Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 27, 2017
FreeWillAstrology.com
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CREATING A GOLDEN AGE
I suspect that none of us has the capacity to foretell the future of the human race. No one -- not psychics, not doomsayers, not intelligent optimists, indigenous shamans, no one.
There is a strong case to be made that this is the worst of times, and an equally strong case that this is the best of times; a strong case that everything will collapse into a miserable dystopia and a strong case that we are on the verge of a golden age. It's impossible to know in any "objective way" which is "truer."
Anyone who asserts they do know is just cherry-picking evidence that rationalizes their emotional bent. The variables are chaotic and abundant and beyond our ken.
In the meantime, I'm doing what I can to create a golden age.
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SYNERGY
Hypothesis: There's no contradiction between being:
a highly individuated, creative person devoted to developing your own maximum potential and enjoying life to the fullest
AND
a spiritual freedom fighter dedicated to the liberation of other humans and to the transformation of civilization into a paradise that serves and exalts all creatures.
In fact, the two tasks can blend together quite well.
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TAKE TIME TO STOP AND BE THE FLOWERS
"Take time to stop and smell the flowers," says an old homily. Albert Hoffman, the Swiss scientist who discovered LSD and lived to age 102, had a different approach. "Take the time to stop and be the flowers," he said.
That's a sweet invitation: Don't just set aside a few stolen moments to sniff the snapdragons, taste the rain, chase the wind, watch the hummingbirds, and listen to a friend.
Use your imagination to actually be the snapdragons and rain and wind and hummingbirds and friend. Don't just behold the Other; become the Other.
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SECRET HEROISM
Jeff Brown says: Most of the greatest achievements on the planet are unknown to others — private overcomings, silent attempts at belief, re-opening a shattered heart.
The real path of champions truly lies within — the transforming of suffering into expansion, the clearing of horrifying debris, the building of a healthy self-concept without tools.
The greatest achievers have found a way to believe in something good despite being traumatized and fractured on life's battlefields. No matter what else they accomplish in their lives, they are already champions.
One day the world will realize that it is much harder to heal a shattered heart than excel at athletics. Go(l)d medals all around.
- Jeff Brown, excerpted from his book from "Love It Forward" - tinyurl.com/ycu6yr5u
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
10 Films to Keep You Inspired. Movies to remind you there's hope in the fight for justice and equality.
tinyurl.com/z6ruafd
In a Bad Mood? Studies Show Why That Can Be a Good Thing.
Five reasons why the quest for constant happiness is misguided.
tinyurl.com/yc6k58gs
It’s Not Just the South: Here’s How Everyone Can Resist White Supremacy. Every region of our country has its history of racial exclusion and white supremacy. Here are 13 ways to right those wrongs.
tinyurl.com/yaduh36w
(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 September 28
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Be realistic, Libra: Demand the impossible; expect inspiration; visualize yourself being able to express yourself more completely and vividly than you ever have before. Believe me when I tell you that you now have extra power to develop your sleeping potentials, and are capable of accomplishing feats that might seem like miracles. You are braver than you know, as sexy as you need to be, and wiser than you were two months ago. I am not exaggerating, nor am I flattering you. It's time for you to start making your move to the next level.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
In accordance with the astrological omens, I invite you to take extra good care of yourself during the next three weeks. Do whatever it takes to feel safe and protected and resilient. Ask for the support you need, and if the people whose help you solicit can't or won't give it to you, seek elsewhere. Provide your body with more than the usual amount of healthy food, deep sleep, tender touch, and enlivening movement. Go see a psychotherapist or counselor or good listener every single day if you want. And don't you dare apologize or feel guilty for being such a connoisseur of self-respect and self-healing.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
A queen bee may keep mating until she gathers 70 million sperm from many different drones. When composing my horoscopes, I aim to cultivate a metaphorically comparable receptivity. Long ago I realized that all of creation is speaking to me all the time; I recognized that everyone I encounter is potentially a muse or teacher. If I hope to rustle up the oracles that are precisely suitable for your needs, I have to be alert to the possibility that they may arrive from unexpected directions and surprising sources. Can you handle being that open to influence, Sagittarius? Now is a favorable time to expand your capacity to be fertilized.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
You're approaching a rendezvous with prime time. Any minute now you could receive an invitation to live up to your hype or fulfill your promises to yourself -- or both. This test is likely to involve an edgy challenge that is both fun and daunting, both liberating and exacting. It will have the potential to either steal a bit of your soul or else heal an ache in your soul. To ensure the healing occurs rather than the stealing, do your best to understand why the difficulty and the pleasure are both essential.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
In 1901, physician Duncan MacDougall carried out experiments that led him to conclude that the average human soul weighs 21 grams. Does his claim have any merit? That question is beyond my level of expertise. But if he was right, then I'm pretty sure your soul has bulked up to at least 42 grams in the past few weeks. The work you've been doing to refine and cultivate your inner state has been heroic. It's like you've been ingesting a healthy version of soul-building steroids. Congrats!
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
There are enough authorities, experts, and know-it-alls out there trying to tell you what to think and do. In accordance with current astrological factors, I urge you to utterly ignore them during the next two weeks. And do it gleefully, not angrily. Exult in the power that this declaration of independence gives you to trust your own assessments and heed your own intuitions. Furthermore, regard your rebellion as good practice for dealing with the little voices in your head that speak for those authorities, experts, and know-it-alls. Rise up and reject their shaming and criticism, too. Shield yourself from their fearful fantasies.
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MAYBE JOY AND PLEASURE ARE ESSENTIAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
Assume that your drive to experience pleasure and happiness isn't a barrier to your spiritual growth, but is in fact essential to it. Proceed on the hypothesis that cultivating joy can make you a more ethical and compassionate person. Imagine that feeling good has something important to teach you every day.
For inspiration in practicing this approach, tune in to your EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.
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.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.
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"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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ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats likes to play along with the music of nature. On one occasion he collaborated with Mandeville Creek in Montana. He listened and studied the melodies that emanated from its flowing current. Then he moved around some of the underwater rocks, subtly changing the creek's song. Your assignment, Aries, is to experiment with equally imaginative and exotic collaborations. The coming weeks will be a time when you can make beautiful music together with anyone or anything that tickles your imagination.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Some newspapers publish regular rectifications of the mistakes they've made in past editions. For example, the editors of the UK publication The Guardian once apologized to readers for a mistaken statement about Richard Wagner. They said that when the 19th-century German composer had trysts with his chambermaid, he did not in fact ask her to wear purple underpants, as previously reported. They were pink underpants. I tell you this, Taurus, as encouragement to engage in corrective meditations yourself. Before bedtime on the next ten nights, scan the day's events and identify any actions you might have done differently -- perhaps with more integrity or focus or creativity. This will have a deeply tonic effect. You are in a phase of your astrological cycle when you'll flourish as you make amendments and revisions.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
It's high time to allow your yearnings to overflow . . . to surrender to the vitalizing pleasures of nonrational joy . . . to grant love the permission to bless you and confound you with its unruly truths. For inspiration, read this excerpt of a poem by Caitlyn Siehl. "My love is honey tongue. Thirsty love. My love is peach juice dripping down the neck. Too much sugar love. Sticky sweet, sticky sweat love. My love can't ride a bike. My love walks everywhere. Wanders through the river. Feeds the fish, skips the stones. Barefoot love. My love stretches itself out on the grass, kisses a nectarine. My love is never waiting. My love is a traveler."
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
One of the oldest houses in Northern Europe is called the Knap of Howar. Built out of stone around 3,600 B.C., it faces the wild sea on Papa Westray, an island off the northern coast of Scotland. Although no one has lived there for 5,000 years, some of its stone furniture remains intact. Places like this will have a symbolic power for you in the coming weeks, Cancerian. They'll tease your imagination and provoke worthwhile fantasies. Why? Because the past will be calling to you more than usual. The old days and old ways will have secrets to reveal and stories to teach. Listen with alert discernment.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The United States has a bizarre system for electing its president. There's nothing like it in any other democratic nation on earth. Every four years, the winning candidate needs only to win the electoral college, not the popular vote. So theoretically, it's possible to garner just 23 percent of all votes actually cast, and yet still ascend to the most powerful political position in the world. For example, in two of the last five elections, the new chief of state has received significantly fewer votes than his main competitor. I suspect that you may soon benefit from a comparable anomaly, Leo. You'll be able to claim victory on a technicality. Your effort may be "ugly," yet good enough to succeed.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I found this advertisement for a workshop: "You will learn to do the INCREDIBLE! Smash bricks with your bare hands! Walk on fiery coals unscathed! Leap safely off a roof! No broken bones! No cuts! No pain! Accomplish the impossible first! Then everything else will be a breeze!" I bring this to your attention, Virgo, not because I think you should sign up for this class or anything like it. I hope you don't. In fact, a very different approach is preferable for you: I recommend that you start with safe, manageable tasks. Master the simple details and practical actions. Work on achieving easy, low-risk victories. In this way, you'll prepare yourself for more epic efforts in the future.
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HOMEWORK:
Would I enjoy following you on Twitter or Tumblr? Send me links to your tweets or posts. Truthrooster@gmail.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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