{"id":20856,"date":"2019-11-01T01:10:39","date_gmt":"2019-11-01T01:10:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=20856"},"modified":"2019-10-28T22:10:54","modified_gmt":"2019-10-28T22:10:54","slug":"book-review-secrets-of-the-combined-astrology-the-full-144-combinations-of-the-chinese-and-western-zodiac-signs-by-zakariya-adeel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2019\/11\/01\/book-review-secrets-of-the-combined-astrology-the-full-144-combinations-of-the-chinese-and-western-zodiac-signs-by-zakariya-adeel\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review \u2013 Secrets of the Combined Astrology: The Full 144 Combinations of the Chinese and Western Zodiac Signs by Zakariya Adeel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book Review<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

Secrets of the Combined Astrology: The Full 144 Combinations of the Chinese and Western Zodiac Signs <\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

by Zakariya Adeel<\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

760 pages <\/b><\/span><\/h1>\n

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This is not a book you will read cover-to-cover. It is an encyclopedic reference \u2013 over 750 pages \u2013 pairing and describing the 144 combinations of the 12 Western astrological signs and the 12 Chinese animal archetypes which are used to designate each year. The author, in the Acknowledgments, states that it took 9 years to put the book together. He admits to a fascination with Chinese astrology since he read Theodora Lau\u2019s Handbook of Chinese Horoscopes when he was a child. Adeel has paired each Western sign with an Eastern counterpart, so, someone born in the sign of Taurus in the Chinese year of The Snake is a Snake – Taurus and someone born in Leo in the year of the Dog is a Dog \u2013 Leo. Adeel describes the process he used to assign elements to combined signs. There are 4 elements used in traditional Western astrology \u2013 earth, air, fire and water \u2013 and there are 3 zodiac signs associated with each element. The Chinese system uses 5 elements, adding space to the other 4. Adeel uses the related Western element for the combined pair. So Sheep-Cancer is water, Dog-Libra is air, and so forth. <\/span><\/p>\n

Adeel introduces a new twist on archetypal astrological analysis with the Mind Map Pie Chart. This is a circular chart divided into 6 segments weighted as follows: one-half is your birth year animal; one-sixth is your zodiac sign, and one-third is your time of birth. Once this information is in place, the corresponding element is assigned to each segment of the chart, providing an analysis of your basic elemental characteristics, giving insight beyond what the Chinese animal \u2013 zodiac sign combination provides. Using this method, I am a double Earth \u2013 Water person. I found this eerily accurate \u2013 I was born in an Earth sign and have an Earth Ascendant! Adeel states that once the drawing is complete it is easy to read the personality as a whole, as the aspects are weighted and because there will be an element missing, it easily points out an element imbalance, which the subject of the reading will feel, whether consciously or subconsciously. <\/span><\/p>\n

Secrets of the Combined Astrology<\/b><\/span> does not provide descriptions of the Western zodiac signs; it presumes a basic familiarity with Western astrology, including elemental characteristics of the signs. The first 20 pages are an introduction describing the Mind Map Pie Chart, the interrelationship of the Chinese and Western archetypes, the legend of how the Buddha assigned a year to each animal, and a table listing Chinese animal and element associations for each year from 1924 through 2043. The next 700 pages consist of 12 sections, each devoted to one of the animals. There is an overall discussion of the characteristics of that animal, a list of compatible animal signs, and then a section for that animal as its characteristics are embodied in each sign of the Western zodiac during that animal\u2019s year. In each section, Adeel discusses personality traits for each combination and gives numerous examples of cross-cultural celebrities born in that sign and year, often quoting them to emphasis how they each fit the sign\u2019s profile. I was impressed at the accuracy and insight of the description of my double-Earth sign! <\/span><\/p>\n

Again, this is not a book you will read cover-to-cover and not a book for an astrology novice. But you will dip into it time and again, I have no doubt. I have referred to it to deepen and broaden chart readings using traditional Western methods. It is a great reference to add to your astrology library.<\/span><\/p>\n

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