day of the year is also associated with a Tarot card.

Although the true origins of Tarot cards are unknown and may date back to ancient Egypt or earlier, the Tarot cards that we know today originated in Italy during the fifteenth century. The Tarot deck consists of 78 cards in total, comprising the 22 major arcana cards, which the nineteenth-century French occultist Eliphas Levi saw as having symbolic links to the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the 56 minor arcana cards, which are divided into four suits: wands, representing the element of fire; swords, the element of air; cups, the element of water; and pentacles, the element of earth. There are several versions of the Tarot deck in use today, but most are based on the Rider-Waite deck designed by Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith in 1910.

Although each minor arcana card has a divinatory meaning, the major arcana cards are of greater significance in this book because they represent universal or archetypal life themes and the quest for self-knowledge and finding purpose—which is what each birthday profile hopes to reveal. Each day of the year is associated with a major arcana card. You may want to meditate further on the profound wisdom of the Tarot card listed in your profile and what insights it can offer you about yourself and your life. Their meanings are briefly summarized below.

The Fool: Represents the divine child, one who is completely trusting and spontaneous. The Fool is beginning a journey and has no idea where it will lead, but he is also content because he listens to his heart.

The Magician: Symbolizes creative power, curiosity and infinite possibilities. Called the Magus in some Tarot decks, the Magician has access to all four elements of the Tarot to manifest the divine work he has come to Earth to achieve.

The High Priestess: Signifies mystery, dreams and the power of intuition. It is spiritual awakening.

The Empress: Represents the ability to adapt and flow according to the needs of the moment. The Empress draws her strength and peace from the natural world.

The Emperor: Is the balance to the Empress and symbolizes work, money, grounding. It is the ability to express your skills and assert your authority in the material world.

The Hierophant: Is a symbol of inner wisdom, also known as your Higher Self. It’s also a compilation of the previous four cards, synthesizing and empowering these initial stages of spiritual growth and evolution.

The Lovers: Signifies the awareness of opposites and the relationship between opposites. The Lovers indicates the need to find balance within yourself and in your relationships with others.

The Chariot: Represents your personal will aligning itself with a power greater than yourself. It is the struggle between your ego balancing itself with the needs of others and the world.

Justice: Symbolizes a rebalancing process, so what has been out of harmony in your life can seek resolution. It is also the karma card.

The Hermit: Signifies a period of solitude or the need to walk alone for a while to discover who you truly are. The Hermit card indicates the need to empower yourself rather looking for validation externally.

The Wheel of Fortune: Represents a period of dramatic change or the need for change. The wheel of fortune often turns unexpectedly and forces you to step outside your comfort zone, the place where all personal growth happens.

Strength: Symbolizes your potential to rise above challenges you are encountering. It suggests that you are far stronger and more capable than you think you are.

The Hanged Man: This card suggests the need to take a different perspective on life. It is also the card of surrender or simply letting things be.

Death: Signifies letting go of the past so that new things can begin. It is the card of rebirth and renewal.

Temperance: Is a card of moderation and patience. It represents acceptance of a situation and the need to balance opposites or open your mind to differing viewpoints.

The Devil: Symbolizes the pleasures of the material world. It is preoccupation with status, money and power and the need to reconnect with what really matters in life.

The Tower: Signifies the shattering of limiting beliefs about yourself and your life. It suggests sudden change, but also liberation.

The Star: Represents spiritual healing and inspiration. This illumination was made possible through the shattering of illusions or beliefs that have been limiting you.

The Moon: Symbolizes great creativity but also illusion. Something in your life may not be all that it seems.

The Sun: Signifies confidence. It is finding the courage to be yourself and loving the person you are.

Judgment: Represents rebirth and awakening. It is the card of judgment but also of second chances and new beginnings. It suggests that you have the power to change your life for the better.

The World: Symbolizes completion and a joyful celebration of the dance of life. The World card incorporates the universal themes of all the previous cards.

Many astrologers and numerologists believe that the major arcana cards are related to astrological and numerological personality tendencies. For example, the Emperor card is ruled by the astrological sign of Aries and the number 5. As such, the symbolic meanings of these major arcana cards, when considered in combination with the meanings offered by astrology and numerology, can offer another layer of insight to each birthday profile.