Some religious traditions preach the doctrine that desire is a major obstacle to enlightenment. To escape from the predicament of your suffering, they insist, you must overcome all of your yearning. But Tantric scholar Daniel Odier believes this dogma is a delusion. In his book Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening, he says desire should be at the heart of spiritual practice. Not all longings are equally sacred, of course: Fantasies about winning the lottery or seeing an adversary punished are not on a par with wanting to expand your capacity to bestow blessings and give love. In 2006, Taurus, consider the possibility that Odier is right. Try out the hypothesis that the most spiritual thing you can do is cultivate high-minded yearnings.

Normally my Expanded Audio Horoscopes cover just a week at a time. But the past two weeks and this week, I am offering explorations of the entire year ahead. To hear part three of my IN-DEPTH, LONG-TERM FORECAST FOR YOUR LIFE IN 2006, check out your Expanded Audio Horoscope. The reading costs $6. You can also listen to part one from two weeks ago and part two from last week.

You can also access the readings by phone at 1-900-950-7700 or 1-877-873-4888. (If you live in Canada, call 1-888-499-4425.) The cost is $1.99 per minute.