Free Will Astrology

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I'll bet that a-ha! experiences will arrive at a faster rate than you've seen in a long time. Breakthroughs and brainstorms will be your specialty. Surprises and serendipitous adventures should be your delight. The only factor that might possibly obstruct the flow would be if you clung too tightly to your expectations or believed too fiercely in your old theories about how the world works. I've got an idea about how to ensure the best possible outcome. Several times every day, say something like the following: "I love to get my curiosity spiked, my hair mussed, my awe struck, my goose bumps roused, my dogmas exploded, and my mind blown."

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "Disappointments should be cremated, not embalmed," said the aphorist Henry S. Haskins. That's good advice for you right now, Libra. It's an auspicious moment for you to set fire to your defeats, letdowns, and discouragements — and let them burn into tiny piles of ashes. I mean all of them, stretching back for years, not simply the recent ones. There's no need to treat them like precious treasures you have an obligation to lug with you into the future. The time is right for you to deepen your mastery of the art of liberation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Columnist Sydney J. Harris told the following story. "I walked with a friend to the newsstand the other night, and he bought a paper, thanking the owner politely. The owner, however, did not even acknowledge it. 'A sullen fellow, isn't he?' I commented as we walked away. 'Oh, he's that way every night,' shrugged my friend. 'Then why do you continue being so polite to him?' I asked. And my friend replied, 'Why should I let him determine how I'm going to act?'" I hope you'll adopt that approach in the coming week, Scorpio. Be your best self even if no one appreciates it or responds. Astrologically speaking, this is prime time to anchor yourself in your highest integrity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In the 1960 Olympics at Rome, Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila was barefoot as he won a gold medal in the marathon race. Four years later, at the summer games in Tokyo, he won a gold medal again, this time while wearing shoes. I'm guessing this theme might apply to you and your life in the coming weeks. You have the potential to score another victory in a situation where you have triumphed in the past. And I think it's even more likely to happen if you vary some fundamental detail, as Bikila did.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Wikipedia has extensive lists of the biggest unsolved problems in medicine, computer science, philosophy, and nine other fields. Each article treats those riddles with utmost respect and interest, regarding them not as subjects to be avoided but rather embraced. I love this perspective, and urge you to apply it to your own life. This would be an excellent time, astrologically speaking, to draw up a master list of your biggest unsolved problems. Have fun. Activate your wild mind. Make it into a game. I bet that doing so will attract a flood of useful information that'll help you get closer to solving those problems. (Here's Wikipedia's big list: tinyurl.com/ListofProblems.)