Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
MAY 9, 2012
FreeWillAstrology.com
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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
Much of the material below appears in the book:
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Q & A
(To read the entirety of this feature, go here: bit.ly/FWA-QandA)
QUESTION. How can an intelligent, educated person possibly believe
astrology has any merit?
ROB BREZSNY. Many of the debunkers who're responsible for trying
to discredit astrology have done no research on the subject. They
haven't read smart astrological philosophers like Dane Rudhyar,
don't know that seminal astronomer Johannes Kepler was a skilled
astrologer, and aren't aware that eminent psychologist C.G. Jung
cast horoscopes and believed that "astrology represents the
summation of all the psychological knowledge of antiquity."
The closest approach the fraudulent "skeptics" usually
make to the ancient art is to glance at a tabloid horoscope column.
To match their carelessness, I might make a drive-by of a strip
mall and declare that the profession of architecture is shallow
and debased.
That's one reason why these ill-informed "skeptics"
spread so many ignorant lies. For instance, they say that astrologers
think the stars and planets emit invisible beams that affect people's
lives. The truth is, many Western astrologers don't believe any
such thing. Astrologer Richard Tarnas says it well: Just as clocks
tell time but don't create it, the heavenly bodies show us the
big picture but don't cause it.
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QUESTION. Because you pack your column with doses of humor and
wild imagery, some people think you don't take astrology seriously.
ROB. On the contrary, I think this proves how much respect I
have for astrology -- I mean REAL astrology. Not astrology as
a superstitious belief system that generates boring predictions
in dead language about trivial events that only our neurotic egos
are obsessed with; but rather astrology as a mytho-poetic symbol
system that expands your imagination about the big cycles of your
life, liberates you from the literalistic trance that the daily
grind tends to trap you in, and opens you up to the understanding
that you're much more beautiful and full of potential than you've
been taught to believe.
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QUESTION. You have said that you believe in astrology "about
80 percent." What's up with the other 20 percent?
ROB. I use the same 80-20 approach with every belief system I
love and benefit from: science, psychology, feminism, and various
religious traditions like Buddhism and Christianity and paganism.
I take what's useful from each, but am not so deluded as to think
that any single system is the holy grail that the physicists call
the "Theory of Everything." Unconditional, unskeptical
faith is the path of the fanatic and fundamentalist, and I aspire
to be a rowdy philosophical anarchist, aflame with objectivity
and committed to the truth that the truth is always mutating.
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QUESTION. But don't you risk playing the same role the tabloid
astrologers do: enticing people to take on a superstitious approach
to life and seducing them into believing their fate is determined
by supernatural forces beyond the influence of their willpower?
ROB. I call what I do predicting the present, not forecasting
the future. My goal is to awaken my readers to the hidden agendas,
unconscious forces, and long-term cycles at work in their lives
so that they can respond to the totality of what's happening instead
of to mere appearances. I want to be a friendly shocker who helps
unleash their imaginations, giving them the power to create their
destinies with the same liberated fertility that great artists
summon to forge their masterpieces.
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QUESTION. How do you write your column? Do you use actual astrological
data, or just go into a trance and let your imagination run wild?
TO READ THE REPLY TO THIS QUESTION, AS WELL AS THE REST OF THIS
FEATURE, go here:
bit.ly/FWA-QandA
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"You Taste Delicious," a song from PRONOIA's
soundtrack
There are two versions, one sung by me: bit.ly/zRAgQF
The other version is sung by Adrienne Shamszad: bit.ly/wWENP6
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
YOUR MINIMUM DAILY REQUIREMENT OF BEAUTY
Rosette Nebula: a "stellar nursery" that resembles a
flower
tinyurl.com/6ry6sjb
tinyurl.com/7jcjjk2
PEOPLE YOU NEVER HEARD OF ARE PERFORMING AMAZING ACTS OF COMPASSION
Flying free health care to those in need
tinyurl.com/7esb88e
PRONOIAC BEAUTY MEETS PRONOIAC SUSTAINABILITY
Designing the world's greenest new building standards.
tinyurl.com/6v7mzpv
THE EVIDENCE KEEPS ACCUMULATING
A compendium of pronoiac news.
PronoiaResources.com
(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 10
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Taurus actor Daniel Day Lewis will star as American president
Abraham Lincoln in a film to be released later this year. Hollywood
insiders report that Lewis basically became Lincoln months before
the film was shot and throughout the entire process. Physically,
he was a dead ringer for the man he was pretending to be. Even
when the cameras weren't rolling, he spoke in the cadences and
accent of his character rather than in his own natural voice.
It might be fun for you to try a similar experiment in the coming
weeks, Taurus. Fantasize in detail about the person you would
ultimately like to become, and then imitate that future version
of you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The idea of a housewarming party comes from an old British tradition.
People who were moving would carry away embers from the fireplace
of the home they were leaving and bring them to the fireplace
of the new home. I recommend that you borrow this idea and apply
it to the transition you're making. As you migrate toward the
future, bring along a symbolic spark of the vitality that has
animated the situation you're transitioning out of.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
My friend Irene has a complicated system for handling her cats'
food needs. The calico, Cleopatra, demands chicken for breakfast
and beef stew at night, and all of it absolutely must be served
in a pink bowl on the dining room table. Caligula insists on fish
stew early and tuna later. He wants it on a black plate placed
behind the love seat. Nefertiti refuses everything but gourmet
turkey upon waking and beef liver for the evening repast. If it's
not on the basement stairs, she won't touch it. I'm bringing your
attention to this, Cancerian, because I think you could draw inspiration
from it. It's in your interests, at least temporarily, to keep
your loved ones and allies happy with a coordinated exactitude
that rivals Irene's.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The moon's pale glow shimmers on your face as you run your fingers
through your hair. In your imagination, 90 violins play with sublime
fury, rising toward a climax, while the bittersweet yearning in
your heart sends warm chills down your spine. You part your lips
and open your eyes wide, searching for the words that could change
everything. And then suddenly you remember you have to contact
the plumber tomorrow, and find the right little white lie to appease
you-know-who, and run out to the store to get that gadget you
saw advertised. Cut! Cut! Let's do this scene again. Take five.
It's possible, my dear, that your tendency to overdramatize is
causing you to lose focus. Let's trim the 90 violins down to ten
and see if maybe that helps.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
"We all need a little more courage now and then," said
poet Marvin Bell. "That's what I need. If you have some to
share, I want to know you." I advise you to adopt his approach
in the coming days, Virgo. Proceed on the assumption that what
you need most right now is to be braver and bolder. And consider
the possibility that a good way to accomplish this goal is by
hanging around people who are so intrepid and adventurous that
their spirit will rub off on you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In the Byrds' 1968 song "Fifth Dimension," the singer
makes a curious statement. He says that during a particularly
lucid state, when he was simply relaxed and paying attention,
he saw the great blunder his teachers had made. I encourage you
to follow that lead, Libra. According to my analysis of the astrological
omens, now would be an excellent time for you to thoroughly question
the lessons you've absorbed from your important teachers -- even
the ones who taught you the best and helped you the most. You
will earn a healthy jolt as you decide what to keep and what to
discard from the gifts that beloved authorities have given you.
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YOU'VE ALWAYS GOT MORE HELP AVAILABLE THAN YOU IMAGINE
What do you want to be when you grow up? Is it possible that
you will eventually develop beautiful capacities and sublime understandings
that you can't even imagine right now?
I might be able to help you move in the direction of becoming
more of the person you were born to be.
Tune in to my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
Find out more at RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
"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
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
What are the most beautiful and evocative songs you know? What
are the songs that activate your dormant wisdom and unleash waves
of insight about your purpose here on earth and awaken surges
of gratitude for the labyrinthine path you have traveled to become
the person you are today? Whatever those tunes are, I urge you
to gather them all into one playlist, and listen to them with
full attention while at rest in a comfortable place where you
feel perfectly safe. According to my reading of the astrological
omens, you need a concentrated dose of the deepest, richest, most
healing emotions you can tap into.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Tourists rarely go to the South American nation of Guyana. That's
mostly because much of it is virgin rain forest and there are
few amenities for travelers. In part it's also due to the reputation-scarring
event that occurred there in 1978, when cult-leader Reverend Jim
Jones led a mass suicide of his devotees. Last year, after travel
writer Jeff Greenwald announced his trip to Guyana, his friends
responded with a predictable joke: "Don't drink the Kool-Aid!"
-- a reference to the beverage Jones spiked with cyanide before
telling his followers to drink up. But Greenwald was glad he went.
The lush, tangled magnificence of Guyana was tough to navigate
but a blessing to the senses and a first-class adventure. Be like
him, Sagittarius. Consider engaging with a situation that offers
challenging gifts. Overcome your biases about a potentially rewarding
experience.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
"You have more freedom than you are using," says artist
Dan Attoe. Allow that taunt to get under your skin and rile you
up in the coming days, Capricorn. Let it motivate you to lay claim
to all the potential spaciousness and independence and leeway
that are just lying around going to waste. According to my understanding
of the astrological omens, you have a sacred duty to cultivate
more slack as if your dreams depended on it. (They do!)
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
If you've been tuning in to my horoscopes during the past months,
you're aware that I have been encouraging you to refine and deepen
the meaning of home. You know that I have been urging you to get
really serious about identifying what kind of environment you
need in order to thrive; I've been asking you to integrate yourself
into a community that brings out the best in you; I've been nudging
you to create a foundation that will make you strong and sturdy
for a long time. Now it's time to finish up your intensive work
on these projects. You've got about four more weeks before a new
phase of your life's work will begin.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Is your BS-detector in good condition? I hope so, because it's
about to get a workout. Rumors will be swirling and gossip will
be flourishing, and you will need to be on high alert in order
to distinguish the laughable delusions that have no redeeming
value from the entertaining stories that have more than a few
grains of truth. If you pass those tests, Pisces, your reward
will be handsome: You'll become a magnet for inside information,
valuable secrets, and unusual but useful clues that come from
unexpected sources.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In one of your past lives, I think you must have periodically
done something like stick your tongue out or thumb your nose at
pretentious tyrants -- and gotten away with it. At least that's
one explanation for how confident you often are about speaking
up when everyone else seems unwilling to point out that the emperor
is in fact wearing no clothes. This quality should come in handy
during the coming week. It may be totally up to you to reveal
the truth about an obvious secret or collective delusion. Can
you figure out a way to be relatively tactful as you say what
supposedly can't or shouldn't be said?
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HOMEWORK:
What were the circumstances in which you were most amazingly,
outrageously alive? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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