Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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August 11, 2004
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http://www.freewillastrology.com
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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
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If you're going to BURNING MAN this year, consider coming to my
performance on Friday, September 3 between 4 and 6 pm. It'll be at
PLANET WOW, which will be located at 3:30 and Esplanade.
For more info on BURNING MAN, see the website at
http://www.burningman.com
PLANET WOW is at http://www.planetwow.org
See you there,
Rob
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
August 11
Copyright 2004 by Rob Brezsny
www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): To be an authentic Aries, to be the person
you were born to be, you've got to pretty much always be mobilized by
someone or something that thrills your heart. Who and what are those
beacons for you right now? A person who fascinates you? An adventure
you're planning or an idea you're exploring? A devoted animal who always
sees the best in you? A place in nature where you remember who you
really are? Whatever you love, Aries, pay homage to them this week.
Build shrines in their honor. Take action to demonstrate the depth of your
excitement. If your beacons are human beings, write them thank-you
notes, sing them songs, or tell them the truth about their life-giving
sustenance.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): A few years back, the commissioners of
Kleberg County, Texas retired the salutation "hello" because they said it
contained the offensive term "hell." In its place, they made "heaven-o" the
official county greeting. That's borderline lunatic, if you ask me, and yet I
understand the principle. In fact, I recommend that you initiate some
adjustments in your own language, Taurus. As much as possible, you
should stop using words that make you feel bad, confused, or weak.
Replace them with fresh terms that make you feel optimistic and
empowered. Of course, this is good advice for everyone all the time, but
it's especially apt for you right now. The astrological omens suggest you
have a special capacity for changing deep-seated habits that sap your
energy, especially those involving the way you speak.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In *Half Magic,* a children's book by
Edward Eager, four kids discover an enchanted coin with an odd quirk: It
grants just half of any wish. Naturally they try to compensate, imagining
how to double the scope of each wish so that when only 50 percent of it
comes true, it's exactly what they wanted. Your immediate future has
certain resemblances to their story, Gemini. Though you will be in
possession of a kind of magic, it may tend to work incomplete wonders.
Consider imitating the kids' strategy: Make your wish larger than what
you actually need.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): From the day we're born till the day we die,
we need teachers. In a perfect world, each of us would have at least one
mentor who looked after our learning needs, constantly adding new lessons
to our ever-evolving curriculum. Since you probably haven't been living
in a perfect world, however, you may have only rarely been blessed with
the luxury of a personal educator. You've mostly had to be your own guide,
with an occasional assist from me. Here's one of those assists now: In the
next six weeks, you should put a high priority on developing a long-term
lesson plan. What things do you need to learn most between now and
August, 2009?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): There is an Egyptian myth that the sun was in
Leo and the moon in Cancer when the universe was created. That very
configuration is happening this week, which is an interesting coincidence.
The astrological factors indicate it's an excellent time for you to recreate
your own world. So don't be shy, Leo. Shed any doubts you might have
about your authorial power. Imagine you're a god or goddess with the
potency to dream a new dream of how life could be. Then get out there and
start conjuring it up.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In his book, *Legacy of the Heart: The
Spiritual Advantages of a Painful Childhood,* Wayne Muller traces many
of our psychological ills to the bad habit known as "repetition
compulsion." After growing up, we unconsciously recreate the situations
that damaged or addled us as children. In this way we hope to find the
healing we couldn't find when we were young. We choose friends and
lovers and employers who inadvertently play the roles of our original
family members as we continually restage our old imprints in search of
some feeling of resolution that will set us free. That's the bad news, Virgo.
The good news is that the next six weeks will bring the best opportunity
ever to escape from repetition compulsion.
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
Since I put all my heart and soul into the written horoscopes I send out in
this newsletter, they're pretty nutritious. You may never need any of the
other stuff I create.
But if you ever do crave an added boost, you may want to sample my
Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're different in tone and intent than the
written scopes, imbued with a little more of the psychologist in me, and a
little less of the poet.
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
or if you prefer to pay by credit card
1-877-873-4888
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): The first theme you should weave into your
life in the near future is over-the-top, cathartic laughter. We could
almost say, in fact, that you've entered the Season of the Belly Laugh. The
second theme you need to find a prominent place for is ecstasy. I'm not
talking about the drug, but rather the natural experience of over-the-
top, cathartic pleasure. It wouldn't be a lie to suggest that you've slipped
into the Season of Wild Fun. The third element you should invoke is over-
the-top catharsis. I'm not exaggerating when I say you're in the Season of
Peak Emotion.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The news media love bad news because they
think it's more interesting and worthy of our attention than good news.
The nineteenth-century poet John Keats said, "If something is not
beautiful, it is probably not true," but many of today's journalists imply
that if something isn't *ugly,* it's not true. The wide acceptance of this
bizarre perspective colors our personal rhythms. We're prone to the
delusion that a well-lived life is mostly a struggle; that it's normal to feel
we're in a constant battle against the natural tendency of everything to
fall apart. But right now is a perfect time for you to divest yourself of
this nonsense, Scorpio. I urge you to devote your intelligence and passion
to changing your beliefs about the nature of reality. Focus on what's
beautiful and successful. Create opportunities for high-integrity
pleasure. Have a fierce intention to find joy. Be a tough-minded optimist.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): To the ancient Chinese, pigs were
sacred because they could eat anything, and turn it into energy. The
creatures were regarded as masters of transmutation. Nothing, not even
garbage, was unusable to them. The Chinese aspired to be like pigs in the
sense of being able to learn from and derive benefit from every
experience, not just the tidy, tasteful ones. I mention this, Sagittarius,
because it's an excellent time for you to imitate that paragon of holiness,
the omnivorous pig.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The old days are threatening to dominate
the headlines this week. In fact, unless you're proactive to the point of
being pushy, a worn-out history will insinuate itself into your future.
And unless you err on the side of generosity as you settle accounts with
two people who used to be an important part of your life, they will
continue to demand your precious energy long after they have any right to.
To acquire the ballast necessary to keep the past in its proper place, make
a pilgrimage to a place where you triumphed over the old days once
before.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "I need more Grace than I thought." That's a
line from a Rumi poem in which the poet confesses he's sometimes
helpless in the face of life's unpredictable twists and turns. It's a
mournful statement; he's sad at having to acknowledge he's not always the
master of his own destiny. Yet I sense he also means he feels relief in
surrendering to the need for grace. It's liberating to accept the fact that he
can't possibly be a wise, effective genius who controls every detail and
aces every test. I hope you'll arrive at Rumi's state soon, Aquarius. I trust
you'll derive power from saying, "I need more Grace than I thought."
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Sometimes the demons that are like
mosquitoes are more dangerous than the demons resembling dragons. You
go on full alert in the face of the dragons' threats, calling in all your
favors and hauling out your biggest guns. But you may underestimate the
power of the mosquitoes to mess with you, and not be aggressive enough in
shielding yourself from their subtly demoralizing effects. Don't let this
be the case in the coming week, Pisces. Don the persona of a heroic
warrior as you take extreme measures to exorcise the mosquito demons.
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HOMEWORK:
Comment on Bertrand Russell's statement, "The universe is full of
magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper." 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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