Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
January 17, 2018
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Dear Readers,
I've gathered together all of the long-term, big-picture horoscopes I wrote for you in the past few weeks, and bundled them in one place. Go here to read a compendium of your forecasts for 2018:
bit.ly/YourGloriousStory2018
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In addition to these, I've created EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES that go even further in Exploring Your Long-Term Destiny in 2018.
What will be the story of your life in the coming months? What new influences will be headed your way? What fresh resources will you be able to draw on? How can you conspire with life to create the best possible future for yourself?
To listen to these three-part, in-depth reports, go here:
RealAstrology.com
Register and/or log in through the main page, and then access the horoscopes by clicking on "Long Range Prediction." Choose from Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Each part is a standalone report, not dependent on the other two.
If you'd like a boost of inspiration to fuel you in your quest for beauty and truth and love and meaning, tune in to my meditations on your Big-Picture outlook.
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Each of the three-part reports is seven to nine minutes long. The cost is $6 per report. There are discounts for the purchase of multiple reports.
P.S. You can also listen to a short-term Expanded Audio Horoscope for the coming week.
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THE DOWNSIDES OF NEGATIVE THINKING
From The New York Times: "All humans have a tendency to ruminate more on bad experiences than positive ones. It’s an evolutionary adaptation that helps us avoid danger and react quickly in a crisis.
"But constant negativity can also get in the way of happiness, add to our stress and worry level, and ultimately damage our health."
Can we do anything to diminish the power of negative thinking? It's a complex, nuanced subject, but here's a good start: tinyurl.com/hjn2ugs
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THE MAGIC OF YOUR WORDS
"The real secret of magic is that the world is made of words," said Terence McKenna, "and that if you know the words that the world is made of, you can make of it whatever you wish."
Here's my version of that hypothesis: What world you end up living in depends at least in part on your use of language.
Do you want to move and breathe amidst infertile chaos where nothing makes sense and no one really loves anyone? Then speak with unconscious carelessness, expressing yourself lazily. Constantly materialize and entertain angry thoughts in the privacy of your own imagination, beaming silent curses out into eternity.
Or would you prefer to live in a realm that's rich with fluid epiphanies and intriguing coincidences and mysterious harmonies? Then be discerning and inventive in how you speak, primed to name the unexpected codes that are always being born right in front of your eyes. Turn your imagination into an ebullient laboratory where the somethings you create out of nothings are tinctured with the secret light you see in your dreams of invisible fire.
Hear this as a spoken-word piece: bit.ly/TheMagicSecret
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STORYTELLING THAT DOESN'T RELY ON CONFLICT
It's hard to find modern stories that don't depend on endless conflict to advance the plot. I understand the attraction to such stories, but I don't understand why they dominate storytelling.
Are authors and filmmakers really unable to conceive of the possibility that entertaining adventures might emerge from pursuing discovery and excitement and joy as much as from overcoming difficulties?
Ursula le Guin writes: "The Hero has decreed . . . that the proper shape of the narrative is that of the arrow or spear, starting here and going straight there and THOK! hitting its mark (which drops dead); second, that the central concern of the narrative, including the novel, is conflict; and third, that the story isn't any good if he isn't in it.
"I differ with all of this. I would go so far as to say that the natural, proper, fitting shape of the novel might be that of a sack, a bag. A book holds words. Words hold things. They bear meanings. A novel is a medicine bundle, holding things in a particular, powerful relation to one another and to us.
"One relationship among elements in the novel may well be that of conflict, but the reduction of narrative to conflict is absurd. (I once read a how-to-write manual that said, 'A story should be seen as a battle,' and went on about strategies, attacks, victory, etc.)
"Conflict, competition, stress, struggle, stress, etc., within the narrative conceived as carrier bag / belly / box / house / medicine bundle, may be seen as necessary elements of a whole which itself cannot be characterized as conflict or as harmony, since its purpose is neither resolution nor stasis but continuing process."
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I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU - by Tony Hoagland
There are people who do not see a broken playground swing
as a symbol of ruined childhood
and there are people who don't interpret the behavior
of a fly in a motel room as a mocking representation of their thought process.
There are people who don't walk past an empty swimming pool
and think about past pleasures unrecoverable
and then stand there blocking the sidewalk for other pedestrians.
I have read about a town somewhere in California where human beings
do not send their sinuous feeder roots
deep into the potting soil of others' emotional lives
as if they were greedy six-year-olds
sucking the last half-inch of milkshake up through a noisy straw;
Do you see that creamy, lemon-yellow moon?
There are some people, unlike me and you,
who do not yearn after fame or love or quantities of money as
unattainable as that moon;
thus, they do not later
have to waste more time
defaming the object of their former ardor.
Or consequently run and crucify themselves
in some solitary midnight Starbucks Golgotha.
I have news for you—
there are people who get up in the morning and cross a room
and open a window to let the sweet breeze in
and let it touch them all over their faces and bodies.
by Tony Hoagland
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WANT TO GET YOUR ASTROLOGICAL CHART READ?
If you want your personal chart done, I recommend a colleague whose approach to reading astrology charts closely matches my own. She's my wife, RO LOUGHRAN. We've been enjoying regular conversations about astrology since 1989! Her website's here: roloughran.com
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation. She is skilled at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your connection with your own inner wisdom.
In addition to over 30 years of astrological experience, Ro has been a licensed psychotherapist for 17 years. This enables her to integrate psychological insight with the cosmological perspective that astrology offers.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Check out Ro's website at roloughran.com
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
2017 Was Among Safest Years Ever For Police
tinyurl.com/ybowj3a4
Judge Halts Razing Of Miami Forest Eyed For Walmart Center.
Environmentalists say the land’s development would harm 20 endangered plants and animals.
tinyurl.com/yajp9jky
Western men are touch-starved.
tinyurl.com/ybez93b5
(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 January 18
Copyright 2018 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Bubble gum is more elastic and less sticky than regular chewing gum. That's why you can blow bubbles with it. A Capricorn accountant named Walter Diemer invented it in 1928 while working for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company. At the time he finally perfected the recipe, the only food dye he had on hand was pink. His early batches were all that color, and a tradition was born. That's why even today, most bubble gum is pink. I suspect a similar theme may unfold soon in your life. The conditions present at the beginning of a new project may deeply imprint the future evolution of the project. So try to make sure those are conditions you like!
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
"When one door closes, another opens," said inventor Alexander Graham Bell. "But we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened." Heed his advice, Aquarius. Take the time you need to mourn the lost opportunity. But don't take MORE than the time you need. The replacement or alternative to what's gone will show up sooner than you think.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Gilbert Stuart painted the most famous portrait of America's first president, George Washington. It's the image on the U.S. one-dollar bill. And yet Stuart never finished the masterpiece. Begun in 1796, it was still a work-in-progress when Stuart died in 1828. Leonardo da Vinci had a similar type of success. His incomplete painting The Virgin and Child with St. Anne hangs in the Louvre in Paris, and his unfinished The Adoration of the Magi has been in Florence's Uffizi Gallery since 1671. I propose that Stuart and da Vinci serve as your role models in the coming weeks. Maybe it's not merely OK if a certain project of yours remains unfinished; maybe that's actually the preferred outcome.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Many American women did not have the right to vote until August 18, 1920. On that day, the Tennessee General Assembly became the 36th state legislature to approve the Nineteenth Amendment, thus sealing the legal requirements to change the U.S. Constitution and ensure women's suffrage. The ballot in Tennessee was close. At the last minute, 24-year-old legislator Harry T. Burns changed his mind from no to yes, thanks to a letter from his mother, who asked him to "be a good boy" and vote in favor. I suspect that in the coming weeks, Aries, you will be in a pivotal position not unlike Burns'. Your decision could affect more people than you know. Be a good boy or good girl.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In the coming weeks, Destiny will be calling you and calling you and calling you, inviting you to answer its summons. If you do indeed answer, it will provide you with clear instructions about what you will need to do expedite your ass in the direction of the future. If on the other hand you refuse to listen to Destiny's call, or hear it and refuse to respond, then Destiny will take a different tack. It won't provide any instructions, but will simply yank your ass in the direction of the future.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Looks like the Season of a Thousand and One Emotions hasn't drained and frazzled you. Yes, there may be a pool of tears next to your bed. Your altar might be filled with heaps of ashes, marking your burnt offerings. But you have somehow managed to extract a host of useful lessons from your tests and trials. You have surprised yourself with the resilience and resourcefulness you've been able to summon. And so the energy you've gained through these gritty triumphs is well worth the price you've had to pay.
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EXPLORING THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your upcoming adventures in 2018?
You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in the coming months. Each report in the three-part series is 7 to 9 minutes long.
Go to RealAstrology.com to register and/or sign in through the main page.
Then access the Long-Term, Big-Picture EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES by clicking on "Long Term Prediction." Choose from Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.
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"Your long-range audio horoscopes encouraged me to think bigger about my life. As I listened, I could feel my shrunken expectations melting away." - Therese Pembroke, San Diego
"Your big-picture horoscopes filled the gaps in my imagination. They woke up the fun plot twists that had been just on the tip of my ability to visualize." - Ani Kraft, Brattleboro, VT
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CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Every relationship is unique. The way you connect with another person -- whether it's through friendship, romance, family, or collaborative projects -- should be free to find the distinctive identity that best suits its special chemistry. Therefore, it's a mistake to compare any of your alliances to some supposedly perfect ideal. Luckily, you're in an astrological period when you have extra savvy about cultivating unique models of togetherness. So I recommend that you devote the coming weeks to deepening and refining your most important bonds.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
During recent weeks, your main tasks have centered around themes often associated with strain and struggle: repair, workaround, reassessment, jury-rigging, adjustment, compromise. Amazingly, Leo, you have kept your suffering to a minimum as you have smartly done your hard work. In some cases you have even thrived. Congratulations on being so industrious and steadfast! Beginning soon, you will glide into a smoother stage of your cycle. Be alert for the inviting signs. Don't assume you've got to keep grunting and grinding.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Norwegian artist Edvard Munch (1863-1944) created four versions of his iconic artwork The Scream. Each depicts a person who seems terribly upset, holding his head in his hands and opening his mouth wide as if unleashing a loud shriek. In 2012, one of these images of despair was sold for almost $120 million. The money went to the son of a man who had been Munch's friend and patron. Can you think of a way that you and yours might also be able to extract value or get benefits from a negative emotion or a difficult experience? The coming weeks will be a favorable time to do just that.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
"I think I like my brain best in a bar fight with my heart," says poet Clementine von Radics. While I appreciate that perspective, I advise you to do the opposite in the coming weeks. This will be a phase of your astrological cycle when you should definitely support your heart over your brain in bar fights, wrestling matches, shadow boxing contests, tugs of war, battles of wits, and messy arguments. Here's one of the most important reasons why I say this: Your brain would be inclined to keep the conflict going until one party or the other suffers ignominious defeat, whereas your heart is much more likely to work toward a win-win conclusion.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
When he was 24 years old, Scorpio-born Zhu Yuanzhang (1328-1398) was a novice monk with little money who had just learned to read and write. He had spent years as a wandering beggar. By the time he was 40 years old, he was the emperor of China and founder of the Ming Dynasty, which ruled for 276 years. What happened in between? That's a long story. Zhu's adventurousness was a key asset, and so was his ability as an audacious and crafty tactician. His masterful devotion to detailed practical matters was also indispensable. If you are ever in your life going to begin an ascent even remotely comparable to Zhu’s, Scorpio, it will be in the coming ten months. Being brave and enterprising won't be enough. You must be disciplined and dogged, as well.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
In 1892, the influential Atlantic Monthly magazine criticized Sagittarian poet Emily Dickinson, saying she "possessed an extremely unconventional and grotesque fancy." It dismissed her poetry as incoherent, and declared that an "eccentric, dreamy, half-educated recluse" like her "cannot with impunity set at defiance the laws of gravitation and grammar." This dire diss turned out to be laughably wrong. Dickinson is now regarded as one of the most original American poets. I offer this story up as a pep talk for you, Sagittarius. In the coming months, I suspect you'll be reinventing yourself. You'll be researching new approaches to living your life. In the course of these experiments, others may see you as being in the grip of unconventional or grotesque fantasy. They may consider you dreamy and eccentric. I hope you won't allow their misunderstandings to interfere with your playful yet serious work.
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HOMEWORK:
Report your favorite graffiti from a bathroom wall. Go to FreeWillAstrology.com and click 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 2018 Rob Brezsny
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