Tan Lang, the Star of Appetite

Tan Lang (貪狼) translates as Greedy Wolf, and the classic text does not soften the name. It calls the star the first of the Northern Dipper, a water star, and describes its transformation as peach blossom (桃花), the old image for romance and charm. It also calls it a star that governs fortune and misfortune, and notes an interest in the arts of the immortals, meaning mysticism and learning.

The entry is blunt about appetite: for people, for pleasure, for beauty, for new things. It is also harsh. It speaks of deceit, of showy promises with nothing behind them, and of a temperament whose likes and dislikes are hard to pin down, and it lists many ways the star can go wrong in a chart. A commentary adds that with good company it leads to prosperity, and with unsteady company it turns flighty. We do not adopt the moral judgments in that classic entry. In our reflective reading, what is left is the question underneath: what do you value, and where do you direct your attention?

Our reading takes Tan Lang as the social magnet of the chart: charming, curious, talented, a person who wants to taste everything and is hard to bore. It is often read as the star of charisma, hobbies and reinvention.

A good reflection is what you are actually hungry for. Appetite is a useful compass when you listen to what is underneath it, and a noisy one when you only chase the next thing.