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About Shukuyo Astrology

Learn your Japanese Shuku sign and more!

By Karen A Kay

You know your Sun sign, but do you know your "Shuku" sign? Do you even know what that is? Japanese Astrology is very different from Western Astrology, but it can illuminate your life and your relationships in many meaningful ways.

Shukuyo Astrology, which dates back more than 3,000 years, is one of the most popular divination systems in Japan. It's based on the fundamental ideas of Buddhism and ancient Eastern spiritual concepts of karma, self-realization and honesty. And it can reveal so much about your true self!

Unlike Western Astrology, which has 12 Sun signs, Shukuyo Astrology is based on the lunar calendar and has 27 different "Shuku" signs based on the Moon's placement each night.

As we know from studying Western Astrology, the Moon rules our emotional life. And Shukuyo Astrology is based on the waxing/waning cycles of the Moon, so this is a great Astrology system to use for anything emotional -- like love readings and compatibility reports, or for determining your inner character.

Shukuyo Astrology has 27 Shuku signs

Shukuyo Astrology is more complex than Western Astrology because it has 27 Shuku signs instead of just 12 Sun signs. There are 27 Shuku signs because it takes about 27 days for the Moon to complete a full cycle. So, each of the 27 Shuku signs are based on the Moon's placement each night -- in fact, "Shuku" means hotel, and in Japan they think of it as a place the Moon checks in to stay each night.

There is a different Shuku sign for every birthday, but they are not the same every year because of the way the lunar calendar shifts. For example, Feb. 5, 2012 would not have the same Shuku sign as Feb. 5, 2013. And the best part is that you do not need to know your birth time -- just the birth day and year -- to determine your Shukuyo sign, which makes it easy to use.

Shuku Chart

Each of the 27 Shuku signs represents different personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and Shukuyo Astrology puts important emphasis on the relationship between signs. The directions and position of each sign in the chart determines how they affect each other.

It's seems a bit complicated at first, but once you understand how to read the Shukuyo Astrology chart it's amazing how specific it can be. For example, when it comes to compatibility it can reveal the precise differences in your relationship. It could show that one may feel comfortable and happy in a relationship, but the other becomes pressured and overwhelmed by the demands.

The History of Shukuyo Astrology

Shukuyo Astrology is an ancient Eastern divination system with origins linked to the famous Buddhist saint of India, Monju-Bosatsu, who lived about 1,000 B.C. About 400 years later, the Chinese monk Fuki-Sanzo learned Monju-Bosatsu's methods while traveling in India, added his own knowledge and precise calculations, and brought the idea back to China.

All of the information was put into a book of Shukuyo Scripture, which was later brought to Japan by a Japanese monk named Kukai, who was one of the Fuki-Sanzo's disciples. Kukai took ideas from Shukuyo Scripture and began using Shukuyo Astrology to make predictions, many of which were so accurate that people became frightened. It is believed that for a time it was even banned!

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