Each Chinese New Year begins on the day of first new moon. In the western year 2005, the new moon began on February 9. It was the Chinese year 4702. In actuality, most Chinese began using the western, or solar, calendar in the early twentieth century, except on important holidays. Many of the calendars in China show both the solar dates of the western calendar and the lunar dates of the Chinese calendar. Chinese astrology is based on the twelve cycles of the moon. The Chinese zodiac consists of twelve animals, rather than the solar signs used in the west. In the Chinese calendar each period lasts for a full cycle of the moon, from new to full. There are twelve complete lunar cycles in a Chinese zodiac year, but one animal symbolizes the entire year. According to their calendar, the Chinese complete a cycle every twelve years. So if you were born in the year of the rat, you would celebrate your zodiac birthday every twelve years, and your Chinese zodiac sign would be the rat. In the west your astrological sign appears once each year.

The calendar and its animals were created from an ancient legend. It tells us that the animals were all fighting about who was going to be in the prime (first) position on the Chinese calendar. The gods devised a test in which the animals would compete for their position by swimming across a river. Another version says that the Buddha requested visits by the animals before he left earth. He named the moon cycles after the animals in order of appearance. So the Chinese zodiac symbol is a circle divided into twelve equal sections; think of it as if you were marking off slices of a pie. There is a picture of the animal representing that Chinese zodiac sign in each section. The calendar’s use dates clear back to 2600 BC. As you can see the Chinese calendar with its Chinese zodiac symbols is most interesting indeed. If you look up your Chinese Zodiac Sign, you will enjoy the time learning more about yourself.

There are several institutions and astrology gurus who teach Astrology online. Besides learning Astrology through self-effort by reading astrology books and magazines, you can contact one of the online teachers or institutions and learn astrology. You only need to log on to Internet and you will find numerous offers to teach you astrology online. These people send the astrology lessons online for their students to study. They also hold periodic tests and award the certificates on successful completion of the course. You do learn a lot by studying online.

It must, however, be noted that no amount of self-study or online learning can take the place of learning astrology from a guru. If your astrology teacher is also a psychic, which usually the master astrologers usually are, it would mean adding luster to pure gold. A psychic astrologer is a multidimensional personality. Besides making mundane mathematical -astrological calculations, he uses his psychic and spiritual powers to predict the future of his clients. In this way he confirms the correctness of his astrological predictions through his psychic abilities such as intuition and clairvoyance. In fact he uses his supernatural powers at every step while casting a horoscope or interpreting the movements and positions of the planets or the houses through which they pass.

So, if you are lucky enough to be accepted for tutelage by a psychic astrologer, sit at his feet and learn astrology. In fact an experienced and exalted astrology master may ultimately bless you by mentally transferring his psychic powers to you if he finds you studious and faithful enough to deserve his blessings. This is how the ancient Indian gurus, the original precursors of the science of astrology, used to teach their students and finally transfer their entire knowledge to them.