Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
April 8, 2020
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Anne Lamott writes: When a lot of things start going wrong all at once, it is to protect something big and lovely that is trying to get itself born—and that this something needs for you to be distracted so that it can be born as perfectly as possible.
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My Expanded Audio Horoscopes offer suggestions about how you might make best use of your time as you navigate your way through our Shared Healing Crisis: FreeWillAstrology.com/horoscopes/audio
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MAYBE. MAYBE NOT.
There was once a poor farmer who could afford to own just one horse. He cared well for the animal, but one summer night, the horse escaped through a weak fence and ran away.
When his neighbors discovered what had happened, they visited to offer their condolences. "What bad luck!" they exclaimed. The farmer replied, "Maybe. Maybe not."
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A week later, the fugitive horse sauntered back to the homestead, accompanied by six wild horses. The farmer and his son managed to corral all of them. Again the neighbors descended. "What great luck!" they exclaimed. "Maybe," the farmer replied. "Maybe not."
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Soon the farmer's son began the work of taming the new arrivals. While attempting to ride the roan stallion, he was thrown to the ground and half-trampled. His leg was badly broken. The neighbors came to investigate. "What terrible luck!" they exclaimed. The farmer replied, "Maybe. Maybe not."
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The next day, soldiers visited the farmer's village. Strife had recently broken out between two warlords, and one of them had come to conscript all the local young men. Though every other son was commandeered, the farmer's boy was exempted because of his injury. The neighbors gathered again. "What fantastic luck!" they exclaimed.
"Maybe," the farmer said. "Maybe not."
-Source: an old Taoist folktale
See the TORNADO RAINBOW: tinyurl.com/wq98ggj
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LOVING THE LUMINOUS NOTHINGNESS
Guidelines for Loving the Catalytic Abyss at the Heart of the Luminous Nothingness
• Empty yourself out gladly and completely
• With blithe daring, lower your expectations all the way down to the Zero Point of Unexpected Healing
• Cheerfully surrender every remnant of delusional hope that might blunt your brazen courage
• With jaunty nonchalance, assume that since you have nothing to lose, you might as well channel your pure soul wisdom from the dark, fertile depths
• Open a howling welcome in your heart for the messy, unpredictable mystery of life exactly as it is
• Say "Fuck yes!" to the confounding and regenerative beauty of ambiguity and paradox
• Free yourself to recognize the strange truth of every person and every situation on their own terms
• Regularly unleash this triumphant and celebratory proclamation: "I don't know—and that's one of my superpowers!"
• Redefine and reclaim what it means to be wild
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OUR IGNORANCE AND COMPLACENCY ARE DYING
"Apocalypse does not point to a fiery Armageddon but to the fact that our ignorance and our complacency are coming to an end.
"Our divided, schizophrenic worldview, with no mythology adequate to coordinate our conscious and unconscious — that is what is coming to an end.
"The exclusivism of there being only one way in which we can be saved, the idea that there is a single religious group that is in sole possession of the truth — that is the world as we know it that must pass away.
"What is the kingdom? It lies in our realization of the ubiquity of the divine presence in our neighbors, in our enemies, in all of us."
- Joseph Campbell, "Thou Art That"
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NORMAL HUMAN RESPONSES: NOT TO BE PATHOLOGIZED
Sarah Mariann Martland
Normal human responses to a global pandemic that do not need to be pathologized or treated as abnormal:
• Food and eating challenges & difficulties
• Resurgence of compulsive or addictive behaviors
• Obsessive or intrusive thoughts, memories or fears
• GeneraliZed fear, anxiety, panic & overwhelm
• Depression, dissociation, shutdown, freeze, hopelessness
• Feelings of abandonment or loneliness or isolation
• Sense of loss of control or powerlessness. Feeling confused
• Anxiety around money, shelter, food, and other survival needs
• Past traumas being triggered, activated or re-experienced
• Health anxiety heightened (about COVID-19 and otherwise)
• Feeling unheard or unseen amidst the flood of stories
• Feeling like existing chronic needs are being ignored
• Thoughts and feelings about death and dying
• New and old grief surfacing
• Feelings of anger, irritation and frustration
• Caring for everyone to own detriment. Compassion fatigue
• Feeling exhausted, fatigued, unmotivated, lethargic
• Hyper-focus, surges of energy, keeping 'doing' to distract
• Immune system depleted, other illnesses starting, chronic flares
(list not exhaustive)
AND if you do need support with any of it, that's okay too.
—by Sarah Mariann Martland
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WHAT TO BE GRATEFUL FOR
A friend named Pat Bradley has compiled a list of things she’s grateful for:
I give thanks for STORY. The stories we create, the dreams we make real. Shared stories, vulnerable stories, human stories. Stories that define us, change us. Even our body tells us a story through the language of symptoms. Life is an ever-evolving story.
We are all authors of our own unique story. Here is to our creations!! Be proud of your story!!! Listen carefully to the stories of others. Story is a gift of self. THaNk yOU stOrY!!!
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I am grateful for ATTENTION. There is so much out there vying for our attention, that often it feels like we are surrounded by advertisements, billboards of the actual or virtual kind. Facebook is the perfect example of the “look at me, pick me, pick me.”
So it is a rare gift to attend to what is right there before us at any given moment. And a precious bit of humanity to sit with another soul and be there, undistracted and fully engaged in what is being conveyed. May you have such moments. Today I am thankful for ATTENTION.
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I am thankful for SONG. I am reminded of the Maidu’s idea that everything has a song, a vibratory signature. Our song is the sum of all the vibratory patterns of our organs and our emotions – our
rhythm.
When we find another song that resonates with us, it not only is uplifting but truly healing! Go out and give your own special song to the world. I give thanks for SONG!
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I give thanks to PORTALS. The gatekeepers. Those moments of discernment of what to keep in, what to let go. Those doors we unlock within ourselves to reveal the shadow we do not want to face. I give thanks for the courage to turn and knock on the doors of our greatest fears.
I give thanks to those who have given me the gift of welcoming me into their vulnerable places with trust and with love. I thank the portal between the seen and the unseen, the known and the unknown. Today I am thankful for PORTALS.
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I am thankful for MYSTERY. That thing that enshrouds us and binds us – the viscera of all life. I know I am lost when I do not recognize the wonder around me and use that compass to return to mystery. Quiet and abiding vision to bring it all back into my field of awareness. Thank you MYSTERY.
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I am grateful for my being alive. No matter what comes my way, I am constantly learning and graced with many gifts. Breathe in, inspiration, gather all that is offered. Breathe out to clear and cleanse in readiness for whatever is next. Today I am grateful for the gift of a life. I shall try my best to live it well.
—By Pat Bradley
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TIGER-ENHANCED PROTECTION
Went shopping for key necessities with my new tiger-enhanced protective head-gear:
tinyurl.com/rv73o2x
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SURVIVORS
At 101 years of age, Naomi Replansky, a poet and labor activist, has survived the Spanish Flu, the Depression, World War II, and the Holocaust. Her 95-year-old wife, Eva Kollisch, missed the flu, but experienced the rest. tinyurl.com/ur44yj9
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GOOD NEWS FROM OUR SHARED GLOBAL HEALING CRISIS
Sikhs Around the World Are Sending Thousands of Donated Meals to Elderly and People in Self-Isolation
tinyurl.com/rjvkygc
Isolated Art Lovers Are Recreating Masterpieces Using Everyday Objects—and the Results Are Amazing
tinyurl.com/qnuv4hr
NBA Players Recovered From COVID-19 Are Donating Plasma to Clinical Trials Helping Sick Patients
tinyurl.com/vcx9wtd
This Diligent Dog Has Been Delivering Groceries, Meals, and Mail to Senior Neighbor in Quarantine
tinyurl.com/vwqe8hu
Russia Sends Cargo Plane of Medical Supplies to US: ‘There is no alternative to working together’
tinyurl.com/w9cwyfp
These Restaurants Are Giving Away Free Food and Coffee to Hospital Staffers Fighting COVID-19
tinyurl.com/yx5pyakw
After the UK Told James Dyson It Needed 10,000 Ventilators, He Invented One in Just 10 Days—And is Donating 5,000
tinyurl.com/uq4yt8s
Jimmy Fallon Asks Twitter to Change Movie Titles Into Quarantine Editions and the List is Hilarious
tinyurl.com/s684b7u
Irish Researchers Have Developed Hospital Robot That Uses UV Light to Kill Viruses, Bacteria, and Germs
tinyurl.com/v73b3x7
Hotels Are Opening Up Free Rooms to Healthcare Workers Battling the COVID-19 Outbreaks
tinyurl.com/rh6t9mg
New England Patriots Send its Team Jet to Deliver 1.2 Million N95 Masks From China to Boston and NYC Hospitals
tinyurl.com/rt3fd8v
Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES: Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning April 9
Copyright 2020 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Moses did forty years' worth of hard work in behalf of his people, delivering them out of slavery in Egypt. Yet God didn't allow him to enter into the Promised Land. Why? At the end of his travails, he made a minor mistake that angered God beyond reason. Petty? Harsh? Very much so. I'm happy to say that your fate will be very different from Moses'. Some months from now, when your labors bring you to the brink of your own personal version of the Promised Land, not even a small error will prevent you from entering and enjoying it. And what you do in the coming weeks will help ensure that later success.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Built in the third century B.C., the Colossus of Rhodes was a monumental statue of the Greek sun god. It stood in the harbor of the island of Rhodes, and was called one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Alas: An earthquake struck the area 54 years after it was finished, knocking it over and smashing it into fragments. Three centuries later, many of the chunks still lay scattered around the harbor. I offer this as a teaching story, Taurus. If there are any old psychological ruins lying around in your psyche, I encourage you to conduct an imaginary ritual in which you visualize throwing those ruins into a big bonfire. Clear the slate for the new beginnings that will be available once the COVID-19 crisis has settled down.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
"Argue with anything else," writes author Philip Pullman, "but don't argue with your own nature." Amen! That's always good advice for you Geminis, and it will be especially crucial in the coming weeks. A certain amount of disputation and challenging dialogue with other people will be healthy for you, even an effective way to get clarity and advance your aims. (Don't overdo it, of course.) But you must promise never to quarrel with or criticize your own nature. You should aim at being a radiant bastion of inner harmony and a powerhouse of self-love. Do whatever's necessary to coax all your different aspects to work together in sweet unity.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Like many Cancerians, painter Marc Chagall cultivated an intimate relationship with his dreams and fantasies. His fellow artist Pablo Picasso remarked, "When Chagall paints, you do not know if he is asleep or awake. Somewhere or other inside his head there must be an angel." Being a Crab myself, I know how essential it is for us to be in close connection with reverie and the imagination. Every now and then, though, there come occasions when the demands of the material world need our extra, focused attention—when our dreamy tendencies need to be rigorously harnessed in behalf of pragmatism. Now is one of those times.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Is there an influence you're ready to outgrow, Leo? Are there teachers who have given you all they have to offer, and now you need to go in search of new founts of inspiration and education? Have you squeezed all possible value out of certain bright ideas and clever theories that no longer serve you? Are you finished with old sources of excitement that have lost their excitement? These are the kinds of questions I encourage you to ask yourself in the coming weeks. It'll be a favorable time to celebrate the joyful art of liberation—to graduate from what might have been true once upon a time, and prepare for the wide-open future after the COVID-19 crisis has mellowed.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Your words of power in the coming days are simple: deep, low, down, below, dig, dive, and descend. I invite you to meditate on all the ways you can make them work for you as metaphors and use them to activate interesting, nourishing feelings. There'll be very little worth exploring on the surface of life in the coming weeks, Virgo. All the hottest action and most valuable lessons will be blooming in the fertile darkness.
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OUR COLLABORATION
I really do feel that you're with me as I create the weekly horoscopes you read here in my newsletter.
In a sense, you're my assistant.
Our telepathic connection is utterly palpable and practical.
The hopes and questions you project my way stream into my higher mind, coloring my psychic environment and enriching my desire to give you exactly what you need.
If you ever want more inspiration generated in that same collaborative spirit — beyond the horoscopes you read on my website and in the newspapers — keep in mind that every week I also offer EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES for you.
They're extended meditations on the current state of your destiny.
These days the EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES are offering suggestions about how you might make best use of your time as you navigate your way through our Shared Healing Crisis:
FreeWillAstrology.com/horoscopes/audio
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Before the COVID-19 crisis arrived, were you ensconced in roles that were good fits for your specific temperament and set of talents? Did you occupy niches that brought out the best in you and enabled you to offer your best gifts? Were there places that you experienced as power spots—where you felt at home in the world and at peace with your destiny? Once you've meditated on those questions for a while, Libra, I'll ask you to shift gears: Meditate on how you'd like to answer similar questions about your life in the future. Once this crazy time has passed, what roles will be good fits for you? What niches will bring out the best in you? What will be your power spots?
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
"Fen" is a word that's not used much these days. It means a marsh or a boggy lowland. Decades ago, Scorpio poet Marianne Moore used it in a short poem. She wrote, "If you will tell me why the fen appears impassable, I will tell you why I think that I can cross it if I try." In my opinion, that's an apt battle cry for you right now. You shouldn't be upset if people tell you that certain things are impossible for you to do. You should be grateful! Their discouragement will rile up your deep intelligence and inspire you to figure out how you can indeed do those things.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
"Goodness alone is never enough," wrote author Robert A. Heinlein. "A hard, cold wisdom is required for goodness to accomplish good. Goodness without wisdom always accomplishes evil." I think that's an interesting thought for you to consider during the coming weeks, Sagittarius. If you want your care and compassion to be effective, you'll have to synergize them with tough intelligence. You may even need to be a bit ferocious as you strive to ensure that your worthy intentions succeed and the people you love get what they need.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Are there any ways in which you have been wishy-washy in standing up for what you believe in? Have you shied away from declaring your true thoughts and feelings about important issues that affect you and the people you care about? Have you compromised your commitment to authenticity and integrity for the sake of your ambition or financial gain? In asking you these questions, I am not implying that the answers are yes. But if in fact you have engaged in even a small amount of any of those behaviors, now is an excellent time to make corrections. As much as possible, Capricorn, focus on being trustworthy and transparent.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Physicist Edward Teller believed there is no such thing as "exact science." And in his view, that's a good thing. "Science has always been full of mistakes," he said. But he added that they're mostly "good mistakes," motivating scientists to push closer toward the truth. Each new mistake is a better mistake than the last, and explains the available evidence with more accuracy. I suspect that you've been going through a similar process in your personal life, Aquarius. And I predict that the good mistakes you've recently made will prove to be useful in the long run.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Few astrologers would say that you Pisceans are masters of the obvious or connoisseurs of simplicity. You're not typically renowned for efficiency or celebrated for directness. Your strength is more likely to be rooted in your emotional riches, your ability to create and appreciate beauty, your power to generate big dreams, and your lyrical perspective on life. So my oracle for you this time may be a bit surprising. I predict that in the coming weeks, your classic attributes will be very useful when applied to well-grounded, down-to-earth activities. Your deep feelings and robust imagination can be indispensable assets in your hard work on the nuts and bolts.
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HOMEWORK:
Rilke said, "If the Angel comes, it will be because you have convinced her, not by tears, but by your humble resolve to always be a beginner." Any comments? 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 2020 Rob Brezsny
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