Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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May 18, 2005
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning May 19
Copyright 2005 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The advice I have for you may not go over
well with the part of you that's prone to acting like a battering ram.
Nevertheless, I'm convinced it's the correct thing to do, so please
suppress your head-butting instincts for now, and heed these bits of
wisdom from ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tsu. 1. "The softest thing
in the universe overcomes the hardest thing in the universe." 2. "In the
world there is nothing more submissive and weak than water. Yet for
attacking that which is hard and strong nothing can surpass it."
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In my astrological opinion, it's time to make
some radical new promises to yourself. What acts of ingenious love do
you vow to carry out in the months to come? I'll offer a few suggestions;
feel free to dream up 20 more. Say this aloud: "I will never forsake,
betray, or deceive myself. I will always adore, forgive, and believe in
myself. I will never ignore, belittle, or underestimate myself. I will always
amuse, delight, and redeem myself."
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Having a wing-span of almost three feet, the
ivory-billed woodpecker was a beauty that once thrived in the hardwood
forests of the southern U.S. Native Americans believed the bird's ivory bill
had magical powers. They used it as currency and made it into crowns
worn by great warriors. Sadly, the species has been thought extinct since
1944, when the last of its kind disappeared. But a month ago,
conservationists announced a great reversal of fortunes: Several ivory-
bills have recently been spotted in the Arkansas woods. You should regard
this as a metaphor for events unfolding in your own life, Gemini. Magic
that you thought was gone forever is returning.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): It's graduation time for you, Cancerian. Maybe
you're finishing up work at an actual school, or maybe your classroom has
been in the streets, but in any case you're completing lessons you've
been studying for many moons. Personally, I've enjoyed watching you
work. It has been a pleasure seeing you evolve from an innocent amateur
into a proficient veteran without losing your purity. As you journey on to
your next challenge, I hope you'll find a way to use the expertise you've
developed even as you cultivate maximum curiosity about the next
frontier.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Andrea Levy never read a book until she was 23
and didn't start writing until her mid-30s. Now 49, she's the author of
four books, including *Small Island,* which in 2004 won three major
awards in her native Britain. She's your role model for the next four
weeks, Leo. What natural talent have you failed to develop so far? Let
Levy inspire you to shed your regret about it and dive in to a new era of
full engagement.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Nearly half of American high school students
believe that the government should have the power to censor the news.
Surveys also show that a majority of adults in the U.S. would vote against
the Bill of Rights if it were presented to them in a referendum. Don't be
anything like those wackos in the coming days, Virgo. On the contrary,
you should fight for all the freedom you can imagine, including the
freedom of other people as well as your own. Be an expert in liberation.
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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): There is no God. God is dead. God is a drug for
people who aren't very smart. God is an illusion sold to dupes by
exploitative religions. God is a right-wing conspiracy. God is an infantile
fantasy clung to by superstitious cowards who can't face life's existential
meaninglessness. JUST KIDDING! In fact, anyone who says she knows what
God is or isn't, doesn't. That's why I suggest that you confess what you
don't know about God. If you do, ironically, you'll get a direct bolt of
communication from God Herself. Now read Adolfo Quezada's prayer:
"God of the Wild, you are different from what I expected. I cannot predict
you. You are too free to be captured for the sake of my understanding. I
can't find you in the sentimentalism of religion. You are everywhere I least
expect to find you. You are not the force that saves me from the pain of
living; you are the force that brings me life even in the midst of pain."
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here's your dream dictionary for the coming
week. If you have a dream of walking through the mist at dawn and
coming upon flamingos nesting in a rusty red 1959 Cadillac convertible in
a junkyard, it means you should expand your ideas about where you might
find beauty. A dream of baking a birthday cake for Buddha in the kitchen
of a ship passing through the Panama Canal means you're primed to
upgrade your skill at expressing generosity. A dream of finding traces of
marijuana in a seventeenth-century pipe found in the house where William
Shakespeare lived means you should rethink your ideas about where your
best inspiration comes from. A dream of a driver who doesn't use his turn
signal means you shouldn't follow anyone too closely. (P.S. Even if you
don't have the dreams I described, you should still heed the counsel they
provide.)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It's the beginning of the upside-down
and backwards time of year for you, Sagittarius. As long as you cooperate
with the unusual flow of fate, you will thrive. Here are some exercises to
get you in the proper frame of mind: Picture yourself having the body of
the opposite gender. Hold a pen with your non-dominant hand as you
write about your taboo fantasies. Gaze at yourself in a mirror that reflects
your image from another mirror. Consider the possibility that there's
something you really need but you don't know what it is. Make up a
dream in which you change into an animal. Compose a prayer in which you
ask for something you think you're not supposed to.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Viticulturists have noticed that wine often
tastes better if the soil where the grapevines are planted is less than top
quality. It seems that when the grapes have to work harder to flourish,
they're more robust. I foresee a similar situation for you in the coming
weeks, Capricorn. The growing conditions might be less than optimal, but
I bet the stuff you produce will be extraordinary.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Dusty Baker, manager of baseball's Chicago
Cubs, got frustrated with the numerous health problems of his players
and how long it was taking for them to recover. Turning to alternate
approaches, he acquired some holy water and applied it to selected
injuries. "I just hope my sinning doesn't negate the effectiveness of it,"
he agonized. If he had only consulted the famous Chicago-area medical
intuitive Caroline Myss, he wouldn't have worried. She has made it clear
that one doesn't have to be a highly evolved paragon of enlightenment in
order to ease suffering and bestow blessings. Let that be your watchword
in the coming week, Aquarius. You will have enormous powers to help and
heal, even if a couple of your flaws might be hanging out.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I am absolutely democratic and non-
hierarchical. In my view, no one is more important than anyone else in the
big scheme of things. God has an equal love for Paris Hilton, the Dalai
Lama, and Ahmed, the clerk at the convenience store where I buy gas.
Every single person's role is crucial to the unfolding of evolution. I urge
you to meditate on the possibility that this perspective is true, Pisces. Be
especially eager to discover what it might mean for how you live your life
from day to day. Here's one implication, articulated by Martin Luther King
Jr.: "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets
even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare
wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of
heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who
did his job well."
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HOMEWORK:
In what circumstances do you tend to be smartest? When do you tend to
be dumbest? 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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