^ Free Will Astrology

I can never be fully certain that I merelyuse the zodiac as entertainment. My rational mind is quite certain thatbestowing the arrangement of the planets on the day and time of my birth withany kind of impact, imagined or otherwise, is quite ludicrous. But I stillcan’t help reading my horoscope in the paper, and my latest favourite is FreeWill Astrology. You can find it online at www.freewillastrology.com.

Rob, the guy who writes this, is an entertaining and fascinating author. Hemines beautiful metaphors and a vast array of knowledge, both of the physicaland mythical worlds, in order to write horoscopes that are equal partsevocation and inspiration.

This week’s horoscope for Leo:

ButlersGuild.comnamed Mr. Ravi Shankar as its Butler of the Year. Servingas Head Butler of the Qasr Al Sharq hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Shankar"always acts with complete integrity in everything he does." Yoursimple yet arduous assignment, Leo, is to be worthy of that same description.Are you up to the challenge? Can you be morally and ethically impeccable,between now and noon on June 18, in everysingle thing you do and say and think? Do you have the willpower to beabsolutely free of hypocrisies, deceits, and manipulations? Can you refrainfrom speaking derisive or careless words about anyone, while at the same timebeing rigorously authentic and intent on telling the deepest truths?

(While technically I was born under the sign of Cancer, I identify with Leos more than Cancersbecause I was born on the cusp (“between”) both signs, and presumably you movemore into the next sign as you age. This is supposed to be especially true ofwomen.)

This horoscope rang deeply with me, becauseI felt immediately certain that I did not have the willpower to be “absolutelyfree of hypocrisies, deceits, and manipulations.” And I was sad to realize thisso quickly about myself, when I drive myself so hard to transparency and truth.I realized equally quickly that this lack of willpower is rooted deeply in asituation I currently am struggling with, a situation from which I can trackback the negative impact to a friend of mine. Someone with whom I am spendingtoo much time, who is “corrupting” my inner compass, whose presence is causingme to tilt towards manipulation and longing, instead of towards transparencyand maturity.

So whether the zodiac is hoo-ha or not, Ifind something in it to help me live my life more legitimately, moreself-aware, and with more proaction.