Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
May 14, 2008
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http://FreeWillAstrology.com
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"The transfiguration of matter occurs through wonder."
- James Hillman
"In any system, whether a corporation, a family, or the inner
arrangements of the human psyche, a vigorous 'no' to the good of the
whole may serve the good of the whole and increase its power even more
than a compliant 'yes.'"
-James Hillman
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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
Here's an excerpt:
THE 80-PERCENT RULE
Readers of my horoscope column "Free Will Astrology" are sometimes
surprised when I say I only believe in astrology about 80 percent. "You're
a quack?!" they cry. Not at all, I explain. I've been a passionate student of
the ancient art for years. About the time my overeducated young brain
was on the verge of desertification, crazy wisdom showed up in the guise
of astrology, moistening my soul just in time to save it.
"But what about the other 20 percent?" they press on. "Are you saying
your horoscopes are only partially true?"
I assure them that my doubt proves my love. By cultivating a tender,
cheerful skepticism, I inoculate myself against the virus of fanaticism. This
ensures that astrology will be a supple tool in my hands, an adaptable art
form, and not a rigid, explain-it-all dogma that over-literalizes and distorts
the mysteries it seeks to illuminate.
*
During the question-and-answer segment of one of my performances, an
audience member got hostile. "Why do you diss science so much?" he
complained. "Science is the source of a lot of pronoia, so I would think
you'd love it."
My accuser obviously hadn't read much of my work. Otherwise he'd have
gathered many clues that belied his theory. In my column, for instance, I
often quote reverently from peer-reviewed scientific journals like Nature
and Scientific American. And I regularly extol the virtues of the scientific
method. "Some of my best friends are scientists," I teased the heckler.
The fact is, I critique science no more than I do all of the systems of
thought I respect and use. I believe in science about 80 percent—the
same as I do in astrology, psychology, Deconstructionism, feminism,
Qabalah, Buddhism, left-wing political philosophy, and 22 others.
I do think science has the greatest need of loving skepticism, though. As
the dominant ideology of our age, it has a magisterial reputation
comparable to the infallibility accorded to the medieval Church. Its priestly
promoters sell it as the ultimate arbiter of truth; as an approach to
gathering and evaluating information that trumps all others.
Here's another problem: Though science is an elegant method of
understanding the world, only a minority of its practitioners live up to its
high standards. The field is dominated by men motivated as much by
careerism and egotism as by a rigorous quest for excellence. This is
common behavior in all spheres, of course, but it's a special problem for a
creed that the intellectual elite promotes as the premier method for
knowing the truth.
There's a further complication: Scientists are no less likely to harbor
irrational biases and emotional fixations than the rest of us. They purport
to do just the opposite, of course. But in fact they simply hide their
unconscious motivations better, aided by the way the scientific
establishment relentlessly promotes the myth that its practitioners are in
pure service to objective truth. This discrepancy between the cover story
and the actual state of things is, again, a universal tendency, not confined
to science. But it's particularly toxic in a discipline that presents itself as
the very embodiment of dispassionate investigation.
There are many scientists who, upon reading these words, might
discharge a blast of emotionally charged, non-scientific derision in my
direction. Like true believers everywhere, they can't accept half-hearted
converts. If I won't buy their whole package, then I must be a
superstitious, fuzzy-brained, New Age goofball.
To which I'd respond: I love the scientific approach to understanding the
world. I aspire to appraise everything I experience with the relaxed yet
eager curiosity and the skeptical yet open-minded lucidity characteristic
of a true scientist.
*
SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
"The 80-Percent Rule" is brought to you by this excerpt from Deena
Metzger's prayer:
"Let us learn the secret language of light again. Also the letters of the
dark. Learn the flight patterns of birds, the syllables of wolf howl and bird
song, the moving pantomime of branch and leaf, valleys and peaks of
whale calls, the long sentences of ants moving in unison, the
combinations and recombinations of clouds, the codices of stars. Let us,
thus, reconstitute the world, sign by sign and melody by melody.
"Let us sing the world back into the very Heart of the Holy Name of God."
—Deena Metzger, *Prayers for a Thousand Years,* edited by Elizabeth
Roberts and Elias Amidon
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To read 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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To listen to and get a free download of "Kick Your Own Ass," a song from
my band's CD *Give Too Much,* go here:
http://tinyurl.com/5n4cs8
To buy the CD, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/yqy42p
All the lyrics on the CD are here:
http://tinyurl.com/6s5ymz
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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
PEP SQUAD FOR THE DIVINE IN US ALL
The Shamanic Cheerleaders
http://www.shamaniccheerleaders.com
They've performed with me several times. I've written a testimonial about
them, which I will reproduce in full here because it's a concise statement
of what I admire about pronoia in action:
The Shamanic Cheerleaders are masters of boisterous reverence,
connoisseurs of wild compassion, and dispensers of rowdy
blessings.
In addition to being pretty and sexy, they are smart and funny, not at all
like their profane android brethren who shimmy mechanically while
shouting out encouragement to football creatures. Rather,
the Shamanic Cheerleaders are like laughing Hindu goddesses who
chant lyrical invocations as they leap and undulate, stirring up only the
wisest streams of kundalini -- the kind that inspires you to be an insanely
gorgeous genius who longs to make love to all of creation.
I get happy whenever I think about all the ways the Shamanic
Cheerleaders have roused me to perpetrate acts of playful revolution.
That's why every morning upon awakening I visualize them doing a cheer
and why every night before I say my prayers I perform one of their
cheers. The morning meditation reminds me to carry out a series of spiral
hallelujahs throughout the day, and my evening ritual puts me in a crazy
spiritual mood that often helps me induce lucid dreams while I'm
"sleeping."
The Shamanic Cheerleaders get my vote for Best Dancing Dissident
Bodhisattvas of the Millennium, and if they ever run for office I will
contribute a billion dollars of my future lottery winnings to buy them the
best spin doctors on the planet . . . although, come to think of it, they
don't really need spin doctors since they themselves are experts at
healing through whirling. They cast benevolent spells that don't put
people into trances, but rather snap them out of trances.
I kiss their holy feet. I study their bouncing wit. I greedily gather up their
tricks and treats. They are an advance guard of rebel creators devoted to
committing sacred uproar. They are shock troops fighting for the
beautiful truths that will save the world by turning it upside-down.
EVERYTHING IS CONSCIOUS
The Vegetation Liberation Front
Stop the Flower Slaughter!
http://tinyurl.com/5tphu6
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT AND EAT AND EAT
How to Buy Non-GMO Food
http://tinyurl.com/46bxpz
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They 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 May 15
Copyright 2008 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The daytime TV soap opera *The Young and
the Restless* has been the most highly-rated show in its time slot for
more than a thousand consecutive weeks. First appearing in 1973, the
show ascended to the top slot in 1988 and has never slipped since. I'm
happy to announce that in 2008 you have the potential to begin a
comparable run of success, Taurus. Whether you're able to cash in on
that potential may depend on the preparations you make in the coming
weeks.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "Pain is weakness leaving the body," says
fitness trainer Mark Duval. If that's true, you have gotten a lot stronger in
recent weeks. By my astrological reckoning, you've shed a few months'
worth of emotional distress, you've purged a few years' worth of
frustration, and you've exorcised a couple of lifetimes' worth of confused
dreams. Congratulations on all the new vitality you've earned through
your constructive losses.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): As part of the arrangement your soul entered
into before you were born, you were given the mission to accomplish five
specific miracles. Three of these you have not yet even guessed the
nature of. Why? For one thing, none of your elders or teachers ever
named them for you while you were growing up. Secondly, you have been
overly timid about imagining what you're capable of. That's the bad news,
Cancerian. The good news is that you're very close to the mystery spot
where one of those undiscovered dreams has been moldering.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "The maxim for any love affair," wrote Charles
Williams, "is 'Play and pray, but do not pray when you are playing and do
not play when you are praying.' We cannot yet manage such
simultaneities." But I strongly disagree with Williams, especially in regards
to your destiny in the coming weeks. According to my analysis of the
astrological omens, you can and should play while you pray, and pray
while you play. In fact, I recommend that you blend reverence and
irreverence in every way you can imagine. Explore the revolutionary
concept of sacred fun.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE
In addition to the horoscopes that come to you in this newsletter, I create
audio horoscopes for your inspiration. They discuss themes and cover
material that I don't have room to deal with in the written horoscopes.
They're $6 if you access them on the Web, or $1.99 per minute over the
phone.
Try them at http://RealAstrology.com.
By phone: 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.
"Your audio horoscopes help me love myself better, and I mean that in a
non-narcissistic way."
-Deva P., Indianapolis
"I'm really grateful for the way you pick up my telepathic requests and
answer them in your expanded audio 'scopes."
-Marion H., Birmingham, AL
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Seems you're pushing to learn all you can from
places and ideas you barely even know existed a few months ago. Your
experiments continue to provide such valuable lessons that you'd rather
not wrap them up yet. That's fine. No rush. Take your time. We here at
the Grind will welcome you back anytime you're ready. We completely
understand if you want to stay out there on a limb until you're absolutely
sure that the butterfly won't have any reason to try changing back into a
caterpillar.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "Dear Rob: I've been a Libra all my life, and I'm
always puzzled by those who say that Librans have trouble making
decisions. My experience of the Libra approach to life is that we are
connoisseurs of completeness. We work hard to be considerate of other
people's viewpoints. We strive to include all the applicable information in
our deliberations, even if it's at odds with our personal perspective. Now
it's true that urgency and speed are the cultural norms. 'If it can't happen
immediately, I'm not interested in it' is an approach that has infected the
majority. In that light, Librans may seem wishy-washy and hesitant. But in
fact, we're actually thoughtful and judicious. Please help correct the bad
stereotype about us. - Discerning Libra." Dear Discerning: You make
excellent points. I will pass them on to my Libra readers because it's
crucial that in the days ahead they avoid being misinterpreted in the way
you described.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A journalist visiting the home of Nobel Prize-
winning physicist Niels Bohr was surprised to see a horseshoe nailed to
the wall. "Can it be that you, of all people, believe a horseshoe will bring
you good luck?" he asked. "Of course not," Bohr replied, "but I
understand it brings you luck whether you believe it or not." I suggest
you adopt the physicist's mindset in the coming week, Scorpio. Without
dumbing down your powers of logic, be open to the possibility that you
will benefit from forces that are beyond your imagining or unaccounted
for by your belief system. [Source: *Living Biographies of Great
Scientists,* by Henry & Dana Lee Thomas.]
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In his folk song "Farewell to the Gold,"
Nic Jones tells the story of a failed gold prospector. After two years of
finding no more than a few flecks of the precious metal, the unlucky man
is giving up his search. "Farewell to the gold / that never I found," he
sings. "Goodbye to the nuggets / that somewhere abound. / For it's only
when dreaming / that I see them gleaming / down in the dark deep
underground." If I'm reading the omens correctly, Sagittarius, it's time for
you, too, to say goodbye to a quest that hasn't panned out. Yes, it'll be
sad. But here's the happy ending: Within a month of the time you
surrender, you'll be led to a better quest with more chance of success.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE
In addition to the horoscopes that you're reading here, I create audio
horoscopes for your amusement and inspiration. Find out more at
http://RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or
1-900-950-7700.
"The best part about your audio horoscopes is that they pat me on the
head and kick me in the ass at the same time." - Rita L., San Diego
"Your audio oracles go beyond helping me find the truth -- they inspire
me to find the WILD truth." - Patrick K., Montreal
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CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): During your entire life, you have maybe
never been as free as you are now from the need to be rescued by some
savior. You don't need anyone to rescue you from your own dark
fantasies because, at least for the moment, your bright fantasies have
rendered them obsolete. You don't need anyone to liberate you from
oppression or enslavement, because you are fully empowered to do the
job yourself. You don't even need anyone to deliver you from evil, since
your recent hard work has made evil allergic to you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The complexity of your current astrological
aspects almost overwhelmed me. I couldn't see how to compose a
meaningful oracle in the face of such rich and confounding prospects. I
was stumped. Then, as my deadline approached, the unthinkable
happened: I decided to goof off. Fleeing my office, I wandered down to
the beach, where I strolled aimlessly and emptied my mind. At one point I
spied a fortune cookie perched absurdly on top of a fence post. The
moment I broke it open and read the fortune inside, I knew I'd found the
perfect message for you. It said, "If you have a difficult task, give it to a
lazy man. He will find an easier way to do it."
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In their lust to prove there's no God, atheists
often invoke the existence of suffering. "What kind of deity," one asked
me, "allows a child in Darfur to starve to death after seeing soldiers kill his
mommy?" While I don't claim to have the authoritative answer to that
accusation, I think it's worthwhile to consider the possibility that suffering
is a gift God gives us in order to prod our evolution. On a personal level,
your longing to escape your suffering is a primal force in making you
smarter. On a collective level, nothing refines and ennobles us more than
our passion to keep others from suffering. For every dead child in Darfur,
100 people in other places on the planet have responded with a radical
commitment to create a world in which future Darfurs won't happen.
These are worthy ideas for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. You
will have a tremendous capacity to convert your old wounds, as well as
the old wounds of others, into brilliant opportunities.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hope you've been trying to bolster your
stick-to-it-iveness, Aries. I trust you've been pumping up your follow-
through and supercharging your determination. If you haven't been
attending to this unglamorous yet heroic work, play catch-up. Your final
exam will be administered no later than May 24. Here's a sneak preview of
some of the material you'll be tested on. If a teammate drops the ball, do
you: a. quit the game; b. throw the ball in your teammate's face; c. pick
up the ball and start running in the direction your teammate was
supposed to?
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HOMEWORK: What's the most important thing you've never done?
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, but I highly recommend my 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://YourSoulJourney.com
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
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P.S. I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your address
to anyone.
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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter
or in response to "homework assignments" may be
published in a variety of formats at Rob Brezsny's discretion,
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2008 Rob Brezsny
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