The Chinese character fu (福) in the shape of the upcoming Year of the Snake, and which means “good fortune”.

Each New Year–no matter if it’s the Lunar or the Gregorian calendar–people look forward to a “new” start, a time for resolutions for the better even if, in fact, this so-called beginning is just a man-made construct, and nothing is stopping anyone from starting anew at any time. In facing this new beginning, I find it amusing the way we all consult our astrological signs–Eastern, Western, again it doesn’t matter–for what is to come, whether our fortunes are good or not, and what we should do to come out “okay” at the end of the year. 

I indulge in reading these horoscopes for fun, even going so far as sharing the articles with my friends. After a while, I realized that whatever advice is written, they make generic common sense that can apply to anyone. “Rearrange your things and remove useless items for better energy flow” means to “get organized”. “Your career will move forward but watch out for your health” means to “not overwork and make sure to get rest and exercise”. “Your love life will be in danger this year” means to “keep your clothes on except for with the one you’re committed to unless you’re willing to go through melodrama and possible legal issues”. It’s sort of like a celebrity being interviewed by reporters but no matter how tough or hard the questions are, the experienced celebrity can “say a lot without saying anything”, sounding positive and non-controversial and leaving the reporters with no substantial soundbytes. 

What makes them even more interesting is they are couched in settings that tickle the imagination. “Because this star is aligned with this moon and your sign is heavy with water, the energy will pull you upward”; “Your animal sign is at odds with the deity of love this year, so she will send no one to you this year, but you can buy her favor by keeping a piece of pure jade in your pocket”; “Avoid the color brown this year, wear red or yellow more, as brightness attracts luck.” Such interesting ways to explain why you should follow the given advice. 

I don’t discount chance, luck and coincidence in having a role in our lives, and I also don’t discount the explanations for the same. It’s likely the way we humans are wired that we try to find meaning for what is happening to us. What happens when we read these horoscopes, in fact, is we take these explanations and weave them into the individual stories of our lives. They satisfy and answer the questions “Why?” and “How?” and “What’s next?”, to a certain extent.

Which is the same thing stories do.

The stories we tell each other make those observations, and the well-told stories are the ones that stick to our minds. The difference with the horoscopes is that they establish the setting and direction (for a happy ending) more than they tell the whole story; it requires a bit more interactivity from us since we are the ones writing our own stories after reading their advice. 

It’s really all our stories, the quiet, personal ones we have, expanding to the ones we share with our families and friends, with colleagues, then growing ever larger when we realize that these stories are experienced by the world, and have been lived by humans for centuries. Given this length of time, it may be true that there are no more new stories, but there are always new ways of telling and new circumstances, and they will seem new to fresh readers and listeners. 

Again, remember, you can always “start over” at any time of the year, and “starting over” may just be the next chapter of your own story that has already been going on for some time. Wishing you all the best for the construct that is 2025!