Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
APRIL 4, 2012
FreeWillAstrology.com
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My book
PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Here are excerpts:
LETTERS TO THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB, Part 1
We who are devoted to pronoia created the Beauty and Truth Lab
and not the Beauty and Truth Think Tank because we want to put
our ideas to the test in the field -- to apply them in unpredictable
situations beyond our control and see whether they're useful to
people who aren't necessarily steeped in the mystique of pronoia.
One way we've gone about that is to encourage the public to testify
and ask questions about their practical experiences with pronoia.
Below is Part 1 of a collection of exchanges that have unfolded
since we began discussing pronoiac themes on the BeautyandTruth.com
website and in the weekly astrology newsletter.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I'm a very analytical person, with
a doctorate in nuclear physics and a high-tech job. All my training
and business savvy tell me that Rob Brezsny's astrology column
is superstitious mumbo jumbo, yet every time I've faced a crisis
in the last 10 years, his horoscopes have provided accurate wisdom
and counsel when things seemed darkest.
The same is true about the book Pronoia. The scientist
in me knows that you Beauty and Truth Lab people are utopian nutcases.
It's absolutely demented to regard the universe as friendly and
to fantasize that there's some vast, invisible conspiracy of blessing-bestowers.
And yet I have to confess that whenever I try the pronoiac strategies
you describe, my life veers in the direction of synchronicity
and delight.
On the one hand, none of this makes any sense. On the other hand,
I don't care that it doesn't make any sense. Somehow I'm able
to draw sustenance from something whose power I don't understand
or even believe in. In any case, thank you! - Humble Genius
DEAR HUMBLE GENIUS: You've described a quality that we aspire
to in our efforts to cultivate pronoia: the ability to be helped
by powers that are beyond our understanding.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: Does pronoia make you feel like you're
falling in love? Not just with a person but with life itself?
And can that be scary? Is it possible that you might feel a chord
of gorgeous terror resound in your gut when you entertain the
thought that every person and even every animal and plant and
rock in the world is ganging up to make your life interesting
-- almost more brilliantly interesting than you can bear? Does
pronoia threaten to cause all perceptions, all sensations, all
interactions to verge on being orgasmic?
I've been heading in this direction lately and it's freaking
me out. Can extreme happiness be dangerous to my well-being? -
Butchtastic
DEAR BUTCHTASTIC: First thing we'll say is that while pronoia
inevitably feeds the soul, it doesn't necessarily further the
agendas of the ego. The anxiety that's welling up may be the result
of your old self-image clinging to the shrunken expectations it
had gotten used to thinking of as essential to its identity.
The second thing is that when people invite pronoia to take over
their perceptual filters, they often feel as if they're falling
in love with a Scary Yet Friendly Vastness that kicks their butts
until they wake up to the secret beauty they've been ignoring.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I'm battling mixed emotions. On the
one hand, I have frequent surges of intense compassion that make
me want to build houses for poor folks. On the other hand, I'm
beset by flashes of vanity that make me want to spend my money
on Prada shoes and expensive jewelry rather than on trips to Third
World countries to help Habitat for Humanity. Is it crazy and
self-defeating to want both things? - Torn and Guilty
DEAR TORN AND GUILTY: Try honoring both your urge to express beauty
and your desire to aid your fellow humans. We have a vision of
you wearing a gold tiara and Prada's Sculpted d'Orsay pumps as
you wield your hammer, framing a wall for a new house in Haiti.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: In your book Pronoia, you
say, 'The universe always gives us exactly what we need, exactly
when we need it.' I have a different view. I often find that I
disagree with what the Universe decides is best for me. But that
usually turns out to be a good thing. It's fun for me to always
be arguing with God! I learn a lot and generate a lot of high
energy from trying to outmaneuver the divine will. What do you
think about that? - Cagey Dissident
DEAR CAGEY: Congratulations! You are the thousandth dissident
to testify that pronoia is not, in fact, the One Truth and the
Only Way -- thereby proving to our satisfaction that we have successfully
prevented our beloved Beauty and Truth Lab from being a shill
for a fundamentalist ideology. Please accept our most fantastic
thanks. Your prize will be on its way to you soon!
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: The chemo treatments burned out all
the math skills in my brain, which were already pretty meager.
On the other hand, they awakened my ability to feel perfectly
at ease while in the midst of paradoxical situations that everyone
else finds maddening and uncomfortable.
The chemo also made me ridiculously tolerant of people's contradictions,
sometimes even their hypocrisies, and freed me to enjoy life as
an entertaining movie with lots of interesting plot twists rather
than as a pitched battle between everything I like and everything
I don't like. I guess I could say that my cancer helped turn me
into a pronoiac! - The Chaos Artist Formerly Known as Risa Kline
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
FEMINIST PRONOIA
150 Fearless Women: fighting rape in the military . . . blocking
sex slavery . . . supporting victims of domestic violence . .
. ensuring clean, safe water for communities who didn't have it
. . . journalists exposing social injustice . . . resisting the
abuses of religious fundamentalism:
tinyurl.com/7tda8r4
BUDDHIST PRONOIA
"You have within you unlimited capacities for extraordinary
love, for joy, for communion with life, and for unshakable freedom."
So says Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield and my co-conspirator
in spreading pronoia. His book The Wise Heart provides
practices in how to fully awaken that good stuff.
tinyurl.com/6ult868
INTERPERSONAL PRONOIA
6 Ways to Empower Others
tinyurl.com/7u5e3nq
(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 April 5
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Please study this testimony: "Born in a rancid, bat-infested
cave at the base of the smoldering Sangay Volcano, I was raised
by the half-bear demon princess Arcastia. At the age of four my
training as a ninja shaman began when I was left naked and alone
next to a stream of burning lava with only two safety pins, a
package of dental floss, and a plastic bag full of Cheerios. My
mission: to find my way to my spiritual home." Now, Aries,
I'd like you to compose your own version of this declaration:
a playful, over-the-top myth about your origins that gives you
a greater appreciation for the heroic journey you've been on all
these years.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Our ancestors owned slaves and denied education to girls. What
were they thinking? Time magazine asked renowned historian
David McCullough if there was anything we do today that our descendants
will regard as equally insane and inexcusable. His reply: "How
we could have spent so much time watching TV." I'll ask you,
Taurus, to apply this same exercise on a personal level. Think
of some things you did when you were younger that now seem incomprehensible
or ignorant. Then explore the possibility that you will look back
with incredulity at some weird habit or tweaked form of self-indulgence
you're pursuing today. (P.S. It's an excellent time to phase out
that habit or self-indulgence.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
"I can't tell if I'm dealing well with life these days
or if I just don't give a sh-- any more." I stumbled upon
that comment at someecards.com, and I decided to pass it along
for your consideration. You may be pondering the same riddle:
feeling suspicious about why you seem more relaxed and tolerant
than usual in the face of plain old everyday chaos. I'm here to
tell you my opinion, which is that your recent equanimity is not
rooted in jaded numbness. Rather, it's the result of some hard
work you did on yourself during the last six months. Congrats
and enjoy!
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
What excites you, Cancerian? What mobilizes your self-discipline
and inspires you to see the big picture? I encourage you to identify
those sources of high-octane fuel, and then take extraordinary
measures to make them a strong presence in your life. There has
rarely been a better time than now for you to do this. It could
create effects that will last for years. (P.S. Here's a further
nudge from Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Every great and commanding
movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm.
Nothing great was ever achieved without it.")
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
While browsing in a bookstore, I came across a book and deck
of cards that were collectively called Tarot Secrets.
The subtitle of the kit was "A Fast and Easy Way to Learn
a Powerful Ancient Art." I snorted derisively to read that
claim, since I myself have studied Tarot intensively for years
and am nowhere near mastery. Later, though, when I was back home
meditating on your horoscope, I softened my attitude a bit. The
astrological omens do indeed suggest that in the upcoming weeks
and months, you just might be able to learn a rather substantial
skill in a relatively short time.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Writing in The New Yorker, Joanna Ravenna paraphrased
German philosopher Nietzsche: "The best way to enrage people
is to force them to change their mind about you." I'd like
to see you mutate this theory in the coming weeks, Virgo. If possible,
see if you can amuse and entertain people, not enrage
them, by compelling them to change their minds about you. I realize
that's a tricky proposition, but given the current astrological
omens, I have faith that you can pull it off.
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Free Will Astrology's
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
feature suggestions on how to become more yourself
and liberate yourself from your suffering
Register and/or sign in at RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes seem to have the effect
of activating my inner teacher. Thanks!" - Eleanor A., Toronto
"When I listen to your audio 'scopes, my free will lights
up."
- Alex D., Los Angeles
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In 1892, when Wrigley was just starting out as a company, its
main product was baking powder. Free chewing gum was included
in each package as a promotional gimmick. But soon the freebie
became so popular that Wrigley rearranged its entire business.
Now it's a multi-billion-dollar company that sells gum in 140
different countries -- and no baking powder. Maybe there's something
like that on the verge of happening in your own life, Libra: What
seemed like the main event could turn out to be secondary, or
what seemed incidental might become a centerpiece. Is there something
you are overvaluing at the cost of something you are undervaluing?
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
People in intimate relationships are hypersensitive to negative
comments from their partners. Psychologists say it takes five
compliments to outweigh the effects of a single dash of derogatory
criticism. I'm sure the ratio is similar even for relationships
that aren't as close as lovers and spouses. With this in mind,
I urge you to be extra careful not to dispense barbs. They would
be especially damaging during this phase of your astrological
cycle -- both to you and to those at whom you direct them. Instead,
Scorpio, why not dole out an abundance of compliments? They will
build up a reservoir of goodwill you'll be able to draw on for
a long time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Researchers report that the typical man falls in love 5.4 times
over the course of his life, while the average woman basks in
the glow of this great mystery on 4.6 occasions. I suspect you
may be close to having a .4 or .6 type of experience, Sagittarius:
sort of like infatuation, but without the crazed mania. That could
actually be a good thing. The challenging spiritual project that
relationship offers may be most viable when the two people involved
are not electrifyingly interwoven with every last one
of their karmic threads. Maybe we have more slack in our quest
for intimacy if we love but are not obsessed.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
"I couldn't wait for success," said rich and famous
comedian Jonathan Winters, "so I went ahead without it."
I love that approach, and I suggest you try it out. Is there any
area of your life that is held captive by an image of perfection?
Consider the possibility that shiny concepts of victory and progress
might be distracting you from doing the work that will bring you
meaning and fulfillment. If you're too busy dreaming of someday
attaining the ideal mate, weight, job, pleasure, and community,
you may miss out on the imperfect but amazing opportunities that
are available right now.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
On Reddit.com, Kaushalp88 asked the question, "What is
the most badass thing that you have ever done, but that other
people weren't impressed by?" Here's his own story: "I
was at an ice-cream shop. At the exit, there was a small raised
step I didn't see. I tripped over it with my ice cream cone in
my right hand. The ice cream ball sprung out of the cone. I instinctively
lurched my left hand forward and grabbed it, but at the same time
I was already falling toward the pavement. I tucked my head into
my chest and made a perfect somersault, rising to my feet and
plopping the ice cream back in the cone." I suspect you will
soon have comparable experiences, Aquarius -- unusual triumphs
and unexpected accomplishments. But you may have to be content
with provoking awe in no one else beside yourself.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
"Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow." So
says a Swedish proverb. Can we talk about this, please, Pisces?
Of course there are real hazards and difficulties in life, and
they deserve your ingenious problem-solving. But why devote any
of your precious energy to becoming embroiled in merely hyped-up
hazards and hypothetical difficulties? Based on my analysis of
the astrological omens, now is a propitious time to cut shadows
down to their proper size. It's also a perfect moment to liberate
yourself from needless anxiety. I think you'll be amazed at how
much more accurate your perceptions will be as a result.
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HOMEWORK:
Do a homemade ritual in which you vow to attract more blessings
into your life. Report results at FreeWillAstrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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