Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
May 26, 2010
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Expanded Audio Horoscopes
http://RealAstrology.com
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There's a new release from the soundtrack for my book
*PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA.*
It's called "Kundalini Pledge Drive"
You can access it here:
http://bit.ly/KundaliniPledge
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The revised and expanded version of my book *PRONOIA IS THE
ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA* is available at Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia
and also at Powells:
http://bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Here's an excerpt:
THE OUTLAW CATALOG OF CAGEY OPTIMISM
(The complete text is here: http://bit.ly/CageyOptimism)
Psychiatry and psychotherapy obsess on what's wrong with people and
give short shrift to what's right. The manual of these professions is a
943-page textbook called the *DSM-IV.* It identifies scores of
pathological states but no healthy ones.
Some time back, I began to complain about this fact, and asked readers
to help me compile material for a proposed antidote, the Anti-DSM -- a
compendium of healthy, exalted, positive states of being. As their entries
came in, we at the Beauty and Truth Laboratory were inspired to dream
up some of our own. Below is part one of our initial attempt at creating
an *Anti-DSM-IV,* or as we also like to call it, "The Outlaw Catalog of
Cagey Optimism."
* ACUTE FLUENCY. Happily immersed in artistic creation or scientific
exploration; lost in a trance-like state of inventiveness that's both blissful
and taxing; surrendered to a state of grace in which you're fully engaged
in a productive, compelling, and delightful activity. The joy of this
demanding, rewarding state is intensified by a sense that time has been
suspended, and is rounder and deeper than usual. (Suggested by H. H.
Holiday, who reports that extensive studies in this state have been done
by Mihaly Cziscenmihaliy in his book, *Flow: The Psychology of Optimal
Experience.*)
* AESTHETIC BLISS. Vividly experiencing the colors, textures, tones,
scents, and rhythms of the world around you, creating a symbiotic
intimacy that dissolves the psychological barriers between you and what
you observe. (Suggested by Jeanne Grossetti.)
* AGGRESSIVE SENSITIVITY. Animated by a strong determination to be
receptive and empathetic.
* ALIGNMENT WITH THE INFINITY OF THE MOMENT. Reveling in the
liberating realization that we are all exactly where we need to be at all
times, even if some of us are temporarily in the midst of trial or
tribulation, and that human evolution is proceeding exactly as it should,
even if we can't see the big picture of the puzzle that would clarify how
all the pieces fit together perfectly. (Suggested by Meredith Jones.)
* AUTONOMOUS NURTURING. Not waiting for someone to give you what
you can give yourself. (Suggested by Shannen Davis.)
* BASKING IN ELDER WISDOM. A state of expansive ripeness achieved
through listening to the stories of elders. (Suggested by Annabelle
Aavard.)
* BIBLIOBLISS. Transported into states of transcendent pleasure while
immersed in reading a favorite book. (Suggested by Catherine Kaikowska.)
* BLASPHEMOUS REVERENCE. Acting on the knowledge that the most
efficacious form of devotion to the Divine Wow is tinctured with playful or
mischievous behavior that prevents the buildup of fanaticism.
* BOO-DUH NATURE. Dwelling in the blithe understanding of the fact that
worry is useless because most of what we worry about never happens.
(Suggested by Timothy S. Wallace.)
* COMIC INTROSPECTION. Being fully aware of your own foibles while still
loving yourself tenderly and maintaining confidence in your ability to give
your specific genius to the world. To paraphrase Alan Jones, Dean of
Grace Cathedral: following the Byzantine ploys of your ego with
compassion and humor as it tries to make itself the center of everything,
even of its own suffering and struggle.
* COMPASSIONATE DISCRIMINATION. Having astute judgment without
being scornfully judgmental; seeing difficult truths about a situation or
person without closing your heart or feeling superior. In the words of Alan
Jones: having the ability "to smell a rat without allowing your ability to
discern deception sour your vision of the glory and joy that is everyone's
birthright."
* CRAZED KINDNESS. Having frequent, overpowering urges to bestow
gifts, disseminate inspiration, and perpetrate random acts of benevolence.
* ECSTATIC GRATITUDE. Feeling genuine thankfulness with such
resplendent intensity that you generate a surge of endorphins in your
body and slip into a full-scale outbreak of euphoria.
* EMANCIPATED SURRENDER. Letting go of an attachment without
harboring resentment toward the stimuli that led to the necessity of
letting go. (Suggested by Timothy S. Wallace.)
* FRIENDLY SHOCK. Welcoming a surprise that will ultimately have
benevolent effects.
* HIGHWAY EQUANIMITY. Feeling serene, polite, and benevolent while
driving in heavy traffic. (Suggested by Shannen Davis.)
* HOLY LISTENING. Hearing the words of another human being as if they
were a direct communication from the Divine Wow to you.
* IMAGINATIVE TRUTH-TELLING. Conveying the truth of any specific
situation from multiple angles, thereby mitigating the distortions that
result from assuming the truth can be told from a single viewpoint.
* IMPULSIVE LOVE SPREADING. Characterized by a fierce determination to
never withhold well-deserved praise, inspirational encouragement, positive
feedback, or loving thoughts; often includes a tendency to write love
letters on the spur of the moment and on any medium, including napkins,
grocery bags, and skin. (Suggested by Laurie Burton.)
* INADVERTENT NATURE WORSHIP. Experiencing the rapture that comes
from being outside for extended periods of time. (Suggested by Sue Carol
Robinson.)
* INGENIOUS INTIMACY. Having an ability to consistently create deep
connections with other human beings, and to use the lush, reverential
excitement stimulated by such exchanges to further deepen the
connections. A well-crafted talent for dissolving your sense of
separateness and enjoying the innocent exultation that erupts in the wake
of the dissolution. (Suggested by Sue Carol Robinson.)
* JOYFUL POIGNANCE. Feeling buoyantly joyful about the beauty and
mystery of life while remaining aware of the sadness, injustices, wounds,
and future fears that form the challenges in an examined life. (Suggested
by Alka Bhargava.)
* LATE LATE-BLOOMING. Having a capacity for growth spurts well into old
age, long past the time that conventional wisdom says they're possible.
* LEARNING DELIGHT. Experiencing the brain-reeling pleasure that comes
from learning something new. (Suggested by Sue Carol Robinson.)
* LUCID DREAM PATRIOTISM. A love of country rooted in the fact that it
provides the ideal conditions for learning lucid dreaming. (Suggested by
Kenneth Kelzer, author of *The Sun and the Shadow: My Experiment With
Lucid Dreaming.*)
* LYRICAL CONSONANCE. Experiencing the visceral yet also cerebral
excitement that comes from listening to live music played impeccably by
skilled musicians. (Suggested by Susan E. Nace.)
TO SEE THE REST OF THE EXALTED, POSITIVE STATES, GO HERE:
http://bit.ly/CageyOptimism
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
THE MEDIA EMPHASIZES THE UGLINESS, SO WE PRONOIACS HAVE TO
OVERCOMPENSATE
The Most Beautiful Coral Reefs
http://tinyurl.com/24ghbyd
THE EVOLUTIONARY VALUE OF GENEROSITY
"Pay It Forward" Pays Off
http://tinyurl.com/245c92u
THE RADICAL TRANSFORMATION IS UNDERWAY
*A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future*
by Daniel Pink
The author says that in the near future, the keys to success will be "in
developing and cultivating six senses: design, story, symphony, empathy,
play, and meaning."
(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 27
Copyright 2010 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): My favorite news source, *The Onion,* recently
reported on a "free-thinking cat" that excretes its wastes "outside the
box." As you enjoy your own phase of liberated thinking and uninhibited
action, Gemini, I hope that you're putting the emphasis on generating
beauty and blessings "outside the box." You will of course also have to
make some messes as you tamper with the way things have always been
done, but even they could turn out to be productive in the long run.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Are you slipping into one of those moods in
which you feel like a fraud? Are you starting to worry that maybe you're
not who you say you are? If so, I want to remind you of what happened
the last time these feelings got stirred up: You became super motivated
to prove that you *are* indeed who you say you are. And that had a most
wonderful effect, didn't it? It led you to locate and call on resources you
hadn't known you could have access to; it spurred you to purge some
self-deception from your system; and it roused you to intensify your
commitment to rigorous authenticity. How about an encore?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I'm a compassion freak. Empathy is a fetish of
mine. My predilection is to comfort the afflicted, champion the underdog,
and fight for the rights of people who have been given less than I. And
yet there's also a part of me that's a pagan libertarian anarchist. I
subscribe to the idea that pretty much any kind of behavior is fine and
good as long as it doesn't hurt anyone. Now that you Leos are in the
"anything goes" phase of your astrological cycle, this full-permission part
of me is rising to the forefront, eager to encourage you to go for broke,
take it to the limit, and get away with everything you can get away with -
- on one condition, which is that it doesn't harm anyone, including you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Snake charmers are still a fixture in many
Indian cities. Moving rhythmically and playing a flute-like instrument, they
influence erect cobras to bob and sway as if dancing. According to my
reading of the astrological omens, you now have the power to do the
metaphorical equivalent of that magic trick. This is one of those rare
times when you possess the mojo to direct and even control strong
forces that may usually be too wild to tame. You've still got to be careful,
though. Just because you've got the power doesn't mean that you can
scrimp on preparation and discipline.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It's time to think comprehensively, not
defensively . . . to see futuristically, not didactically . . . to fantasize
fantastically, not diplomatically. Your assignment is to stop reacting to
every little blip that leaps into your field of vision, and start surveying the
long-term cycles of your life from an expansive vista. Be a proactive
visionary, Libra. Be a high-minded explorer. Weave all the disparate
threads into a tapestry that reveals the big picture. The next phase of
your liberation requires you to slough off petty concerns and trivial
details.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Never" has never been a more irrelevant
word for you. Events that may have always seemed quite improbable are
now well within the range of possibility. Exotic people who up until
recently may as well have been fictional characters are showing up as real
live actors in your actual life story. Plotlines whose emergence you could
not have predicted are snaking their way into your drama. So be alert for
a freaking miracle concealed in a flimsy disguise. And don't be surprised if
a vision of funky paradise shows up in full regalia. The future's not just
knocking at your door, it's pounding.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE
Here's a page with a lot of the free stuff I offer: http://bit.ly/FreeWork
Besides all that, I also offer in-depth audio horoscopes that cost a little
money. 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.
"Your expanded audio horoscopes are the next best thing to actually
having you here next to me to remind me who I really am." - Alyssa R.,
Des Moines, Iowa
"When I listen to your audio 'scopes, my free will lights up." - Alex D., Los
Angeles
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian writer Samuel Clemens was
best known under his pen name, Mark Twain. But he tried many others,
including Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, W. Epaminondas Adrastus Blab,
Trismegistus, and Sergeant Fathom. Since you're in a phase when
experiments with your persona would be productive, I suggest you dream
up a few aliases of your own. I hope that at least one of them will be as
wacky as "Blab" or "Snodgrass." Having a sense of humor about yourself
will be helpful. It will ensure that your explorations at the frontiers of your
identity will be fertile, fun, and never fear-based.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're not living in Iraq or Sudan or the
Congo, and you don't have to walk five miles a day with a jug on your
head to fetch the water you need, and you're not so bereft of food that
you have to resort to eating worms and tree bark. So how bad could your
problems be? The single best thing you can do to start fixing your life's
small glitches is to feel waves of gratitude for how many resources you
have and how lucky you are. The second best thing would be to
aggressively take your worried attention off yourself and turn your mind
toward people who could really benefit from your help. As you carry out
those two assignments, your dilemmas will begin to solve themselves as if
by magic.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There's a bothersome phenomenon that
mucks up reincarnation research: Far too many people profess to have
been celebrities and geniuses in their previous lives. A related and equally
irksome issue is the problem of multiple claims. For example, I know three
different people who have assured me they were Napoleon their last time
around. The fact is, almost no one who's reading this horoscope has ever
been famous in any past incarnation. However, it is worthy to note that a
disproportionately high percentage of you Aquarians were formerly people
with great imaginations. And it so happens that in the coming weeks you
will be at the peak of your ability to tap into the creativity you had back
then.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): When I sent out my email newsletter last
week, I got the usual number of automatic replies from people who were
on vacation or out of the office. But one from Lisa P. caught my
attention. "Can't reply to your email right now," it read. "I will be
meditating until June 1." My first reaction was jealousy. "I want to have
the leisure time and willpower to meditate for 14 days non-stop!" I
thought to myself. I pictured myself free of all business-as-usual, even
meditating while I was asleep. My second reaction was that I should tell
you Pisceans about what Lisa P. was up to. The coming days would, after
all, be an excellent time for you to retreat from the usual flood of chaos
and seek peaceful sanctuary in a conversation with eternity. If you can't
manage a whole week, try to give yourself at least 48 hours of profound
and utter slack.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Mozart once challenged his friend Haydn to
play a harpsichord piece he'd written. Haydn tried, but stopped partway
through when the musical score called for him to play a note in the middle
of the keyboard even though his right hand was fully occupied at the high
end and his left hand at the low end. "Nobody can play this," protested
Haydn. "I can," said Mozart, who proceeded to perform the piece
flawlessly, dipping down to play the problematic note with his nose. In the
coming week, Aries, be inspired by Mozart as you not only cover the
extremes but also take care of the center.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If you've ever contemplated taking a trip to
Bora Bora or Pago Pago, now might be a good time to actually go. That's
because you're in a "seeing double" phase -- a time when magic will come
through repetition, and via duplication, and while you're in the throes of
imitation. To take maximum advantage of the dualistic cosmic rhythms,
don't seek just one of anything. Don't do anything just once. Two is
where the power lies. Pairing brings potency.
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HOMEWORK: What good thing would you have to give up in order to get a
great thing? Testify at Freewillastrology.com. Click 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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NEED TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS?
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where you receive it, go to:
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"Junk Mail" folder.
5. The problems may not have to do with anything you do, but may
originate with your email provider. It may be using a "content filter" that
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that's the case, complain. Tell your email provider to stop blocking my
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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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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2010 Rob Brezsny
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