Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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June 23, 2004
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http://www.freewillastrology.com
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"For one human being to love another is the most difficult task. It's the
work for which all other work is preparation." -Rilke
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"Some day after we have mastered the winds, the waves and gravity, we
will harness for God the energies of love; and then for a second time in the
history of the world, humans will have discovered fire." - Teillard de
Chardin
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"Everything I understand, I understand only because I love." - Leo Tolstoy
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"If you do not love too much, you do not love enough." - Pascal
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"Until you have loved, you cannot become yourself." - Emily Dickinson
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week of June 24
Copyright 2004 by Rob Brezsny
www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "Let that which stood in front go behind!"
roared Walt Whitman in his poem "Respondez!" "And let that which was
behind advance to the front and speak." That's the first clue you should
meditate on in the coming week, Aries. Your second hint is from Bob
Dylan, who could have been talking to you when he wrote these words for
his song, "The Times They Are A-Changin'": "The slow one now/ will later
be fast/ And the first one now/ will later be last."
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Are you the type of person who is capable of
altering your trajectory in midair? Let's say, hypothetically speaking,
that you worked in the circus as a human cannonball. Let's say you had
just been shot out of a cannon but sensed you were headed towards a spot
on the ground a few feet beyond the safety net. Could you wiggle or shimmy
in such a way that you accomplished a mid-course correction, ensuring
that you landed where you wanted to? In my astrological opinion, Taurus,
you could.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): According to my research, astrologers and
economic forecasters are about equally accurate in their predictions. The
difference is that some astrologers can provide useful financial advice,
whereas most economists can't distinguish a Mercury-Saturn conjunction
from a transit by retrograde Venus. Given the fact that you're in a phase
when you'll thrive on financial advice from a metaphysical perspective, I
suggest you seek input only from the first type, the business-savvy
stargazers. And since I'm one of them, I'm happy to offer you this tip:
Having a sensitive soul and spiritual yearnings are often impediments to
getting richer quicker, but for now the reverse is true for you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): I have a pleasant assignment for you,
Cancerian: Decide what form of abundance is most important to you. Is it
money? Friendship? The land you own? Is it romantic love or creative
inspiration or your children? Of course you probably value several
different kinds of abundance, but your challenge right now is to determine
the one that you prize above all others. Whatever you decide it is, it will
flourish in the next four weeks.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You've got that look in your eye, Leo -- that
slightly demented, fervently giddy expression I see in you every now and
then. Judging from previous experience, I surmise you're about to either
launch a brave quest to the frontiers of your understanding or else hurl
yourself into a sticky abyss where all the demons adore you. You realize
there's a difference, right? One is scary fun and the other is glamorous
torment. Please go to your room, take a hundred deep, slow breaths, and
meditate about what you should do next to prove how much you love
yourself.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Wal-Mart is famous for the stingy pay and
benefits it offers its employees. But another giant chain store, Costco, is
the opposite. It's so good to its workers that some business gurus
disapprove. "From the perspective of investors, Costco's benefits are
overly generous," says retail analyst Bill Dreher, quoted in the *Wall
Street Journal.* He thinks the company's benevolence depresses its stock
value because investors are afraid its profit margins aren't as high as
they could be. But the fact is that Costco is very successful, and its five-
year growth rate has been 10.1 percent annually, better than Wal-Mart's
9.8 percent. All this is preface, Virgo, for my warning that *your* gifts
may also be criticized in the coming week. Be unfazed, please. Have faith
that the best way to build your prosperity is to cultivate your generosity.
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AUDIO HOROSCOPES
In addition to the written horoscopes you find here, I create longer, more
in-depth audio horoscopes. They're not for everyone. But if you and I are
members of the same tribe, they may help you feel more at home on this
planet -- and more confident in your own natural ability to know exactly
what to do and when to do it.
The Expanded Audio horoscopes cost $6 if you access them on the Web via
RealAudio, or $1.99 per minute if you want them over the phone.
For Web access, go here:
http://www.relationshipnetwork.com/horo/index.asp?client_id=50700
From the United States, call
1-900-950-7700.
If you have a 900# block on your phone or prefer to pay by credit card,
there's another way to access the Expanded Audio Horoscopes by phone.
Call 1-877-873-4888 to buy the amount of time that best suits you.
If you live in Canada, call 1-888-499-4425 to purchase a Block of Time
with your credit card.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to my reading of the astrological
omens, you're about to receive a burst of attention -- maybe even be
offered your 15 minutes of fame. If you don't especially care about being
seen on TV, quoted in the newspaper, or gossiped about by professionals,
you should negotiate with fate to bring you a heightened visibility that's
more useful and interesting. How about having your good work get more
recognition and appreciation from the few people who really matter, for
instance? I'm sure you can have a lot of influence on how your higher
profile manifests, Libra. All you have to do is get very clear about what
you really want.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your magical powers will be at a peak in the
coming days. Reading people's minds will be the least of what you're
capable of. I wouldn't be shocked if you were able to concoct love potions
in your kitchen, get useful tips from the spirits of the dead, or control the
weather in your vicinity. Given the fact that you'll be able to accomplish
wonders I can't even imagine, I'm reluctant to make a suggestion. Who am
I to give advice to a potential superhero? But I feel it's my duty to let you
know that the very best use of your magical powers will be as follows: to
help those in need, to fight for justice and freedom, and to conjure up
miraculous sex.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Have you ever seen that bumper sticker
that goes, "I am brilliant and talented, but I have to do dumb and self-
destructive things to relax"? Studies at the Free Will Astrology Think
Tank have shown that a far higher percentage of Sagittarians exemplify
this bad habit than any other sign. Even if you aren't dominated by it, you
probably fall victim to it every once in a while. That's the bad news. The
good news is that you now have the power to break its hold on you. By
August 1, with hard work and a little grace, you could very well have
earned the right to put the following bumper sticker on your car or
refrigerator: "I am so brilliant and talented that I've discovered how to
relax in uplifting ways that enhance my brilliance and talent."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sometimes Zen masters with valuable
teachings appear in the form of children playing or old folks in fading
health or boring geeks you look down on. On occasion, crucial help can't
arrive any other way except through bewildering riddles you barely
understand or seemingly trivial distractions that appear to be wasting
your time. It's one of those phases right now, Capricorn. To get you in the
mood, here's some foolish wisdom from ex-baseball player, Yogi Berra:
"When you come to the fork in the road, take it."
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Dear Reverend (or is it Irreverend?)
Brezsny: After long meditation on what's missing from my relationship
with God, I found the answer: a sense of humor. I realized I can never
truly love or honestly communicate with a Supreme Being who doesn't
chuckle. Alas, there doesn't seem to be a single text in any religious
tradition that's even slightly funny. Can you give me some hope? -
Aquarius in Search of a Droll Deity."
Dear Aquarius: You're in luck. According to my inside sources, the
Divine Creator will soon unleash Her comic genius in your vicinity. You
can expect a flood of playful teases, mind-bending jokes, and slapstick
disruptions in the conventional wisdom -- all designed to provoke sacred,
cleansing laughter. Here's even better news: She'll be laughing *with*
you, not at you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his poem "The History of My Life," John
Ashbery poignantly refers to the death of his brother as a child. He
quickly follows it with self-mocking humor about how fast that sad event
forced him to grow up. "Ashbery is always vacillating between the
unbearable heaviness and unbearable lightness of being," Fred Moranarco
writes in *The American Poetry Review,* "as if moving between the two
make both extremes bearable." I expect this will also be your forte in the
coming week, Pisces: the ability to flow gracefully between profundity
and frivolity, between penetrating explorations of complex mysteries and
sweet celebrations of breezy delight. (P.S.: Unlike Ashbery's experience,
your dive into the depths won't involve death.)
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HOMEWORK:
I am now accepting birthday gifts from my readers. (Please understand,
though, that they will not work as bribes.) Send offerings to P.O. Box
150628, San Rafael, CA 94915, or go to www.freewillastrology.com and
click on "Email Rob."
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2004 Rob Brezsny
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