Publisher's Synopsis
This book, which introduces a Chinese version of Tarot, is also about Chinese and Greco-Roman mythology and it relates to the passing of time and the calendar. It contains more than 1000 pencil drawings with captions in English and Chinese and 48 in English and Japanese. These images are in a format suitable for imprinting on playing cards. The book begins with the Five Elements of ancient China: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water and connects them to the elements devised by the Greek philosopher Empedocles. There are images of the 24 Solar Terms into which the Chinese year is divided and each of the 48 Japanese Flower Cards which represent the months January to December. Then there are the images of the 12 signs of the Western Zodiac and the 28 Chinese Lunar Mansions. Each of these images is imprinted with one of the 5 Chinese elements. This concept is carried further with images of 112 chemical elements and the 88 constellations. Images of the planets and their moons followed by the dwarf planets and potential dwarf planets such as Pluto, Haumea, and Eris and their moons are also included. Following this, a selection of 120 asteroids and 4 comets are depicted. Images are created according to Greco-Roman and Chinese myths associated with the names of celestial bodies. The ancient Chinese concept of the Limitless Cosmic First Principle or Wu Ji, followed by the two forms Yin and Yang and the 4 Phenomena, produce the Supreme Ultimate or Great Absolute Tai Ji. This theme continues with pictorial representations of the 8 Trigrams of Earlier Heaven and Later Heaven which interact with the 5 Elements in the material world in which we live. Then the 64 Hexagrams of the Book of Changes or Yi Jing offer possibilities for deciding on your future based on the inevitability of change and its consequences. Finally a Chinese version of Tarot has been created with suits based on the 5 Elements of ancient China and drawing on images from Mahjong and China's traditional playing cards. This book on mythology verges on the realms not only of astrology and fortune telling but also of astronomy and history. There are pictorial images of China's 77th 60 Year Cycle from 1864/65 to 1923/24. The corresponding years of the current 79th Cycle are also placed beside those historical images. For example, the Chinese cruiser Ding Yuan is shown damaged by enemy action in 1895 in the 32nd year of the 77th Cycle. In 2015 we are in the 32nd year of the 79th Cycle and we hope there will not be a repeat of hostile naval action. Other interesting images are of the 9 Northern and 6 Southern Dipper Stars, the 9 Sons of the Dragon, the 8 Immortals of Daoism, the 5 Fortune Stars and 5 Auspicious Animals. The Tarot cards include the 4 Mahjong Seasons and 4 Flowers as well as the 4 Pastimes and 4 Professions plus the Cat, Mouse, Cockerel and Centipede. The tarot suits follow themes related to their elements. For example, the suit of Cups is related to the element Water and contains images of China's ancient mariners followed by Chinese equivalents of Page, Knight, Queen and King. The Dragon and Phoenix of early 20th Century Mahjong have been reintroduced and the Major Arcana contains a Chinese alchemist instead of a magician while "the Tower" is Lei Feng Pagoda near Hangzhou which collapsed in 1924. The cards are related to one another and cross referenced where possible. For example, if your star sign is Gemini, it is related to the Chinese element 2 Fire, the Major Arcana image 6 "the Lovers" and the modern constellation 27 also called Gemini. If you are born in the year of the Rabbit (Earthly Branch 4) then there is a relationship with the Chinese element Wood, the direction East, the modern constellation 20 Lepus the Hare as well as Lunar Mansion 4 Rabbit which in turn relates to day 7 Sunday and the first week of the month. The book is provided with a detailed index of nearly 1500 entries to enable users to quickly and easily find things that interest the
