Free Will Astrology

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Recent scientific studies have confirmed what Native American folklore reports: Badgers and coyotes sometimes cooperate with each other as they search for food. The coyotes are better at stalking prey above ground, and the badgers take over if the hunted animal slips underground. They share the spoils. I suggest you draw inspiration from their example, Virgo. Is there a person you know who's skilled at a task you have trouble with and who could benefit from something you're good at? It's prime time to consider forming symbiotic relationships or seeking out unusual partnerships that play to both parties' strengths.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): How did the Vikings navigate their ships through rough northern seas on cloudy and foggy days? Medieval texts speak of the mysterious "sunstone," a "Viking compass" used to detect the hidden sun. Modern theories suggest that this technology may have been Iceland spar, a mineral that polarizes light, making it useful in plotting a course under overcast skies. Do you have anything like that, Libra? A navigational aid that guides your decisions when the sun's not out, metaphorically speaking? Now would be an excellent time to enhance your connection with whatever it is that can provide such power.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you set up two mirrors in just the right way, you can get a clear look at the back of your head. You're able to see what your body looks like from behind. I suggest you try that exercise sometime soon. It will encourage your subconscious mind to help you discover what has been missing from your self-knowledge. As a result, you may be drawn to experiences that reveal things about yourself you've been resistant to seeing. You could be shown secrets about buried feelings and wishes that you've been hiding from yourself. Best of all, you may get intuitions about your soul's code that you haven't been ready to understand until now.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to my Sagittarius friend Jonathan Zap, the Greek playwright Aristophanes had an ambivalent attitude about divine blessings. He said that no great gift enters the human sphere without a curse attached to it. I'm sure you know this lesson well. One of last year's big gifts has revealed its downside in ways that may have been confusing or deflating. But now here comes an unexpected plot twist, allowing you to add a corollary to Aristophanes' formulation. Soon you will find a second blessing that was hidden within the curse in embryonic form. You'll be able to tease it out, ripen it, and add it to the bounty of the original gift.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Writing in the science magazine Discover, Corey S. Powell says, "There's an old joke: If you tell someone the universe is expanding, he'll believe you. If you tell him there's wet paint on the park bench, he'll want to touch it to make sure." In accordance with the astrological omens, Capricorn, I invite you to rebel against this theory. I think it's quite important for you to demand as much proof for big, faraway claims as for those that are close at hand. Don't trust anyone's assertions just because they sound lofty or elegant. Put them to the test.