Today's Writing Prompt: A Zodiac Is Nothing but a Boat

Here is a fun writing prompt I found on one of my lists. 

Your zodiac/horoscope.  Do you think it fits your personality?

Horoscopes are a funny thing.  I'm a skeptic about metaphysical beliefs.  I believe the universe is chaos.  There is no rhyme or reason to what happens to any of us.  The only justice, reason, and purpose we have in this life is that which we create ourselves.  I'm happier believing in chaos than I am believing in purpose.  If you believe in some kind of universal system, some reason behind what happens, you'll only be disappointed when things don't work out.  You waste energy looking for reasons and waiting for justice.  Things happen, we work our way through them, and we do our best to do right by others.

That doesn't mean it isn't fun, and often comforting, to temporarily believe otherwise. Belief that supernatural forces somehow guide us, or already put a plan in place, gives us more of a sense of control.  I suppose it was one of the driving forces behind all those summers at Bible camp.  It's why I'll often stop by a tarot card reader's booth when I'm at the Renaissance Faire.  It's also why I pay attention to horoscopes.  It's an absurd notion that the day and time I was born is a determinant of not only my personality, but also an indicator of my fate, but it's fun to imagine.

I give the ancients credit for creating the zodiac regardless.  It is a sophisticated calendar system.  Its creators put a lot of work into understanding the position of stars and planets throughout the year.  It took imagination to see those constellations in the sky and tie them to the cultural myths and stories.  I suppose it would be inevitable people living in that culture would tie the stories in the stars to their own lives.  

Anyway, I was born on July 16th, under the sign of Cancer*, which is ruled by the moon.  What does this say about my personality?  Is it accurate?

Before I dive into a Cancer personality, I want to talk about bias.  When we look at our horoscopes without skepticism, we see what we want to see.  We like to cherry pick the information and find ways to tie ourselves to what our horoscopes say.  If astrologers said, "Cancers are antisocial people with bad hygiene who love torturing puppies," I would immediately dismiss astrology as inaccurate garbage.  I fully understand astrologers use broad personality descriptions to create believers, because I'm sure all of us can find something in those descriptions to suit us.

So what are the supposed traits of a Cancer?

The symbol of Cancer is a crab.  A crab has a tough outer shell and a soft underbelly.  It can be hard to get close to a Cancer at times because she throws up a lot of defenses, but she is also vulnerable.  She is sensitive and easy to hurt.  She isn't always quick to trust.  

Cancers are devoted and loyal.  When you earn the trust of a Cancer, she is your friend for life.  She will be protective, nurturing, and empathetic.  She is a loyal friend and partner.  She treasures having a few close friendships and is a devoted and committed romantic partner.  She is deeply passionate.

On the flip side, if you hurt a Cancer, she won't forget.  She is vindictive and can hold epic grudges.

She is moody and mercurial.  She is a water sign and is ruled by the ever-changing moon.  Her moods can change on a dime.  

Cancers are sentimental and nostalgic.  They enjoy traditions.  

Cancers are lovers of beauty and sensual pleasure.  

Cancer is domestic.  She enjoys keeping the home.  She loves cooking (particularly as that is not only a sign of her nurturing, but also part of that sensual pleasure)  

She values comfort, safety, and security.  She is not a risk taker.

She is a homebody.  She likes the comfort and security of home and doesn't like to go out.  She likes her routines.  She doesn't like to travel.

WHOA.  BACK UP ON THAT LAST ONE.

I think most traits associated with Cancer are like me.  I am a loyal friend who holds tightly to friendships, but if you hurt me, I will hold a grudge forever.  I am super sensitive and my feelings can be wounded easily.  I can be a bit crusty.  I have a cynical sarcastic side.  I am certainly moody and often a few right or wrong words can change my outlook for the rest of the day.  I am not a risk taker and I do crave security.  I love my home and I love cooking. I like to think of myself as a nurturer and that shows in the way I love cooking for other people.  All that is true.

The astrological profile falls apart when you start describing me as a homebody.  I love my home.  I put an effort into creating a safe and comfortable sanctuary for myself, but I don’t like to spend all my time there. I become restless and easily bored when I am home all day.  I like to go out and do things.  I am always looking for new experiences.  Every time Kevin and I anticipate a free day, I am creating a list of things to do and places to go.  If I see an event that interests me, I will be rounding up friends to go have a group outing.  I love to travel and I keep a list of desired future destinations.

A good skeptic would say this is evidence that astrology has no merit and my typical Cancer traits are mere coincidence.  However, an astrologer would disagree.

We are more than our sun signs.  We have our ascendant sings, moon signs, and the influence of every planet that aligns with our birth.  In order to know these signs, we have to know the time and place we were born.  I am lucky enough to know the time I was born, so I was able to plug my birthday, birthplace, and birth time into an online astrology calculator and see what else is in my chart and how it makes this Cancer a little less of a Cancer.

My rising sign is Taurus.  The rising sign is the part of yourself you present to the world.  Taurus is ruled by Venus, so it is a sign that loves sensual pleasures and creature comforts.  She is dependable and consistent.  She loves natural beauty.  She loves books and art.  She can also be stubborn and stuck in her ways (YES).  

Taurus and Cancer are two of the most compatible signs in the zodiac, but I think what makes these two signs in me compatible also makes my personality more inexplicable.  Taurus is also a homebody.  Taurus is an earth sign and likes to be grounded.  My rising sign may explain my stubborn nature and emphasizes many of my Cancer traits, but it doesn't explain my restless energy.  I once read an article on astrology that said if you put a Taurus and a Cancer in the same house, they may never leave because they are both such homebody signs.  I am a Taurus and a Cancer in the same body and I am not a typical homebody.

That leaves my moon sign.  What is my moon sign and what personality traits does it manifest?

Sagittarius.

Sagittarius?  There could not be a more opposite sign to Cancer than Sagittarius.  Cancer is a water sign.  Sagittarius is a fire sign.  (Think of it.  Fire dries up water.  Water puts out fire.) A Cancer seeks comfort.  A Sag seeks adventure.  A Cancer guards her heart.  A Sag wears her heart on her sleeve.  Sags like to challenge themselves and push limits.  Cancers seek the familiar and comfortable.  A Cancer is moody.  A Sag is optimistic.  

But there is so much about Sagittarius that explains the parts of me that aren't typically Cancerian.  A Sagittarius is bombastic and needs to be right about things (add that to the stubborn nature of my ascendant Taurus).  Sagittarius tends to be more optimistic and social.  (Is my extroversion a manifestation of my moon sign?)  My strong desire to see new places is definitely a Sag trait. I always seek new experiences (Sagittarius) as long as they don't involve too much risk (Cancer).  Many of my traits that aren't stereotypically Cancerian can easily explained by my Sagittarius moon.  The one compatible aspect of Sagittarius for me is it's a foodie sign, so the fact that I have the sun in Cancer and the moon in Sagittarius is probably why I have weight problems.

(As an aside, even though I love to travel, I do like to create a "home" for myself in my new destination.  As soon as I arrive in my accommodations, I am unpacking and setting up my room exactly as I like it with everything where it should be.  I may want to be out, but I need a comforting place to return to at the end of the day.)

Sagittarius is a bit more romantically compatible with Libra, my husband’s sign and an air sign.  Air signs are more compatible with fire signs than they are with water signs.  Does the Sagittarius help me get along better with the Libra man in my life?  I would love to know his chart, but he doesn’t know what time he was born, so it will remain a mystery.

In the end, does my astrological sign fit my personality?  The scary thing is, when you look at my entire chart, it does.

I found a website that tried to sum up a Cancer who is Taurus ascendant with the moon in Sagittarius and this is what it said: On the surface, you present yourself as a classy and well put together individual. You have sophisticated interests and an intellectual appetite that motivates you to travel and explore both the outside world and the inner world of your mind.

I'd say most of that is true except for the classy part.

Or how about this explanation?

I grew up in a sheltered and overprotected environment. I was so restricted from doing anything "dangerous" that I became risk averse, and to this day I seek comfort and safety.  I was also spoiled and indulged, so I became used to getting my way.  I built up a lot of defensiveness because I couldn't deal with people who didn't agree with me and told me I was wrong.  My interactions with the world were limited, so I had poor social skills that made it hard for me to relate to people.  Even though I longed for more connection, I was so bad at it much of the time, I learned to guard myself until I felt someone truly cared.  Because connections feel both fragile and rare, I tend to attach myself to anyone I allow myself to get close to, and still haven't learned to let go. Being with people feels so good I want to be out there enjoying the attention and having as much fun and stimulation as possible.  During those early years books, food, and my imagination were my main forms of entertainment.  Part of me longed to be out doing things my peers were doing and having adventures. I lived inside my head much of the time and dreamed of the things I would do and places I would go if given the chance.  I was often told the things I longed to do were wrong or dangerous or simply too expensive or a waste of time.  That made me secretly long to get out and see the world, and as an adult I feel I am still making up for the things I didn't do as a child.  My family was mostly well educated and instilled in me a sense of curiosity and an appreciation of culture and the finer things in life, so I do still tend to seek out beauty and culture and intellectual stimulation.

Does that sound more accurate than my horoscope?

*The position of the earth and its relationship to the stars has shifted over the centuries, and supposedly this means all of us are under different signs now.  I think given the current position of the earth, I am actually a Gemini, but I am going with my traditional sign for this post.