Weekly H'scopes
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning April 30
Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An engineering company has plans to grow
flowers on the moon. Paragon Space Development intends to land
mustard seeds inside a small greenhouse dome on the lunar surface by
2011. If all goes well, they will bloom within two weeks, and, thanks to
the marvels of communications technology, we earthlings will soon
thereafter view one of the most iconic photographs ever seen. Paragon
hopes the inspiring image of yellow blossoms on the lunar landscape will
incite a new wave of space exploration. Take your cue from this vignette,
Taurus. Come up with a riveting new personal symbol: some photo or
image or object that thrills your imagination and inspires you to outdo all
your previous efforts in pursuit of an ambitious future goal.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "A Pain in the Ash: Volcano Irritates Alaskans."
That was the headline of a news story about how the people of
Anchorage, Alaska are dealing with the erratic behavior of nearby Mount
Redoubt. As of this writing, the volcano hasn't exploded yet, but it keeps
hinting that it might. Meanwhile, it regularly burps clouds of ash that float
around and wreak a lot of inconvenience. "I would like it to have a big
boom and get it over with," said one native. In accordance with your
astrological omens, Gemini, let's use this situation as a metaphor for your
life. The fact is, there's no sense in getting irritated or impatient with the
primal force in your vicinity. Doing so would be a waste of your precious
emotional energy. Besides, cultivating calm equanimity is the best way to
acquire the grace you'll need to respond appropriately when the primal
force does go boom.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): If His Holiness the Dalai Lama (like you, born
under the sign of the Crab) had a Twitter account, I bet that this week
he'd tweet something like this: "Nothing's permanent and we should
never be attached to anything, but wow! -- the goodness rising up now
may send ripples through eternity!" What he'd mean is that while reality is
always in continual flux, and it's wise not to cling obsessively to either its
pleasures or sadnesses, the powerfully healing mojo that's moving
through Cancerians' lives these days could have long-term positive
consequences.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): America's Republican Party has lost a lot of style
points lately. Its national committee chairman Michael Steele even went so
far as to say, "We need to uptick our image with everyone, including one-
armed midgets." Your reputation isn't anywhere near as in need of
rehabilitation, Leo -- in part because you don't make references about
one-armed midgets -- but it could still use some work. Fortunately, the
coming weeks will be an excellent time, astrologically speaking, for you to
not only tidy up your stature, but also to actually enhance your
respectability and increase your influence. Take advantage!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The coming weeks would be an excellent time
to devote extra care and attention to your home-away-from-home -- you
know, the place that's second-best at making you feel like you truly
belong here on this earth. Enhance the ambiance in this alternate power
spot, Virgo. Add beauty to the decor. Let the people who hang out there
know how much they mean to you. And if you don't yet have such a
sanctuary, then I suggest you hunt one down. You need to experience
more of the pleasurable stimulation that comes from going back and forth
between two different comfort zones.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You may not literally have X-ray vision right
now, but you certainly have a metaphorical version of it. With a little
concentration, I bet you could peer beneath the surface of anything you
want to. My analysis of the omens suggests that you have the power to
see hidden agendas, invisible frameworks, and maneuverings that are
unfolding behind the scenes. Please keep in mind that not all of the secret
stuff is corrupt or insidious. Some of it is quite beautiful, even elevating.
Don't push your enhanced perceptiveness to search exclusively for the
worst in human nature.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): According to the legends of the Scottish
Highlanders, this is the anniversary of the fallen angels' expulsion from
paradise. That's why, they said, it was so crucial for humans to be well-
behaved at this time. To blindly indulge in sin and error would set up a
resonance with the malevolent exiles, making oneself vulnerable to being
preyed on by them. While you and I can chuckle at this quaint
superstition, it does have a grain or truth for you to meditate on. At this
juncture in your yearly cycle, you tend to be more receptive to bad
influences than usual. That's why you should do everything you can
imagine to attract good influences and cultivate experiences that give you
the feeling that this world is a paradise.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): An Arizona woman was jogging in the
woods when a fox ran out of nowhere, leaped up, and clamped down on
her arm with its teeth. Unable to pry it loose, the woman ran back to her
car, which was a mile away, with the fox hanging on. She drove herself to
the hospital, where doctors removed the creature and treated her
successfully. I imagine that right about now you might feel a bit like she
did, Sagittarius: bustling along energetically, in a state of alert, as some
nagging vexation clings to you parasitically. Now here's the good news: I
predict that you will get rid of the pest, and will ever thereafter enjoy an
enhanced confidence in your ability to function well under pressure.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Since it's the Capricornian season of
romance, I thought I'd give you some tips on how to thrive in the
mysterious, paradoxical, crazy-making game of love. 1. Love shouldn't be
a lottery, so don't gamble on unlikely odds. 2. Love shouldn't be a power
struggle, so try to purge any unconscious yearnings you might have to
control people you care for. 3. Love can't be a self-sustaining perpetual
motion machine, so I hope you work on it at least as hard as you do at
your job. 4. Love isn't an endless vacation in the promised land, but
neither is it a wrestling match with a three-legged pit bull from hell, so
don't you dare indulge in all-or-nothing fantasies.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The kitchen table will be a power spot for
you in the coming weeks. Your own table will be a supreme vortex for
visionary brainstorming, but even those in other households could be
epicenters for brilliant planning, crucial shifts in attitude, and increased
solidarity among allies. To encourage eruptions of creative behavior, make
sure the tables are nice and clean. Try to have good food and drink on
hand. I also suggest you keep at least one notebook and pen lying around.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In April I was grateful whenever you obeyed
all the signs, stuck to the beaten paths, worked a little harder than usual,
and averted your eyes from the places where "interesting" bursts of
chaos were unfolding. In May I'd appreciate it if you did pretty much the
opposite: Question authority rigorously, wander off into less-traveled
regions, play harder than usual, and tune in to commotions that could be
productive learning experiences. In the past month, Pisces, I was hopeful
that you'd pay your debts to society before society's collection agency
started making harassing calls. In the coming month, I invite you to ask
everyone to do you extra favors.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "It is the greatest of all mistakes to do
nothing because you can only do a little," said the writer Sydney Smith.
While this is always good advice, it's especially apt for you right now.
You're in a phase when giant leaps of faith are irrelevant, and fast,
massive accomplishments are impossible. This is the season of
incremental progress; a time when painstaking attention to detail is your
best strategy. Inch by inch, Aries. Hour by hour.