Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
AUGUST 8, 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's an excerpt:
THE OUTLAW CATALOG OF CAGEY OPTIMISM
(The complete text is here: http://bit.ly/CageyOptimism)
Psychiatry and psychotherapy obsess on what's wrong with people
and give short shrift to what's right. The manual of these professions
is a 943-page textbook called the DSM-IV. It identifies
scores of pathological states but no healthy ones.
Some time back, I began to complain about this fact, and asked
readers to help me compile material for a proposed antidote, the
Anti-DSM -- a compendium of healthy, exalted, positive states
of being. As their entries came in, we at the Beauty and Truth
Laboratory were inspired to dream up some of our own. Below is
part one of our initial attempt at creating an Anti-DSM-IV,
or as we also like to call it, "The Outlaw Catalog of Cagey
Optimism."
* ACUTE FLUENCY. Happily immersed in artistic creation or scientific
exploration; lost in a trance-like state of inventiveness that's
both blissful and taxing; surrendered to a state of grace in which
you're fully engaged in a productive, compelling, and delightful
activity. The joy of this demanding, rewarding state is intensified
by a sense that time has been suspended, and is rounder and deeper
than usual. (Suggested by H. H. Holiday, who reports that extensive
studies in this state have been done by Mihaly Cziscenmihaliy
in his book, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.)
* AESTHETIC BLISS. Vividly experiencing the colors, textures,
tones, scents, and rhythms of the world around you, creating a
symbiotic intimacy that dissolves the psychological barriers between
you and what you observe. (Suggested by Jeanne Grossetti.)
* AGGRESSIVE SENSITIVITY. Animated by a strong determination
to be receptive and empathetic.
* ALIGNMENT WITH THE INFINITY OF THE MOMENT. Reveling in the
liberating realization that we are all exactly where we need to
be at all times, even if some of us are temporarily in the midst
of trial or tribulation, and that human evolution is proceeding
exactly as it should, even if we can't see the big picture of
the puzzle that would clarify how all the pieces fit together
perfectly. (Suggested by Meredith Jones.)
* AUTONOMOUS NURTURING. Not waiting for someone to give you what
you can give yourself. (Suggested by Shannen Davis.)
* BASKING IN ELDER WISDOM. A state of expansive ripeness achieved
through listening to the stories of elders. (Suggested by Annabelle
Aavard.)
* BIBLIOBLISS. Transported into states of transcendent pleasure
while immersed in reading a favorite book. (Suggested by Catherine
Kaikowska.)
* BLASPHEMOUS REVERENCE. Acting on the knowledge that the most
efficacious form of devotion to the Divine Wow is tinctured with
playful or mischievous behavior that prevents the buildup of fanaticism.
* BOO-DUH NATURE. Dwelling in the blithe understanding of the
fact that worry is useless because most of what we worry about
never happens. (Suggested by Timothy S. Wallace.)
* COMIC INTROSPECTION. Being fully aware of your own foibles
while still loving yourself tenderly and maintaining confidence
in your ability to give your specific genius to the world. To
paraphrase Alan Jones, Dean of Grace Cathedral: following the
Byzantine ploys of your ego with compassion and humor as it tries
to make itself the center of everything, even of its own suffering
and struggle.
* COMPASSIONATE DISCRIMINATION. Having astute judgment without
being scornfully judgmental; seeing difficult truths about a situation
or person without closing your heart or feeling superior. In the
words of Alan Jones: having the ability "to smell a rat without
allowing your ability to discern deception sour your vision of
the glory and joy that is everyone's birthright."
* CRAZED KINDNESS. Having frequent, overpowering urges to bestow
gifts, disseminate inspiration, and perpetrate random acts of
benevolence.
* ECSTATIC GRATITUDE. Feeling genuine thankfulness with such
resplendent intensity that you generate a surge of endorphins
in your body and slip into a full-scale outbreak of euphoria.
* EMANCIPATED SURRENDER. Letting go of an attachment without
harboring resentment toward the stimuli that led to the necessity
of letting go. (Suggested by Timothy S. Wallace.)
* FRIENDLY SHOCK. Welcoming a surprise that will ultimately have
benevolent effects.
* HIGHWAY EQUANIMITY. Feeling serene, polite, and benevolent
while driving in heavy traffic. (Suggested by Shannen Davis.)
* HOLY LISTENING. Hearing the words of another human being as
if they were a direct communication from the Divine Wow to you.
* IMAGINATIVE TRUTH-TELLING. Conveying the truth of any specific
situation from multiple angles, thereby mitigating the distortions
that result from assuming the truth can be told from a single
viewpoint.
* IMPULSIVE LOVE SPREADING. Characterized by a fierce determination
to never withhold well-deserved praise, inspirational encouragement,
positive feedback, or loving thoughts; often includes a tendency
to write love letters on the spur of the moment and on any medium,
including napkins, grocery bags, and skin. (Suggested by Laurie
Burton.)
* INADVERTENT NATURE WORSHIP. Experiencing the rapture that comes
from being outside for extended periods of time. (Suggested by
Sue Carol Robinson.)
* INGENIOUS INTIMACY. Having an ability to consistently create
deep connections with other human beings, and to use the lush,
reverential excitement stimulated by such exchanges to further
deepen the connections. A well-crafted talent for dissolving your
sense of separateness and enjoying the innocent exultation that
erupts in the wake of the dissolution. (Suggested by Sue Carol
Robinson.)
* JOYFUL POIGNANCE. Feeling buoyantly joyful about the beauty
and mystery of life while remaining aware of the sadness, injustices,
wounds, and future fears that form the challenges in an examined
life. (Suggested by Alka Bhargava.)
* LATE LATE-BLOOMING. Having a capacity for growth spurts well
into old age, long past the time that conventional wisdom says
they're possible.
* LEARNING DELIGHT. Experiencing the brain-reeling pleasure that
comes from learning something new. (Suggested by Sue Carol Robinson.)
* LUCID DREAM PATRIOTISM. A love of country rooted in the fact
that it provides the ideal conditions for learning lucid dreaming.
(Suggested by Kenneth Kelzer, author of The Sun and the Shadow:
My Experiment With Lucid Dreaming.)
* LYRICAL CONSONANCE. Experiencing the visceral yet also cerebral
excitement that comes from listening to live music played impeccably
by skilled musicians. (Suggested by Susan E. Nace.)
TO SEE THE REST OF THE EXALTED, POSITIVE STATES, GO HERE:
http://bit.ly/CageyOptimism
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
GENEROSITY GONE WILD
There is a golden temple in India that provides free meals for
thousands of people of every race, religion and class
http://tinyurl.com/chpg434
IS THERE A CONSPIRACY TO USE RENEWABLE ENERGY?
Germany produced a record high amount of renewable energy in the
first half of 2012, an increase of 19.5 percent from the same
period last year.
http://tinyurl.com/chqo6vt
HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOUR MINIMUM DAILY REQUIREMENT OF BEAUTY?
A purple and orange starfish called the royal starfish
http://i.imgur.com/Afedm.jpg
(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 August 9
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
When Tchaikovsky wrote the musical score for his famous 1812
Overture, it included 16 cannon shots. Literally. These blasts
weren't supposed to be made by, say, a sledgehammer pounded against
a wooden mallet, but rather by the detonation of an actual cannon.
As crazy as that is, you've got to admire Tchaikovsky's creative
gall. He was going way out of the box, calling on a source of
sound no other composer had ever done. In accordance with the
astrological omens, I invite you to be inspired by his example,
Leo. In your own chosen field, mess with the rules about how to
play in your chosen field.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
"And if nothing is repeated in the same way," says
poet Antonio Porchia, "all things are last things."
That's a good principle to adapt for your own purposes, Virgo.
A few weeks from now, I bet you'll be enmeshed in an orgy of novelty,
creating yourself from scratch and exploring experiences you've
never heard of before. But in the meantime, as you bring this
cycle to a close, be equally inventive about how you finish things
off. Don't imitate the approach you used in tying up loose ends
in the past. Don't put stale, boring karma to rest in stale, boring
ways. Nothing repeated! All things last things!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
All of us feel bad sometimes -- sad, discouraged, helpless, unloved,
and all the rest. It's a natural part of being human. Here's the
good news: I am not predicting you will go through a phase like
that anytime soon. Here's the even better news: The coming week
will be an excellent time to come up with effective strategies
for what to do in the future when you go through a rough period.
For example, instead of wallowing in self-pity or berating yourself
for your weakness, maybe you can resolve, next time, to amble
aimlessly out in nature, dance to cathartic music for three hours,
or go to the gym and smack around a punching bag.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
When a domesticated weasel captures some treasure or beats out
a competitor for food, it performs a celebratory dance that's
referred to as the "weasel war dance." During this triumphant
display, it might hiss, arch its back, fluff out its tail, and
hop around madly. I encourage you to come up with your own private
version of this ritual, Scorpio. It can be more dignified if you
like: snapping your fingers, singing a magical phrase, or raising
your arms in a V-for-victory gesture. Whatever you choose, do
it after every accomplishment, no matter how small: buying groceries,
arriving at an appointment on time, getting a good new idea, or
any other success.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
One out of every four of us is afraid that we have missed our
calling -- that we have misread our soul's code and failed to
identify the labor of love that would provide our ultimate fuel
for living. If you're among this deprived group, I have good news:
The next six weeks will be an excellent time to fix the problem
-- to leave the niche where you don't belong and go off to create
a new power spot. And if you are among the 75 percent of us who
are confident you've found your vocation, the next six weeks will
be prime time to boost your efforts to a higher level.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
You can take this as a metaphor if you like, but I'm getting
a psychic impression that you will soon be drawing on the energy
of one of your past lives. Will it be a 13th-century Chinese lute
player or a kitchen maid from 15th-century France? Will you be
high on the vitality you had when you were a Yoruba priest living
in West Africa 300 years ago or when you were a 16th-century Guarani
herbalist in what's now Paraguay? I invite you to play with fantasies
like these, even if you don't believe they're literally true.
You might be surprised at the boost you get from imagining yourself
alive in a different body and historical era.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE
Factual information and reasonable thinking alone are not sufficient
to guide you through life's labyrinthine tests. You need and deserve
regular deliveries of uncanny revelation.
One of your inalienable rights as a human being should therefore
be to receive mysteriously useful omens on a regular basis. In
this spirit, I offer you the free weekly horoscopes you read here.
If you ever want more, and think it's worth paying for, try my
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're available here:
RealAstrology.com
You can also access them by phone:
1-877-873-4888
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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The Italian mattress company Sogniflex has created a bed with
features designed to facilitate love-making. It has straps and
handles, plus a trench that helps you get better traction. The
extra-strong springs produce an exceptional bouncing action. You
might consider buying one for yourself. The astrological omens
suggest it's time to play with more intensity in the intimate
clinches. You could also try these things: 1. Upgrade your licking
and sucking skills. 2. Cultivate your ability to listen receptively.
3. Deepen your sincere appreciation for what's beautiful about
anyone you're attracted to. 4. Make yourself even more lovable
than you already are.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
My $10-an-hour counsel only requires a few seconds to deliver.
Here it is: "Never try to be someone you're not. Discover
what you were made for, and do it with all of your passionate
intensity." On the other hand, Pisces, my $100-a-minute wisdom
is more complicated, subtle, and hard to impart in less than an
hour of storytelling. Here's a hint of it: There are times when
you can get interesting and even brilliant results by experimenting
with being something you're not. Going against the flow of your
instinctual urges and customary tendencies might tweak you in
just the right way -- giving you an exotic grace and wild depth
when you ultimately return to the path you were born to tread.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Apollo astronaut Russell Schweickart had a vision of loveliness
while flying through outer space in his lunar module. "One
of the most beautiful sights is a urine dump at sunset,"
he testified. He said it resembles a "spray of sparklers,"
as ten million little ice crystals shoot out into the void at
high velocity. As you feed your quest for a lusty life, Aries,
I urge you to be as quirky and resourceful as Schweickart. Come
up with your own definitions about what's gorgeous and revelatory.
Take epiphanies any way you can get them.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
At the heart of this horoscope is a quote from Maya Angelou.
While it may seem schmaltzy, I assure you that its counsel will
be essential to your success in the coming weeks. "I've learned
that people will forget what you said," said Angelou, "people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you
made them feel." Can you see how valuable this principle
might be for you, Taurus? If you hope to get what you desire,
you should turn your empathy on full blast. If you'd like to supercharge
your vitality, hone your skills as a judge of character. If you
want to get the love you think you deserve, be a master at making
people feel good in your presence.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
The coming week will be prime time to celebrate your eccentricities
and cultivate your idiosyncrasies. Do you like ketchup on your
bananas? Is heavy metal the music you can best relax to? Do you
have a tendency to break out in raucous laughter when people brag
about themselves? I really think you should make note of all the
qualities that make you odd or unique, and express those qualities
with extra intensity. That may grate on some people, true, but
it should have a potent healing effect on you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Here are my questions: Will you thrust your foot across that
imaginary line, or will you back away from it, scouting around
for an escape route? Will you risk causing a commotion in order
to scratch the itch in your ambition? Or will you shuffle on back
to your comfort zone and caress your perfect daydreams? Personally,
Cancerian, I'm hoping you will elect to do what's a bit unsettling.
But that doesn't necessarily mean you should. If you make a bold
move, make sure you're not angling to please or impress me --
or anyone else, for that matter. Do it as a way to express your
respect for yourself -- or don't do it.
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HOMEWORK:
If you could change your astrological sign, what would you change
it to and why? Write: FreeWillAstrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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