Astrology is one of the most ancient of Chinese philosophies. With a complex mix of calendar cycles and associations to animals, Chinese astrology is as mysterious as it is effective. Unlike other disciplines, the culture embraces astrology with bright, wonderful celebrations and integrates beliefs into their everyday lives. In this article, we'll examine the roots of this Asian tradition and how other cultures have come to respect it.

Chinese astrology is the divination of the future from the Chinese calendar. This basic cycle has been constructed from two cycles: the 10 heavenly stems (the five elements in their yin and yang forms) and the 12 earthly branches, or the 12-year cycle of animals referred to as the Chinese zodiac.

The Chinese animal zodiac also operates on a cycle of months or 'moons' and of hours of the day. The animal signs assigned by year represent how others will perceive you as being, or how you present yourself.

It is a common misconception that the animals assigned by year are the only signs, and many western descriptions of the Chinese version draw solely on this system. In fact, there are also animal signs assigned by month (called inner animals) and hours of the day (called secret animals). While a person might appear to be a dragon because they were born in the year of the dragon, they might also be a snake internally and an ox secretively.

In total, this makes for 8,640 possible combinations that a person might be. An individual's monthly animal sign is called their inner animal and is concerned with what motivates a person.

Since this sign dictates the person's love life and inner persona, it is critical to a proper understanding of the individual's compatibility with other signs. These are all critical for the proper use of this Asian astrology.

Like in western astrology, each sign is linked to a month of the solar year. However, in Chinese astrology, the signs are also related to a season and the elements are believed to transfer some of its characteristics to the sign concerned. In the 60 year cycle, the fixed element, which is concerned with the year, month and hour signs, is separate from the cycle of elements which interact with the signs.

The Chinese zodiac is also used to label times of day, with each sign corresponding to a "large-hour," which is a two-hour period (24 divided by 12 animals). It is therefore important to know the exact time of birth to determine it. The secret animal is thought to be a person's truest representation, since this animal is determined by the smallest denominator: a person's birth hour. It is a person's own true sign, upon which their personality is based.

Chinese new year celebrations are renowned for the bold displays of Asian tradition and symbols from Chinese astrology. Most societies don't practice astrology as openly as the Chinese do. Businessmen won't make deals on some days, couples try to have babies in certain years and particular addresses are believed to be good luck. This is an example of how deeply people can believe in the impact of stars and planets.