Rob Brezsny's Astrologty Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 2, 2015
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/1Kxey2s
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I will be doing my pagan revival show SACRED UPROAR at this year's
Symbiosis Gathering. It's September 17-20 in Oakdale, CA.
SACRED UPROAR is based on material from my book PRONOIA IS THE
ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA. It's poetically and scientifically formulated to
invoke insurrectionary beauty, mystical activism, and friendly shocks.
Also on the Symbiosis bill are several cultural heroes whose work I love:
Amy Goodman from "Democracy Now"
Visionary Activist Caroline Casey
Slam poet Saul Williams
The Yes Men
and two of my favorite music-makers, Coco Rosie and the Polish
Ambassador
as well as many other provocative speakers and musicians
I'll be doing SACERD UPROAR at The Hub, one of the main stages. I'm
scheduled for 5:15 on Friday, September 18.
Main page for the festival: http://symbiosisgathering.com/
My page: http://symbiosisgathering.com/workshops/rob-brezsny/
Other performers: http://symbiosisgathering.com/workshops/
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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 are excerpts.
LOVE COMING YOUR WAY
Have you ever been loved? I bet you have been loved so much and so
deeply that you have become blasé about the enormity of the grace it
confers.
So let me remind you: To be loved is a privilege and prize equivalent to
being born. If you're smart, you pause regularly to bask in the astonishing
knowledge that there are many people out there who care for you and
want you to thrive and hold you in their thoughts with fondness.
Animals, too: You have been the recipient of their boundless affection.
The spirits of allies who've left this world continue to send their tender
regards, as well.
Do you "believe" in angels and other divine beings? Whether or not you
do, I can assure you that there are hordes of them beaming their uncanny
consecrations your way. You are awash in torrents of love.
As tremendous a gift it is to get love, giving love is an equal boon. Many
scientific studies demonstrate that whenever you bestow blessings on
other people, you bless yourself. Expressing practical compassion not only
strengthens your immune system and bolsters your health, but also
promotes self-esteem, enhances longevity, and stimulates tranquility and
even euphoria.
As the scientists say, we humans are hardwired to benefit from altruism.
(Read more about the subject: http://tinyurl.com/lyyd46.)
What's your position on making love? Do you regard it as one of the nicer
fringe benefits of being alive? Or are you more inclined to see it as a
central proof of the primal magnanimity of the universe? I'm more aligned
with the latter view.
Imagine yourself in the fluidic blaze of that intimate spectacle right now.
Savor the fantasy of entwining bodies and hearts and minds with an
appealing partner who has the power to enchant you. What better way do
you know of to dwell in sacred space while immersed in your body's
delight? To commune with the Divine Wow while having fun? To tap into
your own deeper knowing while at the same time gazing into the
mysterious light of a fellow creature?
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*Firgun* is a Hebrew word that means the act of sharing in or even
contributing to someone else's pleasure or fortune, with a purely
generous heart and without jealousy; or of sharing credit fairly.
(Here's Wikipedia's entry on "firgun":
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firgun)
*Mudita* is word from Sanskrit and Pali that means sympathetic or
unselfish joy, or joy in the good fortune of others.
(More info: http://tinyurl.com/o4pnyfl and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudita)
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See a photo of me doing Reverse Panhandling. This the time I stood at an
exit ramp in San Rafael and offered passing motorists free money.
http://on.fb.me/1NN8TGI
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Mythologist Michael Meade says that the essential nature of every human
soul is gifted, noble, and wounded.
I agree. Cynics who exaggerate how messed-up we all are, ignoring our
beauty, are just as unrealistic as naive optimists.
But because the cynics have a disproportionately potent influence on the
zeitgeist, they make it harder for us to evaluate our problems with a wise
and balanced perspective. Many of us feel cursed by the apparent
incurability of our wounds, while others, rebelling against the curse,
underestimate how wounded they are.
Mead says: "Those who think they are not wounded in ways that need
conscious attention and careful healing are usually the most wounded of
all."
Your task -- and your talent -- is to make realistic appraisals of your
wounds.
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Revolutionizing the art of rebellion.
1. Experiment with uppity, mischievous optimism.
2. Invoke insurrectionary levels of wildly interesting generosity.
3. Indulge in an insolent refusal to be chronically fearful.
4. Pursue a cheeky ambition to be as wide-awake as a dissident trickster
messiah.
5. Bring reckless levels of creative intelligence to all expressions of love.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Animals are now legally recognized as sentient beings in New Zealand.
http://tinyurl.com/ptqfpas
America says corporations are people. But New Zealand has given the
right of personhood to a river, the Whanganui. The decision follows a long
court battle for the river's personhood initiated by the Iwi, an indigenous
community with strong cultural ties to the waterway.
http://tinyurl.com/cuvrb55
New Zealand to be coal-free by 2018, 90% renewable by 2025.
http://tinyurl.com/qx6us7g
(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 3
Copyright 2015 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "I stand up next to a mountain, and I chop it
down with the edge of my hand." So sang Jimi Hendrix in his raucous
psychedelic tune "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)." We could view his
statement as an example of delusional grandiosity, and dismiss it as
meaningless. Or we could say it's a funny and brash boast that Hendrix
made as he imagined himself to be a mythic hero capable of unlikely feats.
For the purposes of this horoscope, let's go with the latter interpretation.
I encourage you to dream up a slew of extravagant brags about the
outlandish magic powers you have at your disposal. I bet it will rouse
hidden reserves of energy that will enhance your more practical powers.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It's the phase of your cycle when you have
maximum power to transform yourself. If you work hard to rectify and
purify your inner life, you will be able to generate a transcendent release.
Moreover, you may tap into previously dormant or inaccessible aspects of
your soul's code. Here are some tips on how to fully activate this magic.
1. Without any ambivalence, banish ghosts that are more trouble than
they are worth. 2. Identify the one bad habit you most want to dissolve,
and replace it with a good habit. 3. Forgive everyone, including yourself.
4. Play a joke on your fear. 5. Discard or give away material objects that
no longer have any meaning or use.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I hope you're not getting bored with all of
the good news I have been delivering in recent weeks. I'm sorry if I sound
like I'm sugarcoating or whitewashing, but I swear I'm simply reporting the
truth about the cosmic omens. Your karma is extra sweet these days. You
do have a few obstacles, but they are weaker than usual. So I'm afraid
you will have to tolerate my rosy prophecies for a while longer. Stop
reading now if you can't bear to receive a few more buoyant beams. This
is your last warning! Your web of allies is getting more resilient and
interesting. You're expressing just the right mix of wise selfishness and
enlightened helpfulness. As your influence increases, you are becoming
even more responsible about wielding it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): When 16th-century Spanish invaders
arrived in the land of the Mayans, they found a civilization that was in
many ways highly advanced. The native people had a superior medical
system and calendar. They built impressive cities with sophisticated
architecture and paved roads. They were prolific artists, and had a
profound understanding of mathematics and astronomy. And yet they did
not make or use wheeled vehicles, which had been common in much of
the rest of the world for over 2,000 years. I see a certain similarity
between this odd disjunction and your life. Although you're mostly
competent and authoritative, you are neglecting to employ a certain
resource that would enhance your competence and authority even
further. Fix this oversight!
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you have ever fantasized about taking a
pilgrimage to a wild frontier or sacred sanctuary or your ancestral
homeland, the next ten months will be an excellent time to do it. And the
best time to plan such an adventure will be the coming two weeks. Keep
the following questions in mind as you brainstorm. 1. What are your life's
greatest mysteries, and what sort of journey might bring an awakening
that clarifies them? 2. Where could you go in order to clarify the curious
yearnings that you have never fully understood? 3. What power spot on
planet Earth might activate the changes you most want to make in your
life?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When he died at the age of 77 in 1905,
Aquarian author Jules Verne had published 54 books. You've probably
heard of his science fiction novels *Journey to the Center of the Earth*
and *Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.* He was a major influence
on numerous writers, including Jean-Paul Sartre, J. R. R. Tolkien, and
Arthur Rimbaud. But one of his manuscripts never made it into book form.
When he finished it in 1863, his publisher refused to publish it, so Verne
stashed it in a safe. It remained there until his great-grandson discovered
it in 1989. Five years later, Verne's "lost novel," *Paris in the Twentieth
Century,* went on sale for the first time. I suspect that in the coming
months, you may have a comparable experience, Aquarius. An old dream
that was lost or never fulfilled may be available for recovery and
resuscitation.
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LOVE YOUR LIFE! How's your fight for freedom going? Are you making
progress in liberating yourself from your unconscious obsessions, bad
habits, and conditioned responses? Are you turning out to be the hero of
your own life?
For assistance and inspiration, tune in to my EXPANDED AUDIO
HOROSCOPES.
These forecasts are different in tone and format from the written
horoscopes you read here in the newsletter. They're longer and more
leisurely in tone. They tend to bring out more of the patient counselor in
me, and have a bit less of the poet.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to
http://RealAstrology.com.
Register and/or log in through the main page.
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $6 per sign on the Web (discounts available for bulk
purchases), or $1.99 per minute by phone. Each forecast is 4-5 minutes
long.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.
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"The best part about your audio horoscopes is that they pat me on the
head and kick me in the ass at the same time." - Rita L., San Diego
"Your audio oracles go beyond helping me find the truth -- they inspire
me to find the WILD truth." - Patrick K., Montreal
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "I enjoy using the comedy technique of self-
deprecation," says stand-up comic Arnold Brown, "but I'm not very good
at it." Your task in the coming weeks, Pisces, is to undermine your own
skills at self-deprecation. You may think they are too strong and
entrenched to undo and unlearn, but I don't -- especially now, when the
cosmic forces are conspiring to prove to you how beautiful you are.
Cooperate with those cosmic forces! Exploit the advantages they are
providing. Inundate yourself with approval, praise, and naked flattery.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "Excess is the common substitute for energy,"
said poet Marianne Moore. That's a problem you should watch out for in
the coming weeks. According to my astrological projections, you're a bit
less lively and dynamic than usual. And you may be tempted to
compensate by engaging in extreme behavior or resorting to a contrived
show of force. Please don't! A better strategy would be to recharge your
power. Lay low and take extra good care of yourself. Get high-quality
food, sleep, entertainment, art, love, and relaxation.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): For a pregnant woman, the fetus often begins
to move for the first time during the fifth month of gestation. The
sensation may resemble popcorn popping or a butterfly fluttering. It's
small but dramatic: the distinct evidence that a live creature is growing
inside her. Even if you are not literally expecting a baby, and even if you
are male, I suspect you will soon feel the metaphorical equivalent of a
fetus's first kicks. You're not ready to give birth yet, of course, but you
are well on your way to generating a new creation.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "Since U Been Gone" is a pop song recorded by
vocalist Kelly Clarkson. She won a Grammy for it, and made a lot of money
from its sales. But two other singers turned down the chance to make it
their own before Clarkson got her shot. The people who wrote the tune
offered it first to Pink and then to Hillary Duff, but neither accepted.
Don't be like those two singers, Gemini. Be like Clarkson. Recognize
opportunities when they are presented to you, even if they are in disguise
or partially cloaked.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Going with the flow" sounds easy and
relaxing, but here's another side of the truth: Sometimes it can kick your
ass. The rippling current you're floating on may swell up into a boisterous
wave. The surge of the stream might get so hard and fast that your ride
becomes more spirited than you anticipated. And yet I still think that
going with the flow is your best strategy in the coming weeks. It will
eventually deliver you to where you need to go, even if there are bouncy
surprises along the way.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "Money doesn't make you happy," said movie star
and ex-California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. "I now have $50
million, but I was just as happy when I had $48 million." Despite his
avowal, I'm guessing that extra money would indeed make you at least
somewhat happier. And the good news is that the coming months will be
prime time for you to boost your economic fortunes. Your ability to
attract good financial luck will be greater than usual, and it will zoom even
higher if you focus on getting better educated and organized about how
to bring more wealth your way.
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Homework: What other name would you give yourself if you could take a
vacation from your present name? Why? FreeWillAstrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2015 Rob Brezsny
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