Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
"Freedom must be seized from the grass roots level, not granted from
the top."
- Zimbabwe's Thomas Mapfumo
"The Mission of DNA is to evolve nervous systems capable of decrypting
the mission of DNA."
- Tim Leary
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November 15, 2006
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES are available at
http://RealAstrology.com
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Dear Readers,
Some spammer has been using the freewillastrology.com address to send
out spurious emails. Some of those emails urge you to change your log-in
info; some tell you you've won a free prize; and there may be others.
Ignore them all, please. The only email you get from me will come from
televisionary@comcast.net.
Rob
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Much of the material below is excerpted from my book
"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
available at http://tinyurl.com/qaj62
or find out more at http://www.freewillastrology.com
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Q & A
QUESTION. How can an intelligent, educated person possibly believe
astrology has any merit?
ROB. Many of the debunkers who're responsible for trying to discredit
astrology have done no research on the subject. They haven't read smart
astrological philosophers like Dane Rudhyar, don't know that seminal
astronomer Johannes Kepler was a skilled astrologer, and aren't aware
that eminent psychologist C.G. Jung cast horoscopes and believed that
"astrology represents the summation of all the psychological knowledge
of antiquity." The closest approach the fraudulent "skeptics" usually make
to the ancient art is to glance at a tabloid horoscope column. To match
their carelessness, I might make a drive-by of a strip mall and declare that
the profession of architecture is shallow and debased.
That's one reason why these ill-informed "skeptics" spread so many
ignorant lies. For instance, they say that astrologers think the stars and
planets emit invisible beams that affect people's lives. The truth is, most
Western astrologers don't believe any such thing.
QUESTION. Because you pack your column with doses of humor and wild
imagery, some people think you don't take astrology seriously.
ROB. On the contrary, I think this proves how much respect I have for
astrology--I mean REAL astrology. Not astrology as a superstitious belief
system that generates boring predictions in dead language about trivial
events that only our neurotic egos are obsessed with; but rather
astrology as a mytho-poetic symbol system that expands your
imagination about the big cycles of your life, liberates you from the
literalistic trance that the daily grind tends to trap you in, and opens you
up to the understanding that you're much more beautiful and full of
potential than you've been taught to believe.
QUESTION. You have said that you believe in astrology "about 80
percent." What's up with the other 20 percent?
ROB. I use the same 80-20 approach with every belief system I love and
benefit from: science, psychology, feminism, and various religious
traditions like Buddhism and Christianity and paganism. I take what's
useful from each, but am not so deluded as to think that any single
system is the holy grail that the physicists call the "Theory of
Everything." Unconditional, unskeptical faith is the path of the fanatic and
fundamentalist, and I aspire to be a rowdy philosophical anarchist, aflame
with objectivity and committed to the truth that the truth is always
mutating.
QUESTION. But don't you risk playing the same role the tabloid
astrologers do: enticing people to take on a superstitious approach to life
and seducing them into believing their fate is determined by supernatural
forces beyond the influence of their willpower?
ROB. I call what I do predicting the present, not forecasting the future. My
goal is to awaken my readers to the hidden agendas, unconscious forces,
and long-term cycles at work in their lives so that they can respond to
the totality of what's happening instead of to mere appearances. I want
to be a friendly shocker who helps unleash their imaginations, giving them
the power to create their destinies with the same liberated fertility that
great artists summon to forge their masterpieces.
QUESTION. How do you write your column? Do you use actual astrological
data, or just go into a trance and let your imagination run wild?
ROB. I draw up a weekly chart for the sun, moon, and major aspects of
each sign. It's the framework within which I improvise. The artistic part of
the work is harder to pin down. One of my guiding principles, though, is to
treat each sign's horoscope as a personal love letter--to speak as
intimately about the mysteries of the moment as if I were addressing a
close friend.
Where do my inspirations come from? Dreams, letters from readers,
overheard conversations, meditation, lots of reading in a wide variety of
texts both sacred and profane, and the intensive cultivation of my own
receptivity. I also rely on fact-finding missions I call whirlygigs. During
these, I steep myself with the intention of attracting lessons I don't know
I need, then meander through the world at random, going places I've
never been and striking up conversations with strangers with whom I
apparently have nothing in common.
QUESTION. You confuse me in the way that you praise rational thought
and the scientific method, yet reserve the right to believe in astrology,
angels, miracles, and other woo-woo.
ROB. Thousands of amazing, inexplicable, and even supernatural events
occur every day. And yet most are unreported by the media. The few that
are cited are ridiculed. Why? Here's one possible reason: The people most
likely to believe in wonders and marvels are superstitious, uneducated,
and prone to having a blind, literalist faith in their religions' myths. Those
who are least likely to believe in wonders and marvels are skilled at
analytical thought, well-educated, and yet prone to having a blind,
literalist faith in the ideology of materialism, which dogmatically asserts
that the universe consists entirely of things that can be perceived by the
five human senses or detected by instruments that scientists have thus
far invented.
The media is largely composed of people from the second group. It's
virtually impossible for them to admit to the possibility of events that
elude the rational mind's explanations, let alone experience them. If
anyone from this group manages to escape peer pressure and cultivate a
receptivity to the miraculous, it's because they have successfully fought
against being demoralized by the unsophisticated way wonders and
marvels are framed by the first group.
I try to be immune to the double-barreled ignorance. When I behold
astonishing synchronicities and numinous breakthroughs that seem to
violate natural law, I'm willing to consider the possibility that my
understanding of natural law is too narrow. And yet I also refrain from
lapsing into irrational gullibility; I actively seek mundane explanations for
apparent miracles.
QUESTION. Can you sum up your approach to seeing the world?
ROB. My outlook combines the rigorous objectivity of a scientist, the
"beginner's mind" of Zen Buddhism, and the compassionate friendliness of
the Dalai Lama. I blend a scrupulously dispassionate curiosity with a
skepticism driven by expansiveness, not spleen.
To pull this off, I have to be willing to regularly suspend my theories about
the way the world works. I accept with good humor the possibility that
what I've learned in the past may not be a reliable guide to understanding
the fresh phenomenon that's right in front of me. I'm suspicious of my
biases, even the rational and benevolent ones. I open my heart as I strip
away the interpretations that my emotions might be inclined to impose.
"Before we can receive the unbiased truth about anything," wrote my
teacher Ann Davies, "we have to be ready to ignore what we would like to
be true."
At the same time, I don't want to turn into a hard-ass, poker-faced robot.
I keep my feelings moist and receptive. I remember my natural affection
for all of creation. I enjoy the power of tender sympathy as it drives me
to probe for the unimaginable revelations of every new moment. "Before
we can receive the entire truth about anything," said Ann Davies, "we
have to love it."
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To read other news and features from my book, go here:
http://snipurl.com/l9o3
To buy the book, use the links to Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble,
which are on my homepage at http://www.freewillastrology.com
Or cut and paste the direct links below:
AMAZON
http://snipurl.com/krjj
BARNES & NOBLE
http://snipurl.com/krjn
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
PRONOIAC LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Visionary astrologer Elias Lonsdale, the best astrologer I've ever known
His books are:
*Inside Planets*
http://tinyurl.com/y9snzy
*Inside Star Vision: Planetary Awakening and Self-Transformation*
http://tinyurl.com/y9ldr9
*Inside Degrees: Developing Your Soul Biography Using the Chandra
Symbols*
http://tinyurl.com/yjccgk
Elias Lonsdale also does astrology readings by phone or in person. I myself
have had several readings with him, and have found his insights
profoundly useful. I'll go further: He is the finest astrologer in the world.
The way he practices the art of the horoscope is a gift from the future.
Warning: Elias' wisdom isn't primarily directed at propping up your ego or
helping you play along with the world's insanity. His special gift is to help
you tune in to your core destiny and contribute your unique gifts to the
evolution of consciousness.
You can contact Elias Lonsdale at 831.425.3134.
(Note: I endorse him because I like him and his work. This is not an
advertisement, and I'm getting no kickback.)
Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning November 16
Copyright 2006 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Recently uncovered evidence
(http://tinyurl.com/gz865) seems to confirm the argument that
Christopher Columbus was a cruel, stupid tyrant who paved the way for
the genocide of Native Americans. But that's not the part of his story I
want to bring to your attention right now, Aries. Rather, I'd like you to
meditate on the wisdom of the bumper sticker I just saw: "Columbus did
not know where he was going. When he got back, he didn't know where
he had been. But he had a great adventure. And he did it all on borrowed
money. There's hope for all of us." Given your current astrological omens,
there's substantial hope for you to pull off a feat comparable to the one
the bumper sticker describes.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "Dear Love Doctor: Please send a divine slap
upside the head to the clueless guy I'm in a half-assed relationship with.
He's GOT to wake up to the fact that it's high time to let someone,
namely me, shower him with love. I mean, all the magic's in place. With
just a flick of his attitude, he could materialize me whipping up gourmet
Cajun cuisine in his new kitchen--not to mention spicing up every other
room in his house. Love Doctor, please cast a spell to get him in
alignment with cosmic necessity. -Overripe Taurus." Dear Overripe: I
appreciate the ability you Bulls have right now to envision the best and
brightest possibilities for your relationships. However, it's crucial that you
give everyone the freedom to bumble along, even if it means that for now
they'll be out of sync with the wonders you can imagine.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The last few drops remaining in your chalice will
soon evaporate. Your luxurious indoor swimming pool (you know, the one
in your fantasies) has barely enough water left in it to give a water bug
traction. And you haven't reached out your arms and cupped your hands
in a gesture of feisty anticipation for far too long. So what are you going
to do about it all, Gemini? Here's what I suggest: FILL 'ER UP! (P.S. The
gas tank of the flying car you sometimes take for a spin in your dreams is
also on empty.)
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Pay close attention to how your immediate
past impacts the present. Just as the food you ate in the previous two
days plays a large role in determining your physical energy today, your
current mood has been shaped by the psychic environment you've been
creating for yourself recently. Here's the really cool thing: You always
have a choice. You can decide to fuel yourself with unhealthy food,
mediocre fantasies, and petty emotions, or you can scrupulously insist on
high-class, first-rate stuff that will make you feel good.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In his book *Thumbsucker,* Walter Kirn explores
the tension between security and passion. We all yearn to feel safe, he
says, and yet we also need to express our native wildness, which is crucial
in giving us a visceral sense of being ourselves. If we put too much
emphasis on being careful, we squelch our primal urge for unpredictability
and lose touch with our need to play. According to my analysis of the
omens, Leo, you're at the end of a phase when caution and self-
preservation have made sense. Don't wait too much longer before you
put your ass on the line in search of too much fun.
* * *
My EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES are weekly spoken-word reports on
your destiny. They're three to four minutes long, and are available at
http://realastrology.com. The cost is $6 per reading, or $20 if you buy
four readings, and $60 if you buy 16 readings.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or
1-900-950-7700 for $1.99 per minute.
My DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES are short, sweet bursts of
illumination delivered seven days a week to your cell phone or other
mobile device. You can sign up for them at http://realastrology.com. The
cost is $6.99 per week (billed monthly), or $4.99 per week (billed
monthly) if you choose to automatically renew your account.
* * *
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Delaware Gap National Recreation Area in
Pennsylvania has an outhouse that cost $333,000 to build. It's a two-hole
beauty with a roof constructed from slate mined in Vermont, porch
railings built out of Indiana limestone, and an indestructible cobblestone
foundation. This is your symbol of power for the coming week, Virgo. May
it inspire you to devote elegant, sumptuous attention to one of your
most basic needs.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The film *The Englishman Who Went Up The Hill
But Came Down A Mountain* is set in Wales in 1917. Two English
cartographers arrive in a small town to evaluate whether the local peak is
really high enough to be officially defined as a mountain. To the villagers'
consternation, their beloved landmark is found to be less than the
regulation 1,000 feet--a mere hill--and that prompts them to take action.
With painstaking determination, they haul buckets of dirt from their
gardens all the way to the top, hoping to raise it high enough to exceed
the standard. This scenario is comparable to a challenge I hope you'll take
on, Libra. Please do whatever's necessary to ensure your hill is actually a
mountain.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You were standing in the doorway with your
crooked smile as big and wild as the morning light. I was spellbound--lost
all memory of who I'd been before that moment. You were as shockingly
real as the perfect giant spider web stretched across my front porch
when I left my house today. Did I hallucinate what you said as you
murmured into your cell phone? Or did you really say, "I'm looking for
someone who'll teach me how to live forever as we make love with
exploding hearts"? That was too sweet and fierce to bear. So here's my
loving complaint, which is also my bragging promise: I want you so much I
want to be you. I adore you with such painful lucidity that I think I could
learn how to find you in every bird's cry, every cloud's flow, every
changing face.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A storm has been stirring up your inner
world. Tune into it now. Feel its blustering squall. Bow down to its
pummeling howl. Let your awe and amazement rise as you contemplate
how much power it has had to disturb you. Feel gratitude for all the ways
it has forced you to become tougher and cagier. Now imagine that the
storm is beginning to dissipate. Sense it slowly but surely losing its force,
spending its last fury. Soon it will have evolved into a misty drizzle.
Tomorrow morning, I bet you will awaken filled with the relaxed clarity
that comes after having great sex.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "It was so much easier when I was cruel,"
mourns Elvis Costello in his song "When I Was Cruel." Writing about the
aching protectiveness she feels toward her precious son Sam in her book
*Operating Instructions,* Anne Lamott expresses a related gripe: "I feel
that he has completely ruined my life, because I just didn't used to care
all that much." A similar predicament may soon visit you, Capricorn.
Thanks to several close encounters with other people's pain, you may
swell up with compassion and empathy. Will you get soft and weak like
Costello and Lamott? According to my reading of the omens, you won't.
On the contrary, I think you'll become stronger and smarter.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Goose bumps and burning sensations
coursed through me as I meditated on your upcoming adventures. From
what I can tell, your rambles will be both spooky and fulfilling. They'll
knock you on your ass and lift your spirits, sometimes at the same time.
They'll give you almost more blessings than you can handle, even as they
invite you to take on responsibilities that will give you the chance to be a
hero. Are you ready to have your certainties challenged in the most useful
ways possible?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A cat doesn't usually catch a mouse on its
first pounce. On average, the kill takes three pounces. I hope this fun fact
inspires you to avoid the temptation to prematurely retire from your
hunt. It's true that the treasure you're pursuing has eluded you beyond
the time you thought you would have gotten it. It's also true that the
frustration you're feeling threatens to dilute the intense concentration
you need to complete the quest. But now that you've read my
exhortation, maybe you'll see that you're closer to capturing the prize
than you realize; maybe you'll marshal your energy and prime yourself to
pounce as many more times as it'll take.
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HOMEWORK:
If you knew you were going to live to 100, what would you do differently
in the next five years? Testify by going to http://www.realastrology.com
and clicking on "Email Rob."
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2006 Rob Brezsny
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