Sign Of The Tiger
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
If you are born on a Tiger year some of your best qualities will be a loving nature, allure, warm-hearted, altruistic, very hard working, pleasant, dynamic and engaging. The negative qualities of the Tiger are moodiness, recklessness, and Tiger could become ill tempered to the level of being caustic and explosive in situations. The Tiger person is usually disobedient, has issues with authority, will be reckless and can be down right predatory. A Chinese saying goes "beware of catching the Tiger by the tail, for you will be the one who is truly caught."
The Tiger person possesses a charisma and aura that are not to be found with the other signs. There will be a sense of instant trust and accessibility with a Tiger, a magnetic sense of attraction toward the Tiger's seemingly exciting and carefree lifestyle. The Tiger will be the doer of grandiose creative projects, the leader or motivating force behind many works. If you're ever bored or feeling down, go see the Tiger, his whole vibe will empower and give cheer to whoever is around. Even going out for the night will become an adventure not to be missed. The Tiger will seem contradictory and whole, truly comprehending all sides of the situation and everyone's separate viewpoint.
The flow of life is important to the Tiger. They usually won't save money or plan for the future too extensively, but rely instead upon reality to provide by some vague future means that the Tiger can sense from a hundred miles away by some mysterious prognostication only they are aware of. The complex Tiger will be genuinely gentle yet wrathful, wise yet rash, compassionate yet fearsome, courageous yet sensitive, and aware of subtleties most wouldn't notice. Tigers are the essence of unpredictability, infamous for being hot, then cold, to friends and family, being totally loving yet vengeful when provoked. They will see and know things in a person with a glance that no one could ever guess.
Afraid of nothing, the Tiger charges around the world at a pace and with a rigor unmatched by any of the other archetypal animals of the zodiac. No one can stop the Tiger and no one can really persuade or dissuade him from anything once his mind is set. Tigers are strong to an extreme keeping an almost immortal pace that most others won't be able to keep up with. Tigers possess their strength out of a feeling of well being, a supreme sense of the inner well-spring of life from where all dynamic energy flows. There are soldiers as well as sages who have been Tigers.
Tiger people will be very erratic and moody, which can make those around them insecure. The Tiger usually doesn't regard social function or etiquette as important.
The Tiger likes being elusive and will seriously balk at any attempt to pin him down or categorize him in any way; try to regulate him with law or limitation, and you may have just lost your Tiger friend forever. Tigers are stoutly independent, resisting even the most minor criticism. In bad moods, Tigers will freak out at the slightest advice. When Tiger people are put up against authoritarian limitation or censorship, they can be harsh, even seemingly cruel. A defensive Tiger can destroy even the toughest opponents' sense of self. Tigers cornered in situations they are uncomfortable with can be crushingly belligerent. Tigers are more fierce and vengeful than the dragon, and more strategically clever than Monkey, Horse, or Water Buffalo. The stoic solitary quality of overcoming, and experiencing, being in its primacy is the realm of the Tiger, ready to pounce and tense with energy, able to devour or destroy beneath a calm exterior, always watching, able to protect or deceive with total unity of being. The Tiger will destroy an enemy, waiting in their jungle hideaway until the moment to pounce. The Tiger equalizes all power struggles because ultimately he will win; even those who dominate him or trap him ultimately will pay the price.
Most Tigers are noble, upright beings whose freewheeling lifestyle may get them into trouble, yet the Tiger person will detest evil and avarice. The Tiger is the natural sage whereas the Dragon is the celestial sage. The yogi and spiritual practitioner is often a Tiger. Some texts claim the historical Buddha, a warrior-prince, was born on a Tiger year, although this is debated by the various traditions.
There is a Chinese aphorism that having a Tiger person under the same roof protects one from all ghosts, demons, thieves, and the negative qualities of the elements. Wang Bi, the compiler of one version of the I-Ching, tells two interesting aphorisms concerning the Tiger in this context. One is a wonderful story of how Tiger scared away fire from destroying the forest and nearby villages. The other speaks of having a Tiger by the tail as an ally only because the Tiger is cooperating with you, while to attempt to capture a Tiger by the tail as an enemy means certain death. To have a Tiger as a loyal ally is utterly valuable, more than most people ever realize. The Tiger truly does frighten all wicked spirits and people away. His presence assures safety to those he loves and cherishes. It is not a defensive protection such as with Water Buffalo, but a kind of protection where defense isn't necessary because the Tiger person's presence creates a field in which negativities don't want to enter.
Tigers are very extreme. A person will love or hate the Tiger, but almost never in between. Tigers can be very invasive and overwrought about their living space, and those around them, so they are often difficult to deal with. The possibly worst personality traits of the Tiger is ignorant risk taking in the face of danger that can turn a simple wrong turn into an extended legal court case, or a small investment into an outrageous debt. The most ideal form of this risk taking is the Tiger's ability to be self-sacrificing for those he loves, expressed as courage and protection.