Yin and yang are the be all and end all: the cause of life and death. The Chinese equate the earth, or creation with yin and the sky or heaven with yang. Pictorially, yin is represented by a line of two dashes while yang is a continuous line, each derived from the square and circle which in turn represent the earth and heaven, respectively. The origin of this lies with the fact that yin and yang lines were used as ancient oracles. Oracles of ancient times gave a yes or no answer to any question put to them and yes was represented by the yang unbroken, line and yin, no by the broken line.
Yin and yang are inextricably linked because while yin is restful and yang is active, activity invariably ends with rest and likewise rest leads to further activity. The activity of yang ends with inactivity of yin. This is graphically shown in the well known symbol for yin and yang which is often called the T'ai ch'i, something quite different from the system of exercise for which the full name is T'ai chi chu'an.
Although yin and yang are effectively opposite, together they produce a balance and within each there is some part the other,represented in the symbol by the dot of contrasting color - white in black and black in white. Yin and yang and negative/positive aspects also relate to the individual, the home and his or her occupation. A number of characteristics or properties can be attributed to yin or yang and in turn the physical makeup of a person will be one or the other. The table opposite shoes some typical properties.
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