Free Will Astrology

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 2013, I pledge to conspire with you to increase your mastery of the art of friendship. Together we will concentrate on making you an even stronger ally than you already are. We will upgrade your skill at expressing your feelings with open-hearted clarity, and in ways that don't make people defensive. We will also inspire you to help others communicate effectively in your presence. I hope you understand that doing this work will empower you to accomplish feats that were never before possible for you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Chickens and alligators share a common ancestor. Seventy million years ago, they were both archosaurs. That's why chickens possess a gene that has the ability to grow teeth. A few years ago, a biological researcher at the University of Wisconsin managed to activate this capacity, inducing a few mutant chickens to sprout alligator teeth. I predict there will be a metaphorically comparable event happening for you in 2013, Taurus. The "chicken" part of you will acquire some of the gravitas of an alligator.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "People wish to learn to swim and at the same time to keep one foot on the ground," said French novelist Marcel Proust. An attitude like that is always a barrier to growth, of course, but in 2013 it would be especially ill-advised for you Geminis. In order to win full possession of the many blessings that will be offering themselves to you, you will have to give up your solid footing and dive into the depths over and over again. That may sometimes be a bit nerve-racking. But it should also generate the most fun you've had in years.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here's the horoscope I hope to be able to write for you a year from now: You escaped the chains that kept you enslaved to your primary source of suffering. You broke the trance it kept you in, and you freed yourself from its demoralizing curse. Now you have forged a resilient new relationship with your primary source of suffering -- a relationship that allows you to deal with it only when it's healthy for you to do so and only when you feel strong enough to do it. Very nicely done! Congratulations! Excellent work!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "In this world," said Oscar Wilde, "there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." I'm counting on you to refute the last part of that questionable assertion, Leo. According to my analysis of the long-term astrological omens, you will definitely be getting what you want in the next six months. You will receive your prize . . . you will earn your badge . . . you will win a big game or claim your birthright or find your treasure. When that happens, I trust you will make sure it is an enduring blessing. There will be no sadness involved!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): English poet Alfred Tennyson wrote so many memorable lines that he is among the top ten most frequently cited authors in *The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.* One of his most famous passages was "'Tis better to have loved and lost / Than never to have loved at all." When he was on his death bed at age 83, his enigmatic last words were, "I have opened it." Let's make that declaration your mantra for the coming year, Virgo. In your case, it will have nothing to do with death, but just the opposite. It will be your way of announcing your entrance into a brighter, lustier, more fertile phase of your life. Try saying it right now: "I have opened it!"