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Astrology
WEEK OF AUGUST 21
BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (March 21-April 19) : When glassmakers want to cool a newly blown piece, they don’t
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simply leave it out to harden. That would cause it to shatter from the inside. Instead, they place
it in an annealing oven, where the temperature drops in measured increments over many hours.
This careful cooling aligns the internal structure and strengthens the whole. Let’s invoke this as
a useful metaphor, Aries. I absolutely love the heat and radiance you’ve expressed recently. But
now it’s wise for you to gradually cool down: to allow your fervor to coalesce into an enduring
new reservoir of power and vitality. Transform sheer intensity into vibrant clarity and cohesion.
1149 WILLAMETTE
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TAURUS (April 20-May 20) : To paraphrase Sufi mystic poet Rumi: “Don’t get lost in your
pain. Know that one day your pain will become your cure.” In my astrological opinion, Taurus, you
have arrived at this pivotal moment. A wound you’ve had to bear for a long spell is on the verge of
maturing into a gift, even a blessing. A burdensome ache is ready to reveal its teachings. You may
have assumed you would be forever cursed by this hurt, but that’s not true! Now it’s your sacred
duty to shed that assumption and open your heart so you can harvest the healing.
GEMINI (May
21-June 20) : As you enter a Tibetan Buddhist temple, you may encounter
statues and paintings of fi erce spirits. They are guardian fi gures who serve as protectors, scar-
ing away negative and destructive forces so they can’t enter the holy precincts. In accordance
with astrological omens, Gemini, I invite you to be your own threshold guardian. Authorize a wise
and strict part of you to defend and safeguard what truly matters. This staunch action doesn’t
have to be aggressive, but it should be informed with fi erce clarity. You can’t aff ord to let the
blithe aspect of your personality compromise your overall interests by being too accommodat-
ing. Assign your protective self to stand at your gate and say: “I protect this. I cherish this. I
won’t dilute this.”
CANCER
(June 21-July 22) : “Dear Dr. Feelgood: Lately, you seem to be extra nice to us
hypersensitive Crabs. Almost too kind. Why? Are you in love with a Cancerian woman, and you’re
trying to woo her? Did you hurt a Cancerian friend’s feelings, and now you’re atoning? Please tell
me you're not just coddling us. — Permanently Drunk on a Million Feelings.”
Dear Drunk: You use your imagination to generate visions of things that don’t exist yet. It’s your
main resource for creating your future. This is especially crucial right now. The coming months
will be a fertile time for shaping the life you want to live for the next 10 years. If I can help you
keep your imagination fi lled with positive expectations, you are more likely to devise marvelous
self-fulfi lling prophecies.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) : In traditional Chinese medicine, the heart is the seat of joy. It’s also the
sovereign that listens to the wisdom of the other organs before acting. Dear Leo, as you cross
the threshold from attracting novelty to building stability, I encourage you to cultivate extra
heart-centered leadership, both for yourself and for those who look to you for inspiration. What
does that mean? Make decisions based on love and compassion more than on rational analysis.
Be in service to wholeness rather than to whatever might bring temporary advantage.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) : In Mesoamerican myth, the god Quetzalcoatl journeys to the un-
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derworld not to escape death, but to recover old bones needed to create new life. I propose you
draw inspiration from this story, Virgo. In recent weeks, you have been gathering pieces of the
past, not out of a sense of burdensome obligation, but as a source of raw material. Now comes
the time for reassembly. You won’t rebuild the same old thing. You will sculpt visionary gifts for
yourself from what was lost. You will use your history to design your future. Be alert for the
revelations that the bones sing.
BY MATT JONES
“There’s a Catch” — you may scramble to get there.
1. Enewetak, e.g.
6. “Super” interest group
9. Assumed a role
14. TV chef Bastianich
15. Web address, familiarly
16. Flying waterfowl
17. Determining direction
20. “Death Becomes Her”
costar
21. Big-eyed barn bird
22. Richards played by Pedro
Pascal in “The Fantastic
Four: First Steps”
23. Air travel delayer
25. Nice reply?
27. Underwater projectile
system
36. Outwit, in a way
37. Bachelorette party, in
the U.K.
38. Soccer stadium shout
39. Supposing
40. Jason of the “American
Pie” fi lms
41. Additions
42. Magritte’s “The ___ of
Man”
43. Night watch
44. “All good here”
45. Their syllabi may involve
a reading list
48. Abbr. after an attorney’s
name
49. ___ Lanka
50. Be boastful
53. “Cocoon” transport
56. Burdens
61. Diffi cult (and a hint to the
challenge of interpreting the
circles in the grid)
64. More than apologize
65. Painting medium
©2025 JONESIN’ CROSSWORDS (EDITOR@JONESINCROSSWORDS.COM)
Across
13. Monopoly card
18. Obsolete music holder
19. Storm warnings
24. Be graceful, per a
Michelle Obama quote
26. Game with 108 cards
Down
27. Poke fun at
1. “The Sound of Music”
28. “Come on down!”
backdrop
announcer Johnny
2. Pinball fail
29. Feeling regret
3. Funk
30. Adobe fi le ext.
4. Low-cal, on a label
31. Aboveboard
5. Library penalty
32. Trigonometry
6. Bit of “Bob’s Burgers”
measurements
menu humor
7. 2012 Oscar winner for Best 33. Provide with quarters?
34. “I’m hunting wabbits”
Picture
speaker
8. Crab’s grabber
35. Sits for a bit
9. Some time ___
40. Lobster soup
10. Former “Today” host
41. [“I can’t believe it”]
Katie
43. “___ for Vengeance”
11. Went really fast
(Grafton book)
12. “To be” in Latin
44. Freezing over
46. All-time great
47. Elvis’s middle name
50. Say too much
51. “The ___ of Spring”
52. “Don’t Matter” singer
54. Lily pad occupant
55. “Garfi eld” dog
57. Home of the Bruins
58. ___ serif fonts
59. State of plié?
60. Former political divs.
62. “Over here!”
63. Under the weather
66. Funny bone’s nerve
67. ___ straw
68. Pen variety
69. Histories
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) : In the ancient Hindu holy text known as the Upanishads, anan-
da means bliss, though not so much in the sense of physical or psychological pleasure as of deep,
ecstatic knowing. I believe you are close to attracting this glorious experience into your soul,
Scorpio — not just fl eetingly, but for a while. I predict you will glide into alignments that feel like
coming home to your eternal and perfect self. Treasure these moments as divine gifts. Immerse
yourself with total welcome and gratitude. Let ananda inform your next steps.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) : In Daoist cosmology, the nature of life is characterized
by cyclical, fl owing patterns rather than linear, static motions. In my study of its gorgeous teach-
ings, I exult in how it inspires me to honor both contraction and expansion, the power of circling
inward and reaching outward. With this in mind, Sagittarius, I invite you to make the spiral your
symbol of power. Yes, it may sometimes feel like you’re revisiting old ground. Perhaps an ex will
resurface, or an old goal will seek your attention. But I guarantee it’s not mere repetition. An
interesting form of evolution is underway. You’re returning to longstanding challenges armed
with fresh wisdom. Ask yourself: What do I know now that I didn’t before? How can I meet these
interesting questions from a higher point of the spiral?
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) : Inuit artworks are often made from materials available
in their environment, like driftwood, stones, walrus ivory, whale bones, and caribou bones and
antlers. Even their tools are crafted from that stuff . In part, this is evidence of their resourceful-
ness, and in part, a refl ection of how lovingly they engage with their environment. I recommend
you borrow their approach, Capricorn. Create your practical magic by relying on what’s already
available. Be enterprising as you generate usefulness and fun out of scraps and leftovers. Your
raw material is probably better if it’s not perfect.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) : The medieval alchemists had a central principle, rendered in
Latin as follows: Visita interiora terrae, rectificando invenies occultum lapidem . Translated,
it means, “Seek out the lower reaches of the earth, perfect them, and you will fi nd the hidden
stone.” I invite you to go on a similar underground quest, Aquarius. The purpose is not to wallow
in worry or sadness, but rather to retrieve a treasure. Some magnifi cence beneath your surface
life is buried — an emotional truth, a creative impulse, a spiritual inheritance. And it’s time you
went and got it. Think of it as a quest and a pilgrimage. The “hidden stone,” an emblem of spiri-
tual riches, wants you to fi nd it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) : In ancient Greece, the god Janus presided over doorways. He
ANSWERS TO LAST WEEK’S
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) : In the Hebrew language, the word for “face” is plural. There is no
singular form for panim . I love that fact! For me, it implies that each of us has a variety of faces.
Our identity is multifaceted. I think you should make a special point of celebrating this truth in
the coming weeks, Libra. Now is an excellent time to explore and honor all of your many selves.
Take full advantage of your inner diversity, and enjoy yourself to the max as you express and
reveal the full array of truths you contain.
had two faces, one looking outward and forward, one gazing inward and backward. I believe this
is your Janus phase, Pisces. Before you launch into your next fl uidic quest, pause and take inven-
tory. Peer behind you, not with regret but with curiosity and compassion. What cycle has fully
ended? What wisdom has settled into your bones? Then face the future, not with shyness or
foreboding, but with eager intention and confi dence. What goals, rooted in who you are becom-
ing, can inspire an exciting new plot thread?
Homework: What spoiled part of your life could you rehabilitate?
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