Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
October 11, 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.
Love thrives when neither partner takes things personally, so cultivate a devotion to forgiveness and divest yourself of the urge to blame.
Love is a game in which the rules keep changing, so be crafty and improvisational as you stay alert for each unexpected twist of fate.
Love enmeshes you in your partner's unique set of karmic complications, so make sure you're very interested in his or her problems.
Love is a laboratory where you can uncover secrets about yourself that have previously been hidden, so be ravenously curious.
Love is never a perfect match of totally compatible saints, so don't let sterile fantasies seduce you away from flawed but fecund realities.
Love is not a low-maintenance machine, so work hard on cultivating its unpredictable organic wonders.
Love is not a wholly-owned subsidiary of DreamWorks or Disney, so don't let your romantic story be infected by the entertainment industry's simplistic, sentimental myths about intimate relationships.
Anything you'd like to add?
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YOU'RE HEREBY RELIEVED
You’re hereby relieved of any responsibility you think you have to keep everyone's illusions afloat (including your own).
See how much fun you can have by telling the lush, pulsating, up-to-the-minute truth with kindness and elegance.
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YOUR HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL
According to the esoteric spiritual tradition of Western hermeticism, you have a personal Holy Guardian Angel who's always ready to give you help, as well as to lovingly kick your ass.
Some modern people snort derisively at this notion. They're fundamentalist materialists, denying the possibility that something can exist if it's not perceptible by our five senses or by instruments that humans have invented.
If your temperament and training align you with the materialists' ideology, I'll ask you to temporarily suspend your skepticism so that you might try the following experiment:
Act as if you have a personal Holy Guardian Angel whose job it is to help you lose your illusions, liberate you from suffering, and make you smarter.
What clarifying questions will you ask the HGA? What precise assistance will you request?
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ON THE JOB
Here's a photo of me in my studio: bit.ly/RobStudioPhoto
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DON'T WRITE ABOUT POLITICS!
Readers sometimes write to inform me that I shouldn't comment on politics because I'm an astrologer. An astrologer has no right to talk about politics, they say.
Here's a response.
I think everyone has a right to talk about politics. Why not? It affects everything we do in our daily lives.
Do the people who say that an astrologer shouldn't write about politics mean that only those who have PhDs in politics should talk about it, or only professional politicians and political pundits should talk about it? That's a high and narrow standard that I personally don't subscribe to.
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Here's another response to the readers who say I shouldn't comment on politics because I'm an astrologer:
I love astrology. I've been studying it since I was a teenager, and have written a syndicated horoscope column for many years.
But this is also true: I am first and foremost a writer. I have worked hard daily for decades to hone my craft. That has entailed a great deal of reading in many subjects.
In the course of practicing this discipline, I have gotten extensive training, some in academic settings, in using precise and vivid language to express thoughts about a wide range of subjects. I have skills as a researcher and editor, as well.
The main four books I have published are not about astrology.
I have also written three additional unpublished books that are not about astrology.
There is an eighth book I've written that's about astrology, and it has been published. But it's in Italian and only available for sale in Italy.
Here are my most recent books:
bit.ly/Pronoia
bit.ly/Televisionary
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Again, I love astrology and have studied it for many years. It has been an important tool for me in understanding myself and the world.
But I have read far more extensively on psychology, politics, poetry, racism, feminism, spirituality, science, and history.
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In addition to my career as a writer, I have also been a musician and performance artist for decades. There was even a period of my life when I was making music as much as I was writing -- which was a lot! I have been a songwriter who has been the lead singer in eight rock bands. I've recorded five albums and have performed in more than 1,200 shows.
All of my work in this field has been rooted in a vigorous study and analysis of politics. Since I first hit the stage with my band Tao Chemical in 1979, I've loved making political statements.
For those who are interested, here's a site where much of my music can be heard and downloaded for free: bit.ly/MusicByRob
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Uplifting stories about animals: tinyurl.com/y862enec
How to Resist From a Place of Love: Self-Care for the Long Haul
If you want to sustain yourself for the work ahead, here’s some advice: It doesn’t matter whether the other side “deserves” anger.
tinyurl.com/hn5l6hm
Birmingham’s Mayor William Bell, first elected in 2010, was supposed to have an easy re-election. But populist challenger Randall Woodfin, a 36-year-old former board of education president endorsed by the Bernie Sanders-backed campaign group Our Revolution, won the mayor’s race comfortably, defeated Bell with 58 percent of the vote.
tinyurl.com/ycgcsm7e
(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 October 12
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
"I am more interested in human beings than in writing," said author Anais Nin, "more interested in lovemaking than in writing, more interested in living than in writing. More interested in becoming a work of art than in creating one." I invite you to adopt that perspective as your own for the next twelve months, Libra. During this upcoming chapter of your story, you can generate long-lasting upgrades if you regard your life as a gorgeous masterpiece worthy of your highest craftsmanship.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Scorpio actress Tara Reid told the magazine Us Weekly about how her cosmetic surgeries had made her look worse than she had been in her natural state. "I'll never be perfect again," she mourned. I bring this up in the hope that it will inspire you. In my astrological opinion, you're at a turning point when it's crucial to appreciate and foster everything about yourself that's natural and innate and soulfully authentic. Don't fall sway to artificial notions about how you could be more perfect than you already are.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
I didn't go to work today. I woke up late, lingered over a leisurely breakfast, and enjoyed a long walk in the autumn woods. When I found a spot that filled me with a wild sense of peace, I asked my gut wisdom what I should advise you Sagittarians to attend to. And my gut wisdom told me that you should temporarily escape at least one of your duties for at least three days. (Escaping two duties for four days would be even better.) My gut wisdom also suggested that you get extra sleep, enjoy leisurely meals, and go on long walks to spots that fill you with a wild sense of peace. There you should consult your gut wisdom about your top dilemmas.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
A snail climbed to the top of a big turtle's shell as it was sleeping under a bush. When the turtle awoke and began to lumber away in search of food, the snail was at first alarmed but eventually thrilled by how fast they were going and how far they were able to travel. "Wheeee!", the snail thought to itself. I suspect, Capricorn, that this little tale is a useful metaphor for what you can look forward to in the coming weeks.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
"If these years have taught me anything, it is this," wrote novelist Junot Díaz. "You can never run away. Not ever. The only way out is in." That's your plucky wisdom for the coming weeks, Aquarius. You have arrived at a pivotal phase in your life cycle when you can't achieve liberation by fleeing, avoiding, or ignoring. To commune with the only kind of freedom that matters, you must head directly into the heart of the commotion. You've got to feel all the feelings stirred up by the truths that rile you up.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
J. Allan Hobson is a scientist of sleep who does research at Harvard. He says we dream all the time, not just at night. Our subconscious minds never stop churning out streams of images. During the waking hours, though, our conscious minds operate at such intensity that the lower-level flow mostly stays subliminal. At least that's the normal state of affairs. But I suspect your dream-generator is running so hot right now that its stories may leak into your waking awareness. This could be disconcerting. Without the tips I'm giving you here, you might worry you were going daft. Now that you know, I hope you'll tap into the undercurrent to glean some useful intuitions. A word to the wise: The information that pops up won't be logical or rational. It will be lyrical and symbolic, like dreams.
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YOU NEED MAGIC EVERY DAY
Every day, you have to wade through a relentless surge of soul-less facts. The experience tends to shut down your sense of wonder.
Every day, you're over-exposed to cynical narratives that have been sucked free of delight and mystery. That's why you have to make such strenuous efforts to keep your world enchanted.
I like to think I can contribute to the sacred cause of feeding your sense of wonder and enchantment. In fact, that's one of my prime motivations for offering you the free weekly horoscopes you read in this newsletter.
If you ever want more of that good stuff, and think it's worth paying for, please consider trying out my 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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"I always feel like I know myself better after listening to your audio 'scopes."
-June R., Austin, TX
"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and pep me up when I'm down."
-Arthur T., Cleveland, OH
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ARIES (March 21-April 19):
In his book The Logic of Failure, Dietrich Dorner discusses the visionaries who built the Aswan Dam in Egypt. Their efforts brought an abundance of cheap electricity to millions of people. But the planners didn't take into account some of the important effects of their innovation. For example, the Nile River below the dam no longer flooded its banks or fertilized the surrounding land every year. As a result, farmers had to resort to chemical fertilizers at great expense. Water pollution increased. Marine life suffered because of the river's diminished nutrients. I hope this thought will motivate you to carefully think through the possible consequences of decisions you're contemplating. I guarantee that you can avoid the logic of failure and instead implement the logic of success. But to do so, you'll have to temporarily resist the momentum that has been carrying you along. You'll have to override the impatient longing for resolution.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Are you primed to seek out new colleagues and strengthen your existing alliances? Are you curious about what it would take to infuse your best partnerships with maximum emotional intelligence? From an astrological perspective, the next nine weeks will be a favorable time to do these things. You will have opportunities to deepen your engagement with collaborators who cultivate integrity and communicate effectively. It's possible you may feel shy about pursuing at least one of the potential new connections. But I urge you to press ahead anyway. Though you may be less ripe than they are, their influence will have a catalytic effect on you, sparking you to develop at an accelerated rate.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
"I was satisfied with haiku until I met you," Dean Young tells a new lover in his poem "Changing Genres." But Young goes on to say that he's no longer content with that terse genre. "Now I want a Russian novel," he proclaims, "a 50-page description of you sleeping, another 75 of what you think staring out a window." He yearns for a story line about "a fallen nest, speckled eggs somehow uncrushed, the sled outracing the wolves on the steppes, the huge glittering ball where all that matters is a kiss at the end of a dark hall." I bring Young's meditations to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that you, too, are primed to move into a more expansive genre with a more sumptuous plot.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Statistical evidence suggests that Fridays falling on the 13th of the month are safer than other Fridays. The numbers of fires and traffic accidents are lower then, for example. I find this interesting in light of your current situation. According to my analysis, this October's Friday the 13th marks a turning point in your ongoing efforts to cultivate stability and security. On this day, as well as the seven days before and seven days after, you should receive especially helpful clues about the future work you can do to feel even safer and more protected than you already do.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Too much propaganda and not enough real information are circulating through your personal sphere. You're tempted to traffic in stories that are rooted more in fear than insight. Gossip and hype and delusion are crowding out useful facts. No wonder it's a challenge for you to sort out the truths from the half-truths! But I predict that you will thrive anyway. You'll discover helpful clues lodged in the barrage of bunkum. You'll pluck pithy revelations from amidst the distracting ramblings. Somehow you will manage to be both extra sensitive and super-discriminating.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
A journalist named Jenkin Lloyd Jones coined the term "Afghanistanism," which he defined as "concentrating on problems in distant parts of the world while ignoring controversial local issues." I want to urge you Virgos to avoid engaging in a personal version of Afghanistanism. In other words, focus on issues that are close at hand, even if they seem sticky or prickly. Don’t you dare let your attention get consumed by the dreamy distractions of faraway places and times. For the foreseeable future, the best use of your energy is HERE and NOW.
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HOMEWORK:
How could you change yourself in order to get more of the love you want? Testify by going to RealAstrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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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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