By Rob Brezsny
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Fear gets far more attention than it deserves. The media and entertainment industries practically worship it. Yet, I do want to put in a good word for fear. Now and then, it keeps us from doing stupid things. It forces us to see the truth when we might prefer to wallow in delusion. Now is one of those times for you, Aries. Thank your fear for helping to wake you up.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “Poetry might be defined as the clear expression of mixed feelings,” wrote W.H. Auden. If that’s true, then your job is to be a poet right now. You seem awash in a hubbub of paradoxical inclinations, complete with conflicting desires and mismatched truths. Yet, you do have a responsibility to communicate your complexity with honesty and precision. If you can manage that, people will treat you with affection and give you extra slack. They might even thank you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): How can you improve your flow? Are there obstructions that keep you from having a more fluidic rhythm? Do you harbor negative beliefs that make it harder for life to bestow its natural blessings on you? Right now, Gemini, your intuition will be strong when you use it to drum up graceful luck for your personal use. Be bold. It’s time for you to slip into a smooth groove.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In his novel “The White Castle,” Orhan Pamuk writes: “To imagine that a person who intrigues us has access to a way of life unknown and all the more attractive for its mystery, to believe that we will begin to live only through the love of that person — what else is this but the birth of great passion?” Maybe it’s not healthy to fantasize that a special someone can give you what you can’t give yourself. But believing this is true may inspire you to take an intriguing risk that would catalyze invigorating transformations. Which is it? Now is a good time to ruminate on these matters.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Canadians Tommy Larkin and Stephen Goosney are biological brothers, but were adopted by different families when young. They lost touch for 30 years. Once they began looking for each other, they didn’t have to travel far to be reunited. It turns out they were living across the street from each other in the same small Newfoundland town. Leo, when you reconnect to your past, you will find that it has been closer than you realized.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): This will be an excellent week to talk with yourself — or yourselves. I envision in-depth conversations between your inner saint and inner evil twin…between the eager-to-please servant of the greater good and the self-sufficient smartie dedicated to personal success. You could speak every word out loud, and should gesture with your hands, express colorful body language. It’s time your sub-personalities got better acquainted.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the coming week you’ll probably have more luck than usual if you play keno, craps or blackjack. You might find a $20 bill on the sidewalk or a cashier might accidentally give you way too much change. Be alert for opportunities to increase your cash flow. If you wake up in the night with an idea for boosting your financial fortunes, have a pen and notebook nearby to write it down.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Not for all the whiskey in heaven,” begins a poem by Charles Bernstein. “Not for all the flies in Vermont. Not for all the tears in the basement. Not for a million trips to Mars. Not for all the fire in hell. Not for all the blue in the sky.” Those are things he’ll gladly forgo to serve his passion. “No, never, I’ll never stop loving you,” he concludes. Scorpio, what is the one passion you promise to devote yourself to above all others? And what can you live without to focus on it? Be extravagant, pure, wild and explicit.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dmitri Razumikhin is a character in Dostoyevsky’s novel “Crime and Punishment.” His surname comes from the Russian for “reason.” He drunkenly observes: “It’s by talking nonsense that one gets to the truth! Not one single truth has ever been arrived at without people first having talked a dozen reams of nonsense, even ten dozen reams of it.” Sagittarius, to ferret out the core insights that will fuel your next transformations, you may need to speak and hear a lot of babble.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): At the 2013 Grammy Awards, actor Neil Patrick Harris introduced the band Fun this way: “As legendary gangster rap icon Katharine Hepburn once said, if you follow all the rules, you miss all the fun.” That’s a template you can use now with great success. Gravitate toward festive events and convivial gatherings. Sponsor, activate and pave the way for fun. It’s totally permissible for you to tell amusing stories that aren’t exactly factual and that bend the rules not quite to the breaking point.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The ego has probably been the single most destructive force in civilization. But I also think it’s our sacred duty to redeem and rehabilitate it. After all, our egos give us the confidence to push through difficulties. They motivate us to work hard to achieve our dreams. Your assignment, Aquarius, is to beautify your ego as you strengthen it. Build your self-esteem without stirring up arrogance. Express your talents in ways that stimulate others to express their talents.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Dr. Seuss wrote his children’s books in English, but liked to stretch his native tongue’s limits. “You’ll be surprised what there is to be found once you go beyond ‘Z’ and start poking around,” he said. One extra letter he found was “yuzz,” with which he spelled the made-up word “yuzz-a-ma-tuzz.” I recommend you emulate Seuss — not only in how you speak, but also in how you work, play, love, dream and seek adventure. Explore beyond your comfort zone.
