important horoscopes to prepair for the new year
"The entire Universe is condensed in the body, and the entire body in the
Heart. Thus the Heart is the nucleus of the Whole Universe."
-Sri Ramana Maharshi
Week beginning December 16
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1874, a fire broke out in an underground
coalfield in western China. It burned nonstop until 2004, when firefighters
finally squelched it. In the intervening 130 years, 200 million tons of fuel
went to waste, spewing out copious amounts of polluting gases. I
nominate the denouement of this long-running drama to serve as your
personal metaphor for early 2005. In January and February, you will finally
douse a smoldering inner fire that has been a poor use of your ambition.
This will set the stage for a fresh start. No later than your birthday, you
will ignite a new blaze that's both more efficient and more worthy of you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Have you heard of the book, *Toxic Sludge Is
Good for You!: Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry?* How
about George Orwell's science fiction novel, *1984,* in which the
government trumpets the slogan, "War is peace, freedom is slavery,
ignorance is strength"? If I could, I'd give you these books as holiday
gifts, Taurus. I'd also present you with an altar made of fine wood. With
these foundation materials, I'd ask you to begin building a Truth Shrine in
your home. This source of power might help you stay alert for and
immune to the elevated levels of BS you'll be called on to fend off in
2005. Maybe it would also inspire you to be in service to us all as you
earn the title of "Radical Truth-Teller."
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As I meditated about what would be the
perfect holiday gift for you, I kept coming back to the fantasy of a
thousand doughnuts. Nothing pleased me more than the mental image of
your living room floor covered with boxes of Bavarian cream, chocolate
frosted, jelly-filled, glazed, and apple crumb doughnuts. Here's the
astrological explanation for my intuition: I think fate plans to blow your
mind with sweet extravagance in 2005. Receiving a thousand doughnuts
would be a metaphorical rehearsal.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Over the centuries, numerous ships carrying
treasure have suffered mishaps and sunk to the bottom of the world's
oceans. Most have remained there undisturbed, their gold and jewels
seemingly lost forever. In the last decade, though, teams of treasure
hunters have developed high-tech recovery equipment that allows them
to locate and extract the sunken riches. I believe that there will be a
comparable development in your life in the coming months, Cancerian.
You'll find ways to access valuables from the past--stuff you had always
assumed was irretrievable. Your first project will become apparent soon.
Here are a few symbolic holiday gifts you might consider buying yourself:
sonar, a diving suit, a treasure chest.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Many spiritual teachers say you're most likely to
succeed at meditation if you sit quietly in a sanctuary. They believe you
need to retreat from the world in order to develop compassionate
objectivity about life. The eighteenth-century Zen Buddhist teacher
Hakuin Ekaku had a different view. "Meditation in the midst of activity is a
billion times superior to meditation in stillness" was his motto. I agree
with him. But one of the reasons it's superior is because it's so much
harder. Have you ever tried to see God in your boss while he or she is
yelling at you about some trivial mistake? Are you able to remain open-
hearted to a loved one when he or she isn't being open-hearted to you?
Believe it or not, Leo, you could go a long way towards mastering these
skills in 2005. It'll be prime time to learn how to meditate in the midst of
the daily chaos.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo rapper Xzibit was asked by an
interviewer what he was hoping to get for Christmas. "All I want is a
Hummer H2, a big-ass plasma TV, and a AR15 assault rifle with a 30-
round clip." Though your own holiday wish list may not include any of
Xzibit's items, I do encourage you to fantasize extravagantly about what
gifts might pump up your power in 2005. According to my analysis of the
astrological omens, you should even let yourself entertain some rather
macho trains of thought as you imagine the enhancements you'd like to
bring with you into the new year. How about sessions with a hard-driving
life coach, lessons in ashtanga yoga, or a definite plan to undertake a
brave outdoor adventure?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 2005, you should go to great lengths to put
yourself in positions where you will be pleasantly surprised, profoundly
taught, and rigorously inspired. The coming months will be an excellent
time to seek out experiences that will change your mind about many
things. You're finally ready to shed a slew of old attitudes and beliefs that
worked well for you once upon a time, but which are now mostly dead
weight. Here are some symbolic holiday gifts you might consider buying
yourself: a blank slate, a bottle of baptismal water, an outfit of all white
clothes.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This year the Boston Red Sox won baseball's
World Series for the first time in 86 years. The team thereby dispelled
"The Curse of the Bambino," which had plagued the franchise since it
traded away Hall of Famer Babe "Bambino" Ruth in 1918. Of the 25
players on the Red Sox roster in 2004, five were Scorpios and five were
Geminis. The Scorpios included four premier talents who were
instrumental in breaking the curse: Johnny Damon, David Ortiz, Curt
Schilling, and Pedro Martinez. I believe this vignette foreshadows your fate
in 2005, Scorpio. You too will banish a jinx that has burdened you for far
too long. And Geminis (like Boston's star Manny Ramirez) may be valuable
allies. Here's a symbolic holiday gift you might consider buying yourself: a
Boston Red Sox good luck charm.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 2005, I hope you seek out more
demanding and rewarding alliances. I'd love you to align yourself with a
network that spreads your highest values with maximum intensity. My
heart will also sing with joy if you use better tools to express your
generous urges and try more daring strategies to promote justice. To
encourage these developments, consider getting yourself these holiday
gifts: a device that enhances your ability to communicate, a pep talk from
the most practical idealist you know, and a talisman that symbolizes a
promise you make to your future self.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I have climbed to the top of a greasy
pole." So proclaimed nineteenth-century politician Benjamin Disraeli when
he had at last ascended to the job of prime minister of Great Britain.
Please picture that greasy pole in your mind's eye, Capricorn. I would love
to give it to you as a holiday gift. It would be an apt symbol for the work
you have ahead of you in 2005. P.S.: I expect to see you at the top by
next October.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Last January, NASA landed two vehicles on
Mars. For months their solar panels provided them with just enough
energy to explore the alien terrain. One of the rovers recently experienced
an inexplicable power boost, however. It happened overnight, and NASA's
team isn't sure why. "We surmise that for some reason dust is being
removed from the solar panel," said spokesman Jim Ericson, "and that's
increasing the efficiency of the sunlight being converted to electricity." I
regard this as an apt metaphor for what lies in your future Aquarius. In
2005, you too will enjoy mysterious rejuvenations as you reconnoiter
exotic territory.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In my imagination, I'm now handing you a
battle flag similar to those carried by the armies of medieval Europe. It's a
windsock in the shape of a red, winged dragon with black eagle claws and
a long yellow tail. Inside it is a device that unleashes a loud, raucous
whistle whenever the wind blows through it. In presenting you with this
symbolic gift, I'm exhorting you to pump up your martial forces in 2005.
I'm encouraging you to be wild-hearted and strong-willed as you fight the
good fight.
Heart. Thus the Heart is the nucleus of the Whole Universe."
-Sri Ramana Maharshi
Week beginning December 16
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1874, a fire broke out in an underground
coalfield in western China. It burned nonstop until 2004, when firefighters
finally squelched it. In the intervening 130 years, 200 million tons of fuel
went to waste, spewing out copious amounts of polluting gases. I
nominate the denouement of this long-running drama to serve as your
personal metaphor for early 2005. In January and February, you will finally
douse a smoldering inner fire that has been a poor use of your ambition.
This will set the stage for a fresh start. No later than your birthday, you
will ignite a new blaze that's both more efficient and more worthy of you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Have you heard of the book, *Toxic Sludge Is
Good for You!: Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry?* How
about George Orwell's science fiction novel, *1984,* in which the
government trumpets the slogan, "War is peace, freedom is slavery,
ignorance is strength"? If I could, I'd give you these books as holiday
gifts, Taurus. I'd also present you with an altar made of fine wood. With
these foundation materials, I'd ask you to begin building a Truth Shrine in
your home. This source of power might help you stay alert for and
immune to the elevated levels of BS you'll be called on to fend off in
2005. Maybe it would also inspire you to be in service to us all as you
earn the title of "Radical Truth-Teller."
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As I meditated about what would be the
perfect holiday gift for you, I kept coming back to the fantasy of a
thousand doughnuts. Nothing pleased me more than the mental image of
your living room floor covered with boxes of Bavarian cream, chocolate
frosted, jelly-filled, glazed, and apple crumb doughnuts. Here's the
astrological explanation for my intuition: I think fate plans to blow your
mind with sweet extravagance in 2005. Receiving a thousand doughnuts
would be a metaphorical rehearsal.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Over the centuries, numerous ships carrying
treasure have suffered mishaps and sunk to the bottom of the world's
oceans. Most have remained there undisturbed, their gold and jewels
seemingly lost forever. In the last decade, though, teams of treasure
hunters have developed high-tech recovery equipment that allows them
to locate and extract the sunken riches. I believe that there will be a
comparable development in your life in the coming months, Cancerian.
You'll find ways to access valuables from the past--stuff you had always
assumed was irretrievable. Your first project will become apparent soon.
Here are a few symbolic holiday gifts you might consider buying yourself:
sonar, a diving suit, a treasure chest.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Many spiritual teachers say you're most likely to
succeed at meditation if you sit quietly in a sanctuary. They believe you
need to retreat from the world in order to develop compassionate
objectivity about life. The eighteenth-century Zen Buddhist teacher
Hakuin Ekaku had a different view. "Meditation in the midst of activity is a
billion times superior to meditation in stillness" was his motto. I agree
with him. But one of the reasons it's superior is because it's so much
harder. Have you ever tried to see God in your boss while he or she is
yelling at you about some trivial mistake? Are you able to remain open-
hearted to a loved one when he or she isn't being open-hearted to you?
Believe it or not, Leo, you could go a long way towards mastering these
skills in 2005. It'll be prime time to learn how to meditate in the midst of
the daily chaos.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo rapper Xzibit was asked by an
interviewer what he was hoping to get for Christmas. "All I want is a
Hummer H2, a big-ass plasma TV, and a AR15 assault rifle with a 30-
round clip." Though your own holiday wish list may not include any of
Xzibit's items, I do encourage you to fantasize extravagantly about what
gifts might pump up your power in 2005. According to my analysis of the
astrological omens, you should even let yourself entertain some rather
macho trains of thought as you imagine the enhancements you'd like to
bring with you into the new year. How about sessions with a hard-driving
life coach, lessons in ashtanga yoga, or a definite plan to undertake a
brave outdoor adventure?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 2005, you should go to great lengths to put
yourself in positions where you will be pleasantly surprised, profoundly
taught, and rigorously inspired. The coming months will be an excellent
time to seek out experiences that will change your mind about many
things. You're finally ready to shed a slew of old attitudes and beliefs that
worked well for you once upon a time, but which are now mostly dead
weight. Here are some symbolic holiday gifts you might consider buying
yourself: a blank slate, a bottle of baptismal water, an outfit of all white
clothes.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This year the Boston Red Sox won baseball's
World Series for the first time in 86 years. The team thereby dispelled
"The Curse of the Bambino," which had plagued the franchise since it
traded away Hall of Famer Babe "Bambino" Ruth in 1918. Of the 25
players on the Red Sox roster in 2004, five were Scorpios and five were
Geminis. The Scorpios included four premier talents who were
instrumental in breaking the curse: Johnny Damon, David Ortiz, Curt
Schilling, and Pedro Martinez. I believe this vignette foreshadows your fate
in 2005, Scorpio. You too will banish a jinx that has burdened you for far
too long. And Geminis (like Boston's star Manny Ramirez) may be valuable
allies. Here's a symbolic holiday gift you might consider buying yourself: a
Boston Red Sox good luck charm.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In 2005, I hope you seek out more
demanding and rewarding alliances. I'd love you to align yourself with a
network that spreads your highest values with maximum intensity. My
heart will also sing with joy if you use better tools to express your
generous urges and try more daring strategies to promote justice. To
encourage these developments, consider getting yourself these holiday
gifts: a device that enhances your ability to communicate, a pep talk from
the most practical idealist you know, and a talisman that symbolizes a
promise you make to your future self.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I have climbed to the top of a greasy
pole." So proclaimed nineteenth-century politician Benjamin Disraeli when
he had at last ascended to the job of prime minister of Great Britain.
Please picture that greasy pole in your mind's eye, Capricorn. I would love
to give it to you as a holiday gift. It would be an apt symbol for the work
you have ahead of you in 2005. P.S.: I expect to see you at the top by
next October.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Last January, NASA landed two vehicles on
Mars. For months their solar panels provided them with just enough
energy to explore the alien terrain. One of the rovers recently experienced
an inexplicable power boost, however. It happened overnight, and NASA's
team isn't sure why. "We surmise that for some reason dust is being
removed from the solar panel," said spokesman Jim Ericson, "and that's
increasing the efficiency of the sunlight being converted to electricity." I
regard this as an apt metaphor for what lies in your future Aquarius. In
2005, you too will enjoy mysterious rejuvenations as you reconnoiter
exotic territory.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In my imagination, I'm now handing you a
battle flag similar to those carried by the armies of medieval Europe. It's a
windsock in the shape of a red, winged dragon with black eagle claws and
a long yellow tail. Inside it is a device that unleashes a loud, raucous
whistle whenever the wind blows through it. In presenting you with this
symbolic gift, I'm exhorting you to pump up your martial forces in 2005.
I'm encouraging you to be wild-hearted and strong-willed as you fight the
good fight.