Aries (March 20-April 19) — Who you really are is directly involved in all the things about yourself that you do not say. Put another way, just about all of the substance of your being is invested in what you don’t talk about, don’t reveal, and may not have discovered. In that spirit, I suggest making a deep and detailed inventory of all the places and topics about which you are usually silent. Go into the territory you hide not only from others, but from yourself. I mean, this could take years, though you could start with three items, ideas, intentions or desires. These are going to be things you’re not only reluctant to say to someone else but also reluctant to write down. And the question is, why is that exactly? Why the secrecy about such basic elements of who you are? That’s another list: who you might offend, what you might shake up, and what you stand to lose. Those are excuses, which are designed to conceal something else: the fear of either change (which often means progress), or of being in your creativity and self-authority. By avoiding these things, you dodge responsibility —that much is true. Yet what you really avoid is the edge. The edge is where you exist in a state that seems like total uncertainty. It’s easier to stand back, far away, or retreat into a cave and stick to what seems totally familiar. Until you can’t stand it anymore.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) — You’re at the point of a profound breakthrough, something you’ve been working up to for years. That’s Taurus for you — take it super-duper slow, and adjust to every little change, decide how you feel about it, think it over a few more times, contemplate whether you’re really safe, have a hot cocoa with whipped cream even though it’s May because why not, vacuum out the car and do nothing whatsoever to compromise having the next three months’ rent set aside. However, this is not how breakthroughs work. The one that is brewing involves discoveries about yourself that could influence every facet of your life. Your solar chart has a kind of inner sanctum that’s a little like King Tut’s tomb. You won’t know what’s in there until you go inside. You might be worried about some kind of curse. I can offer a clue: you are what’s in there. Once you go in and meet who you are, there will be no turning back and no pretending that your encounter has not happened. Then there are the challenges of living some new way once such a revelation happens; these are not really clear. The world may seem like more or less the same place, until you recognize that you’re not the person you thought you were — and then all the same symbols can have exceedingly different meanings. Note that many people who get into their inner sanctuary only go so far. There are elements of themselves they leave out, or look away from — often the deepest and most important. But why?

Gemini (May 20-June 21) — When inspirational speakers talk about “hiding our light under a bushel,” what exactly are they referring to? Well, you could make a long list of spiritual and creative properties that humans usually avoid. You could list all the talents people are too insecure to share or allow others to see. One might imagine it’s about certain things you might say to others but choose to conceal instead. If you list all the things that might qualify as spiritual, careful review would suggest they are merely sketching qualities of something deeper, much closer to the core of who you are. And that something is not only easy to avoid; every facet of culture demands that you do so, and worse, offers a forest of fake plastic trees to conceal your view. However, for the best perspective, do your thing and explore the world of people and relationships. That’s where the gold and sunshine are. Listen to what people are saying to one another; and hear attentively what they are not saying. What you may find interesting is that they open up to you. In doing so they may surprise themselves and make discoveries or mildly shock themselves with what they reveal. It is vital that you hold their confidence, and reflect back to them what they are presenting to you. Be calm and steady as you do this, and remember that the mirror goes both ways. Sometimes freedom is discovered as a wholly private matter. In your life it’s more likely to emerge in a social environment.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) — The events of May 2025 take place in the topmost house of your solar chart — Aries. You have the sign of action on a house devoted to making bold moves in the world, asserting yourself and making your mark. And this astrology is big, bigger than anyone can describe in an encompassing way. We know the world is changing in daunting and irrevocable ways that a hundred chai lattes cannot conceal. And your life — particularly your professional, or preferably, vocational existence — is about to surge forward. (In astrological shorthand, this is the 10th house.) You will feel the first rumblings over the next month or so, as Chiron and Eris meet in a conjunction for the first time since 1972 (long before they were discovered). At the same time, Saturn enters your 10th, which is usually worth waiting the 29 years it takes to come back around. Though you have not exactly been waiting — have you been listening to the music of life? Have you been practicing and refining your craft, to the point of mastery? And are you aware of the changes happening in society or do you think it’s another boring day on CNN? While society is being remade, your specific involvement and your new lines of commitment are being formed, reformed, shaped and forged. You are becoming a new person in the context of a new world arising. Even if you believe that might be true, are you interested? It may not be easy, but you don’t need or want that.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) — Most religion is based on a fantasy of a God nobody has ever seen, and usually those who can pretend the best get the most credibility. I was listening to fundamentalist religious radio on the way over to where I’m writing, and some syrupy announcer was going on and on about this imaginary friend who loves you when nobody else does. I guess that’s better than the vexing, condemning wrath of the Lord brutally striking us down, but a more significant point is lost. Whatever God may be, it manifests among humans and in human awareness; and that begins with you. Further, the notion of “god” as a morph of Socrates and Charlton Heston is perfectly absurd, but people love it because it stands as a distraction specifically to the “begins with you” element of spiritual awareness. The “begins with you” thing when it works is usually silent and focused inwardly — but on what? On whatever it is that lights up your mind from the inside. You may not think that you have so much light in there, but would you rather be a potato? You’ll never find out about your truth or that of anyone else while you’re busy doing what you were taught thousands of times to do (most often by religion itself), which is to endlessly judge everything and everyone. There is a distinct point of maturity where letting go of judgment must happen, in service of discovering what those judgments (especially of yourself) conceal. And what is that? All that is truly possible.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) — Virgo is the sign that is most heavily invested in The Other. This happens through various commitments and involvements that seem necessary (at the time) so that you can both discover who you are and fulfill your purpose. However, something ugly has happened during the past 75 years or so, which is that commitment — particularly to others — has become meaningless. Not only is it possible to “walk away,” it’s often heavily encouraged, and the consequences are not measured. Yet there is a more significant problem, which is that the at-times difficult task of working matters through to a better outcome is never even considered, much less attempted. It’s true that there are people who simply will not talk. And with them, there seems to be little negotiating possible. But most people are willing to have a conversation, and you might be too, as long as you don’t predetermine that anyone in particular is beneath you. In that conversation between equals (which must be presumed, despite any financial inequalities that might exist), you can put your cards down face-up and ask where people stand. Then you can do something daring, which is to say specifically what you want and what you need. (Statements like “I’m not happy” do not count — this conversation must begin with affirmatives.) In any relationship between adults, the only thing of value that can possibly be transacted is the truth, which means speaking yours and listening to that of others. Then and only then have you got something of value.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) — Learn whatever you can from any conflicts you find yourself in. Think of them as probes that reveal the true nature of people, and expose the underlying condition of your relationships. Who is your friend? Who can you trust? Who is reliable and who wants to help, just because they love you? Who supports you even when your views are unpopular? Who among those near you is committed to the truth? These are the things to study in your social and emotional environment. And at the same time, all those questions are really for you. Then there’s how you conduct yourself and treat others. Be scrupulous here. Do you show up when others need you? Do you listen when they have something to say? Do you go the second mile as a matter of personal policy? It’s ultra-modern to expect the world to support us at every turn, but rather old-fashioned to think that you have any responsibility for the lives of others, or for the world. Yet once you recognize who you are, that’s likely to arrive with an understanding of what you’re doing here on this planet at this time. That, in turn, will reveal both commitment to yourself, and an investment in the world around you. I am deeply concerned that children are being neglected now, particularly boys. I am equally concerned that adults have given up on daring to understand one another, and that intimacy has been reduced to being roommates. Yet everything is in motion now, and different territory is ahead.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) — The road to success is paved with the risks you have taken. Those include creative risks and social ones; and they include breaking various rules — and in the process, making new ones. If you’re wondering what it feels like to “be creative” or aspire to something you’ve never experienced, there are a few main flavors. Yes, it’s possible to be “in the zone” and really making life happen. Yet that is likely to be preceded by feeling some shade of nervous, daunted or terrified. This is where most people pull back. Then there is embarrassment, because to take an active role in life means revealing elements of yourself (such as weaknesses) that you might not want people to know about. Too often risk is translated into a financial element rather than a spiritual one. But money is the least of it, and plenty of people starting with absolutely none have made something beautiful of their lives. All you need is to be true to yourself and not try to impress anyone. And if you’re trying to impress yourself, forget it. The spirit you want is one of sincere curiosity and interest in life; the spirit of willingness and openness to discovery. Above all else, the need to learn, by which I mean a need akin to that of oxygen and water. Sometimes this is really exciting. Sometimes you pick up a matchbook on the street and find a wad of old chewing gum. What your astrology is describing right now is persistent experimentation, driven by a mystery that you can only discover if you keep going. And that is the biggest risk of all.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22) — There are times when new elements and compounds are created. I don’t mean in a physics lab for one one-millionth of a second. I mean as a result of a natural process, long preexisting human involvement or intervention. You know, as a result of tectonic movement or an asteroid impacting the Earth or an evolutionary breakthrough that only a human soul is capable of. For other people, in other places or times, this may not be a factor. People dig up gold and cut diamonds with no concept of where they actually came from. We casually drink (and waste tons of) fresh water with no notion that it may have been delivered to Earth by a single comet a billion years ago. What your astrology is now asking (with me as its voice, I admit) is that you take nothing whatsoever for granted. You are in a moment of profound potential and change; a moment of creative rebirth like no other. You will often hear me associate the concepts creativity and risk; and by that I mean engaging with fear and the possibility that things might not go as planned. Yet this is the essential factor; this is what differentiates basket weaving from art. It’s also what separates underwater demolition from working in an office. In what occupation do you think one has a better chance of getting to know themselves? This is the most daring thing in the world, and the one that nearly everyone is hiding from. Congratulations — you no longer can.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) — Anger is useless, except as an early warning system. And as that, it’s essential, because it tells you where to look for more specific information. Most people grab onto their anger and declare themselves right. That debases its most useful purpose, which is to find out what you’re really feeling below the surface — and the ways you might not be so right. One of the games that the world plays is to divert sexual energy into creative activity, which is redundant. All actual creativity has a source in eros. So you can be pretty sure that any effort to subvert what is called ‘sexual’ is really an effort to eliminate what is creative. This involves the suppression of curiosity in any of its forms. And while many would say that eros is driven by the reproductive instinct, I propose that the best sexual feelings are motivated by curiosity, and its implied love of existence. People want to understand one another and this is what usually gets them started. Unfortunately, this does not usually last so long, though I consider this a creative failure more than any other. But back to anger. What is less obvious is to transform anger and resentment into mirror-like wisdom — or anything new and helpful. Anger can serve as an inspiration to make improvements to your world, if you respond to it in that moment. If something frustrates you, fix it. If you can’t find one, build one. If you feel limited within yourself, push your boundaries and grow as a voluntary act.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Why is the discussion of sex taboo? I don’t mean talk of scandal and gossip — that’s the wet blanket thrown over feelings and desires; the reality show lacking any reality. There are enough potential explanations to fill a library, though it comes back to the Book of Genesis. You know, Original Sin. I mean, what a great way to sell hamburgers (or religion)…the greatest marketing innovation in this sector of the galaxy. With Pluto now in your sign, you are being invited to make contact with both instinctual and evolutionary forces. In fact, they are unlikely to leave you alone for a minute. Think of Pluto as an internal beacon that will remind you of who you are at all times. And with half of the solar system taking up residence in Aries, you’re being driven to express yourself, by which I mean to not hold it all in. So you have the inner connection you need, and the modes of expression that will serve you if you want to use them. And if you’re waiting for things to get better, by which I mean conditions to be more facilitating of your journey through life, right now is about as good as it gets. And one thing will lead to another, if you start with that one thing — whatever it is. If there is something you’ve wanted to do over and over, but could not get going, that’s probably your best candidate. Once that chain reaction starts, it won’t stop for quite a while.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) — Now would be a good time to dial back the effort and just coast for a while. This month Saturn leaves your sign — at least temporarily, till it moves on for the next few decades. It seems impossible now but you will feel some breathing space, enough to know that you can feel better. And then you may notice what a difference it makes when you do. This remains a serious and sober time in your personal history, when decisions mean more than usual. So don’t make them quickly, and keep a constant inventory of what you observe, what you know for sure and what you don’t know. However, if your solar chart blazes out with one message, it’s this: a single idea has the power to change your life, and I mean for the better. The only problem with ideas is that few people notice them, even fewer believe they have any worth, and only a couple here and there actually develop them into something. One exercise is to make an inventory of your perceived problems. Then wait until they are matched up with solutions that come to you. This will demonstrate the power of concepts and perception. If you can define a problem correctly, you will find the resolution. Yet there’s one more thing to track, and this stands above all else. If you are true to what you want, and true to who you are, you’ll have a guiding principle for all the decisions you need to make (and they are ongoing). The stress factor is often the lack of a guiding principle. Yet the depth of sincerity required is more than most people can stand.