Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 5, 2012
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/Tgm06i
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Dear Readers:
I suspect that none of us has the capacity to foretell the future of the
human race. No one -- not psychics, not doomsayers, not intelligent
optimists, indigenous shamans, no one.
There is a strong case to be made that this is the worst of times, and an
equally strong case that this is the best of times; a strong case that
everything will collapse into a miserable dystopia and a strong case that
we are on the verge of a golden age.
It's impossible to know in any "objective way" which is "truer." Anyone
who asserts they do know is just cherry-picking evidence that rationalizes
their emotional bent. The variables are chaotic and abundant and beyond
our ken.
In the meantime, I'm doing what I can to create a golden age. And you?
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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's an excerpt:
LETTERS TO THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB, Part 2
DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: Can you tell me why my trivial prayers
are often answered (please don't let the light turn red, please let there be
enough milk for one cup of coffee, etc.), but never my big life-changing
prayers (please send me a soul mate, please help me make money at what
I love to do)? Are God's priorities screwed up, or is it me? - Dumb Luck
Collector
Dear DLC: There's an old fairy tale in which two old folks are given three
wishes by a magic dwarf, but impulsively waste them on the first silly
whims that pop into their heads. I'll tell you what I would have told them:
Proceed on the assumption that only a few of your fervent prayers will be
granted. Don't use them up on pleas for convenience when you're tired,
cranky, or desperate. A Tibetan proverb says, "The person who gets
stuck on petty happiness will not attain great happiness."
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: You must be kidding with your Pollyanna
crap. Either that or you're lying to get gullible people to love you and give
you money.
The truth is, life is not in the least bit kind. It's a brutal struggle for
survival -- at best. We are, sadly, animals who are stuck being conscious
of our own mortality, forever stalked by death, and trying to avoid both
that knowledge and the inevitable appearance of the grim reaper. Wake
up and see the sickness and misery that life on this planet really is. - Your
Good Cheer Makes Me Puke
Dear Puker: It's true that the Beauty and Truth Lab errs on the side of
optimism, but only because so many so-called experts and leaders err on
the side of cynicism. Our calling is to overcompensate for the relentless
propaganda that creates the false impression that ugliness rules the
world.
By the way, when we urge people to more fully appreciate the multitude
of blessings they take for granted, it's not the same as advising them to
pretend there's no suffering in the world.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I recently borrowed a copy of
href="http://www.amazon.com/Pronoia-Antidote-Paranoia-Revised-
Expanded/dp/1556438184/ref=ed_oe_p">Pronoia from my
local library. I was attracted to the idea of scribbling my thoughts and
ideas in the book, but I was unsure whether I should commit this act of
flagrant vandalism. Then I noticed the book had been borrowed at least a
half dozen times prior, but nobody had written anything in it. I was
shocked. Clearly they were zombies, or else too (un-pronoiacally?)
reverent to the sacred scrolls to tarnish its beauty.
So, my question is: Would you write, scribble, and doodle in a library
book? —Artillery
Dear Artillery: Did you ever hear the CD called *The Bees Made Honey in
the Lion's Skull*? We're listening to it right now.
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: I was lying in my bed basking in a
sunbeam this morning, too comfortable to get up and take my Prozac,
when I thought, Hey, what if I'm not, you know, emotionally challenged?
What if I'm just lazy? Maybe if I worked harder at cultivating happiness, I'd
just sort of outgrow my depression -- you know, render it irrelevant. Do
you have an opinion about this theory? - Slothful Slack Seeker
Dear Slothful: We'd have to know more about your personal history to
evaluate whether laziness is the cause of your depression. We do know
this, though: Many people are extremely lax about their pursuit of
happiness. Here's our question to you: What tricks would you have to play
on yourself in order to get more aggressive about mastering the art of
feeling really good?
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: It's my goal to become a Texas
Congressman 12 years from now and a Senator 20 years from now. I have
a lot of original ideas about how to make the world a better place, and
I've decided that the best way to make them happen is by becoming a
force in national politics. Do you have any advice on how to proceed in a
pronoiac manner? - Pragmatic Idealist Who Doesn't Need to Marry a
Blond, Blue-Eyed Cheerleader with Six-Pack Abs
Dear Pragmatic Idealist: First, you could obtain a piece of the Burning
Bush from the monastery of St. Catherine of Alexandria on Mt. Sinai. Next,
acquire a tooth or finger bone of Mary Magdalene from one of her
reliquaries in southern France. Bring these sacred objects to the
NorthPark Center shopping mall in Dallas during a blow-out sale. While
kneeling in front of the ATM near Neiman Marcus, place a shred of the
bush under your tongue as you stroke the tooth or finger bone and
reverently intone Emily Dickenson's poem "Soul at the White Heat."
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DEAR BEAUTY AND TRUTH LAB: During your shows or workshops or
rituals or whatever you call them, I have heard you refer to "learning the
difference between stupid suffering and smart suffering." I had no idea
what you were talking about until recently.
The truth finally hit me the morning after I climbed into bed with my sort
of ex-boyfriend. He's pretty good at the sex thing, technically speaking,
even though his inability to converse intelligently and honestly about
emotions drives me into the ninth level of the abyss.
Afterward, as I got dressed, feeling that bizarre and oh-so-familiar
disjunction of having had a physical release but being utterly distraught
by the lack of authentic connection between me and the person who
helped incite that orgasm, I suddenly thought, "Wow! This is stupid
suffering. I've done this and done this and done this to death. Stupid
suffering is repeating a lesson I've already learned and been through."
In the next breath I mused, "Maybe smart suffering is what happens when
I'm trying something new, taking a good risk, that will teach me tough
lessons I didn't even realize I needed to learn."
Thanks to you people for planting the seed in my head, and thanks to me
for finally sprouting it. - Smart Sufferer
Dear Smart Sufferer: Don't be too hard on yourself about your "stupid"
suffering -- especially in this case. Your stupid suffering was actually
pretty smart, since it catalyzed in you an insight about avoiding stupid
suffering in the future.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
PRONOIA FOR THE POOR
Iceland economy is recovering from its collapse a few years ago? How?
Because it has pushed losses on to bondholders instead of taxpayers, and
because it has safeguarded a welfare system that shielded the
unemployed from poverty.
http://tinyurl.com/c83qzpd
http://tinyurl.com/8h49d7f
THE PRONOIAC REVOLUTION STARTS WITH YOU
Honesty as a Soul-Making Activity
"Honesty is not just refraining from deliberate lies, it's the positive act of
living in accordance with the deepest truth you can discover."
http://tinyurl.com/8lxgqld
STARS ARE BEING BORN RIGHT NOW
When's the last time you saw a stellar nursery?
http://tinyurl.com/9ppkt4p
(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 6
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I'll bet that *a-ha!* experiences will arrive at a
faster rate than you've seen in a long time. Breakthroughs and
brainstorms will be your specialty. Surprises and serendipitous adventures
should be your delight. The only factor that might possibly obstruct the
flow would be if you clung too tightly to your expectations or believed
too fiercely in your old theories about how the world works. I've got an
idea about how to ensure the best possible outcome. Several times every
day, say something like the following: "I love to get my curiosity spiked,
my hair mussed, my awe struck, my goose bumps roused, my dogmas
exploded, and my mind blown."
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "Disappointments should be cremated, not
embalmed," said the aphorist Henry S. Haskins. That's good advice for
you right now, Libra. It's an auspicious moment for you to set fire to your
defeats, letdowns, and discouragements -- and let them burn into tiny
piles of ashes. I mean all of them, stretching back for years, not simply
the recent ones. There's no need to treat them like precious treasures
you have an obligation to lug with you into the future. The time is right
for you to deepen your mastery of the art of liberation.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Columnist Sydney J. Harris told the following
story. "I walked with a friend to the newsstand the other night, and he
bought a paper, thanking the owner politely. The owner, however, did not
even acknowledge it. 'A sullen fellow, isn't he?' I commented as we
walked away. 'Oh, he's that way every night,' shrugged my friend. 'Then
why do you continue being so polite to him?' I asked. And my friend
replied, 'Why should I let him determine how I'm going to act?'" I hope
you'll adopt that approach in the coming week, Scorpio. Be your best self
even if no one appreciates it or responds. Astrologically speaking, this is
prime time to anchor yourself in your highest integrity.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In the 1960 Olympics at Rome,
Ethiopian runner Abebe Bikila was barefoot as he won a gold medal in the
marathon race. Four years later, at the summer games in Tokyo, he won a
gold medal again, this time while wearing shoes. I'm guessing this theme
might apply to you and your life in the coming weeks. You have the
potential to score another victory in a situation where you have
triumphed in the past. And I think it's even more likely to happen if you
vary some fundamental detail, as Bikila did.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Wikipedia has extensive lists of the biggest
unsolved problems in medicine, computer science, philosophy, and nine
other fields. Each article treats those riddles with utmost respect and
interest, regarding them not as subjects to be avoided but rather
embraced. I love this perspective, and urge you to apply it to your own
life. This would be an excellent time, astrologically speaking, to draw up a
master list of your biggest unsolved problems. Have fun. Activate your
wild mind. Make it into a game. I bet that doing so will attract a flood of
useful information that'll help you get closer to solving those problems.
(Here's Wikipedia's big list: tinyurl.com/ListofProblems.)
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There's a certain lesson in love that you
have been studying and studying and studying -- and yet have never quite
mastered. Several different teachers have tried with only partial success
to provide you with insights that would allow you to graduate to the next
level of romantic understanding. That's the bad news, Aquarius. The good
news is that all this could change in the coming months. I foresee a
breakthrough in your relationship with intimacy. I predict benevolent jolts
and healing shocks that will allow you to learn at least some of the open-
hearted truths that have eluded you all this time.
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Free Will Astrology's
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
featuring tips and suggestions
to help liberate you from your suffering
and recover parts of your soul that you have neglected
or misplaced or been separated from . . .
Register and/or sign in at http://RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
"With your Expanded Audio Horoscopes, I feel like you're collaborating
with me to unlock the deeper mysteries I've been ignorant about even
though they've been influencing me." - Patti L., Minneapolis
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes help me get insights into what I don't
understand about myself." - Abraham P., Seattle
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A mother wrote to the "Car Talk" columnists
to ask whether it's possible to cook food on a car engine. She wanted to
be able to bring her teenage son piping hot burritos when she picked him
up from school. The experts replied that yes, this is a fine idea. They said
there's even a book about how to do it, *Manifold Destiny: The One! The
Only! Guide to Cooking on Your Car Engine!* I suggest you engage in this
kind of creative thinking during the coming week, Pisces. Consider
innovations that might seem a bit eccentric. Imagine how you might use
familiar things in unexpected ways. Expand your sense of how to
coordinate two seemingly unrelated activities.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Life tests you all the time. Sometimes its
prods and queries are hard and weird; they come at you with non-stop
intensity. On other occasions the riddles and lessons are pretty fun and
friendly, and provide you with lots of slack to figure them out. In all cases,
life's tests offer you the chance to grow smarter, both in your head and
heart. They challenge you to stretch your capacities and invite you to
reduce your suffering. Right now, oddly enough, you have some choice in
what kinds of tests you'd prefer. Just keep in mind that the more
interesting they are, the bigger the rewards are likely to be.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): According to the religion of ancient Egypt,
Tefnut is the goddess of moisture. In the natural world, she rules rain,
dew, mist, humidity, and condensation. For humans, she is the source of
tears, spit, sweat, phlegm, and the wetness produced by sex. In
accordance with the astrological omens, I nominate her to be your
tutelary spirit in the coming week. I suspect you will thrive by cultivating
a fluidic sensibility. You will learn exactly what you need to learn by paying
special attention to everything that exudes and spills and flows.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I'm guessing that you don't know the name of
the person who sent the first email. It was Ray Tomlinson, and he did it in
1971. You're probably also unaware that he originated the use of the @
symbol as a key part of email addresses. Now I'd like to address your own
inner Ray Tomlinson, Gemini: the part of you that has done valuable work
hardly anyone knows about; the part of you that has created good stuff
without getting much credit or appreciation. I celebrate that unsung hero,
and I hope you will make a special effort to do the same in the coming
week.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Busy editor Katie Hintz-Zambrano was asked
in an interview what she does when she's not working at her demanding
job. She said she likes to gets together with her "article club," which is
like a book club, except it's for people who don't have time to read
anything longer than articles. I would approve of you seeking out short-
cut pleasures like that in the next few weeks, Cancerian. It's one of those
phases in your astrological cycle when you have a poetic license to skip a
few steps, avoid some of the boring details, and take leaps of faith that
allow you to bypass complicated hassles.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Imagine you're living in 1880. You're done with
work for the day, and are at home enjoying some alone-time leisure
activities. What might those be? By the light of your oil lamp, you could
read a book, sing songs, compose a letter with pen and paper, or write in
your diary. Now transfer your imaginative attention to your actual living
space in 2012. It might have a smart phone, tablet, laptop, TV, DVD
player, and game console. You've got access to thousands of videos,
movies, songs, social media, websites, and networked games. Aren't you
glad you live today instead of 1880? On the other hand, having so many
choices can result in you wasting a lot of time with stimuli that don't fully
engage you. Make this the week you see what it's like to use your leisure
time for only the highest-quality, most interesting and worthwhile stuff.
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Homework: What are you more than ready for? What change have you
prepared yourself to embrace? What lesson are you ripe to master? Write:
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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