FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning December 31
by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In his essay "The Etiquette of Freedom,"
poet Gary Snyder says that wildness "is perennially within us, dormant as
a hard-shelled seed, awaiting the fire or flood that awakes it again." The
fact that it's a "hard-shelled" seed is a crucial detail. The vital stuff inside
the stiff outer coating may not be able to break out and start growing
without the help of a ruckus. A fire or flood? They might do the job. But I
propose, Capricorn, that in 2016 you find an equally vigorous but less
disruptive prod to liberate your dormant wildness. Like what? You could
embark on a brave pilgrimage or quest. You could dare yourself to escape
your comfort zone. Are there any undomesticated fantasies you've been
suppressing? Unsuppress them!
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Frederick the Great was King of Prussia
between 1740 and 1786. He was also an Aquarius who sometimes
experimented with eccentric ideas. When he brewed his coffee, for
example, he used champagne instead of water. Once the hot elixir was
ready to drink, he mixed in a dash of powdered mustard. In light of the
astrological omens, I suspect that Frederick's exotic blend might be an
apt symbol for your life in 2016: a vigorous, rich, complex synthesis of
champagne, coffee, and mustard. (P.S. Frederick testified that
"champagne carries happiness to the brain.")
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Piscean acquaintance Arturo plays the
piano as well as anyone I've heard. He tells me that he can produce 150
different sounds from any single key. Using the foot pedals accounts for
some of the variation. How he touches a key is an even more important
factor. It can be percussive, fluidic, staccato, relaxed, lively, and many
other moods. I invite you to cultivate a similar approach to your unique
skills in 2016. Expand and deepen your ability to draw out the best in
them. Learn how to be even more expressive with the powers you already
possess.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): John Koenig is an artist who invents new
words. Here's one that's applicable to your journey in 2016: "keyframe."
Koenig defines it as being a seemingly mundane phase of your life that is
in fact a turning point. Major plot twists in your big story arrive half-
hidden amidst a stream of innocuous events. They don't come about
through "a series of jolting epiphanies," Koenig says, but rather "by tiny
imperceptible differences between one ordinary day and the next." In
revealing this secret, I hope I've alerted you to the importance of acting
with maximum integrity and excellence in your everyday routine.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The coming months look like one of the best
times ever for your love life. Old romantic wounds are finally ready to be
healed. You'll know what you have to do to shed tired traditions and bad
habits that have limited your ability to get the spicy sweetness you
deserve. Are you up for the fun challenge? Be horny for deep feelings. Be
exuberantly aggressive in honoring your primal yearnings. Use your
imagination to dream up new approaches to getting what you want. The
innovations in intimacy that you initiate in the coming months will keep
bringing you gifts and teachings for years to come.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In ancient times, observers of the sky knew the
difference between stars and planets. The stars remained fixed in their
places. The planets wandered around, always shifting positions in
relationship to the stars. But now and then, at irregular intervals, a very
bright star would suddenly materialize out of nowhere, stay in the same
place for a while, and then disappear. Chinese astronomers called these
"guest stars." We refer to them as supernovae. They are previously dim
or invisible stars that explode, releasing tremendous energy for a short
time. I suspect that in 2016, you may experience the metaphorical
equivalent of a guest star. Learn all you can from it. It'll provide teachings
and blessings that could feed you for years.
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EXPLORING YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your
upcoming adventures in 2016?
In this week's EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, I offer you a long-term, in-
depth exploration of your destiny in the coming months. This is Part One
of a three-part series.
Part Two and Part Three will be available in the next two weeks.
Access them online at http://RealAstrology.com. Register and sign in.
They are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $6 per sign on the Web (discounts are available for bulk
purchases), or $1.99 per minute by phone.
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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Be alert for an abundance of interesting
lessons in 2016. You will be offered teachings about a variety of practical
subjects, including how to take care of yourself really well, how to live the
life you want to live, and how to build the connections that serve your
dreams. If you are even moderately responsive to the prompts and
nudges that come your way, you will become smarter than you thought
possible. So just imagine how savvy you'll be if you ardently embrace your
educational opportunities. (Please note that some of these opportunities
may be partially in disguise.)
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The silkworm grows fast. Once it hatches, it eats
constantly for three weeks. By the time it spins its cocoon, it's 10,000
times heavier than it was in the beginning. On the other hand, a mature,
60-foot-tall saguaro cactus may take 30 years to fully grow a new side
arm. It's in no hurry. From what I can tell, Leo, 2015 was more like a
silkworm year for you, whereas 2016 will more closely resemble a
saguaro. Keep in mind that while the saguaro phase is different from your
silkworm time, it's just as important.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "The sky calls me," wrote Virgo teacher and
poet Sri Chinmoy. "The wind calls me. The moon and stars call me. The
dense groves call me. The dance of the fountain calls me. Smiles call me,
tears call me. A faint melody calls me. The morn, noon and eve call me.
Everyone is searching for a playmate. Everyone is calling me, 'Come,
come!'" In 2016, Virgo, I suspect you will have a lot of firsthand
experience with feelings like these. Sometimes life's seductiveness may
overwhelm you, activating confused desires to go everywhere and do
everything. On other occasions, you will be enchanted by the lush
invitations, and will know exactly how to respond and reciprocate.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the 19th century, horses were a primary
mode of personal transportation. Some people rode them, and others sat
in carriages and wagons that horses pulled. But as cities grew larger, a
problem emerged: the mounting manure left behind on the roads. It
became an ever-increasing challenge to clear away the equine "pollution."
In 1894, a British newspaper predicted that the streets of London would
be covered with nine feet of the stuff by 1950. But then something
unexpected happened: cars. Gradually, the threat of an excremental
apocalypse waned. I present this story as an example of what I expect for
you in 2016: a pressing dilemma that will gradually dissolve because of
the arrival of a factor you can't imagine yet.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The longest river in the world flows through
eastern Africa: the Nile. It originates below the equator and empties into
the Mediterranean Sea. Although its current flows north, its prevailing
winds blow south. That's why sailors have found it easily navigable for
thousands of years. They can either go with the flow of the water or use
sails to harness the power of the breeze. I propose that we make the Nile
your official metaphor in 2016, Scorpio. You need versatile resources that
enable you to come and go as you please -- that are flexible in supporting
your efforts to go where you want and when you want.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In many cases, steel isn't fully useful if
it's too hard. Manufacturers often have to soften it a bit. This process,
which is called tempering, makes the steel springier and more malleable.
Car parts, for example, can't be too rigid. If they were, they'd break too
easily. I invite you to use "tempering" as one of your main metaphors in
2016, Sagittarius. You're going to be strong and vigorous, and those
qualities will serve you best if you keep them flexible. Do you know the
word "ductile"? If not, look it up. It'll be a word of power for you.
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