Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 1, 2012
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/OgmKXD
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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
Below is an excerpt. It's from the piece called "Subterranean Pronoia
Therapy."
1. Declare amnesty for the part of you that you don't love very well.
Forgive that poor sucker. Hold its hand and take it out to dinner and a
movie. Tactfully offer it a chance to make amends for the dumb things it
has done.
And then do a dramatic reading of this proclamation by the playwright
Theodore Rubin: "I must learn to love the fool in me -- the one who feels
too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and
loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt,
promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me
against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor
and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for
my fool."
2. The greatest gift you can give might be the gift that you yourself were
never given. Give that gift.
The most valuable service you have to offer your fellow humans may be
the service you have always wished were performed for you. Offer that
service.
An experience that wounded you could move you to help people who've
been similarly wounded. Heal yourself by healing others.
3. 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.
4. 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?
5. "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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Are you in quest of an Intimate Ally? A Soul Friend? A Wild Confidante?
Check out Match.com via Free Will Astrology's link:
http://bit.ly/SoulMatch
Look for a Co-Pilot, Co-Conspirator, or Collaborator . . . an Agent to
represent you or a Disciple to worship you . . . a Secret Sharer who'll
listen better than anyone or an Amazing Accomplice with whom you can
practice the Art of Liberation.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
YES, THERE IS SUCH A THING AS THE SCIENCE OF COMPASSION
"Empirically speaking, does the experience of compassion toward one
person measurably affect our actions and attitudes toward other people?
If so, are there practical steps we can take to further cultivate this
feeling? Recently, my colleagues and I conducted experiments that
answered yes to both questions."
http://tinyurl.com/6tawxe6
DID YOU GET YOUR MINIMUM DAILY REQUIREMENT OF BEAUTY?
Sunset in the Gobi Desert
http://i.imgur.com/swQqP.jpg
HAVE YOU ACTUALLY EVALUATED THE EVIDENCE FOR PRONOIA?
"People think the world is falling apart, and many are in a very dark
contemporary mood. But what is curious about this situation is that in
nearly every measurable way, the world is much better off than it has
ever been."
http://tinyurl.com/798wzd7
THE EVIDENCE KEEPS ACCUMULATING
A compendium of pronoiac news.
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 August 2
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You've been making pretty good progress in the
School of Life. By my estimates, you're now the equivalent of a
sophomore. You've mastered enough lessons so that you can no longer
be considered a freshman, and yet you've got a lot more to learn. Are you
familiar with the etymology of the word "sophomore"? It comes from two
Greek words meaning "wise" and "fool." That'll be a healthy way to think
about yourself in the coming weeks. Be smart enough to know what you
don't know. Cultivate the voracious curiosity necessary to lead you to the
next rich teachings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A few years ago, a Malaysian man named Lim
Boon Hwa arranged to have himself "cooked." For 30 minutes, he sat on a
board covering a pan full of simmering dumplings and corn. The fact that
no harm came to him was proof, he said, that Taoist devotees like him are
protected by their religion's deities. I advise you not to try a stunt like
that, Virgo -- including metaphorical versions. This is no time to stew in
your own juices. Or boil in your tormented fantasies. Or broil in your
nagging doubts. Or be grilled in your self-accusations. You need to be free
from the parts of your mind that try to cook you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): On a spring day in 1973, an engineer named
Martin Cooper debuted the world's first cell phone. He placed a call as he
walked along a New York City street. The phone weighed two and half
pounds and resembled a brick. Later he joked that no one would be able
to talk very long on his invention, since it took a lot of strength to hold it
against one's ear. Think of how far that amazing device has come since
then, Libra. Now imagine some important aspect of your own life that is in
a rather primitive state at this moment but could one day be as natural
and fully developed as cell phones have become. Are you willing to work
hard to make that happen? Now's a good time to intensify your
commitment.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the coming week, you will lose some clout
and self-command if you're too hungry for power. Likewise, if you act too
brazenly intelligent, you may alienate potential helpers who are not as
mentally well-endowed as you. One other warning, Scorpio: Don't be so
fiercely reasonable that you miss the emotional richness that's available.
In saying these things, I don't mean to sound as if I'm advising you to
dumb yourself down and downplay your strengths. Not at all. Rather, I'm
trying to let you know that the best way to get what you really need is to
tailor your self-expression to the unique circumstances you find yourself
in.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): For a while, French writer Honoré de
Balzac (1799-1850) was very poor. He lived in a place that had no heat
and almost no furniture. To enhance his environment, he resorted to the
use of fantasy. On one of his bare walls, he wrote the words, "rosewood
paneling with ornamental cabinet." On another, he wrote "Gobelin
tapestry with Venetian mirror." Over the empty fireplace he declared,
"Picture by Raphael." That's the level of imaginative power I encourage
you to summon in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. So much of what you'll
need will come from that simple magic.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): It's an excellent time to overthrow false
gods and topple small-minded authorities and expose fraudulent claims.
Anyone and anything in your environment that do not fully deserve the
power they claim should get the brunt of your exuberant skepticism.
When you're done cleaning up those messes, turn your attention to your
own inner realms. There might be some good work to be done there. Can
you think of any hypocrisy that needs fixing? Any excessive self-
importance that could use some tamping down? Any pretending that
would benefit from a counter dose of authenticity?
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YOU NEED MAGIC EVERY DAY
Every day, you have to wade through a relentless surge of soul-less facts.
The experience tends to shut down your sense of wonder.
Every day, you're over-exposed to narratives that have been sucked free
of delight and mystery. That's why you have to make such strenuous
efforts to keep your world enchanted.
I like to think I can contribute to the sacred cause of feeding your sense
of wonder and enchantment. In fact, that's one of my prime motivations
for offering you the free weekly horoscopes you read in this newsletter.
If you ever want more of that good stuff, and think it's worth paying for,
please consider trying out my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're
four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.
Go here to access them:
http://RealAstrology.com
You can also listen over the phone by calling
1-877-873-4888
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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In old China, people used to cool themselves
by sipping hot drinks. After taking a bath, they buffed the excess water
from their skin by using a wet towel. When greeting a friend, they shook
their own hand instead of the friend's. To erect a new house, they built
the roof first. You're currently in a phase of your astrological cycle when
this kind of behavior makes sense. In fact, I suspect you're most likely to
have a successful week if you're ready to reverse your usual way of doing
things on a regular basis.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I'm really tired of you not getting all of the
appreciation and acknowledgment and rewards you deserve. Is there even
a small possibility that you might be harboring some resistance to that
good stuff? Could you be giving off a vibe that subtly influences people
to withhold the full blessings they might otherwise confer upon you?
According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the coming weeks will
be an excellent time for you to work on correcting this problem. Do
everything you can to make it easy for people to offer you their love and
gifts.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The astrological omens suggest that you now
have a lot in common with the legendary Most Interesting Man in the
World -- adventurous, unpredictable, interesting, lucky, one-of-a-kind. To
create your horoscope, I have therefore borrowed a few selected details
from his ad campaign's descriptions of him. Here we go: In the coming
weeks, you will be the life of parties you don't even attend. Astronauts
will be able to see your charisma from outer space. Up to one-third of
your body weight will be gravitas. Your cell phone will always have good
reception, even in a subway 100 feet underground. Panhandlers will give
you money. You could challenge your reflection to a staring contest -- and
win. You'll be able to keep one eye on the past while looking into the
future. When you sneeze, God will say "God bless you."
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Psychologist Bruno Bettelheim said the
dreams we have at night are "the result of inner pressures which have
found no relief, of problems which beset a person to which he knows no
solution and to which the dream finds none." That sounds bleak, doesn't
it? If it's true, why even bother to remember our dreams? Well, because
we are often not consciously aware of the feelings they reveal to us. By
portraying our buried psychic material in story form, dreams give us
insight into what we've been missing. So even though they may not
provide a solution, they educate us. Take heed, Taurus! Your upcoming
dreams will provide useful information you can use to fix one of your
longstanding dilemmas.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): When French composer Georges Auric scored
the soundtrack for Jean Cocteau's movie *Blood of a Poet,* he produced
"love music for love scenes, game music for game scenes, and funeral
music for funeral scenes." But Cocteau himself had a different idea about
how to use Auric's work. For the love scenes he decided to use the
funeral music, for the game scenes the love music, and for the funeral
scenes the game music. In accordance with the current astrological
omens, Gemini, I recommend that you experiment with that style of
mixing and matching. Have fun! (Source: *A Ned Rorem Reader,* by Ned
Rorem.)
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Piglet was so excited at the idea of being
useful that he forgot to be frightened any more," wrote A.A. Milne in his
kids' story *Winnie-the-Pooh.* That's my prescription for how to evade
the worrisome fantasies that are nipping at you, Cancerian. If no one has
invited you to do some engaging and important labor of love, invite
yourself. You need to be needed -- even more than usual. P.S. Here's what
Rumi advises: "Be a lamp, or a lifeboat, or a ladder."
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Homework: Send news of your favorite mystery -- an enigma that is both
maddening and delightful. Freewillastrology.com
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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