Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 30, 2017
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
Below are excerpts.
Think back to your first descent into the abyss many years ago. You were a raw rookie at the time, and didn't have many skills to help you negotiate the dark, dank regions. It was no surprise that you came back touchy and scarred.
But in each stint in the underworld since then, you've gained more proficiency at remembering who you are even when you feel lost.
In fact, I suspect that somewhere along the way you passed a crucial threshold. You learned the difference between repetitive, unnecessary pain and the kind of useful pain that rejuvenates and empowers. You discovered how a journey into the underworld can sharpen your soul's vision and enrich your creative passion.
Congratulations on the upgrade!
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SACRED ORIGINS OF DESIRES?
Psychologist Carl Jung said that all desires have a sacred origin, no matter how odd they seem. Frustration and ignorance may cause them to twist into distorted caricatures, but it is always possible to locate the beautiful source from which they arose.
In describing one of his addictive patients, Jung said: "His craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst for wholeness, or as expressed in medieval language: the union with God."
Holding this in mind, ruminate about this question: What are the glorious prototypes behind the longings that confuse you or drain you?
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REVOLUTIONIZING THE ART OF REBELLION
Revolutionizing the art of rebellion.
1. Experiment with uppity, mischievous optimism.
2. Invoke insurrectionary levels of wildly interesting generosity.
3. Indulge in an insolent refusal to be chronically fearful.
4. Pursue a cheeky ambition to be as wide-awake as a dissident trickster messiah.
5. Bring reckless levels of creative intelligence to all expressions of love.
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THE PERFECT IS AN ENEMY OF THE GOOD
In last week's edition of my newsletter (bit.ly/YouSeeTruth), I included a quote from Joss Whedon among my array of tender rants, friendly prods, and quizzical inspirations. Some readers are enraged at me for doing so. Don't I know, they scold me, that Joss's ex-wife recently announced her former husband is a jerk?
In fact, I do know. And I certainly don't approve of Joss being a jerk. I wish he weren't. I'm mad at him for the bad things he's done.
On the other hand, if I refused to learn from people like Joss unless I agreed with everything they had ever said and done, I would never learn from anyone.
If I condemned to oblivion everyone who didn't reflect all my high ideals, if I crossed everyone off my list unless they were perfect angels, I would be completely bereft of influences except my beloved stuffed bunny from childhood.
What about you? Have you set up your life so that everyone is either on or off your good list? If so, consider the possibility of cultivating a capacity to derive insight from people who aren't perfect. Have fun learning from people you partially agree with and partially disagree with.
Here are examples of some of the other people from whom I have drawn important teachings and inspiration despite their sins:
Gertrude Stein arrogantly believed she was as important a writer as Shakespeare and Homer.
Dr. Seuss had an affair with another woman while his wife was suffering from cancer, and his wife subsequently committed suicide.
Einstein cheated on his wife and treated her horrendously.
William Blake lived in absolute filth.
Early feminist author George Sand cheated on her husband.
Edgar Allan Poe married his 13-year-old cousin when he was 26.
An unknown writer named Laura Albert exploited an HIV positive, transgender, recovering addict to launch her literary career.
Harry Potter creator JK Rowling filed a petty lawsuit against a small publishing house that was publishing a school librarian’s encyclopedia of Harry Potter lexicon.
Martin Luther King Jr. cheated on his wife and plagiarized parts of his Ph.D. dissertation.
The painter Peter Paul Rubens married a 16-year-old female when he was 53.
Walt Whitman had temper tantrums.
Many of Mother Teresa's needy causes that she raised money for never saw a penny. Just 7% of the donations she received went to the actual causes for which they were donated.
Gandhi slept with young women to test his resolve to remain 'pure." Among these women was his grand-niece.
John Lennon battered women. He was also a cranky guy who was pretty much chronically annoyed.
Would you care to confess the sins of any of your heroes, teachers, and role models?
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EVERYONE'S A JERK SOMETIMES
My general philosophy is that everyone on the planet is a jerk at least some of the time. Including me.
The key for me is: How sizable is each person's Jerk Quotient? Is their influence on the world more than 40% Jerk and 60% Other Stuff? If so, then I will probably not have much to do with them.
But if their proportion is more like 15% Jerk and 60% Pretty Good Stuff and 25% Other Stuff, then I will be more receptive.
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THE GREATEST ART
The Great Art consists of making continuous conscious effort to align our thoughts and feelings with the highest ideals we have thus far been able to comprehend.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
An Experiment in Gratitude. Studies show expressing gratitude makes us happier.
tinyurl.com/ybuxkfjx
Female chief in Malawi broke up 850 child marriages and sent girls back to school.
tinyurl.com/ho27dhd
US's largest anti-Muslim group cancels dozens of rallies after seeing size of anti-fascist crowds in Boston. The group was planning to hold 67 events across 36 states
tinyurl.com/ycw5lmjx
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They aren’t advertisements, and I get no kickbacks.)
Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES: Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning August 31
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the miraculous communication system that we know as the World Wide Web. When asked if he had any regrets about his pioneering work, he named just one. There was no need for him to have inserted the double slash -- "//" -- after the "http:" in web addresses. He's sorry that Internet users have had to type those irrelevant extra characters so many billions of times. Let this serve as a teaching story for you, Virgo. As you create innovations in the coming weeks, be mindful of how you shape the basic features. The details you include in the beginning may endure.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
The sadness you feel might be the most fertile sadness you have felt in a long time. At least potentially, it has tremendous motivating power. You could respond to it by mobilizing changes that would dramatically diminish the sadness you feel in the coming years, and also make it less likely that sadness-provoking events will come your way. So I invite you to express gratitude for your current sadness. That's the crucial first step if you want to harness it to work wonders.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
"Don't hoot with the owls at night if you want to crow with the rooster in the morning," advised Miss Georgia during the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Although that's usually good counsel, it may not apply to you in the coming weeks. Why? Because your capacity for revelry will be at an all-time high, as will your ability to be energized rather than drained by your revelry. It seems you have a special temporary superpower that enables you both to have maximum fun and get a lot of work done.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
During this phase of your astrological cycle, it makes sense to express more leadership. If you're already a pretty good guide or role model, you will have the power to boost your benevolent influence to an even higher level. For inspiration, listen to educator Peter Drucker: "Leadership is not magnetic personality. That can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not 'making friends and influencing people.' That is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, raising a person's performance to a higher standard, building a personality beyond its normal limitations."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
"One should always be a little improbable," said Oscar Wilde. That's advice I wouldn't normally give a Capricorn. You thrive on being grounded and straightforward. But I'm making an exception now. The astrological omens compel me. So what does it mean, exactly? How might you be "improbable"? Here are suggestions to get you started. 1. Be on the lookout for inspiring ways to surprise yourself. 2. Elude any warped expectations that people have of you. 3. Be willing to change your mind. Open yourself up to evidence that contradicts your theories and beliefs. 4. Use telepathy to contact Oscar Wilde in your dreams, and ask him to help you stir up some benevolent mischief or compassionate trouble.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
A modern Israeli woman named Shoshana Hadad got into trouble because of an event that occurred long before she was born. In 580 B.C., one of her male ancestors married a divorced woman, which at that time was regarded as a sin. Religious authorities decreed that as punishment, none of his descendants could ever wed a member of the Cohen tribe. But Hadad did just that, which prompted rabbis to declare her union with Masoud Cohen illegal. I bring this tale to your attention as a way to illustrate the possibility that you, too, may soon have to deal with the consequences of past events. But now that I have forewarned you, I expect you will act wisely, not rashly. You will pass a tricky test and resolve the old matter for good.
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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
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to RealAstrology.com.
Register and/or log in through the main page.
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $6 per sign on the Web (discounts available for bulk purchases), or $1.99 per minute by phone. Each forecast is
4-5 minutes long.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.
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"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes seem to have the effect of activating my inner teacher. Thanks!" - Eleanor A., Toronto
"Your expanded audio horoscopes are the next best thing to actually having you here next to me to remind me who I really am." - Alyssa R., Des Moines, Iowa
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Want to live to be 100? Then be as boring as possible. That's the conclusion of longevity researchers, as reported by the Weekly World News. To ensure a maximum life span, you should do nothing that excites you. You should cultivate a neutral, blah personality, and never travel far from home. JUST KIDDING! I lied. The Weekly World News is in fact a famous purveyor of fake news. The truth, according to my analysis of the astrological omens, is that you should be less boring in the next seven weeks than you have ever been in your life. To do so will be superb for your health, your wealth, and your future.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
"We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems," said businessman Lee Iacocca. You are currently wrestling with an example of this phenomenon, Aries. The camouflage is well-rendered. To expose the opportunity hidden beneath the apparent dilemma, you may have to be more strategic and less straightforward than you usually are -- cagier and not as blunt. Can you manage that? I think so. Once you crack the riddle, taking advantage of the opportunity should be interesting.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Close your eyes and imagine this: You and a beloved ally get lost in an enchanted forest, discover a mysterious treasure, and find your way back to civilization just before dark. Now visualize this: You give a dear companion a photo of your face taken on every one of your birthdays, and the two of you spend hours talking about your evolution. Picture this: You and an exciting accomplice luxuriate in a sun-lit sanctuary surrounded by gourmet snacks as you listen to ecstatic music and bestow compliments on each other. These are examples of the kinds of experiments I invite you to try in the coming weeks. Dream up some more! Here's a keynote to inspire you: sacred fun.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
On its album Jefferson's Tree of Liberty, Jefferson Starship plays a song I co-wrote, "In a Crisis." On its album Deeper Space/Virgin Sky, the band covers another tune I co-wrote, "Dark Ages." Have I received a share of the record sales? Not a penny. Am I upset? Not at all. I'm glad the songs are being heard and enjoyed. I'm gratified that a world-famous, multi-platinum band chose to record them. I'm pleased my musical creations are appreciated. Now here's my question for you, Gemini: Has some good thing of yours been "borrowed"? Have you wielded a benevolent influence that hasn't been fully acknowledged? I suggest you consider adopting an approach like mine. It's prime time to adjust your thinking about how your gifts and talents have been used, applied, or translated.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Author Roger von Oech tells us that creativity often involves "the ability to take something out of one context and put it into another so that it takes on new meanings." According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this strategy could and should be your specialty in the coming weeks. "The first person to look at an oyster and think food had this ability," says von Oech. "So did the first person to look at sheep intestines and think guitar strings. And so did the first person to look at a perfume vaporizer and think gasoline carburetor." Be on the lookout, Cancerian, for inventive substitutions and ingenious replacements.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
When famous socialite Nan Kempner was young, her mother took her shopping at Yves Saint Laurent's salon. Nan got fixated on a certain white satin suit, but her mean old mother refused to buy it for her. "You've already spent too much of your monthly allowance," mom said. But the resourceful girl came up with a successful gambit. She broke into sobs, and continued to cry nonstop until the store's clerks lowered the price to an amount she could afford. You know me, Leo: I don't usually recommend resorting to such extreme measures to get what you want. But now is one time when I am giving you a go-ahead to do just that.
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HOMEWORK:
Send news of your favorite mystery -- an enigma that is both maddening and delightful. FreeWillAstrology.com
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Submissions sent to Rob Brezsny's Astrology 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 submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2017 Rob Brezsny
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