In summer, the pickleweed plant thrives in the saltwater marshes around San Francisco Bay. In many places, bright orange patches of the dodder plant intermingle with the pickleweed's sprightly jade green, creating festive displays that suggest nature is having a party. But there's a secret buried in this scene. The dodder's webby filaments are actually parasites that suck nutrients from the pickleweed. In accordance with the astrological omens, Aquarius, I'll ask you if a situation like that exists in your own life. Is there a pretty picture that hides an imbalance in the give-and-take of energy? It's not necessarily a bad thing -- after all, the pickleweed grows abundantly even with its freeloader hanging all over it -- but it's important to be conscious of what's going on.

What new influences will be headed your way in 2012? What fresh resources will you be able to draw on? Would you like some guidance as you figure out how to make best use of those influences and resources? This week, my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES will feature Part 3 of my three-part, long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2012. Tune in! Start brainstorming about the adventures that could be in store for you in the coming months. (P.S. Part 1 and Part 2 of your Long-Range Predictions, which I offered the last two weeks, are still available.)