Rob Brezsny crop
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Although her work is among the best Russian literature of the twentieth century, poet Marina Tsvetayeva lived in poverty. When fellow poet Rainer Maria Rilke asked her to describe the kingdom of heaven, she said, “Never again to sweep floors.” I can relate. To earn a living in my early adulthood, I washed tens of thousands of dishes in restaurant kitchens. Now that I’m grown up, one of my great joys is to avoid washing dishes. I invite you to think along these lines, Pisces. What seemingly minor improvements in your life are actually huge triumphs that evoke profound satisfaction? Take inventory of small pleasures that are really quite miraculous.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The British science fiction TV show Dr. Who has appeared on BBC in 40 of the last 54 years. Over that span, the titular character has been played by 13 different actors. From 2005 until 2010, Aries actor David Tennant was the magic, immortal, time-traveling Dr. Who. His ascendance to the role fulfilled a hopeful prophecy he had made about himself when he was 13 years old. Now is an excellent time for you, too, to predict a glorious, satisfying, or successful occurrence in your own future. Think big and beautiful!
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): New York City is the most densely populated city in North America. Its land is among the most expensive on earth; one estimate says the average price per acre is $16 million. Yet there are two uninhabited islands less than a mile off shore in the East River: North Brother Island and South Brother Island. Their combined 16 acres are theoretically worth $256 million. But no one goes there or enjoys it; it’s not even parkland. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, because I suspect it’s an apt metaphor for a certain situation in your life: a potentially rich resource or influence that you’re not using. Now is a good time to update your relationship with it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The iconic 1942 movie Casablanca won three Academy Awards and has often appeared on critics’ lists of the greatest films ever made. That’s amazing considering the fact that the production was so hectic. When shooting started, the script was incomplete. The writing team frequently presented the finished version of each new scene on the day it was to be filmed. Neither the director nor the actors knew how the plot would resolve until the end of the process. I bring this to your attention, Gemini, because it reminds me of a project you have been working on. I suggest you start improvising less and planning more. How do you want this phase of your life to climax?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): If all goes well in the coming weeks, you will hone your wisdom about how and when and why to give your abundant gifts to deserving recipients—as well as how and when and why to not give your abundant gifts to deserving recipients. If my hopes come to pass, you will refine your ability to share your tender depths with worthy allies—and you will refine your understanding of when to not share your tender depths with worthy allies. Finally, Cancerian, if you are as smart as I think you are, you will have a sixth sense about how to receive as many blessings as you disseminate.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): How adept are you at playing along the boundaries between the dark and the light, between confounding dreams and liberated joy, between “Is it real?” and “Do I need it?”? You now have an excellent opportunity to find out more about your capacity to thrive on delightful complexity. But I should warn you. The temptation to prematurely simplify things might be hard to resist. There may be cautious pressure coming from a timid voice in your head that’s not fierce enough to want you to grow into your best and biggest self. But here’s what I predict: You will bravely explore the possibilities for self-transformation that are available outside the predictable niches.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Cultivating a robust sense of humor makes you more attractive to people you want to be attractive to. An inclination to be fun-loving is another endearing quality that’s worthy of being part of your intimate repertoire. There’s a third virtue related to these two: playfulness. Many humans of all genders are drawn to those who display joking, lighthearted behavior. I hope you will make maximum use of these qualities during the coming weeks, Virgo. You have a cosmic mandate to be as alluring and inviting as you dare.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I suggest you gaze at exquisitely wrought Japanese woodcuts…and listen to jazz trumpeter Miles Davis collaborating with saxophonist John Coltrane…and inhale the aroma of the earth as you stroll through groves of very old trees. Catch my drift, Libra? Surround yourself with soulful beauty—or else! Or else what? Or else I’ll be sad. Or else you might be susceptible to buying into the demoralizing thoughts that people around you are propagating. Or else you may become blind to the subtle miracles that are unfolding, and fail to love them well enough to coax them into their fullest ripening. Now get out there and hunt for soulful beauty that awakens your deepest reverence for life. Feeling awe is a necessity for you right now, not a luxury.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the Sikh religion, devotees are urged to attack weakness and sin with five “spiritual weapons”: contentment, charity, kindness, positive energy, and humility. Even if you’re not a Sikh, I think you’ll be wise to employ this strategy in the next two weeks. Why? Because your instinctual nature will be overflowing with martial force, and you’ll have to work hard to channel it constructively rather than destructively. The best way to do that is to be a vehement perpetrator of benevolence and healing.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 1970, a biologist was hiking through a Brazilian forest when a small monkey landed on his head, having jumped from a tree branch. Adelmar Coimbra-Filho was ecstatic. He realized that his visitor was a member of the species known as the golden-rumped lion tamarin, which had been regarded as extinct for 65 years. His lucky accident led to a renewed search for the elusive creatures, and soon more were discovered. I foresee a metaphorically comparable experience coming your way, Sagittarius. A resource or influence or marvel you assumed was gone will reappear. How will you respond? With alacrity, I hope!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Velcro fastener is a handy invention that came into the world thanks to a Swiss engineer named George de Mestral. While wandering around the Alps with his dog, he got curious about the bristly seeds of the burdock plants that adhered to his pants and his dog. After examining them under a microscope, he got the idea to create a clothing fastener that imitated their sticking mechanism. In accordance with the astrological omens, Capricorn, I invite you to be alert for comparable breakthroughs. Be receptive to help that comes in unexpected ways. Study your environment for potentially useful clues and tips. Turn the whole world into your classroom and laboratory. It’s impossible to predict where and when you may receive a solution to a long-running dilemma!
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed to the top of Mount Everest. They were celebrated as intrepid heroes. But they couldn’t have done it without massive support. Their expedition was powered by 20 Sherpa guides, 13 other mountaineers, and 362 porters who lugged 10,000 pounds of baggage. I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, in the hope that it will inspire you. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to gather more of the human resources and raw materials you will need for your rousing expedition later this year.
Rob Brezsny is an aspiring master of curiosity, perpetrator of sacred uproar, and founder of the Beauty and Truth Lab. He brings a literate, myth-savvy perspective to his work. It’s all in the stars.