Brezsny's Astrology • Aug. 07-13, 2025

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Tagalog word gigil refers to the urge to squeeze or pinch something adorable. In the coming weeks, you Aries could feel gigil for the whole world. Everything may seem almost too vivid, too raw, too marvelous and altogether too much. I advise you to welcome these surges; allow them to enhance your perceptions. Laugh hard. Cry freely. Invite goosebumps. (Don’t actually squeeze anyone without permission.)

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In Japan’s Snow Country, artisans practice yuki-sarashi. It involves laying woven cloth on snow under sunlight to bleach, brighten, purify and soften the fibers through the effects of snow, sunlight, cold and ozone. Because this process doesn’t require harsh chemicals, it helps maintain the fabric’s strength and prevents it from yellowing over time. I propose you make yuki-sarashi a useful metaphor, Taurus. Something fragile and fine is ready to emerge, but it needs your gentle touch and natural methods. You are often grounded in the adept manipulation of raw material – what works, what holds, what can be relied on. But this burgeoning treasure needs maximum nuance and the blessings of sensitive care.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When African American dancer Josephine Baker arrived in Paris in 1925 at age 19, she was seeking refuge from her home country’s racism. Her electrifying performances soon made her a celebrity. As she grew wealthy, she donated generously to French charities, hospitals and schools. Her compassionate works evolved further, too. During World War II, she worked as a spy for the French Resistance against the Nazi occupation. Later, she became a civil rights activist in the U.S. Can you guess the astrological sign of this multi-faceted star? Gemini! I hope you will be inspired by her in the coming weeks. May you, too, use your natural gifts to serve the greater good. Look for opportunities to advocate for those lacking your advantages.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): When a glacier moves, it doesn’t rush. It presses forward incrementally, reshaping mountains, carving valleys and transporting boulders. In a metaphorical sense, Cancerian, you are now in glacier time. A slow, relentless and ultimately magnificent process is afoot in your life. Others may not yet see the forward momentum. Even you may doubt it. But the shift is real and permanent. Trust the deep, inexorable push. Your soul is hauling whole landscapes into new configurations.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the Arctic, the sun shines for 24 hours a day during midsummer. The human body, confused by the unending day, may be confused about when to sleep. For some, this creates disorientation; for others, a strange euphoria. In my astrological opinion, Leo, you have entered a metaphorical version of this solar dreamscape. Your creative powers are beaming like a relentless sun. There may be little darkness in sight. So how will you rest? How will you replenish under the glow of fervent possibility? Be discerning with your energy. Don’t mistake illumination for invincibility. Bask in the light, but protect your rhythms.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Now is an excellent time for you to swear sacred oaths. I suggest you get less comfortable with short-term promises. The near future will be a ripe phase to make brave commitments that require you to go farther and deeper than you’ve dared before. I recommend you forgo the cheap thrills of skipping along from one random moment to the next. Embrace a game plan. Finally, I urge you to cast magic spells on yourself that release your unconscious mind from old fixations that subtly drain your power to fulfill your dreams. Surrender trivial obsessions that distract you from your life’s key goals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In West African traditions, griots are key figures in their communities. They serve as storytellers, oral historians, poets, genealogists and advisers. Their presence is often central to events like weddings, funerals and ceremonies. In the coming weeks, Libra, I hope you will embrace a role that resembles the griot. Your ability to enhance and nurture your network is at a peak. You have extra power to weave together threads that have become frayed. Given your potential potency as a social glue, I advise you to avoid gossip and instead favor wise, kind words that foster connection.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The phrase “elegant sufficiency” is an old English expression meaning “just enough” or “a sufficient amount in a refined or tasteful way.” I am expanding it to also mean “the simplest solution that solves a problem completely without unnecessary complexity.” It’s your power phrase, Scorpio. What you need is not intricate perfection, but elegant sufficiency: enoughness. I suggest you welcome this gift with enthusiasm. Maybe your plan doesn’t need more bullet points. Maybe the relationship doesn’t require further analysis. Maybe your offering is already thorough. Allow yourself the sweet satisfaction of having just the right amount. What you have created may be more whole than you realize.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): How do you become a maestro of desire? What must you do to honor your beautiful yearnings and cull your mediocre ones? What’s the magic that will help you fulfill your life’s purpose by trusting your deepest cravings? Here are some tips. First, jettison your inessential desires and cherish the precious yearnings that are crucial. Second, dispose of outmoded goals so you can make expansive space for robust goals that steer you away from the past and guide you toward the future. These are challenging tasks! The very good news is that the coming weeks can be a turning point in your quest to claim this birthright.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’m writing a fairy tale about an ancient land whose queen regards poetry as essential to the public good. She often invites poets to perform for her and her court. When they finish a stirring passage, they bow – not to the queen or other observers, but to the silence they mined to access their inspiration; to the pregnant chaos from which the poem was born. The pause is a gesture of gratitude and acknowledgment. I invite you to partake in similar acts of appreciation, Capricorn. Bow toward the mysteries from which your blessings flow. Honor the quiet sources that keep you fertile. Praise the treasures in the dark that fuel your intense activities.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When I advise you to get naked, I’m not necessarily suggesting that you doff your clothes. What I primarily mean is the following: Shed the armor around your heart; strip off your defense mechanisms; discard knee pads you wear while kissing butt or paying excessive homage; recycle shoes, jackets, pants and opinions that don’t fit you; and discard pride-spawned obstacles that impede your communions with those you love.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Finnish word sisu describes a radical, unglamorous persistence. Those who possess sisu can summon extraordinary determination, tenacity, and resilience in the face of confusion or difficulty. It’s not about bravado or flair, but about soulful gutsiness. I suspect it’s time for you to draw on your sisu, Pisces. It will empower you to tap into reserves of strength that have previously been unavailable. You will activate potentials that have been half-dormant.