Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
April 4, 2012
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/HcI8pW
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My book
*PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA*
is available at Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: http://bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Here are excerpts:
LETTERS TO THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB, Part 1
We who are devoted to pronoia created the Beauty and Truth Lab and
not the Beauty and Truth Think Tank because we want to put our ideas to
the test in the field -- to apply them in unpredictable situations beyond
our control and see whether they're useful to people who aren't
necessarily steeped in the mystique of pronoia.
One way we've gone about that is to encourage the public to testify and
ask questions about their practical experiences with pronoia. Below is Part
1 of a collection of exchanges that have unfolded since we began
discussing pronoiac themes on the BeautyandTruth.com website and in
the weekly astrology newsletter.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I'm a very analytical person, with a
doctorate in nuclear physics and a high-tech job. All my training and
business savvy tell me that Rob Brezsny's astrology column is
superstitious mumbo jumbo, yet every time I've faced a crisis in the last
10 years, his horoscopes have provided accurate wisdom and counsel
when things seemed darkest.
The same is true about the book *Pronoia.* The scientist in me knows
that you Beauty and Truth Lab people are utopian nutcases. It's
absolutely demented to regard the universe as friendly and to fantasize
that there's some vast, invisible conspiracy of blessing-bestowers. And
yet I have to confess that whenever I try the pronoiac strategies you
describe, my life veers in the direction of synchronicity and delight.
On the one hand, none of this makes any sense. On the other hand, I
don't care that it doesn't make any sense. Somehow I'm able to draw
sustenance from something whose power I don't understand or even
believe in. In any case, thank you! - Humble Genius
DEAR HUMBLE GENIUS: You've described a quality that we aspire to in our
efforts to cultivate pronoia: the ability to be helped by powers that are
beyond our understanding.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: Does pronoia make you feel like you're
falling in love? Not just with a person but with life itself? And can that be
scary? Is it possible that you might feel a chord of gorgeous terror
resound in your gut when you entertain the thought that every person
and even every animal and plant and rock in the world is ganging up to
make your life interesting -- almost more brilliantly interesting than you
can bear? Does pronoia threaten to cause all perceptions, all sensations,
all interactions to verge on being orgasmic?
I've been heading in this direction lately and it's freaking me out. Can
extreme happiness be dangerous to my well-being? - Butchtastic
DEAR BUTCHTASTIC: First thing we'll say is that while pronoia inevitably
feeds the soul, it doesn't necessarily further the agendas of the ego. The
anxiety that's welling up may be the result of your old self-image clinging
to the shrunken expectations it had gotten used to thinking of as
essential to its identity.
The second thing is that when people invite pronoia to take over their
perceptual filters, they often feel as if they're falling in love with a Scary
Yet Friendly Vastness that kicks their butts until they wake up to the
secret beauty they've been ignoring.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I'm battling mixed emotions. On the one
hand, I have frequent surges of intense compassion that make me want to
build houses for poor folks. On the other hand, I'm beset by flashes of
vanity that make me want to spend my money on Prada shoes and
expensive jewelry rather than on trips to Third World countries to help
Habitat for Humanity. Is it crazy and self-defeating to want both things?
- Torn and Guilty
DEAR TORN AND GUILTY: Try honoring both your urge to express beauty
and your desire to aid your fellow humans. We have a vision of you
wearing a gold tiara and Prada's Sculpted d'Orsay pumps as you wield
your hammer, framing a wall for a new house in Haiti.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: In your book *Pronoia,* you say, 'The
universe always gives us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it.'
I have a different view. I often find that I disagree with what the Universe
decides is best for me. But that usually turns out to be a good thing. It's
fun for me to always be arguing with God! I learn a lot and generate a lot
of high energy from trying to outmaneuver the divine will. What do you
think about that? - Cagey Dissident
DEAR CAGEY: Congratulations! You are the thousandth dissident to testify
that pronoia is not, in fact, the One Truth and the Only Way -- thereby
proving to our satisfaction that we have successfully prevented our
beloved Beauty and Truth Lab from being a shill for a fundamentalist
ideology. Please accept our most fantastic thanks. Your prize will be on its
way to you soon!
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: The chemo treatments burned out all the
math skills in my brain, which were already pretty meager. On the other
hand, they awakened my ability to feel perfectly at ease while in the midst
of paradoxical situations that everyone else finds maddening and
uncomfortable.
The chemo also made me ridiculously tolerant of people's contradictions,
sometimes even their hypocrisies, and freed me to enjoy life as an
entertaining movie with lots of interesting plot twists rather than as a
pitched battle between everything I like and everything I don't like. I
guess I could say that my cancer helped turn me into a pronoiac! - The
Chaos Artist Formerly Known as Risa Kline
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
FEMINIST PRONOIA
150 Fearless Women: fighting rape in the military . . . blocking sex slavery
. . . supporting victims of domestic violence . . . ensuring clean, safe
water for communities who didn't have it . . . journalists exposing social
injustice . . . resisting the abuses of religious fundamentalism:
http://tinyurl.com/7tda8r4
BUDDHIST PRONOIA
"You have within you unlimited capacities for extraordinary love, for joy,
for communion with life, and for unshakable freedom." So says Buddhist
teacher Jack Kornfield and my co-conspirator in spreading pronoia. His
book *The Wise Heart* provides practices in how to fully awaken that
good stuff.
http://tinyurl.com/6ult868
INTERPERSONAL PRONOIA
6 Ways to Empower Others
http://tinyurl.com/7u5e3nq
(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 April 5
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Please study this testimony: "Born in a rancid,
bat-infested cave at the base of the smoldering Sangay Volcano, I was
raised by the half-bear demon princess Arcastia. At the age of four my
training as a ninja shaman began when I was left naked and alone next to
a stream of burning lava with only two safety pins, a package of dental
floss, and a plastic bag full of Cheerios. My mission: to find my way to my
spiritual home." Now, Aries, I'd like you to compose your own version of
this declaration: a playful, over-the-top myth about your origins that gives
you a greater appreciation for the heroic journey you've been on all these
years.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Our ancestors owned slaves and denied
education to girls. What were they thinking? *Time* magazine asked
renowned historian David McCullough if there was anything we do today
that our descendants will regard as equally insane and inexcusable. His
reply: "How we could have spent so much time watching TV." I'll ask you,
Taurus, to apply this same exercise on a personal level. Think of some
things you did when you were younger that now seem incomprehensible
or ignorant. Then explore the possibility that you will look back with
incredulity at some weird habit or tweaked form of self-indulgence you're
pursuing today. (P.S. It's an excellent time to phase out that habit or self-
indulgence.)
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "I can't tell if I'm dealing well with life these
days or if I just don't give a sh-- any more." I stumbled upon that
comment at someecards.com, and I decided to pass it along for your
consideration. You may be pondering the same riddle: feeling suspicious
about why you seem more relaxed and tolerant than usual in the face of
plain old everyday chaos. I'm here to tell you my opinion, which is that
your recent equanimity is *not* rooted in jaded numbness. Rather, it's the
result of some hard work you did on yourself during the last six months.
Congrats and enjoy!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): What excites you, Cancerian? What mobilizes
your self-discipline and inspires you to see the big picture? I encourage
you to identify those sources of high-octane fuel, and then take
extraordinary measures to make them a strong presence in your life.
There has rarely been a better time than now for you to do this. It could
create effects that will last for years. (P.S. Here's a further nudge from
Ralph Waldo Emerson: "Every great and commanding movement in the
annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever
achieved without it.")
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): While browsing in a bookstore, I came across a
book and deck of cards that were collectively called *Tarot Secrets.* The
subtitle of the kit was "A Fast and Easy Way to Learn a Powerful Ancient
Art." I snorted derisively to read that claim, since I myself have studied
Tarot intensively for years and am nowhere near mastery. Later, though,
when I was back home meditating on your horoscope, I softened my
attitude a bit. The astrological omens do indeed suggest that in the
upcoming weeks and months, you just might be able to learn a rather
substantial skill in a relatively short time.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Writing in *The New Yorker,* Joanna Ravenna
paraphrased German philosopher Nietzsche: "The best way to enrage
people is to force them to change their mind about you." I'd like to see
you mutate this theory in the coming weeks, Virgo. If possible, see if you
can *amuse and entertain* people, not enrage them, by compelling them
to change their minds about you. I realize that's a tricky proposition, but
given the current astrological omens, I have faith that you can pull it off.
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Free Will Astrology's
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
feature suggestions on how to become more yourself
and liberate yourself from your suffering
Register and/or sign in at http://RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes seem to have the effect of activating
my inner teacher. Thanks!" - Eleanor A., Toronto
"When I listen to your audio 'scopes, my free will lights up." - Alex D., Los
Angeles
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In 1892, when Wrigley was just starting out as
a company, its main product was baking powder. Free chewing gum was
included in each package as a promotional gimmick. But soon the freebie
became so popular that Wrigley rearranged its entire business. Now it's a
multi-billion-dollar company that sells gum in 140 different countries --
and no baking powder. Maybe there's something like that on the verge of
happening in your own life, Libra: What seemed like the main event could
turn out to be secondary, or what seemed incidental might become a
centerpiece. Is there something you are overvaluing at the cost of
something you are undervaluing?
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): People in intimate relationships are
hypersensitive to negative comments from their partners. Psychologists
say it takes five compliments to outweigh the effects of a single dash of
derogatory criticism. I'm sure the ratio is similar even for relationships
that aren't as close as lovers and spouses. With this in mind, I urge you to
be extra careful not to dispense barbs. They would be especially
damaging during this phase of your astrological cycle -- both to you and
to those at whom you direct them. Instead, Scorpio, why not dole out an
abundance of compliments? They will build up a reservoir of goodwill
you'll be able to draw on for a long time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Researchers report that the typical man
falls in love 5.4 times over the course of his life, while the average woman
basks in the glow of this great mystery on 4.6 occasions. I suspect you
may be close to having a .4 or .6 type of experience, Sagittarius: sort of
like infatuation, but without the crazed mania. That could actually be a
good thing. The challenging spiritual project that relationship offers may
be most viable when the two people involved are *not* electrifyingly
interwoven with every last one of their karmic threads. Maybe we have
more slack in our quest for intimacy if we love but are not obsessed.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I couldn't wait for success," said rich and
famous comedian Jonathan Winters, "so I went ahead without it." I love
that approach, and I suggest you try it out. Is there any area of your life
that is held captive by an image of perfection? Consider the possibility
that shiny concepts of victory and progress might be distracting you from
doing the work that will bring you meaning and fulfillment. If you're too
busy dreaming of someday attaining the ideal mate, weight, job, pleasure,
and community, you may miss out on the imperfect but amazing
opportunities that are available right now.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): On Reddit.com, Kaushalp88 asked the
question, "What is the most badass thing that you have ever done, but
that other people weren't impressed by?" Here's his own story: "I was at
an ice-cream shop. At the exit, there was a small raised step I didn't see. I
tripped over it with my ice cream cone in my right hand. The ice cream
ball sprung out of the cone. I instinctively lurched my left hand forward
and grabbed it, but at the same time I was already falling toward the
pavement. I tucked my head into my chest and made a perfect
somersault, rising to my feet and plopping the ice cream back in the
cone." I suspect you will soon have comparable experiences, Aquarius --
unusual triumphs and unexpected accomplishments. But you may have to
be content with provoking awe in no one else beside yourself.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "Worry often gives a small thing a big
shadow." So says a Swedish proverb. Can we talk about this, please,
Pisces? Of course there are real hazards and difficulties in life, and they
deserve your ingenious problem-solving. But why devote any of your
precious energy to becoming embroiled in merely hyped-up hazards and
hypothetical difficulties? Based on my analysis of the astrological omens,
now is a propitious time to cut shadows down to their proper size. It's
also a perfect moment to liberate yourself from needless anxiety. I think
you'll be amazed at how much more accurate your perceptions will be as
a result.
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Homework: Do a homemade ritual in which you vow to attract more
blessings into your life. Report results at FreeWillAstrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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