Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 1, 2010
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For a pretty version of this newsletter, go here:
http://bit.ly/FWA-9-02
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There's a new release from the soundtrack for my book
*PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA.*
It's called "In the Beginning Is the Creative Word"
You can access it here:
http://bit.ly/MagicWords
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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
Below is an excerpt. It's from the piece called "Subterranean Pronoia
Therapy."
1. Every seven years I do a performance art piece called A Pilgrimage to
the Sacred Shopping Sites of North America. During one, I visited a store
called Kosher Intifada in New York. There I had a consummate experience
of apocalyptic delight. Shopping and spirituality converged, and for a brief
interregnum, all contradictions were annihilated, all contraries harmonized.
On the holy ground of Kosher Intifada, I listened to the house band Yo
Tifereth sing Hebrew lyrics and play Arabic tunes on the oud, darbuka,
violin, and kanun. Later, a rabbi and imam took turns reciting prayers from
their respective traditions. I bought a yarmulke decorated with Palestinian
political symbols, a T-shirt that read "I Got Stoned on the West Bank,"
and the DVD of a musical comedy film *West Bank Story,* which portrays
the love affair between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian cashier, whose
parents operate competing falafel restaurants on the West Bank.
I'd love for you to have a comparable experience: an immersion in an eerie
sanctuary where you're simultaneously entertained and confounded. It
would provide a counterpoint for all the more excruciating and demanding
manifestations of the shadow you have to endure. Find or create such a
sweetly discomfiting thing.
2. In his book *The Thought of the Heart and the Soul of the World,*
psychologist James Hillman writes: "The question of evil refers primarily
to the anaesthetized heart, the heart that has no reaction to what it
faces, thereby turning the variegated sensuous face of the world into
monotony, sameness, oneness."
What would you have to do in order to triumph over this kind of evil in
yourself?
3. "The problem, if you love it, is as beautiful as the sunset," wrote J.
Krishnamurti. "The obstacle is the path," says the Zen proverb. What
frustrating puzzle do you love the best?
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
PEOPLE KEEP CREATING WONDERS AND MARVELS
Nanotech tea bag creates safe drinking water instantly, for less than a
penny.
http://tinyurl.com/29hovof
MAYBE WEALTH ISN'T A PREREQUISITE FOR HAPPINESS
Is it better to buy a new couch or go on a vacation?
http://tinyurl.com/2bjn8ed
MAKING FUN OF YOURSELF COULD BE A PRIMAL PRONOIAC ACT
In case you need some instructions and inspiration in being silly . . .
http://tinyurl.com/NonsenseHealing
THE EVIDENCE FOR REDEMPTION JUST KEEPS MOUNTING
Pronoia Resources
http://pronoiaresources.com/
(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 September 2
Copyright 2010 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "The trouble with life isn't that there is no
answer; it's that there are so many answers," said folklorist Ruth
Benedict. That's always true, of course, but it's especially apropos for you
right now. You're teeming with viable possibilities. There are so many
decent ideas eddying in your vicinity that you may be hard-pressed to
pick out just a couple to give your power to. My advice: Let them all
swarm and swirl for a few more days, then go with the ones that you feel
will last the longest.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Jack Mytton was a famous 19th-century
eccentric whose wealth and privilege often shielded him from the
consequences of his odd behavior. One of his less successful adventures
came on a night when he got a bad case of the hiccups. Thinking he could
scare himself into being cured, he set fire to his pajamas. In the ensuing
mayhem, his hiccups disappeared but he burned himself. I bring this to
your attention, Libra, in the hope it will dissuade you from attacking a
small problem in a way that causes a bigger problem. For now it's better
to endure a slight inconvenience. Don't seek a quick fix that causes a
complicated mess.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In accordance with the astrological omens,
Scorpio, I will ask you to make everything wetter; to be the
personification of fluidity. Where there is drought, use your magic to bring
the rain. If you're stuck in a dynamic that is parched and barren, add
moisture and tenderness. Be ingenious, not rash, as you stir up dormant
feelings in people you care about. Remind those who are high and dry
about the river that runs through them. (A good way to do that is to
reveal the river that runs through you.)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Gwyneth Paltrow is the most perfect
person alive, said Gawker.com. From a certain perspective, I suppose it's
possible to award her that title. She's beautiful, rich, famous, and in good
shape. She's a talented actress and published author. Without denying
that Gwyneth is a gem, however, I must say that my standards of
perfection are different. Are you doing the work you love? Are you
engaged in ongoing efforts to transform your darkness? Do you practice
compassion with wit and style? Are you saving the world in some way?
Are you skilled at taking care of yourself? Those are my primary
measures. What are yours, Sagittarius? It's an excellent time to define
your ideal human.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In an old Star Trek episode, a 24th-century
starship captain is weighed down by a knotty problem about how to deal
with two of her enemies who are at war with each other. Unable to come
up with a viable solution, she retreats to the holodeck, where virtual
reality technology can create a convincingly real rendition of any desired
scene. Where does she go for advice? She seeks out Leonardo da Vinci in
his 16th-century studio. Once she has outlined her dilemma, Leonardo
offers his counsel: "When one's imagination cannot provide an answer,
one must turn to a greater imagination." This is my advice to you right
now, Capricorn.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Seth Grahame-Smith rewrote Jane Austen's
classic novel *Pride and Prejudice.* He kept 85 percent of her material,
but also added a big dose of "ultraviolent zombie mayhem," creating a
new story, *Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.* In his version, Austen's tale
is expanded and altered by the previously unrevealed activities of
zombies. I urge you to follow Grahame-Smith's lead, Aquarius. Take some
original creation you really like, and add a shot of your own unique
approach to generate a completely new thing.
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LIFE IS BIGGER AND BETTER THAN ANY OF US CAN IMAGINE
In addition to the horoscopes you're reading here, I create more in-depth
audio horoscopes for your inspiration. Find out more at
http://RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes provide me with the Rest of the Story.
I'm not necessarily a believer in the scientific accuracy of astrology, but I
do think you've got a lot of practical wisdom to impart."
- M. Tennenbaum, New York
"No one knows more about me than me. But you're right up there near
the top of the list of people who do understand something about how I
tick. How is that possible?"
- R. Goren, Albuquerque
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Everyone alive should see the musical
comedy "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." At the very least, we
should all meditate regularly on the play's title, using it as a self-mocking
mantra that dissuades us from committing the folly it describes. How
better to serve the health of our relationships than by withdrawing the
projections we superimpose on people, thereby allowing them to be
themselves? Right now you're in special need of honoring this wisdom,
Pisces. If you feel the itch to tell friends and loved ones that they should
be different from how they actually are, stop and ask yourself whether
maybe you should transform yourself instead.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In an old comedy sketch called "One Leg Too
Few," a one-legged man comes in to a casting agent's office to audition
for the part of Tarzan in an upcoming show. The agent is as diplomatic as
he can be given the fact that the role would best be played by a strapping
young man with exceptional running and leaping skills. "It's possible that
no two-legged men will apply," the agent tells the applicant, "in which
case you could get the part." Don't be like the one-legged man in this
story, Aries. While I usually encourage you to think big and dream of
accomplishing amazing feats, this is one time when you should respect
your limitations.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As I was meditating on your horoscope for
this week, a song popped into my head: Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing." I
instantly knew it was a message from my unconscious, meant to be
delivered to your unconscious -- a perfect action plan for you to pursue in
order to be in maximum alignment with the astrological omens. I
encourage you to come up with your own interpretation of what "sexual
healing" means for you, maybe even write your own lyrics. If you'd like to
listen to the original for inspiration, go here: tinyurl.com/SexHealing. P.S.
You don't necessarily need a partner to conjure up the cure.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You probably get emails that close like this:
"Sent from my iPhone." Maybe you even deliver emails like that yourself.
Keep that detail in mind while I tell you the dream I had last night. In the
dream, all of my Gemini friends had sent me poignant emails. Every one of
them said something like, "I've got to get back to where I started from"
or "There's something really important that I've got to do, but I can't
remember what it is" or "I hear a voice calling my name but I don't know
who it is or where it's coming from." And each of their emails ended like
this: "Sent from my iSoul." I suspect my dream is in perfect accordance
with your astrological omens, Gemini. It's time to go home, in every sense
of the word.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): My name was "Robbie" from birth till seventh
grade. But as my adolescent hormones began to kick in, I decided I
needed a more virile stature. My name became the punchier, sleeker
"Rob." But with every year that passes, I find myself heading back in the
direction of "Robbie." The clever severity of my youth yearns to meld
with the buoyant tenderness I've been cultivating the past decade. I want
my paradoxes to harmonize -- my blithe feminine qualities to cooperate
with my aggressive masculine side, my bright-eyed innocence to
synergize with my restless probing. So you can call me "Robbie" if you
like, or "Rob," or sometimes one and sometimes the other. Isn't it time
for you, too, my fellow Cancerian, to circle back and reclaim an early part
of you that got lost along the way?
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Clash was a leftwing punk band that launched
its career in 1976. With its dissident lyrics and experimental music, it
aspired to make an impact on political attitudes. But then one of its
songs, "Rock the Casbah," got so popular that college fraternity parties
were playing it as feel-good dance music. That peeved the Clash's lead
singer Joe Strummer, born under the sign of Leo. He didn't want his
revolutionary anthems to be used as vulgar entertainment by bourgeois
kids. I sympathize with his purity, but I don't advocate that approach for
you. For now, relinquish control of your offerings. Let people use them
the way they want to.
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HOMEWORK: Describe how you've fought off the seductive power of
trendy cynicism without turning into a gullible Pollyanna. Go to
Freewillastrology.com and click "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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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2010 Rob Brezsny
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