Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 3, 2011
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Here's a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/qA8jII
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DAILY HOROSCOPES
http://RealAstrology.com
Some people don't know that I write daily horoscopes, available as text
messages sent to your cell or smart phone. Unlike the weekly horoscopes
in this newsletter, they're not free -- they cost about 67 cents a day if
you sign up for a subscription.
They're shorter than the weekly 'scopes, but on the other hand they're
more frequent -- every day of the week.
If you think you might enjoy getting sweet bursts of inspiration from me
to illuminate your adventures, check them out.
Go to http://RealAstrology.com. Register or log in. On the new page, click
on "Subscribe / Renew" under "Daily Text Message Horoscopes" in the
right-hand column.
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My 388-page book *PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA*
is available at ridiculously reasonable prices here:
Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: http://bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
"I have seen the future of American literature and its name is Rob
Brezsny." - Tom Robbins
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SOME OF MY THOUGHTS ABOUT ASTROLOGY
Here are some of my thoughts about astrology, as quoted in an article by
Damon Orion at http://bit.ly/fYYp2q:
"I think astrology, at its best, is about opening up the imagination,
opening up the possibilities, by getting you to play with visions of what's
possible," says Rob Brezsny. "It's not a belief system; it's not a religion;
it's not a science. It's a language of the archetypes that you can play with
and thereby get a read on the biggest possibilities that are available to
you."
But if Brezsny sees astrology as a symbolic language, then does he or
doesn't he literally believe that the planets have a say in earthly affairs?
"There are many astrologers who don't believe that the planets literally
shower down some sort of invisible influence on people," he says. "I know
that some astrologers believe that, but I would say that at this point, a
majority don't. The important thing is that the planets are signatures in
the sky that can be read and have been read by experts over a number of
centuries and correlated with specific tendencies in the human personality
and in evolution."
Brezsny points to a passage from what he calls "the definitive astrology
book of the 21st century -- probably the 20th century, too": Richard
Tarnas' *Cosmos and Psyche.* Therein, Tarnas compares the motions of
the planets to a clock: When you look at a clock, you do so to know what
time it is, but the clock doesn't cause time. Likewise, when you're reading
the movements, configurations, and relationships of the planets, you're
getting a read on the particular energy of a given moment, but the
planets don't cause that moment.
But if the planets aren't influencing human behavior, then how, exactly,
are these two things correlated? "The theory of divination is that
everything reflects everything else," Brezsny states, "so that the tea
leaves at the bottom of your tea cup are an exact reflection of the nature
of this moment in civilization, or the way the Tarot cards are thrown down
is an exact replica, if you know how to read it, of where we are now, or
probably of where you are, if you're throwing the cards. But the value of
reading the sky as opposed to tea leaves is that the sky is an objectively
existing thing beyond any individual's life: It's very objective and can be
traced into the distant past and the distant future."
Brezsny adds that it's a well-established tradition in human societies to
read any number of natural signs for clues to the inner nature of things.
He mentions that *San Francisco Chronicle* columnist Tom Stienstra
makes long-term weather forecasts by analyzing natural phenomena such
as the quality of red onion skins. Stienstra can also supposedly tell what
the spring is going to be like by the thickness of the winter coats on
coyotes.
Brezsny also mentions that when acacia flowers are ready to bloom,
members of an Australian tribe called the Yanyuwa know that the sea
turtles and the dugongs (a kind of marine mammal) are getting fat and
are therefore ready to be hunted. "So they're reading the signs of nature
to make some sort of deductions about what's to come," he says. "And I
think astrology is exactly that. There is a well mapped out understanding
of where the planets were thousands of years back and where they'll be
thousands of years into the future."
And what are we to make of the notion that human behavior is connected
with planetary positioning at the time a person is born? What is so crucial
about the moment of birth, and how are the planets connected to this?
Brezsny refers to a person's astrological chart as "a snapshot of the
archetypes at that moment." He says that although the tradition of
astrology has developed based on a person's birth, at any particular
moment, we could take this kind of snapshot of the heavens to get an
idea of how the archetypes are working together to create human
civilization.
"Conceivably, there could have been a tradition that developed over many
centuries that involved the analysis of where the planets were at the time
of conception," the astrologer says, "but that's a much murkier thing. It's
easy to know when a person is born. It's a dramatic event. So the
tradition grew up around what was the snapshot of the heavens at the
moment the person was born, and over centuries, many people have
devoted their life energy to trying to make empirical observations about
what kind of pictures of the heavens are correlated with particular human
types."
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
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FAIRNESS AND JUSTICE ARE GROWING
Same-sex marriage is now legal in Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the
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Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning August 4
Copyright 2011 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle rejected the prevailing
scientific theory that life on this planet emerged by accident from a
primordial soup. The chance of that happening was as likely as "a tornado
sweeping through a junkyard [and assembling] a Boeing 747 from the
materials therein." I do think that something less amazing, but still semi-
miraculous, is in the works for you, Leo. What do you imagine it might be?
I'm getting a vision of a windy thunderstorm blowing through a junkyard
in such a way as to assemble an impressionistic sculpture of you wearing
a crown of flowers and X-Ray Specs as you ride confidently on the back of
a lion.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the 1939 film *The Wizard of Oz,* the
yellow brick road symbolizes a path leading to all of life's answers, to a
place where fantasies can be fulfilled. Dorothy and her companions follow
that road in the belief it will take them to the all-powerful Wizard of Oz in
the Emerald City. While I don't mind you playing with the idea that you
may eventually find your own personal yellow brick road, for the
immediate future I urge you to adopt the attitude Elton John articulated
in his song, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road": "Oh I've finally decided my
future lies beyond the yellow brick road." It's time to add more nuts-and-
bolts pragmatism to your pursuit of happiness.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Some readers get enraged about the "crafty
optimism" I advocate in my book *Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia.*
Given what they regard as the miserable state of the world, they feel it's
a sin to look for reasons to be cheerful. One especially dour critic said
that after reading a few pages of the book, he took it out in his backyard,
doused it with gasoline, and incinerated it. You may face similar
opposition in your attempts to foment redemption, smoke out hope, and
rally the troops, Libra. I urge you to be extra fierce in your devotion to
peace, love, and understanding.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Of all the adversaries I will ever face, my ego
is the supreme challenge. It tries to trick me into thinking its interests are
exactly the same as my own. It periodically strives to bamboozle me into
believing that I should be motivated by pride, competitiveness,
selfishness, or judgmental evaluations of other people. When I'm not
vigilant, it lulls me into adopting narrow perspectives and subjective
theories that are rife with delusions about the nature of reality. Don't get
me wrong: I still love my ego. Indeed, being on good terms with it is my
only hope for keeping it from manipulating me. I bring this up, Scorpio,
because it's prime time for you to come to a riper understanding of your
own ego so you can work out a tougher, more no-nonsense agreement
with it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian author Derrick Jensen wrote
the book *A Language Older Than Words.* He weaves together the tale of
his abusive childhood with an angry analysis of the damage human beings
have done to the earth and each other. It's a wrenching text, but in the
end it offers redemption. A review by *Publisher's Weekly* says that
"Jensen's book accomplishes the rare feat of both breaking and mending
the reader's heart." I invite you to pursue a similar possibility, Sagittarius.
Summon the courage to allow your heart to be broken by a blessed
catharsis that will ultimately heal your heart so it's even stronger and
smarter than it was before the breaking.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Right now you may be feeling especially
squeezed by one of the apparent contradictions in your life. But I'm here
to tell you that it's not as contradictory as you think. Its seemingly
paradoxical elements are in righteous harmony with each other at a higher
level of understanding. Can you rise to that higher level so as to see what
has been hidden from your view? I believe you can. For best results, let go
of any temptation you might have to act as if you're oppressively defined
by your past.
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
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
"I always feel like I know myself better after listening to your audio
'scopes."
-June R., Austin, TX
"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and pep me up
when I'm down."
-Arthur T., Cleveland, OH
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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Psychologist and priest David Rickey
counsels people who are about to be married. "You are perfectly
mismatched," he likes to tell them. "As much as you think you have
chosen each other because of beauty or shared interests, the deeper
reason is that unconsciously you know the other person is going to push
your buttons. And the purpose of relationships is for you to discover and
work on your buttons." I share Rickey's views, and offer them to you just
in time to make maximum use of their wisdom. You see, Aquarius, you're
in a phase when you have extraordinary power to learn from and adjust to
the challenges that come from having your buttons pushed by those you
care about.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In his song "Crazy," British singer Seal
repeats the following line numerous times for emphasis: "We're never
going to survive unless we get a little crazy." I recommend it as a mantra
for you to rely on in the coming days. Your emotional health will depend
on your ability to laugh at yourself, play along with absurdity, and
cultivate a grateful reverence for cosmic riddles. Being a little crazy will
not only keep you robustly sane; it will also allow you to enjoy and
capitalize on the divine comedy life presents you with.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Symbolically speaking, there is a Holy Grail
hidden close to you, and you know it, but you haven't been able to find it.
The Grail is a golden chalice filled with medicine that could open what
needs opening in you. Luckily, you will soon come into possession
(symbolically speaking) of a big, thick magical wand that can give you a
new advantage. Here's what I conclude: Use your wizard stick to locate
the cup of wonder so you can take a big sip.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Much of the work you're doing right now is
invisible to the naked eye, maybe even to your own naked eye. You're
learning a lot while you sleep, drawing sustenance from hidden reservoirs
even when you're awake, and steadily improving yourself through the arts
of creative forgetting and undoing. Continue this subtle artistry, Taurus.
Be cagey. Be discreet. Don't underestimate how important silence and
even secrecy may be for you right now. The healing transformations
unfolding in almost total darkness should not be exposed or revealed
prematurely; they should be protected with vigilance.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): *Either Way I'm Celebrating.* That's the title of
a poetry comic book by Sommer Browning, and I suggest that you
consider it as a worthy title for your life in the coming days. The
adventure you're in the midst of could evolve in several possible
directions, each with a different rhythm and tone, each with a distinct
lesson and climax. But regardless of what path you end up taking, I'm
almost positive you will have good reasons to throw yourself a party at
the end. Having said that, though, I also advise you to decide which
version of the story you prefer, then make it your strong intention to
materialize it.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): During the skunk mating season, two robust
members of the species made the crawl space beneath my house their
trysting place. The result was spectacular. Siren-like squalls rose from
their ecstasy, spiraling up into my kitchen accompanied by plumes of a
stench that I imagined the Italian poet Dante, in his book *The Inferno,*
might have identified as native to the ninth level of hell. Being as
instinctively empathic as I am, I naturally appreciated how much delight
the creatures were enjoying. At the same time, I wished they would take
their revelry elsewhere. So I called on the Humane Society, an animal
rescue group, to flush them out without harming them. If anything
resembling this scenario takes place in your sphere, Cancerian -- if
someone's pursuit of happiness cramps your style -- I suggest you adopt
my gentle but firm approach.
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Homework: Imagine you have time-traveled to one of your favorite places
in the year 2020. What do you see? Tell me at Freewillastrology.com.
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I SHARE MANY OF THE VIEWS THAT ARE ARTICULATED BRILLIANTLY BY
THIS GUY
One of my favorite thinkers and writers is my friend Jonathan Zap. His
vision is simultaneously cosmic and intimate, shocking and healing.
His upcoming book is *Crossing the Event Horizon -- the Singularity
Archetype & Human Metamorphosis.* The first 40 pages are available
here for free: http://bit.ly/qvefZq.
Zap has also created a great online oracle deck you can use to do your
own divinations. Go to http://www.zaporacle.com and click on ORACLE.
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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
2011 Rob Brezsny
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