Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
July 31, 2013
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/16bSIN9
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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. 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.
4. 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?
5. 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?
6. "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:
21 Pictures That Will Restore Your Faith In Humanity
http://tinyurl.com/kqgzk2a
India bans captive dolphin shows, says dolphins should be seen as non-
human persons.
http://tinyurl.com/kgal3o2
Yemeni Women to Watch. "I'm a rebellious woman. I'm against traditions,
stereotypes, and society rules that are imposed on us under no basis or
logical ground." With these words, a 23-year-old Alaa Al-Eryani introduces
herself. She is an outspoken feminist and confident that Yemeni women
will prevail in the near future. In her blog, she seems more determined.
"I'm not going to allow anyone to bring me down or tell me that 'I can't.' I
can and I will. Just watch me."
http://tinyurl.com/lszoht7
(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 1
Copyright 2013 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Sergei Diaghilev was a Russian ballet impresario
who founded Ballets Russes, one of the 20th century's great ballet
companies. At one point in his career he met French playwright Jean
Cocteau. Diaghilev dared Cocteau to write a piece for a future Ballets
Russes production. "Astonish me!" he said. It took seven years, but
Cocteau met the challenge. He created *Parade,* a ballet that also
featured music by Eric Satie and sets by Pablo Picasso. Now let's pretend
I'm Diaghilev and you're Cocteau. Imagine that I've just told you,
"Astonish me!" How will you respond? What surprising beauty will you
come up with? What marvels will you unleash?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Since 1948, the chemical known as warfarin
has been used as a pesticide to poison rats. Beginning in 1954, it also
became a medicine prescribed to treat thrombosis and other blood
ailments in humans. Is there anything in your own life that resembles
warfarin? A person or an asset or an activity that can either be
destructive or constructive, depending on the situation? The time will
soon be right for you to employ that metaphorical version of warfarin in
both capacities. Make sure you're very clear about which is which.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "My heart was a hysterical, unreliable organ,"
wrote Vladimir Nabokov in his novel *Lolita.* We have all gone through
phases when we could have uttered a similar statement. But I doubt that
this is one of those times for you, Libra. On the contrary. I suspect your
heart is very smart right now -- poised and lucid and gracious. In fact, I
suggest you regard the messages coming from your heart as more
trustworthy than any other part of you -- wiser than your head and your
gut and your genitals put together.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Holy Grail of skateboarding tricks is
called the 1080. To pull it off, a skateboarder has to do three complete
360-degree revolutions in mid-air and land cleanly. No one had ever pulled
it off until 12-year-old Tom Schaar did it in 2012. Since then, two other
teenage boys have managed the same feat. But I predict that a Scorpio
skateboarder will break the record sometime soon, managing a 1260, or
three and a half full revolutions. Why? First, because your tribe is
unusually geared to accomplish peak performances right now. And
second, you have a knack for doing complex maneuvers that require a lot
of concentration.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Can you think of ways that you have
been colonized? Have any powerful institutions filled up your brain with
ideas and desires that aren't in alignment with your highest values? For
instance, has your imagination gotten imprinted with conditioning that
makes you worry that your body's not beautiful enough or your bank
account's not big enough or your style isn't cool enough? If so,
Sagittarius, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to get
uncolonized. There has rarely been a better time than now to purge any
brainwashing that puts you at odds with your deepest self.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): An old Chinese poem tells us that "the
true measure of a mountain's greatness is not its height but whether it is
charming enough to attract dragons." You and I know there are no such
things as dragons, so we can't take this literally. But what if we treat it as
we might a fairy tale? I suggest we draw a metaphorical meaning from it
and apply it to your life. Let's say that you shouldn't be impressed with
how big and strong anything is; you shouldn't give your mojo to people or
institutions simply because they have worldly power. Rather, you will be
best served by aligning yourself with what's mysterious and fabulous.
You're more likely to have fun and generate good fortune for yourself by
seeking out stories that appeal to your soul instead of your ego.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE
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 here.
If you ever want more, and think it's worth paying for, try my EXPANDED
AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're available here:
Register and/or sign in at http://RealAstrology.com.
You can also access them by phone:
1-877-873-4888
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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The questions you have been asking aren't
terrible. But they could be formulated better. They might be framed in
such a way as to encourage life to give you crisp insights you can really
use rather than what you've been getting lately, which are fuzzy
conjectures that are only partially relevant. Would you like some
inspiration? See if any of these inquiries help hone your spirit of inquiry. 1.
What kind of teacher or teaching do you need the most right now? 2.
What part of you is too tame, and what can you do about it? 3. What
could you do to make yourself even more attractive and interesting to
people than you already are? 4. What is the pain that potentially has the
most power to awaken your dormant intelligence?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "There are some enterprises in which a
careful disorderliness is the true method." So says Ishmael, the hero of
Herman Melville's 19th-century novel *Moby Dick.* He is ostensibly
referring to whale hunting, which is his job, but some modern critics
suggest he's also talking about the art of storytelling. I suspect his
statement applies to a certain enterprise you are currently engaged in, as
well. Can you wrap your mind and heart around the phrase "careful
disorderliness," Pisces? I hope so, because I think it's the true method.
Here are some other terms to describe it: benevolent chaos; strategic
messiness; purposeful improvisation; playful experiments.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): To add zest to mealtime, you might choose
food that has been seasoned with red chili peppers, cumin, or other
piquant flavors. Some chimpanzees have a similar inclination, which is why
they like to snack on red fire ants. Judging from the astrological omens,
I'm guessing you are currently in a phase when your attraction to spicy
things is at a peak -- not just for dinner but in other areas of your life, as
well. I have a suggestion: Pursue rowdy fun with adventures that have
metaphorical resemblances to red chili peppers, but stay away from those
that are like red fire ants.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The 19th-century English artist John
Constable specialized in painting landscapes. The countryside near his
home especially excited him. He said, "The sound of water escaping from
mill dams, willows, old rotten planks, slimy posts, and brickwork, I love
such things. They made me a painter, and I am grateful." Take a cue from
Constable, Taurus. Spend quality time appreciating the simple scenes and
earthy pleasures that nourish your creative spirit. Give your senses the
joy of getting filled up with vivid impressions. Immerse yourself in
experiences that thrill your animal intelligence.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): This is Grand Unification Week for you Geminis.
If your left hand has been at war with your right hand, it's a perfect
moment to declare a truce. If your head and heart have not been seeing
eye to eye, they are ready to find common ground and start conspiring
together for your greater glory. Are there any rips or rifts in your life?
You will generate good fortune for yourself if you get to work on healing
them. Have you been alienated from an ally or at odds with a beloved
dream or separated from a valuable resource? You have a lot of power to
fix glitches like those.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): In an episode of the TV show *Twin Peaks,*
special agent Dale Cooper gives the following advice to his colleague
Harry: "I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day,
give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen."
Now I'm passing on this advice to you, Cancerian. It's a perfect time for
you to try out this fun game. You are in a phase of your astrological cycle
when you'll be wise to intensify your commitment to self-care . . . and
deepen your devotion to making yourself feel good . . . and increase your
artistry at providing yourself with everything you need to thrive.
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Homework: Compose a love spell to get more of the intimate connection
you want, but without manipulating anyone's free will. Tell me about it at
Freewillastrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2013 Rob Brezsny
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