Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter July 22, 2009

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
JULY 22, 2009
FreeWillAstrology.com

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"Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, Taoists, Zen Buddhists, Tantric meditators, and mystics everywhere do not think of the Dreaming world as an 'un'-conscious. For these peoples, the sentient Dreaming world is the basic reality. Though marginalized and invisible to mainstream cultures today, Dreamtime has been the essential reality for people from the beginning of time."
-Arnold Mindell

"Do not think you will necessarily be aware of your own enlightenment."
- Dogen

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Dear Readers,

In the coming weeks, you might notice that my book PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings is getting harder to find in bookstores. That's because it's going out of print as I prepare to release the revised and expanded version of the book on September 21.

I'll be talking more about this in the coming weeks. For now, I suggest you hold off on buying the first edition and save your money for the new release.

As you can imagine, I'm excited about the second edition. It's 92 pages longer and has a wealth of new stuff.

Rob

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Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Second Half of 2009 are still available. These are long-term forecasts that preview the next six months.

They're at RealAstrology.com

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

PRONOIA IS HEALTHY FOR YOU
Igniting inspiration (and how cynicism blocks evolution)
tinyurl.com/nnxclq

PRONOIA IS THE OPPOSITE OF BOREDOM
15 unusual and creative buildings
tinyurl.com/mmp9p2

PRONOIA IS INTENSELY PRACTICAL
The neuroscience of compassion, love, and forgiveness
tinyurl.com/mh5c4d

(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 July 23

Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Did life feel meaningless last week? Was your destiny a random sequence of events shepherding you to a series of different nowheres? Even worse, were you convinced that human beings are toxic scum? If so, Leo, get ready for your mood to shift drastically. The whims of fate are mutating. Soon, a source of curses may be a fount of blessings. Enticing leads will rise up out of the midst of boredom. Human beings will fascinate and teach you, and every day will bring new signs to draw you deeper into delicious mysteries.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

You're hereby relieved of your responsibility to keep everyone's illusions afloat. (You might want to sink your own illusions, as well.) Consider yourself armed with Ernest Hemingway's "built-in, shock-resistant bulls--- detector." Beginning immediately, be an elegant but in-your-face Reality Check. Don't just tell the truth. Tell the lush, pulsating, up-to-the-minute truth. And be aware that even the dry facts may be evolving pretty fast. What seems like incontrovertible evidence today may be puny propaganda tomorrow.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

I usually applaud your inclination to remain above the fray and churn out astute observations. I normally honor your instinct to distance yourself from petty partisan squabbles. But this week's different. For the foreseeable future, I'd like it very much if you dive into the pit with the other diehards and fight with hardnosed audacity for what you believe is the beautiful truth. At least temporarily, Libra, forget about your graceful talent for tactful compromise. I think it's time for you to be a warrior who's ferociously devoted to a just cause.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

In behalf of all the other signs, I'd like to express our gratitude for the jumpstarts you Scorpios give us. The jolts aren't always bliss-inducing, true, but in retrospect we often say, "Thanks, I really needed that." We also appreciate the debates you embroil us in. They force us to take stands on issues we've been wishy-washy about. Our gratitude also goes out to you for those times you help us lose our excessive self-importance. It's hard to cling to our pretensions with you around, and it's easier to get to the root of the truth. Keep up the good work. Continue to be your warm prickly self even in the face of protests from faint hearts. Know that at least some of your fans out here respect the way you push us and trick us and inspire us to go places we don't even realize we'll benefit from going.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

During his time in hiding, the Biblical prophet Elijah was kept alive by ravens who brought him food. John the Baptist survived on nothing but honey and locusts when he was roaming the wilderness. And I'm sure that some unexpected source of comfort and sustenance will likewise turn up during your wanderings, Sagittarius. It may not be what you're used to. You might even have to cultivate a taste for nourishment that seems foreign. But stick with it. You could learn to love it, and in the process become less dependent on stuff you thought you couldn't do without.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Burn the Book of Love you've been using these past few years, Capricorn, even if you just do it metaphorically. Don't think of the incineration as censorship. Think of it as liberating yourself from the tyranny of fables that have programmed you to accept less love than you deserve and give less love than you have to give. Imagine that you're ready for a riper approach to the knotty riddles of the heart. And when you're done with the burning, go in search of a brand new Book of Love. Better yet, write that holy text yourself. A good title might be "Love Doesn't Conquer All, But Sixty Percent Isn't Bad." A bad title would be "Love Doesn't Suck."

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EXPLORE THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE
with my Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Second Half of 2009

To hear my IN-DEPTH, LONG-TERM AUDIO FORECAST for YOUR LIFE between now and January 2010, go here:

RealAstrology.com

Log in through the main page, and then click on the link "Long Term Forecast for Second Half of 2009."

You can also listen to your short-term forecast for the coming week by clicking on "This week (July 21, 2009)."

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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

You should closely monitor your environment for beguiling appearances of the number seven. I have reason to believe that seven may be involved in your current inconveniences and dilemmas. I theorize that seven has been trying to call attention to itself in an odd or irritating manner so as to get you to tune in to certain benefits that could be associated with the number seven -- benefits you've been overlooking. I would even go so far as to speculate that seven may be both the cause of and the cure for your itch. Be especially alert for sevens that are in the vicinity of the color green or the letter "G." Perk up your intuition anytime seven appears in advertisements, boxes of food, tattoos, or t-shirts.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

Don't concern yourself with praying to the gods of luck and chance. I'll take care of that for you. Your job is to solicit the favor of the gods of diligence and discipline. Why? Because I think you've got a lot of good work ahead of you -- work that will take ingenious attention to detail -- and you're going to need the extra boost those gods can provide. Of course, their help won't be enough. You will also have to draw on extra reserves of your willpower in order to express new heights of determination and persistence. Together, you and those no-nonsense deities will be an unbeatable team. The better you organize yourself, the more they will help you get organized. The stronger you push to make your efforts crisp and efficient, the easier they'll make it for you to do just that.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

Storm chasers are people who love traveling around the continent in pursuit of wild weather. Nothing feeds their lust for life more than getting up close and personal with a tornado or supercell thunderstorm. Many of them are meteorologists who are curious about the way storms work; they're not motivated solely by bravado. I mention this because, according to my astrological analysis, the coming weeks will be prime time for Aries storm chasers to load up on thrills. The immediate future should also bring excellent opportunities for other Rams who are yearning for breezy adventures that will captivate their imaginations and slake their sense of wonder.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Let's say that you lost a treasured object a while back. What do you think the odds are that you'll find it this week? Or let's say that a bewildering companion walked out of your life many moons ago. How much do you want to bet that your paths will cross again soon? According to my reading of the omens, events like these could be common between now and August 15. That's because the past is cycling back to you for another look. Revival and resurrection are in the air. What has been old may become new again. Are you ready to experience something resembling time travel?

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

The seductive torments of insatiable desires are leaving you in peace, at least for now. That means you're free to concentrate on the easier gratification of more satiable desires. I hope you're open to that, Gemini; I hope you haven't fallen for the illusion that hard-to-get pleasures are deeper and finer. Please believe me when I tell you that you're ready to exult and bask in the simple joys.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

The coming week may be one big Ethical Test for you. Maybe today the cashier at the cafe will accidentally give you $10 too much in change. Tomorrow you could be baited with a chance to gain personal advantage by betraying a friend. The next day you may have to decide between doing the right thing and doing the kind thing. It has been a long time since your integrity has been pushed and probed and pricked like this. As you wend your way through the gray areas, Cancerian, remember that sometimes being moral is not about saying no, but saying yes. In fact, one of the most high-minded acts you could make is to open your heart to a righteous temptation.

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HOMEWORK:

In what part of your life are you doing less than your best? 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 2009 Rob Brezsny

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