Centoday.com

      Astrology is the study of the relationship between the relative positions of certain celestial bodies and life here on earth. Because the word astrology comes from the Greek words astron, meaning 'star' and logos, meaning 'word', we can literally translate astrology to mean the language of the stars; a language and practice that has developed over thousands of years by numerous cultures around the world since its earliest recorded beginnings in the third millennium BC.

Indian or Jyotish - The foundation of Jyotisha is based on the Sanskrit bandhu of the Vedas which describes the binding between the inner and outer world. As with Western Astrology, Jyotisha relies on the connection between the microcosm and the macrocosm. The microcosm is life on earth, while the macrocosm is the universe.
Chinese - Like Western and Indian Astrology, Chinese astrology is believed to have originated in China in the third millennium. Similar to Hermetic law, "as above, so below", Confucius said, "Heaven sends down its good or evil symbols and wise men act accordingly." Astrology in China later became combined with the Chinese practice known as Feng shui.
Western - The study of Western astrology was believed to be first practiced among the ancient Babylonians in the third millennium B.C.. Babylonians believed that the Gods were responsible for all atmospheric phenomena, such as rain and sunshine. Egypt also has a very important place in astrological history. Star charts dating back to 4,200 B.C. prove Egypt has an ancient history with astrology. Even the pyramids are oriented towards the North Pole of the sky as they served as astrological calculators, as well as burial places for astrologically minded pharaohs. In fact, Rameses II is often credited with fixing the positions of the cardinal signs Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. Some zodiac signs are even said to be Egyptian in origin, including Aries, and Leo. Houses and Signs of the Zodiac that remain virtually unchanged today.
As Europeans became more literate, various periodicals and almanacs began publishing astrological information. Notable authors included Galileo and Copernicus, who were both practicing astrologers and founders of the modern scientific movement. However, the more popular astrology became, the more scrutinized it was. And when major astrological predictions failed to come true, astrology began to fall out of favor. It wasn't until much later with the birth of Princess Margaret in 1930 that Astrology experienced a revival. To commemorate her birth, the British newspaper, London Sunday Express, ran the princess' astrological profile, thus giving birth to the modern newspaper horoscope column.
Horoscopic - Developed in Hellenistic Egypt, Horoscopic Astrology uses a visual representation of the heavens called a horoscope, derived from the Greek word, horoskopos, meaning "a look at the hours". This visual representation usually takes the form of a chart or diagram (below) that represents the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and angles at the time of a particular event, such as a person's birth.

Horoscopic Astrology is divided into the four main branches of Natal, Mundane, Electional and Horary.

1. Natal Astrology is the most commonly practiced form of Horoscopic Astrology and is based upon the idea that each individual's personality or path in life can be determined by constructing a natal chart for the exact date, time, and location of a person's birth.
2. Mundane Astrology is one of the most ancient forms of astrology and takes its name from the Roman word Mundus, meaning "the World". Mundane Astrology is based upon the idea that a correlation exists between individuals and world events, world affairs (wars, assassinations, etc.) and even geological phenomena such as earthquakes.
3. Electional Astrology is the practice of determining an individual's astrological profile to determine how and when he or she should partake in a particular undertaking or event such as opening a business.
4. Horary astrology is the practice in which the astrologer attempts to answer an individual's specific question by constructing a horoscope centered on that specific question. For example, "Am I going to get a promotion at work?"

      Astrologers are fascinating. What with their ability to predict one's immediate and long-term future based on the positions of celestial bodies at birth and how these relate to one another. Often, astrologers believe that these divine entities influence one's personality and the choices he/she makes in life. Usually, astrologers are sought for guidance in the areas of love, wealth, work and family relations. Online astrologers are even more fascinating in that they give pieces of advice through the internet or an interactive computer program. Online astrologers abound in popular social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. This is not surprising. With more and more people leading busy lifestyles, they could hardly find the time to personally see an astrologer who could guide them about their future. However, questions like, "Could one trust these online astrologers? How does one distinguish the qualified (read "professionally trained") online astrologers from the unqualified ones?"

The following tips may be of help:
Experience - The number of years a person has been practicing astrology lends wisdom and depth to the readings compared to someone who is quite a neophyte in this science-art. It might help to email candidates and ask them when and how they started with astrology. Often, a good and authentic astrologer would gladly share his/her education, training and years of practice.
Tools and Methods - Find out which type of astrology he/she practices. Yes, there are many types of astrology. There is mundane astrology, esoteric astrology, electional astrology, Vedic astrology, etc. What do you want? It may help to do a mini online research so one would be guided in the selection.
Reputation - "Google" the candidates. See if they have open cases of fraud or scandals. If one knows any of the past clients, it would be good to ask them how the readings have worked for them.
Cost/Fees - Service is not always free. Some astrologers can probably give sample readings, but for a long-term relationship, one needs to know what kind of payments to make.
Professionalism - This is among the most important considerations when choosing an astrologer, especially when one is looking for a long-term client-astrologer relationship. There is nothing wrong with becoming friends with one's astrologer, but at the start, one should ensure that the friendship does not affect the objectivity of the readings.

      In choosing an online astrologer, one must exercise as much caution as one does in choosing other professionals. Remember that as the relationship progresses, this person will know a lot about your personal life. If in doubt, give yourself some time. Maybe you'll realize that you don't really an astrologer after all. Maybe you just need a healthy dose of prayer and silence.