Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
July 25, 2007
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http://FreeWillAstrology.com
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"Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore, we must be
saved by hope. Nothing true or beautiful or good makes complete sense
in any immediate context of history; therefore, we must be saved by
faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore, we are saved by love."
-Reinhold Niebuhr
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WHAT'S AHEAD FOR YOU in the next six months?
EXPLORE THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE
with my Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Second Half of 2007
To hear my IN-DEPTH, LONG-TERM AUDIO FORECAST for YOUR LIFE
between now and January 1, 2008, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/ooga5
Log in and click on the link
"Long Term Forecast for Second Half of 2007"
You can also listen to your short-term forecast for the coming week by
clicking on "This week (July 24, 2007)."
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My book
"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
is available for sale at http://tinyurl.com/qaj62
To read news and features from the book, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/lhwx2
Here's an excerpt:
PRONOIA NEWS NETWORK
These are our top stories.
WAR, GENOCIDE, ARMS SALES IN PRECIPITOUS DECLINE
The world has become dramatically more peaceful since 1992. The
number of wars, coups, and acts of genocide has declined by 40 percent.
In 1991, there were 51 wars at various places on the planet. Now there
are 30.
Weapons sales between countries have dropped 33 percent during the
same time, and the number of refugees has diminished by 45 percent.
The cause of these shocking developments is the unprecedented upsurge
of international activism, spearheaded by the United Nations.
The data comes from the Human Security Report, written by the
University of British Columbia's Andrew Mack and his team.
For a full report: http://tinyurl.com/cl8j5
And see the Human Security Report's website at
http://www.humansecurityreport.info/
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GENDER REVOLUTION LEGALIZED
Sweden has been a pioneer in bringing gender balance into government.
Forty-five percent of its parliament is female.
Other nations have finally begun to follow its lead. In 2003, the Welsh
assembly became the first legislative body in history to have as many
women as men. Meanwhile, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland, the
Netherlands, Germany, Argentina, Costa Rica, South Africa, and
Mozambique have at least 30 percent of their parliamentary seats filled
by women, largely due to legally mandated quotas.
Rwanda's new constitution calls for 30 percent of decision-making
positions to be held by women. In the parliamentary elections of 2003,
that quota was exceeded, as women captured 49 percent of the
legislative seats.
The corporate domain is proceeding toward equality more slowly. Norway
is the first and only nation to pass laws mandating female representation
on corporate boards, requiring a 40 percent quota.
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SACRED GENIUS OF GENEROSITY
"The Sun, each second, transforms four million tons of itself into light,
giving itself over to become energy that we, with every meal, partake of.
For four million years, humans have been feasting on the Sun's energy
stored in the form of wheat or reindeer, as each day the Sun dies as Sun
and is reborn as the vitality of Earth. Every child of ours needs to learn
the simple truth: She is the energy of the Sun. And we adults should
organize things so her face shines with the same radiant joy.
"Human generosity is possible only because at the center of the solar
system a magnificent stellar generosity pours forth free energy day and
night without stop and without complaint and without the slightest
hesitation. This is the way of the universe. This is the way of life. And this
is the way in which each of us joins this cosmological lineage when we
accept the Sun's gift of energy and transform it into creative action that
will enable the community to flourish." —Brian Swimme, *The Hidden
Heart of the Cosmos,* video
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BLASPHEMOUS OPTIMISM
"The biggest event of the last 20 years—the collapse of the Soviet
Union—occurred without violence: the first nonviolent revolution of that
size in all of human history, extending from Berlin to Siberia.
"Nelson Mandela went from a prison cell to the President's office in a
country that evolved from white supremacy to power-sharing in only
seven years.
"The Internet more and more evolves toward the planetary brain once
only imagined by visionary scientists like Tielhard de Chardin and Arthur
Clarke.
"What some call my 'blasphemous cheerfulness' or my 'cockeyed
optimism' just depends on my basic agnosticism. We don't know the
outcome of the current worldwide transformation, so it seems sick and
decadent (in the Nietzschean sense) when fashionable opinion harps on all
the gloomy alternatives and resolutely ignores the utopian possibilities
that seem equally likely (and, on the basis of past evolution, perhaps a
little more likely)." —Robert Anton Wilson, http://www.rawilson.com
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DANCING THE REVOLUTION
Black South Africans fought for 40 years to dismantle the oppressive
system of apartheid. One of their most potent weapons was toyi-toyi, a
militantly exuberant form of singing and dancing. It served to mobilize the
energy of crowds at the large protest demonstrations that ultimately
broke the will of the white minority rulers. Imagine how confounded their
authoritarian minds must have been when confronted by thousands of
high-spirited activists passionately singing and dancing in unison.
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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
PNN is brought to you by the renegade Sufis who say they're as likely to
bask in the sweetness of enlightenment while cooking a frozen burrito in a
microwave oven under the fluorescent lights of a convenience store as
when they're meditating on a straw mat in a remote mountain sanctuary.
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NEWS IN BRIEF
In the next 24 hours, 200 million people will make love on this planet, as
they do every day of every year.
*Wired* magazine reports that vast supplies of frozen natural gas lie
beneath the oceans, harboring more potential energy than all of the
world's oil reserves.
China and India, which comprise one-third of the earth's population, have
more than twice the wealth they had in 1989.
Rising rates of intermarriage are helping to dissipate ethnic and religious
strife worldwide.
Death rates from cancer are shrinking.
Acreage devoted to organic farming is increasing rapidly.
Levels of literacy and education and political freedom are steadily growing
all over the world.
If forced to decide between having a bigger penis and living in a world
where there was no war, 90 percent of all men would pick universal
peace.
With every dawn, when first light penetrates the sea, many seahorse
colonies perform a dance to the sun.
An average cloud is the same weight as 100 elephants.
There are always so many fragments of spider legs floating in the air that
you are constantly inhaling them wherever you go.
A river requires a million years to move a grain of sand 100 miles.
Diamonds rain from the skies on the planets Uranus and Neptune.
The five most beautiful words in the English language are luminous,
crucible, melody, undulates, and gratitude.
THIS WEEK IN PRONOIAC HISTORY
Lady Godiva was more than a seminal performance artist. She was also a
humanitarian and patron of the arts. When she doffed her clothes and
rode a white horse through the English town of Coventry in 1057, her
purpose was philanthropic. Her husband, the local assessor, had promised
to abolish all taxes on the local folk if she did the daring deed.
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To read other news and features from my book, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/lhwx2
You can buy the book here:
AMAZON
http://tinyurl.com/qaj62
POWELLS
http://tinyurl.com/3dsx6q
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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
BOOKS FULL OF SHOCKING HOPE
*True Mutations: Interviews on the Edge of Science, Technology, and
Consciousness* by R.U. Sirius
http://tinyurl.com/3b7lnp
"The book looks at the wild changes that may be coming to the human
species during the 21st Century, ranging from the evolution of clean
energy to the possibilities of endless neurological ecstasy; from open-
source free access to nearly everything under the sun to self-directed
biotechnological evolution; from psychedelic culture mash-ups to the
possibilities of a technological singularity that alters not only humanity
but the entire universe."
GUERRILLA SINGING ON THE PARIS SUBWAY
"I've been waiting for this moment all my life"
http://tinyurl.com/ysevty
HEALING CHOAS and SORCERY OF PLAY
*T.A.Z.: Temporary Autonomous Zone* by Hakim Bey
This is the CD, with excerpts of Hakim reading set to the music of Bill
Laswell:
http://tinyurl.com/26mytu
The book can be read free online here:
http://tinyurl.com/9ozz4
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. These are not advertisements,
and I get no kickbacks.)
Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning July 26
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You've arrived at the recreate-yourself-from-
scratch phase of your cycle. To celebrate, I've gathered three apt pieces
of advice for you to scrawl on a piece of paper that you'll put under your
pillow. (1) "Almost everything comes from almost nothing." - Henri-
Frédéric Amiel. (2) "The best way to predict your future is to create it." -
Peter Drucker. (3) "Leap and the net will appear." - Zen saying.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the language of the Hopi Indians,
*koyaanisqatsi* means "crazy life," "life in turmoil," or "life out of
balance." It's usually invoked to describe a culture that's in disarray
because of corruption and lack of vision. In the horoscope you're now
reading, however, I'm using it to identify a chaotic state that each of us
periodically goes through in our personal life. It's a phase when we lose
our moorings, when we're out of touch with our moral center. On the one
hand, it's uncomfortable and disorienting. On the other hand, the brain-
scrambling it stirs up is often a blessing. It flushes out mental habits that
no longer serve us. It provokes creative innovations by rearranging the
contents of our psyche. According to my reading of the omens, this is
such a time for you, Virgo. Happy koyaanisqatsi!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The muskmelon is a fruit that continues to
ripen after it's picked, whereas a watermelon stops ripening the moment
it's plucked from the vine. As you enter your own personal harvest
season, Libra, keep that difference in mind; it'll be a useful metaphor.
Some of the "crops" you've been growing all these months are like
muskmelons, while others are like watermelons. Do you know which are
which? Let the watermelon-like fruits of your labors stay on the vine until
you're absolutely sure they're fully mature.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WHAT'S AHEAD FOR YOU in the next six months?
To hear my IN-DEPTH, LONG-TERM AUDIO FORECAST for YOUR LIFE
between now and January 1, 2008, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/ooga5
Log in and click on the link
"Long Term Forecast for Second Half of 2007"
You can also listen to your short-term forecast for the coming week by
clicking on "This week (July 24, 2007)."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If this was 1700 and you lived in London or if
it was 1800 and you lived in Philadelphia, I'd tell you, *Go west, young
man or young woman.* The astrological omens imply that your most
useful adventures lie in the direction the sun travels. But we could also
interpret the oracular advice to "go west" not as a literal mandate to
head out on the road, but rather as a metaphorical exhortation to follow
the sun in your heart. So what does that expression mean to you? If you
followed the sun in your heart, would you align yourself with a live-giving
source of light and energy? Would you do something that fills you with
warmth and vitality? Would you answer a call that's coming to you from
the most practical manifestation of divine intelligence you know? Or all
three?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A Sagittarius reader named Sarah
Morehouse sent me an announcement. "I've just discovered that I'm . . .
ummm . . . cough . . . RULER OF THE WORLD," she said. "Don't panic. I'm
planning to be a benign dictator. But here are two immediate changes.
First: We will no longer separate reverence and amusement. Every one of
us must regard humor as holy, and infuse our moments of solemn awe
with giggles and snorts. Secondly: All of us are artists. That's right: Each
and every one of us is now a certified creator of smart beauty, deep
spiritual meaning, and good-natured practical jokes." Queen Sarah went
on at length, but I'll stop there so I have room to point out this truth: Of
all the signs of the zodiac, you Sagittarians are in the most perfect
position to embody her new laws. In the coming weeks, you should regard
them as your mandate.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): This would be a perfect moment to send
100 roses to someone you love. Oddly enough, it'll also be an excellent
time to send 100 roses to someone you love to hate. In other words, the
karmic ledger needs to be kept in balance. You've got to make sure that
all the opposites in your life are given their proper due. Each side of every
paradox deserves your equal attention. What's the payoff? An exotic and
lyrical brand of harmony will be yours if you expand your mind to
encompass the yin of every yang, and vice versa.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Consider writing an entertaining
advertisement about yourself in order to attract the resources you'd like
to play with. Or think about buying the domain name
"showerblessingson[putyournamehere].com," then setting up a website
where the world can send you business offers, marriage proposals, free
gifts, and invitations to travel. The point is, Aquarius, that the upcoming
weeks will be a perfect time to get very aggressive and highly specific
about asking for what you need. Rev up the fun-loving parts of your
imagination.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
EXPLORE THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE
with my Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Second Half of 2007:
http://tinyurl.com/ooga5
What hidden factors will be massaging your destiny during the next six
months? Could you use some hints about how to prepare for the
adventures awaiting you during the rest of 2007?
To listen to my IN-DEPTH, LONG-TERM AUDIO FORECAST for YOUR LIFE
during the next six months, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/ooga5
Log in and click on the link "Long Term Forecast for Second Half of
2007."
You can also listen to your short-term forecast for the coming week by
clicking on "This week (July 24, 2007)."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you're a gardener who loves your plants,
you're merciless towards weeds. Even if you have a deep reverence for all
forms of life, you don't waver in your drive to yank out the hairy
bittercress that's crowding your tomatoes. You don't feel twinges of guilt
as you eliminate the chickweed near your squash. I advise you to use a
similar approach as you nurture your little growing things in the coming
days. Safeguard them from anything that would distract them from their
instinctive purpose or weaken their power to become more thoroughly
themselves.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Writing in *Poetry Flash,* critic Rusty Morrison
speculates that "the sublime can only be glimpsed by pressing through
fear's boundary, beyond one's previous conceptions of the beautiful."
That's a good theme for you to experiment with right now, Aries.
According to my reading of the astrological omens, you're very close to
making contact with splendor you'll remember all your life. (And I don't
use that fancy word "splendor" lightly.) You'll need a lot of playful
courage to make the boundary-crossing. But I know you can do it if you
keep heading in the direction of what's scarily meaningful.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "There are very few human beings who
receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination," wrote
Anaïs Nin. "Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small
scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic." I
share Nin's perspective, Taurus; I know from experience how maddeningly
slow the truth-gathering process can be. But I'm pleased to inform you
that you're in a phase when missing puzzle pieces will become available at
a faster rate than usual. Be alert for the subtle onslaught.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "Whatever is not an energy source is an energy
sink," writes novelist Marge Piercy. Is it really that unambiguous? Can you
divide every single person, event, and institution into those that suck
your vitality and those that pump you up? I think it's usually more
complicated than that. There are many things that simultaneously suck
and pump. But for you right now, Gemini, I believe it is that clear-cut.
Proceed accordingly. Be ruthlessly discerning in deciding what influences
you invite into your sphere.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Dear Rob: I like to take my daughters to the
playground. While they hang out in the sandbox, I've often tried to make
it across the monkey bars -- you know, those overhead bars where you go
hand over hand while your body dangles below. In hundreds of attempts,
I've failed every time. My hands hurt, I feel heavy and out of shape, and I
give up quickly. But last Saturday the spell was broken. I asked the gods
of the playground to help me out. As I jumped up to grab the monkey
bars, the idea popped into my head that I should bend my legs instead of
leaving them dangling down. I got a swinging motion going, and made it
across easily. After all those years of frustration, I couldn't believe such a
little change made such a big difference. -Cancerian Reporting from the
Trenches." Dear Cancerian: Thanks for your testimony. I think it's exactly
what your fellow Crabs need to hear.
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HOMEWORK: Name a feat of strength you were never capable of pulling
off until the last three months. Testify by going to
http://FreeWillAstrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing personal charts these days, but I highly recommend my
favorite astrological colleague, RO LOUGHRAN. Her approach closely
matches my own. In our many discussions about astrology over the years,
we've had a major influence on each other's work.
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.
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.YourSoulJourney.com
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter
or in response to "homework assignments" may be
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2007 Rob Brezsny
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