Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
JUNE 15, 2011
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Two of my books are available:
PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
THE TELEVISIONARY ORACLE:
Amazon: bit.ly/Televisionary
Powells: bit.ly/juYYQm
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A Review of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia
by Divalion, bit.ly/iifkkM
"Rob Brezsny's PRONOIA is a most unusual book.
It takes ideas that he has developed in his 'Free Will Astrology'
column and in his amazing novel, THE TELEVISIONARY ORACLE,
and expands on them, shaping them into a chaotically coherent
philosophy of life. The style is undeniably Brezsny -- quirky,
irreverent, soulful, linguistically athletic, challenging, hopeful.
"The book has a freewheeling structure: part creative workbook
(including spaces for you to write your own thoughts and even
your own chapter), part essay collection, part word art, part
exuberant poetry slam, and part instruction manual for the inner
development of 'rowdy bliss.'
"Big and packed full of interesting information and musings,
illustrated lavishly with quirky graphics and nifty fonts, it
is the kind of book you can either read straight through or flip
around, seeing where the pages fall in a bibliomantic attempt
to receive an eccentric oracle. One thing's for sure: A single
reading is not enough to completely absorb everything this book
contains. But it will be a pleasure to go back and re-read many
times in the future.
"The less whimsically inclined might regard PRONOIA
with a raised eyebrow and incredulity. Brezsny's a holy fool and
a sacred clown, and he can be downright outrageous and goofy even
when he's at his most heartfelt and profound. Cynics may find
his relentless optimism over the top.
"But this is a smart man who has invested a tremendous amount
of contemplation and personal experience into every idea he proposes.
He is in no small measure radical as he challenges the assumptions
about the bleakness of the world that are so constantly fed to
us. His optimism and faith are not at all blind, nor are they
syrupy or saccharine; he addresses the existence of sorrow and
suffering in the world and encourages his readers to adopt the
scientist's tools to test and evaluate our beliefs.
"At the heart of his philosophy is that we all have the
right to experience tremendous joy in our lives, the ability to
shape the world around us, and the unceasing gifts of a benevolent
universe that longs to help us and communicate with us. He takes
the previously-little-explored concept of 'pronoia' and expands
it into a creative, active, loving, lusty way of life.
"Not for him is traditional religion's dichotomy of 'material
= bad' versus 'spirit = good'; nor the 'fluffy New Age' optimism
that shoves the shadow self into the closet and slams the door.
He prescribes neither quivering submission to and timid requests
of a scornful punisher deity, nor Spartan rejection of the world
in seeking a cold and lonely enlightenment.
"His ideas belong in the world, not apart from it; they
go boldly into crowds, creating beauty and weirdness, offering
a hand to others, and proclaiming the dangerous notion that the
world is a rich and beautiful place. He recruits 'guerrilla prayer
warriors' and sacred artists and tantric clowns with a charisma
and dedication that is thrilling in its possibility and irresistible
in its charm.
"This is not a book to read if you are determined to be
unhappy or if you don't want your world shaken up a bit. However,
if you have the sneaking suspicion that leading a happy, fulfilled
life might just not be a heresy, or if you are tired of the status
quo and eager for a truly unusual point of view, or if you need
the kind of healing that makes you laugh and cry at the same time,
or if you have already been crusading for beauty, truth, freedom,
and love -- you need this book. It is hope and humor and beauty
and love."
Read the whole review here: bit.ly/iifkkM
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
OUR PRONOIAC HEROES, part 1
Colin Wilson, philosopher of optimism
"Whereas in the past optimism had been regarded as rather
shallow -- because 'oh well, it's just your temperament, you happen
to be just a cheerful sort of person' -- what I wanted to do was
to establish that in fact it is the pessimists who are allowing
all kinds of errors to creep into their work."
tinyurl.com/43y8emz
OUR PRONOIAC HEROES, part 2
William McDonough
"What would our buildings and products look like if designers
took into account 'all children, all species, for all time?'"
tinyurl.com/6fy3ev
OUR PRONOIAC HEROES, part 3
Clarissa Pinkola Estes
"In fairy-tale justice, as in the deep psyche, kindness to
that which seems less is rewarded by good, and refusal to do good
for one who is not beautiful is reviled and punished. When we
enlarge ourselves to touch the not-beautiful, we are rewarded.
If we spurn the not-beautiful, we are severed from life and left
out in the cold."
tinyurl.com/428degd
(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 June 16
Copyright 2011 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In Mark Harris's novel Bang the Drum Slowly, professional
baseball players cheat their fans out of money by engaging them
in a card game called TEGWAR, which is an acronym for The Exciting
Game Without Any Rules. Judging from your current astrological
omens, Gemini, I'd say it's prime time for you to play a more
ethical version of this game. Strictly speaking, the game can
have rules, but they may be changed at any time, and new ones
may be added as needed. The object of your brand of TEGWAR is
to have as much smart fun as possible without anyone getting hurt.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
"The only way to let your dreams come true is to wake up,"
said poet Paul Valery. Here's how I think that applies to you
right now. You've become too engrossed in the mythic, phantasmagorical
feelings of your fantasies, and that's interfering with your ability
to muster all of the kick-ass pragmatism and supercharged willpower
you will need to actually make your fantasies come to life. In
other words, Cancerian, I advise you to snap out of your creamy
dreamy haze with a self-induced wake-up call. Stop floating and
start grunting.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
As we began our first session, the 79-year-old Jungian psychotherapist
looked at me with mischief in her eyes and said, "Go ahead
-- surprise me! What have you got?" I was torn. Part of me
felt like rising to her challenge, meeting her dare: I fantasized
about telling her such wild versions of my adventures that they
would outstrip any tales she'd heard in her long service as a
deep listener. But in the end I chose to tell the truth. I felt
it was more important to explore my life's actual mysteries than
to entertain her. And that was the first healing she helped me
achieve. I suspect a similar test is ahead for you, Leo. Would
you rather be honest or impress people?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I predict that at no time in the coming weeks will anyone be
justified in saying to you, "Your ego has been writing checks
that your body can't cash." Nor will anyone have any reason
to tell you, "You'd better start running if you hope to catch
up with your dreams," or "You may be an old soul but
you've been acting like a naive punk." No, Virgo, I firmly
believe that none of those accusations will be hurled at you.
Why? Because from what I can tell, all of the various parts of
your psyche will be in a greater state of collaborative unity
than they've been in for a long time. Your alienation from yourself
will be at an all-time low, as will your levels of hypocrisy.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
I'm brave in some ways, cowardly in others. I've gone parasailing,
performed on big stages in front of thousands of people, assisted
in the birth of two children, and explored the abyss of my own
unconscious. On the other hand, I'm scared of confined spaces,
can't bring myself to shoot a gun, and am a sissy when it comes
time to be around people who are dying. I imagine that you, too,
have areas of courage and timidity, Libra. And I suspect that
in the coming weeks you will be called to a challenge in both
areas. See if you can transfer some of the nervy power you're
able to summon in one sphere to bolster you in the place where
you're a wimp.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
The Kinky Dream and Funky Paradise chapter of your astrological
cycle has arrived -- a phase when you'll have poetic license to
let your imagination run wilder than usual. In fact, it'll be
prime time to escape into fantasyland and try on a new identity
or two, complete with a host of outlandish nicknames. Your new
hip hop name could be Extasy TrixxMaster. Your pro wrestler name
could be Velvet Soul Pandora. Your mystic superhero name could
be Mountain Wind Storm. Your Irish prostitute name could be Luscious
X. Mahoney. Your rock star from the future name could be Destiny
Acrobat.
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YOU NEED MAGIC EVERY DAY
Every day, you have to wade through a relentless surge of soul-less
facts. The experience tends to shut down your sense of wonder.
Every day, you're over-exposed to narratives that have been sucked
free of delight and mystery. That's why you have to make such
strenuous efforts to keep your world enchanted.
I like to think I can contribute to the sacred cause of feeding
your sense of wonder and enchantment. In fact, that's one of my
prime motivations for offering you the free weekly horoscopes
you read in this newsletter.
If you ever want more of that good stuff, and think it's worth
paying for, please consider trying out my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES.
They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of
your destiny.
Go here to access them: RealAstrology.com
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The coming weeks could be a Golden Age for your perceptiveness.
If you're even moderately aligned with the cosmic rhythms, you
will be able to discern hidden agendas that no one else has spotted,
catch clues that have been hidden, and be able to recognize and
register interesting sights you've previously been blind to. To
maximize your ability to cash in on this fantastic opportunity,
say this affirmation frequently: "My eyes are working twice
as well as usual. I can see things I don't normally notice."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
If you were the star of a fairy tale in which a spell had been
placed on you, you would find a way to break that spell sometime
in the next seven months. If you were the hero of a myth about
a royal child abandoned in the wasteland by your evil nurse and
raised by emotionally clumsy but well-meaning gnomes, your exile
would soon end; your real parents, the king and queen, would find
you after a long search, and your birthright would be restored.
Now translate these themes into the actual circumstances of your
life, Capricorn. Are you ready to do what it takes to achieve
a healing and restoration that have been a long time coming?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
What is sacred? The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche said it was
anything that you cannot or will not laugh at. But I have the
exact opposite view. If I'm unable to crack a joke about what
I regard as holy, then it's not holy. For me, part of what makes
an idea or person or object holy is its power to animate my sense
of humor and put me in the mood to play. Where do you stand on
this issue, Aquarius? If you're aligned with my view, you will
have some wonderful opportunities to commune with the sacred in
the coming days.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In the chorus of my band's song "Apathy and Ignorance,"
I sing, "What is the difference between apathy and ignorance?"
and the other two singers chant, "I don't know and I don't
care." I recommend you make that chant your mantra in the
coming days, Pisces: "I don't know and I don't care."
You really do need to experiment with a mischievous state of mind
that is blithely heedless of what anyone thinks about anything.
You have the right and the privilege to be free of expectations,
precedents, and dogmas. Trust you intuition above all other influences!
It's an excellent time to at least temporarily declare your independence
from everything that's not interesting or useful or helpful or
appealing. (Listen to the song for free here: bit.ly/ApathyIgnorance.)
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
The film Tuck Everlasting tells the story of a family
that becomes immortal after drinking from a magical spring. The
two parents and their two sons hide their gift from the world,
but eventually a mysterious man in a yellow suit finds out about
their secret and stalks them. At one point in his search, this
man has a conversation with a young pastor. "What if you
could be eternal?" he asks the priest. "Without having
to face the uncertainty of death. Invincible to disease. Forever
young." The priest is rattled. "You speak blasphemy,
sir," he protests. "Fluently," replies the man
in the yellow suit. You have that mandate right now Aries: to
speak blasphemy fluently, as well as any other rebellious diction.
It's time to rise up and express the unspeakable, the controversial,
the revolutionary.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
There's substantial evidence that the Amazon River used to flow
in the opposite direction from what it does now. Ages ago, its
currents traveled westward from the Atlantic Ocean toward the
Pacific (tinyurl.com/AmazonReversal).
I'd like you to hold that image firmly in mind as you contemplate
a monumental shift of course in your own life. Let it serve as
a surprising symbol of what's possible -- as a promise that you
could actually manage to reverse a current that may seem immutable.
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HOMEWORK:
What part of yourself are you most scared of? Is it time to give
that part a peace offering? Testify at Freewillastrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2011 Rob Brezsny
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