Free Will Astrology

ARIES (March 21-April 19): "They are trying to make me into a fixed star," complained religious leader Martin Luther a few centuries ago. "I am an irregular planet." I invite you to use that declaration as your own in the coming weeks. You have every right to avoid being pinned down, pigeonholed, and forced to be consistent. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you need abundant freedom to mutate your identity. You deserve a poetic license that allows you to play a variety of different roles and explore the pleasures of unpredictable self-expression.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "The Star-Spangled Banner" is America's national anthem. It features the lyrics of a patriotic poem written by Francis Scott Key. But the melody itself is entirely lifted from a bawdy old song that celebrates Bacchus, the ancient god of wine and ecstatic dancing. I love it when things are repurposed as dramatically as that. Do you? The coming weeks will be prime time to repurpose stuff with creative abandon. Make the past useful for the future, Taurus. Turn good old ideas into fantastic new ones. Don't just recycle; transform.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I'm guessing that in the coming weeks you will be receiving a multitude of inquiries, invitations, and temptations -- probably more than you feel capable of responding to, and certainly more than you *should* respond to. A few of these opportunities might be appealing and lead to interesting adventures. But some will be useless, diversionary, or trivial. Will you be able to tell the difference? That's your big challenge. If you'd like help dodging unwanted solicitations, give out this phone number as your own: 212.479.7990. It's a free service provide by "The Rejection Line" at Rejectionline.com. People calling that number will be politely told you aren't available.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): For millennia, the plant known as the yellow avalanche lily has thrived on mountain slopes and meadows throughout western North America. It blooms early in the spring, just in time for broad-tailed hummingbirds that migrate from Central America to sip the flower's nectar. But now there's a problem with that ancient arrangement. Due to global warming, the lily now blossoms 17 days earlier than it used to. But the hummingbirds haven't made an adjustment in their schedule, so they're barely showing up in time to get their full allotment of nectar. I suspect this is a metaphor for a shift you may be facing in your own life rhythm. Fortunately, you've been forewarned, and you can adjust better than the hummingbirds.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In our calendar, there is no special holiday devoted to honoring the joy and power of rebellion. This oversight confounds me. All my experience tells me that the urge to revolt is a fundamental human need. Every one of us has a sacred duty to regularly rise up and overthrow a stale status quo that is oppressing us — whether that's an organized group effort we're part of or our own deadening routine. I'm telling you this, Leo, because it's an excellent time to celebrate your own Rebellion Jubilee. Your vitality will soar as you shed numbing habits and decaying traditions.