BARRY FANTONI'S CHINESE HOROSCOPES

HOW DO YOU introduce yourself? Do you first give your name, or say what school you went to, or where you live, or what kind of job you do? Whatever you say, the chances are that you will be attempting in some small way to summarise who you imagine yourself to be, and hoping that the label you chose will do the real you justice

In the East, however, introductions may take on a very different form. Because of a system that has evolved throughout Eastern civilisation, everyone has a birth sign named after one of the twelve animals that make up the Chinese Horoscope. Consequently, when two strangers meet, instead of giving their names, they might well refer to their animal sign. 'I am a Dragon,' one might say. 'Pleased to meet you,' might come the reply, 'I am a Snake.' As a result of this simple greeting, a great deal of unspoken information will have changed hands. In that particular case, if they had met to discuss business, both Dragon and Snake will probably have parted on good terms. However, if the Dragon had been another Snake I suspect that the two Chinese businessmen would have given the meeting a miss

And for a very good reason. For the Peoples of the East, an individual's personal animal sign, dictated by the year of birth, plays a central role in the conduct of their daily lives. Since I was introduced to the system some ten years ago, it has revolutionised mine. Chinese horoscopes have shown me a completely fresh way of viewing human behaviour, one that can be of great practical use. It can, for example, guide us to the best business associate, help us in our choice of marriage partners and even suggest the ideal lover

Chinese horoscopes tell us why we dress like we do, why some of us save every penny while others spend without caring. We learn why some are content to sit at home while others travel to the four corners of the globe. It explains who we really are, not only to the world at large, but more importantly to ourselves