Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
July 30, 2014
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/1rW0LIJ
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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:
RECEPTIVITY REMEDIES
To read the entire piece, go here: http://bit.ly/x11kmj
Alert, relaxed listening is the radical act at the heart of our pronoiac
practice. Curiosity is our primal state of awareness. Wise innocence is a
trick we aspire to master. Open-hearted skepticism is the light in our
eyes.
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To achieve what the Zen Buddhists call "beginner's mind," you dispense
with all preconceptions and enter each situation as if seeing it for the first
time.
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities," wrote Shunryu
Suzuki in his book *Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind,* "but in the expert's there
are few."
As much as I love beginner's mind, though, I advocate an additional
discipline: cultivating a beginner's heart. That means approaching every
encounter imbued with a freshly invoked wave of love that is as pure as if
you're feeling it for the first time.
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To be the best pronoiac explorer you can be, I suggest you adopt an
outlook that combines the rigorous objectivity of a scientist, the
"beginner's mind" of Zen Buddhism, the "beginner's heart" of pronoia, and
the compassionate friendliness of the Dalai Lama.
Blend a scrupulously dispassionate curiosity with a skepticism driven by
expansiveness, not spleen.
To pull this off, you'll have to be willing to regularly suspend your brilliant
theories about the way the world works. Accept with good humor the
possibility that what you've learned in the past may not be a reliable
guide to understanding the fresh phenomenon that's right in front of you.
Be suspicious of your biases, even the rational and benevolent ones. Open
your heart as you strip away the interpretations that your emotions might
be inclined to impose.
"Before we can receive the unbiased truth about anything," wrote my
teacher Ann Davies, "we have to be ready to ignore what we would like to
be true."
At the same time, don't turn into a hard-ass, poker-faced robot. Keep
your feelings moist and receptive. Remember your natural affection for all
of creation. Enjoy the power of tender sympathy as it drives you to probe
for the unimaginable revelations of every new moment.
"Before we can receive the entire truth about anything," said Ann Davies,
"we have to love it."
. . . To read the rest of "RECEPTIVITY REMEDIES," go here:
http://bit.ly/x11kmj
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DAILY HOROSCOPES
Some people don't know that I write daily horoscopes, available as text
messages sent to your cell or smart phone.
They're shorter than the weekly 'scopes, but on the other hand they're
more frequent -- every day of the week.
My weekly horoscopes are free, but the dailies cost about 67 cents a day
if you sign up for a subscription.
If you think you might enjoy getting regular bursts of inspiration from me
to illuminate your adventures, check them out.
Go to http://RealAstrology.com. Register or log in. On the new page, click
on "Subscribe / Renew" under "Daily Text Message Horoscopes" in the
right-hand column.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
"The Ancient Greeks' 6 Words for Love (And Why Knowing Them Can
Change Your Life). Looking for an antidote to modern culture's emphasis
on romantic love? Perhaps we can learn from the diverse forms of
emotional attachment prized by the ancient Greeks."
http://tinyurl.com/kt298qm
"World first: Australian solar plant has generated "supercritical" steam
that rivals fossil fuels'. A test plant in Australia has proved solar power
could efficiently replace fossil fuels."
http://tinyurl.com/kl4pl3k
"The dramatic increase in average life expectancy during the 20th
century ranks as one of society's greatest achievements. Life expectancy
at birth now exceeds 83 years in Japan -- the current leader -- and is at
least 81 years in several other countries. The most dramatic and rapid
gains have occurred in East Asia, where life expectancy at birth increased
from less than 45 years in 1950 to more than 74 years today."
http://tinyurl.com/n6r4xfn
A compendium of pronoiac news.
http://bit.ly/GoodGood
(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 July 31
Copyright 2014 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Earth has been around for almost 4.6 billion
years. But according to scientists who study the fossil records, fire didn't
make its first appearance on our planet until 470 million years ago. Only
then were there enough land-based plants and oxygen to allow the
possibility of fires arising naturally. Do the math and you will see that for
90 percent of the Earth's history, fire was absent. In evolutionary terms,
it's a newcomer. As I study your astrological omens for the next ten
months, I foresee the arrival of an almost equally monumental addition to
your life, Leo. You can't imagine what it is yet, but by this time next year,
you won't fathom how you could have lived without it for so long.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the nights to come, I expect you will dream
of creatures like fiery monsters, robot warriors, extraterrestrial ghosts,
and zombie vampires. But here's the weird twist: They will be your helpers
and friends. They will protect you and fight on your behalf as you defeat
your real enemies, who are smiling pretenders wearing white hats. Dreams
like this will prepare you well for events in your waking life, where you will
get the chance to gain an advantage over fake nice guys who have hurt
you or thwarted you.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It's fine if you want to turn the volume all the
way up on your charisma and socialize like a party animal. I won't protest
if you gleefully blend business and pleasure as you nurture your web of
human connections. But I hope you will also find time to commune with
the earth and sky and rivers and winds. Why? You are scheduled to take a
big, fun spiritual test in the not-too-distant future. An excellent way to
prepare for this rite of passage will be to deepen your relationship with
Mother Nature.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You are hereby excused from doing
household chores and busywork, Scorpio. Feel free to cancel boring
appointments. Avoid tasks that are not sufficiently epic, majestic, and
fantastic to engage your heroic imagination. As I see it, this is your time
to think really big. You have cosmic authorization to give your full
intensity to exploring the amazing maze where the treasure is hidden. I
urge you to pay attention to your dreams for clues. I encourage you to
ignore all fears except the one that evokes your most brilliant courage.
Abandon all trivial worries, you curious warrior, as you go in quest of your
equivalent of the Holy Grail.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Broadway is one of New York City's main
streets. It runs the length of the island of Manhattan. But hundreds of
years ago it was known by the indigenous Lenape people as the
Wickquasgeck Trail. It was a passageway that cut through stands of
chestnut, poplar, and pine trees. Strawberries grew wild in fields along the
route. Is there a metaphorical equivalent in your own life, Sagittarius? I
think there is: a modest, natural path that you will ultimately build into a
major thoroughfare buzzing with activity. Part of you will feel sad at the
loss of innocence that results. But mostly you'll be proud of the visionary
strength you will have summoned to create such an important conduit.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The heavenly body known as 1986 DA is a
near-Earth asteroid that's 1.4 miles in diameter. It's packed with 10,000
tons of gold and 100,000 tons of platinum, meaning it's worth over five
trillion dollars. Can we humans get to it and mine its riches? Not yet. That
project is beyond our current technology. But one day, I'm sure we will
find a way. I'm thinking there's a smaller-scale version of this scenario in
your life, Capricorn. You know about or will soon find out about a source
of wealth that's beyond your grasp. But I'm betting that in the next ten
months you will figure out a way to tap into it, and begin the process.
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FEELING JOY STIMULATES YOUR COMPASSION?
Assume that your drive to experience pleasure isn't a barrier to your
spiritual growth, but is in fact essential to it. Proceed on the hypothesis
that cultivating joy can make you a more ethical and compassionate
person. Imagine that feeling good has something important to teach you
every day.
For inspiration in practicing this approach, tune in to your Expanded Audio
Horoscopes. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state
of your destiny. The cost is $6 per reading, with a discount for multiple
purchases.
Go here to register and/or sign in: http://RealAstrology.com/
They're available on your tablets and smart phones as well as your
computers.
You can also listen over the phone by calling
1-877-873-4888
"I always feel like I know myself better after listening to your audio
'scopes."
-June R., Austin, TX
"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and pep me up
when I'm down."
-Arthur T., Cleveland, OH
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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "I just sort of drifted into it." According to
author Gore Vidal, "That's almost always the explanation for everything."
But I hope this won't be true for you anytime soon, Aquarius. You can't
afford to be unconscious or lazy or careless about what you're getting
yourself into. You must formulate a clear, strong intention, and stick to it.
I don't mean that you should be overly cautious or ultra-skeptical. To
make the correct decisions, all you have to do is be wide awake and stay
in intimate touch with what's best for you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Members of the industrial band Skinny Puppy
are upset with the U.S. military. They discovered that an interrogation
team at America's Guantanamo Bay detention camp tortured prisoners by
playing their music at deafening volumes for extended periods. That's
why they sent an invoice to the Defense Department for $666,000, and
are threatening to sue. Now would be a good time for you to take
comparable action, Pisces. Are others distorting your creations or
misrepresenting your meaning? Could your reputation benefit from repair?
Is there anything you can do to correct people's misunderstandings about
who you are and what you stand for?
ARIES (March 21-April 19): If a farmer plants the same crop in the same
field year after year, the earth's nutrients get exhausted. For instance,
lettuce sucks up a lot of nitrogen. It's better to plant beans or peas in
that location the next season, since they add nitrogen back into the soil.
Meanwhile, lettuce will do well in the field where the beans or peas grew
last time. This strategy is called crop rotation. I nominate it as your
operative metaphor for the next ten months, Aries. Your creative output
will be abundant if you keep sowing each new "crop" in a fertile situation
where it is most likely to thrive.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Maybe your grandparents are dead, or maybe
they're still alive. Whatever the case may be, do you have a meaningful or
interesting connection with them? Is there anything about their souls or
destinies that inspires you as you face your own challenges? Or is your
link with them based more on sentimentality and nostalgia? In the near
future, I urge you to dig deeper in search of the power they might have
to offer you. Proceed on the hypothesis that you have not yet deciphered
some of the useful messages you can derive from how they lived their
lives. Explore the possibility that their mysteries are relevant to yours.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The prolific American author James Fenimore
Cooper (1789-1851) wrote 32 novels. In those pages, he crammed in
almost 1,100 quotations from Shakespeare. What motivated such
extreme homage? I suspect he regarded Shakespeare as a mentor, and
wanted to blend the Bard's intelligence with his own. I invite you to do
something similar, Gemini. What heroes have moved you the most? What
teachers have stirred you the deepest? It's a perfect time to pay tribute
in a way that feels self-empowering. I suspect you will benefit from
revivifying their influence on you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Was there an actual poet named Homer who
wrote the ancient Greek epics the *Iliad* and the *Odyssey*? Or was
"Homer" a fictitious name given to several authors who created those
two master works? Whatever the case may be, we know that Homer
plagiarized himself. The opening line of Book XI in the *Iliad* is identical to
the opening line of Book V in the *Odyssey*: "Now Dawn arose from her
couch beside the lordly Tithonos, to bear light to the immortals and to
mortal men." So should we be critical of Homer? Nah. Nor will I hold it
against you if, in the coming days, you imitate some fine action or brilliant
move you did in the past. It was great the first time. I'm sure it will be
nearly as great this time, but in a different way.
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Homework. Finish this sentence: "The one thing that really keeps me from
being myself is _______." Testify at Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2014 Rob Brezsny
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