Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
June 8, 2016
+
See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/1UD7rbY
+
Here's the beginning of a story on me from the *San Francisco Chronicle*:
"Rob Brezsny says the apocalypse is now, so let's dance.
"'We are in fact living through the apocalypse,' the astrology columnist-
author-musician declares in his radically optimistic self-help bible, *Pronoia
Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to
Shower You With Blessings,* a surprise top-1,000 seller on Amazon.com.
"The biblical idea of apocalypse is the terrifying end of things, followed by
judgment. Brezsny's version takes away the fear and the finality and
redefines apocalypse as a slow, subtle, revolving process of death and
rebirth in which we're all invited to take part.
"In the end, according to him, we can't lose.
"But -- and this is the trick -- first we have to be willing to play the game.
"Brezsny argues that the game is stacked in favor not so much of steady
happiness as happy accidents -- iridescent streams of fruitful, fulfilling or
inspiring moments in the mundane. He wrote the book in order to provide
evidence, tips and inspiration for people who sense that theory is right
but who find that media and education provide little in the way of
guidance.
"'We're not looking for starry-eyed optimism and repressed boosterism,'
Brezsny said. 'Pronoia is not boosterism for empty-brained people. I think
the media tend to emphasize that part of human experience that doesn't
work. There are a lot of people who don't identify that as their primary
state of existence.'
"The writer, whose weekly Free Will Astrology column runs in over 100
newspapers, marshals evidence that beyond the daily grind's bland unease
unfold alternate states rich with intimacy, hilarity and good luck. 'More
wonderful things happen,' he said, 'than anybody seems to be willing to
admit.'"
Read the rest of the story from the *San Francisco Chronicle*:
http://tinyurl.com/jlk7t8r
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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.
Congratulations. Every cell in your perfect animal body is beginning to
purr with luminous gratitude for the enormity of the riches you endlessly
receive.
You are becoming aware that each of your heart's beats originates as a
gift of love directly from the Goddess herself.
Any residues of hatred that had been tainting your libido are leaving you
for good.
You are becoming telepathically linked to the world's entire host of secret
teachers, pacifist warriors, philosopher clowns, and bodhisattvas disguised
as convenience store clerks.
In other words, you're on the verge of détente with your evil twin. And
you're ready to submit to a multiple-choice test, which goes like this:
How does it make you feel when I urge you to confess profound secrets
to people who are not particularly interested? Does it make you want to:
a. cultivate a healthy erotic desire for a person you'd normally never be
attracted to in a million years;
b. stop helping your friends glamorize their pain;
c. imitate a hurricane in the act of extinguishing a forest fire;
d. visualize Buddha or Mother Teresa at the moment of orgasm;
e. steal something that's already yours.
The right answer, of course, is any answer you thought was correct.
Congratulations. You're even smarter than you knew.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
The sage and her student were standing by a pool discussing longing and
ambition.
"What do you want more than anything else?" the sage asked.
"To perfect my ability to love all of creation the way I love myself,"
the young man replied.
At that moment, the sage tackled the student and shoved his head
beneath the water. Accustomed to letting his teacher shape the
unpredictable contours of his education, he did not resist.
One minute went by. Then another. The student began to struggle
and kick. His teacher was strong.
Finally she released her grip and the student surfaced, fighting for
breath.
"What did you want more than anything else during these last few
minutes?" the sage inquired.
"Nothing else was in my mind except the desire for air," gasped the
student.
"Excellent," beamed the sage. "As soon as you are equally single-
minded in your desire to perfect your ability to love all of creation the
way you love yourself, you will achieve your goal."
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Many of us have a superficial notion of the nature of healing, writes Peter
Kingsley in his book "In the Dark Places of Wisdom." We think that
"healing is what makes us comfortable and eases the pain." But the truth
is, "what we want to be healed of is often what will heal us if we can
stand the discomfort and the pain."
.
I invite you to work with this theme. See if you can stave off your urge
for ease as you marinate longer in the aching confusion. "If we really face
our sadness," says Kingsley, "we find it speaks with the voice of our
deepest longing. And if we face it a little longer we find that it teaches us
the way to attain what we long for."
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
EXPERIMENT: Call everyone "mom" or "mommy" for a week. I'm serious.
Pretend as if every single person you meet has the potential to give you
some mothering. Expect the entire universe and everything in it to treat
you with nurturing attention and thoughtful care.
You may experience some disappointments along the way, of course.
There'll be some people who don't quite understand the game or want to
play it. But you may be surprised by how many lively folks do respond to
your invitation to treat you as their lovable child, their winsome little
babycakes.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
The company that wants to be the Netflix of lucid dreaming.
http://tinyurl.com/gu5s2c6
Malaysia establishes a 1-million-hectare marine park
http://tinyurl.com/z9tklx2
"Mammals have an altruistic impulse. They respond to signs of distress in
others and feel an urge to improve their situation. To recognize the need
of others, and react appropriately, is not the same as a preprogrammed
tendency to sacrifice oneself for the genetic good."
- primatologist Frans de Waal.
http://tinyurl.com/n8wd9be
(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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning June 9
Copyright 2016 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In his poem "Interrupted Meditation," Robert
Hass blurts out the following exclamation: "I give you, here, now, a magic
key. What does it open? This key I give you, what exactly does it open?"
How would you answer this question, Gemini? What door or lock or heart
or treasure box do you most need opened? Decide today. And please
don't name five things you need opened. Choose one, and one only. To do
so will dissolve a mental block that has up until now kept you from finding
the REAL magic key.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The following excerpt from Wendell Berry's
poem "Woods" captures the essence of your current situation: "I part the
out-thrusting branches and come in beneath the blessed and the blessing
trees. Though I am silent there is singing around me. Though I am dark
there is vision around me. Though I am heavy there is flight around me."
Please remember this poem at least three times a day during the next two
weeks. It's important for you to know that no matter what murky or
maudlin or mysterious mood you might be in, you are surrounded by
vitality and generosity.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A half-dead blast from the past is throttling the
free flow of your imagination. Your best possible future will be postponed
until you agree to deal more intimately with this crumbled dream, which
you have never fully grieved or surrendered. So here's my advice:
Summon the bravest, smartest love you're capable of, and lay your sad
loss to rest with gentle ferocity. This may take a while, so be patient. Be
inspired by the fact that your new supply of brave, smart love will be a
crucial resource for the rest of your long life.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Five times every day, devout Muslims face
their holiest city, Mecca, and say prayers to Allah. Even if you're not
Islamic, I recommend that you carry out your own unique version of this
ritual. The next three weeks will be a favorable time to cultivate a closer
relationship with the inspirational influence, the high ideal, or the divine
being that reigns supreme in your life. Here's how you could do it: Identify
a place that excites your imagination and provokes a sense of wonder.
Five times a day for the next 21 days, bow in the direction of this
treasured spot. Unleash songs, vows, and celebratory expostulations that
deepen your fierce and tender commitment to what you trust most and
love best.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "The road reaches every place, the short cut
only one," says aphorist James Richardson. In many cases, that's not a
problem. Who among us has unlimited time and energy? Why leave all the
options open? Short cuts can be valuable. It's often smart to be ruthlessly
efficient as we head toward our destination. But here's a caveat:
According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you're now in a phase
when taking short cuts may be counterproductive. To be as well-seasoned
as you will need to be to reach your goal, you should probably take the
scenic route. The long way around may, in this instance, be the most
efficient and effective.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Truth is like the flu," says poet James
Richardson. "I fight it off, but it changes in other bodies and returns in a
form to which I am not immune." In the coming days, Scorpio, I suspect
you will experience that riddle first hand -- and probably on more than one
occasion. Obvious secrets and wild understandings that you have fought
against finding out will mutate in just the right way to sneak past your
defenses. Unwelcome insights you've been trying to ignore will finally
wiggle their way into your psyche. Don't worry, though. These new
arrivals will be turn out to be good medicine.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PLEASURE IS HOLY?
Assume that your drive to experience pleasure and happiness 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.
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.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.
+
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes provide me with the Rest of the Story.
I'm not necessarily a believer in the scientific accuracy of astrology, but I
do think you've got a lot of practical wisdom to impart."
- M. Tennenbaum, New York
"No one knows more about me than me. But you're right up there near
the top of the list of people who do understand something about how I
tick. How is that possible?"
- R. Goren, Albuquerque
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to Guinness World records,
the most consecutive hours spent riding on a roller coaster is 405 hours
and 40 minutes. But I suspect that during the next 15 months, a
Sagittarian daredevil may exceed this mark. I have come to this
conclusion because I believe your tribe will be especially adept and
relatively comfortable at handling steep rises and sudden dips at high
speeds. And that won't be the only rough talent you'll have in abundance.
I'm guessing you could also set new personal bests in the categories of
most frequent changes of mind, most heroic leaps of faith, and fastest
talking.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us
have acted like puppets. Bosses and teachers and loved ones can
manipulate us even if they're not in our presence. Our conditioned
responses and programmed impulses may control our behavior in the
present moment even though they were formed long ago. That's the bad
news. The good news is that now and then moments of lucidity blossom,
revealing the puppet strings. We emerge from our unconsciousness and
see that we're under the spell of influential people to whom we have
surrendered our power. This is one of those magic times for you,
Capricorn.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A few weeks ago you undertook a new
course of study in the art of fun and games. You realized you hadn't been
playing hard enough, and took measures to correct the problem. After
refamiliarizing yourself with the mysteries of innocent joy, you raised the
stakes. You began dabbling with more intensive forms of relief and
release. Now you have the chance to go even further: to explore the
mysteries of experimental delight. Exuberant escapades may become
available to you. Amorous adventures could invite you to explore the
frontiers of liberated love. Will you be brave and free enough to meet the
challenge of such deeply meaningful gaiety? Meditate on this radical
possibility: *spiritually adept hedonism.*
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Poet Sharon Dolin compares artists to
sunflowers. They create "a tall flashy flower that then grows heavy with
seeds whose small hard shells you must crack to get to the rich nut
meat." As I contemplate the current chapter of your unfolding story, I see
you as being engaged in a similar process, even if you're not literally an
artist. To be exact, you're at the point when you are producing a tall
flashy flower. The seeds have not yet begun to form, but they will soon.
Later this year, the rich nut meat inside the small hard shells will be ready
to pluck. For now, concentrate on generating your gorgeous, radiant
flower.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Mythologist Joseph Campbell analyzed fairy
tales for clues about how the human psyche works. For example, he said
that a fairy tale character who's riding a horse is a representation of our
relationship with our instinctual nature. If that character drops the reins
and lets the horse gallop without guidance, he or she is symbolically
surrendering control to the instincts. I bring this to your attention
because I suspect you may soon be tempted to do just that that -- which
wouldn't be wise. In my opinion, you'll be best served by going against
the flow of what seems natural. Sublimation and transcendence will keep
you much stronger than if you followed the line of least resistance.
Homework: Visualize yourself, as you ride your horse, keeping a relaxed
but firm grasp of the reins.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I will provide you with two lists of words. One
of these lists, but not both, will characterize the nature of your
predominant experiences in the coming weeks. It will be mostly up to you
which emerges as the winner. Now read the two lists, pick the one you
like better, and instruct your subconscious mind to lead you in that
direction. List 1: gluttony, bloating, overkill, padding, exorbitance. List 2:
mother lode, wellspring, bumper crop, gold mine, cornucopia.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Homework: Psychologists say that a good way to eliminate a bad habit is
to replace it with a good one. Do that! Testify at Freewillastrology.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NEED TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS?
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
June 8, 2016
+
See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/1UD7rbY
+
Here's the beginning of a story on me from the *San Francisco Chronicle*:
"Rob Brezsny says the apocalypse is now, so let's dance.
"'We are in fact living through the apocalypse,' the astrology columnist-
author-musician declares in his radically optimistic self-help bible, *Pronoia
Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to
Shower You With Blessings,* a surprise top-1,000 seller on Amazon.com.
"The biblical idea of apocalypse is the terrifying end of things, followed by
judgment. Brezsny's version takes away the fear and the finality and
redefines apocalypse as a slow, subtle, revolving process of death and
rebirth in which we're all invited to take part.
"In the end, according to him, we can't lose.
"But -- and this is the trick -- first we have to be willing to play the game.
"Brezsny argues that the game is stacked in favor not so much of steady
happiness as happy accidents -- iridescent streams of fruitful, fulfilling or
inspiring moments in the mundane. He wrote the book in order to provide
evidence, tips and inspiration for people who sense that theory is right
but who find that media and education provide little in the way of
guidance.
"'We're not looking for starry-eyed optimism and repressed boosterism,'
Brezsny said. 'Pronoia is not boosterism for empty-brained people. I think
the media tend to emphasize that part of human experience that doesn't
work. There are a lot of people who don't identify that as their primary
state of existence.'
"The writer, whose weekly Free Will Astrology column runs in over 100
newspapers, marshals evidence that beyond the daily grind's bland unease
unfold alternate states rich with intimacy, hilarity and good luck. 'More
wonderful things happen,' he said, 'than anybody seems to be willing to
admit.'"
Read the rest of the story from the *San Francisco Chronicle*:
http://tinyurl.com/jlk7t8r
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
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.
Congratulations. Every cell in your perfect animal body is beginning to
purr with luminous gratitude for the enormity of the riches you endlessly
receive.
You are becoming aware that each of your heart's beats originates as a
gift of love directly from the Goddess herself.
Any residues of hatred that had been tainting your libido are leaving you
for good.
You are becoming telepathically linked to the world's entire host of secret
teachers, pacifist warriors, philosopher clowns, and bodhisattvas disguised
as convenience store clerks.
In other words, you're on the verge of détente with your evil twin. And
you're ready to submit to a multiple-choice test, which goes like this:
How does it make you feel when I urge you to confess profound secrets
to people who are not particularly interested? Does it make you want to:
a. cultivate a healthy erotic desire for a person you'd normally never be
attracted to in a million years;
b. stop helping your friends glamorize their pain;
c. imitate a hurricane in the act of extinguishing a forest fire;
d. visualize Buddha or Mother Teresa at the moment of orgasm;
e. steal something that's already yours.
The right answer, of course, is any answer you thought was correct.
Congratulations. You're even smarter than you knew.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
The sage and her student were standing by a pool discussing longing and
ambition.
"What do you want more than anything else?" the sage asked.
"To perfect my ability to love all of creation the way I love myself,"
the young man replied.
At that moment, the sage tackled the student and shoved his head
beneath the water. Accustomed to letting his teacher shape the
unpredictable contours of his education, he did not resist.
One minute went by. Then another. The student began to struggle
and kick. His teacher was strong.
Finally she released her grip and the student surfaced, fighting for
breath.
"What did you want more than anything else during these last few
minutes?" the sage inquired.
"Nothing else was in my mind except the desire for air," gasped the
student.
"Excellent," beamed the sage. "As soon as you are equally single-
minded in your desire to perfect your ability to love all of creation the
way you love yourself, you will achieve your goal."
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Many of us have a superficial notion of the nature of healing, writes Peter
Kingsley in his book "In the Dark Places of Wisdom." We think that
"healing is what makes us comfortable and eases the pain." But the truth
is, "what we want to be healed of is often what will heal us if we can
stand the discomfort and the pain."
.
I invite you to work with this theme. See if you can stave off your urge
for ease as you marinate longer in the aching confusion. "If we really face
our sadness," says Kingsley, "we find it speaks with the voice of our
deepest longing. And if we face it a little longer we find that it teaches us
the way to attain what we long for."
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
EXPERIMENT: Call everyone "mom" or "mommy" for a week. I'm serious.
Pretend as if every single person you meet has the potential to give you
some mothering. Expect the entire universe and everything in it to treat
you with nurturing attention and thoughtful care.
You may experience some disappointments along the way, of course.
There'll be some people who don't quite understand the game or want to
play it. But you may be surprised by how many lively folks do respond to
your invitation to treat you as their lovable child, their winsome little
babycakes.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
The company that wants to be the Netflix of lucid dreaming.
http://tinyurl.com/gu5s2c6
Malaysia establishes a 1-million-hectare marine park
http://tinyurl.com/z9tklx2
"Mammals have an altruistic impulse. They respond to signs of distress in
others and feel an urge to improve their situation. To recognize the need
of others, and react appropriately, is not the same as a preprogrammed
tendency to sacrifice oneself for the genetic good."
- primatologist Frans de Waal.
http://tinyurl.com/n8wd9be
(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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning June 9
Copyright 2016 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In his poem "Interrupted Meditation," Robert
Hass blurts out the following exclamation: "I give you, here, now, a magic
key. What does it open? This key I give you, what exactly does it open?"
How would you answer this question, Gemini? What door or lock or heart
or treasure box do you most need opened? Decide today. And please
don't name five things you need opened. Choose one, and one only. To do
so will dissolve a mental block that has up until now kept you from finding
the REAL magic key.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The following excerpt from Wendell Berry's
poem "Woods" captures the essence of your current situation: "I part the
out-thrusting branches and come in beneath the blessed and the blessing
trees. Though I am silent there is singing around me. Though I am dark
there is vision around me. Though I am heavy there is flight around me."
Please remember this poem at least three times a day during the next two
weeks. It's important for you to know that no matter what murky or
maudlin or mysterious mood you might be in, you are surrounded by
vitality and generosity.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A half-dead blast from the past is throttling the
free flow of your imagination. Your best possible future will be postponed
until you agree to deal more intimately with this crumbled dream, which
you have never fully grieved or surrendered. So here's my advice:
Summon the bravest, smartest love you're capable of, and lay your sad
loss to rest with gentle ferocity. This may take a while, so be patient. Be
inspired by the fact that your new supply of brave, smart love will be a
crucial resource for the rest of your long life.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Five times every day, devout Muslims face
their holiest city, Mecca, and say prayers to Allah. Even if you're not
Islamic, I recommend that you carry out your own unique version of this
ritual. The next three weeks will be a favorable time to cultivate a closer
relationship with the inspirational influence, the high ideal, or the divine
being that reigns supreme in your life. Here's how you could do it: Identify
a place that excites your imagination and provokes a sense of wonder.
Five times a day for the next 21 days, bow in the direction of this
treasured spot. Unleash songs, vows, and celebratory expostulations that
deepen your fierce and tender commitment to what you trust most and
love best.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "The road reaches every place, the short cut
only one," says aphorist James Richardson. In many cases, that's not a
problem. Who among us has unlimited time and energy? Why leave all the
options open? Short cuts can be valuable. It's often smart to be ruthlessly
efficient as we head toward our destination. But here's a caveat:
According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you're now in a phase
when taking short cuts may be counterproductive. To be as well-seasoned
as you will need to be to reach your goal, you should probably take the
scenic route. The long way around may, in this instance, be the most
efficient and effective.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Truth is like the flu," says poet James
Richardson. "I fight it off, but it changes in other bodies and returns in a
form to which I am not immune." In the coming days, Scorpio, I suspect
you will experience that riddle first hand -- and probably on more than one
occasion. Obvious secrets and wild understandings that you have fought
against finding out will mutate in just the right way to sneak past your
defenses. Unwelcome insights you've been trying to ignore will finally
wiggle their way into your psyche. Don't worry, though. These new
arrivals will be turn out to be good medicine.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PLEASURE IS HOLY?
Assume that your drive to experience pleasure and happiness 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.
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.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.
+
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes provide me with the Rest of the Story.
I'm not necessarily a believer in the scientific accuracy of astrology, but I
do think you've got a lot of practical wisdom to impart."
- M. Tennenbaum, New York
"No one knows more about me than me. But you're right up there near
the top of the list of people who do understand something about how I
tick. How is that possible?"
- R. Goren, Albuquerque
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to Guinness World records,
the most consecutive hours spent riding on a roller coaster is 405 hours
and 40 minutes. But I suspect that during the next 15 months, a
Sagittarian daredevil may exceed this mark. I have come to this
conclusion because I believe your tribe will be especially adept and
relatively comfortable at handling steep rises and sudden dips at high
speeds. And that won't be the only rough talent you'll have in abundance.
I'm guessing you could also set new personal bests in the categories of
most frequent changes of mind, most heroic leaps of faith, and fastest
talking.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Whether we like to admit it or not, all of us
have acted like puppets. Bosses and teachers and loved ones can
manipulate us even if they're not in our presence. Our conditioned
responses and programmed impulses may control our behavior in the
present moment even though they were formed long ago. That's the bad
news. The good news is that now and then moments of lucidity blossom,
revealing the puppet strings. We emerge from our unconsciousness and
see that we're under the spell of influential people to whom we have
surrendered our power. This is one of those magic times for you,
Capricorn.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): A few weeks ago you undertook a new
course of study in the art of fun and games. You realized you hadn't been
playing hard enough, and took measures to correct the problem. After
refamiliarizing yourself with the mysteries of innocent joy, you raised the
stakes. You began dabbling with more intensive forms of relief and
release. Now you have the chance to go even further: to explore the
mysteries of experimental delight. Exuberant escapades may become
available to you. Amorous adventures could invite you to explore the
frontiers of liberated love. Will you be brave and free enough to meet the
challenge of such deeply meaningful gaiety? Meditate on this radical
possibility: *spiritually adept hedonism.*
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Poet Sharon Dolin compares artists to
sunflowers. They create "a tall flashy flower that then grows heavy with
seeds whose small hard shells you must crack to get to the rich nut
meat." As I contemplate the current chapter of your unfolding story, I see
you as being engaged in a similar process, even if you're not literally an
artist. To be exact, you're at the point when you are producing a tall
flashy flower. The seeds have not yet begun to form, but they will soon.
Later this year, the rich nut meat inside the small hard shells will be ready
to pluck. For now, concentrate on generating your gorgeous, radiant
flower.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Mythologist Joseph Campbell analyzed fairy
tales for clues about how the human psyche works. For example, he said
that a fairy tale character who's riding a horse is a representation of our
relationship with our instinctual nature. If that character drops the reins
and lets the horse gallop without guidance, he or she is symbolically
surrendering control to the instincts. I bring this to your attention
because I suspect you may soon be tempted to do just that that -- which
wouldn't be wise. In my opinion, you'll be best served by going against
the flow of what seems natural. Sublimation and transcendence will keep
you much stronger than if you followed the line of least resistance.
Homework: Visualize yourself, as you ride your horse, keeping a relaxed
but firm grasp of the reins.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I will provide you with two lists of words. One
of these lists, but not both, will characterize the nature of your
predominant experiences in the coming weeks. It will be mostly up to you
which emerges as the winner. Now read the two lists, pick the one you
like better, and instruct your subconscious mind to lead you in that
direction. List 1: gluttony, bloating, overkill, padding, exorbitance. List 2:
mother lode, wellspring, bumper crop, gold mine, cornucopia.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Homework: Psychologists say that a good way to eliminate a bad habit is
to replace it with a good one. Do that! Testify at Freewillastrology.com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NEED TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS?
To join or leave the email list for this newsletter, or to change the address
where you receive it, go to:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/newsletter/
Once you join, check these points to ensure you'll actually receive the
newsletter:
1. Add my address, televisionary@comcast.net, to your address book so
that the newsletter won't be treated as spam and filtered out.
2. Adjust your spam filter so it doesn't treat my address as spam.
3. Tell your company's IT group to let my address pass through any
filtering software they have set up.
4. If my newsletters don't reach your inbox, look in your "Bulk Mail" or
"Junk Mail" folder.
5. Problems could originate with your email provider. It may be using a
"content filter" that prevents my newsletter from reaching you. If you
suspect that's true, complain. Tell your email provider to stop blocking
my newsletter.
P.S. I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your address
to anyone.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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,
including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will
Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve
the right to edit submissions for length, style, and content.
Requests for anonymity will be honored. We are not responsible for
unsolicited submission of any creative material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2016 Rob Brezsny
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To join or leave the email list for this newsletter, or to change the address
where you receive it, go to:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/newsletter/
Once you join, check these points to ensure you'll actually receive the
newsletter:
1. Add my address, televisionary@comcast.net, to your address book so
that the newsletter won't be treated as spam and filtered out.
2. Adjust your spam filter so it doesn't treat my address as spam.
3. Tell your company's IT group to let my address pass through any
filtering software they have set up.
4. If my newsletters don't reach your inbox, look in your "Bulk Mail" or
"Junk Mail" folder.
5. Problems could originate with your email provider. It may be using a
"content filter" that prevents my newsletter from reaching you. If you
suspect that's true, complain. Tell your email provider to stop blocking
my newsletter.
P.S. I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your address
to anyone.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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,
including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will
Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve
the right to edit submissions for length, style, and content.
Requests for anonymity will be honored. We are not responsible for
unsolicited submission of any creative material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2016 Rob Brezsny
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++