Free Will Astrology

0

ARIES March 21-April 19

You have had resemblances to cactuses in recent days. It hasnโ€™t always been pleasant and cheerful, but you have become pretty skilled at surviving, even thriving, despite an insufficiency of juicy experiences. Fortunately, the emotional fuel you had previously stored up has sustained you, keeping you resilient and reasonably fluid. However, this situation will soon change. More succulence is on its way. Scarcity will end, and you will be blessed with an enhanced flow of lush feelings.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

I foresee abundance emerging from modest sources. I predict breakthroughs arising out of your loving attention to the details of the routine. So please donโ€™t get distracted by poignant meditations on what you feel is missing from your life. Donโ€™t fantasize about what you wish you could be doing instead of what you are actually doing. Your real wealth lies in the small tasks that are right in front of youโ€”even though they may not yet have revealed their full meaning or richness. I invite you and encourage you to be alert for grandeur in seemingly mundane intimate moments.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Itโ€™s time for your Uncle Rob to offer you some fundamental advice for living. These tips are always worthy of your contemplation, but especially now. Ready? Being poised amidst uncertainty is a superpower. You may attract wonders and blessings if you can function well while dealing with contradictory feelings, unclear situations and incomplete answers. Donโ€™t rush to artificial closure when patience with the unfinished state will serve you better. Be willing to address just part of a problem rather than trying to insist on total resolution. Thereโ€™s no need to be worried or frustrated if some enigmas cannot yet be explained and resolved. Enjoy the mystery!

CANCER June 21-July 22

Acclaimed Cancerian poet Lucille Clifton published 14 books and mothered six children. That heroism seems almost impossible. Having helped raise one child myself, I know how consuming it is to be a parent. Where did she find the time and energy to generate so much great literature? Judging from the astrological omens, I suspect you now have access to high levels of productivity comparable to Cliftonโ€™s. Like her, you will also be able to gracefully juggle competing demands and navigate adeptly through different domains. Hereโ€™s my favorite part: Your stellar efficiency will stem not from stressfully trying too hard but rather from good timing and a nimble touch.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world was the Colossus of Rhodes, located on a Greek island. Symbolizing power and triumph, it was a towering statue dedicated to the sun god Helios. The immediate motivation for its construction was the local peopleโ€™s defeat of an invading army. I hereby authorize you to acquire or create your own personal version of an inspiring icon like the Colossus, Leo. It will symbolize the fact that the coming months will stimulate lavish expressions of your leonine power. It will help inspire you to showcase your talents and make bold moves. PS: Be alert for chances to mobilize others with your leadership. Your natural brilliance will be a beacon.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

The Great Barrier Reef is the worldโ€™s biggest structure built by living things. Lying beneath the Coral Sea off the east coast of Australia, itโ€™s made by billions of small organisms, coral polyps, all working together to create a magnificent home for a vast diversity of life forms. Letโ€™s make the Great Barrier Reef your symbol of power for the next 10 months, Virgo. I hope it inspires you to manage and harness the many details that together will generate a robust source of vitality for your tribe, family and community.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

One of my favorite poets, Arthur Rimbaud, wrote all of his brilliant work before he became an adult. I suspect that no matter what your age is, many of you Libras are now in an ultra-precocious phase with some resemblances to Rimbaud from age 16 to 21. The downside of this situation is that you may be too advanced for people to thoroughly understand you. You could be ahead of your time and too cool for even the trendsetters. I urge you to trust your farseeing visions and forward-looking intuitions even if others canโ€™t appreciate them yet. What you bring to us from the future will benefit us all.

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Blacksmiths still exist. They were more common in the past, but there are many 21st-century practitioners. Itโ€™s a demanding art, requiring intense heat to soften hard slabs of metal so they can be forged into intricate new shapes. The process requires both fire and finesse. I think you are currently in a phase when blacksmithing is an apt metaphor. You will need to artfully interweave passion and precision. Fiery ambition or intense feelings may arise, offering you raw energy for transformation. To harness it effectively, you must temper your approach with patience, restraint and detail-oriented focus.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Jean-Paul Sartre and Simon de Beauvoir were two feisty, independent, strong-minded French writers. Beauvoir was a trailblazing feminist, and Sartre was a Nobel Laureate. Though they never officially married, they were a couple for 51 years. Aside from their great solo accomplishments, they also gave us this gift: They proved that romantic love and intellectual equality could coexist, even thrive together, with the help of creative negotiation. I propose we make them your inspirational role models for now. The coming months will be a favorable time to deepen and refine your devotion to crafting satisfying, interesting intimate relationships.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Over 2,600 years ago, ancient Babylonian astronomers figured out the highly complex cycle that governs the recurrence of lunar and solar eclipses. It unfolds over a period of 18 years and 11 days. To analyze its full scope required many generations of researchers to carry out meticulous record-keeping with extreme patience. Letโ€™s make those Babylonian researchers your role models, Capricorn. In the coming months, I hope they inspire you to engage in careful observation and persistent investigation as you discover meaningful patterns. May they excite your quest to discern deep cycles and hidden rhythms.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

I invite you to try this visualization exercise, Aquarius: Picture a rosebud inside your body. Itโ€™s located in your solar plexus. Imagine itโ€™s steadily and gently opening, filling your body with a sweet, blissful warmth, like a slow-motion orgasm that lasts and lasts. Feel the velvet red petals unfolding; inhale the soft radiance of succulent fragrance. As the rose fully blooms, you become aware of a gold ring at its center. Imagine yourself reaching inside and taking the ring with your right hand. Slip the ring onto your left ring finger and tell yourself, โ€œI pledge to devote all my passionate intelligence to my own well-being. I promise to forever treat myself with tender loving respect. I vow to seek out high-quality beauty and truth as I fulfill my lifeโ€™s mission.โ€

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

I foresee the arrival of a living fossil, Pisces. An influence you thought was gone may soon reappear. Aspects of your past could prove relevant to your current situation. These might be neglected skills, seemingly defunct connections or dormant dreams. I hope you have fun integrating rediscovered resources and earmarking them for use in the future. PS: Hereโ€™s a lesson worth treasuring: While the world has changed, a certain fundamental truth remains true and valuable to you.

Homework: What is the best surprise gift you could give yourself right now? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

ยฉ Copyright 2025 Rob Brezsny

Tragedy + Time

0

Itโ€™s said that comedy is tragedy plus time. In Aaron Fosterโ€™s case, itโ€™s also depression, anxiety, grief, two restaurants, a defunct sports nutrition brand and a stint as an HGTV hostโ€”all seasoned with gallows humor and served under the banner Mostly Jokes.

The show, which lands at the Actorsโ€™ Theatre on June 4, is a one-man dive into the deep end of mental health with nothing but a mic as a flotation device. Foster, who returned to stand-up after a 15-year hiatus, has crafted an autobiographical act that confrontsโ€”with harrowing hilarityโ€”his family trauma, career detours and the garden-variety existential dread that festers behind curated Instagram smiles.

โ€œThe first time I told a joke about my brother committing suicide, it did not go well, to say the least,โ€ he told me. โ€œBut, one person (one) found me after the show and said their brother had done the same thing and that it was the funniest joke theyโ€™d ever heard. That was enough reason to stick with it.โ€

Dark? Yep. But ultimately cathartic (for both the performer and the audience) and, above all, funny. 

โ€œI donโ€™t think there is such a thing as โ€˜too dark,โ€™ but there is definitely such a thing as โ€˜not funny,โ€™ and thatโ€™s the ultimate measuring stick,โ€ Foster said. โ€œWhen youโ€™re starting out and audiences donโ€™t know you, itโ€™s not always ideal to open with five (or 15) minutes about clinical depression, so youโ€™d better figure out a way to make that stuff really funny and relatable.โ€

Foster does. And heโ€™s earned his black belt in emotional jujitsu, flipping pain into punchlines with finesse honed over yearsโ€”years of therapy.

โ€œMy life is pretty fantastic on paper. Unfortunately, in my head, itโ€™s a whole different thing,โ€ he said, candid about his ongoing bouts with imposter syndrome and a tendency to catastrophize. โ€œAn hour on stage in front of 100 strangers is more comfortable to me than 10 minutes at a cocktail party.โ€

Comedy is where chaos and control share a safe-word. And Fosterโ€™s set is a masterclass in owning the narrative. From strained family dynamics (a bipolar father, a schizophrenic brother, among other issues) to the psychic wounds of the career complexifier known as Hollywood.

โ€œTurning a breakdown into material might be easier than turning it into a breakthrough, unfortunately. Unless turning a breakdown into material is the breakthrough?โ€ he noted. 

It might be. At least itโ€™s honest. And in a culture over-attuned to performative vulnerability on TikTok and Instagram, the real deal is damn near revolutionary. That said, Foster is not deluded about the odds. Hollywood loves a comeback storyโ€”but itโ€™s hard to get it to notice.

โ€œSure, itโ€™s late in the game, but it ainโ€™t over โ€™til youโ€™re dead and buried, so you might as well keep swinging,โ€ he said. โ€œItโ€™s probably as long a shot as doing it the other way, maybe longer, but at least itโ€™s mine.โ€

Aaron Foster performs his solo show, โ€œMostly Jokes,โ€ at 8pm on June at Actorsโ€™ Theatre, 1001 Center St., Santa Cruz. Tickets: $15. santacruzactorstheatre.org

AIDS Ride Hits Finish Line

Just over three decades ago, a group of people set out on a 545-mile bicycle journey from San Francisco to Los Angeles, a weeklong trek that took them along rugged coastlines, through verdant agricultural fields and along vast stretches of highway.

Then called the California AIDS Ride, the annual event evolved in 2002 to the AIDS/LifeCycle. It is the worldโ€™s largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser, and benefits the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Los Angeles LGBT Center. 

With 2,067 cyclists and about 800 road crew participating in this yearโ€™s eventโ€”and more than $300 million raised since its inceptionโ€”few would question either its success or its allure. 

Despite this, crossing the finish line on June 7 will have bittersweet significance for the riders, since the event is ending its 31-year run this year.

Tyler TerMeer, San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO, said the event has seen a decline in participation, despite record-breaking attendance after the Covid-19 pandemic.

After decreases in 2023 and 24, organizers saw shifts in the way people participate in their communities.

โ€œThey were hanging out in smaller groups, not going to large events,โ€ he said. โ€œBut also peopleโ€™s jobs changed, the way they were able to raise money changed, the amount of time they could take off work changed, and this ride was a very large commitment.โ€

And so, as costs of producing the event increased as revenues decreased, organizers wanted to make sure they were being good stewards of their donorsโ€™ funds.

โ€œAt the end of the day, we wanted to make a really thoughtful decision for the participants of the AIDS/LifeCycle community,โ€ TerMeer said. โ€œAnd if we were going to end the ride, to do so in a way that would allow them to feel closure to something that has been so meaningful to so many people for so many years.โ€

TerMeer, who has been living with HIV for more than two decades, said he found the ride about 17 years ago, a discovery that changed his life.

โ€œI found some of the people I consider my closest friends and chosen family on this ride,โ€ he said. โ€œI learned about real community and real leadership, and I cannot imagine my life up until this point without it. I know that I will always carry so much of what I learned, so many of the people, so many of the stories forever. This community is just so magical; it is what we want the world to look like every day.โ€

The announcement that this year would be AIDS/LifeCycleโ€™s swan song drew an immediate response, TerMeer said.

โ€œWhen we announced the final ride, we saw an immense amount of love for our community,โ€ he said. โ€œWe sold out very quickly. We just have so much love out on the road right now.โ€

TerMeer stressed that the organizations that have heretofore benefitted from the ride will still be engaging their missions, and that they still need donors. 

And more events are in the works, including a three-day cycling event from San Francisco through Sonoma wine country, and the return of a running event called the Big Gay 10K, TerMeer said.

โ€œLifeCycle has always been more than the miles we ride,โ€ he said. โ€œItโ€™s about the movement that we have been committed to, not only the HIV movement, but the movement of our bodies and the movement of the stories that weโ€™ve collected and the movement of the people that we carry in our hearts. And I think that weโ€™re really committed to figuring out how the heart of AIDS/LifeCycle continues into the future.โ€

Seeing Red? Highway 1 Bus Lanes Explained

Itโ€™s probably the most-asked question in the county today. Large swaths of Highway 1 lanes between Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue have been painted bright red as part of the ongoing Bus-On-Shoulder project but what do they mean? How will they work? Are the third lanes along the freeway edges for buses only?

We reached Amin Abuamara, the director of capital projects for the Regional Transportation Committee, who gave us the answers in a way we could understand (which up to now nothing else has).

  1. The new auxiliary lanes on the edges of the freeway can be used by buses or cars. They are designed for cars going from one exit to the next. They will be built in three stages from Soquel Drive to Freedom Boulevard.
  2. The first stage from Soquel Drive to 41st Avenue should be finished by July 30.
  3. The red boxes, which are a new concept called Bus-On-Shoulder lanes, are, as it says, only for buses getting on or off the exits. They are meant to speed up buses and make them more desirable. Cars arenโ€™t allowed on them, thus the red warning. Those boxes wonโ€™t be operational until the second segment is finished.
  4. The next segment, Bay/Porter to State Park Drive, wonโ€™t be finished until fall 2026. That one is funded and the segment after that, which will go to Freedom Boulevard, is awaiting funding. That last segment is 95 percent designed and could be finished in two or three years, said Abuamara.

So, cars will have what appears to be an added third lane, but it wonโ€™t really increase traffic capacity much, said Abuamara. It should make it easier for drivers who want to only go from one exit to the next.

But what about drivers who want to jump onto the auxiliary lane and then cut back into the left two lanes of traffic?

โ€œPeople will realize thatโ€™s not our way of driving,โ€ the director said. โ€œWith time, people might think thatโ€™s not the proper way to do it.โ€

There are similar lanes on Highway 680, he said, that have proven to relieve congestion.

Bus drivers will need training to use the red boxes, so they wonโ€™t be in use until fall 2026, when 4.5 miles of auxiliary lanes should be finished.

Construction on a bridge over a freeway
ON THE MOVE A new overcrossing to Highway 1 at Capitola Avenue is taking shape. Photo:Tarmo Hannula

The RTCโ€™s website projects the costs of the lanes and bus shoulders in the first phase at $43 million with $98.7 million for the second phase  and $238 million for all three phases up to Freedom, including a pedestrian crossing at Mar Vista Drive and a new bridge at Capitola Avenue. Some of the money comes from Measure D, which voters passed in 2016 and the rest from grants, according to Brian Zamora, assistant transportation engineer.

The contractor is Granite Construction of Watsonville.

On July 30, the RTC is planning to celebrate several completed projects, including the auxiliary lanes. The other is the Chanticleer bike and pedestrian bridge, the one with the whales on it. 

The party is set for 5:30-7pm July 30 at the Chanticleer Overcrossing (it was originally planned for May 14).

Street Talk

0
DANIEL

Iโ€™d pretend to be Spider Man, swinging on monkey bars at the playground. The neighborhood kids would pretend to be superheroes and jump around. We would randomly pick someone and imagine they are the enemy. Sometimes it got confrontational, so the parents could step in.

Daniel Zeng, 19, Pre-Law Major at Pitzer College


SIENNA

We played house during recess at elementary school. We played in the sand and everyone had their roles, and we had different scenarios, like we would make food with the sand.

Sienna Gibbs, 19, Psychology Major at UCSC


ZACH

My neighbors and I would play Legos and build a whole city with a supermarket. You always want more Legos and itโ€™s fun to figure out what to do with the pile. We would make lots of Lego guys and put them on a Lego airplane so they can fight each other.

Zach Rugee, 21, Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology Major at UCSC


ANTHONY

We had those spiky balls from trees all over. Weโ€™d pretend it was a minefield, so if you step on one it blows up or sticks to your bare foot. We built forts with them and threw them like cannonballs. And Iโ€™d make paper airplane spaceships like Star Wars and fly them through leaves and bushes like a jungle planet.

Anthony Garcia, 23, Nomad


MELISSA

My friend and I would pick ferns and hide behind them. We would tell my little sister that we were โ€œfern sisters,โ€ like we were made of ferns.

Melissa Lamb, 56, School Psychologist


IVAN

In preschool, I told a girl, โ€œI want a kiss from you.โ€ She said, โ€œIโ€™ll pretend my glue stick is lipstick, so the kiss wonโ€™t go away.โ€ When I kissed her, my lips stuck together, and she laughed. She said, โ€œI told you! Youโ€™ll never forget me now!โ€ And I never have. I learned then that women are smarter than us.

Ivan Chacon, 52, Finance

Pride Parade Photos

Here are a bunch of shots from today’s parade…

Street Talk

0

Would you like to be famous? If so, for what?

ANGELA

DJ! My stage name is DJ Angel, because my name is Angela. Youโ€™ll hear all about it!

Angela Nguyen, 18, Cognitive Science Major, UCSC


MICHAEL

I chased fame when I was younger, but I wasnโ€™t being my true self. Now I have a son and a beautiful girlfriend, and Iโ€™m happy with serenity and a good job. โ€ฆ Peace comes from being a good hard worker, a good father and a good partner.

Michael Bronzburg, 37, Professional โ€œMacGyverโ€


SARA

I was listening to a Buddhist lecture today and it taught that we should abandon ambition because chasing fame leads to suffering. So today the answer is no, because if youโ€™re chasing outward validation, youโ€™re running from true happiness.

Sara McGrath, 30, Sociology Major, Cabrillo College


NAOMI

I would like to be famous for having the purplest hair. Iโ€™m an artist, but no, just purple.

Naomi Kerekes, 19, Art & Design: Games and Playable Media, UCSC


TC

I donโ€™t have a desire to be famous, but if I could be, it would be to draw attention to people hurting in need and break the barrier of invisibility. There was a lady who was famous for just putting money in peopleโ€™s parking meters.

TC Lovett, 55, Barista, Luluโ€™s on Pacific


NATALIE

I always wanted to be famous as an actor. I was in a play in high school, and I used to make film videosโ€”drama, action or horrorโ€”so I would act in them too. โ€ฆ But I donโ€™t have time anymore to plan a video and get together with a crew.

Natalie Ortega, 19, English Major, Cabrillo College


The Editor’s Desk

Santa Cruz California editor of good times news media print and web
Brad Kava | Good Times Editor

Iโ€™ll never forget when my then 4-year-old son started to understand where food comes from.

We were talking about how fish eat worms and flies, then birds eat the fish and then predators eat the birds.

โ€œItโ€™s a good thing we donโ€™t eat animals,โ€ he said. โ€œWe eat food.โ€

I got a kick under the table from his mother telling me not to explain. But eventually I did, and he was grossed out that we ate meat but he justified it saying that since animals eat animals and we are animals, he was OK eating meat.

He doesnโ€™t feel the guilt I do, when I look at cows and think they could end up on my table. I suspect he will someday.

Meanwhile, Iโ€™ve introduced him to alternatives.

Last year we went to VegFest and he was happy with the meat substitutes and all the vegan options. It opened a whole new world.

Thatโ€™s the message in a festival that has grown in a year from an outpost at the Cocoanut Grove to the wide expanse of the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. You donโ€™t have to eat meat out of habit, convenience or taste. There are options that are beneficial to the environment and your health.

We think a visit to this Fest will open your minds and taste buds to new possibilities.

Speaking of fests, the good news is that the Gilroy Garlic Festival is back, which you can read about in Mark C. Andersonโ€™s dining column. The bad news is that the Artichoke Festival is gone after 65 years, but I would bet it will be back somewhere. Artichokes, so plentiful here, deserve a celebration. I never met anyone who tried their first โ€™choke and didnโ€™t love it.

We no longer have smell-o-vision in the movies, but we have a new local business celebrating local smells with candles called Hot Melty Wax. Read Mat Weirโ€™s article for the scoop.

Thanks for reading.

Brad Kava | Editor


PHOTO CONTEST

SEA THE MOMENT Taken at Seabright State Beach with an iPhone 13. Photograph by Sharon Barnes

GOOD IDEA

Santa Cruz Celebrates 50 Years of Santa Cruz Pride with Festive Pride-themed Window Art Contest.

Until  June 15, community members are invited to pick up a free Pride Window Art map at the Downtown Association’s Info Kioskโ€”1130 Pacific Ave. in Santa Cruzโ€”or at local businesses. The map guides participants to all the dazzling window displays, and allows them to vote for their favorite artistic creation.

The business whose window receives the most votes will be awarded $250 Downtown Dollars for their staff. Additionally, all participants who turn in their completed map to the Info Kiosk by June 15 will be entered into a drawing to win $50 Downtown Dollars.

GOOD WORK

The annual Summer Lunch program, sponsored by La Manzana Community Resources, a program of Community Bridgesโ€™ Family Resource Collective, kicks off June 9.

Kids 18 and under can pick up a free lunch at various sites in Santa Cruz and Watsonville through early August. Most Watsonville sites will distribute lunches through Aug. 8.

Through Community Bridges (communitybridges.org), the Summer Lunch program has served 20,000 meals over the last three years. It is estimated that more than 30 million children across the U.S. depend on free meal programs such as these that are more critical when the traditional sources in schools are closed for summer.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

โ€˜A leader who mocks the weak, exalts himself and preys on the innocent was not sent here by God.โ€™
โ€”Pope Leo XVII

Letters

FOSTERING FEMALE BUSINESS

What an inspiring move! The Regional Womenโ€™s Business Center is a fantastic step toward fostering female entrepreneurship. Iโ€™ve always believed that collaboration is key, and this center will provide the perfect platform for women to connect and share their experiences. In my own journey, I found that platforms like Invisibly reviews helped me navigate challenges by providing valuable insights. Hereโ€™s to breaking barriers and building a supportive community!

Diama | Goodtimes.sc


MARKET MOVE

Old news about the move for the downtown farmersโ€™ market โ€“ the City has pushed it back another TWO WEEKS โ€“ June 4 is the NEW date for relocation a few blocks away.

Sal Witt | Goodtimes.sc


CHINESE FOOD TIP

Iโ€™m a fan of this restaurant too, and I completely agree that Special Noodle is a great spot for anyone who enjoys Chinese food. That being said, I also really like Panda Express, especially its entrees such as Orange Chicken and Honey Walnut Shrimp. If youโ€™re curious about their full lineup of dishes, you can check out the menu here: pandaexpressmenubl.wixsite.com/panda-express-menu

Caleb Morgan | Goodtimes.sc


HUERTA HEROICS

DOLORES HUERTA is a hero, as she speaks the truth that some farm owners do NOT want to hear.
The fact that the cancer rate for Latino children is more than three times the number of the non-Latino child population should tell you: GENOCIDE BY PESTICIDE!
I live in Watsonville. The fact that our entire city is considered one entire spray zone should tell you something: our residents are children of a lesser god. It is time for Mr. Driscoll to get a damn clue about organic farming. Our city of Watsonville is NOT a test zone for the pesticide and herbicide industry. Our residents are NOT collateral damage for the farming industry. And all of us need to provide the best health care for children, and not allow trumpdump and the RETHUGLICANS to cut Medi-Cal funding.

Steve L. Trujillo | Goodtimes.sc


WOMEN/CARE

Thank you, Elizabeth, for this article about an invaluable community (and beyond) resource!
I think it is well written and, while succinct, you touch on the variety of resources that WomenCARE offers. I hope more women will utilize the services and that more folks will support the film festival.
The majority of WomenCAREโ€™s funding comes from our caring community.
I know; after almost 23 years with WomenCARE, I retired April 2024.

LaVerne | Goodtimes.sc

Free Will Astrology

0

ARIES March 21-April 19

The strongest, most enduring parts of Chinaโ€™s Great Wall were the 5,500 miles built during the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. One secret to their success was sticky rice, an essential ingredient in the mortar. The resulting structures have been remarkably water resistant. They hold their shape well, resist weed growth and get stronger as time passes. I hope you will find metaphorical equivalents to sticky rice as you work on your foundations in the coming months, Aries. Proceed as if you are constructing basic supports that will last you for years.

TAURUS April 20-May 20

The worldโ€™s most expensive spice is saffron. To gather one gram of it, workers must harvest 150 flowers by hand. Doesnโ€™t that process resemble what you have been doing? I am awed by the stamina and delicacy you have been summoning to generate your small but potent treasure. What youโ€™re producing may not be loud and showy, but its value will be concentrated and robust. Trust that those who appreciate quality will recognize the painstaking effort behind your creation. Like saffronโ€™s distinctive essence that transforms ordinary dishes into extraordinary ones, your patient dedication is creating what canโ€™t be rushed or replicated.

GEMINI May 21-June 20

Gemini author Jean-Paul Sartre was offered the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1964. But he rejected it. Why? He said that if he accepted it, he would be turned into an institution and authority figure, which would hinder his ability to critique politics and society. He was deeply committed to the belief that a writer has an obligation to be independent and accountable only to their conscience and audience, not to external accolades or validations. I think you are in a Sartre-like phase right now, dear Gemini. You have a sacred duty to be faithful to your highest calling, your deepest values and your authentic identity. Every other consideration should be secondary.

CANCER June 21-July 22

You are now highly attuned to subtle energies, subliminal signals and hidden agendas. No one in your sphere is even half as sensitive as you are to the intriguing mysteries that are unfolding beneath the visible surface. This may be a bit unsettling, but itโ€™s a key asset. Your ability to sense what others are missing gives you a unique advantage. So trust your intuitive navigation system, Cancerian, even if the way forward isnโ€™t obvious. Your ability to sense underlying currents will enable you to avoid obstacles and discern opportunities that even your allies might overlook.

LEO July 23-Aug. 22

Underground fungal networks are essential for the health of ecosystems. They connect plant roots and facilitate transfers of nutrients, water and communication signals between various species. They enhance the fertility of the soil, helping plants thrive. In accordance with astrological indicators, I invite you to celebrate your equivalent of the underground fungal network. What is the web of relationships that enables you to thrive? Not just the obvious bonds, but the subtle ones, too: the barista who has memorized your order, the neighbor who waters your plants when youโ€™re away, the online ally who responds to your posts. Now is an excellent time to map and nurture these vital interconnections.

VIRGO Aug. 23-Sept. 22

Virgo author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie warns about โ€œthe danger of a single story.โ€ She tells us that authentic identity requires us to reject oversimplified narratives. As a Nigerian woman living in the US, she found that both Western and African audiences sought to reduce her to convenient categories. She has not only resisted that pressure, but also outwitted and outflanked it. Her diversity is intriguing. She mixes an appreciation for pop culture with serious cultural criticism. She addresses both academic and mainstream audiences. I offer her up as your role model, Virgo. In the coming weeks, may she inspire you to energetically express all your uncategorizable selves.

LIBRA Sept. 23-Oct. 22

Where have you not yet traveled but would like to? What frontiers would your imagination love for you to visit, but you have refrained? Now is the time to consider dropping inhibitions, outmoded habits and irrelevant rules that have prevented you from wandering farther and wider. You have full permission from life, karma and your future self to take smart risks that will lead you out of your comfort zone. What exotic sanctuary do you wish you had the courage to explore? What adventurous pilgrimage might activate aspects of your potential that are still half-dormant?

SCORPIO Oct. 23-Nov. 21

Astrologers say that Scorpio is ruled by three creatures that correspond to three ascending levels of spiritual maturity. The regular Scorpio person is ruled by the scorpion. Scorpios who are well underway with their spiritual work are ruled by the eagle. The Scorpio who has consistently succeeded at the hard and rewarding work of metaphorical death and resurrection is ruled by the phoenixโ€”the mythical bird that is reborn from the ashes of its own immolation. With this as our context, I am letting you know that no matter how evolved you are, the coming weeks will bring you rich opportunities to come more into your own as a brilliant phoenix.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 22-Dec. 21

Seas off the coast of Singapore are heavily polluted. Some of the coral reefs there are showing resilience, though. They have developed symbiotic relationships with certain algae and bacteria that were formerly hostile. Their robustness lies in their adaptability and their power to forge unlikely alliances. Thatโ€™s a good teaching for you right now. The strength you need isnโ€™t about maintaining fixed positions or rigid boundaries, but about being flexible. So I hope you will be alert and ready to connect with unfamiliar resources and unexpected help. A willingness to adjust and compromise will be a superpower.

CAPRICORN Dec. 22-Jan. 19

Sometimes, disruptions are helpful prods that nudge us to pay closer attention. An apparent malfunction might be trying to tell us some truth that our existing frameworks canโ€™t accommodate. I suspect this phenomenon might be occurring in your world. An area of your life that seems to be misfiring may in fact be highlighting a blind spot in your comprehension. Rather than fretting and purging the glitches, I will ask you to first consider what helpful information is being exposed. Suspend your judgment long enough to learn from apparent errors.

AQUARIUS Jan. 20-Feb. 18

This isnโ€™t the first time Iโ€™ve said that your ideas are ahead of their time. Now Iโ€™m telling you again, and adding that your intuitions, feelings and approaches are ahead of their time, too. As usual, your precociousness carries both potential benefits and problems. If people are flexible and smart enough to be open to your innovations, you will be rewarded. If others are rigid and oblivious, you may have to struggle to get the right things done. Hereโ€™s my advice: Focus on the joy of carrying out your innovations rather than getting caught up in fighting resistance.

PISCES Feb. 19-March 20

Sunlight canโ€™t penetrate deeper than 3,280 feet into the oceanโ€™s depths. Even at 650 feet down, a murky twilight zone prevails. But nearly 75 percent of deep-sea creatures can create their own light, thanks to a biochemical phenomenon called bioluminescence. Jellyfish, starfish and crustaceans are a few animals that glow. I propose we make them your symbols of power in the coming weeks, Pisces. I hope they incite you to be your own source of illumination as you summon all the resilience you need. If shadowy challenges arise, resolve to emit your steady brilliance. Inspire yourself and others with your subtle yet potent clarity.

Homework: What do you understand well and should share with others who would benefit from it? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

ยฉ Copyright 2025 Rob Brezsny

Free Will Astrology

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
Week of June 5

Tragedy + Time

Black-and-white photo of a guy backstage with his feet propped up
Aaron Fosterโ€™s show at the Actorsโ€™ Theatre on June 4 will be a one-man dive into the deep end with nothing but a mic as a flotation device.

AIDS Ride Hits Finish Line

People cycling down a rural road
Just over three decades ago, a group set out on a 545-mile bicycle journey that evolved into the worldโ€™s largest annual HIV/AIDS fundraiser.

Seeing Red? Highway 1 Bus Lanes Explained

Lanes of the freeway with one painted bright red
Large swaths of Highway 1 lanes between Soquel Drive and 41st Avenue have been painted bright red. What does this mean?

Street Talk

row of silhouettes of different people
What was your childhood pretend game?

Pride Parade Photos

Here are a bunch of shots from today's parade...

Street Talk

row of silhouettes of different people
Would you like to be famous? If so, for what?

The Editor’s Desk

Iโ€™ll never forget when my then 4-year-old son started to understand where food comes from. โ€œItโ€™s a good thing we donโ€™t eat animals,โ€ he said. โ€œWe eat food.โ€

Letters

fingers typing on a vintage typewriter
It is time for Mr. Driscoll to get a damn clue about organic farming. Our city of Watsonville is NOT a test zone for the pesticide and herbicide industry.

Free Will Astrology

Astrology, Horoscope, Stars, Zodiac Signs
ARIES March 21-April 19 The strongest, most enduring parts of Chinaโ€™s Great Wall were the 5,500 miles built during the Ming Dynasty, 1368-1644. One secret to their success was sticky rice, an essential ingredient in the mortar. The resulting structures have been remarkably water resistant. They hold their shape well, resist weed growth and get stronger as time passes. I...
17,623FansLike
8,845FollowersFollow