Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 31, 2011
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Here's a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/oNXltG
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The piece below is excerpted from my book
*PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA*
available at Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: http://bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
PRONOIA THERAPY
1. Once upon a time, you asked a certain someone for a blessing. Instead,
he or she blasted you with a curse. The debilitating blow of that bad juju
hit you right in the place that was ripe for the blessing you requested.
What a tragedy!
Do you understand that the seed of the blessing you once needed (and
still need) is hidden within the curse? If you figure out what that blessing
is, you'll find the cure. (P.S. The French word for "wound" is *blessure,*
which suggests that blessing can come from wounding.)
2. "Obstacles are a natural part of life, just as boulders are a natural part
of the course of a river," declares the ancient Chinese book the *I Ching.*
"The river does not complain or get depressed because there are boulders
in its path."
I'd go so far to say -- this is not in the original text, but is my 21st-
century addition -- that the river gets a sensual thrill as it glides its
smooth current over the irregular shapes and hard skin of the rocks. It
looks forward to the friction, exults in the intimate touch, loves the drama
of the interaction. How would you go about imitating the river?
3. We all have a war going on inside ourselves. What's yours? Is it a just
and fruitful war or a senseless and wasteful war, or both?
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
CONSPIRACIES TO COMMIT BEAUTY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Singapore will soon become more of a garden than a city
http://tinyurl.com/3vk8hxu
WHAT IF A LOT OF WHAT THEY TAUGHT YOU ABOUT DEATH IS A LIE?
*No Death, No Fear: Comforting Wisdom for Life* by Thich Nhat Hanh
Is it possible to live a life unfettered by fear?
http://tinyurl.com/3wleebe
PAY ATTENTION TO THE AMAZING RESEARCH BEING DONE BEHIND THE
SCENES
Turning olive waste into "ecologically perfect" fuel.
"Olives are being looked at as a renewable energy source, since its wood
produces 2.5 times more energy than others, the smoke it releases has
no negative impact on neighbors or the environment, and the ash left can
be used for fertilizing gardens."
http://tinyurl.com/3o46vds
THE EVIDENCE KEEPS ACCUMULATING
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 1
Copyright 2011 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Avante-garde author Gertrude Stein was
renowned for her enigmatic word play and cryptic intuitions, which
brought great pleasure to her long-time companion Alice B. Toklas. "This
has been a most wonderful evening," Alice once remarked after an
especially zesty night of socializing. "Gertrude has said things tonight it'll
take her 10 years to understand." I expect that something similar could
be said about you in the coming week, Virgo. It's as if you'll be glimpsing
possibilities that won't fully ripen for a while; as if you'll be stumbling
upon prophecies that will take months, maybe even years, to unveil their
complete meaning.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I periodically perform a public ritual called
Unhappy Hour. During this focused binge of emotional cleansing,
participants unburden themselves of their pent-up sadness,
disappointment, frustration, and shame. They may choose to mutter loud
complaints or howl with histrionic misery or even sob uncontrollably. At
the end of the ceremony, they celebrate the relief they feel at having
freely released so much psychic congestion, and they go back out into
the world feeling refreshed. Many people find that by engaging in this
purge, they are better able to conjure up positive emotional states in the
days and weeks that follow. It's a perfect time for you to carry out your
own Unhappy Hour, Libra. For inspiration, listen to my version here:
http://bitly.com/UnhappyHour.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Age of Mythology" is a computer game that
invites participants to strategically build up their own civilization and
conquer others. There are of course many "cheats" that help you to bend
the rules in your favor. For instance, the "Wrath of the Gods" cheat gives
you the god-like powers of lightning storms, earthquakes, meteors, and
tornadoes. With "Goatunheim," you can turn your enemies into goats, and
"Channel Surfing" allows you to move your armies over water. But the
cheat I would recommend for you right now, whether you're playing "Age
of Mythology" or the game of your own life, would be Wuv Woo, a flying
purple hippopotamus that blows rainbows out its back end and blasts
lovey-dovey hearts from its mouth. (P.S. Using it will make other good
cheats easier to access.)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Of all the tribes of the zodiac,
Sagittarius is most skilled at not trying too hard. That isn't to say that
you're lazy or lax. What I mean is that when it's time for you to up the
ante and push toward your goal with more force and determination, you
know how to cultivate a sense of spaciousness. You've got an innate
knack for maintaining at least a touch of cool while immersed in the heat
of the struggle. Even when the going gets tough, you can find oases of
rejuvenating ease. In the coming week, I suggest you make an extra effort
to draw on these capacities. You will need them more than usual.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Wild mountain goats in northern Italy have
been photographed moseying their way up and across the near-vertical
wall of the Cingino Dam. (Go here and scroll down seven rows to see
photos: http://tinyurl.com/GoatTrick.) It looks impossible. How can they
outmaneuver the downward drag of gravity, let alone maintain a relaxed
demeanor while doing it? They are apparently motivated to perform this
feat because they enjoy licking the salty minerals that coat the face of
the dam. I foresee you having a comparable power in the coming weeks,
Capricorn. Rarely have you been able to summon so much of your
mountain goat-like power to master seemingly unclimbable heights.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Phrygia was an ancient kingdom in what is
now Turkey. In its capital city was the Gordian Knot, a revered icon that
symbolized the power of its ruler. According to legend, an oracle
predicted that whoever would be able to untie this intricate knot would
become the king of all Asia. Early in his military career, Alexander (who
would later be called Alexander the Great) visited the capital and
attempted to untie the Gordian Knot. He was unsuccessful, but then
changed his tack. Whipping out his sword, he easily sliced through the
gnarled weave. Some regarded this as the fulfillment of the prophecy, and
Alexander did in fact go on to create a vast empire. Others say that he
cheated -- didn't really do what the oracle had specified. And the truth is,
his empire fell apart quickly. The moral of the story, as far as you're
concerned, Aquarius: Untie the knot, don't cut through it.
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IF YOU WANT MORE FREE WILL ASTROLOGY,
TRY THE EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
The written horoscopes I send out in this newsletter are pretty nutritious.
You may never need any of the other stuff I create.
But if you ever do crave an added boost, you may want to sample my
Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're different in tone and intent than the
written scopes, imbued with a little more of the psychologist in me, and a
little less of the poet.
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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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "If you don't become the ocean, you'll be
seasick every day," sings Leonard Cohen in his song "Good Advice for
Someone Like Me." I think you already know that, Pisces. Of all the signs
of the zodiac, you're the top expert in simulating the look and feel of an
ocean. But even experts sometime need tune-ups; even professionals
always have more to learn about their specialty. And I think this is one of
those times when you will benefit from upgrading your skills. If your
intentions are pure and your methods crafty, you just may reach a new
level of brilliance in the art of living oceanically.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Strange but true: To pave the way for your
next liberation, you will have to impose some creative limitation on
yourself. In other words, there's some trivial extravagance or
unproductive excess in your current rhythm that is suppressing an
interesting form of freedom. As soon as you cut away the faux "luxury"
that is holding you back, all of life will conspire to give you a growth
spurt.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Using two tons of colorful breakfast cereal,
high school students in Smithfield, Utah helped their art teacher create a
gymnasium-sized replica of Vincent van Gogh's painting "Starry Night."
After admiring it for a few days, they dismantled the objet d'art and
donated it as food to a farm full of pigs. You might benefit from trying a
comparable project in the coming days, Taurus. What common everyday
things could you use in novel ways to brighten up your personal palette?
What humdrum part of your routine could you invigorate through the
power of creative nonsense? It's high time to try some experiments in
play therapy.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "The energy you use to read this sentence is
powered, ultimately, by sunlight," says science writer K.C. Cole, "perhaps
first soaked up by some grass that got digested by a cow before it turned
into the milk that made the cheese that topped the pizza. But sunlight,
just the same." That's a good seed thought to meditate on during the
current phase of your astrological cycle. In the coming weeks, you will
thrive by gleefully remembering your origins, by exuberantly honoring the
depths that sustain you, and by reverently returning to the source for a
nice, long drink of magic.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Speaking about her character Harry on the TV
show *Harry's Law,* Cancerian actress Kathy Bates said, "Harry is her own
woman. She isn't going to take guff from anybody. I'm very much like her.
I try to be diplomatic, but sometimes pterodactyls fly out of my mouth." I
wouldn't always advise you to follow Bates' lead, Cancerian, but in the
coming week I do: Be as tactful and sensitive as possible, but don't be shy
about naming the difficult truths or revealing the hidden agendas.
Pterodactyls may need to take wing.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "My green thumb came only as a result of the
mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of
view," said gardener H. Fred Ale. I urge you to experiment with a similar
approach in your own chosen field, Leo. Conjure up more empathy than
you ever have before in your life. Use your imagination to put yourself in
the place of whomever or whatever it is you hope to nurture and
commune with and influence. And be perfectly willing to make productive
errors as you engage in this extravagant immersion.
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Homework: Pretend that your dream has come true: that you're living the
life you've always wanted to. Testify at Freewillastrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2011 Rob Brezsny
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