Aries Mar 21 | Apr 19 “Those who know how to win are much more numerous than those who know how to make proper use of their victories.” So said the ancient Greek historian Polybius, and now I’m conveying the message to you. I hope it will serve as a spur in the wake of your recent triumph. Will you be content with merely basking in the glow, frittering away the provocative potentials? Or will you get down to business and use your new advantages to upgrade your destiny to what we might refer to as Aries 2.0?

Taurus Apr 20 | May 20 “Whatever shines should be observed,” said 19th-century astronomer William Herschel, discoverer of the planet Uranus. He was referring to his specialty, heavenly bodies, but I’d like to expand the meaning for your use. According to my analysis, it has become very important for you to notice, observe and think about anything that shines. Doing so will tune you in to exactly what you need to know in order to make the best decisions in the coming weeks.

Gemini May 21 | Jun 20 “One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time,” wrote French author André Gide. I’m guessing that 2009 was a time when you embarked on such a search, Gemini – a half-blind, groping exploration that asked you to leave the past behind without knowing where the future lay. By now, though, I suspect you have sighted the shore of your new frontier. If you haven’t yet, it’ll happen soon.

Cancer Jun 21 | Jul 22 I wonder if you can handle this much healing intensity, Cancerian. The possibilities for transforming difficult parts of your life are substantial. I’ll name a few ways this could play out: 1. A confusing riddle may be partially solved through a semi-divine intervention. 2. A sore spot could be soothed thanks to the power of your curiosity. 3. An ignorance that has caused you pain may be illuminated, allowing you to suffer less. 4. If you can summon the capacity to generously tolerate uncertainty, you may find and rehabilitate an orphaned part of your life. I’m not saying for sure that any of this stuff will happen, but the odds are favourable that at least one will.

Leo Jul 23 | Aug 22 What will it be, Leo? A time of rampaging ids and slamming doors and lost opportunities? Of strange smells and sweeping views of other people’s hells? Or will this be the week you finally slip into the magic sanctuary and track down the secret formula? Will this be the breakthrough moment when you outmanoeuvre the “dragon” with that non-violent “weapon” you’ve been saving for when it was absolutely necessary? It really is up to you. Either scenario could unfold. You have to decide which one you prefer, and then set your intention.

Virgo Aug 23 | Sep 22 I don’t mean to alarm you, but I think you may be in a light hypnotic trance right now. It’s possible that the thrumming hum of your routine has shut down some of your normal alertness, lowering your awareness of certain situations that you really need to tune in to. Let’s do something about this! When I count to three, you will hereby snap out of your daze and become fully awake. 1... 2... 3. Now look around you and get yourself more closely in touch with your immediate environment. Make an effort to vividly see and hear and smell everything that’s going on. This will have the effect of mobilizing your subconscious mind. Then, for a period of at least five days, you’ll have a kind of X-ray vision.

Libra Sep 23 | Oct 22 You would stir up some good fortune for yourself if you brought meals to shut-ins or gave a little presentation at an old folks’ home or donated your old laptop to a low-income family. Oddly enough, it’s also an excellent time for you to scratch and claw for a bigger market share or to get the upper hand on a competitor or to bring your creative ideas to people in a position to help you. That’s the odd thing about this week. Capitalist-style self-promotion and actualized compassion will not only co-exist, they’ll have a symbiotic relationship.

Scorpio Oct 23 | Nov 21 Last week was the anniversary of my very first weekly horoscope column, which appeared years ago in the Good Times, a newspaper in Santa Cruz, California. My initial effort was crude and a bit reckless compared to what I eventually learned to create. And yet it was imbued with a primal fervour and heartfelt adventurousness that had a certain charm, and many people seemed to find it useful. Today I bow down to that early effort, honouring it for the seed it sprouted and thanking it for the blessings it led to. I encourage you to do something similar to what I just described, Scorpio: pay homage to the origins that made it possible for you to be who you have become.

Sagittarius Nov 22 | Dec 21 In the Choctaw language, there are two kinds of past tenses. In one, you speak about an event or experience that you personally know to be a fact. In the other, you deliver information that you have acquired second-hand and therefore can’t definitely vouch for. In my perfect world, you Sagittarians would find a way to incorporate this perspective into all your communications during the coming week. In other words, you would consistently distinguish between the unimpeachable truth and the alleged truth. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this would give you great power to influence the rhythms of life to flow in your favour.

Capricorn Dec 22 | Jan 19 “The great composer does not set to work because he is inspired,” wrote music critic Ernest Newman, “but becomes inspired because he is working. Beethoven, Wagner, Bach and Mozart settled down day after day to the job in hand. They didn’t waste time waiting for inspiration.” I think what Newman said applies to those working in any field where creativity is needed – which is really just about every field. Given your current astrological omens, Capricorn, it’s especially apropos for you now. This is an excellent time to increase your mastery of the kind of discipline that spurs inventive thought and surprising breakthroughs.

Aquarius Jan 20 | Feb 18 I got an email from an Aquarian reader complaining that the astrologers she consulted in early 2009, including me, were wrong about the year ahead. All of us said it would be a time of expansion and opening for your tribe, a phase of rapid growth and fresh energy. But according to this reader, 2009 turned out to be very different. Every Aquarius she knew had a tough ride. Here’s my response: Expansion and opening did indeed occur, but their initial effects weren’t what you expected. They shattered the old containers of your life in order to make it possible for you to create new, bigger containers that would be more suitable for the person you’re becoming. And this year, 2010, is when you will work in earnest to create those new containers. Now’s a good time to dig in.

Pisces Feb 19 | Mar 20 I wish you could aim tachyon particles through an inverted positronic array while simultaneously modulating synaptical relays through an anti-matter torque-buffer. This would bend the space-time continuum back to a point before your recent detour began. Then, armed with knowledge of the future, you’d be able to navigate your way more elegantly through the crazy mash of illusions and misunderstandings. But since the high-tech solution I described may not be possible, I suggest that instead you clear your head of theories about why people are doing what they’re doing. Slow yourself down so completely that you can see the majestic flicker of eternity hidden in every moment. Be a flame of love, not a swamp of self-justification. And send humble notes and witty gifts to anyone whose links with you got tweaked.

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