ARIES (March 21-April 19): Be extra polite and deferential. Cultivate an exaggerated respect for the status quo. Spend an inordinate amount of time watching dumb TV shows while eating junk food. Make sure you’re exposed to as little natural light and fresh air as possible. JUST KIDDING! I lied! Ignore everything I just said! Here’s my real advice: Dare yourself to feel strong positive emotions. Tell secrets to animals and trees. Swim and dance and meditate naked. Remember in detail the three best experiences you’ve ever had. Experiment with the way you kiss. Create a blessing that surprises you and everyone else. Sing new love songs. Change something about yourself you don’t like. Ask yourself unexpected questions, then answer them with unruly truths that have medicinal effects.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your past is not quite what it seems. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to find out why—and make the necessary adjustments. A good way to begin would be to burrow back into your old stories and unearth the half-truths buried there. It’s possible that your younger self wasn’t sufficiently wise to understand what was really happening all those months and years ago, and as a result distorted the meaning of the events. I suspect, too, that some of your memories aren’t actually your own, but rather other people’s versions of your history. You may not have time to write a new memoir right now, but it might be healing to spend a couple of hours drawing up a revised outline of your important turning points.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One of the most famously obtuse book-length poems in the English language is Robert Browning’s Sordello, published in 1840. After studying it at length, Alfred Tennyson, who was Great Britain’s Poet Laureate from 1850 to 1892, confessed, “There were only two lines in it that I understood.” Personally, I did better than Tennyson, managing to decipher 18 lines. But I bet that if you read this dense, multi-layered text in the coming weeks, you would do better than me and Tennyson. That’s because you’ll be at the height of your cognitive acumen. Please note: I suggest you use your extra intelligence for more practical purposes than decoding obtuse texts.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Ready for your financial therapy session? For your first assignment, make a list of the valuable qualities you have to offer the world, and write a short essay about why the world should abundantly reward you for them. Assignment #2: Visualize what it feels like when your valuable qualities are appreciated by people who matter to you. #3: Say this: “I am a rich resource that ethical, reliable allies want to enjoy.” #4: Say this: “My scruples can’t be bought for any amount of money. I may rent my soul, but I’ll never sell it outright.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): As you wobble and stumble into the New World, you shouldn’t pretend you understand more than you actually do. In fact, I advise you to play up your innocence and freshness. Gleefully acknowledge you’ve got a lot to learn. Enjoy the liberating sensation of having nothing to prove. That’s not just the most humble way to proceed; it’ll be your smartest and most effective strategy. Even people who have been a bit skeptical of you before will be softened by your vulnerability. Opportunities will arise because of your willingness to be empty and open and raw.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Since 1358, the city of Paris has used the Latin motto Fluctuat nec mergitur, which can be translated as “She is tossed by the waves but does not sink.” I propose that we install those stirring words as your rallying cry for the next few weeks. My analysis of the astrological omens gives me confidence that even though you may encounter unruly weather, you will sail on unscathed. What might be the metaphorical equivalent of taking seasick pills?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Spanish word delicadeza can have several meanings in English, including “delicacy” and “finesse.” The Portuguese word delicadeza has those meanings, as well as others, including “tenderness,” “fineness,” “suavity,” “respect,” and “urbanity.” In accordance with current astrological omens, I’m making it your word of power for the next three weeks. You’re in a phase when you will thrive by expressing an abundance of these qualities. It might be fun to temporarily give yourself the nickname Delicadeza.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Uninformed scientists scorn my oracles. Reductionist journalists say I’m just another delusional fortune teller. Materialist cynics accuse me of pandering to people’s superstition. But I reject those naive perspectives. I define myself as a psychologically astute poet who works playfully to liberate my readers’ imaginations with inventive language, frisky stories, and unpredictable ideas. Take a cue from me, Scorpio, especially in the next four weeks. Don’t allow others to circumscribe what you do or who you are. Claim the power to characterize yourself. Refuse to be squeezed into any categories, niches, or images—except those that squeeze you the way you like to be squeezed.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature. My attachments are always excessively strong.” So said Sagittarian novelist Jane Austen. I don’t have any judgment about whether her attitude was right or wrong, wise or ill-advised. How about you? Whatever your philosophical position might be, I suggest that for the next four weeks you activate your inner Jane Austen and let that part of you shine—not just in relation to whom and what you love but also with everything that rouses your passionate interest. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’re due for some big, beautiful, radiant zeal.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “There are truths I haven’t even told God,” confessed Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector. “And not even myself. I am a secret under the lock of seven keys.” Are you harboring any riddles or codes or revelations that fit that description, Capricorn? Are there any sparks or seeds or gems that are so deeply concealed they’re almost lost? If so, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to bring them up out of their dark hiding places. If you’re not quite ready to show them to God, you should at least unveil them to yourself. Their emergence could spawn a near-miracle or two.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What are your goals for your top two alliances or friendships? By that I mean, what would you like to accomplish together? How do you want to influence and inspire each other? What effects do you want your relationships to have on the world? Now maybe you’ve never even considered the possibility of thinking this way. Maybe you simply want to enjoy your bonds and see how they evolve rather than harnessing them for greater goals. That’s fine. No pressure. But if you are interested in shaping your connections with a more focused sense of purpose, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to do so.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Janet Fitch’s novel White Oleander, a character makes a list of “twenty-seven names for tears,” including “Heartdew. Griefhoney. Sadwater. Die tränen. Eau de douleur. Los rios del corazón.” (The last three can be translated as “The Tears,” “Water of Pain,” and “The Rivers of the Heart.”) I invite you to emulate this playfully extravagant approach to the art of crying. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to celebrate and honor your sadness, as well as all of the other rich emotions that provoke tears. You’ll be wise to feel profound gratitude for your capacity to feel so deeply. For best results, go in search of experiences and insights that will unleash the full cathartic power of weeping. Act as if empathy is a superpower.

Homework: Do you have a liability that could be turned into an asset with a little (or a lot of) work? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

In this last week of July, with Sun in Leo (I am by what I create), humanity is experiencing seven retrogrades—Mercury (communication, thinking), Mars (action), Saturn (restructuring), Neptune (spiritualizing), Pluto (transforming), Vesta (the self as a newly discovered reality, the fire within), and Chiron (the wound leading to suffering, leading to awareness, leading to healing, leading to understanding).

Retrogrades create a time of remembering for humanity. In October (Oct. 5-Nov. 16) Venus retrogrades (in Libra) and Mercury, too (in Sag). By the second week of December, the retrograde season is over.

What is a “retrograde season” and how do we respond? A season is a cluster of months (spring, summer, autumn, winter). When retrogrades occur, it signals a time of rest for humanity, a moving inward. Everything turns inside out, upside down, the usual day-to-day becomes the unexpected and different.

Multiple retrogrades can create unease, tension and pressure upon humanity.

We can become irritated and out of sorts. Communication (Mercury) becomes miscommunication. Moving forward (Mars), takes us two steps back. Memories flood us. Sadness sometimes, too. We remember what hurts (Chiron). And how we have hurt others. Some return to church (Neptune) or to drugs/alcohol (unskillful level of Neptune). We seek love and harmony (Venus), but it’s unavailable. Our entire world seems transformed (Pluto). And it is.

Let us consider this. If the entire world of humanity (98 percent) has turned inward, what happens to the outer world? Chaos ensues, conflicts, too. And then we remember. Retrogrades are times to assess past actions, events, situations. A time to reassess, reanalyze, reassemble, review, reorganize, reevaluate, reexamine, reconsider, and revise. Retrogrades help us change. In the night sky, through August, we can actually see Mars. It’s the red “star” in the sky.  

ARIES: Mars is what propels you. It’s is your physical energy. During this time, you may experience interactions slowing down, not working in ways expected. It’s good to understand retrogrades. Because there can be anger and frustration. It’s good to allow setbacks to be taken in stride. And to know that different opportunities will be offered. When interruptions occur at work, just refocus and review everything. Something from the past becomes important.

TAURUS: The task for Hercules in the sign of Cancer was to lift up instincts and intellect to the intuition; holding intuition close to the heart. Your intuition is very keen. You are able to sense the false, deceptive and unreal. Things you planned on doing may experience setbacks. Simply reorient yourself to a different agenda. One that changes day to day. Review previous studies, cultural interests and important goals. Do you have the same aspirations?

GEMINI: During retrogrades our enthusiasm for interactions in the world slows down. Life becomes an internal drama, we’re more cautious, we question more, we wonder about past choices and if we should redo them. We want to refine and perfect, refocus and review, reorganize and reorder. Especially our old ways of thinking and old beliefs. Money and communication with intimates can become complicated. Look at finances once, twice, three times. Review everything.

CANCER: Finances, insurance, shared resources—all of these may need to be explored once again. Review all previous transactions. Fix what’s broken. And don’t allow any buried anger to surface and hurt others. Have the intention to manage emotions with equanimity and poise. Communication may be difficult. Something may become an obsession. Reassess how you approach relationships. Find ways to have more kindness, less protection under your shell. Reach out and touch the heart of everything.

LEO: You may be looking deep within the self, assessing communications in past relationships. Nothing is clear or direct. There is such a focus upon the past that the present doesn’t seem to exist. Assessing one’s behavior within relationships is important at this time. Relationships with everything, not just lovers. This is very important inner work. Daily schedules and agendas may change. Notice setbacks, hindrances. Work around them with agility and poise. You’re always the leader.

VIRGO: You may feel less than enthused about your present daily life. Projects and routines may have lost their luster. Work may seem difficult, unexciting. Expressing the self may be frustrating. It’s a good time to reorganize all levels of everyday life. Experiment with different time schedules, ways of eating, exercise, walks and chats in the garden. Notice any anxieties, confusion, preoccupations or changes of heart.

LIBRA: It’s time to return to your artistic abilities, a creative project previously put away. Time to reconsider leisure, work, travel and creative self-identity. Time to consider new approaches to interactions with friends, groups and your future. Are you questioning something? Remembering will produce feelings, deep and complicated. There could be exhaustion, too. It’s time also to rest more. Giving you time to contemplate, to ponder, to understand more and to forgive.

SCORPIO: All Scorpios are deeply affected by Mars and Mercury retrogrades. Mars brings the Nine Tests of Discipleship. And Mercury informs Scorpio (especially) to be careful of thoughts and words, which either create or destroy. In the meantime things around the home begin to have a life of their own. Breakdowns may occur, things long waiting to be fixed won’t wait anymore. Family situations occur, emotional issues from the past appear. Siblings call needing help. Daily routines aren’t anymore. No matter the situation, carry on, Scorpio.

SAGITTARIUS: Here are the areas of life that may be affected in some ways. Observe them. And go on your way. Creativity, recreation, pleasure, children, hobbies, love affairs, enthusiasm, creative projects, leisure. Or perhaps ideas, thoughts, self-expression, social interactions, communication, money making and security. In all these things, one after another, something may occur that makes you rethink past actions. You will revise some things, eliminate many others. In between times use mantras to reorganize your thinking.

CAPRICORN: Is the issue of money or resources up for discussion? Do you feel that you are a resource for your family and friends? Things may come quite up-close and personal. Emotions may be volatile. Are you responding or reacting? What needs refining, reorganizing, rethinking and/or repaired? What is creating frustration? What are you concerned about and need answers for? Is there a need to redo or coordinate something? What initiatives do you want to put into place after the retrogrades?

AQUARIUS: It’s important to realize that everything you have done has been perfect. And according to plan. Aquarians are sometimes hard on themselves, thinking they don’t do enough, aren’t enough of something. They worry a lot, too. However, it’s important to know that Aquarians are quite different than most of humanity. Aquarians come from another star system, from the future. They don’t perform or accomplish things like the rest of humanity. They have different tasks altogether. Aquarius, you’re perfect.

PISCES: You’re hidden away for a while, Pisces. As it should be. It’s time for resting more, contemplating the future, reaffirming dreams or letting them go. Something has changed in your work. A new level of study has appeared after many months of preparation. It’s important to tend to health now, to assess what’s needed for your well-being. Focus on the little things that make up each day. Accomplish each task with order and strive to do your very best. One’s best is better than perfect.