Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
April 20, 2016
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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.
It's always the beginning of the world.
Even if you don't call yourself an artist, you have the potential to be a
dynamic creator who is always hatching new plans, coming up with fresh
ideas, and shifting your approach to everything you do as you adjust to
life's ceaseless invitation to change.
It's to this part of you -- the restless, inventive spirit -- that I address the
following: Unleash yourself! Don't be satisfied with the world the way it is;
don't sit back passively and blankly complain about the dead weight of
the mediocre status quo.
Instead, call on your curiosity and charisma and expressiveness and lust
for life as you tinker with and rebuild everything you see so that it's in
greater harmony with the laws of love and more hospitable to your soul's
code.
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My horoscopes are not rooted in or justified by any belief system,
doctrine, fairy tale, authoritative teacher, elaborate secret joke, mystical
wishing, well-rationalized bias, or rebellion against science. My horoscopes
are fueled by poetry and in service to the liberated imagination.
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Thursday, April 21 is Dare to Be Boring Day! We all deserve a break from
the oppressive demands to appear smart and to be entertaining. On Dare
to Be Boring Day, it is socially unacceptable to demonstrate your wit and
verve. Long_winded, rambling monologues full of obscure details are
mandatory. The more clichés and buzzwords you use, the better.
Tell worn-out stories your friends have already heard many times. Flesh
out your disjointed sentences with awkward silences. Discuss at length
your plans for switching laundry detergents, the collection of matchbooks
you had as a child, and the time you almost traveled to the Wal-Mart in
another town, but didn't.
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Your opinion, please: When you are waging a righteous battle, is it better
to be constantly feeding off your anger about the situation you're trying
to change?
Or are you more likely to be an effective fighter if you're relatively clear
and calm, holding a vision of the new reality you want to create?
Or neither? Other choices? Your thoughts?
Write to Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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What Jesus Christ really taught: "For I was hungry, and you didn't feed
me. I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a
stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home. I was naked, and you
gave me no clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.
"Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or
a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?' And he will
answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my
brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'"
- Matthew 25:42-45
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
McDonald's Says its Wage Hikes Are Improving Service. Turnover is down,
and customer service scores are up.
http://tinyurl.com/hfar8xw
Costco Is Selling So Much Organic Produce, Farmers Can't Keep Up.
http://tinyurl.com/h2bvmes
Officers from an Ontario department attended a temple last week for a
lecture on mindfulness meditation and Buddhist philosophy.
http://tinyurl.com/gl9p4jv
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They aren't advertisements,
and I get no kickbacks.)
Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning April 21
Copyright 2016 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The ancient Greek geographer Pausanias told
a story about how the famous poet Pindar got his start. One summer day,
young Pindar decided to walk from his home in Thebes to a city 20 miles
away. During his trek, he got tired and lay down to take a nap by the side
of the road. As he slept, bees swarmed around him and coated his lips
with wax. He didn't wake up until one of the bees stung him. For anyone
else, this might have been a bother. But Pindar took it as an omen that he
should become a lyric poet, a composer of honeyed verses. And that's
exactly what he did in the ensuing years. I foresee you having an
experience comparable to Pindar's sometime soon, Taurus. How you
interpret it will be crucial.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "I measure the strength of a spirit by how
much truth it can take," said philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Measured by
that standard, your strength of spirit has been growing -- and may be
poised to reach an all-time high. In my estimation, you now have an
unusually expansive capacity to hold surprising, effervescent, catalytic
truths. Do you dare invite all these insights and revelations to come
pouring toward you? I hope so. I'll be cheering you on, praying for you to
be brave enough to ask for as much as you can possibly accommodate.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Göbekli Tepe was a monumental religious
sanctuary built 11,600 years ago in the place we now call Turkey. Modern
archaeologists are confounded by the skill and artistry with which its
massive stone pillars were arranged and carved. According to
conventional wisdom, humans of that era were primitive nomads who
hunted animals and foraged for plants. So it's hard to understand how
they could have constructed such an impressive structure 7,000 years
before the Great Pyramid of Giza. Writing in *National Geographic,*
science journalist Charles C. Mann said, "Discovering that hunter-gatherers
had constructed Göbekli Tepe was like finding that someone had built a
747 in a basement with an X-Acto knife." In that spirit, Cancerian, I make
the following prediction: In the coming months, you can accomplish a
marvel that may have seemed beyond your capacity.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In myths and folklore, the ember is a symbol of
coiled-up power. The fire within it is controlled. It provides warmth and
glow even as its raw force is contained. There are no unruly flames. How
much energy is stored within? It's a reservoir of untapped light, a promise
of verve and radiance. Now please ruminate further about the ember, Leo.
According to my reading of the astrological omens, it's your core motif
right now.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Uh-oh. Or maybe I should instead say
"Hooray!" You are slipping into the Raw Hearty Vivid Untamed Phase of
your astrological cycle. The universe is nudging you in the direction of
high adventure, sweet intensity, and rigorous stimulation. If you choose
to resist the nudges, odds are that you'll have more of an "uh-oh"
experience. If you decide to play along, "hooray!" is the likely outcome.
To help you get in the proper mood, make the following declaration: "I like
to think that my bones are made from oak, my blood from a waterfall, and
my heart from wild daisies." (That's a quote from the poet McKenzie
Stauffer.)
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In many cultures, the butterfly is a symbol of
transformation and rebirth. In its original state as a caterpillar, it is homely
and slow-moving. After its resurrection time in the chrysalis, it becomes a
lithe and lovely creature capable of flight. The mythic meaning of the
moth is quite different, however. Enchanted by the flame, it's driven so
strongly toward the light that it risks burning its wings. So it's a symbol
of intense longing that may go too far. In the coming weeks, Libra, your
life could turn either way. You may even vacillate between being moth-like
and butterfly-like. For best results, set an intention. What exactly do you
want?
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE
Since I put all my heart and soul into the written horoscopes I send out in
this newsletter, they're pretty nutritious. You may never need any of the
other stuff I create.
But if you ever do crave an added boost, you may want to sample my
Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're different in tone and intent than the
written scopes, imbued with a little more of the psychologist in me, and a
little 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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"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes seem to have the effect of activating
my inner teacher. Thanks!" - Eleanor A., Toronto
"Your expanded audio horoscopes are the next best thing to actually
having you here next to me to remind me who I really am." - Alyssa R.,
Des Moines, Iowa
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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "I gladly abandon dreary tasks, rational
scruples, reactive undertakings imposed by the world," wrote Scorpio
philosopher Roland Barthes. Why did he do this? For the sake of love, he
said -- even though he knew it might cause him to act like a lunatic as it
freed up tremendous energy. Would you consider pursuing a course like
that in the coming weeks, Scorpio? In my astrological opinion, you have
earned some time off from the grind. You need a break from the numbing
procession of the usual daily rhythms. Is there any captivating person,
animal, adventure, or idea that might so thoroughly incite your
imagination that you'd be open to acting like a lunatic lover with
boundless vigor?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "Difficulties illuminate existence," says
novelist Tom Robbins, "but they must be fresh and of high quality." Your
assignment, Sagittarius, is to go out in search of the freshest and
highest-quality difficulties you can track down. You're slipping into a
magical phase of your astrological cycle when you will have exceptional
skill at rounding up useful dilemmas and exciting riddles. Please take full
advantage! Welcome this rich opportunity to outgrow and escape boring
old problems.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "When I grow up, I want to be a little boy,"
wrote novelist Joseph Heller in his book *Something Happened.* You have
cosmic permission to make a comparable declaration in the coming days.
In fact, you have a poetic license and a spiritual mandate to utter battle
cries like that as often as the mood strikes. Feel free to embellish and
improvise, as well: "When I grow up, I want to be a riot girl with a big
brash attitude," for example, or "When I grow up, I want to be a beautiful
playful monster with lots of toys and fascinating friends who constantly
amaze me."
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In one of his diaries, author Franz Kafka
made this declaration: "Life's splendor forever lies in wait around each
one of us in all of its fullness -- but veiled from view, deep down, invisible,
far off. It is there, though, not hostile, not reluctant, not deaf. If you
summon it by the right word, by its right name, it will come." I'm bringing
this promise to your attention, Aquarius, because you have more power
than usual to call forth a command performance of life's hidden splendor.
You can coax it to the surface and bid it to spill over into your daily
rhythm. For best results, be magnificent as you invoke the magnificence.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I've got a controversial message for you,
Pisces. If you're addicted to your problems or if you're convinced that
cynicism is a supreme mark of intelligence, what I'll say may be offensive.
Nevertheless, it's my duty as your oracle to inform you of the cosmic
tendencies, and so I will proceed. For the sake of your mental health and
the future of your relationship with love, consider the possibility that the
following counsel from French author André Gide is just what you need to
hear right now: "Know that joy is rarer, more difficult, and more beautiful
than sadness. Once you make this all-important discovery, you must
embrace joy as a moral obligation."
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "The writer should never be ashamed of
staring," said Aries writer Flannery O'Connor. "There is nothing that does
not require his attention." This is also true for all of you Aries folks, not
just the writers among you. And the coming weeks will be an especially
important time for you to cultivate a piercing gaze that sees deeply and
shrewdly. You will thrive to the degree that you notice details you might
normally miss or regard as unimportant. What you believe and what you
think won't be as important as what you perceive. Trust your eyes.
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Homework: If you had to choose one wild animal to follow, observe, and
learn from for three weeks, which would it be? FreeWillAstrologuy.com
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Submissions sent to Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
or in response to "homework assignments" may be
published in a variety of formats at Rob Brezsny's discretion,
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2016 Rob Brezsny
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