Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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March 9, 2005
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning March 10
Copyright 2005 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Some freaks of nature, like four-leaf clovers,
are considered good luck. Others, like six-legged frogs, are omens that
something is amiss. Then there are the prodigies that are a little scary
because they're so bizarrely extraordinary, even if they're also signs of
hope. A few years back, for example, some Native Americans believed the
birth of a white buffalo in Wisconsin heralded the healing of Grandmother
Earth and the unification of the races. It's quite possible, Aries, that you
will soon have brushes with all three types of mutants. To increase the
likelihood that you'll escape an encounter with the six-legged frog variety,
all you have to do is avoid indulging in negative thoughts about people.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): One Christmas, I went to a Buddhist retreat
center to hear Hindu prayers sung by world music pioneer Jai Uttal, who
was raised in the Jewish faith. The all-embracing spirit of this event is
what I urge you to cultivate in the coming days, Taurus. It's time to erase
boundaries and bulldoze pigeonholes; to expand your imagination as you
welcome in the widest variety of influences you can summon. You're
ready to get so far out of the box that you can't even see the box
anymore.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Let's add a new word to your vocabulary:
*veraison.* It's used by grape growers to define the explosive ripening
their crop undergoes about a month before the harvest. Up to this point,
the grapes are small and hard and pale. Then, within a few days, they get
softer and sweeter as they darken in color and grow dramatically bigger.
Even experienced viticulturalists don't know when exactly veraison will
occur. It happens fast and without warning. But I can pretty confidently
predict that you're about to enjoy the human version of veraison, Gemini.
Happy ripening season!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): An intractable dispute between players and
owners has caused the National Hockey League to cancel its entire
season. Many long-time fans are rethinking their devotion to the sport.
"The distressing thing is, my heroes are morons," Vaughn Derderian told
the *Detroit Free Press.* "And that's a reflection on me." I bring this to
your attention, Cancerian, in the hope it will prod you into taking
inventory of your own heroes, teachers, and role models. Are they truly
serving you? Is it possible they served you at one time but have become
nostalgic artifacts of an earlier phase of your development? Could you
make them work better for you if you were more analytical about their
impact on you? Meditate on questions like these as you consider the
possibility that you're ready to go hunting for a fresh batch of inspiring
influences.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): For over two decades, Peter Jouvenal worked as a
journalist and cameraman who filmed war-battered hotspots, including
Iraq in the Gulf War and Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion. Now he's
retired from that gig and owns a restaurant in Kabul. He has few regrets,
but one came after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. While exploring the
organization's deserted safe houses, he happened upon a place where
Osama bin Laden and his wife had lived. Among the items the couple left
behind was one of her bras. In retrospect Jouvenal realized he should
have pocketed the exotic piece of lingerie; a tabloid newspaper would
have paid him a fortune for it. But because he had spent his entire career
dealing with more respectable news media, the idea didn't even occur to
him at the time. Remember this tale, Leo. Don't overlook things that
could prove valuable even though you wouldn't normally think they were.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Shortly after the year 1000, Icelandic Vikings
made two sojourns in the land that's now called North America. During
the second expedition, one of the brave explorers, Gudrid
Thorbjarnardottir, gave birth to a son. Snorri Thorfinnsson became the
first European born in the New World. I hereby appoint Snorri to be your
patron saint in the coming weeks, Virgo. May he inspire you to beget a
brainchild as you acclimate yourself to living in a frontier.
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
Every week, in addition to the written horoscopes you get in this
newsletter, I offer Expanded Audio Horoscopes.
They tend to be soothing and meditative, though now and then I invite
you to kick your own ass, too. My intention is for them to be healing and
inspirational at the same time.
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): Russian President Vladimir Putin says global
warming might be a boon for his country because people "would spend
less money on fur coats and other warm things." Similarly, my
meteorologist friend Kurt notes that as air pollution has grown worse,
sunsets have become more spectacularly beautiful. I like to think that you
will find comparable redemption from your recent crises, Libra. In fact, I
will make this prediction: The metaphorical version of a toxic spill will
somehow lead you to a magical elixir.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Many of us don't change until we're in crisis
mode," notes psychologist Robert Maurer, "until our mate leaves us or we
lose our job. Once that moment comes we look for a big leap to get out
of pain." Unfortunately, big leaps under pressure usually don't work. If you
really want to change, you have to accomplish it little by little, and it's
best to begin long before you're feeling miserable, scared, or backed into
a corner. I mention this, Scorpio, because it's a perfect time to launch a
step-by-step course correction that will ensure you won't get pinched by
a predicament in April. Start modifying your behavior and adjusting your
attitude while you're at the top of your game.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Your metaphor for the week is a spork,
the dining implement that combines the features of a spoon and a fork. It
has a rounded basin to hold liquids as well as a few tines on the end to
stab solid food. Like the spork, you should be versatile as you gather
nourishment for body and soul. On the one hand, you should be willing to
make yourself a receptive vessel that can draw sustenance from
ephemeral or mercurial stimuli; on the other hand you should be poised to
aggressively snag more substantial fare.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Michael Weliky, a professor of brain and
cognitive sciences, decided to test the accuracy of the old saw that we
only use ten percent of our brains. He dreamed up a brilliant experiment
that involved 12 ferrets watching the movie, *The Matrix.* His research
was so convincing that the prestigious journal *Nature* published it. He
concluded that we actually use 80 percent of our available brainpower,
though much of the activity takes place unconsciously. I predict your own
efficiency will be even higher in the coming weeks, Capricorn, perhaps
zooming above the 90-percent level. It might be time for you to try
solving some of your most enduring mysteries. You'll no doubt be able to
come up with approaches as innovative as having ferrets watch *The
Matrix.*
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Be very discriminating about how you give
and receive gifts, Aquarius. Unless everyone's motives are clear and
impeccable, seeming acts of generosity could get distorted by hidden
agendas. Please know that I am by no means making a prediction that
there will be trouble. It's just that you must exercise even more than the
usual amount of care to ensure that the bestowing of blessings doesn't
lead to unintended consequences. Did you hear about the two teenage
girls in Colorado who got sued by a neighbor after they brought her a
late-night surprise gift of freshly baked cookies?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The hero of Haruki Murakami's surrealistic
novel, *Kafka on the Shore,* can cause schools of fish to fall like rain from
the sky. I suspect that you might be able to do that yourself, Pisces. At
least temporarily, you have uncanny abilities; I'm tempted to say that you
actually possess magical powers. Be careful how you use your wizardry,
please. Use it exclusively to perform good works. There's no need to turn
your adversaries into jack-in-the-boxes if you can simply make them less
adversarial. You shouldn't waste your talent on materializing $20 bills on
the sidewalk when you can just as easily manifest an improvement in your
working conditions.
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HOMEWORK:
What would the people who love you best say is the most important thing
for you to learn? Testify by going to http://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
2005 Rob Brezsny
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