Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
November 18, 2020
FreeWillAstrology.com
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THE END OF SCORPIO SEASON
What's dying within you? Is it a passion that has expired? A dream that has gone to seed? A goal you neglected for so long that it can't be resuscitated? A bad habit you're finally finished with? A situation that no longer serves you?
If it's time for that part of you to die, help it die. I mean create a ritual in which you formally complete your relationship with it, let go of it for good, and begin the grieving process. In honor of its passing, write a testimonial or draw a symbolic picture, then bury that remembrance in the earth near a tree you love.
When you're done with the funeral, eat some fresh fruit.
In doing this ritual, you may be making room for a new thing that'll be born out of the emptiness.
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HARNESSING OUR ADDICTIVE AND OBSESSIVE TENDENCIES
We all have addictive and obsessive tendencies. They are fundamental to being human. So the challenge is not to eliminate them -- that's not possible -- but rather to harness them. If you hope to keep them from dragging you down, you must work hard to channel them into activities that enhance your life.
How are you doing on this score? Are you chronically dependent on drugs, gambling, fearful emotions, sugar, or chaotic relationships?
Or are you, instead, hooked on the courage you summon when you face your fears and the willpower you invoke as you free yourself from your limitations?
Now is an excellent time to upgrade your addictive and obsessive tendencies.
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To my thoughts, psychotherapist Jill Marlene adds hers:
"This is totally how I approach therapy. Everything that everyone has ever done to survive their life, has some sort of strength in it, and if we can change behaviors that are maladaptive to ones that are more adaptive, using those same strengths, we can preserve the individual beauty of the person And manage the dysfunction through the strengths."
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FAIRY TALE JUSTICE
"In fairy-tale justice, as in the deep psyche, kindness to that which seems less is rewarded by good, and refusal to do good for one who is not beautiful is reviled and punished. When we enlarge ourselves to touch the not-beautiful, we are rewarded. If we spurn the not-beautiful, we are severed from life and left out in the cold."
—Clarissa Pinkola Estes
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WITH EACH BREATH
With each breath, you take into your body 10 sextillion atoms, and—owing to the wind's ceaseless circulation—over a year's time you have intimate relations with oxygen molecules exhaled by every person alive, as well as by everyone who ever lived.
—Source: Guy Murchie's book, The Seven Mysteries of Life
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BE SCARIER THAN YOUR FEARS
EXPERIMENT: Be scarier than your fears. If an anxious thought pops into your mind, bare your teeth and growl, "Get out of here or I will rip you to shreds!" If a demon visits you in a nightly dream, chase after it with a torch and sword, screaming "Begone, foul spirit, or I will burn your mangy dreck!"
Don't tolerate bullying in any form, whether it comes from a critical little voice in your head or from supposedly nice people who are trying to guilt-trip you. "I am a brave conqueror who cannot be intimidated!" is what you could say, or "I am a monster of love and goodness who will defeat all threats to my integrity!"
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SALVATION NOW!
The poet Kabir says:
Friend, hope for the Guest while you are alive.
Jump into experience while you are alive!
Think . . . and think . . . while you are alive.
What you call "salvation" belongs to the time
before death.
If you don't break your ropes while you're alive,
do you think ghosts will do it after?
The idea that the soul will join with the ecstatic
just because the body is rotten --
that is all fantasy.
What is found now is found then.
If you find nothing now,
you will simply end up with an apartment
in the City of Death.
If you make love with the divine now,
in the next life
you will have the face of satisfied desire.
So plunge into the truth,
find out who the Teacher is,
believe in the Great Sound!
Kabir says this:
When the Guest is being searched for,
it is the intensity of the longing for the Guest
that does all the work.
Look at me,
and you will see a slave of that intensity.
—Kabir, translated and rendered by Robert Bly
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DISSOLVING OUR ILLUSIONS
Some of your illusions seeped into you before you learned to talk. Others sneaked into you later, while you were busy figuring out how to become yourself. Eventually, you even made conscious choices to adopt certain illusions because they provided you with comfort and consolation.
There's no need to be ashamed of this. It's a natural part of being a human being.
Now here's the good news: You have the power to shed at least some of your illusions in ways that don't shatter your foundations.
Here's one way you could begin the process, declare this intention at noon every Sunday for the next three months: "I am calling on all the power I have at my disposal, both conscious and unconscious, to dissolve my illusions."
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HOPE FOR A GREAT SEA-CHANGE
From "The Cure at Troy" by Seamus Heaney;
quoted recently by Joe Biden
Human beings suffer
They torture one another,
They get hurt and get hard.
No poem or play or song
Can fully right a wrong
Inflicted and endured.
The innocent in gaols
Beat on their bars together.
A hunger-striker’s father
Stands in the graveyard dumb.
The police widow in veils
Faints at the funeral home.
History says, Don’t hope
On this side of the grave…
But then, once in a lifetime
The longed-for tidal wave
Of justice can rise up,
And hope and history rhyme.
So hope for a great sea-change
On the far side of revenge.
Believe that a further shore
Is reachable from here.
Believe in miracles
And cures and healing wells.
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OUR WOUNDS
Mythologist Michael Meade says that the essential nature of every human soul is gifted, noble, and wounded. I agree. Cynics who exaggerate how messed-up we all are, ignoring our beauty, are just as unrealistic as naive optimists.
But because the cynics have a disproportionately potent influence on the zeitgeist, they make it harder for us to evaluate our problems with a wise and balanced perspective.
Many of us feel cursed by the apparent incurability of our wounds, while others, rebelling against the curse, underestimate how wounded they are.
Meade says: "Those who think they are not wounded in ways that need conscious attention and careful healing are usually the most wounded of all."
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LOSE SOME, WIN MORE
A month ago, I couldn't have imagined that some of my readers were Trump and QAnon fans. Now I know. 427 of them have unsubscribed from my free weekly newsletter as I've expressed my grief and dismay that they voted for a person who has no value whatsoever as a human being, let alone as the leader of the world's most powerful nation.
The good news is that in response to the loss of these 427 subscribers, 693 new subscribers have signed up. Thanks, everyone!
If you'd like to help add more subscribers, tell friends and family they can sign up here for the newsletter:
freewillastrology.com/newsletter
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LET'S PRAISE AND DEFINE EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Asha Sanaker wrote all the words in this section, which is a meditation on the nature of emotional intelligence:
For me, emotional intelligence is personal, in that it connotes a person who has committed to understanding their own emotional history and tendencies, in order to make more conscious choices about how to act, or not, out of their emotions. The emotionally intelligent person takes full responsibility, always, for their emotions and how the way that they bring those emotions to the world impacts it.
Emotional intelligence is also relational, because it enables the individual to attend to patterns of emotional behavior in others, and account for those emotions constructively in how they communicate and behave in response to what they sense in the other, hopefully with an eye towards greater connection and deeper mutual respect and care.
Essential to this is a clear sense of "what is mine and what is yours." Folks who are emotionally intelligent can be empathic, but they work to be clear about what comes from them and what they are absorbing from others.
Finally, emotional intelligence is social. The emotionally intelligent person understands that institutions and systems encourage certain emotions and discourage others. These same institutions and systems often are based on power hierarchies, so they dictate who is "allowed" to feel what and when.
The emotionally intelligent person understands this and stands aside from it as much as possible, refusing to submit blindly to it, or force others to submit blindly. The emotionally intelligent person wants everyone to own themselves, and not to be owned.
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So, for instance, right now there are huge calls for "unity" on the part of the Democratic Party, and folks who have been at risk at the hands of the current administration (particularly BIPOC) are being asked, implicitly and explicitly to find empathy for Trump voters so we can all "come together."
That is not a demand that displays emotional intelligence. It does not acknowledge either the responsibility Trump voters carry for how they have weaponized their fear and hatred against BIPOC, or the power imbalance of asking the powerless to assuage the feelings of the powerful.
All of this is what I mean when I say lack of emotional intelligence is one of the two greatest plagues on this nation. Emotionally intelligent people can't be manipulated to weaponize their emotions to serve anyone else's agenda. That makes them very, very powerful. And very, very threatening to the powers that be in this country.
—Asha Sanaker
Asha writes on Medium.com: tinyurl.com/AshaSanaker
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I agree with what Asha Sanaker has said, and add the following:
My way of defining emotional intelligence contains the context of kindness, empathy, and sensitivity. The emotional intelligence consists of creating connection that is equal in its power dynamic; that is freed from manipulative agendas; that seeks authentic communion and connection for its own sake, as a form of play that generates magic.
In this model, emotional intelligence has a moral and ethical intention—a quest not to assert one's own needs as more important than the other's, but rather to recognize the other as a Thou (in Martin Buber's sense) who is as worthy of being treated as fairly and kindly as oneself.
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In my opinion, here is what emotional intelligence is NOT: being skilled at understanding other people's feeling states so as to manipulate those people; reading people's subtle emanations and signals with acuity and using that knowledge to coax them to see things your way, sell them things, influence them.
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HELPING TO RETURN AMERICA TO SANITY
What can we do to encourage the people of Georgia to elect two Democratic Senators in the state's run-off election on January 5?
If and when Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock are sworn in, the US Senate will have 50 Senators who vote with Democrats and 50 who vote with Republicans. Vice-President Kamala Harris will have the tie-breaking vote in any deadlocks.
Mitch McConnell will then have a much reduced power to block President Biden's agenda, as McConnell worked so hard to do against President Obama.
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What can we do to help ensure this happens?
First, assist Stacey Abrams, whose work has been instrumental in turning Georgia Blue for Biden. Her organization is FairFight: fairfight.com
We can also donate money to the Democratic Senate candidates:
Raphael Warnock: tinyurl.com/y5d3kf2u
Jon Ossoff: tinyurl.com/y32y3etk
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If you're interested in writing postcards to Georgia voters for the runoff election on January 5, check out postcardstoswingstates.com. They give good guidance on how to proceed.
Here's another postcard-writing website: www.facebook.com/TonyTheDemocrat.org
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Author Asha Sanaker tells me this:
The voter registration cut-off for the Georgia run-off election is December 7th. Which means all of the amazing Black women who were responsible for flipping Georgia for Biden are going to be due our unending thanks AGAIN.
They are:
Tamieka Atkins of ProGeorgia, progeorgia.org
Helen Bulter of the Georgia Coalition for the People's Agenda, www.thepeoplesagenda.org
Deborah Scott of Georgia Stand-Up, www.georgiastandup.org
Nsé Ufot of New Georgia Project, newgeorgiaproject.org
Stacey Abrams of Fair Fight, fairfight.com
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Bill Hicks and George Carlin take us to the Church of Real Emotion: tinyurl.com/a4lsler
16 Of The Most Magnificent Trees In The World
www.boredpanda.com/most-beautiful-trees
The Most Good You Can Do: How Effective Altruism Is Changing Ideas about Living Ethically is a book about effective altruism. What is effective altruism? How is it practiced? How do we determine which are the best causes to help? Why is it better to give your money to one charity instead of another?
tinyurl.com/md75o9u
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For a lot more pronoiac resources and ideas, read my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
Available at Barnes & Noble: tinyurl.com/PronoiaBN
Available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
A free preview of the book is available here: tinyurl.com/PronoiaPreview
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning November 19
Copyright 2020 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Sagittarian statesman Winston Churchill said that he was always ready to learn—even though there were times when he didn't enjoy being taught. That might be a useful motto for you to adopt in the coming months. By my estimates, 2021 could turn out to bring a rather spectacular learning spurt—and a key boost to your life-long education. If you choose to take advantage of the cosmic potentials, you could make dramatic enhancements to your knowledge and skill set. As Churchill' s message suggests, not all of your new repertoire will come easily and pleasantly. But I bet that at least 80 percent of it will. Start planning!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
In accordance with upcoming astrological indicators, I've got some good advice for you courtesy of your fellow Capricorn David Bowie. You'll be well-served to keep it in mind between now and January 1, 2021. “Go a little bit out of your depth," counseled Bowie. "And when you don’t feel that your feet are quite touching the bottom, you’re just about in the right place to do something exciting.” For extra inspiration, I'll add another prompt from the creator of Ziggy Stardust: “Once you lose that sense of wonder at being alive, you’re pretty much on the way out.” In that spirit, my dear Capricorn, please take measures to expand your sense of wonder during the next six weeks. Make sure you're on your way in.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Most of us aren't brilliant virtuosos like, say, Leonardo da Vinci or Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie. On the other hand, every one of us has a singular amalgam of potentials that is unique in the history of the world—an exceptional flair or an idiosyncratic mastery or a distinctive blend of talents. In my astrological opinion, you Aquarians will have unprecedented opportunities to develop and ripen this golden and glorious aspect of yourself in 2021. And now is a good time to begin making plans. I encourage you to launch your year-long Festival of Becoming by writing down a description of your special genius.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In 1969, humans flew a spaceship to the moon and landed on it for the first time. In 1970, the state of Alabama finally made it legal for interracial couples to get married. That's a dramatic example of how we humans may be mature and strong in some ways even as we remain backward and undeveloped in other ways. According to my astrological analysis, the coming months will be a highly favorable time for the immature and unseasoned parts of you to ripen. I encourage you to get started!
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Back in 1974, poet Allen Ginsberg and his "spirit wife," Aries poet Anne Waldman, were roommates at the newly established Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. The school's founder asked these two luminaries to create a poetics program, and thus was born the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. Waldman described its ruling principle to be the "outrider" tradition, with a mandate to explore all that was iconoclastic, freethinking, and irreverent. The goal of teachers and students alike was to avoid safe and predictable work so as to commune with wild spiritual powers, "keep the energies dancing," and court eternal surprise. I think that would be a healthy approach for you to flirt with during the next few weeks.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Any legal actions you take are more likely to be successful if you initiate them between now and the solstice than if you'd begin them at other times. The same is true for any contracts you sign or agreements you make: They have a better chance to thrive than they would at other times. Other activities with more kismet than usual during the coming weeks: efforts to cultivate synergy and symbiosis; attempts to turn power struggles into more cooperative ventures; a push to foster greater equality in hierarchal situations; and ethical moves to get access to and benefit from other people's resources.
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WHY IS IT CALLED "FREE WILL" ASTROLOGY?
It's called Free Will Astrology because my goal is to create horoscopes that nurture your free will!
And if you ever want more than the 'scopes you're reading here, keep in mind that I also create EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES for you. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.
Need more help in figuring out the questions life is asking you? Crave more support in your efforts to build your courage? Check out the EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to RealAstrology.com
Register and/or log in through the main page.
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The cost is $6 per sign online. (Discounts are available for bulk purchases.)
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888. The cost is $1.99 per minute. Each forecast is 4-5 minutes long.
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"Your audio horoscopes are somehow both a balm for my soul and a call to action. How do you do that?"
—David G., Coral Gables, FL
"Your audio horoscopes fill in the gaps in my imagination. They wake up the fun plot twists that have been just on the tip of my ability to visualize."
—Ani Kraft, Brattleboro, VT
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Never follow an expert off a precipice. Nor a teacher. Nor an attractive invitation. Nor a symbol of truth nor a vibrant ideal nor a tempting gift. In fact, never follow anything off a precipice, no matter how authoritative or sexy or appealing it might be. On the other hand, if any of those influences are headed in the direction of a beautiful bridge that can enable you to get to the other side of a precipice, you should definitely consider following them. Be on the alert for such lucky opportunities in the coming weeks.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Malidoma Patrice Somé was born into the Dagara tribe of Burkina Faso. After being initiated into the Dagara's spiritual mysteries, he emigrated to America, where he has taught a unique blend of modern and traditional ideas. One of his key themes is the hardship that Westerners' souls endure because of the destructive impact of the machine world upon the spiritual world. He says there is "an indigenous person within each of us" that longs to cultivate the awareness and understanding enjoyed by indigenous people: a reverence for nature, a vital relationship with ancestors, and a receptivity to learn from the intelligence of animals. How's your inner indigenous person doing? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to enhance your ability to commune with and nurture that vital source.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Psychologists have identified a quality they call NFD: "need for drama." Those who possess it may be inclined to seek or even instigate turmoil out of a quest for excitement. After all, bringing a dose of chaos into one's life can cure feelings of boredom or powerlessness. "I'm important enough to rouse a Big Mess!" may be the subconscious battle cry. I'll urge you Leos to studiously and diligently avoid fostering NFD in the coming weeks. In my astrological opinion, you will have a blessed series of interesting experiences *if and only if* you shed any attraction you might have to histrionic craziness.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
"Give up the notion that you must be sure of what you are doing," wrote philosopher Baruch Spinoza. "Instead, surrender to what is real within you, for that alone is sure." Spinoza's thoughts will be a great meditation for you in the coming weeks. If you go chasing phantom hopes, longing for absolute certainty and iron confidence, you'll waste your energy. But if you identify what is most genuine and true and essential about you, and you rely on it to guide you, you can't possibly fail.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
"A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika," said Libran fashion writer Diana Vreeland. "We all need a splash of bad taste," she continued. "It's hearty, it's healthy, it's physical. I think we could use more of it. Having no taste is what I'm against." I understand that her perspective might be hard to sell to you refined Librans. But I think it's good advice right now. Whatever's lacking in your world, whatever might be off-kilter, can be cured by a dash of good, funky earthiness. Dare to be a bit messy and unruly.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
To convey the spirit of the coming weeks, I'm offering you wisdom from two women who were wise about the art of slow and steady progress. First, here's author Iris Murdoch: "One of the secrets of a happy life is continuous small treats, and if some of these can be inexpensive and quickly procured so much the better." Your second piece of insight about the wonders of prudent, piecemeal triumph comes from activist and author Helen Keller: "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."
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HOMEWORK:
Name something you feel like begging for. Then visualize in great detail that this something is already yours. Report results to 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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