Here’s a question you rarely ask yourself when reading a book: I wonder if there is a fantasy horoscope for that and what my sign would be.
Understandably, this may not be the first idea that comes to your mind. But, when you think about it, in everyday life, we all know someone who has built their entire understanding of life based on horoscope signs. Maybe you are that person. I can safely assure you that neither Paul or I are this person.
I barely remember all 12 zodiac signs. Every time I hear someone explain a behaviour by pulling the horoscope card, I wonder how they manage to keep that level of knowledge in their memory. I can remember a lot of things, but the horoscope is not one of them — which is ironic because I am really good with dates.
So, anyway, do you want to know your sign in our fantasy horoscope?
Does The World of Phaedrus Need a Fantasy Horoscope?
When you ask it like that, no, it probably doesn’t. The question, however, was never whether it needed a fantasy horoscope. The question was what does the real world has the fantasy world could do with? Horoscope is one of the answer.
Why?
We’d carefully designed characters with distinct personalities., and you can also check on their specific MTBI personalities on the character pages for magicians and for Earthlings. But not every reader can identify with MTBI personality types. So, why not give readers something else that helps anchor Phaedrus’s world into something that is easy to imagine, into something that people can picture and understand?
It’s how the idea of the fantasy horoscope was born. Horoscope can feel very relatable for some people, and it would be a pity not to throw a little bit of relatability in there!
Every World Has a Horoscope
When it comes to world building, getting things right matter.
Sure, you want to make sure you are going to stick to the spelling of your characters’ names and regions’ names — and don’t laugh at this, you’d be surprised how many writers decide on an impossible name spelling only to forget it halfway through the book — but that isn’t entirely enough to give your world depth.
Opinions differ a lot on this. I’d like to specify that a difference of opinions doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is wrong. World building is not a maths equation where there can be only one possible solution. It is about the layers one perceives in the world. It’s a dissection of your own mind, and particularly of how you think.
What is the level of details you need to imagine something?
For some people, it’s about highlighting the details they consider to be the most important in the way they perceive and understand their world:
- the colour of someone’s shirt
- the shape of a tree leaf
- the smell of the sunny air
- the heat of the sun
- the songs of the birds
- etc.
I am not denying any of these elements, by the way. It just so happens that I don’t care much for these. These, to me, do not explain the people who live in my world. I need more to get a sense of who they are:
- the shape of their missing piece
- the things they believe in
- the things that make them laugh
- the things they fear
- the way they cope
A fantasy horoscope makes them relatable because it shows me what some people believe in. It shows me that even with the magical Shadows and the troubles, the people in the world of Phaedrus are not so dissimilar to the people in my street. To me, world building is about those little layers of relatability that glue the imaginary world together.
The Horoscope Inside the Newspaper
We wanted to create an insider joke for readers and ourselves. That’s how the Agrinion Gazette was born. The Gazette is the official newspaper of Agrinion, capital of the Earth Lands.
We’re going to publish the different newspapers that relate to our story. You can already find the first number on the website for free. The gazette acts as the voices from Agrinion, reporting about the news of their world, their frustrations, their dreams, and their fears.
There are only a few articles, and then you will also find a readers’ corner and a Pham club, both giving you insights into the world.
And, like in every newspaper, there is a horoscope page. Now, our fantasy horoscope may be a little different from what you are used to, but the differences are meaningful.
There are 10 zodiac signs. We will explain in a future article the reason behind this choice, but if you have already read The Dead Shadow, you may be able to cope up with 10 different categories of citizens. In fact, behind the jokes and the banter, there are some very important details that hint at something more.
The names of the months may be confusing. You will notice that, here too, there are only 10 months. None of the names may sound familiar yet, but there is a common thread between all the names in the world of Phaedrus. They are inspired by Ancient Greek.
Should you go on a research adventure to find the meaning behind the months? We wouldn’t recommend it. Names evolve over time, and while they have a meaningful root, this may not be obvious right now. However, if you are, like me, a linguistic enthusiast, you may be able to decipher this puzzle. Otherwise, we will leave it to Pamphilos, the only character who has studied the magical world and its history for a long time, to explain it in a future day.
What is my sign in Phaedrus fantasy Horoscope?
| Your Birthday is between: | Your sign in Phaedrus Fantasy Horoscope |
| January 24 to February 27 | Frog |
| February 28 to April 4 | Swallow |
| April 5 to May 10 | Mule |
| May 11 to June 17 | Bear |
| June 18 to July 24 | Tortoise |
| July 25 to August 28 | Crab |
| August 29 to October 1 | Mouse |
| October 2 to November 5 | Goose |
| November 6 to December 9 | Cat |
| December 10 to January 23 | Octopus |
You can head to the Gazette page to read your horoscope. Stay tuned for more gazettes and horoscopes!