Astrology

There is a lot more to astrology than the star sign columns you read in the newspaper. These columns can be amusing and intriguing, but they have very little to do with real astrology.

In fact, astrology started before the ancient civilisation of Babylon and is one of the oldest sciences known to man.

Newspaper forecasts were never meant to be much for than a fun diversion. They first appeared in 1930 to mark the birth of Princess Margaret. Hoping to get a new take on the royal birth, a London newspaper ran a column about what the stars had to say about the new princess. The idea was popular and has remained a regular feature in newspapers - but we assume that most readers are not daft enough to think they are anything more than something fun to read over your cornflakes.

Newspaper star signs offer a reading based on your Sun sign - the zodiac sign the sun was in when you were born.

But they can't be accurate because they don't take into account all the factors that make up your horoscope. A horoscope is a map of the planets and other celestial objects at the time of your birth. They are very complicated and can take days to draw. Fortunately, there are now computer programmes that can create your chart in seconds.

Au Wai-lin is an astrologer at Plasma Age, a new alternative centre on Lyndhurst Terrace in Central. She inputs my date and place of birth into her laptop and up pops a complicated chart covered with squiggles and strange symbols.

Looking at the chart, it becomes clear that there are more planets and influences involved than the sun alone.