Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 20, 2017
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/YouShallOvercome
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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.
Behind your back, your imaginary friend is plotting with your inner child to
overthrow your guilty conscience.
Meanwhile, your future self has time-traveled into the past to enlist the
spirits of your ancestors in a plot to unlock your sleeping genius.
There's more: The superhero you used to fantasize about being when you
felt most helpless has been brought to life by the mad scientist in your
psyche's basement.
There's no way you can prevent them all from giving you a big crazy dose
of assistance.
P.S. Your hair is mysterious.
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MANY GOOD REASONS TO CRY
It's life-affirming to cry when you're sad about your life.
There are many other good reasons to cry, too.
Have you ever burst into tears after having a sudden rush of insight into a
nagging problem?
If you traveled to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and stood in front
of the artist's paintings, chances are you would sob in appreciation for
the raw beauty.
I have a friend who regards her crying spells as surrogate orgasms. They
bring a surging release of pent-up emotions, and leave her deeply relaxed
and in love with life.
NASA's chief scientist for Mars exploration confessed what stirs his
emotions up from the depths. "When I first gazed at the images of the
Martian landscape from Surveyor's camera," said Jim Garvin, "I was moved
to tears."
Myself, I experience my tears as a well-earned triumph, whether they're
driven by loss or fullness and joy; they're the sign of the inner work I've
done to feel things deeply.
I've found, too, that sadness is often at the root of my anger. When I feel
rage at Trump's latest cruel and ignorant behavior, for example, it's
because I'm profoundly sad about the dire consequences that his actions
have and will have for human beings. I'm heartbroken about the suffering
he perpetrates.
I'm not saying that sadness is "better" than anger. But I think it's
important to understand that our anger often comes out of our sadness,
and that we need to feel the sadness as much as the anger.
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YOUR PRIMAL LONGING
Recently I wrote about the pleasures that can come from cultivating a
robust relationship with one's primal longing. "What is a 'primal longing'
exactly?" a reader asked me.
I replied: Your primal longing is the deepest yearning you have; the
essential desire that brought you here to earth; the reason why you're
alive; the goal that's most important for you to strive for this lifetime;
your core driving force.
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WHAT CONSTITUTES INTEGRITY?
Characteristics of People Who Have True Integrity,
by Awareness Act
1. They value other people's time.
2. They give credit where it is due.
3. They are authentic.
4. They are honest.
5. They don't take advantage of others.
6. They talk through disagreements in a civil manner.
7. They give most people the benefit of the doubt.
8. They know when something is bothering someone.
9. They accept your word as truth until it is disproven.
10. If they have done something wrong they will come to you and
apologize.
11. They are humble.
12. They do good when they can.
13. They are kind.
14. They follow through with whatever they said they would do. Keep
commitments.
15. They do not manipulate others.
16. They are able to be vulnerable and can express it, and hold space for
others to be vulnerable as well.
Do you have any characteristics to add?
YOU CAN READ THE ORIGINAL ATRTICLE HERE:
http://tinyurl.com/yaaesz6p
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NO NEED TO KEEP ILLUSIONS AFLOAT
You're hereby relieved of any responsibility you think you have to keep
everyone's illusions afloat (including your own).
See how much fun you can have by telling the lush, pulsating, up-to-the-
minute truth with kindness and elegance.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Fight fascism with a dance party.
http://tinyurl.com/yd828lsv
An Easier Way to Get to Universal Health Care.
http://tinyurl.com/ycooz7vr
How Alaska Tribes Solved Their Dental Health Crisis.
http://tinyurl.com/yccyx6hv
(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 September 21
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The poet E. E. Cummings said, "To be nobody-
but-yourself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make
you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human
being can fight; and never stop fighting." On the other hand, naturalist
and writer Henry David Thoreau declared that "We are constantly invited
to be who we are," to become "something worthy and noble." So which
of these two views is correct? Is fate aligned against us, working hard to
prevent us from knowing and showing our authentic self? Or is fate
forever conspiring in our behalf, seducing us to master our fullest
expression? I'm not sure if there's a final, definitive answer, but I can tell
you this, Libra: In the coming months, Thoreau's view will be your
predominant truth.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "When you do your best, you're depending
to a large extent on your unconscious, because you're waiting for the
thing you can't think of." So said Scorpio director Mike Nichols in
describing his process of making films. Now I'm conveying this idea to you
just in time for the beginning of a phase I call "Eruptions from Your
Unconscious." In the coming weeks, you will be ripe to receive and make
good use of messages from the depths of your psyche. At any other
time, these simmering bits of brilliance might remain below the threshold
of your awareness, but for the foreseeable future they'll be bursting
through and making themselves available to be plucked.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Author Barbara Ehrenreich has done
extensive research on the annals of partying. She says modern historians
are astounded by the prodigious amount of time that medieval Europeans
spent having fun together. "People feasted, drank, and danced for days
on end," she writes. Seventeenth-century Spaniards celebrated festivals
five months of each year. In 16th-century France, peasants devoted an
average of one day out of every four to "carnival revelry." In accordance
with current astrological omens, you Sagittarians are authorized to match
those levels of conviviality in the coming weeks.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Kittens made French Emperor Napoleon III
lose his composure. He shook and screamed around them. Butterflies
scare actress Nicole Kidman. My friend Allie is frightened by photos of
Donald Trump. As for me, I have an unnatural fear of watching reality TV.
What about you, Capricorn? Are you susceptible to any odd anxieties or
nervous fantasies that provoke agitation? If so, the coming weeks will be
a perfect time to overcome them. Why? Because you'll be host to an
unprecedented slow-motion outbreak of courage that you can use to free
yourself from long-standing worries.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "The brain is wider than the sky," wrote
Emily Dickinson. "The brain is deeper than the sea." I hope you cultivate a
vivid awareness of those truths in the coming days, Aquarius. In order to
accomplish the improbable tasks you have ahead of you, you've got to
unleash your imagination, allowing it to bloom to its full power so it can
encompass vast expanses and delve down into hidden abysses. Try this
visualization exercise: Picture yourself bigger than the planet Earth,
holding it tenderly in your hands.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I got an email from a fan of Piscean singer
Rihanna. He complained that my horoscopes rarely mention celebrities.
"People love astrological predictions about big stars," he wrote. "So
what's your problem? Are you too 'cultured' to give us what we the
people really want? Get off your high horse and 'lower' yourself to writing
about our heroes. You could start with the lovely, talented, and very rich
Rihanna." I told Rihanna's fan that my advice for mega-stars is sometimes
different from what it is for average folks. For Piscean mega-stars like
Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Ellen Page, and Bryan Cranston, for example, the
coming weeks will be a time to lay low, chill out, and recharge. But non-
famous Pisceans will have prime opportunities to boost their reputation,
expand their reach, and wield a stronger-than-usual influence in the
domains they frequent.
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WHY IS IT CALLED "FREE WILL" ASTROLOGY?
It's called Free Will Astrology because my goal is to create horoscopes
that nurture your free will!
And if you ever want more than the 'scopes you're reading here, keep in
mind that I also create EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES for you. They're
four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.
Need more help in figuring out the questions life is asking you? Crave
more support in your efforts to build your courage? Check out the
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES.
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.
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"Your expanded horoscopes get more personal and intimate with me than
some of my closest friends. Thanks for the loving reflections."
- Ari S., Ann Arbor, MI
"When I listen to your audio 'scopes, my free will lights up." - Alex D., Los
Angeles
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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Psychologists say most people need a
scapegoat -- a personification of wickedness and ignorance onto which
they can project the unacknowledged darkness in their own hearts. That's
the bad news. Here's the good news: The coming weeks will be an
excellent time for you to neutralize that reflex and at least partially divest
yourself of the need for scapegoats. How? The first thing to do is identify
your own darkness with courageous clarity. Get to know it better.
Converse with it. Negotiate with it. The more conscientiously you deal
with that shadowy stuff within you, the less likely you'll be to demonize
other people.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): If the weather turns bad or your allies get sad
or the news of the world grows even crazier, you will thrive. I'm not
exaggerating or flattering you. It's exactly when events threaten to
demoralize you that you'll have maximum power to redouble your
fortitude and effectiveness. Developments that other people regard as
daunting will trigger breakthroughs for you. Your allies' confusion will
mobilize you to manifest your unique visions of what it takes to live a
good life.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "If at first you don't succeed, destroy all
evidence that you tried." declared comedian Steven Wright. My Great
Uncle Ned had a different perspective. "If at first you don't succeed," he
told me, "redefine the meaning of success." I'm not a fan of Wright's
advice, but Ned's counsel has served me well. I recommend you try it out,
Gemini. Here's another bit of folk wisdom that might be helpful.
Psychotherapist Dick Olney said that what a good therapist does is help
her clients wake up from the delusion that they are the image they have
of themselves.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): What is home? The poet Elizabeth Corn
pondered that question. She then told her lover that home was "the stars
on the tip of your tongue, the flowers sprouting from your mouth, the
roots entwined in the gaps between your fingers, the ocean echoing
inside of your ribcage." I offer this as inspiration, Cancerian, since now is a
perfect time to dream up your own poetic testimonial about home. What
experiences make you love yourself best? What situations bring out your
most natural exuberance? What influences feel like gifts and blessings?
Those are all clues to the beloved riddle "What is home?"
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): You're most likely to thrive if you weave together
a variety of styles and methods. The coming weeks will be a highly
miscellaneous time, and you can't afford to get stuck in any single
persona or approach. As an example of how to proceed, I invite you to
borrow from both the thoughtful wisdom of the ancient Greek poet
Homer and the silly wisdom of the cartoon character Homer Simpson.
First, the poet: "As we learn, we must daily unlearn something which it
has cost us no small labor and anxiety to acquire." Now here's Homer
Simpson: "Every time I learn something new, it pushes out something
old."
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Filmmakers often have test audiences evaluate
their products before releasing it to the masses. If a lot of viewers
express a particular critique, the filmmaker may make changes, even
cutting out certain scenes or altering the ending. You might want to try a
similar tack in the coming weeks, Virgo. Solicit feedback on the new
projects and trends you've been working on -- not just from anyone, of
course, but rather from smart people who respect you. And be sure
they're not inclined to tell you only what you want to hear. Get yourself in
the mood to treasure honesty and objectivity.
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Homework: Imagine what your life would be like if you licked your worst
fear. Describe this new world to me. Truthrooster@gmail.com
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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
2017 Rob Brezsny
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