Rob Brezsny crop
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): How free do you want to be, Gemini? A tiny bit free, hemmed in by comfortable complications that require you to rely on white lies? Or would you rather be moderately free in ways that aren’t too demanding—politely, sensibly free? Maybe you feel brave and strong enough to flirt with a breathtaking version of liberation—a pure, naked freedom that brings you close to the edge of wild abandon and asks you to exercise more responsibility than you’re used to. I’m not telling you which kind you should opt for, but I am suggesting that it’s best if you do make a conscious choice.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In August 1961, the Communist government of East Germany built the Berlin Wall. It was a thick concrete barrier designed to prevent the oppressed citizens of East Berlin from escaping to freedom in West Berlin. The barrier was eventually policed by armed guards. Traffic between the two Berlins became virtually impossible for the next 28 years. Then a miracle occurred: East German authorities relinquished their stranglehold. They tentatively allowed East Berliners to travel to West Berlin. Soon the Mauerspechte, or “wall woodpeckers,” showed up. Armed with hammers and chisels, these people began chipping away at the Wall. Two years later, most of it had been demolished. I hereby assign you to be a wall woodpecker in your own sphere, Cancer. The time is right to demolish a barricade. It may take a while, but you’re ready to start.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The following slogan captures the spirit I bring to composing my horoscopes: “I live in the future so that you don’t have to.” But right now this slogan doesn’t apply to you. From what I can tell, you are currently visiting the future as much as I do. Here’s what I wonder, though: Are you time-traveling simply to run away from the dilemmas that face you in the present? Or are you taking advantage of your jaunts to acquire revelations that will help you solve those dilemmas once you return?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You know that there are different kinds of stress, right? Some varieties wear you out and demoralize you, while other kinds of stress excite and motivate you. Some lead you away from your long-term goals, and others propel you closer. The coming weeks would be an excellent time for you to fine-tune your ability to distinguish between them. I suspect that the more you cultivate and seek out the good kind, the less susceptible you’ll be to the bad kind.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Studies show that people spend 87 percent of their time inside buildings and six percent in enclosed vehicles. In other words, they are roaming around outside enjoying the wind and sky and weather for only seven percent of their lives. I think you’re going to have to do better than that in the coming week, Libra. To ensure your mental hygiene stays robust, you should try to expose yourself to the natural elements at least nine percent of the time. If you manage to hike that rate up to ten percent or higher, you stand a good chance of achieving a spiritual epiphany that will fuel you for months.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Resurrection is the Scorpionic specialty. Better than any other sign of the zodiac, you can summon the power to be reborn. It is your birthright to reanimate dreams and feelings and experiences that have expired, and make them live again in new forms. Your sacred totem is the mythical phoenix, which burns itself in a fire of its own creation and then regenerates itself from the ashes. Now here’s the big news headline, Scorpio: I have rarely seen you in possession of more skill to perform these rites than you have right now
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Octavio Paz spoke to a lover in his poem “Counterparts”: “In my body you search the mountain for the sun buried in its forest. In your body I search for the boat adrift in the middle of the night.” What have you searched for in the bodies of your lovers, Sagittarius? What mysteries and riddles have you explored while immersed in their depths? How has making love helped you to better understand the meaning of life? I invite you to ruminate on these uncanny joys. Remember the breakthroughs that have come your way thanks to sex. Exult in the spiritual education you have received through your dealings with lust and sensuality. And then go out and stir up some fresh epiphanies.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Do you know what minced oaths are? They’re rarely used anymore. If you went back a hundred years, though, you’d hear them regularly. They were sanitized swear words, basically; peculiar exclamations that would allow people the emotional release of profanities without causing a ruckus among those who were listening. “Bejabbers!” was one. So were “thunderation! and “dad-blast!” and “consarn!” Here’s one of my favorite minced oaths: “By St. Boogar and the saints at the backside door of purgatory!” I bring this up, Capricorn, because I suspect it’ll be a minced oath kind of week for you. What I mean is: You’ll have every right to get riled up, and you should express your feelings, but not in ways that create problems for you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There’s only one correct way to spell the English word “beauty.” But that wasn’t true centuries ago. Before the advent of the printing press, orthographic anarchy prevailed for many words. Some of beauty’s variations included bewte, beaute, beaultye, beuaute, bealte, buute, bewtee, and beaultye. I bring this up, Aquarius, because I think it would be fun and healthy for you to take a respite from having to slavishly obey standardized rules. I’m talking about not just those that apply to spelling, but others, too. See what you can get away with.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In the last chapter of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov, the lead character says the following: “There is nothing nobler, stronger, healthier, and more helpful in life than a good remembrance, particularly a remembrance from childhood. A beautiful, holy memory preserved from childhood can be the single most important thing in our development.” I bring this up, Pisces, so as to get you in the right frame of mind for this week’s featured activity: remembrance. One of the greatest gifts you can give yourself is to reminisce about the old days and the old ways. To do so will enhance your physical health and purify your emotional hygiene.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The longest natural arch in the world is the Fairy Bridge in Guangxi Province, China. Made of limestone, this 400-foot-wide span crosses over the Buliu River. No one outside of China knew about it until 2009, when an American explorer spied it on Google Earth. Let’s make the Fairy Bridge your metaphor of the month, Aries. Judging by the astrological omens, I suspect there’s a good chance you will soon find something like a natural, previously hidden bridge. In other words, be alert for a link between things you didn’t know were connected.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I hope that in recent weeks you’ve made yourself a master of sticky and intricate details. I trust you’ve been working harder and smarter than you have in a long time. Have you, Taurus? Have you been grunting and sweating a lot, exerting yourself in behalf of good causes? Please tell me you have. And please say you’re willing to continue for a while longer. The way I see it, your demanding tasks aren’t quite finished. In fact, the full reward for your efforts may not become available unless you keep pushing beyond the point that you consider to be your fair share.