Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter May 21, 2014

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
MAY 21, 2014
FreeWillAstrology.com

+

My book
PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells

Here's an excerpt:

I'M A STAR, YOU'RE A STAR
(To read the entirety of this feature, go here: bit.ly/YouStarYou)

You're a star -- and so am I. I'm a genius -- and so are you. Your success encourages my brilliance, and my charisma enhances your power. Your victory doesn't require my defeat, and vice versa.

Those are the rules in the New World -- quite unlike the rules in the Old World, where zero-sum games are the norm, and only one of us can win each time we play.

In the New World, you don't have to tone down or apologize for your prowess, because you love it when other people shine. You exult in your own excellence without regarding it as a sign of inherent superiority. As you ripen more and more of your latent aptitude, you inspire the rest of us to claim our own idiosyncratic magnificence.

+

Tibetan Buddhist teacher Geshe Chekawa (1220-1295) specialized in bodhicitta, seeking enlightenment not for personal gain but as a way to serve others. On his deathbed, he prayed to be sent to hell so that he might alleviate the suffering of the lost souls there.

As you explore pronoia, you will discover that like Chekawa, you have a huge capacity to help people. Unlike him, you'll find that expressing your benevolence doesn't require you to go to hell. It may even be unnecessary for you to sacrifice your own joy or to practice self-denial. Just the opposite: Being in service to humanity and celebrating your unique power will be synergistic. They will need each other to thrive.

+

The Golden Rule is a decent ethical principle, but it could be even better. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" presumes that others enjoy what you enjoy. But that's wrong. There are many things you'd like to have done unto you that others would either despise or be bored by. Here's a new, improved formulation, which we call the Platinum Rule: Do unto others as they would like to have you do unto them.

Using this improved formula is not just a virtuous way to live, but is also the best way to ensure the success of your selfish goals. The rituals and spells of various occult orders purport to be supercharged techniques for imposing your personal will on the chaotic flow of events, but I say that practicing the Platinum Rule outstrips all of them as an exercise to enhance your potency and happiness.

TO READ THE REST OF "I'M A STAR, YOU'RE A STAR," go here:
bit.ly/YouStarYou

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

It's time for the Freethinkers Festival. To celebrate, feel free to indulge in any of the following festive acts:

1. Declare your independence from anyone who tries to tell you, either subliminally or directly, who you are or how you should live your life.

2. Declare your independence from your past, especially memories that oppress your sense of possibility and self-images that inhibit your urge to explore.

3. Declare your independence from peer pressure, groupthink, and conventional wisdom.

4. Declare your independence from beliefs and theories that hinder your ability to perceive the raw and unruly truth about new experiences.

Any other festive acts you'd like to suggest?

- bit.ly/Pronoia

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

You've heard of passive smoking, which occurs when the burning cigarette wastes of smokers snake into the lungs of innocent bystanders. Now poetry scientists at the Beauty and Truth Lab have identified a phenomenon they call second-hand depression, wherein victims inadvertently absorb the misery and cynicism of people who are spewing out negative emotions.

Be especially careful to protect yourself against that contamination. Refuse to be poisoned by the lazy blather of out-of-control naysayers.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

What were you doing a year ago today? Check out my horoscopes for this time of year in 2013 and see if my oracle was applicable to what you were going through: bit.ly/11aYjm3

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

A Happy Life or a Meaningful One -- Do We Really Need to Choose?
tinyurl.com/pcw64jw

"Plastic shopping bags, an abundant source of litter on land and at sea, can be converted into diesel, natural gas and other useful petroleum products, researchers report."
tinyurl.com/o2jfm55

"From an evolutionary standpoint, selfishness in humans is not beneficial."
tinyurl.com/l3hpsbp

(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.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning May 22

Copyright 2014 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

During the next 12 months you will have exceptional opportunities to soak up knowledge, add to your skill set, and get the training you need to pursue interesting kinds of success in the coming six to eight years. What's the best way to prepare? Develop an exciting new plan for your future education. To get in the mood, try the following: make a list of your most promising but still unripe potentials; meditate on the subjects that evoke your greatest curiosity; brainstorm about what kinds of experiences would give you more control over your destiny; and study three people you know who have improved their lives by taking aggressive steps to enhance their proficiency.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

The moon shows us a different phase every 24 hours, which makes it seem changeable. But in fact, not much actually happens on the moon. It has no atmosphere, no weather, no wind, no plant life, no seasons. There is some water, but it's all frozen. Is there anything like this in your own life, Cancerian? Something that on the surface of things seems to be in constant motion, but whose underlying state never actually shifts or develops? According to my analysis, now would be an excellent time for you to revise the way you understand this part of your world, and then update your relationship with it.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Have you thought of organizing a crowdfunding campaign to boost your pet project or labor of love? I suggest you get serious about it in the next four weeks. This coming phase of your cycle will be a favorable time to expand your audience, attract new allies, and build a buzz. You will have a sixth sense about how to wield your personal charm to serve your long-term goals. More than usual, your selfish interests will dovetail with the greater good -- perhaps in unexpected ways.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

Years ago I had a Virgo friend who was a talented singer. She had technical skill, stylistic flair, and animal magnetism, making her worthy of being a lead vocalist in almost any great band. And yet when she was asleep and had dreams of performing, she often found herself standing in the shadows, barely visible and singing tentatively, while her back-up singers hogged the spotlight at center stage. Moral of the story: Some of you Virgos are shy about claiming your full authority. It doesn't always come easy for you to shine your light and radiate your power. And yet you can most definitely learn to do so. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to make progress in this direction.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

"There is always an enormous temptation in all of life," writes Annie Dillard, "to diddle around making itsy-bitsy friends and meals and journeys for itsy-bitsy years on end . . . I won't have it. The world is wider than that in all directions, more dangerous and bitter, more extravagant and bright." Your assignment in the coming weeks, Libra, is to transcend whatever is itsy-bitsy about your life. The alternative? Head toward the frontier and drum up experiences that will thrill your heart and blow your mind.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

"We are all searching for someone whose demons play well with ours," writes novelist Heidi R. Kling. That's good advice for you to keep in mind these days, Scorpio. Those little imps and rascals that live within you may get you into bad trouble if they feel bored. But if you arrange for them to have play dates with the imps and rascals of people you trust, they are far more likely to get you into good trouble. They may even provide you with bits of gritty inspiration. What's that you say? You don't have any demons? Not true. Everyone has them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

LEARN TO BE LUCKY

You can learn to be lucky. It's not a mystical force you're born with, but a habit you can develop. How? For starters, be open to new experiences, trust your gut wisdom, expect good fortune, see the bright side of challenging events, and master the art of maximizing serendipitous opportunities.

For more help, tune in to my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're reports on the current state of your destiny and where you're headed.

These forecasts are different in tone and format from the written horoscopes you read in this newsletter. They're longer and more leisurely in tone -- averaging four to five minutes. They tend to bring out more of the patient counselor in me, and have a bit less of the poet.

To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to RealAstrology.com.

Register and/or log in through the main page.

They're available on your tablets and smart phones as well as your computers.

You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.

"Your expanded horoscopes get more personal and intimate with me than some of my closest friends. Thanks for the loving reflections."
- Ari S., Ann Arbor, MI

"Your audio 'scopes have a knack for waking me up from whatever random dream has sneaked into my brain and rendered me half-blind."
- Teresa F., Boston, MA

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

"When people tell you who they are, believe them," writes blogger Maria Popova (Brainpickings.org). "Just as importantly, however, when people try to tell you who you are, don't believe them." Those suggestions are especially crucial for you to keep in mind these days. You are entering a phase when your best relationships will be up for review and revision and revitalization. To foster an environment in which intimacy will thrive, you've got to be extra receptive, curious, tolerant, and tender. That's all! Not hard, right? A good place to start is to proceed as if your allies know who they are better than you do -- even as you ask them to return the favor.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

"Kludge" (pronounced klooj) is a slang word that refers to a clumsy but effective fix for an engineering problem. It's a cobbled-together solution that works fine, at least temporarily, even though it is inelegant or seems farfetched. Let's use this concept in a metaphorical way to apply to you. I'm guessing that you will be a kludge master in the coming days. You will be skilled at making the best of mediocre situations. You may have surprising success at doing things that don't come naturally, and I bet you will find unexpected ways to correct glitches that no one else has any idea about how to fix.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

I hesitate to compare you to your fellow Aquarian Kim Jong-il. When he was alive and ruling North Korea, he was an egomaniacal tyrant. You're definitely not that. But there are certain descriptions of him in his official biography that remind me of the kinds of powers you may soon exhibit. He was called The Great Sun of Life and Highest Incarnation of Revolutionary Comradely Love, for instance. Titles like that might suit you. It is said that he invented the hamburger. He could command rain to fall from the sky. He once shot eleven holes-in-one in a single round of golf, was a master of gliding down waterslides, and never had to use a toilet because he produced no waste. You may be able to express comparable feats in the coming weeks. (Do it without falling prey to excessive pride, OK?)

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

Even if you had a sensitive, nurturing mommy when you were growing up, and even if she continues to play an important role in your life, now would be a good time to learn how to mother yourself better. You are finally ready to appreciate how important it is to be your own primary caregiver. And I'm hoping you are no longer resistant to or embarrassed about the idea that part of you is still like a child who needs unconditional love 24/7. So get started! Treat yourself with the expert tenderness that a crafty maternal goddess would provide.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

I believe your persuasive powers will be stronger than usual in the weeks ahead. The words coming out of your mouth will sound especially interesting. I also suspect that your intelligence will get at least a temporary upgrade. The clarity of your thoughts will intensify. You will see truths you have been blind to in the past. Innovative solutions to long-running dilemmas are likely to occur to you. The only potential snag is that you might neglect to nurture your emotional riches. You could become a bit too dry and hard. But now that I've warned you of that possibility, let's hope you will take steps to ensure it won't happen.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

If there was a Hall of Fame for scientists, physicist Isaac Newton (1642-1727) would have been the charter member. He was like Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry were to rock and roll, like Babe Ruth was to baseball. The theory of gravity and the three laws of motion were his gifts to the world. He made major contributions to mathematics and optics, and was a central figure in defining modern science. There is also a legend that he invented the cat door, inspired by his pet felines. Whether or not that's true, it serves as an excellent metaphor for this horoscope. It's an excellent time for you to apply your finest talents and highest intelligence to dream up small, mundane, but practical innovations.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

HOMEWORK:

Name a beautiful thing you were never capable of doing until this past year. RealAstrology.com

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter or in response to "homework assignments" may be published in a variety of formats at Rob Brezsny's discretion, including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve the right to edit such submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored with submissions; otherwise, reader names, screen names, or initials will be used. Please be sure to note your preference when sending to us. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.

Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2014 Rob Brezsny

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++