The final product
In this essay, I reflect on my own past experiences with the Chinese zodiac, and with natal astrology in general. Additionally, I explain the mechanics of the Western and Chinese zodiac.
For our first main project, we were tasked with repurposing the argument of something we had previously written. I took a paper that I wrote my freshman year for a class called "Magic, Science, and Religion in the Middle East." The class had an unforeseen, strong focus on astrology and cosmology. I learned that, only centuries ago, people looked to the sky for answers. It was amazing to me--imagine today's world leaders making decisions by looking to the sky for advice. They would be committed.
While I had always followed astrology, the class reawakened my interest. I realized something: we have always been trying to find ways to make the uncertain world more certain. Using whatever tools we have at our disposal, we are always searching for answers. The sky is magical. The fact that the sun rises and falls. The overwhelming beauty of the stars. To me, it made perfect sense that people would become enraptured enough by the heavens above to create a belief system around it.
It made me look at my daily horoscope in a different light. I thought about the Chinese zodiac and how it's still taken pretty seriously in the East and by my mother. I thought about how I obsessively read my natal chart when I'm stressed out. Then, I wrote this.