What exactly is astrology?

I love reading my horoscope, but I dont exactly understand what it is. How do they predict stuff? and what do they mean by the planets being with you? Any ideas?

Astrology is the study of the influence that distant cosmic objects, usually stars and planets, have on human lives. The position of the sun, stars, moon and planets at the time of people's birth (not their conception) is said to shape their personality, affect their romantic relationships and predict their economic fortunes, among other divinations.What most people know about astrology is their "sign," which refers to one of the 12 constellations of the zodiac. This is a form of sun-sign astrology, which is the astrology upon which newspaper horoscopes are based. It is probably the simplest form, because nothing more than the date of someone's birthday is needed to generate a sun-sign horoscope. Many astrologers will tell you that this form of astrology is so simplistic that it produces very limited results.

Astrology is a long-established method of exploring ourselves, our relationships and our place within the world. It works by taking a look at the significant environmental influences operating in a particular place at a given time – as expressed through the horoscope in the symbolic relationships of the heavenly bodies. Astrology, the science of the stars, can give us insight into all manner of situations, from the personal to the political and from the most intimate to the most mundane.

Woah...WOAH. I like astrology just as much as the next pagan, but it is NOT a science.