I grew up with a mixed heritage of Chinese-Filipino from the mother side and a Spanish-Filipino from the father side.
You can clearly see this when look at my siblings as the eldest and youngest look like those Spanish Mestizas that you read about in Philippine history with their hazel colored eyes and pinkish tone of their skin while the 2nd and me looked like Intsiks with our black eyes and yellowish in tone of skin.
Our mom was so big on Chinese Astrology and Feng Shui that I remember that whenever she had a project she would consult an expert on the most auspicious day for groundbreaking and colors to be worn.
We celebrated New Year as well as the Lunar New Year and plates of tikoy would always be prepared together with a huge steamed Lapu-Lapu in the center of the table because it was red and also symbolizes an abundance of wealth.
She would also read the Chinese Horoscope in order to get talismans to ward off bad luck as well as what ventures would be good for business.
I remember being told at an early age that I was born in the year of the Goat/Sheep and had Earth as my element. This meant that I would be somewhat shy around people but would possess traits of being compassionate, kind and generally amicable. I would often be idealistic and a dreamer as well.
I'm not sure if it was because being told when I was young that these are my traits that I grew up having them or if I was just naturally dispositioned to be like this.
There is also a running joke between us sibling that since I was a goat that I disliked water. When in the beach I can often be seen under the shade reading a book rather than swimming. Might have been also because I had some childhood trauma of drowning so I can swim but I rather not.
I remember this New Year while on a video call with my siblings we were talking about our hopes and dreams for the new year. Health, Wealth and Happiness is something that we all wish for. I remember my 2nd sister talking about her Chinese Astrology outlook for the year and while its nice to hear we generally do not believe in it as much as our mom did.
We have this thought that these may not necessarily be the fate that we have as we make our own fate. We create our own luck by preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. We work to accomplish our goals for family, love, career and health.
No matter how good things are said to be written by the stars if we don't act on them then everything will be for naught.
We are the masters of our own fate.