Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter September 3, 2008

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
SEPTEMBER 3, 2008
FreeWillAstrology.com

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WRATHFUL DEVOTION
by Jennifer Welwood

You gave me a heart that ignites
In the passionate knowing of you,
And having burned in that heat
Is not drawn to lesser fires.

You gave me a mind that expands
To encounter your vastness,
And finds in those fathomless depths
Its own luminous nature.

You gave me a soul that won't rest
With any barrier to you,
Be it heavy and dense
Or gossamer as a veil.

You gave me an old structure
Made up of my history;
It is heavy and dense,
It is gossamer as a veil.

I meet it, allow it, explore it
And still it grinds on,
A machine that relentlessly churns out
Old patterns and tendencies.

I embrace it, dissolve it, release it --
Still it keeps reincarnating,
Rising up from some ancient template
Held deep in my bones.

I don't begrudge you your sense of humor,
Beloved trickster,
But I do wonder, now and then,
What you have in mind.

Did you make me to realize a freedom
I can't fully embody?
Do my heart and soul burn for a truth
That I can't fully live?

I commune with you in the heavens --
It's not hard to find you there;
But I need you down here,
In the marrow of my bones.

You can't turn away now -- stay here;
I will have this out with you.
You started something with me,
And now I want it finished.
Yes -- I will wrestle with you on this one,
Beloved torturer;
I will wrestle you all the way down
To the very ground

And not rest till I stand
With the soles of my feet upon you,
And not rest till I feel you infuse
My every cell.

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My book
PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
is available for sale at
tinyurl.com/qaj62

Here's an interview with me concerning the book:

INTERVIEW WITH ROB

by Glen Starkey
of the San Luis Obispo New Times
newtimesslo.com/

GLEN STARKEY: Your book "PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia" isn't so much about astrology as it is about philosophy. How does what you do in your weekly "Free Will Astrology" column connect to what your book is about?

ROB BREZSNY: The book is a discussion of the philosophy that underlies and informs the column. I believe everyone's life is a labyrinth with a reward at the center, not a minefield in which fear should be one's primary guide. I explain why in the book.

GLEN STARKEY: As I read it, your book is about training oneself to see the world through optimistic eyes, to not dwell on the occasional bad thing that happens and instead focus on all the things that go right, every day, all the time. What led you to this idea?

ROB BREZSNY: Let me comment on the first statement. It's true that I urge people not to dwell on the occasional bad thing that happens. However, it's important to note that pronoia doesn't ask you to ignore or suppress problems. On the contrary, just as pronoiacs retrain themselves to notice and feel gratitude for all the beauty and largesse in the world, they also retrain themselves to see every problem as a gift that is designed to make them smarter, kinder, and more fully alive.

As for what led me to these ideas: I'm a natural-born rebel; I enjoy identifying the conventional wisdom in every situation, and turning it on its head. Today the conventional wisdom is that everything is falling apart, that the world is a terrible place to live, that bad things predominate. The most taboo possibility of all is the idea that the world is full of beauty and that life is on our side. I gravitate toward that perspective because everything in my life has confirmed it and because my job is to do everything I can to overthrow the status quo.

GLEN STARKEY: Are you able to put into practice all that your book suggests, or is attempting to exert pronoia an ongoing struggle?

ROB BREZSNY: I am by no means a master of pronoia. But I enjoy the struggle to immunize myself against the insane culture-wide obsession with pathology; I enjoy the hard work of retraining myself to bask in the nonstop flood of daily miracles.

GLEN STARKEY: If you were to tell someone one thing in your book that's the most important tidbit of knowledge, what would it be?

ROB BREZSNY: You always get exactly what you need, exactly when you need it. Not exactly what you want, exactly what you want, mind you. Life unfailingly presents you with what your soul needs, which isn't necessarily what your ego wants.

GLEN STARKEY: Who should read this book, and who shouldn't?

ROB BREZSNY: Who shouldn't read this book: Cynics whose entire identity and self-image are wrapped up in being cynical. My book may be unlikely to crack through their fanatical bias against admitting how much beauty and blessing the world is filled with, but if it did they would most likely suffer from a nervous breakdown.

Who should read this book: everyone else.

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To read news and features from my book, go here: tinyurl.com/lhwx2

You can buy the book here:

AMAZON
tinyurl.com/qaj62

POWELLS
tinyurl.com/3dsx6q

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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:

DO YOU DARE TO BREAK THE TABOO AGAINST OPTIMISM?
tinyurl.com/69tvbg
Can we cultivate our own happiness?
The Happiness Revolution

BEAUTY IS CRUCIAL FOR YOUR HEALTH
25 Most Colorful Lakes in the World
tinyurl.com/6q66nj

EXERCISE YOUR ANIMAL INTELLIGENCE
The International Guide to Places to Make Love Outdoors
For those of you 18 years or older
outdoorlovemap.com/

(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They are not advertisements, and I get no kickbacks.)

Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning September 4

Copyright 2008 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

Pregnant giraffes give birth standing up. Babies arrive in their new environment with a jolt, hitting the ground after plummeting six feet. Although they were fairly safe before, upon leaving the womb they are in danger of being preyed upon by animals like leopards and hyenas, which wouldn't dare attack their giant mothers. I'm thinking there's a resemblance between the newborn giraffes and a new project you're working on, Virgo. Its initial splash into the world may be a bit rocky and fraught with dicey challenges. But I'm here to say that if you're a vigilant caretaker in the early going, it will grow to maturity.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

My friend Joan was experiencing a cascade of annoying physical symptoms -- mediocre digestion, mild headaches, chronic congestion in her ear, itchy skin. None was terrible, but together they were a big distraction. After two trips to her regular acupuncturist, there was little improvement. The acupuncturist decided it was time for more drastic measures: He was going to try a dramatic treatment that was akin to pushing a reset button on a machine. Success! Joan was freed from the nagging ailments and experienced a thorough rejuvenation. I suggest you seek out the equivalent treatment, Libra: Push the reset button.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

"The reality of love is mutilated when it is removed from all its unreality." So said the French philosopher Gaston Bachelard in his book The Poetics of Reverie. He meant that realism alone is not enough for human beings to live on, especially in our most intimate relationships. We need fantasy to augment the merely factual perspective. We require poetic truths to keep the rational approach honest. Without the play of the imagination, in fact, our understanding of the world is impoverished and distorted. In this spirit, Scorpio, I invite you to be extra daydreamy and imaginative about love in the coming days. Feed your soul and the souls of those you love with experiences that arouse mystery and wonder. (P.S. Nietzsche said: "We have art in order not to perish of truth.")

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

A teacher you will ultimately feel a strong need to learn from has recently become known to you, or will soon become known. A series of lessons you will benefit from studying throughout 2009 is already revealing its contours. I suggest you do some meditation and free-writing about these developments. Making your intuitions more conscious will prime your deep psyche for the work ahead, helping it to attract the experiences you'll require to prepare for your future educational assignments.

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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE

In addition to the horoscopes that you read here, I create additional in-depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration.

They're not repeats or elaborations of the stuff you find here, but entirely fresh explorations of your astrological omens, designed to help you tune in to your soul's code.

Try them at RealAstrology.com.

They're available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

They're $6 if you access them on the Web, or $1.99 per minute over the phone.

"Your audio horoscopes help me love myself better, and I mean that in a non-narcissistic way."
- Deva P., Indianapolis

"I'm really grateful for the way you pick up my telepathic requests and answer them in your expanded audio 'scopes."
- Marion H., Birmingham, AL

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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

"The whole history of civilization is strewn with creeds and institutions which were invaluable at first, and deadly afterwards." So said British essayist Walter Bagehot. I would add the following corollary: The fortunes of many individuals have declined because of belief systems and structures that were invigorating earlier in their lives but that gradually became paralyzing or parasitical. Has that ever been true about you, Capricorn? More importantly, might it become true in the future? Please take inventory of your reliance on theories and attitudes and methods that made good sense once upon a time but that are now becoming irrelevant or even counterproductive.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

"What did you do this summer?" I asked my Aquarian readers. "I didn't build a single sandcastle," wrote Emma from Baltimore. "I didn't fall in love. I didn't celebrate the full moon. I didn't run through a meadow. I didn't taste honeysuckle. But on the other hand, I worked hard on the book I'm writing. I dramatically improved my diet. I kept my house clean and well-organized. I watched less TV." If I'm analyzing the omens correctly, many of you Aquarians were like Emma in the past months: more successful at accomplishing practical goals than at having free-form fun. I don't think that's a problem, though. You can't do everything, right? But these next few weeks before the equinox will be a good time to correct the imbalance. I suggest you go in quest of what has been missing.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

You will have a knack for seeing what has been invisible and for describing what no one else can say. You'll have a talent for perceiving the open secrets that everyone else has refused to notice and for speaking about truths that everyone has avoided articulating. I'm not sure what you've done to attain these wizardly abilities, but the cause isn't really important, is it? Get out there and use your superpowers to generate breakthroughs that will forestall and maybe even cancel sluggish breakdowns in the group processes.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

"Like an ox-cart driver in monsoon season or the skipper of a grounded ship, one must sometimes go forward by going back," wrote novelist John Barth in The Friday Book. Consider using that approach, Aries. Retreat may be the strongest move you can make right now; surrender could turn out to be a masterstroke. But in order to get the most out of this strategy, you've got to keep your ego from injecting its agendas into situations. Don't act out of shame or pride; don't humble yourself excessively or be burning for revenge. Be objective, neutral, poised.

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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE

In addition to the horoscopes that you're reading here, I create more in-depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration. Find out more at RealAstrology.com.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

"The best part about your audio horoscopes is that they pat me on the head and kick me in the ass at the same time."
- Rita L., San Diego

"Your audio oracles go beyond helping me find the truth -- they inspire me to find the WILD truth."
- Patrick K., Montreal

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

One of my favorite memories is gazing into my Taurus daughter's face just moments after her complicated birth. She had been through a heroic ordeal that scared the hell out of me, and yet she looked calm, beatific, and amused. "She's part-Buddha and part-elf," I thought to myself as I held her in my arms. I saw elegant compassion blended with wise playfulness, two states I had never before witnessed in the same person. This unexpected marvel imprinted me deeply, and has informed my work ever since. Do you have a comparable memory, Taurus? A time when a key to your destiny was revealed to you? A turning point when you got a gift that has fueled your quest for years? This is not only a good time to revisit that breakthrough; it's also a ripe moment to ask life for another one.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

The governor of Minnesota has a wife who loves to go fishing. Tim Pawlenty told radio station WCCO that his wife Mary is smitten with the sport. She is genuinely driven to cast her bait into the lake in quest of the catch. "Now, if I could only get her to have sex with me," the governor added, suggesting that her passion for intimate union with him was not as pressing as her urge to fish. While I personally lean toward the position that eros is one of life's best gifts, I don't judge Mary harshly for her preference. Many people find that the most satisfying and useful way to express their libido is through some non-sexual activity. You may want to consider that possibility, at least in the coming days. It's the sublimation phase of your astrological cycle.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

Normally, you're not the most direct person in the world. Nor are you the most concise. You sometimes display tendencies to sidestep the main issues and take the long way home to the truth. Why, then, have you apparently turned into a sleek paragon of precise communication? To what do we owe your crisp new efficiency, your knack for cutting through the crap, and your commitment to saying exactly what you mean? Maybe it has to do with the alignment of the planets. Or maybe you really, really don't want to be misunderstood.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Resilience is a quality that allows you to rise above setbacks and find resources in unexpected places. It's a willful instinct to seek the higher ground and a bigger vision. It's intensely practical, because it shushes the nagging voices in your head that make negative interpretations of your experience, thereby allowing you to act courageously in your own best interests. This is Resilience Week for you, Leo. Call on your dormant reserves.

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HOMEWORK:

Were you told, long ago, that there was a certain accomplishment you'd never be capable of? Is it time to prove that curse wrong? Testify by going to FreeWillAstrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."

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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?

I'm not doing personal charts, but I highly recommend my astrological colleague, RO LOUGHRAN. Her approach closely matches my own. In our many discussions about astrology over the years, we've had a major influence on each other's work.

Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation; she is skilled at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your connection with your own inner wisdom.

Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.

Ro's website is at YourSoulJourney.com

She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net

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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter or in response to "homework assignments" may be published in a variety of formats at Rob Brezsny's discretion, including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve the right to edit such submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored with submissions; otherwise, reader names, screen names, or initials will be used. Please be sure to note your preference when sending to us. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.

Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2008 Rob Brezsny

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