Every year, luxury jewellery houses and watchmakers pay homage to the tale of the Chinese zodiacs with animal motifs that decorate pendants, jewelries and watches. But as Chinese beliefs would have it, keeping a close contact with these 12 zodiac animals can bless one’s year with great fortune and protection, provided that the right charm is worn to match his or her sign. Not just to adorn one’s features and add a touch of style to an outfit, lucky zodiac charms complement one’s personality and and ward off bad luck. Here’s how to pick out a lucky zodiac charm to match your sign. 

Established by feng shui masters, the compatibility of each sign is categorized by two grouping methods: The ‘six-harmony’ and ‘trine’ signs. They follow the theory of Five Elements and the concept of Yin and Yang to determine which zodiac animals complement each other the best.

The most compatible matches in terms personality, values and temperament are within the six-harmony groups. The bonds between the pairs in these groups are strongest and is the ideal match to boost one’s luck all-around.

Six-harmony compatible signs:

Rat & Ox

Tiger & Pig

Rabbit & Dog

Dragon & Rooster

Snake & Monkey

Horse & Goat

However, according to Chinese astrology, people in their zodiac year are believed to offend Tai Sui (the God of Age) leading to an unfortunate year ahead if you were born in the year of the Ox. It is also known by Chinese astrologists that there are five zodiac signs in conflict with the Tai Sui this year: Ox, Goat, Dog, Horse, and Dragon.

In this case, if any of these five signs are in your “six-harmony” pairing, it’s best to opt for another animal within the “trine” group. A trio of signs that get along well with one another in areas of habits and interests, and can boost one’s luck and happiness in life.

Trine Signs:

Rat, Dragon, Monkey

Ox, Snake, Rooster

Tiger, Horse, Dog

Rabbit, Sheep, Pig

Besides knowing your lucky animals, there are also charms that are best avoided. Following the Five Elements theory, creation and destruction are complementary processes in which the ultimate goal is harmony. Meaning that while some signs come together to create life, other signs with contrasting elements tend to be in conflict with each other. For instance, water (Rat) puts out fire (Horse), which can explain why the two are always butting heads with one another.

On the other hand, though Ox and Goats are both earth elements, their designated years are always six years apart. Coinciding with what feng shui states as the ‘circle of conflict’. Knowing the element of your sign, it’s safest to stir clear from wearing charms that feature zodiac signs that belong to elements that conflict with yours, as well as those that are three, six and nine years apart from you.

Conflicting pairs: 

Rat (Water) vs Horse (Fire)

Ox (Earth) vs Goat (Earth)

Monkey (Metal) vs Tiger (Wood)

Rabbit (Wood) vs Rooster (Metal)

Dragon (Earth) vs Dog (Dog)

Snake (Fire) vs Pig (Water)

 

Feature image from Fabergé