Columns

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I’m not enamored of Shakespeare’s work. Though I enjoy his creative use of language, his worldview isn’t appealing or interesting. The people in his stories don’t resonate with me, and their problems don’t feel realistic. If I want to commune with multi-faceted characters dealing with fascinating dilemmas, I turn to French […]

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran philosopher and writer Michel Foucalt aspired to open up his readers’ minds with novel ideas. He said his task was to make windows where there had been walls. I’d like to borrow his approach for your use in the coming weeks. It might be the most fun to demolish the […]

My wife and I have a good enough relationship, but we’d like to spice things up a little. She was talking with a friend about intimacy the other day and her friend mentioned sex toys. She thinks that we should get a vibrator. I’m all for making things better in the bedroom, but I wonder […]

We have learned, at least many of us have, not to speak everything we think…but many of us need to get better at not even believing everything we think, or even listening to it. So much of it is simply junk! That sounds harsh and I mean it to be. We need to wake up […]

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Take a few deep, slow breaths. Let your mind be a blue sky where a few high clouds float. Hum your favorite melody. Relax as if you have all the time in the world to be whoever you want to be. Fantasize that you have slipped into a phase of your […]

I‘m not one of those who can chop parsley and put a last-minute singe on the steak while simultaneously greeting guests. I try to get party preparations done in advance to avoid last-minute fussing. Once I’ve done what I can and guests start to arrive, I surrender to the will of the occasion, to its […]

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you have ever contemplated launching a career as a spy, the coming months will be a favorable time to do so. Likewise if you have considered getting trained as a detective, investigative journalist, scientific researcher, or private eye. Your affinity for getting to the bottom of the truth will be […]

Editor’s note: With an uptick in upper respiratory infections and COVID in recent weeks, Dr. Phillips is re-running this previous version of his column. With seemingly endless options of over-the-counter medications readily accessible, it’s easy to reach for something to try to manage just about any symptom the body can create. The seasonal colds and […]

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “These are the bad facts,” says author Fran Lebowitz. “Men have much easier lives than women. Men have the advantage. So do white people. So do rich people. So do beautiful people.” Do you agree, Virgo? I do. I’m not rich or beautiful, but I’m a white man, and I have […]

My partner has some ideas about sex that just aren’t a fit for me. He recently shared that his kink is being a sexual dominant. He wants me to be his submissive. I guess he’s experienced this in the past with a former lover and really liked it. I get it that it’s hot for […]