FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning October 18
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*


LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In China's Zhejiang province, many of the cities
specialize in making a single product. For example, Datang township
manufactures one-third of all the world's socks. Wenzhou creates 70
percent of the cigarette lighters on the planet, and Songxia has cornered
the market on umbrellas, churning out 350 million per year. I'm not
necessarily saying that you should copy their approach, Libra. But if you
have recently had inklings about cultivating a certain specialty you'd love
to pursue with more intensity, the coming weeks will be an ideal time to
set that process in motion.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Dear Rob: Three and a half weeks ago, I had
a dream that I was an archaeologist excavating hell. I took comfort in the
fact that I was just a visitor, not a permanent resident, but my stay there
was . . . well, hellish. Whenever I found an interesting artifact buried in the
hot dirt, it would spontaneously ignite. I narrowly avoided getting burned
again and again. Anyway, my actual waking life has pretty much felt like
that ever since the dream. Yesterday, though, I felt the torment lifting.
And then last night I dreamed of floating in a fireproof boat along an
underground molten river of lava that eventually took me out to a green
meadow under blue skies. Whew! -Sizzled Scorpio." Dear Sizzled: Your
journey parallels that of many of your fellow Scorpios. Welcome back from
hell!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): While traveling long distances, birds are
constantly napping. They can close one eye at a time, allowing one side of
the brain to sleep. I hope you'll be inspired by their technique in the
coming weeks, Sagittarius -- not by literally snoozing in mid-air as you
soar across abysses during your leaps of faith, of course.  Rather, I'm
suggesting that you become a master of inducing utter relaxation for
brief spells *between* each of your daring, heart-pounding exploits. Stay
poised, good-natured, and full of grace even while you're in the thick of
adventure.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Your symbol of power in the coming week
is a book by businessman Robert Rodin entitled *Free, Perfect, and Now:
Connecting to the Three Insatiable Customer Demands.* He talks about
how important it is for a company to provide cheap prices, excellent
quality, and quick responses. That's a good formula for you to remember
as you brainstorm about how to generate greater interest in the products
and services and experiences you create. But I also encourage you to
meditate on the theme of *free, perfect, and now* in its widest sense.
How can you bring more of the exuberant spirit of that mantra into
everything you do?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You now have the potential to do in your
own field what painter Joe Bravo has done in his own field: branch out in
unexpected directions and claim territory few people have ever explored.
Bravo executes his works of art not on canvases but on tortillas, some of
which are almost three feet in diameter. He earns as much as $3,000 for
his masterpieces. In your own sphere, Aquarius, what would be the
equivalent to painting on tortillas? This is a perfect time to make a move.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his book *Shamanism: Archaic Techniques
of Ecstasy,* religious scholar Mircea Eliade speaks of *Qaumaneq,* a
special capacity that may be magically obtained by Eskimo shamans. It's
"a mysterious light the shaman feels inside his head, an inexplicable
searchlight, a luminous fire. It enables him to see in the dark, both literally
and metaphorically speaking, even with closed eyes, allowing him to see
through darkness and perceive things that are hidden from others." Even
if you're not an Eskimo shaman, Pisces, you now have the potential to
wield a power with resemblances to *Qaumaneq.*

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In his book *The Primary Colors,* Alexander
Theroux writes that yellow is the color of "early bruises, forbidding skies,
dead leaves, dental plaque, foul curtains, speed bumps, and callused
feet." And yet, he muses, yellow is also the color of "the generous sun,
butter, candlelight, ripening grain, translucent amber, and spring itself." I
suspect that in the coming week, Aries, you will have encounters with a
situation that is as paradoxical as yellow. Whether your experience is
more like wrapping yourself in foul curtains or basking in the generous sun
may depend largely on whether you summon a determination to see the
best in everything.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Speaking on the authority of the expansive
planet Jupiter, I hereby free you from all inferior temptations. In the
coming weeks, you will, by cosmic decree, be enticed by only the finest,
most uplifting temptations. That doesn't mean you should automatically
succumb to the charms of those temptations. The more important point
is that you should allow them to influence you -- to change you around
every which way. Trust that the impact they have on you, as they invite
you to follow them, will inspire you to express yourself more beautifully
and upgrade your relationship with yourself.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Last August, a woman in Pennsylvania
experienced a miracle when she cut open an eggplant. The seeds were
arrayed in the shape of the word "God." Felicia Teske regarded it as a
divine sign that had been sent to comfort her for some difficulties she
had recently experienced. She felt deep gratitude for the gift.
Nevertheless, she cooked up the vegetable and served it to her family for
dinner, though not before saving a slice that she offered for sale on eBay.
I urge you to follow Felicia's lead in the coming week, Gemini. Magnetize
yourself to epiphanies and breakthroughs that will simultaneously feed
your soul, your body, and your bank account.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): You could be like a thunderstorm that
rejuvenates a parched landscape. At the same time, you have the power
to express yourself like a thousand-foot waterfall. Why not take
advantage of both these potentials? Be both helpful and charismatic,
nurturing and alluring. Be of humble service as you flout your
magnificence. This is one of those grace periods when you can do good
and look good and feel good. I hereby dub thee the Flow Master.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): For years, rural villagers in China's Henan province
cooked and ate the giant bones they found buried in the earth. They
believed they were ingesting what was left of flying dragons, thereby
drawing on the creatures' healing powers. But a year ago, scientists from
the big city informed the villagers that the magic bones were actually the
skeletal remains of dinosaurs, not dragons. In the wake of this revelation,
some people have stuck to their belief in the curative properties of the
bones, while others have decided that they were deluded and moved on. I
expect that you will soon come to a comparable fork, Leo: You'll discover
surprising, possibly disruptive information about a source whose energy
you've drawn on for a long time. Will you leave it behind or will you
reinvent your relationship? I don't know what the right decision is, only
that you should trust your own intuition, not anyone else's.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A study by the University of London's
Institute of Psychiatry concluded that overindulgence in text messaging
and emailing typically leads to a ten-point loss in IQ, whereas pot-smoking
causes a decline of only four points. You probably won't have to worry
about either of those dangers for a few weeks, though, since you're
entering an astrological phase when your mind will be working more
efficiently than usual. In fact, given how smart you'll just naturally be, you
could actually afford to kill off some brain cells. Even if you toke up while
texting, your IQ is likely to be above your normal level.