I'm not just a monkey, I'm an earth monkey, says Alvin Ang, a 34-year-old Singaporean who's a practitioner and instructor of Chinese metaphysics and geomancy in Beijing.

To "read me," Ang pulls out his iPad and uses the four components of my birth date. Then he stares at my face for a moment. "Show me your hand," he says. He jots down several diagrams and unlocks my secrets: "Pig, sheep and snake are your best friends. You should be married by now, somebody proposed to you in 2009. [note: That is true.] Your next marriage opportunities will come in 2013 and 2015. You'll have two children. You're in the right profession, but wealth-wise you'd be better off starting your own business and writing a book this year."

Ang has been "mapping" Beijingers for the past two and a half years. Currently he teaches people how to assemble their own charts, which can help them evaluate career success, future wealth and relationship viability.

What does a Chinese metaphysics and geomancy practitioner do?

I work with Chinese Fortune Telling, or suan ming, literally "fate calculating." It's based in the five elements [earth, metal, water, wood and fire] and the yin and yang concepts. Bazi (八字) is one of the branches of Chinese Astrology still in practice today in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia due to its accuracy and popularity. Generally it involves taking four components: hour of birth, day, month and year and arranging them into Four Pillars converted from a Jiazi calendar. Then the pillars are analyzed in depth.

Who are your clients?

Most of my clients and students are female, from different ages and all walks of life. There are property agents, architects, doctors and teachers at my classes. I mostly cater to the foreign community because most Chinese Bazi masters don't speak English.

Why do people come to you?

People want answers mainly on issues like career, wealth and relationships. Many people ask if their husbands or wives have affairs, Chinese people ask me if they'll have the opportunity to work overseas. Many people find the subject of Chinese astrology fascinating.

What can a Bazi reading reveal?

The Bazi reading helps individuals interpret the opportunities and obstacles that lie ahead so that they can plan their actions accordingly. It tells you about the kind of relationship the person has with family members, friends, superiors and subordinates. What kind of career they will most likely be successful in. Much of this type of fortune telling is about timing rather than value. It can tell you when is a good or bad time to sign contracts, to travel or to learn a new skill, whether it is a favorable time or not to start a new business or project. It can tell you who is a good match or a bad match.

Can you foresee the future?

There isn't a formula to predict the future; the accuracy of the answers depends on the Bazi reader's skills acquired in years of practice and some people's chart is easier to read. Bazi reading looks at how heaven luck [fate], earth luck [circumstances] and man luck [actions and inactions], determine your destiny. But there's a difference between fate and destiny; this is where earthly forces and human agency come into play. Fate is what you were born with and can't change: where you were born, who your parents are and how long your life will be. Your astrological blueprint can't be changed either. Destiny refers to what a person can change: choices, actions or inactions alter the course of life. For example, even with the inclination [heaven luck] to become a millionaire, things might not work out well for you even if you want to be the next Bill Gates. Circumstances and expectations influence the process but Bazi reading helps you know your weaknesses and strengths in order to adjust them.

Do you ever conceal information?

I think there's a code of conduct in our line of practice. I reject some questions or choose not to share information if there's nothing a person can do to change that situation.

Do you consider yourself gifted?

This is my calling, but any person can learn about Bazi destiny analysis. It is a form of astrology as opposed to fortune telling or divination with no reference to any religion or whatsoever. I teach my students the fundamentals so that some day they can read their fortunes themselves.

One to one and a half hour consultations cost 480 yuan.

Contact Alvin at baziservices@gmail.com