Mention Chinese Astrology and most of us Westerners think of the drawings we've seen on the placemats at our favorite Chinese resturant. Ever wonder if maybe there's more to it than spotting your birth year under a certain animal and gleaning a few tidbits about your personality?

Chinese Astrology is an ancient and intricate system that can help us achieve lives that are purposeful and fulfilled. Similar to its Western counterpart, Chinese Astrology begins with a person's birth year, month and day in order to determine qualities such as: health, strengths and weaknesses, luck, compatibility.

But Chinese Astrology goes further, so that we might ask ourselves, "Who are the 12 animals, what are the Five Elements and what do they have to do with each other?"

The 12 Animals of Chinese Astrology are: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig. More than just a quaint drawing, each animal is intricately associated with a particular way of life and culture.

In addition to the 12 animals, Chinese Astrology also considers the Five Elements. They are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. Contrary to Western society, whose concept of time is linear, the Chinese possess a cyclical understanding of time.

This is evidenced in the way that each of the elements is related to and dependant on another: Metal contains water which norishes wood, which feed the fire that burns to ash and returns to the earth. Earth creates metal and so the cycle continues.

According to an individual's birth year, Chinese Astrology assigns and considers these elements in conjunction with a particular animal.

Chinese Astrology can help us achieve and live a balanced harmonious life. This ancient art speaks to our spirit's desire to feel connected to the divine, the supreme, the infinite. Through Chinese Astrology, we are offered the opportunity to realize our truest nature.