Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
May 7, 2014
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/1kQUUAg
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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:
THE MYSTERY OF YOUR THIRST
Imagine this scene. You're really thirsty -- so dehydrated that you're
feeling faint. Yet here's the weird thing: You're walking along the bank of
a wide river that's so clear you could see the bottom if you looked.
But you're not looking. In fact, you seem oblivious to the surging force of
nature just a few yards away.
Is it invisible to you? Are you so preoccupied with your suffering that
you're blind to the very source that would end your suffering?
Up ahead you see a man. As you approach, you realize he's holding a
bottle of water. You run to him and beg him to let you drink. He readily
agrees. Gratefully, you guzzle the precious liquid, then thank him
profusely.
As you walk away, he calls after you, "By the way, there's a lot more
water over there," and he points to the river.
Do you hear him? If you hear him, do you believe him? Or do you keep
walking, hoping to find another person with another bottle somewhere up
ahead?
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Acquiring problems is a fundamental human need. It's as crucial to your
well-being as getting food, air, water, sleep, and love. You define
yourself -- indeed, you make yourself -- through the puzzling dilemmas you
attract and solve. The most creative people on the planet are those who
frame the biggest, hardest questions and then gather the resources
necessary to find the answers.
- http://bit.ly/Pronoia
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From an article about me in "The Independent," published in Durham, NC:
"I have witnessed this growing narrative of the world as lost, as terrible,
as a miserable pit of ugliness," Brezsny said. "Most of what's reported in
the news, probably 95 percent, portrays human beings as corrupt, ugly,
depressed, sad, sick. And that has never been my perception. My
perception has always been that yes, there's a lot of suffering, but
primarily people are really happy to be alive.
"So one of the passions that I felt was to ask people to at least consider
the possibility that life is a lot better than they imagine."
That's what Pronoia is about -- furnishing 888 tricks for becoming a
"master of rowdy bliss," according to the book's back cover. It's not a
matter of becoming a Pollyanna-ish ninny, as Brezsny explained it to me.
It's more like welcoming experience on all its frequencies, even the
difficult ones, and considering that the universe continually gives you
what you need, if not exactly what you want.
- Read the rest of the article: http://tinyurl.com/d3jaj3s
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Think globally,
but act locally.
Plan for the future,
but act in the present.
Dream of all the masterpieces you'd be thrilled to create,
but work on just one at a time.
Lust for every enticing soul you see,
but only make love to the imperfect beauty you're actually with.
Allow yourself to be flooded
with every last feeling that bubbles up from your subconscious,
but understand that only a very few of these feelings
need to be forcefully expressed.
Be passionately attuned
to all the injustices and hypocrisies you see around you,
but be selective when choosing which of those you will actually fight.
- http://bit.ly/Televisionary
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My book *THE TELEVISIONARY ORACLE* has been reprinted and is also
available as an e-book:
Hard-copy book: http://bit.ly/Televisionary
Kindle edition: http://bit.ly/12791ba
Read the first four chapters here: http://bit.ly/y6br6D
See the cover: http://bit.ly/yHbHHF
Read the review in *Rain Taxi*: http://bit.ly/x7yMoT
Excerpts from that review:
"*The Televisionary Oracle* is a powerful example of how ancient
mysticism may just be the best tool for revolutionary action, both for the
individual and the society."
"What's amazing is how Brezsny's prose remains invigorating in the
transition from weekly astrology to larger scope writing. The prose is still
poetic, circular, almost dancing, combining the narrative voices of Anais
Nin, Tom Robbins, David Ignatow, and a host of ancient mystics."
"Other New Age, spiritualist novels lead the reader to take a fresh look at
the world by ignoring the economic and corrupt nightmares of capitalism
and its pollution of culture. But instead of looking away and pointing to a
daisy field or deities seated upon fluffy clouds, Brezsny alternates his
world-as-an-illusion, 'utopia ahead' narrative with insightful cultural
critique."
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
"Why Are We More Optimistic About Ourselves Than About Our Society?
It's easier to be hopeful about our individual futures than our collective
ones because we have more control over them. But the two are
inextricably linked."
http://tinyurl.com/kt37jqq
"To My Friend the Climate Defeatist: Here's Why I'm Still In the Fight
It is good to mourn for what's being lost. But giving up just gives the
fossil fuel industry what it wants."
http://tinyurl.com/pfjaba8
10 Formerly Homeless People Who Used Rock Bottom As A Springboard
To Greatness
http://tinyurl.com/ntrnwsw
(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 May 8
Copyright 2014 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Free jazz is a type of music that emerged in
the 1950s as a rebellion against jazz conventions. Its meter is fluid and
its harmonies unfamiliar, sometimes atonal. Song structures may be
experimental and unpredictable. A key element in free jazz is collective
improvisation -- riffing done not just by a featured soloist, but by the
entire group of musicians playing together. To prepare for your
adventures in the coming days, Taurus -- which I suspect will have
resemblances to free jazz -- you might want to listen to music by its
pioneers, like Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, and Sun Ra. Whatever you
do, don't fall prey to scapabobididdilywiddilydoobapaphobia, which is the
fear of freestyle jazz.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Apple and Exxon are the most valuable
companies in America. In third place, worth more than $350 billion, is
Google. Back in 1999, when the future Internet giant was less than a year
old, Google's founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page tried to sell their baby
for a mere million dollars. The potential buyer was Excite, an online service
that was thriving at the time. But Excite's CEO turned down the offer,
leaving Brin and Page to soldier onward by themselves. Lucky for them,
right? Today they're rich and powerful. I foresee the possibility of a
comparable development in your life, Gemini. An apparent "failure" may,
in hindsight, turn out to be the seed of a future success.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "You can't have your cake and eat it, too" is
an English-language proverb. It means that you will no longer have your
cake if you eat it all up. The Albanian version of the adage is "You can't
go for a swim without getting wet. " Hungarians say, "It's impossible to
ride two horses with one butt." According to my analysis, Cancerian, you
will soon disprove this folk wisdom. You will, in effect, be able to eat you
cake and still have it. You will somehow stay dry as you take a dip. You
will figure out a way to ride two horses with your one butt.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I know this might come as a shock, Leo, but . . .
are you ready? . . . you are God! Or at least godlike. An influx of crazy yet
useful magic from the Divine Wow is boosting your personal power way
beyond normal levels. There's so much primal mojo flowing through you
that it will be hard if not impossible for you to make mistakes. Don't fret,
though. Your stint as the Wild Sublime Golden Master of Reality probably
won't last for more than two weeks, three tops. I'm sure that won't be
long enough for you to turn into a raving megalomaniac with 10,000 cult
followers.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In your imagination, take a trip many years
into the future. See yourself as you are now, sitting next to the wise elder
you will be then. The two of you are lounging on a beach and gazing at a
lake. It's twilight. A warm breeze feels good. You turn to your older self
and say, "Do you have any regrets? Is there anything you wish you had
done but did not do?" Your older self tells you what that thing is. (Hear it
now.) And you reply, "Tomorrow I will begin working to change all that."
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Over a hundred years ago, the cattle industry
pressured the U.S. government to kill off wolves in Yellowstone National
Park. By 1926 the wolves had all but vanished. In the following decades,
elk herds grew unnaturally big, no longer hunted by their natural predator.
The elk decimated the berry bushes of Yellowstone, eating the wild fruit
with such voracity that grizzly bears and many other species went
hungry. In 1995, environmentalists and conservationists got clearance to
re-introduce wolves to the area. Now the berry bushes are flourishing
again. Grizzlies are thriving, as are other mammals that had been
deprived. I regard this vignette as an allegory for your life in the coming
months, Libra. It's time to do the equivalent of replenishing the wolf
population. Correct the imbalance.
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WHERE ARE YOU RIGHT NOW?
Grace emerges in the ebb and flow, not just the flow. The waning reveals
a different kind of blessing than the waxing.
But whether it's our time to ferment in the valley of shadows or rise up
singing in the sun-splashed meadow, fresh power to transform ourselves
is always on the way. Our suffering won't last, nor will our triumph.
Without fail, life will deliver the creative energy we need
to change into the new thing we must become.
Where are you in the great cycle of your life? For inspiration in figuring it
all out, tune in to my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES.
They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your
destiny and where you're headed.
They are not repeats or extensions of the written 'scopes you read here
for free. They are entirely fresh explorations of your astrological omens,
and are designed to help you tune in to your soul's code. (P.S. They're
not free.)
Register and/or sign in at http://RealAstrology.com/
They're available on your tablets and smart phones as well as your
computers.
The forecasts are also available by phone: 1-877-873-4888
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I have no problem with you listening closely
to the voices in your head. Although there might be some weird counsel
flowing from some of them, it's also possible that one of those voices
might have sparkling insights to offer. As for the voices that are
delivering messages from your lower regions, in the vicinity of your
reproductive organs: I'm not opposed to you hearing them out, either.
But I hope you will be most attentive and receptive to the voices in your
heart. While they are not infallible, they are likely to contain a higher
percentage of useful truth than those other two sources.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Kangaroo rats live in the desert. They're
at home there, having evolved over millennia to thrive in the arid
conditions. So well-adapted are they that they can go a very long time
without drinking water. While it's admirable to have achieved such a high
level of accommodation to their environment, I don't recommend that you
do something comparable. In fact, its probably better if you don't adjust
to some of the harsher aspects of your environment. Now might be a
good time to acknowledge this fact and start planning an alternate
solution.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "Those who control their passions do so
because their passions are weak enough to be controlled," said writer
William Blake. I think you will challenge this theory in the coming weeks,
Capricorn. Your passions will definitely not be weak. They may even verge
on being volcanic. And yet I bet you will manage them fairy well. By that I
mean you will express them with grace and power rather than allowing
them to overwhelm you and cause a messy ruckus. You won't need to
tamp them down and bottle them up because you will find a way to be
both uninhibited and disciplined as you give them their chance to play.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Would you please go spend some quality
time having non-goal-oriented fun? Can I convince you to lounge around
in fantasyland as you empty your beautiful head of all compulsions to
prove yourself and meet people's expectations? Will you listen to me if I
suggest that you take off the mask that's stuck to your face and make
funny faces in the mirror? You need a nice long nap, gorgeous. Two or
three nice long naps. Bake some damn cookies, even if you've never done
so. Soak your feet in epsom salts as you binge-watch a TV show that
stimulates a thousand emotions. Lie in the grass and stare lovingly at the
sky for as long as it takes to recharge your spiritual batteries.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Dear Pisceans: Your evil twins have asked me
to speak to you on their behalf. They say they want to apologize for the
misunderstandings that may have arisen from their innocent desire to
show you what you had been missing. Their intent was not at all hostile or
subversive. They simply wanted to fill in some gaps in your education.
OK? Next your evil twins want to humbly request that you no longer refer
to them as "Evil Twin," but instead pick a more affectionate name, like,
say "Sweet Mess" or "Tough Lover." If you promise to treat them with
more geniality, they will guarantee not to be so tricky and enigmatic.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Fireworks displays excite the eyes and lift the
spirit. But the smoke and dust they produce can harm the lungs with
residues of heavy metals. The toxic chemicals they release may pollute
streams and lakes and even groundwater. So is there any alternative? Not
yet. No one has come up with a more benign variety of fireworks. But if it
happens soon, I bet it will be due to the efforts of an enterprising Aries
researcher. Your tribe is entering a phase when you will have good ideas
about how to make risky fun safer, how to ensure vigorous adventures
are healthy, and how to maintain constructive relationships with exciting
influences.
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Homework: Upon waking up for the next seven mornings, sing the song
that fills you with feisty hope.
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to anyone.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2014 Rob Brezsny
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