Free Will Astrology

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You know those tall, starched white hats that many chefs wear? Traditionally they had 100 pleats, which denoted the number of ways a real professional could cook an egg. I urge you to wear one of those hats in the coming weeks, Capricorn — or whatever the equivalent symbol might be for your specialty. It's high time for you to express your ingenuity in dealing with what's simple and familiar . . . to be inventive and versatile as you show how much you can accomplish using just the basics.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): As I was driving my car in San Francisco late one night, I arrived at a traffic signal that confused me. The green light was radiant and steady, but then so was the red light. I came to a complete stop and waited until finally, after about two minutes, the red faded. I suspect you may soon be facing a similar jumble of mixed signals, Aquarius. If that happens, I suggest you do what I did. Don't keep moving forward; pause and sit still until the message gets crisp and clear.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A woman named Joan Ginther has won the Texas Lottery four times, collecting over $20 million. Is she freakishly lucky? Maybe not, according to Nathaniel Rich's article in the August 2011 issue of Harper's. He notes that Ginther has a PhD in math from Stanford, and wonders if she has used her substantial understanding of statistics to game the system. (More here: tinyurl.com/LuckAmuck.) Be inspired by her example, Pisces. You now have exceptional power to increase your good fortune through hard work and practical ingenuity.