Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
February 8, 2017
+
See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/2jWeIpQ
+
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.
ELATIONSHIP LOVE SPELLS FOR BEAUTY & TRUTH LAB ALLIES
The Beauty and Truth Lab's rapturists have formulated a batch of
personal ads for you to borrow. If you're a Crafty Optimist or Mystical
Activist or Ceremonial Teaser who aspires to put the elation back in
relationship, check them out here:
http://bit.ly/LoveAd
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"The Orgasmic Roots of Pronoia" is one of the few NC-17-rated pieces in
my book. If I published it here, it might get censored, so here's a link:
http://bit.ly/OrgasmicRoots
NSFW! PROCEED WITH CAUTION! This material has graphic references to
love, lust, tenderness, bliss, and rapture.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Everyone carries with them at least one piece to someone else's puzzle."
So wrote Lawrence Kushner in his book, *Honey from the Rock.*
In other words, you have in your possession certain clues to your loved
ones' destinies -- secrets they haven't discovered themselves.
Wouldn't you love to hand over those clues -- to make a gift of the puzzle
pieces that are most needed by the people you care about?
Search your depths for insights you've never communicated. Tell truths
you haven't found a way to express before now. More than you know, you
have the power to mobilize your companions' dreams.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
You understand that you can never own love, right? No matter how much
someone adores you today, no matter how much you adore someone,
you can't force that unique state of grace to keep its shape forever. It will
inevitably evolve or mutate, perhaps into a different version of tender
caring, but maybe not.
From there it will continue to change, into either yet another version of
interesting affection, or who knows what else?
Are you making any progress in getting the hang of this tricky wisdom?
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
I invite you to act like a person who's in love. Even if you're not currently
in the throes of passion for a special someone, pretend you are.
Everywhere you go, exude that charismatic blend of shell-shocked
contentment and blissful turmoil that comes over you when you're
infatuated. Let everyone you meet soak up the delicious wisdom you
exude. Dispense free blessings and extra slack like a rich saint high on
natural endorphins.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Imagine that the merger of you and your best ally has created a third
thing that hovers near you, protecting and guiding the two of you. Call
this third thing an angel. Or call it the soul of your connection or the
inspirational force of your relationship. Or call it the special work the two
of you can accomplish together. And let this magical presence be the
third point of your love triangle.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"For a relationship to stay alive, love alone is not enough. Without
imagination, love stales into sentiment, duty, boredom. Relationships fail
not because we have stopped loving but because we first stopped
imagining."
- James Hillman
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Gertrude Stein defined love as "the skillful audacity required to share an
inner life." It suggests that expressing the truth about who you are is not
something that amateurs do very well. Practice and ingenuity are
required.
It also implies that courage is an essential element of successful intimacy.
You've got to be adventurous if you want to weave your life together
with another's.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"You are my inspiration and my folly. You are my light across the sea, my
million nameless joys, and my day's wage. You are my divinity, my
madness, my selfishness, my transfiguration and purification. You are my
rapscallionly fellow vagabond, my tempter and star. I want you."
- George Bernard Shaw
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Whenever I write about romance and togetherness, I attract a storm of
complaints from readers who are solitary. "How dare you imply that
everyone has or should have a partner!?" is a typical protest. "I'm quite
content being alone!" is another.
Let it be known that I do not believe your happiness depends on having a
spouse or lover. What I do suspect, though, is that your soul needs some
sacred relationship in order to thrive, whether it's with a good friend, a
beloved animal, a beautiful patch of earth, the Divine Wow, or anything
that's not you.
Whenever I invite you to seek deeper, wilder communion, feel free to
interpret it as a call to explore any kind of intimacy that draws you closer
to the secret heart of the world.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
10 Films to Keep You Inspired After the Women's March. Movies to
remind you there's hope in the fight for justice and equality.
http://tinyurl.com/z6ruafd
How Neighbors Turned Unused Buildings into a Thriving Community Hub.
As rents rise and independent businesses in Minneapolis lose their leases
to large national chains, a first-of-its-kind co-op found a solution.
http://tinyurl.com/hmxylj7
How to Help Immigrant and Muslim Neighbors. People are turning their
frustrations with the Trump administration into finding ways to make a
meaningful difference in the lives of vulnerable citizens.
http://tinyurl.com/gmrj8gb
(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 February 9
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The time is now, Brave Aquarius. Be
audacious about improving the big little things in your life. (That's not a
typo. I did indeed use the term "big little things.") For example: Seek out
or demand more engaging responsibilities. Bring your penetrating
questions to sphinx-like authorities. Go in search of more useful riddles.
Redesign the daily rhythm to better meet your unique needs. Refuse
"necessary" boredom that's not truly necessary. Trust what actually
works, not what's merely attractive. Does all that seem too bold and
brazen for you to pull off? I assure you that it's not. You have more clout
than you imagine. You also have a growing faith in your own power to
make subtle fundamental shifts. (That's not a typo. I did indeed use the
term "subtle fundamental shifts.")
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "Love does not at first mean merging,
surrendering, and uniting with another person," wrote the poet Rilke, "for
what would a union be of two people who are unclarified, unfinished, and
still incoherent?" That's an excellent meditation for you to entertain
during the Valentine season, Pisces. You're in the right frame of mind to
think about how you could change and educate yourself so as to get the
most out of your intimate alliances. Love "is a high inducement for the
individual to ripen," Rilke said, "to become something, to become a world
for the sake of another person." (Thanks to Stephen Mitchell for much of
this translation.)
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Your reputation is in a state of fermentation.
Will this process ultimately produce the metaphorical equivalent of fine
wine or else something more like pungent cheese? The answer to that
question will depend on how much integrity you express as you wield your
clout. Be as charismatic as you dare, yes, but always in service to the
greater good rather than to self-aggrandizement. You can accomplish
wonders if you are saucy and classy, but you'll spawn blunders if you're
saucy and bossy.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Using a blend of warfare and diplomacy,
Napoleon extended French control over much of Western Europe. In
1804, he decided to formalize his growing sovereignty with a coronation
ceremony. He departed from tradition, however. For many centuries,
French kings had been crowned by the Pope. But on this occasion,
Napoleon took the imperial crown from Pope Pius VII and placed it on his
own head. Historian David J. Markham writes that he "was simply
symbolizing that he was becoming emperor based on his own merits and
the will of the people, not because of some religious consecration."
According to my reading of the astrological omens, Taurus, you have the
right to perform a comparable gesture. Don't wait for some authority to
crown you. Crown yourself.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Have you heard the fable about the four blind
men who come upon an elephant for the first time? The first man feels
the tail and declares that the thing they've encountered must be a rope.
The second touches one of the elephant's legs and says that they are in
the presence of a tree. The third strokes the trunk and assumes it's a
snake. Putting his hand on a tusk, the fourth man asserts that it's a
spear. I predict that this fable will NOT apply to you in the coming weeks,
Gemini. You won't focus on just one aspect of the whole and think it's the
whole. Other people in your sphere may get fooled by shortsightedness,
but you will see the big picture.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): For now, at least, your brain is your primary
erogenous zone. I suspect it will be generating some of your sexiest
thoughts ever. To be clear, not all of these erupting streams of bliss will
directly involve the sweet, snaky mysteries of wrapping your physical
body around another's. Some of the erotic pleasure will come in the form
of epiphanies that awaken sleeping parts of your soul. Others might arrive
as revelations that chase away months' worth of confusion. Still others
could be creative breakthroughs that liberate you from a form of bondage
you've wrongly accepted as necessary.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
YOU NEED MAGIC EVERY DAY
Every day, you have to wade through a relentless surge of soul-less facts.
The experience tends to shut down your sense of wonder.
Every day, you're over-exposed to cynical narratives that have been
sucked free of delight and mystery. That's why you have to make such
strenuous efforts to keep your world enchanted.
I like to think I can contribute to the sacred cause of feeding your sense
of wonder and enchantment. In fact, that's one of my prime motivations
for offering you the free weekly horoscopes you read in this newsletter.
If you ever want more of that good stuff, and think it's worth paying for,
please consider trying out my 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.
+
P.S. My long-range, big-picture audio horoscopes for the coming months
are still available. Register and/or log in through the main page, and then
access the horoscopes by clicking on "Long Range Prediction." (Choose
from Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3.). Each part is a standalone report, not
dependent on the other two.
+
"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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Human beings upload 300 hours of videos to
Youtube every minute of every day. Among that swirling flow is a hefty
amount of footage devoted exclusively to the amusing behavior of cats.
Researchers estimate there are now more than two million clips of feline
shenanigans. Despite the stiff competition, I suspect there's a much
better chance than usual that your cat video will go viral if you upload it
in the coming weeks. Why? In general, you Leos now have a sixth sense
about how to get noticed. You know what you need to do to express
yourself confidently and attract attention -- not just in regards to your
cats, but anything that's important to you.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I know you haven't literally been wrestling and
wrangling with a sweaty angel. But if I were going to tell a fairy tale about
your life lately, I'd be tempted to say this: Your rumble with the sweaty
angel is not finished. In fact, the best and holiest part is still to come. But
right now you have cosmic permission to take a short break and rest a
while. During the lull, ratchet up your determination to learn all you can
from your friendly "struggle." Try to figure out what you've been missing
about the true nature of the sweaty angel. Vow to become a stronger
advocate for yourself and a more rigorous revealer of the wild truth.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Even if you're not an occult wizard or pagan
priestess, I suspect you now have the power to conjure benevolent love
spells. There's a caveat, however: They will only work if you cast them on
yourself. Flinging them at other people would backfire. But if you do
accept that limitation, you'll be able to invoke a big dose of romantic
mojo from both your lower depths and your higher self. Inspiration will be
abundantly available as you work to reinvigorate your approach to
intimacy and togetherness.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Here's some advice from Scorpio writer
Norman Rush: "The main effort of arranging your life should be to
progressively reduce the amount of time required to decently maintain
yourself so that you can have all the time you want for reading." It's
understandable that a language specialist like Rush would make the final
word of the previous sentence "reading." But you might choose a
different word. And I invite you to do just that. The coming weeks will be
an excellent time to devotedly carve out more time to do The Most
Important Thing in Your Life.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sixteenth-century Italian painter Titian
was renowned for his brilliant use of color. He was also prolific, versatile,
and influential. In 2011, one of his paintings sold for $16.9 million. But
one of his contemporaries, the incomparable Michelangelo, said that Titian
could have been an even greater artist if he had ever mastered the art of
drawing. It seems that Titian skipped a step in his early development. Is
there any way that your path resembles Titian's, Sagittarius? Did you
neglect to cultivate a basic skill that has subtly (or not so subtly)
handicapped your growth ever since? If so, the coming weeks and months
will be an excellent time to fix the glitch.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Our obsessive use of digital devices has
diminished our power to focus. According to a study by Microsoft, the
average human attention span has shrunk to eight seconds -- one second
less than that of a typical goldfish. I'm guessing, though, that you
Capricorns will buck this trend in the coming weeks. Your ability to
concentrate may be exceptional even by pre-Internet standards. I hope
you'll take opportunity of this fortunate anomaly to get a lot of important
work and play done.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Homework: Don't get back to where you once belonged. Go forward to
where you've got to belong in the future. 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
2017 Rob Brezsny
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++