Zakariya Adeel gave readings today at the 15 minute factory mini-festival, a delightful gathering of artists and performers.
Author Archives: Zakariya Adeel
The traditional Chinese zodiac has enamoured people all over the world for centuries and its origins are widely disputed. Some say Buddha laid on a farewell dinner to celebrate leaving Earth and sent an invitation to all animals but only twelve turned up. In gratitude, he assigned a year to each animal in the order they arrived. Another version is that Buddha was calling a meeting to reorganise the state of the Chinese nation, and another still purports that it was in celebration of his birthday.
Perhaps the most common legend is that of the Jade Emperor who invited all the animals of the universe to take part in a race to see who could reach him first.
When the Cat was told about the race he became very excited and asked his neighbour, the Rat to awaken him at dawn so that he could start his journey. The Rat agreed to the request.
Of course, at first light, the Rat was away leaving the sleeping Cat behind. He knew he was the smallest animal taking part but he was also the most determined. Being fast and versatile, the forest, the plains and grasslands were no problem and he was the first to reach the river stream. However, now he was at a loss. He knew he couldn’t cross the stream by himself.
At that moment, the Ox arrived. He surveyed the river wondering how he was going to get across this muddy stream with his poor eye sight. The Rat offered to navigate if he would let him ride on his back. The Ox felt that was fair and let the Rat onto his back and they both entered the river. That is when the Cat arrived at the river bank angry at not being woken up. The Rat apologised saying he was so excited himself that it had slipped his mind. Knowing that the Cat also couldn’t swim, he asked the Ox whether his friend could also ride on his back. The unassuming Ox was happy to help. The Cat climbed on board somewhat placated by the Rat’s actions.
As the Ox slowly made his way through the muddy waters, a dragon flew over them effortlessly taking the lead. She looked down from her superior vantage point and noticed that a tiny Rabbit who had been hopping from one stone to the next had become trapped; the Rabbit had no more stones left to hop onto. Noticing a passing log, she made a leap for it but now found herself being dragged downstream on the log.
Meanwhile, the Ox was halfway across the stream and listening to the Rat sing him directions to get them across. However, the Cat was getting increasingly annoyed at the noise and asked the Rat to be quiet. As he was busy preening himself, the Rat crept up behind him and pushed him overboard, then returned to direct the Ox. By that point, the Dragon had disappeared but there was a mighty roar that came from behind them. The Rat saw the mighty Tiger enter the river. He told the Ox to swim as fast as he could otherwise they would be overtaken. They were nearly there.
Not far behind the Tiger was the noble Horse who leapt into the water with a huge splash. The Rooster, Ram and Monkey reached the river stream at the same time. They agreed to work together to get across. The ever vigilant Rooster noticed a small raft and ordered that the Ram obtain it and set it on the water which he did. She then told the Monkey to clear off its weeds which he did. Then all three jumped on board, tugged and pulled and worked together to get through the stream.
The Rat encouraged the Ox to keep going and both could see that they were nearly there. Suddenly, the Dog, being one of the best swimmers passed by and overtook them. She got near the end first but instead of coming out of the stream, she remained in the water to clean off all of the mud and weeds. Just as the Ox reached the river bank, the Rat climbed onto the Ox’s head and made it to Jade Emperor first. The Ox followed thanking the Rat for all of his help. The Tiger came next bemused at the Dog still washing herself.
A huge gust of warm wind blew the tiny Rabbit’s log to the riverbank and she made it into forth place. Seconds later, the Dragon landed on the bank. As the Horse emerged from the water, the Snake uncurled herself from one of the Horses hooves which gave him a fright. The Snake slithered over the bank and made it into sixth position, the Horse made seventh. At this point, the little raft made it to the other side. The Ram climbed off first helping the Monkey off next, followed by the Rooster. They approached the Emperor together making eighth, ninth and tenth positions respectively.
Eventually, the Dog approached the Emperor looking flawless. The Cat was still splashing in the water but was picked up by the compassionate Boar as he slowly but steadily swum across. By the time the Boar reached the Emperor, the Cat had passed out. The Boar was awarded twelfth position and as the Cat, coming thirteenth was not assigned a year at all.
The Emperor then asked why the Tiger didn’t come first being the strongest, he said he had the furthest to travel. The Dragon was asked why she didn’t come first considering she could fly, she said she had to stop to create rain to help the creatures of the earth and returned to help the Rabbit reach the shore. The Emperor blessed the Dragon for her good deeds. Then the Emperor asked why the Dog didn’t make first position if she reached the bank first, she replied that she was no state to be in the presence of Royalty and needed to clean up.
The Emperor assigned the first year to the Rat and he was celebrated for his ingenuity. When the Cat regained consciousness, he swore revenge on the Rat and it is believed this is why Cats chase rodents even today.
There are many variations on this story. Some say it was Buddha who did summon them to race. This story, in its various guises, has been told since 2637 B.C. during the reign of Emperor Huang Ti when the Chinese Lunar calendar was introduced. The ancient Chinese used to count the years with 10 celestial stems and 12 terrestrial branches but most people were illiterate at this time so an animal was assigned to each terrestrial branch which symbolised the ethereal influences of that particular year.
As the creative and entrepreneurial rule of the Rat comes to an end on the 26th January 2009, we are ushered towards the comforting presence of the paternal Ox.
Strong, humble and industrious, the next twelve months promise to offer huge rewards to those who apply themselves diligently and go the extra mile. Just don’t expect a pat on the back. The Ox is the strong and silent type; superfluous gestures are not a part of his physical vocabulary. If you have been given an important job, then you can assume you are in his good books.
The Ox influence will have everybody taking on more responsibilities, working hard and staying on the long narrow road rather than opting for short cuts. Those that do go off in search for an easy way out will find dead end after dead end. Stick to the road and trudge along. It might not be easy, but it’s worth it.
Interestingly, the credit crunch that we saw in 2008, the year of the Rat, created an environment ripe for bagging bargains, house prices came down and if you were prepared, you could profit greatly. It perfectly reflected the opportunistic Rat. 2009 will see many people trying to increase the value of their assets so may plan extensions or redecorations of their homes with this in mind. This perfectly reflects the Ox’s love of cost effective home improvements. Many Ox signs, male and female are extremely capable DIY enthusiasts and spend much of their free time pursuing such activities.
The projects started last year in the instigating phase of the Rat may need a strong infusion of persistent hard work and prudent resource management to see them through to the next level. That is where the Ox takes over. The vision has been decided, now the Ox provides intense labour without complaint.
Even though they can be the nicest, most genuine of all signs with the best of intentions, there tends to be something autocratic about the way Ox signs work. Most people make allowances for this as it is just the way they are. In the year of the Ox, this trait is magnified and its influence may spread to other signs also. Even so, it is not wise to choose this year to try and do something about it. Wait just one year for the rebellious Tiger influence to fall upon us, then, say what you want. For now, say, “Yes Sir” and get back to work.
If you can imagine this Ox influence at home, in the context of a family or social network, it is harder to keep your opinions in check when your livelihood doesn’t depend on it. It is for this reason that there tends to be many arguments, misunderstandings and confrontations in a non-professional arena.
Financially, people automatically begin tightening their purse strings. There isn’t an abundance of resources in 2009 although the list of little jobs that need doing keeps getting longer and longer so careful planning and wise money management is advised.
Although it will be a busy year, the Ox doesn’t like to be rushed so a pleasant surprise is that you might have more time to do things then you’d expect. And be patient with everyone around you, the Ox influence is a strong and confident one which could imbue anybody with audacity. Interesting isn’t it? Considering this is the one year not to be audacious especially with authority figures? Just have a look at how many dictators were born in this year.
In order to excel in 2009 you should remain respectful and diplomatic even if nobody else is, work hard without expecting praise and keep the finish line in your minds eye. Because actually, that big oaf is much more loving than he would have you believe and he always rewards hard work handsomely. A slow and steady year with no great perks as such, just amazing spirit and a big heart. 2009 is the year of the Ox.