Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 14, 2011
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/nptbli
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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
YOUR BRAND NEW NAME
In some spiritual traditions, devotees attempt an arduous process of self-
transformation as they retrain themselves to perceive the world from
God's point of view. If they succeed, they're honored with an initiation
ritual and given a new name to consecrate their altered state.
I have the same problem with this custom that I have with the idea of
enlightenment: Once isn't enough. Just as anyone in his or her right
spiritual mind has a duty to keep claiming fresh varieties of enlightenment
until the end of time, so should the initiations and renamings continue
forever.
In my opinion, these considerations apply to you. You may not have
sequestered yourself for years in a mountaintop monastery, and you may
not have risen every morning at 5 a.m. to say prayers for hours, but you
are an authentic devotee who has undergone equivalent ordeals. Your
spiritual transformation has unfolded as you've dealt with the challenges
of daily life during our epic moment in history, when unprecedented levels
of annihilation and resurrection are the norm.
You have earned the right, therefore, to enjoy enlightenment after
enlightenment and initiation after initiation and renaming after renaming.
I invite you to get started with a do-it-yourself initiation ceremony. It
doesn't have to be long and complicated, and you can create it yourself.
As an example of what you might do, here's a ritual that some Beauty and
Truth Laboratory's initiates have performed: 1. Eat a pinch of dirt to
declare your solidarity with Mother Earth. 2. Burn a five-dollar bill to purify
your relationship with symbols of wealth. 3. Kick yourself in the ass to
affirm your ongoing intention to discipline your shadow.
As one of your initiatory rewards, consider adopting a fresh alias during
this and every initiation you carry out in the future. You can abandon your
existing name if you want, or simply add your new tag to the current mix.
To celebrate the occasion, I invoke on your behalf the inspiration of all
shedding things. Your tree of power will be the eucalyptus, whose bark
peels away to reveal fresh layers beneath. Your lucky symbol will be the
molting snake. Your sacred insect will be the silverfish, which bursts
through its exoskeleton as it grows a new and bigger one. Your role model
will be Japanese artist Hokusai (1760-1849), who had such a passionate
commitment to reinventing himself that he celebrated 60 births, each
time giving himself a new name.
Below is a list of Native American-style titles and names you might want
to steal for your own use. Feel free to dream up your own, of course.
Wild Face
Shadow Wrestler
Kiss Genius
Goal Thwacker
Boink Worthy
Fizzy Nectar
Thrill Witch
Rowdy Gusto
Bliss Mutator
Silky Banger
Phoenix Nectar
Mucho Gusto Coco Loco
Mango Sucker
Pain Killer
Fire Keeper
Wobble Binder
Earthshaker
Wish Crayon
Pearly Thunder
Thumper
Gut Stormer
Storm Tamer
Free Sigh
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
CONSPIRACY TO CREATE CLEAN ENERGY
Brazilian wind power now cheaper than natural gas
http://tinyurl.com/3tueyac
CONSPIRACY TO CREATE LIFE-SAVING DRUGS
New drug could cure nearly any virus
http://tinyurl.com/3m7pt8f
CONSPIRACY TO COMMIT INCREDIBLE BEAUTY
Whoever or whatever makes crop circles, they're beautiful.
http://tinyurl.com/3saqrun
(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 15
Copyright 2011 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "Everything is unique," said the 19th-century
authors known as the Goncourt brothers, who wrote all their books
together. "Nothing happens more than once in a lifetime. The physical
pleasure that a certain woman gave you at a certain moment, the
exquisite dish that you ate on a certain day -- you will never meet either
again. Nothing is repeated, and everything is unparalleled." Of course this
is always true. But I suspect you will be more intensely aware of it in the
coming days than you have in a long time. In part that's because the
sensations and experiences headed your way will be so piquantly unique,
so exquisitely fresh. And in part it's because you'll be wide-awake to the
novel pleasures that are possible when you appreciate the fact that
everything changes all the time.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "Sentiment without action is the ruin of the
soul," said environmentalist Edward Abbey. The "ruin" doesn't happen all
of a sudden, because of a single small failure to translate sincere
intentions into good works. Rather, it's the result of long-running laziness
or passivity -- a consistent inability to do what one's passions demand. If
there is even a shred of this tendency in your make-up, Libra, now is an
urgent time to shed it. According to my astrological analysis, you simply
must carry out your soul's mandates.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I would of course never advocate burning all
copies of the book *Faking It: How to Seem Like a Better Person Without
Actually Improving Yourself.* I'm a staunch defender of freedom of
speech, even if the speech offends my moral sense. On the other hand,
my freedom of speech allows me to advise you to strenuously avoid that
book and any influence that resembles it. In my astrological opinion, you
need to actually become a better person in the coming weeks, not just
pretend you are. Here's a good place to start: Don't just pay lip service to
the idea of supporting others' freedom of speech. Help them claim and
express that freedom, even if it makes you uncomfortable.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Every one of us is born with up to 150
new mutations that make us different from both of our parents. Most of
those genetic alterations are neutral in their effects. Some are negative
and a few may be beneficial. I bring this to your attention, Sagittarius,
because you're entering a phase when it's possible to take more
advantage of your positive mutations than you ever have before. Can you
guess what they are? Try to, because you're primed to tap in to their
fuller potential.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Dictionary.com says there are 19 words in
the English language with no perfect rhymes. Among them are six words
that are useful in constructing this week's horoscope for you: cusp,
glimpsed, depth, rhythm, gulf, and opus. I like the fact that none of them
rhyme because it's symbolic of the task you have ahead of you. You're on
the cusp of a shift in your rhythm that will take you out of your depth,
compelling you to close the gulf between you and a resource that will be
crucial for you to have access to in the future. You've glimpsed what
needs to be done -- the creation of a new opus -- but in order to
accomplish it, you will need to be motivated by a frustration that feels
like having to rhyme unrhymeable words.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Jerusalem Syndrome is a temporary
psychological phenomenon that on rare occasions overtakes travelers
who visit Jerusalem. Under the influence of ancient holy sites, these
people may become obsessed with religious themes or experience
delusions that they are characters from stories in the Bible or Koran. I
don't expect you to fall under the sway of such an outbreak, Aquarius,
but I do suspect that you will soon have some intense spiritual stirrings.
To ensure that they will enlighten you, not dishevel you, stay well-
grounded. Have regular meals, please. Sleep well and exercise now and
then.
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MY OTHER HOROSCOPES
Factual information and reasonable thinking alone are not sufficient to
guide you through life's labyrinthine tests. You need and deserve regular
deliveries of uncanny revelation.
One of your inalienable rights as a human being should therefore be to
receive mysteriously useful omens on a regular basis. In this spirit, I offer
you the free weekly horoscopes you read in this newsletter.
If you ever want more, and think it's worth paying for, try my daily text
message 'scopes or my expanded audio 'scopes.
Go here to access them:
http://RealAstrology.com
The weekly forecasts are also available by phone:
1-877-873-4888
"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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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): My Pisces friend Rana Satori Stewart coined
some new words that happen to be perfect for you to begin using and
embodying. "Blissipline," she says, is "the commitment to experiencing a
little or a lot of bliss every day; the practice of expanding one's capacity
for bliss and being open to receive it in any moment." A "blissiplinarian" is
"someone who enforces pleasure and invites opportunities for more
pleasure," while a "blissciple" is a person who aspires to master the art of
blissipline. I encourage you to be a blissciple, Pisces, because it will put
you in sync with the effervescent invitations the cosmos has scheduled
for you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "An awakened Aries would rather err on the
side of making a daring, improvisational mistake than cuddle up with
passionless peace," writes astrologer Hunter Reynolds. "He or she knows
that creative conflict can be a greater unifying force than superficial
harmony." This is an excellent keynote for you to keep in mind during the
coming days. But make sure your motivations are pure and humble,
please. If the daring improvisation you launch is fueled by arrogance or
the urge to dominate, your efforts to shake things up for the greater
good will fail. Fight against what Reynolds calls "terrified niceness" -- but
do it with fierce compassion, not sneering rage.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Back in 2009, John Allwood, an Australian
melon-picker, used his head to smash 47 watermelons in 60 seconds.
That broke the previous world record of 40 in a minute, also set by him a
couple of years earlier. I've chosen him to be your role model for the
coming week, Taurus -- for two reasons. First, you're primed to outstrip a
personal best you achieved some time back. So do it! Second, it's a
perfect time to use your head in fun and creative ways.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): According to April Winchell's book *Regretsy:
Where DIY Meets WTF,* here are some of the treasures you can find for
sale at Etsy.com: a toy pig made from a root beer can; a "juicy enchanted
pouch" for holding runes; a handmade hornet's nest; a stuffed feral goat
fashioned to resemble a unicorn; fake tapeworms that are actually spray-
painted fettucine; and a "haunted Ouija board Las Vegas casino-style
blackjack roulette poker chip." I would absolutely love it if you designed
something like this and hawked it on Etsy, Gemini. Your skill as an
idiosyncratic creator will soon be peaking, as will your capacity for
marketing the most unique aspects of your shtick and style.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Specialization is for insects," said science
fiction writer Robert Heinlein. "A human being should be able to change a
diaper, plan an invasion, design a building, write a sonnet, balance
accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give
orders, cooperate, act alone, pitch manure, cook a tasty meal, fight
efficiently." I bring this thought to your attention, Cancerian, because it's
an excellent time for you to broaden your understanding and expand your
repertoire. How many of the things that Heinlein names can you do? Make
a list of your talents, and try to add some new ones to that list in the
coming weeks.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A veterinarian in Nashville was asked to do
something he had never done: diagnose and treat a wounded whooping
crane. Experts devoted to safeguarding the endangered species advised
him to wear a billowy white suit. That way the wild bird would be more
likely to accept his attention. "You learn very quickly how to communicate
dressed as a marshmallow," the vet said after completing his work. Be
prepared for a metaphorically similar encounter, Leo. You, too, may face a
prospect that resembles interspecies conversation. I hope you'll be as
adaptable as the vet.
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Homework: What are the main dreams you want to accomplish in each of
the next three decades? Have fun brainstorming. Testify at
Freewillastrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2011 Rob Brezsny
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