Horoscopes for a Brave New World
by Shari Zollinger
Illustrations by Holli Zollinger
ARIES or ARIES RISING
March 21 to April 19
“It was a pleasure to burn.”
—Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451
The Promethean focus on fire, even on stealing fire as a gift to humanity is, although mythic in its proportions, very much in your wheelhouse, Aries. Ever the fire starter, you exist at the beginning of things—where spark becomes motion. What do you want to ignite? Where would you like to express your color and passion? You feel fire’s ever-shifting intensity from full, fierce flame to quiet, dying ember. No matter the range, you were born to play with that heat—even bear it. Aries, you are creative in your intentions and strong in your convictions. You will the world to begin.
TAURUS or TAURUS RISING
April 20 to May 20
“Bring it.”
—Naomi Alderman, The Power
Taurus, you offer the world gifts, made by hand, in exchange for your place in the world. Gratitude is currency. We know that you spend many hours thinking about the earth’s resources, survival, food, shelter, and the role of money and wealth. We know that you take the role of stewardship far more seriously than others. Thank you for making things with great care, engaging sensually with your surroundings, cultivating beauty for the sake of beauty, and building intimacy with the earth’s cycles. With a farm-to-table kind of thinking, you take great pleasure in procuring your daily bread and even greater satisfaction in breaking this bread with those you love.
GEMINI or GEMINI RISING
May 21 to June 20
“You don’t tell a story only to yourself. There’s always someone else.”
—Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale
Above all, Gemini, we know that for you, it is connection that matters. Whether through story, conversation, or the written word, there is pure joy in the sinew of connectivity. Bright spirit that you are, where can you cast your words that will most matter? What does connection mean to you? Listen to the words you tell yourself and others. You were meant for dialogue, not monologue, as you are a most curious being with many questions and many inquiries. It is in the middle of this volley with other humans that you find the sweet place—a kind and warm feeling of having listened and been listened to. Use your voice to create more connection rather than less, my friend. It is your clarion, your gift.
CANCER or CANCER RISING
June 21 to July 22
“The first time, I was very much afraid. Then I was not. And never have been after.”
—Lidia Yuknavitch, The Book of Joan
Stereotypes for the Cancerian often center on homebound activities like cooking or fluffing nests. I have always been perplexed by this, even though our Cancers do love the feeling of safety a home provides. Yet, to be clear, Cancer my love, you carry that home very much on your back, wherever you go. As we are in a time where being at home is necessary, I think about you balancing home life with your rich inner imagination and an internal desire to move about, hit the road, change the scenery. How can you move without moving far? How do you turn home life into an adventure? Have you planted a garden? Redecorated? Movement is the key to cabin fever, even if you don’t move too far from the cabin itself.
LEO or LEO RISING
July 23 to August 22
“Nice socks.”
—Neal Shusterman, Unwind
What will you wear to the revolution, dear Leo? Is it such a trivial thought? In all seriousness I have been thinking about my Leos and their propensity to shine brightly and bear that brightness well. Often the first to emote in a given situation, you are the embodiment of the sun with its heat, warmth, and passion. The very real question for you is how you might make art or use your fierce creativity to enhance the world in a myriad of gorgeous and dynamic ways. We need art like we need food. Find ways to wrap your soulful ingenuity around the world. This will make us glad. You have the ability to open our hearts, make us smile, reanimate our eyes.
VIRGO or VIRGO RISING
August 23 to September 22
“Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all.”
—H. G. Wells, The Time Machine
The Virgo mind is a beauty to behold. It is vast, organized with thought patterns that jump fully formed onto the page. Efficiency might be the goal, or perfection. How shall our Virgos find where they are most needed? This is a true question as the will toward humble service emerges as the path. With your well-oiled noggin and a keen interest in mechanisms, the world awaits your analysis. Please don’t dally in the realm of self-criticism when you can use your skills to help the world function in a more efficient manner. You often know what to let go of and what to keep, the true editor of the Zodiac. Keep a cool head, find extraordinary comrades, and serve your community.
LIBRA or LIBRA RISING
September 23 to October 22
“This is my soul and the world unwinding, this is my heart in the still winter air.”
—Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven
We need our mediators, those we can rely on to help us relate to others and bring peace and love into any situation. See, lovely Libra, you have the gifts of symmetry, harmony, and relatability. You may do this work professionally or find yourself helping close friends and family. Brush up on these skills as the world is in need of these in-between humans who can help us see more clearly. We will look for your transcendent light. We will be grateful when you give us a set of tools you’ve learned over time for how to move through difficult situations. You are attuned to the beauty of this world, and it is because you value this beauty that we will seek your help.
SCORPIO or SCORPIO RISING
October 23 to November 21
“You have my whole heart. You always did.”
—Cormac McCarthy, The Road
I think it’s true that when you meet a Scorpio, you don’t often forget the encounter. Like a tattoo there is something utterly indelible about the way they linger on the skin. Conversely, I know my Scorpios never forget what the heart of another feels like, even when they have been away from that heart for years. Loving and relating is your adventure and risk in this lifetime, and yes, it will always be worth your time and effort. I challenge you to reveal more vulnerability, not less; extend your gifts with pure intent; know when to turn for home when you’ve stayed too long; and build bravery into all your connections. You crave the intimacy of a well-seen soul and heart. Give of your deep and intense gifts wisely.
SAGITTARIUS or SAGITTARIUS RISING
November 22 to December 21
“I don’t judge, not even myself.”
— Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
There will be righteous indignation. There will be standing on the right side of a history. There will be the desire to find the truth, to enact faith. Dear Sagittarius, you are a firebrand, rabble-rouser, and systematic thinker. You may feel the call to help the world find new ways of doing things or offer a whole array of solution-based ideas. You have the gift of looking well out beyond the horizon as you always take the long view. Do you have a tendency to judge harshly? I challenge you to build bridges with your stellar knowledge and to suspend judgment toward self and others on the adventurous path toward true connectivity.
CAPRICORN or CAPRICORN RISING
December 22 to January 19
“But that was what made things so exciting—nothing was ever how you expected it to be.”
—Jeanne DuPrau, The City of Ember
Given your propensity to build a thing one brick at a time, it is no wonder you feel the weight of the world, even the weight of the earth itself, sitting on your shoulders. There is no other in the Zodiac that bears weight better than you. It might be time to check your foundation for cracks, holes, fissures. Where do you feel you belong? I know you know what it feels like to be ungrounded, uprooted, out of bounds. I challenge you to find your soulful taproot and pull in the nutrients you need. Thank you for your keen interest in ecology and protecting the earth. Stand where you feel strongest up there amongst the trees. Don’t be surprised when you change your mind about something or question an old belief.
AQUARIUS or AQUARIUS RISING
January 20 to February 18
“All that you touch you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change.”
—Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Sower
I’ve been thinking a lot about your sign, Aquarius. Mostly because of the words we associate with you, words like change, chaos, the collective, individuality, liberation, and innovation. It’s true that you honor the path of the individual inside yourself, but out of all the Zodiac it is you who understands how to think about humanity as a whole, how to honor the collective. As the world advances technologically, keep up with these trends so that you know better how to connect with humanity on a large scale. In facing change and the unknown, keep that sparkle in your eye and teach us how to stay resilient. Bright weathervane, we look to you for help in times of uncertainty.
PISCES or PISCES RISING
February 19 to March 20
“The wave that recedes will come back.”
—N. K. Jemisin, The Fifth Season
What sits on your bed stand, Pisces? Do you give yourself plenty of time to transition between dreamtime and daytime? It is in this toggle between the liminal and waking consciousness that you find your most essential groove. Images from subconscious waters dance through your eyes and you often wonder how to communicate or interpret such extraordinary visuals into words. You may find that some visions get lost in translation, yet others rally your chemistry as you pour out like the water onto the world. We look to you for radical compassion, fierce empathy, and untamed vision. Help us reanimate the world.
