Free Will Astrology (8/7/24) 

LEO (Jul. 23-Aug. 22): I love the fact that Antarctica doesn't belong to anyone. Thirty nations have research stations there, but none of them controls what happens. Antarctica has no government! It has a few laws that almost everyone obeys, such as a ban on the introduction of nonindigenous plants and animals. But mostly it's untouched and untamed. Much of its geology is uncharted. Inspired by this singular land, I'd love for you to enjoy a phase of wild sovereignty and autonomy in the coming weeks. What can you do to express yourself with maximum freedom, answering primarily to the sacred laws of your own ardent nature?

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sep. 22): Babylonia was an ancient empire located in what's now Syria, Iraq and Iran. Among its citizens, there was a common belief that insomnia was the result of intrusive visitations by ancestral spirits. Their urge to communicate made it hard for their descendants to sleep. One supposed cure was to take dead relatives' skulls into bed, lick them and hold them close. I don't recommend this practice to you, Virgo. But I do advise you to consult with the spirits of deceased family members in the coming weeks. I suspect they have a lot to tell you. At the very least, I hope you will explore how you might benefit from studying and pondering your ancestors' lives.

LIBRA (Sep. 23-Oct. 22): Libran tennis player Naomi Osaka is one of the highest-paid women athletes ever. She is also a staunch political activist. That blend of qualities is uncommon. Why do I bring this to your attention? Because now is an excellent time to synergize your pragmatic devotion to financial success with idealistic work on behalf of noble causes. Doing both of these activities with extra intensity will place you in alignment with cosmic rhythms — even more so if you can manage to coordinate them.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio actor Sally Field told a story about an agent who worked for her early in her career. In those formative years, all of her roles were on TV. But she aspired to expand her repertoire. "You aren't good enough for movies," the agent told her. She fired him, and soon she was starring in films. Let's make this a teaching story for you, Scorpio. In the coming months, you will be wise to surround yourself with influences that support and encourage you. If anyone persistently underestimates you, they should not play a prominent role in your life's beautiful drama.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): One Sagittarius I know is building a giant sculpture of a humpback whale. Another Sagittarius is adding a woodshop studio onto her house so she can fulfill her dream of crafting and selling fine furniture. Of my other Sagittarius acquaintances, one is writing an epic narrative poem in Greek, another is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Northern California to the Columbia River in northern Oregon, and another has embarked on a long-postponed pilgrimage to Nigeria, the place of her ancestors' origin. Yes, many Sagittarians I know are thinking expansively, daring spicy challenges and attempting fun feats. Are you contemplating comparable adventures? Now is an excellent time for them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): When I opened my fortune cookie, I found a message that read, "If you would just shut up, you could hear God's voice." In response, I laughed, then got very quiet. I ruminated on how, yes, I express myself a lot. I'm constantly and enthusiastically riffing on ideas that are exciting to me. So I took the fortune cookie oracle to heart. I stopped talking and writing for two days. I retreated into a quiescent stillness and listened to other humans, animals and the natural world. Forty-five hours into the experiment, I did indeed hear God's voice. She said, "Thanks for making space to hear me. I love you and want you to thrive." She expounded further, providing me with three interesting clues that have proved to be helpful in practical ways. In accordance with your astrological omens, Capricorn, I invite you to do what I did.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Scientists at the University of California devised a cheap and fast method for unboiling an egg. Their effort wasn't frivolous. They were working with principles that could be valuable in treating certain cancers. Now I'm inviting you to experiment with metaphorical equivalents of unboiling eggs, Aquarius. You are in a phase when you will have extra power to undo results you're bored with or unsatisfied with. Your key words of power will be reversal, unfastening, unlocking and disentangling.

ARIES (Mar. 21-Apr. 19): Legend tells us that the first person to drink tea was Chinese emperor Shennong in 2737 BC. As he lounged outdoors, tree leaves fell into his cup of water and accidentally created an infusion. Good for him that he was willing to sample that accidental offering. It took many centuries, but eventually tea drinking spread throughout the world. And yet the first tea bag, an icon of convenience, didn't become available until 1904. I don't expect you will have to wait anywhere near that long to move from your promising new discoveries to the highly practical use of those discoveries. In fact, it could happen quickly. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to ripen your novel ideas, stellar insights and breakthrough innovations.

TAURUS (Apr. 20-May 20): I hope that in the coming months, Taurus, you will be refining your skills with joy and vigor. I hope you will devote yourself to becoming even more masterful at activities you already do well. I hope you will attend lovingly to details and regard discipline as a high art — as if doing so is the most important gift you can give to life. To inspire you in these noble quests, I offer you a quote by stage magician Harry Blackstone Jr.: "Practice until it becomes boring, then practice until it becomes beautiful."

GEMINI (May 21-Jun. 20): Wohlweh is a German word that means "good pain" or "pleasurable pain." It might refer to the feeling you have while scratching a mosquito bite or rubbing your eyes when they're itchy from allergies. But my favorite use of the word occurs when describing a deep-tissue massage that may be a bit harrowing, even as it soothes you and provides healing. That's a great metaphor for the kind of wohlweh I expect for you in the coming days. Here's a tip: The less you resist the strenuous "therapy," the better you will feel.

CANCER (Jun. 21-Jul. 22): I earn my living as a writer now, but for many years I had to work at odd jobs to keep from starving. One of the most challenging was tapping the sap of Vermont maple trees during the frigid weather of February. Few trees produce more than three gallons of sap per day, and it takes 40 to 50 gallons to create a single gallon of maple syrup. It was hard work that required a great deal of patience. According to my analysis, you Cancerians are in a metaphorically comparable situation these days. To get the good results you want, you may have to generate a lot of raw material — and that could take a while. Still, I believe that, in the end, you will think the strenuous effort has been well worth it.

PISCES (Feb. 19-Mar. 20): Every week, I imbibe all the honey from an eight-ounce jar, mostly in my cups of hot tea. To create that treat for me, bees made a million visits to flowers, collecting nectar. I am very grateful. The work that I do has similarities to what the bees do. I'm constantly gathering oracular ideas, meditating on the astrological signs and contemplating what inspirational messages my readers need to hear. This horoscope may not be the result of a million thoughts, but the number is large. What's the equivalent in your life, Pisces? What creative gathering and processing do you do? Now is a good time to revise, refine and deepen your relationship with it.