I’ve had a long-running joke about my cosmic placement in the universe, and how I was destined for medical drama due to my horoscope sign- Cancer- having the same name as a killer disease.  A syndicated horoscope called Free Will Astrology provides Gwenn and I with weekly entertainment at the coffee shop, and this week Rob Brezsny acknowledged my longtime concerns about my sign.

He said:
“A while back I asked my readers to propose a new name for your astrological sign. ”Cancer“ has a bit of a negative connotation, after all. Many people suggested ”Dolphin“ as a replacement, which I like. But the two ideas that most captivated my imagination were ”Gateway“ and ”Fount.“ I probably won’t be able to convince the astrological community to permanently adopt either of these uplifting designations, but I encourage you to try out them out to see how they feel. This is a good time to experiment: For the next 12 months, you will have substantial potential to embody the highest meanings of both ”Gateway“ and ”Fount."

Recently, I’ve been thinking of my long-term goal to outlive the HIV in my body, and I’m becoming more and more convinced of my chances.  Once I do so, perhaps I will make it my mission to rename my horoscope sign, in the same way I christened myself a “positoid” over “a person with AIDS”, or a “thinblood” over “hemophiliac”.  I’m pretty sure I’m up to the task.  Say what you will about horoscopes, but I love to read the advice, and do relate to the symbol for Cancers, which is a crab.

Recently you may have noticed that my blog hasn’t been updated quite as regularly as usual; it’s because I’ve been in my crab shell, just peeking out and keeping loose tabs on the world around me.

Positively Yours,
Shawn