Astrology is basically composed of three things. There is the what, the how and the where. In addition to this there is also the when, but that is more the result of the three components than the actual components themselves.

The "what" of astrology are the planets and our sun. Each planet represents a different influence in our lives. For example, Mars controls how we interact with others in regard to our battles with them. Life is one big battle and Mars has a great influence on our strength and ability to handle these battles. Each planet affects a different part of our personality.

The "how" of astrology are our signs. Certainly, when you go to a bar somebody is sure to ask you what your sign is. You'll probably reply, "Scorpio" or whatever it may be without giving it much thought. But the signs, which are the "how" of astrology, reveal your needs, wants and desires. They also tell a lot about the type of person you are. For example, a Scorpio may be a real hot head and supposedly very oversexed, while a Taurus is considered to be stubborn. These are of course stereotypes but there is a lot of truth to them even though each person is much more complex than just his sign. These complexities are caused by the various positions of each planet at the time of the person's birth.

The "where" of astrology is each person's house. A house is where certain characteristics of each of us lives. We all have certain aspects of our lives such as our love life, work life, social life, etc. Each house contains one or more of these aspects. Depending on which planet is in which house determines how much influence that house has over your life. For example, some people have a planet in their house of love and romance that makes them natural lovers and very attractive to other people. Others will have planets in that house that make it very difficult for them to even get a date.

Where the time comes in is when all these factors come together to determine what will happen to this particular person and when it will happen. This is where the art of astrological forecasting comes in. Or in other words, where our daily horoscopes come in. This is where we open up the daily newspaper and read things like: "Today will be a good day to get out of the house and out of other people's way. You are likely to start arguments at home. Try to keep a lid on it as tempers may rise."

When you read something like that, believe it or not, there is a method behind the seemingly mumbo-jumbo of it all. That method will be discussed in future articles.