Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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July 7, 2004
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http://www.freewillastrology.com
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PROGRESS REPORT
I will be at Burning Man this year, and will be doing at least one PAGAN
REVIVAL SHOW there – probably on Friday, September 3. Stay tuned to
this newsletter for more information.
For more info about Burning Man, go to http://www.burningman.com.
Contrary to some reports, I will NOT be performing at the Oregon Country
Fair this year.
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THE REST OF THE STORY
If you'd like to read some of my other writing, I've got 88 articles, along
with a few pieces written by other authors, here:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/beauty/beauty.archives.html
If you'd like to read my most recent book online, go here:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/writings/oracle.html
If you'd like to listen to mp3s of my most recent music, go here:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/cds/mp3s.html
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week of July 8
Copyright 2004 by Rob Brezsny
www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): One of the most exuberant poets of the
twentieth century was James Broughton. "I pray every night to wake up
crazier," he wrote. By that he meant he wanted to become increasingly
receptive to unpredictable joy and pleasure. His knack for having a good
time didn't mean he dodged the hard times, though. "Suffering can't be
avoided," he told interviewer Jack Foley. "The way to happiness is to go
into the darkness of yourself. That's the place the seed is nourished, takes
its roots and grows up, and becomes ultimately the plant and the flower.
You can only go upward by first going downward." That's the perfect
prescription for you in the coming days, Aries. (For more Broughton and
Foley, see http://www.alsopreview.com/foley/jfbroughton.html.)
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your word of power this week is *yua.* It's
a term the Yupiit people of Alaska use for the spirit that inhabits all
things, both animate and inanimate. A rock, for instance, has as much
*yua* as a caribou, spruce tree, or human being, and therefore merits
the same measure of compassion. If a Yupiit goes out for a hike and spies a
chunk of wood lying on a frozen river bank, she might pick it up and put it
in a new position, allowing its previously hidden side to get fresh air and
sun. In this way, she would bestow a blessing on the wood's *yua.* Try
living your life like this in the coming days, Taurus: as if absolutely
everything is alive, has a soul, and deserves your loving kindness.
(Thanks to Earl Shorris, "The Last Word," *Harper's,* August 2000.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "Goodies" is your word of power this week,
Gemini -- though it could also be your word of weakness. To ensure that
it's more the former than the latter, meditate on the following three
inquiries. 1. Of all the goodies you want, which are the two most
important ones? 2. Do your flirtations with second-tier goodies tend to
undermine your pursuit of the first-tier ones? If so, are you willing to
wean yourself from those flirtations? 3. Do you have any doubts about
whether you truly deserve the very best goodies? If so, what can you do to
render the doubts irrelevant?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In accordance with the astrological omens,
I've assembled a host of snappy one-liners for you to wield in the coming
week, Cancerian. Sooner or later, it will make sense for you to utter
every one of them. 1. "It only seems kinky the first time." 2. "Even if the
voices in my head aren't real, they still have some good ideas." 3. "To
make your prayers come true, you have to get off your knees." 4. "I'm the
good kind of bad." 5. "It's not really a party till something gets broken." 6.
"Shut up and dance." (P.S.: I don't anticipate there'll be any messy
consequences if you cultivate the attitude I'm suggesting here. But in case
there are, invoke this disclaimer: "I didn't do it. You can't prove it.
Nobody saw me.")
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Have you ever been burned by bad religion? This
is the week you could start getting rid of the scorch marks. Have you ever
been abused by an authority figure who made you feel helpless? This is
the time to correct for the distortions that jerk wreaked in your psyche.
Are you feeling tyrannized by a habitual response that was once quite
useful but isn't appropriate any more? This is a perfect moment to
dissolve it.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Thirty-three-year-old pop star Jennifer
Lopez earned $29 million in 2003. Presumably she shares some of her
wealth with her mom, Guadalupe. Cynical observers might therefore
regard it as a sign of divine favoritism that Guadalupe recently won a
jackpot of $2.4 million while playing a slot machine at an Atlantic City
casino. I suspect you may be less hasty to jump to that conclusion, though,
since many of you Virgos are currently being visited (or soon will be)
with an equally ridiculous amount of good luck. Don't feel guilty about
your blessings in the least, please, even if they seem way beyond your
fair share. Lap them up.
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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): For years, Salt Lake City was undisputed Jell-
O champion on the world, with the highest per capita consumption. But in
1999, Des Moines, Iowa catapulted into the lead. In response, chef Scott
Blackerby staged a "Take Back the Jell-O Title" Recipe Contest at his
restaurant in Salt Lake, and thousands of Utahans signed petitions that
helped make Jell-O the official snack of the state. Soon the city had
retaken the top spot, where it remains to this day. I hope this story
serves to motivate and inspire you in the coming days, Libra. It's time for
you to reclaim a lost title or crown that you once possessed and that really
should belong to you again.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): On your bad days, Scorpio, you're like a
swamp that serves as a weird oasis in the midst of frozen tundra. On your
good days, the physical feature you correspond to most is an underground
river winding in a serpentine course beneath green, fertile hills. But in
the coming weeks you'll be like a place you've rarely resembled before: an
unspoiled tropical beach where the warm wild ocean meets the foot of a
towering mountain.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Shopping for a new mission,
Sagittarius? Or perhaps a new branch of your old familiar mission? You
should be. This is one of those pivotal moments when heaven comes all the
way down to earth; when invisible allies from the other side of the veil
make an appearance; when age-old secrets briefly show what they're
really made of. To aid your quest to glimpse your best possible future,
here's advice that the sorcerer Don Juan gave to his student, Carlos
Castañeda: "Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many
times as you think necessary. Then ask yourself, and yourself alone, one
question. 'Does this path have a heart?' If it does, the path is good; if it
doesn't, it is of no use."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In ancient Greece, Apollo was a great sun
god. Ruler of music and healing, he had the power to vanquish darkness
from the human soul and transform chaos into energy. Pilgrims traveled
from afar to seek oracles at his main temple in Delphi. Inscribed above
the entrance of the temple was the maxim "Know thyself." No other words
of wisdom are more important for you to heed in the next six weeks,
Capricorn. Getting to know yourself better will be the best way to rouse
your own inner Apollo, thereby allowing you to tap into the fertility of
your unconscious chaos and harness the beauty of your soul's darkness.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "I didn't feel your passion in my secret
garden," a celebrity judge told an aspiring diva after her less-than-
perfect singing performance on "The WB's Superstar USA," an "American
Idol" parody. I'm afraid I'm going to have to borrow his words to describe
your recent efforts, Aquarius. All of us occasionally fail to live up fully to
our potential, and the recent past has been your time of missing the mark.
Now please don't waste your energy getting mad at me for delivering this
knock. Instead, channel that emotion into making sure you don't keep
missing the mark. Conjure up the breakout passion that we who love you
*will* feel in our secret gardens.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Here's one of the few universal truths I
know: *Everyone* has a piece of the truth, even those you disagree with.
According to my reading of the astrological omens, though, you are now in
possession of a giant piece of the truth -- bigger than what you usually
have and bigger than everyone else's piece. That's exactly why you should
proceed cautiously. Your deep understanding and authoritative knowledge
might tempt you to dismiss the tiny slivers of truth that other people are
holding, and that would be a mistake.
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HOMEWORK:
We're a little more than halfway through 2004. Write a report about how
your big projects for the year are progressing. Testify by going to
www.freewillastrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing charts these days. In addition to writing my weekly column
and expanded audio horoscopes, I'm also working on a book and CD.
But I can recommend a colleague whose astro-aesthetics closely match my
own. She's RO LOUGHRAN.
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a
high degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation; she is
skilled at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing
your connection with your own inner wisdom. In addition to over 20 years
of astrological experience, Ro is also a licensed psychotherapist, allowing
her to integrate psychological insight with the cosmological perspective
that astrology offers.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Ro's website is at
http://www.astrology-psychotherapy.com/
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
Namaste,
Rob
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2004 Rob Brezsny
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