CULTURE ARIES (March 21-April 19): P oet J ennifer Willoughby writes, “I am so busy. I am practicing my new hobby of watching me become someone else. There is so much violence in reconstruction. E very minute is grisly, but I have to participate. I am building what I cannot break.” I wouldn’t describe your own reconstruction process during recent months as “violent” or “grisly,” A ries, but it has been strenuous and demanding. The good news is that you have mostly completed the most demanding work. Soon the process will become more fun. C ongratulations on creating an unbreakable new version of yourself! TAURUS: April 20 – May 20 R apper and entrepreneur J ay-Z tells us, on t ever go with the flow. Instead, e the flow. ere s what I think he means If we go with the flow, we adjust and accommodate ourselves to a force that is not necessarily aligned with our personal inclinations and needs. To go with the flow implies we are surrendering our autonomy. To claim our full sovereignty, on the other hand, we are wise to e the flow. e should create our own flow, which is
Free Will Astrology B y R ob B rez sny
just right for our unique inclinations and needs. I think this is the right approach for you right now, Taurus. Be the flow. GEMINI: May 21 – June 20 The Italian language used to be a dialect spoken in Tuscany. That area comprises less than 8 % of the country’s territory. ow did such a dramatic evolution happen? Why did a local dialect supersede other dialects like P iedmontese, N eapolitan, Sicilian, and others? In part, it was because three potent 1 4 th-century writers wrote in the Tuscan dialect: D ante A lighieri, Francesco P etrarch, and G iovanni Boccaccio. A nother reason: Because Tuscany is centrally located in Italy, its dialect was less influenced y languages in rance and other near y countries. I offer this as a metaphor for you in the coming months. O ne of your personal talents, a liations, or inclinations could ecome more influential and widespread — and have more authority in your life. CANCER: June 21 – July 22 “A lways strive to be more interested than interesting,” said actor and activist J ane Fonda. That may not be easy for you to accomplish in the near future, dear C ancerian. Y our curiosity will be at peak levels, but you may also be extra compelling and captivating. So I’ll amend Fonda’s advice: G ive yourself permission to be both as interested and as interesting as you can imagine. E ntertain the world with your lively personality as you go in quest of new information, fresh perceptions, and unprecedented experiences. LEO: July 23 – August 22 “When in doubt, act like G od,” proclaimed Leo singer-songwriter Madonna. I wouldn’t usually endorse that advice. But I’ll make an exception for you Leos during the next three weeks. ue to a divine configuration of astrological omens, you are authorized to ascend to new heights of sovereignty and self-possession — even to the point of doing a vivid G od impersonation. For best results, don’t choose an angry, jealous, tyrannical deity to be your role model. P attern yourself after a sweeter, funnier, more intimate type of celestial being. VIRGO: August 23 – Sept. 22 My V irgo friend A manda told me she felt tight and overwrought. She was overthinking and on the verge of a meltdown. With a rueful sigh, she added, “I adore anything that helps me decompress, unwind, simmer down, stop worrying, lighten up, compose myself, and mellow out.” So I invited her to take deep breaths, close her eyes,
34 May 4-10, 2022 | metrotimes.com
agittarian author nn Patchett. er thought may be helpful for you to meditate on. My guess is that you will ultimately be glad that things didn’t go the way you planned. G od or your igher elf or the Mysterious orces of D estiny will conspire to lead you away from limited expectations or not-bigenough visions so as to offer you igger and better blessings. JAMES NOELLERT
and visualize herself immersed in bluegreen light. Then I asked her to name influences she loved people, animals, natural places, music, ooks, films, art, and physical movements that made her feel happy to be alive. She came up with eight different sources of liss, and together we meditated on them. alf an hour later, she was as rela ed as she had been in months. I recommend you try a comparable exercise every day for the next 1 4 days. Be proactive about cultivating tranquil delight. LIBRA: Sept. 23 – Oct. 22 A uthor A nne Lamott is renowned for her tender approach to expressing her struggles with addiction, depression, and other tribulations. O ne of her supreme tests was being a single mother who raised her son Sam. In this effort, she was her usual plucky self. A nytime she hosted playdates with Sam’s young friends at her home, she called on the help of crayons and paint and pens and clay and scissors. “When “ we did art with the kids, the demons would lie down, she testified. I recommend a comparable strategy for you in the coming days, Libra. Y ou will have extra power as you tame, calm, or transform your demons. Making art could be effective, as well as any task that spurs your creativity and imagination. SCORPIO: Oct. 23 – Nov. 21 “My heart has developed a kind of amnesia, where it remembers everything but itself,” writes Scorpio poet a rina enaim. If you suffer a condition that resembles hers, it’s about to change. A ccording to my astrological analysis, your heart will soon not only remember everything; it will also remember itself. What a blissful homecoming that will be — although it may also be unruly and confounding, at least in the beginning. But after the initial surprise calms down, you will celebrate a dramatic enhancement of emotionally rich self-knowledge. Y ou will feel united with the source of your longing to love and be loved. SAGITTARIUS: Nov. 22 – Dec. 21 “J ust because things hadn’t gone the way I had planned didn’t necessarily mean they had gone wrong,” writes
CAPRICORN: Dec. 22 – Jan. 19 N ovelist J ane A usten ( 1 7 7 5 –1 8 1 7 ) confessed she was a “wild beast.” R eally? The author who wrote masterfully about the complex social lives of wealthy ritish people ere s my theory: The wild beast in her made her original, unsentimental, humorous, and brilliant in creating her stories. ow is your own inner wild east, apricorn? A ccording to my reading of the astrological omens, now is an excellent time to give it fun, rich assignments. hat parts of your life would enefit from tapping into raw, primal energy? AQUARIUS: Jan. 20 – Feb. 18 A quarian poet J ack G ilbert wrote, “I lie in the dark wondering if this quiet in me now is a beginning or an end.” I don’t know how G ilbert solved his dilemma. But I suspect you will soon be inclined to pose a similar question. In your case, the answer will be that the quiet in you is a beginning. A h! But in the early going, it may not resemble a beginning. Y ou might be puzzled by its fuzzy, meandering quality. But sooner or later, the quiet in you will become fertile and inspirational. Y ou will ride it to the next chapter of your life story. PISCES: Feb.19 – March 20 The genre of poetry known as haiku often relies on unexpected juxtapositions. ritic . . lyth o served, In haiku, the two entirely different things that are joined in sameness are poetry and sensation, spirit and matter.” I suspect your life in the coming weeks will have metaphorical resemblances to haikus. Y ou will be skilled at blending elements that aren’t often combined, or that should be blended but haven’t been. For inspiration, read these haikus by R aymond R oseliep. 1 . in the stream / stones making half / the music. 2 . horizon / wild swan drifting through / the woman’s body. 3 . birthcry! / the stars / are all in place. 4 . bathwater / down the drain / some of me. 5 . grass / holding the shape / of our night. . campfire e tinguished, the woman washing dishes / in a pan of stars. T h is week ’s h omework : You can now make a change that has previously seemed impossible. What is it?
