Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 22, 2018
FreeWillAstrology.com
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TIME FOR A FEW LOVE ERUPTIONS:
I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out. —Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Love imperfectly. Be a love idiot. Let yourself forget any love ideal. —Sark
Love is the only game where two can play and both win. —Erma Freesman.
When I think of you,
fireflies in the marsh rise
like the soul's jewels,
lost to eternal longing,
abandoning my body
—Izumi Shikibu
Love is a great beautifier. —Louisa May Alcott
Fall in love over and over again every day. Love your family, your neighbors, your enemies, and yourself. And don't stop with humans. Love animals, plants, stones, even galaxies. —Mary Ann and Frederic Brussat
Be my ruckus, my perfect non-sequitur. Be my circuit-breaker, my lengthening shadows at dusk, my nest of pine needles, my second-story window. Be my if-you-stare-long-enough-you’ll-see. Be my subatomic particle. Be my backbeat, my key of C minor, my surly apostle, my scandalous reparté, my maximum payload. Be my simmering, seething, flickering, radiating, shimmering, and undulating. —Andrew Varnon
I love you between shadow and soul. I love you as the plant that hasn’t bloomed yet, and carries hidden within itself the light of flowers. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. Because of you, the dense fragrance that rises from the earth lives in my body, rioting with hunger for the eternity of our victorious kisses. —Pablo Neruda
You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my million nameless joys, and my day’s wage. You are my divinity, my madness, my selfishness, my transfiguration and purification. You are my rapscallionly fellow vagabond, my tempter and star. I want you. —George Bernard Shaw
The air I breathe in a room empty of you is unhealthy. The merest whisper of your name awakes in me a shuddering sixth sense. I am longing for a kiss that makes time stand still. —a blend of words from Edgar Allan Poe, Pamela Moore, and John Keats
We are pain and what cures pain, both. We are the sweet cold water and the jar that pours. I want to hold you close like a lute, so that we can cry out with loving. Would you rather throw stones at a mirror? I am your mirror and here are the stones. —Rumi
I love you more than it’s possible to love anyone. I love you more than love itself. I love you more than you love yourself. I love you more than God loves you. I love you more than anyone has ever loved anyone in the history of the universe. In fact, I love you more than I love you. —Me
For a relationship to stay alive, love alone is not enough. Without imagination, love stales into sentiment, duty, boredom. Relationships fail not because we have stopped loving but because we first stopped imagining. —James Hillman
Our love is like a well in the wilderness where time watches over the wandering lightning. Our sleep is a secret tunnel that leads to the scent of apples carried on the wind. When I hold you, I hold everything that is–swans, volcanoes, river rocks, maple trees drinking the fragrance of the moon, bread that the fire adores. In your life I see everything that lives. —Pablo Neruda
Your body needs to be held and to hold, to be touched and to touch. None of these needs is to be despised, denied, or repressed. But you have to keep searching for your body’s deeper need, the need for genuine love. Every time you are able to go beyond the body’s superficial desires for love, you are bringing your body home and moving toward integration and unity."– Henri Nouwen
Let’s heat up the night to a boil. Let’s cook every drop of liquid out of our flesh till we sizzle, not a drop of come left. We are pots on too high a flame. Our insides char and flake dark like sinister snow idling down. We breathe out smoke. We die out and sleep covers us in ashes. We lie without dreaming, empty as clean grates. Yet we wake rebuilt, clattering and hungry as waterfalls leaping off, rushing into the day, roaring our bright intentions. It is the old riddle in the Yiddish song, what can burn and not burn up, a passion that gives birth to itself every day. —Marge Piercy
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HEROINES
I'm soliciting your nominations for older women heroes who are perpetrating rebellious compassion and dissident magic and healing uproar and inspiring memes. Who do you nominate? Here are some of my top choices. Send your votes to Truthrooster@gmail.com.
Starhawk
Deena Metzger
Clarissa Pinkola Estes
bell hooks
Joy Harjo
Carolyn Myss
Arundati Roy
Pema Chodron
Sandra Cisneros
Vandana Shiva
Amy Goodman
Rebecca Solnit
Naomi Klein
Bernice Johnson Reagon
Max Dashu
Rita Dove
Ysaye Maria Barnwell
Anne Waldman
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Jean Houston
Patti Smith
Elizabeth Warren
A few quotes:
How does my spiritual practice and daily life serve the earth? How does my spiritual practice and daily life affect the poorest third of humanity? How will my spiritual practice and daily life affect the generations to come in the future? —Starhawk
We want to be God in all the ways that are not the ways of God, in what we hope is indestructible or unmoving. But God is fragile, a bare smear of pollen, that scatter of yellow dust from the tree that tumbled over in a storm of grief and planted itself again. —Deena Metzger
Clarissa Pinkola Estes, from Women Who Run With the Wolves: 1. The desire to force love to live only in its most positive form is what causes love ultimately to fall over dead. 2. If you have ever been called defiant, incorrigible, forward, cunning, insurgent, unruly, or rebellious, you're on the right track. If you have never been called these things, there is yet time. 3. What must I allow to die today in order to generate more life tomorrow?
The moment you come to trust chaos, you see God clearly. Chaos is divine order, versus human order. Change is divine order, versus human order. When the chaos becomes safety to you, then you know you're seeing God clearly. —Caroline Myss
In her essay "The Possible Human," Jean Houston describes amazing capacities that are within reach of any of us who are brazen and cagey enough to cultivate them. We can learn to thoroughly enjoy being in our bodies, for example. We can summon enormous power to heal ourselves; develop an acute memory; enter at will into the alpha and theta wave states that encourage meditation and creative reverie; cultivate an acute perceptual apparatus that can see "infinity in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower;" and practice the art of being deeply empathetic.
Vandana Shiva: Globalized industrialized food is not cheap: it is too costly for the Earth, for the farmers, for our health. The Earth can no longer carry the burden of groundwater mining, pesticide pollution, disappearance of species and destabilization of the climate. Farmers can no longer carry the burden of debt, which is inevitable in industrial farming with its high costs of production. It is incapable of producing safe, culturally appropriate, tasty, quality food. And it is incapable of producing enough food for all because it is wasteful of land, water and energy. Industrial agriculture uses ten times more energy than it produces. It is thus ten times less efficient.
Elizabeth Warren: There is nobody in this country who got rich on their own. Nobody. You built a factory out there—good for you. But I want to be clear. You moved your goods to market on roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for. You didn't have to worry that marauding bands would come and seize everything at your factory . . . Now look. You built a factory and it turned into something terrific or a great idea—God bless! Keep a hunk of it. But part of the underlying social contract is you take a hunk of that and pay forward for the next kid who comes along.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
tinyurl.com/y8y7u9z2
Over a century ago, a young brown journalist named Jovita Idár stood up to Texas Rangers when they came to destroy her press.
tinyurl.com/y9rxy9ys
Why the Arrest of a Racist Police Chief Gave Me Hope.
"As a black man in law enforcement, I see a small but significant shift in attitude. Maybe we’re ready to get rid of dangerous police behaviors that do a disservice to all Americans."
tinyurl.com/ycqhtwcb
(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 23
Copyright 2018 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I think you've done enough rehearsals. At this point, the apparent quest for a little extra readiness is beginning to lapse into procrastination. So I'll suggest that you set a date for opening night. I'll nudge you to have a cordial talk with yourself about the value of emphasizing soulfulness over perfectionism. What? You say you're waiting until your heart stops fluttering and your bones stop chattering? I've got good news: The greater your stage fright, the more moving your performance will be.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In all the time we've worked on diminishing your suffering, we may have not focused enough on the fine art of resolving unfinished business. So let's do that now, just in time for the arrival of your Season of Completion. Are you ready to start drawing the old cycle to a close so you'll be fresh when the new cycle begins? Are you in the mood to conclude this chapter of your life story and earn the relaxing hiatus you will need before launching the next chapter? Even if you don't feel ready, even if you're not in the mood, I suggest you do the work anyway. Any business you leave unfinished now will only return to haunt you later. So don't leave any business unfinished!
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Are you ready to mix more business with pleasure and more pleasure with business than you have ever mixed? I predict that in the coming weeks, your social opportunities will serve your professional ambitions and your professional ambitions will serve your social opportunities. You will have more than your usual amount of power to forge new alliances and expand your web of connections. Here's my advice: Be extra charming, but not grossly opportunistic. Sell yourself, but with grace and integrity, not with obsequiousness. Express yourself like a gorgeous force of nature, and encourage others to express themselves like gorgeous forces of nature.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
"When I picture a perfect reader," wrote philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "I picture a monster of courage and curiosity, also something supple, cunning, cautious, a born adventurer and discoverer." I suspect he was using the term "monster" with a roguish affection. I am certainly doing that as I direct these same words toward you, dear Sagittarian reader. Of course, I am always appreciative of your courage, curiosity, cunning, suppleness, and adventurousness. But I'm especially excited about those qualities now, because the coming weeks will be a time when they will be both most necessary and most available to you.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
You do not yet have access to maps of the places where you need to go next. That fact may tempt you to turn around and head back to familiar territory. But I hope you'll press forward even without the maps. Out there in the frontier, adventures await you that will prepare you well for the rest of your long life. And being without maps, at least in the early going, may actually enhance your learning opportunities. Here's another thing you should know: your intuitive navigational sense will keep improving the farther you get from recognizable landmarks.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Healing isn't impossible. You may not be stuck with your pain forever. The crookedness in your soul and the twist in your heart may not always define who you are. There may come a time when you'll no longer be plagued by obsessive thoughts that keep returning you to the tormenting memories. But if you hope to find the kind of liberation I'm describing here, I advise you to start with these two guidelines: 1. The healing may not happen the way you think it should or imagine it will. 2. The best way to sprout the seeds that will ultimately bloom with the cures is to tell the complete truth.
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MY OTHER HOROSCOPES
Since 1995, I've offered my written horoscopes on the Internet for free. I love doing that. It's relaxing to be able to give you my oracles without asking for anything in return. It's healthy for my soul and yours.
But I also don't mind earning money from doing what I love to do. That's why I create Expanded Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes that cost money—for those of you who want more of my offerings.
I love you just as much if you don't buy my extra stuff as if you do! No pressure! But if you would like the extra stuff, here's how to get it:
Go to freewillastrology.sparkns.com. Register or log in. On the new page, you have two choices: Expanded Audio Horoscopes or Daily Text Message Horoscopes.
If you have any questions about how to access them, write to my tech support team at freewillcs@gmail.com.
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Nineteenth-century British painter J. M. W. Turner was one of the greats. Renowned for his luminous landscapes, he specialized in depicting the power of nature and the atmospheric drama of light and color. Modern poet Mary Ruefle tells us that although he "painted his own sea monsters," he engaged assistants "to do small animals." She writes that "he could do a great sky, but not rabbits." I'm hoping that unlike Turner, you Piscean folks will go both ways in the coming weeks. Give as much of your creative potency and loving intelligence to the modest details as to the sweeping vistas.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
The two pieces of advice I have for you may initially seem contradictory, but they are in fact complementary. Together they'll help guide you through the next three weeks. The first comes from herbalist and wise woman Susun Weed. She suggests that when you face a dilemma, you should ask yourself how you can make it your ally and how you can learn the lesson it has for you. Your second burst of wisdom is from writer Yasmin Mogahed: "Study the hurtful patterns of your life. Then don't repeat them."
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Speak the following declaration aloud and see how it feels: "I want strong soft kisses and tender unruly kisses and secret truth kisses and surprise elixir kisses. I deserve them, too." If that puts you in a brave mood, Taurus, add a further affirmation: "I want ingenious affectionate amazements and deep dark appreciation and brisk mirthful lessons and crazy sweet cuddle wrestles. I deserve them, too." What do you think? Do these formulas work for you? Do they put you in the proper frame of mind to co-create transformative intimacy? I hope so. You're entering a phase when you have maximum power to enchant and to be enchanted.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
As you map out your master plan for the next 14 months, I invite you to include the following considerations: an intention to purge pretend feelings and artificial motivations; a promise to change your relationship with old secrets so that they no longer impinge on your room to maneuver; a pledge to explore evocative mysteries that will enhance your courage; a vow to be kinder toward aspects of yourself that you haven't loved well enough; and a search for an additional source of stability that will inspire you to seek more freedom.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
If you have been communing with my horoscopes for a while, you've gotten a decent education -- for free! Nonetheless, you shouldn't depend on me for all of your learning needs. Due to my tendency to emphasize the best in you and focus on healing your wounds, I may neglect some aspects of your training. With that as caveat, I'll offer a few meditations about future possibilities. 1. What new subjects or skills do you want to master in the next three years? 2. What's the single most important thing you can do to augment your intelligence? 3. Are there dogmas you believe in so fixedly and rely on so heavily that they obstruct the arrival of fresh ideas? If so, are you willing to at least temporarily set them aside?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
"All the world's a stage," wrote Shakespeare, "And all the men and women merely players." In other words, we're all performers. Whenever we emerge from solitude and encounter other people, we choose to express certain aspects of our inner experience even as we hide others. Our personalities are facades that display a colorful mix of authenticity and fantasy. Many wise people over the centuries have deprecated this central aspect of human behavior as superficial and dishonest. But author Neil Gaiman thinks otherwise: "We are all wearing masks," he says. "That is what makes us interesting." Invoking his view -- and in accordance with current astrological omens -- I urge you to celebrate your masks and disguises in the coming weeks. Enjoy the show you present. Dare to entertain your audiences.
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HOMEWORK:
What's the part of yourself that is least evolved and needs most transformation? Testify at 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 2018 Rob Brezsny
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