During an author tour a few years ago, I was a guest on San Francisco radio station KFOG. For a while, the host interviewed me about my book and astrology column. Then we moved into a less formal mode, bantering about psychic powers, lucid dreams, and reincarnation. Out of nowhere, the host asked me, "So who was I in my past life?" Although I'm not in the habit of reading people's previous incarnations, I suddenly and inexplicably had the sense that I knew exactly who he had been: Savonarola, a controversial 15th-century Italian friar. I suspect you may soon have comparable experiences, Aries. Don't be surprised if you are able to glean new revelations about the past and come to fresh insights about how history has unfolded.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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Neither God nor the gods are dead, but they seem to be disappearing because so few of us are capable of carrying on authentic relationships with them anymore. The materialist delusion rules: Millions believe that nothing's real unless it can be perceived by the senses. Churches and temples are full of ethical people, but many of them have no clue about how to know or feel or converse with the divine intelligences.

What can the deities do, having been banished from our conscious knowing? Jung said they have no recourse but to worm their way into our lives as sickness and pathology. Repressed, they come in the back door.

Which of your maladies or pains might be gods in disguise? How might you get them to take off their masks and begin knocking on the front door?
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

Tease and tempt and tantalize, Taurus. Be pithy and catchy and provocative. Don't go on too long. Leave 'em hanging for more. Wink for dramatic effect. Perfect your most enigmatic smile. Drop hints and cherish riddles. Believe in the power of telepathy. Add a new twist or two to your body language. Be sexy in the subtlest ways you can imagine. Pose questions that no one has been brave or smart enough to ask. Hang out in thresholds, crossroads, and any other place where the action is entertaining.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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In Letters to a Young Poet, Rilke urged an aspiring bard to change the way he imagined the Supreme Being. "Why don't you conceive of God as an ally who is coming," Rilke said, "who has been approaching since time began, the one who will someday arrive, the fruit of a tree whose leaves we are? Why not project his birth into the future, and live your life as an excruciating and lyrical moment in the history of a prodigious pregnancy?"

How would your life change if you made this idea your working hypothesis?
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The preceding oracle comes from my new book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

American political leaders who have never been soldiers tend to be more gung-ho about sending U.S. fighting forces into action than leaders who have actually served in the military. So said former Marine captain Matt Pottinger in TheDailyBeast.com. I recommend that you avoid and prevent comparable situations in your own life during the coming weeks, Gemini. Don't put yourself under the influence of decision-makers who have no direct experience of the issues that are important to you. The same standard should apply to you, too. Be humble about pressing forward if you're armed with no more than a theoretical understanding of things. As much as possible, make your choices and wield your clout based on what you know firsthand.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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A reader named Michael McCarthy wrote to say he plans to start a new religion, the "First Church of the Rude Awakening." It will be based on the principle that having a pleasant life cannot serve as a motivation to seek enlightenment and salvation. McCarthy believes that no one ever bolts up out of bed one morning and says, "I'm so happy, I think I'll go meditate and pray and make myself into a better person for as long as it takes, so I can find God and say thanks."

Disprove this theory. Detonate an epiphany precisely because you're in an excellent mood.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

Let's hypothesize that there are two different kinds of freedom possible for you to pursue. One is simplistic and sterile, while the other is colorful and fertile. The first is characterized by absence or emptiness, and the second is full of rich information and stimulating experiences. Is there any doubt about which is preferable? I know that the simplistic, sterile freedom might be easier and faster to attain. But its value would be limited and short-lived, I'm afraid. In the long run, the tougher liberation will be more rewarding.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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In Frederick Buechner's book On the Road with the Archangel, the star is the archangel Raphael. This supernatural helper has a tough gig: gathering the prayers of human beings and delivering them to God. Here's how he describes the range of pleas he hears: "There are prayers of such power that you might say they carry me rather than the other way around. There are prayers so apologetic and shamefaced and half-hearted that they all but melt away in my grasp like sad little flakes of snow. Some prayers are very boring."

Compose a prayer that's so powerful and entertaining that it could thrill an archangel.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

Some people believe that a giant sea serpent lives in a Scottish lake. They call it the Loch Ness Monster, or Nessie for short. The evidence is anecdotal and skimpy. If the creature actually lurks in the murky depths, it has never hurt any human being, so it can't be considered dangerous. On the other hand, Nessie has long been a boon to tourism in the area. The natives are happy that the tales of its existence are so lively. I'd like to propose using the Loch Ness monster as a template for how to deal with one of your scary delusions. Use your rational mind to exorcise any anxiety you might still be harboring, and figure out a way to take advantage of the legendary story you created about it.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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The German word selig can mean "ecstatic," "blessed," or "holy." It implies that profound bliss can be a divine gift; that deep pleasure may generate or come from spiritual inspiration.

The English language doesn't have a term comparable to selig, maybe because our culture regards ecstasy with suspicion. Religious people tend to believe that the blessed are those who are good and kind, certainly not those who are skilled at cultivating rapturous states. People who worship rationality, on the other hand, like intellectuals and scientists, often think of ecstasy as at best an irrelevant state, and at worst a nonproductive or deluded indulgence.

What would you have to do to place yourself in intimate alignment with the values embodied by the word selig?
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

"The soul should always stand ajar," said 19-century Emily Dickinson poet in one of her poems, "That if the heaven inquire, He will not be obliged to wait, Or shy of troubling her." Modern translation: You should keep your deep psyche in a constant state of readiness for the possible influx of divine inspiration or unexpected blessings. That way, you're likely to recognize the call when it comes and respond with the alacrity necessary to get the full benefit of its offerings. This is always a sound principle to live by. But it will be an especially valuable strategy in the coming weeks. Right now, imagine what it feels like when your soul is properly ajar.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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Is there really such a thing as free will, or are our destinies shaped by forces beyond our control?

Here's one way to think about that question: Maybe some people actually have more free will than others. Not because they have more money. (Many rich folks are under the spell of their instincts, after all.) Not because they have high-status positions. (A boss may have power over others but little power over himself.)

Rather, those with a lot of free will have earned that privilege by taking strong measures to dissolve the conditioning they absorbed while growing up. They've acted on the advice of psychologist Carl Jung: "Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate."
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

Some people wonder if I'm more like a cheerleader than an objective reporter. They think that maybe I minimize the pain and exaggerate the gain that lie ahead. I understand why they might pose that question. Because all of us are constantly besieged with a disproportionate glut of discouraging news, I see it as my duty to provide a counterbalance. My optimism is medicine to protect you from the distortions that the conventional wisdom propagates. Having said that, I'd like you to know that I'm not counterbalancing at all when I give you this news: You're close to grabbing a strategic advantage over a frustration that has hindered you for a long time.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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In her book Women Who Run with the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes suggests that we all need to periodically go cheerfully and enthusiastically out of our minds. Make sure, she says, that at least one part of you always remains untamed, uncategorizable, and unsubjugated by routine. Be adamant in your determination to stay intimately connected to all that's inexplicable and mysterious about your life.

At the same time, though, Estes believes you need to keep your unusual urges clear and ordered. Discipline your wildness, in other words, and don't let it degenerate into careless disorder.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

"Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment," said Zen teacher Charlotte Joko Beck. "This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath." While I appreciate Beck's advice, I'm perplexed why she put such a heavy emphasis on lessons that arise from difficult events. In the weeks ahead, you'll be proof that this is shortsighted. Your teachers are likely to be expansive, benevolent, and generous.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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The seeds of the lodgepole pine and jack pine trees are so tightly compacted within their protective cones that they need flames to free them. It's only through the help of periodic conflagrations, then, that they're able to reproduce. Fire-dependent and fire-resistant, they can tolerate temperatures of 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

A lathe is a machine that grips a chunk of metal or wood or clay and rotates it so that someone wielding a tool can form the chunk into a desired shape. From a metaphorical point of view, I visualize you as being held by a cosmic lathe right now. God or fate or whatever you'd prefer to call it is chiseling away the non-essential stuff so as to sculpt a more beautiful and useful version of you. Although the process may be somewhat painful, I think you'll be happy with the result.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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Philosopher Robert Anton Wilson proposed that the single greatest contribution to world peace would come from there being over seven billion different religions -- a unique spiritual path for each person on the planet. The Beauty and Truth Lab urges you to get started on doing your part to make this happen. What will your religion be called? What rituals will you perform? Write down your three core tenets.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

I'm hoping you will take maximum advantage of the big opportunity that's ahead for you, Capricorn: an enhancement of your senses. That's right. For the foreseeable future, you not only have the potential to experience extra vivid and memorable perceptions. You could also wangle an upgrade in the acuity and profundity of your senses, so that your sight, smell, taste, hearing, and touch will forevermore gather in richer data. For best results, set aside what you believe about the world, and just drink in the pure impressions. In other words, focus less on the thoughts rumbling around inside your mind and simply notice what's going on around you. For extra credit: Cultivate an empathetic curiosity with everything you'd like to perceive better.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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"Believing" in God is like "believing" in the taste of fresh-baked bread without ever having tasted actual fresh-baked bread. But what if you could commune with the Divine Wow through up-close, personal encounters that are as vivid as eating fresh-baked bread? Some people have. You could, too. Formulate the intention to do so.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

What kind of week will it be for you? It will be like you're chewing gum while walking down a city street and then suddenly you sneeze, catapulting the gooey mess from your mouth onto the sidewalk in such a way that it gets stuck to the bottom of your shoe, which causes you to trip and fall, allowing you to find a $100 bill that is just lying there unclaimed and that you would have never seen had you not experienced your little fit of "bad luck." Be ready to cash in on unforeseen twists of fate, Aquarius.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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In Judeo-Christian cultures, many people associate the sky with the masculine form of God. According to this bias, the Supreme Father rules us all from on high -- up, away, far from here. But if you were an ancient Egyptian, the sky was the goddess Nuit, her body its very substance. She was a loving mother whose tender touch could be felt with each new breath.

For one day, act as if you and the sky goddess are in constant contact.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

Having served as executive vice-president of the Hedonistic Anarchists Think Tank, I may not seem like the most believable advocate of the virtues of careful preparation, rigorous organization, and steely resolve. But if I have learned anything from consorting with hedonistic anarchists, it's that there's not necessarily a clash between thrill-seeking and self-discipline. The two can even be synergistic. I think that's especially true for you right now, Pisces. The quality and intensity of your playtime activities will thrive in direct proportion to your self-command.

Here's a gathering of all the Big-Picture horoscopes I've written for you this year. Check to see if they're relevant to the way your destiny has been evolving. You can also still hear a LONG-RANGE AUDIO PREVIEW for the REST of 2012 and beyond. Sign up and/or log in here, then click on "Long-Term Forecast for Second Half of 2012." If you'd just like a report for the short-term, click on "This week (July 10, 2012)."

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In some ancient Greek dramas, a god showed up out of nowhere to cause a miraculous twist at a crucial point in the tale. This divine intrusion was referred to as theos ek mechanes, literally "god from a machine," because the symbolic figure of the god was lowered onto the stage by a crane. In modern usage, the term is Latin -- deus ex machina -- and refers to a story in which a sudden event unexpectedly brings about a resolution to a baffling problem.

Write a tale in which you're the beneficiary of such an intervention.
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The preceding oracle comes from my book, PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.