Summer is right around the corner and with it brings the Horse month. For many, this can bring a welcome burst of optimism and energy after the quiet, introspective Snake month. Hopefully, you’ve had plenty of time to reflect on your life’s purpose, learn some new things and rekindle your connections with loved ones. So, what now? Here are some tips for making the most of a Horse month and finishing first at the races:

While the 12 Chinese Animals signs can influence our personalities and behavior, do you know how the Five Elements come into play? Just as the cycles of nature change and shape our world, the Five Elements reveal another layer of influence on our daily activities and our relationships.

Each element – Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal – has constructive (positive), or destructive  (negative) relationships with the other elements. These connections explain why two people of the same year sign can be completely different, why partners can clash, and why you fare better in certain years than in others.

In Chinese Astrology there are actually four signs, not just one plus an ascendant as in Western Astrology. They are the signs of the year, month, day and hour of birth. Furthermore each has two components, an element and an animal.
Each has its own focus when it comes to understanding a person’s destiny. Throughout the years several interpretations have developed concerning the function of each.

Most people know they are the "Year of the ...."  For example, I’m  Year of the Pig.  Many times I've been hit with the question: "How can I be the same as everyone else born in the same year as me."  Well, I can tell you. It's not as simple as just knowing your animal (year) sign!

The month of the Fire Pig is about to begin on November 6th, which, you know is dear to my heart!  This year also marks my 25th anniversary of studying and practicing Chinese Astrology.  While I don't remember the exact date, I figured there is no better month to celebrate than now! Expect a fun, dynamic month as, being a reader of ours you know that the Fire Pig is not your everyday, run of the mill Pig!

Check out your full forecast

http://www.onlinechineseastrology.com/Specials/monthly-forecast-the-fire-pig-2010.aspx

You can also find your lucky days forecast ready as well!  

http://www.onlinechineseastrology.com/Specials/lucky-days-november-2010.aspx

Everybody probably knows the Year of the Tiger begins February 14th, but most people probably do not know the person who rides the lucky Tiger. It is none other than Tsai Shen, Chinese god of wealth and prosperity!

This is good news given the many economic difficulties around the world in recent years. Of course you are most interested in how this affects you personally. The short answer is you are likely to have better luck this year---unless you are a Monkey, the Tiger’s nemesis.

The third stage of my development in Chinese Astrology took place on the web.  During this stage my son, who is now getting more interested and learning more by the day, helped to build my first website, firepig.com and subsequently expand into multiple countries and technical platforms across the world. 

This is the 2nd of three posts on my journey into the world of Chinese Astrology. In this article, I rraise another question I am often asked: Do you really believe in Chinese Astrology? When I hear this I wonder if the person is trying to establish a religious context, as this is what I associate with belief. My answer is always to say it is not a question of belief with me. I do Chinese Astrology because it works. You could say I'm more of an engineer rather than a scholar, scientist, or theologian. The more I study and practice Chinese Astrology, the better I am able to help people understand themselves and to make choices in their lives. So I continue.