Deep Dive: Astrology With Janjay Mason
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Meet Janjay
Janjay Mason is a Liberian American Houston native and Asia Society Texas' Education and Outreach Coordinator. While education as a profession runs in her family, she never misses an opportunity to learn and discover new things in her everyday life. Her edible garden, various cookbooks, and connections to people and places in Houston and beyond are evidence of her desire to know and experience all she can before sharing with others either through stories, art, or lesson plans.
Why I'm focusing on astrology
My interest in astrology began by chance after a friend made a passing comment about something related to the subject. I’d grown up occasionally reading my monthly horoscope in Teen Vogue, but I was surprised to find out that there was a lot more to it than I had originally thought. I started learning more on my own until I was able to do some very bare-bones astrology readings for my friends, which was fun.
While I consider myself a casual learner and an only somewhat seasoned novice in astrology, I wanted to share some basic facts for people to engage with.
The history of astrology
While its true origins are unknown, astrology — a study that seeks to understand human behavior and predict events based on the influence of celestial bodies — is thought to have originated in the third millennium BCE in Mesopotamia. What’s now known as western astrology was further developed in Greek civilization during the Hellenistic period. The practice spread eastward, most notably to India and China, via the Silk Road. Vedic or Jyotish (the science of light) astrology is based on Hinduism’s sacred texts called the Vedas, and the animals of the Chinese zodiac are an essential part of China’s unique astrological system.
Throughout time, polymaths like Al-Biruni and Sir Isaac Newton created and advocated for distinctions between astronomy and astrology, leading astrology to be seen as more of an art than a scientific study. However, astrology continues to be practiced across cultures to this day.
How astrology remains relevant today
For some people, astrology is novel or a form of casual entertainment. Western astrology can be found in almost any mainstream horoscope website or magazine entry here in the United States. I also know many people who have astrology apps on their phones! Websites dedicated to Vedic interpretations are also widely accessible online. Growing up and especially now at AST, I’ve met many people who can tell me their Chinese zodiac animal with ease after learning about it through their own culture or a cultural event they’ve participated in.
Across cultures, communities, households, and individuals, however, astrology can have varying levels of importance. For some people, it’s a way to help them understand world events, themselves, their personal opportunities and challenges, and even their life path:
- In 2024, many couples who observe Chinese astrology aimed to have a baby in the Year of the Dragon, the Chinese zodiac’s luckiest animal.
- American financier and investment banker J.P. Morgan used astrology to aid him in making business and investment decisions. This practice is still used by some business owners to this day.
People have also made careers in studying and teaching astrology. Vedic astrologers in India tend to be highly educated with a history of successful careers before becoming astrologists. They are often asked about matters involving marriage, careers, and the outcome of someone’s life. Parents might ask them to do an astrological reading for their children when they are still babies to help understand what kind of life their child will have. It’s often reported that, if a good astrologer was consulted, the predictions are accurate. Vedic astrology also tends to be fatalistic, while Western astrology makes room for looser interpretations and outcome predictions.
Practice | What You Need to Know | What You'll Discover |
|---|---|---|
Vedic/Jyotish | Your birth date, your exact birth time, and the relative location of your birthplace | Destiny-focused life predictions based on karma and the current placement of specific celestial bodies in relation to Earth |
Chinese | Your year of birth and the hour you were born | Your zodiac animal sign and rising sign, your element, and how your zodiac animal will interact with each year’s life energy (qi/chi) |
Western | Your birth date, your exact birth time, and the relative location of your birthplace | Insights into your personality, present, and future based on the Earth’s relationship with the Sun and its seasons |
The absolute basics
Tracking time
Both Vedic and Chinese astrology are associated with the respective traditional calendars of India and China. Most of the world adheres to the solar Gregorian calendar, but some traditional calendars remain culturally relevant worldwide. While solar calendars base the year on our progression through the seasons as the Earth revolves around the Sun, the traditional Hindu and Chinese calendars are lunisolar and track time differently. Lunisolar calendars also determine the length of the year based on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun, but days, weeks, and months are determined by the cycles of the Moon. Just like the Gregorian calendar requires a leap year every four years, many lunisolar calendars will add a “leap month” after a set number of years to align the solar year with the seasons. This is why the Lunar New Year occurs during a period between January 21 and February 20, rather than on the same or a specific day each year. While both calendars can be used to mark important cultural festivals and days of observance, you can easily use Gregorian dates to understand your astrological placements.
Signs and elements
Chinese, Vedic, and Western astrology all contain 12 astrological signs that are affiliated with the planets in our solar system and elements here on Earth. Vedic signs are assigned to a person depending on the month and day of their birth, and Chinese signs are assigned based on their birth year. This means that Vedic signs recur yearly, while Chinese astrological signs are assigned once every 12 years.
Vedic and Western astrological signs’ titles and surface-level descriptions are more or less interchangeable, but both practices differ. Chinese zodiac signs are represented by animals affiliated with the elements wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
Astrology birth charts
Before you can learn more about your astrological background, you need to learn about the very basics of an astrology chart. A lot of us know about Sun signs (she’s a Sagittarius, that’s why she’s so adventurous!), but that’s only one small part of a person’s astrological makeup. Birth charts are essentially a snapshot of the sky at the moment of your birth. Check out the graphic below for an explanation.
How to learn more
This video is a great way to learn more about the basics of astrology. Websites like Cafe Astrology and Astrodienst, or apps like Co-Star and The Pattern (my personal favorite) will help you calculate your birth chart and learn more about yourself. Good luck!
About APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Beginning in 2021, Asia Society Texas has celebrated Asian Pacific American Heritage Month with the Houston community and beyond through a curated calendar of events for 31 ways to celebrate over the 31 days of May. Spotlighting the traditions, talents, and contributions of Asians and Asian Americans, the calendar highlights the month's key Asia Society programming, providing a platform to showcase local artists, performers, educators, and leaders who contribute to the vibrant, multicultural tapestry of Houston while also featuring staff recommendations for our favorite music, books, movies, and more by Asian and Asian American creatives.
At Asia Society Texas, APAH Month is an opportunity to celebrate and honor Asians and Asian Americans and to uplift their stories to a broader audience as part of our goal to inspire our larger community to better understand one another through culture, conversation, and connection. For information about sponsoring APAH Month and other projects like this one, please contact Saleena Jafry at [email protected] or 713.496.9939.
Presenting Sponsor of APAH Month at Asia Society Texas
Sponsors of APAH Month
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APAH Month 2025 Calendar
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Past APAH Month Calendars
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About Asia Society Texas
Asia Society Texas believes in the strength and beauty of diverse perspectives and people. As an educational institution, we advance cultural exchange by celebrating the vibrant diversity of Asia, inspiring empathy, and fostering a better understanding of our interconnected world. Spanning the fields of arts, business, culture, education, and policy, our programming is rooted in the educational and cultural development of our community — trusting in the power of art, dialogue, and ideas to combat bias and build a more inclusive society.
