LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle
rejected the prevailing scientific theory that life on this planet
emerged by accident from a primordial soup. The chance of that happening
was as likely as “a tornado sweeping through a junkyard [and
assembling] a Boeing 747 from the materials therein.” I do think that
something less amazing, but still semi-miraculous, is in the works for
you, Leo. What do you imagine it might be? I’m getting a vision of a
windy thunderstorm blowing through a junkyard in such a way as to
assemble an impressionistic sculpture of you wearing a crown of flowers
and X-ray specs as you ride confidently on the back of a lion.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
In the 1939 film The
Wizard of Oz, the yellow brick road symbolizes a path leading to all of
life’s answers, to a place where fantasies can be fulfilled. Dorothy and
her companions follow that road in the belief it will take them to the
all-powerful Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City. While I don’t mind you
playing with the idea that you may eventually find your own personal
yellow brick road, for the immediate future, I urge you to adopt the
attitude Elton John articulated in his song, “Goodbye Yellow Brick
Road”: “Oh I’ve finally decided my future lies beyond the yellow brick
road.” It’s time to add more nuts-and-bolts pragmatism to your pursuit
of happiness.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Some readers get enraged
about the “crafty optimism” I advocate in my book Pronoia Is the
Antidote for Paranoia. Given what they regard as the miserable state of
the world, they feel it’s a sin to look for reasons to be cheerful. One
especially dour critic said that after reading a few pages of the book,
he took it out in his backyard, doused it with gasoline and incinerated
it. You may face similar opposition in your attempts to foment
redemption, smoke out hope and rally the troops, Libra. I urge you to be
extra fierce in your devotion to peace, love and understanding.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Of all the adversaries I
will ever face, my ego is the supreme challenge. It tries to trick me
into thinking its interests are exactly the same as my own. It
periodically strives to bamboozle me into believing that I should be
motivated by pride, competitiveness, selfishness or judgmental
evaluations of other people. When I’m not vigilant, it lulls me into
adopting narrow perspectives and subjective theories that are rife with
delusions about the nature of reality. Don’t get me wrong: I still love
my ego. Indeed, being on good terms with it is my only hope for keeping
it from manipulating me. I bring this up, Scorpio, because it’s prime
time for you to come to a riper understanding of your own ego so you can
work out a tougher, more no-nonsense agreement with it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Sagittarian author
Derrick Jensen wrote the book A Language Older Than Words. He weaves
together the tale of his abusive childhood with an angry analysis of the
damage human beings have done to the earth and each other. It’s a
wrenching text, but in the end it offers redemption. A review by
Publisher’s Weekly says, “Jensen’s book accomplishes the rare feat of
both breaking and mending the reader’s heart.” I invite you to pursue a
similar possibility, Sagittarius. Summon the courage to allow your heart
to be broken by a blessed catharsis that will ultimately heal your
heart so it’s even stronger and smarter than it was before.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Right now, you may be
feeling especially squeezed by one of the apparent contradictions in
your life. But I’m here to tell you that it’s not as contradictory as
you think. Its seemingly paradoxical elements are in righteous harmony
with each other at a higher level of understanding. Can you rise to that
higher level so as to see what has been hidden from your view? I
believe you can. For best results, let go of any temptation you might
have to act as if you’re oppressively defined by your past.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
Psychologist and
priest David Rickey counsels people who are about to be married. “You
are perfectly mismatched,” he likes to tell them. “As much as you think
you have chosen each other because of beauty or shared interests, the
deeper reason is that unconsciously you know the other person is going
to push your buttons. And the purpose of relationships is for you to
discover and work on your buttons.” I share Rickey’s views and offer
them to you just in time to make maximum use of their wisdom. You see,
Aquarius, you’re in a phase when you have extraordinary power to learn
from and adjust to the challenges that come from having your buttons
pushed by those you care about.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
In his song “Crazy,”
British singer Seal repeats the following line numerous times for
emphasis: “We’re never going to survive unless we get a little crazy.” I
recommend it as a mantra for you to rely on in the coming days. Your
emotional health will depend on your ability to laugh at yourself, play
along with absurdity and cultivate a grateful reverence for cosmic
riddles. Being a little crazy will not only keep you robustly sane, it
will also allow you to enjoy and capitalize on the divine comedy life
presents you with.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Symbolically speaking, there is a Holy Grail hidden close to you and you know it, but you haven’t been able to find it. The Grail is a golden chalice filled with medicine that could open what needs opening in you. Luckily, you will soon come into possession (symbolically speaking) of a big, thick magical wand that can give you a new advantage. Here’s what I conclude: Use your wizard stick to locate the cup of wonder so you can take a big sip.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Much of the work you’re doing right now is invisible to the naked eye, maybe even to your own naked eye. You’re learning a lot while you sleep, drawing sustenance from hidden reservoirs even when you’re awake, and steadily improving yourself through the arts of creative forgetting and undoing. Continue this subtle artistry, Taurus. Be cagey. Be discreet. Don’t underestimate how important silence and even secrecy may be for you right now. The healing transformations unfolding in almost total darkness should not be exposed or revealed prematurely; they should be protected with vigilance.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Either Way I’m Celebrating. That’s the title of a poetry comic book by Sommer Browning, and I suggest that you consider it as a worthy title for your life in the coming days. The adventure you’re in the midst of could evolve in several possible directions, each with a different rhythm and tone, each with a distinct lesson and climax. But regardless of what path you end up taking, I’m almost positive you will have good reasons to throw yourself a party at the end. Having said that, though, I also advise you to decide which version of the story you prefer, and then make it your strong intention to materialize it.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
During the skunk mating season, two robust members of the species made the crawl space beneath my house their trysting place. The result was spectacular. Siren-like squalls rose from their ecstasy, spiraling up into my kitchen accompanied by plumes of a stench that I imagined the Italian poet Dante, in his book The Inferno, might have identified as native to the ninth level of hell. Being as instinctively empathic as I am, I naturally appreciated how much delight the creatures were enjoying. At the same time, I wished they would take their revelry elsewhere. So I called on the Humane Society, an animal-rescue group, to flush them out without harming them. If anything resembling this scenario takes place in your sphere, Cancerian—if someone’s pursuit of happiness cramps your style—I suggest you adopt my gentle but firm approach.
Go to RealAstrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.
