Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
MARCH 11, 2009
FreeWillAstrology.com
+
"My feeling about technique in art," John Barth told
an interviewer in 1968, "is that it has about the same value
as technique in love-making. That is to say, on the one hand,
heartfelt ineptitude has its appeal and, on the other hand, so
does heartless skill; but what you want is passionate virtuosity."
- Charles Harris, "Reading John Barth"
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
My band's CD is called GIVE TOO MUCH
Listen to and download mp3's here:
tinyurl.com/yh5v7j
or
tinyurl.com/5px7ke
Or buy the CD here:
tinyurl.com/ydw5q3
More info about the band here:
freewillastrology.com/cds
Reviews:
"They pack their songs full of enough heady words and phrases
to fill a Greil Marcus-style rock critique. But WORLD ENTERTAINMENT
WAR reminds us that smart music need not be the prisoner of rock
academia. It's a stirring, entertaining band with a smooth, funky
sound and a loose, punky attitude . . . They succeed at wresting
'smart' rock out of the critics' hands."
- Gus Stadler, SF Weekly
"All the mystic power of the Zep, but with good will and
good vibes. Very powerful singers and thoughtful lyrics. Soul-feeding
music. Occult wisdom. Now anthemic fire, now intricate rhythms.
Secret Orders take note."
- Reviewer on amazon.com
"Calling this music 'smart rock,' as some critics have,
does a disservice to the emotional sweep of the music and the
ready accessibility of Rob Brezsny's lyrics."
- Joel Selvin, San Francisco Chronicle
"This is one of the boldest and most literate albums released
in years."
- Scott Benarde, Y-NOT
World Entertainment War is cheerfully anarchist, socially conscious,
warmly humanist, charmingly goofy, and sternly pop."
- Deb Finley, Detroit Metro Times
"This is the greatest album of all time. I am not kidding.
The lyrics and music are amazing, and everything fits together
perfectly, with themes (both words and music) running through
the entire album. Even though I have heard it 100 times, my favorite
way to listen is to sit quietly and pay attention. It never disappoints
and I keep finding new things to amaze me…The music is melodic
and intricate and soothing and in-your-face, all at the same time.
I know that you can download samples for free, but you really
miss something if you don't listen to the whole album in the original
order."
- Reviewer on amazon.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning March 12
Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In the past few weeks you have veered close to the edge of blissful
triumph. From what I can tell, you averted total ecstatic breakthrough
and fantastic raging success by only the narrowest of margins.
If you don't want to go all the way in the coming days -- if you'd
rather remain faithful to your fear of success and fall back into
your humdrum comfort zone -- you should slam on the brakes immediately.
But I warn you: The cosmic pressure to push you over the top into
loopy, grinning, shameless victory is almost irresistible.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras is known as "the father
of numbers." He taught that mathematics provides the ultimate
truth about reality. His otherwise productive career went through
a rough patch when one of his students found that the square root
of two is an "irrational" number that can't be expressed
as a simple fraction. "Impossible!" said Pythagoras.
His system was built on the axiom that there are no such numbers.
Yet he couldn't refute the student's proof. By some accounts,
Pythagoras had the student drowned for his impunity. The brilliant
theorist couldn't deal with the threat to his dogma. I bring this
to your attention, Aries, because you have an opportunity to do
what Pythagoras couldn't: accept the evidence that your beliefs
about reality are limited, and incorporate the new data into a
revised worldview.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
"One often meets one's destiny on the road taken to avoid
it," says a French proverb. Sometimes, in fact, you can't
even get properly aligned with your highest potential unless you
try to escape it. Only by seeking an alternate route are you led
into the circumstances that ultimately activate the fullness of
your gifts. These mysteries will soon have personal meaning for
you, Taurus. Upcoming plot twists will lead you to where you didn't
even know you needed to go.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Chris Farley was "a wrecking ball of joy," according
to one of his friends. The Saturday Night Live comedian loved
to provoke merriment wherever he went, relentlessly shepherding
the mood toward celebratory exuberance. I'm not saying you should
try to ignite conviviality with that much ferocity in the coming
days, Gemini. But I do think this is a special phase of your astrological
cycle, when you have an extraordinary capacity for spreading witty
inspiration and catalytic fun -- and for collecting the useful
rewards generated by that good stuff.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
As I compose your horoscope, I'm sitting in a restaurant in San
Francisco's Chinatown dining on something the menu refers to as
a Milky Golden Prize Delight Bun. And I'm thinking, I bet it's
going to be a kind of Milky Golden Prize Delight week for you
Cancerians . . . a Sweet Creamy Lusty Elixir week . . . a Rich
Thick Tasty Brilliance week. If you can manage it, I suggest you
try to have a dream one of these nights in which you find a delicious
morsel of the sun in a bowl of pudding, and savor it all while
listening to the full moon sing you a thrilling lullaby.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
I predict that you will go to a grungy thrift store to shop for
bargain kitchen items but will instead buy a magic snow globe
depicting a dolphin drinking beer from a fountain that's shaped
like a silver stiletto pump, and when you get this talisman home
you will discover that it gives you the power to hover and cruise
a few feet off the ground, plus tune in to the secret thoughts
of people who confuse you, and even time-travel into the past
for brief ten-minute blasts that allow you to change what happened.
And if my prediction's not accurate in every detail, I bet it
will nonetheless be metaphorically true.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The foxglove plant can either be a hex or a healer. If you eat
its flowers, your heart rate will zoom to a dangerous rate and
your digestive system will go haywire. If, on the other hand,
you have certain cardiac problems and partake of the foxglove's
leaves, they will steady and strengthen your heart. I bet you
can think of several influences in your life whose powers can
be equally contradictory. According to my reading of the omens,
it's an excellent time to get very clear about the differences,
and take steps to ensure that you'll be exposed as little as possible
to the negative effects.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The agitation and commotion seem to be dying down. The bitching
and moaning are diminishing. And yet, from what I can tell, the
Big Squeeze is still squeezing you, which probably means that
it's going to get trickier for you to extricate yourself. Want
my advice? Don't take "maybe" for an answer. Negotiate
with a mischievous look in your eye. Learn more about the productive
value of unpredictability by studying three-year-olds and free
spirits who have nothing to lose. Most importantly, do whatever
it takes to deflect the propaganda and slip past the symbolic
gestures so that you can penetrate to the core of the real feelings.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
"Here's what I'm looking for," said a personal classified
I read online. "Someone who can tear me away from living
inside my head . . . who sees things in me that I don't see myself."
That's exactly what I want for you right now, Scorpio. Whether
this someone shows up in the form of an ally or enemy or beloved
animal or invisible friend, I don't care. The important thing
is that he or she awakens you to certain mysteries about you that
you've been blind to, and helps free you from the unconscious
delusion that all of reality is contained inside the boundaries
of your skull.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
This would be a perfect week to practice writing love letters.
It's not yet a favorable time to actually send the love letters
you compose, however. You need some work before you'll be ready
to produce the finished products. You've got to drain off the
chatter that's at the top of your head before you'll be able to
penetrate to the more interesting truths that lie at the bottom
of your heart. But if you do your homework -- churn out, say,
at least three eruptions of rabid amour -- you'll prepare yourself
well to craft a thoughtful meditation that will really have a
chance to make an impact.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
I decided to call my cable TV company to inquire about a mistake
on my bill. From past experience, I suspected this would be a
visit to the suburbs of hell. My expectations were soon fulfilled.
After being cycled through three phases of the automated system,
I was told by a machine that I'd get to speak with an actual person
in 16 minutes. Then I was delivered into the aural torment of
recorded smooth jazz. But a minute into the ordeal, something
wonderful happened. The muzak gave way to a series of great indie
rock tunes, including three I'd never heard before. A song that
I later determined to be Laura Veirs' "Don't Lose Yourself"
became my instant new favorite. By the time the billing consultant
was ready for me, my mood was cheery. I predict a comparable sequence
for you, Capricorn. An apparent trip to the suburbs of hell will
have a happy ending that exposes you to fresh sources of inspiration.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
In response to the recession, some companies have come up with
an ingenious way to avoid raising prices: They reduce the amount
of product they offer by shrinking the packaging. The makers of
Skippy Peanut Butter, for instance, restructured the bottom of
the jar so that only 16.3 ounces could fit inside instead of the
previous 18. In the coming weeks, Aquarius, I suspect you will
be having to deal with metaphorical versions of this strategy.
Now that I've told you, maybe you won't be fooled.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOMEWORK:
Express gratitude for the enemy who has taught you the most.
Share by going to FreeWillAstrology.com
and clicking on "Email Rob."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
2009 Rob Brezsny
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
|
