To be genuinely happy, live your life is to do the things that you want to do and be the person that you want to be no matter who that is or what that is or how you have to do it.

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Homework: What other name would you give yourself if you could take a
vacation from your present name? Why?
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Positive thoughts are not enough. There have to be positive feelings and positive actions.

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Horoscopes by Rob Brezsny

http://FreeWillAstrology.com

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Homework: Would it be possible to turn one of your liabilities into an
asset? How?

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What are your plans for your life in the next ten to twelve months? “Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show.” Quite from the beginning of Charles Dickens’ novel David Copperfield.

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Horoscopes by Rob Brezsny

http://FreeWillAstrology.com

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Homework: What’s your secret beauty — the great thing about you that
no one knows about?
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Love the life you live and live your life to the fullest.

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Be a voice, not an echo.

“Everyone is a genius at least once a year,” wrote German aphorist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg. “The real geniuses simply have their bright ideas closer together.” According to my astrological analysis, Taurus, your once-a-year explosion of genius is imminent. It’s even possible you will experience a series of eruptions that continue for weeks. The latter scenario is most likely if you unleash the dormant parts of your intelligence through activities like these: having long, rambling conversations with big thinkers; taking long, rambling walks all over creation; enjoying long, rambling sex while listening to provocative music.

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“I think if we didn’t contradict ourselves, it would be awfully boring,” says author Paul Auster. “It would be tedious to be alive.” But he goes even further in his defense of inconsistency, adding, “Changing your mind is probably one of the most beautiful things people can do.” This bold assertion may not apply to everyone all the time, but it does for you in the coming weeks, Gemini. You should feel free to explore and experiment with the high art of changing your mind. I dare you to use it to generate extravagant amounts of beauty.

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In its early days, the band Depeche Mode had the infinitely boring name Composition of Sound. Humphrey Bogart’s and Ingrid Bergman’s classic 1942 film Casablanca was dangerously close to being called Everybody Come to Rick’s. And before Charles Dickens published his novel Bleak House, a scathing critique of the 19th-century British judicial system, he considered eleven other possible titles, including the unfortunate Tom-all-Alone’s. The Solitary House that was always shut up and never Lighted. I bring this to your attention, Cancerian, as the seeding phase of your personal cycle gets underway. The imprints you put on your budding creations will have a major impact on their future. Name them well. Give them a potent start.

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One summer afternoon when I was seven years old, my friend Billy and I grabbed an empty jar from my kitchen and went looking for ants. Near the creek we found an anthill swarming with black ants, and scooped a bunch of them in the jar. A little later we came upon a caravan of red ants, and shoved many of them in with the black ants. Would they fight? Naturally. It was mayhem. Looking back now, I’m sorry I participated in that stunt. Why stir up a pointless war? In that spirit, Leo, I urge you to avoid unnecessary conflicts. Don’t do anything remotely comparable to putting red ants and black ants in the same jar.

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In order for everyone in your sphere to meet their appointed destinies, you must cultivate your skills as a party animal. I’m only slightly joking. At least for now, it’s your destiny to be the catalyst of conviviality, the ringleader of the festivities, the engineer of fun and games. To fulfill your assignment, you may have to instigate events that encourage your allies to leave their comfort zones and follow you into the frontiers of collaborative amusement.

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Your symbolic object of the week is a magic wand. I recommend that you visualize yourself as the star of a fairy tale in which you do indeed have a wand at your disposal. See yourself wielding it to carry out a series of fantastic tricks, like materializing a pile of gold coins or giving yourself an extraordinary power to concentrate or creating an enchanted drink that allows you to heal your toughest wound. I think this playful imaginative exercise will subtly enhance your ability to perform actual magic in the real world.

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The taskmaster planet Saturn wove its way through the sign of Scorpio from October 2012 until the end of 2014. Now it has slipped back into your sign for a last hurrah. Between now and mid-September. I urge you to milk its rigorous help in every way you can imagine. For example, cut away any last residues of trivial desires and frivolous ambitions. Hone your focus and streamline your self-discipline. Once and for all, withdraw your precious energy from activities that waste your time and resist your full engagement. And if you’re serious about capitalizing on Saturn’s demanding gifts, try this ritual: Write either “I will never squander my riches” or “I will make full use of my riches” twenty times — whichever motivates you most.

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The advanced lessons on tap in the coming days are not for the squeamish, the timid, the lazy, or the stubborn. But then you’re not any of those things, right? So there shouldn’t be a major problem. The purpose of these subterranean adventures and divine interventions is to teach you to make nerve-racking leaps of faith, whether or not you believe you’re ready. Here’s one piece of advice that I think will help: Don’t resist and resent the tests as they appear. Rather, welcome them as blessings you don’t understand yet. Be alert for the liberations they will offer.

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“Man’s being is like a vast mansion,” observed philosopher Colin Wilson, “yet he seems to prefer to live in a single room in the basement.” Wilson wasn’t just referring to Capricorns. He meant everybody. Most of us commit the sin of self-limitation on a regular basis. That’s the bad news. The good news, Capricorn, is that you’re entering a time when you’re more likely to rebel against the unconscious restrictions you have placed on yourself. You will have extra motivation to question and overrule the rationales that you used in the past to inhibit your primal energy. Won’t it be fun to venture out of your basement nook and go explore the rest of your domain?

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“An obscure moth from Latin America saved Australia’s pasture-land from the overgrowth of cactus,” writes biologist Edward O. Wilson. “A Madagascar ‘weed,’ the rosy periwinkle, provided the cure for Hodgkin’s disease and childhood leukemia,” he adds, while “a chemical from the saliva of leeches dissolves blood clots during surgery,” and a “Norwegian fungus made possible the organ transplant industry.” I think these are all great metaphors for the kind of healing that will be available for you in the coming weeks, Aquarius: humble, simple, seemingly insignificant things whose power to bring transformation has, up until now, been secret or unknown.

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“She is hard to tempt, as everything seems to please her equally,” said artist Anne Raymo in describing a hedonistic acquaintance. A similar statement may soon apply to you, Pisces. You will have a talent for finding amusement in an unusually wide variety of phenomena. But more than that: You could become a connoisseur of feeling really good. You may even go so far as to break into a higher octave of pleasure, communing with exotic phenomena that we might call silken thrills and spicy bliss and succulent revelry.

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Homework: You know what to do and you know when to do it. Provide the
evidence that this is true.
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You don’t have to be perfect at everything you try and do, just be real. Be YOU. “Whenever you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul” – Alice Walker

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Theologian Karl Barth speculated that when the angels get together to praise and honor God with music, they perform the compositions of Bach. But when they are playing for each other, they are more likely to choose Mozart. I guess that’s because Mozart’s stuff is loose and free and inventive compared to Bach, who’s formal and sober and systematic. Mozart is more for parties, while Bach is for serious occasions. I’m seeing the coming days as a time when you, like the angels, should be especially willing to express yourself in very different ways, depending on the audience.

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Before E. Annie Proulx became a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, she wrote a series of how-to books, including a dairy foods cookbook and an instructional text on making your own hard cider. But the manual of hers that I especially want to call your attention to right now is Plan and Make Your Own Fences & Gates, Walkways, Walls & Drives. It might be inspirational for you to read it. You’re in a phase when it makes perfect sense to create new paths for yourself to travel on. This will allow you to forgo at least some of the paths that others have built and that can’t actually take you where you need to go.

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I’m getting itchy to see you blow your own cover. I would love you to come all the way out of your hiding place, even if just for a while, and see what happens if you make full disclosures and brave displays. My hope is that you will close the gap between the real you and the images that people have of you. Does that sound interesting? Or have you become so fond of being a big riddle that you can’t imagine any other way to be? Maybe I can tempt you to be more self-revelatory if I add this: Taking your disguises off even briefly will enable you to discover intriguing secrets about yourself. And then once you put your disguises back on, you will seem more mysterious than ever.

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A new cycle will begin for you after your birthday. Between now and then you will be wrapping up the current cycle. I invite you to do so with a flourish. Don’t just wait around passively for the themes of the last 11 months to fade away or go to sleep. Instead, set an intention to bring them to a climactic close. Schedule a splashy graduation or a grand finale. Plan a cathartic party or a celebratory rite of passage. Take a playful leap of faith or try that magic trick you’ve been saving for the perfect moment. Or all of the above!

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“I’m tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin deep,” said author Jean Kerr. “That’s deep enough. What do you want, an adorable pancreas?” In accordance with the current astrological omens, Virgo, you should feel free to play around with that impish idea. Just for now, appreciate and enjoy the surfaces of things. Make decisions based on first impressions and instant analyses. Give your attention and energy to what looks appealing to you, and don’t think too hard about stuff that presents a boring appearance.

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Now is a favorable time to wish upon a star. In other words, you can enhance the likelihood that your wish will come true if you choose this phase of your cycle to enlist the assistance of a higher power. It’s your duty to make sure, however, that you wish upon the right star. Pick a higher power that can truly help you with your wish, not necessarily one that has worked for other people’s wishes. Here’s another crucial detail: Be precise in formulating your wish. No foggy thinking or sloppy language allowed!

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If you are fully committed to being both honest and kind, you will have more power to heal other people than you’ve had in a long time. You will have a resemblance to a magic potion or a wonder drug. Here’s a caveat, however: The therapeutic influence you have to offer might be scary to those who aren’t ready to be cured. The solutions you propose could be disruptive to anyone who is addicted to his or her problems. That’s why I advise you to be discerning about how you share yourself. P.S. The medicine you are generating is not too potent for your own use. It’s exactly what you need to transform limitation into liberation.

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Each of us has at least one pesky ghost or nagging demon that occupies a dark corner of our psyches. It may have been there for years, or we might have picked it up more recently during a phase of temporary insanity. In any case, most of us can benefit from conducting a periodic banishing ritual. Now would be prime time for you to do just that. Ready? With your imagination, draw a clockwise circle of your favorite-colored light on the floor or ground. Next, identify an image that makes you feel happy and safe, and visualize four versions of it at the four cardinal points, hovering three feet above your circle. Then say this: “I dissolve any hex and banish any pest that has been draining my energy. I purge any wasteful emotions, unsound ideas, and trivial desires that I may have grown attached to.” To put the seal on your magic, laugh for two minutes.

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By my estimation, 97 percent of the population is chronically starving for the pleasure of being listened to with deep empathy and focused intelligence. Very few of us enjoy the prolonged and undivided attention of a receptive ally on a regular basis. It’s rare to be in the presence of a person whose sole agenda is to be innocently curious about you. Your assignment, Capricorn, is to go on a quest to remedy this shortfall. Figure out how you can get the skillful listening you’re missing. (P.S. One way to prime the magic is to offer yourself up as a skillful listener to others.)

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At this year’s Grammy Awards ceremony, British singer Sam Smith won in four categories. His tune “Stay with Me” was named Song of the Year. In one of his acceptance speeches, Smith expressed appreciation for the difficult muse who inspired the song. “I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year,” he said. “Thank you so much for breaking my heart, because you got me four Grammys.” I invite you to come up with a comparable expression of gratitude, Aquarius. What experience that seemed like tough luck at the time has actually turned out to be a blessing? Now would be a perfect time to acknowledge and relish and make full use of the unexpected grace.

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The Bay of Fundy is a branch of the Atlantic Ocean between the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. It’s renowned for its tidal range. When high tide comes, the water may be as much as 53 feet higher than what it is at low tide. The shift back and forth happens twice a day. I’m wondering if in the coming weeks your emotional ebb and flow will have a similar variability. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you could experience both very high highs and very deep depths. Please note that when I say “depths,” I don’t mean sadness or despair. Rather, I’m talking about a profound ability to feel your way into the heart of things.

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Homework: Test this hypothesis: By giving up a useless “valuable” you
don’t really need, you’ll ensure the arrival of a real valuable that you do
need.
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“No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings.” William Blake

“To look at a thing hard and straight and seriously — to fix it.” Aries author Henry James said he wanted to do that on a regular basis. He didn’t want to be “arbitrary” or “mechanical” in his efforts. I invite you to make this perspective one of your specialties in the coming weeks, Aries. Pick out a tweaked situation you’d like to mend or a half-spoiled arrangement you want to heal. Then pour your pure intelligence into it. Investigate it with a luminous focus. Use all your tough and tender insight to determine what needs to be transformed, and transform it.

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Drug expert Jonathan P. Caulkins estimates that Americans are stoned on marijuana for more than 288 million hours every week. A U.N. report on global drug use concluded that Canadians consume weed at a similar rate. Among Europeans, Italians are number one and the French are fourth. But I encourage you to avoid contributing to these figures for the next twelve to fourteen days. In my astrological opinion, it’s time to be as sober and sensible and serious as you ever get. You have the chance to make unprecedented progress on practical matters through the power of your pure reasoning and critical thinking.

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I think it’ll be better if you don’t engage in much sacrifice, compromise, or surrender in the next two weeks. Normally they are valuable tools to have at your disposal, but for now they may tend to be counterproductive. Judging from the current astrological omens, I suspect you need to be more commanding than usual, more confident in your vision of how to take action with maximum integrity. It’s time for you to draw deeper from the source of your own power, and express it with extra grace and imagination.

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You will soon be escaping — or maybe “graduating” is the right word — from your interesting trials and tribulations. In honor of this cathartic transition, I suggest you consider doing a ritual. It can be a full-fledged ceremony you conduct with somber elegance, or a five-minute psychodrama you carry out with boisterous nonchalance. It will be a celebration of your ability to outlast the forces of chaos and absurdity, and an expression of gratitude for the resources you’ve managed to call on in the course of your struggle. To add an extra twist, you could improvise a rowdy victory prayer that includes this quote adapted from Nietzsche: “I throw roses into the abyss and say: ‘Here is my thanks to the monster who did not devour me.'”

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I propose a Friends Cleanse. It would be a three-week-long process of reviewing your support team and web of connections. If you feel up for the challenge, start this way: Take inventory of your friendships and alliances. If there are any that have faded or deteriorated, make a commitment to either fix them or else phase them out. Here’s the second stage of the Friends Cleanse: Give dynamic boosts to those relationships that are already working well. Take them to the next level of candor and synergy.

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After Walt Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855, he made sure it would get the publicity he wanted. He wrote anonymous reviews of his own book and submitted them to several publications, all of which printed them. “An American bard at last!” began the glowing review that appeared in one newspaper. According to my reading of the astrological omens, Virgo, you now have license to engage in similar behavior. You will incur no karma, nor will you tempt fate, if you tout your own assets in the coming weeks. Try to make your bragging and self-promotion as charming as possible, of course. But don’t be timid about it.

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If you carry out the assignments I recommend, you will boost your charisma, your chutzpah, and your creativity. Here’s the first one: Try something impossible every day. Whether or not you actually accomplish it isn’t important. To merely make the effort will shatter illusions that are holding you back. Here’s your second assignment: Break every meaningless rule that tempts you to take yourself too seriously. Explore the art of benevolent mischief. Here’s the third: Clear out space in your fine mind by shedding one dogmatic belief, two unprovable theories, and three judgmental opinions. Give yourself the gift of fertile emptiness.

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In the 16th century, roguish French author Francois Rabelais published a comic novel entitled The Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel. In the course of his satirical story, a learned teacher named Epistemon takes a visit to the afterlife and back. While on the other side, he finds famous dead heroes employed in humble tasks. Alexander the Great is making a meager living from mending old socks. Cleopatra is hawking onions in the streets. King Arthur cleans hats and Helen of Troy supervises chambermaids. In accordance with the Rabelaisian quality of your current astrological aspects, Scorpio, I invite you to meditate on the reversals you would like to see in your own life. What is first that maybe should be last? And vice versa? What’s enormous that should be small? And vice versa? What’s proud that should be humble? And vice versa?

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There’s no better time than now to ask the big question or seek the big opening or explore the big feeling. People are not only as receptive as they will ever be, they are also more likely to understand what you really mean and what you are trying to accomplish. Which door has been forever locked? Which poker face hasn’t blinked or flinched in many moons? Which heart of darkness hasn’t shown a crack of light for as long as you can remember? These are frontiers worth revisiting now, when your ability to penetrate the seemingly impenetrable is at a peak.

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The writer Donald Barthelme once came to see the artist Elaine de Kooning in her New York studio. Midway through the visit, loud crashes and bangs disturbed the ceiling above them. De Kooning wasn’t alarmed. “Oh, that’s Herbert thinking,” she said, referring to the metal sculptor Herbert Ferber, who worked in a studio directly above hers. This is the kind of thinking I’d love to see you unleash in the coming days, Capricorn. Now is not a time for mild, cautious, delicate turns of thought, but rather for vigorous meditations, rambunctious speculations, and carefree musings. In your quest for practical insight, be willing to make some noise. (The story comes from Barthelme’s essay “Not-Knowing.”)

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Sidney Lumet was an American director who worked on 50 films, including 14 that were nominated for Academy Awards, like Network and Dog Day Afternoon.Actors loved to work with him, even though he was a stickler for thorough rehearsals. Intense preparation, he felt, was the key to finding the “magical accidents” that allow an actor’s highest artistry to emerge. I advocate a similar strategy for you, Aquarius. Make yourself ready, through practice and discipline, to capitalize fully on serendipitous opportunities and unexpected breakthroughs when they arrive.

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“It is not only the most difficult thing to know oneself, but the most inconvenient one, too,” said American writer Josh Billings. I agree with him. It’s not impossible to solve the mystery of who you are, but it can be hard work that requires playful honesty, cagey tenacity, and an excellent sense of humor. The good news is that these days it’s far less difficult and inconvenient than usual for you to deepen your self-understanding. So take advantage! To get started, why don’t you interview yourself?

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Homework: Name two ways you think that everyone should be more like
you.
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For more got to: http://FreeWillAstrology.com

It’s important to always trust the timing of your life – it might just be the key to your destiny.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): You’re entering a time and space known as
the Adlib Zone. In this territory, fertile chaos and inspirational uncertainty
are freely available. Improvised formulas will generate stronger mojo than
timeworn maxims. Creativity is de rigueur, and street smarts count for
more than book-learning. May I offer some mottoes to live by when
“common sense” is inadequate? 1. Don’t be a slave to necessity. 2. Be as
slippery as you can be and still maintain your integrity. 3. Don’t just
question authority; be thrilled about every chance you get to also
question habit, tradition, fashion, trendiness, apathy, and dogma.
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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): By 1993, rock band Guns N’ Roses had
released five successful albums. But on the way to record their next
masterpiece, there were numerous delays and diversions. Band members
feuded. Some were fired and others departed. Eventually, only one
original member remained to bring the task to conclusion with the help of
new musicians. The sixth album, *Chinese Democracy,* finally emerged in
2008. I’m seeing a similarity between Guns N’ Roses’ process and one of
your ongoing projects, Taurus. The good news is that I think most of the
hassles and delays are behind you, or will be if you act now. You’re primed
to make a big push toward the finish line.
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The anonymous blogger at Neurolove.me gives
advice on how to love a Gemini: “Don’t get impatient with their
distractibility. Always make time for great conversation. Be understanding
when they’re moody. Help them move past their insecurities, and tell
them it’s not their job to please everyone. Let them have space but never
let them be lonely.” I endorse all that good counsel, and add this: “To love
Geminis, listen to them attentively, and with expansive flexibility. Don’t
try to force them to be consistent; encourage them to experiment at
uniting their sometimes conflicting urges. As best as you can, express
appreciation not just for the parts of them that are easy to love but also
for the parts that are not yet ripe or charming.” Now feel free, Gemini, to
show this horoscope to those whose affection you want.
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CANCER (June 21-July 22): You have recently been to the mountaintop,
at least metaphorically. Right? You wandered out to the high frontier and
ruminated on the state of your fate from the most expansive vista you
could find. Right? You have questioned the limitations you had previously
accepted, and you have weaned yourself from at least one of your
devitalizing comforts, and you have explored certain possibilities that had
been taboo. Right? So what comes next? Here’s what I suggest: Start
building a new framework or structure or system that will incorporate all
that you’ve learned during your break.
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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): According to the international code of food
standards, there are 13 possible sizes for an olive. They include large,
extra large, jumbo, extra jumbo, giant, colossal, super colossal, mammoth,
and super mammoth. If I had my way, Leo, you would apply this mind-set
to everything you do in the coming weeks. It’s time for you to think very
big. You will thrive as you expand your mind, stretch your boundaries,
increase your territory, amplify your self-expression, magnify your focus,
and broaden your innocence.
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Half the troubles of this life can be traced to
saying yes too quickly and not saying no soon enough,” proclaimed
humorist Josh Billings. That’s an exaggeration made for comic effect, of
course. (And I think that some of life’s troubles also come from saying no
too much and not saying yes enough.) But for you, Virgo, Billings’ advice
will be especially pertinent in the coming weeks. In fact, my hypothesis is
that you will be able to keep your troubles to a minimum and boost your
progress to a maximum by being frugal with yes and ample with no.
*
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Your mind says, “I need more room to move.
I’ve got to feel free to experiment.” Your heart says, “I think maybe I
need more commitment and certainty.” Your astrologer suggests, “Be a
bit more skeptical about the dream lover who seems to be interfering
with your efforts to bond with the Real Thing.” I’m not sure which of
these three sources you should heed, Libra. Do you think it might
somehow be possible to honor them all? I invite you to try.
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Without your wound where would your
power be?” asked writer Thornton Wilder. “The very angels themselves
cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children on earth as can
one human being broken on the wheels of living.” Let’s make that one of
your ongoing meditations, Scorpio. I think the coming weeks will be an
excellent time to come to a greater appreciation for your past losses.
What capacities has your suffering given birth to? What failures have
made you stronger? What crucial lessons and unexpected benefits have
emerged from your sadness and madness?
*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Creating is not magic but work,” says
Kevin Ashton, author of the book *How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History
of Creation, Invention, and Discovery.* In other words, inspiration is a
relatively small part of the creative process. Over the long haul, the more
important factors are self-discipline, organized thinking, hard work, and
attention to detail. And yet inspiration isn’t irrelevant, either. Brainstorms
and periodic leaps of insight can be highly useful. That’s a good reminder
as you enter a phase when you’re likely to be more imaginative and
original than usual. I expect creative excitement to be a regular visitor.
*
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The fictional detective Sherlock Holmes
was a good Capricorn, born January 6, 1854. In the course of Arthur
Conan Doyle’s 60 stories about his life, he revealed his exceptional talent
as an analytical thinker. His attention to details was essential to his
success, and so was his expertise at gathering information. He did have a
problem with addictive drugs, however. Morphine tempted him now and
then, and cocaine more often, usually when he wasn’t feeling sufficiently
challenged. Let this serve as a gentle warning, Capricorn. In the coming
weeks, seek more relaxation and downtime than usual. Focus on
recharging your psychic batteries. But please be sure that doesn’t cause
you to get bored and then dabble with self-sabotaging stimuli.
*
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): English is my first language. Years ago there
was a time when I spoke a lot of French with my Parisian girlfriend, but my
skill faded after we broke up. So I’m not bilingual in the usual sense. But I
do have some mastery in the language of music, thanks to my career as a
singer-songwriter. Having raised a daughter, I also learned to converse in
the language of children. And I’ve remembered and worked with my
nightly dreams every day for decades, so I speak the language of dreams.
What about you, Aquarius? In the coming weeks, I bet you’ll be challenged
to make more extensive use of one of your second languages. It’s time to
be adaptable and resourceful in your approach to communication.
*
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do you need a reason to think sharper and
work smarter and try harder? I’ll give you four reasons. 1. Because you’re
finally ready to get healing for the inner saboteur who in the past has
undermined your confidence. 2. Because you’re finally ready to see the
objective truth about one of your self-doubts, which is that it’s a
delusion. 3. Because you’re finally ready to stop blaming an adversary for
a certain obstacle you face, which means the obstacle will become easier
to overcome. 4. Because you’re finally ready to understand that in order
to nurture and hone your ample creativity, you have to use it to improve
your life on a regular basis.

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Homework: See what you can do to influence an institution that influences
you.
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If you want to conquer the anxiety of life, live in the moment, live in the breath.

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Horoscopes by Rob Brezsny

http://FreeWillAstrology.com

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the fairy tale “The Ugly Duckling,” the
young hero suffers from a peculiar case of mistaken identity. He believes
that he is a duck. All of his problems stem from this erroneous idea. By
duck standards, he is a homely mess. He gets taunted and abused by
other animals, goes into exile, and endures terrible loneliness. In the end,
though, his anguish dissolves when he finally realizes that he is in fact a
swan. United with his true nature, he no longer compares himself to an
inappropriate ideal. Fellow swans welcome him into their community, and
he flies away with them. Is there anything in this story that resonates
with you, Pisces? I’m guessing there is. It’s high time to free yourself from
false notions about who you really are.
*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In the old Superman comics, Mister Mxyztplk
was a fiendish imp whose home was in the fifth dimension. He sometimes
sneaked over into our world to bedevil the Man of Steel with pranks.
There was one sure way he could be instantly banished back to his own
realm for a long time: If Superman fooled him into saying his own name
backwards. You might think it would be hard to trick a magic rascal into
saying “Klptzyxm” when he knew very well what the consequences would
be, but Superman usually succeeded. I’d like to suggest that you have a
similar power to get rid of a bugaboo that has been bothering you, Aries.
Don’t underestimate your ability to outsmart the pest.
*
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1637, mathematician Pierre de Fermat
declared that he had solved the “Last Theorem,” a particularly knotty
mathematical problem. Unfortunately, he never actually provided the
proof that he had done so. The mystery remained. Other math experts
toiled for centuries looking for the answer. It wasn’t until 1994, more
than 350 years later, that anyone succeeded. I think you are on the verge
of discovering a possible solution to one of your own long-running riddles,
Taurus. It may take a few more weeks, but you’re almost there. Can you
sense that twinkle in your third eye? Keep the faith.
*
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your upcoming efforts might not be flawless in
all respects, but I suspect you will triumph anyway. You may not even be
completely sure of what you want, but I bet you’ll get a reward you didn’t
know you were looking for. Cagey innocence and high expectations will be
your secret weapons. Dumb luck and crazy coincidences will be your X-
factors. Here’s one of your main tasks: As the unreasonable blessings flow
in your direction, don’t disrupt or obstruct the flow.
*
CANCER (June 21-July 22): As soon as a baby loggerhead turtle leaves its
nest on a Florida beach, it heads for the ocean. It’s only two inches long.
Although it can swim just one mile every two hours, it begins an 8,000-
mile journey that takes ten years. It travels east to Africa, then turns
around and circles back to where it originated. Along the way it grows big
and strong as it eats a wide variety of food, from corals to sea cucumbers
to squid. Succeeding at such an epic journey requires a stellar sense of
direction and a prodigious will to thrive. I nominate the loggerhead turtle
to be your power animal for the coming weeks, Cancerian.
*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1961, 19-year-old Bob Dylan began doing solo
performances of folk songs at New York clubs. To accompany his vocals,
he played an acoustic guitar and harmonica. By 1963, his career had
skyrocketed. Critics called him a creative genius. Pop stars were recording
the songs he wrote, making him rich. But he still kept his instrumentation
simple, relying entirely on his acoustic guitar and harmonica. That
changed in 1965, when he made the leap to rock and roll. For the first
time, his music featured a full drum set and electric guitar, bass, and
keyboards. Some of his fans were offended. How dare he renounce his
folk roots? I wonder if it might be time for you to consider a comparable
transition, Leo. Are you willing to risk disorienting or disturbing those who
would prefer you to stay as you are?
*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Whoever travels without a guide needs 200
years for a two-day journey.” That’s an old Sufi saying sometimes
attributed to the poet Rumi. I don’t think it’s accurate in all cases.
Sometimes we are drawn to wander into frontiers that few people have
visited and none have mastered. There are no guides! On other occasions,
we can’t get the fullness of our learning experience unless we are free to
stumble and bumble all by ourselves. A knowledgeable helper would only
interfere with that odd magic. But right now, Virgo, I believe the Sufi
saying holds true for you. Where you’re headed, you would benefit from
an advisor, teacher, or role model.
*
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There’s a meme rolling around Tumblr and
Facebook that goes like this: “Everyone wants a magical solution for their
problems, but they refuse to believe in magic.” Judging from the
astrological omens, I think this Internet folk wisdom applies to your
current situation. As I see it, you have two choices. If you intend to keep
fantasizing about finding a magical solution, you will have to work harder
to believe in magic. But if you can’t finagle your brain into actually
believing in magic, you should stop fantasizing about a magical solution.
Which will it be?
*
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I have taken a passage from a letter that
Henry Miller wrote to Anais Nin, and I have chopped it up and rearranged
it and added to it so as to create an oracle that’s perfect for you right
now. Ready? “This is the wild dream: you with your chameleon’s soul
being anchored always in no matter what storm, sensing you are at home
wherever you are. You asserting yourself, getting the rich varied life you
desire; and the more you assert yourself, the more you love going deeper,
thicker, fuller. Resurrection after resurrection: that’s your gift, your
promise. The insatiable delight of constant change.”
*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): One of your important assignments in
the coming week is to get high without the use of drugs and alcohol. Let
me elaborate. In my oracular opinion, you simply must escape the
numbing trance of the daily rhythm. Experiencing altered states of
awareness will provide you with crucial benefits. At the same time, you
can’t afford to risk hurting yourself, and it’s essential to avoid stupidly
excessive behavior that has negative repercussions. So what do you
think? Do you have any methods to get sozzled and squiffed or jiggled
and jingled that will also keep you sane and healthy?
*
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Singer Gloria Gaynor recorded the song “I
Will Survive” in 1978. It sold over two million copies and ultimately
became an iconic disco anthem. And yet it was originally the B-side of
“Substitute,” the song that Gaynor’s record company released as her
main offering. Luckily, radio DJs ignored “Substitute” and played the hell
out of “I Will Survive,” making it a global hit. I foresee the possibility of a
similar development for you, Capricorn. What you currently consider to be
secondary should perhaps be primary. A gift or creation or skill you think
is less important could turn out to be pre-eminent.
*
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I’m tempted to furrow my brow and raise
my voice as I tell you to please please please go out and do the dicey task
you’ve been postponing. But that would just be a way to vent my
frustration, and probably not helpful or constructive for you. So here’s my
wiser advice: To prepare for that dicey task, lock yourself in your
sanctuary until you figure out what you first need to change about
yourself before you can accomplish the dicey task. I think that once you
make the inner shift, doing the deed will be pretty easy.


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Homework: If you could be any other sign besides the one you actually
are, what would it be, and why? 

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