Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
February 27, 2019
FreeWillAstrology.com
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I gathered together all of the long-term, big-picture horoscopes I've written for you and bundled them in one place. Go here to read a compendium of your forecasts for 2019:
bit.ly/YourGloriousStory2019
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WHAT LIFE STORY
WILL YOU CREATE FOR YOURSELF
IN THE COMING MONTHS?
Get inspired by listening to my 3-part EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES about your LONG-RANGE FUTURE.
These forecasts will be available for just a few more weeks.
Who do you want to become between now and January 2020? Where do you want to go and what do you want to do? How can you exert your free will to create adventures that'll bring out the best in you, even as you find graceful ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?
To listen to these three-part, in-depth reports, go here:
freewillastrology.sparkns.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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WHAT'S MY RELATIONSHIP WITH INTUITION?
The quirky and elegant Conduit magazine (www.conduit.org/robbrezsny) did a ten-page interview with me in a recent issue. Here's a brief excerpt:
CONDUIT: Can you talk about your relationship with intuition?
ROB BREZSNY: One reliable source of intuition is formulating good questions and having an intention behind the questions: "What is it that I need to learn today?", "What is it that I need to learn today?", "What is it that I need to learn to live my life better?", "What is it that I need next to write my book?"
My sense is that intuition often reveals what you need to do next, although not necessarily the big picture. And if we're content with not pressuring intuition to always give us a mountaintop perspective, but rather just to answer for us, "What happens next? What do I need to do next?", I think that's a better relationship with intuition.
Four more things I'll mention about intuition: Working with dreams is fraught with the possibility of descending into chaos, but with practice and the development of skills, it can become a crucial source of intuition. I really value my ability to do one of the primary Jungian practices, which is shadow work -- dealing with those aspects of me that are unripe and dumb. Dreams have been crucial in helping me unlock the magic of dealing with my shadow and transforming my shadow.
Another good practice for intuition is to ask the question, "What does my death say?" On one's deathbed, what does one want to look back at and say, "That was important. That was important. That was important. No, that wasn't so important." So one's death can be a tonic informant that helps intuition really focus and come into maximum usefulness.
The other thing is that intuition is aided immeasurably by moving, by walking. I don't know if that's true for everybody. Walks and nature are important for me being able to tune into intuition that turns out to be useful and enduring. So often I'll take a notebook with me, or a recorder with me, to capture those intuitions that come to me while I'm walking.
There's one other thing. The practice of intuition takes place best when you have gone as far as you can with your intellect. In other words, I can't skip the stage of the process of research, of thinking hard, of using my logic, of being reasonable. That's crucial for generating intuition that's accurate and useful.
And once I've done the research, once I've tried to think my way to being as objective as possible -- and that involves using the scientific method -- then I hand it over to intuition and say, "Well, what more can you tell me, given that I've come this far with all this analysis? What can you add to it?"
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WHAT DO I MEAN BY "FREE WILL" ASTROLOGY?
Here's more of the interview that Conduit magazine did with me.
CONDUIT: Can you say what you mean by "Free Will Astrology"? It sounds like an oxymoron.
ROB BREZSNY: My approach to astrology is quite different from a lot of mainstream astrologers. I'm not alone in that. There are a few colleagues who share what I might call an allergy to how traditional astrology is practiced. I already had that allergy when I was young, when I first began writing the column many years ago.
Back then, I didn't like astrology columns, and I didn't like a lot of the ways astrology was practiced. Then as now, astrology in the hands of many practitioners tends to make people afraid of the future, fills them with ideas about there being some sort of fixed destiny that they're being pulled toward and that they're helpless to resist. That kind of thinking was and still is repulsive to me.
I didn't like astrology columns, because they were watered-down versions of the complex art of astrology, which was practiced, after all, by seminal psychologist Carl Jung.
So when I first got the opportunity to write an astrology column -- I was dirt poor and didn't have a job -- I decided if somebody's going to do it, it might as well be me, someone who's trained in poetry, loves language, and respects the free will of the people who might be my audience.
The bedrock of my practice has always been the idea that the planets may impel, but they don't compel. A study of the configurations of planets shows us the archetypal forces that are coalescing, dissolving, and becoming active in our lives. That can instruct us on how to use our free will to best activate the best versions of those archetypal forces as they coalesce and dissolve.
So for me, "free will astrology" conveys the notion that we have far more power than we might imagine over the way that we express the bigger forces that are at work in our lives.
My aspiration is not to condemn my readers to a particular fate that they can't avoid, but rather to show them the options that are available: the higher level, the mid-level, and the low-level ways in which they might express the archetypal forces, and to nudge them in the direction of finding where the highest-level expression of those forces might be.
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HOW I GOT STARTED IN THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH BUSINESS
For more of my description about how I got started writing my column "Free Will Astrology," go here: bit.ly/8TIj9u
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SUFFERING COMPETITION?
A stranger who had read my book Pronoia Is the Antidote to Paranoia came up to me at a party and sneered, "You haven't suffered enough to have earned the right to be an optimist. It's easy to have a rosy outlook, like you have, when your life has been so easy and peachy."
I didn't respond, because it's my policy not to take trolls seriously. But in case anyone out there is wondering whether I've experienced sufficient pain to have earned credibility as an optimist: the answer is yes, I have.
I'll be glad to provide a résumé of my suffering to the Credentials Committee, upon request.
And by the way, how are you doing with your suffering?
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
For more about the good news stories below, plus links to the articles that provide full evidence, go here: tinyurl.com/ya8kb4rh
1. New Zealand became the second country in the world (after the Philippines) to pass legislation granting victims of domestic violence 10 days paid leave.
2. Scotland became the first nation in the world to guarantee free sanitary products to all students, and India’s finance ministry announced it would scrap the 12% GST on all sanitary products.
3. Canada became the second country in the world to legalize marijuana. A major crack in the grass ceiling, and a wonderful moment for fans of evidence-based decision making everywhere.
4. In a major milestone for human rights in the Middle East, a Lebanese court issued a new judgment holding that homosexuality is not a crime.
5. Trinidad and Tobago’s high court ruled that the Caribbean nation’s colonial-era law banning gay sex was unconstitutional.
6. Tunisia became the first Arab nation to pass a law giving women and men equal inheritance, overturning an old provision of Sharia Islamic law.
7. Pakistan’s parliament passed a landmark law guaranteeing basic rights for transgender citizens and outlawing all forms of discrimination by employers.
8. Scotland became the first country in the world to include teaching of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights into its state school curriculum.
9. Nepal became the 54th country in the world, and the first country in South Asia, to pass a law banning corporal punishment for children.
10. Quietly and unannounced, humanity crossed a truly amazing threshold in 2018. For the first time since agriculture-based civilization began 10,000 years ago, the majority of humankind is no longer poor or vulnerable to falling into poverty.
(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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GIFTS FOR ME
If you would like to contribute to me and my well-being, please visit my Gift Page: paypal.me/GiftsForRob
Give your gift via the "Friends and Family" option.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning February 28
Copyright 2019 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Until the sixteenth century in much of Europe and the eighteenth century in Britain, the new year was celebrated in March. That made sense given the fact that the weather was growing noticeably warmer and it was time to plant the crops again. In my astrological opinion, the month of March is still the best time of year for you Pisceans to observe your personal new year. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to start fresh in any area of your life. If you formulate a set of New Year's resolutions, you're more likely to remain committed to them than if you had made them on January 1.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
South Koreans work too hard. Many are on the job for fourteen hours a day, six days a week. That's why a new concept in vacations has emerged there. People take sabbaticals by checking into Prison Inside Me, a facility designed like a jail. For a while, they do without cell phones and Internet and important appointments. Freed of normal stresses and stripped of obsessive concerns, they turn inward and recharge their spiritual batteries. I'd love to see you treat yourself to a getaway like this—minus the incarceration theme, of course. You'd benefit from a quiet, spacious, low-pressure escape.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
The astrology column you're reading is published in periodicals in four countries: the U.S., Canada, Italy, and France. In all of these places, women have had a hard time acquiring political power. Neither the U.S. nor Italy has ever had a female head of government. France has had one, Édith Cresson, who served less than a year as Prime Minister. Canada has had one, Kim Campbell, who was in office for 132 days. That's the bad news. The good news is that the coming months will be a more favorable time than usual to boost feminine authority and enhance women's ability to shape our shared reality. And you Tauruses of all genders will be in prime position to foster that outcome. Homework: Meditate on specific ways you could contribute, even if just through your personal interactions.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
A 19-year-old guy named Anson Lemmer started a job as a pizza delivery man in Glenwood, Colorado. On his second night, he arrived with a hot pizza at a house where an emergency was in progress. A man was lying on the ground in distress. Having been trained in CPR, Lemmer leaped to his rescue and saved his life. I expect that you, too, will perform a heroic act sometime soon, Gemini—maybe not as monumental as Lemmer's, but nonetheless impressive. And I bet it will have an enduring impact, sending out reverberations that redound to your benefit for quite some time.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Scientist Michael Dillon was shocked when he learned that some bees can buzz around at lofty altitudes where the oxygen is sparse. He and a colleague even found two of them at 29,525 feet—higher than Mt. Everest. How could the bees fly in such thin air? They "didn't beat their wings faster," according to a report in National Geographic, but rather "swung their wings through a wider arc." I propose that we regard these high-flying marvels as your soul animals for the coming weeks. Metaphorically speaking, you will have the power and ingenuity and adaptability to go higher than you've been in a long time.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Do you find it a challenge to commit to an entirely plant-based diet? If so, you might appreciate flexitarianism, which is a less-perfectionist approach that focuses on eating vegetables but doesn't make you feel guilty if you eat a bit of meat now and then. In general, I recommend you experiment with a similar attitude toward pretty much everything in the coming weeks. Be strong-minded, idealistic, willful, and intent on serving your well-being—but without being a maniacal purist.
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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 2019?
You can still buy access 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 freewillastrology.sparkns.com to register and/or sign in through the main page.
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.
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.
A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.
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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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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
If you gorge on sugary treats and soft drinks, you ingest a lot of empty calories. They have a low nutrient density, and provide you with a scant amount of minerals, vitamins, protein, and other necessities. Since I am committed to helping you treat yourself with utmost respect, I always discourage you from that behavior. But I'm especially hopeful you will avoid it during the next three weeks, both in the literal and metaphorical senses. Please refrain from absorbing barren, vacant stuff into the sacred temple of your mind and body—including images, stories, sounds, and ideas, as well as food and drink.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Charles Grey was the second Earl of Grey, as well as Prime Minister of England from 1830 to 1834. His time in office produced pivotal changes, including the abolition of slavery, reform of child labor laws, and more democracy in the nation's electoral process. But most people today know nothing of those triumphs. Rather he is immortalized for the Earl Grey tea that he made popular. I suspect that in the coming weeks, one of your fine efforts may also get less attention than a more modest success. But don't worry about it. Instead, be content with congratulating yourself for your excellent work. I think that's the key to you ultimately getting proper appreciation for your bigger accomplishment.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
At a young age, budding Scorpio poet Sylvia Plath came to a tough realization: "I can never read all the books I want," she wrote in her journal. "I can never be all the people I want and live all the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones, and variations of mental and physical experience possible in life." Judging by current astrological omens, I can imagine you saying something like that right now. I bet your longing for total immersion in life's pleasures is especially intense and a bit frustrated. But I'm pleased to predict that in the next four weeks, you'll be able to live and feel more shades, tones, and variations of experience than you have in a long time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
When Europeans invaded and occupied North America, they displaced many indigenous people from their ancestral lands. There were a few notable exceptions, including five tribes in what's now Maine and Eastern Canada. They are known as the Wabanaki confederacy: the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Micmac, Maliseet, and Abenaki. Although they had to adjust to and compromise with colonialism, they were never defeated by it. I propose we make them your heroic symbols for the coming weeks. May their resilient determination to remain connected to their roots and origins motivate you to draw ever-fresh power from your own roots and origins.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn javelin thrower Julius Yego won a silver medial at the 2016 Summer Olympics. How did he get so skilled? Not in the typical way. He gained preliminary proficiency while competing for his high school team, but after graduation, he was too poor to keep developing his mastery. So he turned to Youtube, where he studied videos by great javelin throwers to benefit from their training strategies and techniques. Now that you're in an intense learning phase of your cycle, Capricorn, I suggest that you, too, be ready to draw on sources that may be unexpected or unusual or alternative.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The first edition of Action Comics, which launched the story of the fictional character Superman, cost ten cents in 1938. Nowadays it's worth three million dollars. I'll make a bold prediction that you, too, will be worth considerably more on December 31, 2019 than you are right now. The increase won't be as dramatic as that of the Superman comic, but still: I expect a significant boost. And what you do in the next four weeks could have a lot to do with making my prediction come true.
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HOMEWORK:
Write a short essay on "How I Created Something Out of Nothing." Go to RealAstrology.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 2019 Rob Brezsny
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