Born In The Cancer-Leo Cusp

Some of my friend would shun me right now to bring up such a superstitious topic. But I have always been intrigued with these superstitious things. How can you tell people's future or even put people in different categories just because they were born in a certain time or look a certain way? The theories maybe too hocus-pocus and raggedy-ass (forgive my language), but just the fact that there are theories like that is intriguing. Humans are always trying to explain the unexplainable.

Us Chinese has the Chinese Zodiac, twelve different animals each represents a different personality for people born under the corresponding year. Details can be found in every American Chinese restaurant. An interesting read, really. I'm under the sign of the Rabbit, like everybody else born in the year of 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, etc... It's supposed to be the luckiest sign in the Chinese Zodiac. The rabbits are supposed to be kind and intelligent. Not much bad things are said about the rabbit, so I can enthusiastically admit that I am one.

When I was 6, my mom went to a Chinese "astrology" master with me in Paris. These masters usually can do a few things. Based on your date and time of birth, they can “calculate” your life for you. They can read your palms and your face and tell you your past and your future. They can also come to your house and rearrange your furniture based on your time of birth to maximize your “Chi”, so you can live a better life. The master told my mom that she will encounter a big health crisis when she turns 37 and if she can escape that trouble her life will be an easy street. My mom died when she was 35. I was bugging him for a reading of my own, my palms didn’t have much lines to speak of during that time, in fact, my life line didn’t grow until after I was 18. “It is not decided yet”, one of my Taoist grandaunt said. During that time, the master said I would encounter a “cherry blossom theft”, which means that my future love interest will rob me blind or marry me for my money and leave. He also said for me to be careful when I cross the street or I’ll be run over by a car. I wonder if that’s why until this day I still can’t drive.

If you go to any of these life-calculating masters, they will tell you more of less the exact same thing given that you gave them the same date and time and place of your birth. Funny fact, they count from standard Beijing time, if you were born in New York then you’ll have to add 12 or 13 hours depended upon whether it is the months under daylight saving time. According to the Chinese, there are five basic elements that make up everything; Metal, Wood, Water, Fire and Earth. They benefit each other; Water creates Wood, Wood creates Fire, Fire creates Earth, Earth creates Metal, Metal creates Water. They also eliminate each other; Water destroys Fire; Fire destroys Metal; Metal destroys Wood; Wood destroys Earth, and Earth destroys Water. My life is based on Fire and lacks Water, the master says. When my uncle visited two years ago, he asked his friend to re-calculate my life for me and based on a basic floor plan of my apartment, his friend suggested me to paint my apartment red (fire) and put my bed on a diagonal angle. While I don’t object painting my place red like a heavy cocaine addict would, but putting my bed in a diagonal angle in an already small apartment is the stupidest thing I have ever heard.

I’ve been to a tarot reading with a former colleague of mine two years ago. It’s one of those restaurants that featured a tarot night on Mondays by a reader named John. I had hoped that at least he would call himself Juan or Ricardo or Mr. Creole for a strange convincing flare but he’s white and worse… blond. I didn’t ask him any specific question and he did not tell me anything exciting, so I guess I should stop buying lottery tickets. In no way he can predict the future as accurate as my mom’s master, but he sounds like a psychiatrist giving me advice in life. It’s not black magic, but it could be helpful in a sense.

The whole thing about astrology is pretty much a self-fulfilling prophecy. I was told that I’m born on July 23rd at 2:00 am, most magazines put my birthdate on the Leo side and some put my date on the Cancer side. When I grew up I thought I was a Leo, so growing up in Hong Kong I developed some Leo traits. I was the self-proclaimed leader of my pack, I’m never afraid to give my two cents on every matter, I was socially active, basically a loud mouth. Now, I take hospice in my home, I cook, I stay home building and protecting my nest… all the traits of a Cancerian should have. But then I cleaned the dishes every night, so I could have been a Virgo, I’m dependable like a Taurus, I’m fair like a Libra and I can be sensitive like a Pisces.

If there’s a point to this, I wish to show more of my Leo traits in the future. I think I shine best when I’m outgoing and sociable.