There is little doubt that Chinese astrologers were already looking at the stars and planets with interest when the first civilisations were starting to spring up in the Middle East, at least five thousand years ago. It may be partly as a result of the insular nature of the oriental peoples and their geographical remoteness that the observations of these wise old sages took them along slightly alternative paths to those adopted by Western astrologers, but whatever the reason, Chinese Astrology does differ somewhat to the more readily understood occidental form.

The Chinese were especially fascinated by the Moon, and although they clearly knew about the existence of all the major planets in the solar system, it was around the interactions of the Sun and Moon that at least the more popular branch of Chinese Astrology developed. The Chinese zodiac comprises twelve signs, exactly as in Western Astrology, though in the case of the oriental system, these are all given animal names. The actual origins of the animal signs are lost in the mists of time, though you will come to understand just how accurate many of them are when describing a personality type.

The Chinese set much store by the year in which a person was born, since each year was thought to be governed by a specific animal sign. Good or bad fortune for society as a whole was also tied to the animal in question and so an individual's approach to each year was very important. This is the part of Chinese astrology that the West has come to know, though as you will find out in the pages that follow, there is much more to Chinese astrology than this. Other aspects of singular importance when looking at what the Chinese have to say about you as an individual include your Chinese Moon Sign and the position of the `Ascendant.'

Read on to gain a clearer understanding of what makes you the person that you are - courtesy of the deep understanding of human nature, inherent in one of the least understood and yet wisest cultures that the world has ever produced.