SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): Many farms in California's Tulare County grow produce for supermarket chains. Here's the problem: Those big stores only want fruits and vegetable that look perfect. So if there are brown spots on the apples or if the zucchinis grow crooked or if the carrots get too big, they are rejected. As a result, 30 percent of the crops go unharvested. That's sad because a lot of poor people who live in Tulare don't have enough to eat.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 22-Dec 21): The standard dictionary says that "righteous" is a word that means virtuous and highly moral. The slang dictionary says that "righteous" describes someone or something that's absolutely genuine and wonderful. Urbandictionary.com suggests that "righteous" refers to the ultimate version of any type of experience, especially "sins of pleasure" like lust and greed. According to my analysis, the coming week will be jampacked with righteousness for you. Which of the three definitions will predominate?

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): The poet Charles Baudelaire prayed for help, but not to God—rather he prayed to the writer Edgar Allan Poe. Novelist Malcolm Lowry sometimes pleaded with God to give him insight, but he also prayed to the writer Franz Kafka. I really like this approach to seeking guidance, and recommend it to you in the coming days. Which hero, dead or alive, could you call on to uplift you? What amazing character might bring you the inspiration you need? Be brazen and imaginative. The spirits could be of more help than you can imagine. Magic is afoot.

SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 21): "I am very fond of strawberries and cream," said author Dale Carnegie, "but I have found that for some strange reason, fish prefer worms. So when I went fishing, I didn’t think about what I wanted. I thought about what they wanted. I didn't bait the hook with strawberries and cream. Rather, I dangled a worm or grasshopper in front of the fish." That's a good teaching story for you, Scorpio.

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): There's something resembling a big red snake slithering around in your mind these days. I don't mean that literally, of course. I'm talking about a big red imaginary snake. But it's still quite potent. While it's not poisonous, neither is it a pure embodiment of sweetness and light. Whether it ends up having a disorienting or benevolent influence on your life all depends on how you handle your relationship with it. I suggest you treat it with respect but also let it know that you're the boss.

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): Once when I was hiking through Maui's rain forest, I spied a majestic purple honohono flower sprouting from a rotting log. As I bent down close, I inhaled the merged aromas of moldering wood and sweet floral fragrance. Let's make this scene your metaphor of the week, Aries. Here's why: A part of your life that is in the throes of decay can serve as host for a magnificent bloom. What has been lost to you may become the source of fertility. Halloween costume suggestion: a garbage man or cleaning maid wearing a crown of roses.

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): I'm not a big fan of fear. It gets far more attention than it deserves. The media and entertainment industries practically worship it, and many of us allow ourselves to be riddled with toxic amounts of the stuff. Having said that though, I do want to put in a good word for fear. Now and then, it keeps us from doing stupid things. It prods us to be wiser and act with more integrity. It forces us to see the truth when we might prefer to wallow in delusion. Now is one of those times for you, Aries. Thank your fear for helping to wake you up.

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): This is an indelicate oracle. If you're offended by the mention of bodily functions in a prophetic context you should STOP READING NOW. Still here? OK. I was walking through my neighborhood when I spied an older woman standing over her aged Yorkshire Terrier next to a bush. The dog was in discomfort, squatting and shivering but unable to relieve himself. "He's having trouble getting his business done," his owner confided in me. "He's been struggling for ten minutes." I felt a rush of sympathy for the distressed creature.

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): Sometimes you quit games too early, Aries. You run away and dive into a new amusement before you have gotten all the benefits you can out of the old amusement. But I don't think that will be your problem in the coming days. You seem more committed than usual to the ongoing process. You're not going to bolt. That's a good thing. This process is worth your devotion. But I also believe that right now you may need to say no to a small part of it. You've got to be clear that there's something about it you don't like and want to change.

ARIES (Mar 21-Apr 19): Are you good at haggling? Do you maybe even enjoy the challenge of negotiating for a better price, of angling for a fairer deal? The coming week will be a favorable time to make extensive use of this skill. According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you will thrive on having friendly arguments with just about everyone, from your buddies to your significant other to your mommy to God Herself. Everywhere you go, I encourage you to engage in lively discussions as you hammer out compromises that will serve you well.