Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 22, 2012
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/TSxhJz
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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. No matter how holy and good, everyone in the world has a portion of
the world's sickness inside them. It's known by many names: neurosis,
shadow, demon, devil. Many people try to deny that it inhabits them.
Others acknowledge its power so readily that they allow themselves to be
overwhelmed and distorted by it. At the Beauty and Truth Lab, we take a
position between those two positions. We accept the fact that the evil is
part of us, but treat it with compassionate amusement and flexible
vigilance. Our stance is partly that of loving parents and partly that of
warriors.
Once you make a commitment to explore the mysteries of pronoia, your
shadow will try to play tricks on you that it has never tried before. How
will you respond? We recommend an aggressive, tender, improvisational
approach. Be ready for anything. Avoid both blithe excesses of tolerance
and grave fundamentalism.
2. "We are attracted to people who express the qualities we deny or
repress in ourselves," says creativity expert Shakti Gawain. Using this idea
as your hypothesis, take an inventory of the people you're most drawn
to. Ask yourself whether they have talents and dreams that you wish
could come alive in you. If you find this to be the case, consider the
possibility that it's time to claim those talents or dreams as your own.
3. Philosopher William James proposed that if our culture ever hoped to
shed the deeply ingrained habit of going to war, we'd have to create a
moral equivalent. It's not enough to preach the value of peace, he said.
We have to find other ways to channel our aggressive instincts in order to
accomplish what war does, like stimulate political unity and build civic
virtue.
Astrology provides a complementary perspective. Each of us has the
warrior energy of the planet Mars in our psychological makeup. We can't
simply repress it, but must find a positive way to express it. How might
you go about this project?
4. Some of my readers complain when I draw inspiration from a public
figure they consider a bad person. Once I cited philosopher Bertrand
Russell, and a woman from Austin went ballistic: "Russell was a terrible
father! How dare you give him any credence?" Another time I invoked the
wisdom of ex-U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt. "What possessed you to
quote such a militaristic bully?" wrote an outraged emailer. Here's how I
respond to these grumbles: If I refused to learn from people unless I
agreed with everything they had ever said and done, I would never learn
from _anyone.
What about you? Have you set up your life so that everyone is either on
or off your good list? If so, try something new: Cultivate a capacity to
derive help and insight from people who aren't perfect.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
VERY GOOD OMEN ABOUT SERVING THE MOST BASIC NEEDS
Getting practical about searching for a new kind of toilet better suited for
preventing disease and death in developing countries.
http://tinyurl.com/boubmx7
POWERFUL PEOPLE DOING POWERFUL THINGS
President of Uruguay donates 90 percent of his salary to charity
http://tinyurl.com/8d9upaa
WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE MYSTERIOUS, UPLIFTING ART
Intricate crop circles of Buddhist symbol for infinite time and wisdom
appears in crop field
http://tinyurl.com/bmfyhy6
(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 23
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A guy I know was invited to hang one of his
paintings in a New York gallery -- on one condition. It had to be a piece he
created on the spot, in the gallery, on the day the show opened. That
would be way too much pressure for me to handle. I need to spend a long
time on the stuff I make, whether it's music or writing. I've got to fuss
over every little detail as I constantly edit and refine and add layers. What
about you, Virgo? Could you quickly come up with some new wrinkle or
fresh creation that would show the world who you really are? I'm guessing
we will soon find out.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): If you've been reading my horoscopes for a
while, you know I'm not a decadent cynic who thinks "no pain, no gain" is
the supreme formula for success. On the contrary. I think it's quite
possible to enjoy tremendous growth spurts when you're happy and
healthy. Pleasurable events can be great learning experiences. Joy and
freedom may activate potentials that would otherwise remain dormant.
Having said that, I want to make a suggestion that may seem at odds
with my usual approach, even though it's not. For the next two weeks, I
encourage you to explore the necessary power of decay. Harness the
archetypes of breakdown and dissolution as you put an end to things
whose time is up. This work is key to your future rejuvenation and
renaissance.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I'm going to ignore the Urban Dictionary's
more modern definitions of the word "yeast," and stick to the original
meaning: an agent of fermentation that brews alcoholic drinks and makes
bread dough rise. Metaphorically speaking, Scorpio, you should be like
that for your gang or crew or tribe. I urge you to stir up group morale.
Provoke deeper thought and stronger feelings. Instigate some bubbly new
trends and effervescent interactions. Be yeasty!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sussex is a county in southeast England.
Its official motto is "We wunt be druv," which is Sussex dialect for "We
won't be pushed around." It's not bad as mottoes go, I guess. There's
power in announcing to the world that you're not going to allow anyone
to manipulate you or bully you. But I'd like to see you come up with a
more robust battle cry for yourself, Sagittarius -- one that doesn't focus
on what you *won't* do, but rather on what you *will* do. It's an ideal
astrological moment to articulate your driving purpose in a pithy formula
that will give you strength whenever you invoke it.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "Most people consider global warming
somewhat of a mixed blessing," wrote Aaron Sankin on Huffington Post.
"On one hand, there's ocean acidification, deserts gobbling up wide
swaths of farmland and the massive die-off of the innumerable species
unable to cope with the effects of the world's rapidly rising temperature.
But, on the other hand, you'll be able to wear shorts for *literally the
entire year."* Sankin is being deeply sarcastic, of course. Let's make his
satire a jumping-off point as we consider some sincerely worthwhile trade-
offs you might want to implement in your own sphere. Would you be
willing to sacrifice a trivial comfort for a new privilege? Would you shed a
small pleasure to gain a much bigger pleasure? Might you divest yourself
of a pocket of resentment if in doing so you'd attract a cleansing
epiphany?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I don't expect your travels in the coming
weeks to be like a smooth luxury cruise in a stretch limousine. Your route
is not likely to be a straight shot through breathtaking scenery with
expansive views. No, my dear Aquarius, your journeys will be more
complicated than that, more snakey and labyrinthine. Some of the narrow
passages and weedy detours you'll need to navigate may not even
resemble paths, let alone highways. And your metaphorical vehicle may
resemble a funky old 1967 Chevy pick-up truck or a forklift bedecked
with flowers. It should be pretty fun, though. Keep in mind that your
maps may only be partially useful.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE
Since I put all my brainpower and heartpower into the written horoscopes
I send out in this newsletter, they're 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.
"Your expanded horoscopes get more personal and intimate with me than
some of my closest friends. Thanks for the loving reflections."
- Ari S., Ann Arbor, MI
"Your audio 'scopes have a knack for waking me up from whatever
random dream has sneaked into my brain and rendered me half-blind."
- Teresa F., Boston, MA
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In medieval times, you didn't need a priest to
get married, nor did you have to be in a church or recite a set of vows.
You didn't even have to round up witnesses. All that was required was
that the two people who wanted to be wed said "I marry you" to each
other. Those three words had great power! In the coming days, Pisces, I'd
love to see you draw inspiration from that lost tradition. Your assignment
is to dream up three potent declarations that, while not legally binding,
express the deepest and most loving intentions you promise to be faithful
to in the coming years. (More info on medieval marriage:
http://tinyurl.com/MedievalMarriage.)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Do you know what a controlled burn is?
Firefighters start small, manageable fires on purpose so as to eradicate
brush that has accumulated too close to wooded areas. With less fuel
around, bigger fires are not as likely to ignite accidentally and turn into
conflagrations. I encourage you to use this as a metaphor for your own
life, Aries. How? First, identify a big potential problem that may be
looming on the horizon. Then, in the coming weeks, get rid of all the small
messes that might tend to feed that big problem. Make sure it'll never
happen.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Jungian storyteller Clarissa Pinkola Estes
advises us to take good care of the untamed aspects of our nature. "The
wild life must be kept ordered on a regular basis," she writes. One way to
do this is to keep our uncommon and unruly ideas clear and organized. It's
also important to give them respect, and understand that they're crucial
to our spiritual and psychological health. How are you doing in this regard,
Taurus? What's your relationship with the untamed aspects of your
nature? According to my reading of the omens, now is prime time for you
honor and nurture and cultivate them.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): By my astrological reckoning, you're not nearly
wet enough right now. I recommend that you take immediate and
intensive steps to remedy the situation. There should not be anything
about you that is high and dry; you need to soak up the benefits that
come from being slippery and dripping. If you're suffering from even a
hint of emotional dehydration, you should submerse yourself in the
nearest pool of primal feelings. For extra credit, drink deeply from the
sacred cup that never empties.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In the 16th century, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V ruled over a vast swath of land that included 12 modern
European nations. According to some historians, he once said, "I speak
Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my
horse." This is the kind of attitude I recommend that you adopt in the
coming weeks, Cancerian. Tailor your language to the people and
creatures you're speaking to. Address them on their own level of
consciousness, respecting their limitations and appealing to their
particular kind of intelligence. Of course this is always a good policy, but
it's especially important for you to observe now. Fluency and flexibility will
be rewarded in ways you can't imagine.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Would you like to enhance your relationship with
money? If so, do you have any specific ideas about how to do it? The
coming weeks will be an excellent time to identify and implement those
ideas. Let me make an initial suggestion: Keep your magical thinking to a
minimum, but don't stamp it out entirely; a small amount of frisky
fantasizing will actually boost the likelihood that your more practical
intentions will achieve critical mass. Here's another tip: Imagine the
presents you'd get for people if you had some extra cash. Stimulating
your generous urges may help motivate the universe to be generous to
you.
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Homework: What's the single most important question you'd like to find
an answer for in the next five years? Tell all: Freewillastrology.com
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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