Free Will astrology for the week of May 16, 2018.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): According to my assessment of the astrological omens, your duty right now is to be a brave observer and fair-minded intermediary and honest storyteller. Your people need you to help them do the right thing. They require your influence in order to make good decisions. So if you encounter lazy communication, dispel it with your clear and concise speech. If you find that foggy thinking has started to infect important discussions, inject your clear and concise insights.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A chemist named Marcellus Gilmore Edson got a patent on peanut butter in 1894. A businessperson named George Bayle started selling peanut butter as a snack in 1894. In 1901, a genius named Julia David Chandler published the first recipe for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. In 1922, another pioneer came up with a new process for producing peanut butter that made it taste better and last longer. In 1928, two trailblazers invented loaves of sliced bread, setting the stage for the ascension of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich to its full glory. According to my analysis, Taurus, you’re part way through your own process of generating a very practical marvel. I suspect you’re now at a phase equivalent to Julia David Chandler’s original recipe. Onward! Keep going!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One of the most popular brands of candy in North America is Milk Duds. They’re irregularly shaped globs of chocolate caramel. When they were first invented in 1926, the manufacturer’s plan was to make them perfect little spheres. But with the rather primitive technology available at that time, this proved impossible. The finished products were blobs, not globes. They tasted good, though. Workers jokingly suggested that the new confection’s name include “dud,” a word meaning “failure” or “flop.” Having sold well now for more than 90 years, Milk Duds have proved that success doesn’t necessarily require perfection. Who knows? Maybe their dud-ness has been an essential part of their charm. I suspect there’s a metaphorical version of Milk Duds in your future, Gemini.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In my vision of your life in the coming weeks, you’re hunting for the intimate power that you lost a while back. After many twists and trials, you find it almost by accident in a seemingly unimportant location, a place you have paid little attention to for a long time. When you recognize it, and realize you can reclaim it, your demeanor transforms. Your eyes brighten, your skin glows, your body language galvanizes. A vivid hope arises in your imagination: how to make that once-lost, now-rediscovered power come alive again and be of use to you in the present time.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The etymological dictionary says that the English slang word “cool” meant “calmly audacious” as far back as 1825. The term “groovy” was first used by jazz musicians in the 1930s to signify “performing well without grandstanding.” “Hip,” which was originally “hep,” was also popularized by the jazz community. It meant, “informed, aware, up-to-date.” I’m bringing these words to your attention because I regard them as your words of power in the coming weeks. You can be and should be as hip, cool, and groovy as you have been in a long time.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I hope you will seek out influences that give you grinning power over your worries. I hope you’ll be daring enough to risk a breakthrough in service to your most demanding dream. I hope you will make an effort to understand yourself as your best teacher might understand you. I hope you will find out how to summon more faith in yourself—a faith not rooted in lazy wishes but in a rigorous self-assessment. Now here’s my prediction: You will fulfill at least one of my hopes, and probably more.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Polish pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski once performed for England’s Queen Victoria. Since she possessed that bygone era’s equivalent of a backstage pass, she was able to converse with him after the show. “You’re a genius,” she told him, having been impressed with his artistry. “Perhaps, Your Majesty,” Paderewski said. “But before that I was a drudge.” He meant that he had labored long and hard before reaching the mastery the Queen attributed to him. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you Libras are currently in an extended “drudge” phase of your own. That’s a good thing! Take maximum advantage of this opportunity to slowly and surely improve your skills.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The ancient Greek poet Simonides was among the first of his profession to charge a fee for his services. He made money by composing verses on demand. On one occasion, he was asked to write a stirring tribute to the victor of a mule race. He declined, declaring that his sensibilities were too fine to create art for such a vulgar activity. In response, his potential patron dramatically boosted the proposed price. Soon thereafter, Simonides produced a rousing ode that included the phrase “wind-swift steeds.” I offer the poet as a role model for you in the coming weeks, Scorpio. Be more flexible than usual about what you’ll do to get the reward you’d like.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Here’s the operative metaphor for you these days: You’re like a painter who has had a vision of an interesting work of art you could create—but who lacks some of the paint colors you would require to actualize this art. You may also need new types of brushes you haven’t used before. So here’s how I suggest you proceed: Be aggressive in tracking down the missing ingredients or tools that will enable you to accomplish your as-yet imaginary masterpiece.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Useful revelations and provocative epiphanies are headed your way. But they probably won’t arrive sheathed in sweetness and light, accompanied by tinkling swells of celestial music. It’s more likely they’ll come barging in with a clatter, bringing bristly marvels and rough hope. In a related matter: At least one breakthrough is in your imminent future. But this blessing is more likely to resemble a wrestle in the mud than a dance on a mountaintop. None of this should be a problem, however! I suggest you enjoy the rugged but interesting fun.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): One of the saddest aspects of our lives as humans is the disparity between love and romance. Real love is hard work. It’s unselfish, unwavering, and rooted in generous empathy. Romance, on the other hand, tends to be capricious and inconstant, often dependent on the fluctuations of mood and chemistry. Is there anything you could do about this crazy-making problem, Aquarius? Like could you maybe arrange for your romantic experiences to be more thoroughly suffused with the primal power of unconditional love? I think this is a realistic request, especially in the coming weeks. You will have exceptional potential to bring more compassion and spiritual affection into your practice of intimacy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to dream up new rituals. The traditional observances and ceremonies bequeathed to you by your family and culture may satisfy your need for comfort and nostalgia, but not your need for renewal and reinvention. Imagine celebrating homemade rites of passage designed not for who you once were but for the new person you’ve become. You may be delighted to discover how much power they provide you to shape your life’s long-term cycles. Ready to conjure up a new ritual right now? Take a piece of paper and write down two fears that inhibit your drive to create a totally interesting kind of success for yourself. Then burn that paper and those fears in the kitchen sink while chanting “I am a swashbuckling incinerator of fears!”

Homework: Do something that you will remember with pride and passion until the end of your days. Testify at Freewillastrology.com.

Tuesday of this week, at the Taurus new moon, Uranus, planet of change, revolution and revelations, left Aries (self-identity) and entered Taurus (values, resources and the Art of Living). Uranus changing signs is very important; the entire tenor of our world changes. Rhythms, vibrations, tones, rays, thoughts, ideas, and the past all change. We enter into the new Art of Living.

With Uranus in Aries for seven years, we have been searching for our true identity. Now, as Uranus enters Taurus, we will anchor that new state of self-identity along with new values (Taurus). Taurus takes the initiating ideas of Aries, and anchors them in practical and useful (Taurus is an Earth sign) ways. With Uranus entering Taurus, everyone shifts into a new state of reality, new rhythms and revelations. The archetypes shift.

From Aries’ questions of self-identity, to Taurus asking us, “What is of value; am I of value; what do I value? From self-identity to self-value. Uranus awakens us.

Wherever Taurus is located in our astrology charts, that area of life will be roused, stirred, interrupted, disrupted, unsettled, shifted, changed, enlightened and illuminated. Surprisingly and quickly! This is how Uranus works.

Taurus transforms and uplifts all that it contacts; producing within us an inner Light through the actions of Ray 4—out of conflict, struggle and discord, a new state of coherence and Harmony emerges. We move from darkness to Light, the unreal to the real, from chaos to Beauty—the new archetypes for the next seven years.

ARIES: You will feel more impulsive than usual; more fiery, intelligent, and more and more you will seek freedom of expression and freedom from the past which feels imprisoning to you. Daily chants and the repeating of Om … their sounds will break up any obstructions hindering you from moving swiftly forward. New patterns come forth. New self-identity and a new look, too!

TAURUS: A new set of values comes forth, awakening you to areas of life never realized or seen before. Old attitudes from the past simply fall away. Taurus is a most material sign, a good thing at first. But there is the new “spiritual materialism” manifesting. Where all that we say, do and have are offered for humanity’s well-being. New income based upon spiritual endeavors appears. You are to be future-oriented, inventive and progressive.

GEMINI: New ideas, concepts, thoughts, realities, and studies will appear. Often Geminis are bored with the usual ho hum thinking. With Uranus entering Taurus, new worlds of ideas open up. You will need courage to recognize, integrate and use them in daily life. At first you feel disoriented. But not for long. Gemini adapts to this and that easily. A new self-expression comes forth. Are you studying your astrology? Uranus rules it!

CANCER: Everything you held onto as stability shifts into a state of change. Daily life may feel disrupted; things, events, people, even your thinking may feel erratic. Plans will change. You will need to call upon great patience to sustain yourself. Know that new approaches now must be incorporated so that you once again feel in control. The Tibetan teacher tells us to “adapt to all that occurs.” Adaptation frees us.

LEO: You will express yourself in unusual and creative ways. A new level of creativity is awakening. Nothing will be like before. Everything will feel out of the ordinary. Relationships with children and lovers and your relationship to creativity will be surprising. Inhibitions fall away. And a greater understanding of others comes forth. You will feel playful, spontaneous. Be more eccentric. It’s more interesting.

VIRGO: You will shake yourself free from daily routines and expected behaviors. Your life takes on a new and fresh perspective. Changes in daily life will create disruptions and you adapt to them easily. You may feel restless, out of rhythm. That’s because Uranus is bringing in new rhythms and new archetypes. Allow yourself to perform unconventional tasks. Be inventive. Take up tai chi, yoga and chanting.

LIBRA: Be as reliable a partner as you can be. When Uranus enters Taurus, you find relationships that have become tired and worn out will fall away. You begin to look at relationships differently. Do not allow feelings of limitation or rebelliousness to interfere with loving others. You want to break free from all restrictions. Both love and freedom can exist side by side. Be gentle, be kind and forgive always. These create the freedoms you seek.

SCORPIO: Tend to finances and resources very carefully. Don’t skip over any details, especially with finances and resources shared with another. Tend to all taxes, loans, bills, etc. on time and with care. When these are completed you are free to pursue other interests. Deep unconscious waters (desires, feelings, the past, etc.) come to the surface, press upward, gather force and crash out into one’s daily life. You handle this with pose. Be honest. Joy follows.

SAGITTARIUS: Uranus in Taurus brings the practical knowledge of our origins to the surface so that we can know the truth of our adventures here on Earth. Some of us will recapture ancient theologies. Some will question all assumptions. Some will know that the unfoldment of the Soul is what gives direction. Some of us will travel to parts unknown and travel with the ancients. Everything will be bright, brilliant, abrupt, progressive, and unexpected!

CAPRICORN: Career changes come as a surprise. Unusual offers, too. Everything that defines a Capricorn in the world seems to shape shift. Caps love tradition. But Uranus lets tradition fall to the wayside so a new future can come forth. Look at what is occurring in Hawaii with the volcanoes. Earth’s inner fires burning the crust of the Earth. This “burning” of the past has evolutionary purpose, allowing you to come forth in the world with both greater brilliance and higher purpose.

AQUARIUS: Friends and social acquaintances grow in surprising ways. You meet new people; unusual circumstances occur in groups. You might join a spiritual group of like-minded people. You always need freedom, nothing limiting you. Aquarians are unique, inventive and surprising. One day everything changes. What we thought we wanted isn’t there anymore. Something new takes its place. We are happier.

PISCES: All of the past—habits, behaviors, things that hurt and traumatized us, all that we did to others unconsciously—these come to light and we approach them tentatively, at first. Then we stand at their very center and we change the outcomes. We visualize the right ways, the ways that promote Goodwill and forgiveness. Then all of the elements that hurt us and others simply disappear into a cloud of safety and goodness. This occurs slowly yet surely, with precision and purity.