african-literature-horoscope

[AFRICAN LITERARY HOROSCOPE is a series featuring satirical astrological interpretations. The idea is to adapt African fiction and poetic works to the needs of readers born under each sign of the Zodiac.

We are kicking off the series with Cancer, the sign that falls within June 21 and July 22. If you were born under the sign of Cancer, read on to find out how African literature can help you make the best of the characteristics associated with your sign.]

***

Dear Cancer,

You aren’t called “homemakers of the Zodiac” for nothing. When Maya Angelou wrote the phrase, “the ache for home lives in all of us,” she may as well have had you in mind. Home is more than just a place. It is a sanctuary, and you put in the time and effort to build and protect it.

But Neptune and Pisces will unite in your 9th house of adventure to set your desire for travel afire. Don’t fight the desire. Besides, you may have good reasons to leave—like the character in Marechera’s The House of Hunger who coined one of the most beautiful opening sentences in African fiction: “I got my things and left.” Good reason or no, take that step out the door because no matter where you go, home, in some shape or form, will always be there when you return.

Family and friends have become used to enjoying your nurturing and caring sides. But instead of appreciation, all you get is drama. Blame it all on Pluto! As it moves through your 7th house of intensity, it could sow seeds of war in your heart and bring about situations that make you question your relationships.

Feel free to reach for your copy of Helen Oyeyemi’s Boy, Snow, Bird. The story is built around a woman named Boy, who is saddled with a stepdaughter she can’t stand and blessed with a daughter she would do anything to protect. Boy should be your muse. She will show you how to handle difficult relationships like a pro. She is the authority on how to put people who think they own you in their proper place.

You might find that your love for the homestead has sort of tipped into an obsession. You’ve been spending all your free time at home, not wanting to socialize. Ignore all attempts by close friends and family to make you feel guilty about not spending time with them.

Embrace this desire for solitude. This has everything to do with the fact that your star totem is the crab. As you retreat into your crustacean solitude, take along a long, juicy novel: The Famished Road, Wizard of the Crow, or even Americanah.

The moon is your ruling planet so expect your mood to act up. Whatever you do, keep Soyinka’s A Shuttle in the Crypt close!

You’ll need it when you find yourself in situations that could trigger extreme emotions. The zen-like string of stanzas called “prisonnettes” will help you clear out your headspace and avoid sudden shifts in emotion. Soyinka penned a good bit of these lines during the Biafra War while in prison. Imagine being in prison and knowing that you could be executed the next minute. Life, for Soyinka, was a traumatic roller-coaster ride between hope and despair.

If Soyinka could find solace in writing these beautiful lines, be rest assured that you can find calm and equilibrium in reading them.

 

***********

I based the star chart on information from Astrology Club.