Zodiac Man (Homo Signorum) [1]
I can't quite recall where, but I'm sure Baudrillard once mused on the idea of changing one's fate by the simple measure of adopting a new star sign. For if a man can identify as a woman (and vice versa), then surely someone unhappy with being tied down by an earth sign could, for example, identify as a free-floating air sign.
Having said that, I have no desire to transition from one sign to another. I'm perfectly content having been born on February 13th to be an Aquarian and my sense of self closely and comfortably corresponds to the sign I was given at birth, which I suppose makes me ciszodiac.
I hope, however, that this doesn't make me dismissive of those queer individuals who, for example, no longer wish to identify exclusively with one star sign; or those who feel uncomfortable within the confines of the traditional zodiac divided into twelve houses across three modalities (cardinal, fixed, and mutable) [2].
For as Baudrillard also said (I think): We ought ultimately to be as indifferent to star signs as they are to us as individuals ... [3]
Notes
[1] Frequently encountered in astrological (and medical) works from classical, medieval, and
early-modern times, the Man of Signs illustrates the (imagined) correlation between the cosmos and human physiology; as above, so below and all that (occult) jazz.
[2] The German philosopher Thorsten Botz-Bornstein, who specialises in
thinking about aesthetics, politics, and culture in a playful, stylish, and
slightly dreamy (neo-organic) manner, has written a short satirical skit developing this idea; see 'Genders and Zodiacs' on the Medium website (20 July 2023): click here.
[3] Unfortunately, I don't have access to my books at the moment and it might be the case that I'm misremembering what Baudrillard wrote. However, I can say with confidence that he definitely suggested in one of the volumes of Cool Memories (1980-2004) that we should accord equal importance to the star sign we die under as to the one we are born under.
