Like the Western horoscope has 12 symbols of zodiac signs, the Chinese horoscope has 12 animals. The similarity between these two systems of horoscope stops here. The components and philosophy used to decipher a Chinese horoscope is not the same as the Western horoscope's planetary relationship to the sun.

One difference between the Western and Chinese horoscopes is that the Chinese form is lunar and based on the Moon instead of the Sun. Chinese horoscopes also leave much more room for the astrologer's perception and the winds of fate. Wind currents are another huge part of determining a Chinese horoscope, while exterior elements of nature are completely left out of the Western process.

Every year in Chinese astrology is represented by an animal and each animal has a certain combination of traits that describes a personality. Each individual human personality has a combination of the traits of several different animals of the 12 primary natures, which relate directly to the year, month, and the time of an individual's birth, just like in a Western horoscope.

In the Chinese horoscope, the year animal represents the face you show the outside world, the month animal the face you only show yourself and the animal that represents the time of your birth is the hidden face you don't show anyone. The 12 animal icons of the Chinese horoscope are the Pig, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Sheep, Horse, Snake, Dragon, Rabbit, Tiger, Ox, and Rat.

The Rat is the first sign of the Chinese Zodiac because it is believed that the Rat used its abilities to beat the other animals in a competition and the gods, or Buddha, blessed the 12 finalists among all other animals with the Rat being the victor and getting the first position of the year. Historians have discovered that Chinese horoscopes were first derived over 2,600 years ago.