Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
MAY 5, 2010
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Facebook fan page: bit.ly/BrezFB
Expanded Audio Horoscopes: RealAstrology.com
Compendium of pronoiac resources gathered in the newsletter: pronoiaresources.com
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There's a new release from the soundtrack for my book PRONOIA
IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA.
It's called "I Want Everybody"
You can access it here: bit.ly/WantEverybody
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The revised and expanded version of my book PRONOIA IS THE
ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
and also at Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Excerpts from the book online: bit.ly/BeautyTruth
Here's a new excerpt:
LETTERS TO THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB, Part 3
DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I've wrestled all my life with fear.
But lately it's been even worse than usual. My personal demons
seem to be winning, or at least getting the better of the fight.
I think it's related to the fact that when I caught wind of the
idea of pronoia, I started working hard to lose all my illusions.
Now I'm thinking maybe that was a mistake. Perhaps I needed my
illusions to keep the demons at bay? - Crybaby
DEAR CRYBABY: Hang on. This is the toughest part of your struggle.
It may seem that the illusions you dissolved were the main barriers
safeguarding you from your demons. But what's more likely is that
those illusions were food for your demons. Very soon now the demons
will have devoured the last of their fuel and will start to starve.
If they don't die off, they will at least fly away in search of
other nourishment.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I have to say that reading your book
Pronoia prodded me to tune in to my manic and riotous subconscious
screams and help me transform them into something quite lively
and refreshing and worthy of serious amusement. How did you do
it? Can you teach me how to perform the same service for myself?
- Longing for Self-Mastery
Dear Future Self-Master: To get started, give yourself the secret
handshake. (Middle finger to middle finger, right index finger
to left pinkie, right pinkie to left thumb.) Whisper the password
("Swordfish serenade") to your image in the mirror.
Then drink two ounces of homemade Red Bull out of a yellow plastic
Easter egg.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: Two months ago I met the first person
with whom I am completely psychic. We fell deeply in love, of
course. But it turned out that neither of us was ready or able
to fulfill the potential of our connection because we are nowhere
near as profoundly in love with ourselves as we are with each
other. The good news is that through my love for him, I have intensified
my desire to learn to love myself. The bad news is that we can't
really be together as fate intended until we upgrade our self-love.
Can you offer any consolation? - Lucky Yet Unlucky in Love
Dear Lucky: We appreciate your sage caution, but also offer this
alternative view from actress Tallulah Bankhead: "If I had
to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner."
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: Lately I've been practicing an evangelical
kind of pronoia. In addition to proceeding as if the universe
is conspiring to help me, I'm extending that assumption to my
fellow planeteers. I'm meeting people and visualizing realistically
wonderful futures for them, filled with interesting opportunities
or at least fertile riddles.
For instance, yesterday I saw a morose woman staring blankly
into space at Starbucks as if she were the loneliest person ever
born. I visualized her falling into a deeply engaging conversation
with a new friend, and feeling emboldened by that encounter to
be proactive about seeking out people who stimulate her. Two days
ago I saw an unruly kid acting crazy at the grocery store. I visualized
for him a future of uncompromising individualism creating unique
approaches to old problems.
This evangelical push is a real stretch sometimes. (It's a challenge
to visualize a positive future for, say, a homeless panhandler.)
But I like how it makes me feel. Maybe it's no coincidence that
my physical health has markedly improved recently. And it seems
to be making me more highly attuned to the sometimes subtle blessings
that life does bring into my vicinity -- blessings I might have
missed in the past. - Architect of Empathy
DEAR ARCHITECT: At the Beauty and Truth Lab, we work on the hypothesis
that all of us are affecting each other all the time, either by
direct contact, via telepathic contagion, or through the culture
we co-create. If even 25 percent of that hypothesis is true, why
not be a beacon of blessings, constantly broadcasting images that
promote health and well-being? People just might live up to our
expectations, just as easily as they can live down to them. Plus,
as you noted, it has a tonic effect on the one who acts as a beacon
of blessings.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: You asked us readers this question:
"The spiritual teacher A. H. Almaas believes that a genuinely
creative act is always motivated by generosity. If that's true,
how do you explain all the ego-obsessed 'geniuses' who treat everyone
like dirt even as they churn out their supposedly brilliant art?"
Here's my answer: Those aren't really geniuses, and what they
make isn't really brilliant art! It may be popular art, and it
may earn a lot of money for the fake geniuses, but it's not brilliant.
The truth is, many of the richest and most famous artists are
those patronized for their ability to fetishize, glamorize, and
trivialize our cultural pain. You can apply the same statement
to supposed geniuses who apply their talent to the pharmaceutical
industry or nuclear weapons. Creative and intellectual energy
applied to cruelty, domination, and meanness is always stupid.
The true geniuses recognize that cooperation is a stronger evolutionary
force than competition. They know that the only appropriate application
for intelligence is to find ways to make us all feel stupendously
good as much as possible. - Malian
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: My mom calls me fat but feeds me pork
rinds. My strongest supporter is a person I want to wrap up like
a mummy, shove into a canoe, and push into the middle of the lake.
My exuberant imagination has taken me hostage, violating its own
principles. I'm so ambivalent and indecisive about everything
that even my addictive nature can't figure out what to be addicted
to. I'd embrace my contradictions if I could, but they've got
me surrounded like a pink-haired, cross-dressing SWAT team frothed
up on multiple espressos. Can you point me in the direction of
the pronoiac exit from this circus-like hell? - Crazy Crank
DEAR CRAZY CRANK: We detect a lot of wit and style in your meditations.
Maybe that's the purpose of the limbo you're in: It's an opportunity
to build your skill at being lively and feisty and smart no matter
what your outer circumstances are.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
"Our Moment in History is an Initiation for Humanity"
tinyurl.com/286p2h4
THE WONDERS AND MARVELS KEEP MOUNTING
Nanoscopic material enables cartilage to do what it doesn't do
naturally
tinyurl.com/yabogsb
MAKE SURE YOU RECOGNIZE BEAUTY WHEN YOU SEE IT
The World's Most Beautiful Bridges
tinyurl.com/y7vqcwz
(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 May 6
Copyright 2010 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Among the ancient Anglo-Saxons, the month of May was called "Thrimilce."
The word referred to the fact that cows were so productive at
this time of year that they could be milked three times a day.
I thought of that as I studied your current astrological data,
Taurus. During this year's Thrimilce, you are almost impossibly
fertile and abundant and creative. My advice is to give generously,
but not to the point of exhaustion: the equivalent of three times
a day, but not four.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In accordance with the astrological omens, I encourage you to
seek out a concentrated period of sweet oblivion. Not a numb,
narcotized limbo. Not a mournful unconsciousness that's motivated
by a depressive urge to give up. No, Gemini: The mental blankness
that you cultivate should be generated by a quest to rejuvenate
yourself, and it must have qualities of deliciousness and delight.
You not only have a need to rest and recharge in a lush nowhere
-- you also have the right to do so.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
A while back, I gave my readers this homework: "Tell a story
about the time a divine intervention reached down and altered
your course in one tricky, manic swoop." A woman named Kelly
testified as follows: "At first I was disturbed to find I
couldn't identify the last time Spirit descended into my midst
with a forceful intervention. But finally I realized why: I have
been working to make my whole life be guided by the Spirit of
my Higher Power, as a deep undercurrent. That way I don't need
bolts of lightening to fix my course." This is a useful lesson,
Cancerian. It's an excellent time for you to follow Kelly's lead.
Ask yourself how you could cultivate a deep, abiding undercurrent
of the good influence you want to have guide you, thereby making
lightning bolts of divine intervention unnecessary.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The exact height of Mt. Everest has proved challenging to determine.
Even using modern scientific methods, different teams of surveyors
have come up with varying measurements. The problem is not simply
with the calculations themselves. The world's tallest peak is
definitely evolving. Shifts in the earth's tectonic plates work
to raise it up and move it northeastward. But there's also evidence
that the melting of its glaciers due to climate change is causing
it to shrink. A member of one mountain climbing expedition said,
"If Everest is bobbing up and down, we must hope to catch
it on a low day." I bring this to your attention, Leo, in
order to offer you a metaphor for the coming weeks. Your version
of Mt. Everest is shriveling. Get ready to ascend.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Have you been lusting after spiritual traditions other than your
own? Have you been fantasizing about cheating on the deity you've
always been faithful to, and seeking a taboo liaison with a strange
and exciting god from another part of reality? If so, Virgo, that's
a good sign. I suspect you could use a few adjustments to your
familiar relationship with the Divine Wow. After all, you have
gone through a lot of changes since the last time you hammered
out your definitive theories about the meaning of life. What made
good sense for you back then can't be completely true for you
any more. So feel free to let your mind wander in the direction
of holy experiments.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
When a girl is born, her ovaries already contain all the eggs
she will ever have. What this means, of course, is that a part
of you was in your grandmother's womb as well as in your mother's.
Now would be an excellent time to celebrate that primal fact.
Your connection with your mother's mother is especially important
these days. I suggest you meditate on what gifts and liabilities
you received from her (genetic and otherwise), and how you might
be able to make better use of the gifts even as you take steps
to outwit the liabilities.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE
In addition to the horoscopes 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.
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes provide me with the Rest
of the Story. I'm not necessarily a believer in the scientific
accuracy of astrology, but I do think you've got a lot of practical
wisdom to impart."
- M. Tennenbaum, New York
"No one knows more about me than me. But you're right up
there near the top of the list of people who do understand something
about how I tick. How is that possible?"
- R. Goren, Albuquerque
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Who is the person most unlike you in the world? I suggest you
study that person for tips on how to improve your life. What are
the healthy experiences you are least attracted to? You might
want to meditate on exactly why they're so unappealing, and use
that information to update your ideas about yourself. What are
the places on the earth that you long ago decided you would never
visit? I invite you to fantasize being in those places and enjoying
yourself. Can you guess why I'm calling this Opposite Week, Scorpio?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Are you in a trance or a rut or a jam? If so, excuse yourself.
It's break time! You need spaciousness. You need slack. You need
to wander off and do something different from what you have been
doing. If there's any behavior you indulge in with manic intensity,
drop it for a while. If you've been caught up in a vortex of excruciating
sincerity or torturous politeness, shake it off and be more authentic.
Of all the good reasons you have for relaxing your death-grip,
here's one of the best: Life can't bring you the sublime gift
it has for you until you interrupt your pursuit of a mediocre
gift.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
The state of Texas is a Capricorn, having become part of the
United States on December 29, 1845. At that time, it was granted
the right to divide itself into five separate states at some future
date. So far it hasn't chosen to do so, and I would advise it
to continue that policy. I extend the same counsel to all of my
Capricorn readers. From an astrological perspective, this is not
a favorable time for you to break yourself up into sub-sections.
On the contrary: I suggest you sow unity and solidarity among
your various parts.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
I'm all for recycling, composting, and carpooling. Anything you
and I can do to reduce our carbon footprint is brilliant. But
I also agree with author Chris Hedges, who says, "The reason
the ecosystem is dying is not because we still have a dryer in
our basement. It is because corporations look at everything, from
human beings to the natural environment, as exploitable commodities.
It is because consumption is the engine of corporate profits."
So beyond our efforts to save the earth by adjusting our own individual
habits, we've got to revise the way corporations work. Now let's
apply this way of thinking to the specific personal dilemma you're
facing right now: It's important for you to change yourself, yes
-- and I'm glad you're taking responsibility for your role in
the complications -- but you will also have to transform the system
you're part of.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Every year Americans fork over six times as much money on buying
lottery tickets as they do on going to the movies, according to
the documentary film Lucky. Yet many people who actually
buck the improbable odds regard their "luck" as a curse.
"Winning the lottery is like throwing Miracle-Gro on all
your character defects," said one person. Let this serve
as a cautionary tale for you in the coming months, Pisces. To
get ready for the good things that are headed your way, you should
work to purify any darkness that's lurking in your unconscious.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Hip hop music definitely needs to include more tuba playing.
I think that's what's missing from it. Likewise, the sport of
skateboarding would benefit from having more dogs and monkeys
that can master its complexities; the state of journalism could
be improved by including more babies as reporters; and you Aries
folks would significantly upgrade your life by learning how to
play the game of cricket. (If you believe everything I just said,
you'll be equally gullible when a little voice in your head tries
to convince you to seek out things you don't really need or adopt
behavior that doesn't suit you.)
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HOMEWORK:
Why is this a perfect moment? Write to Truthrooster@gmail.com.
(Here's my take on the question: bit.ly/ThisIsaPerfectMoment.)
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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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Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter
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including but not limited to newsletters,
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Please be sure to note your preference
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are not responsible for unsolicited
submission of any creative
material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2010 Rob Brezsny
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