Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 27, 2017
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They're available at http://RealAstrology.com.
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Astrology! - Grateful Reader"
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CREATING A GOLDEN AGE
I suspect that none of us has the capacity to foretell the future of the
human race. No one -- not psychics, not doomsayers, not intelligent
optimists, indigenous shamans, no one.
There is a strong case to be made that this is the worst of times, and an
equally strong case that this is the best of times; a strong case that
everything will collapse into a miserable dystopia and a strong case that
we are on the verge of a golden age. It's impossible to know in any
"objective way" which is "truer."
Anyone who asserts they do know is just cherry-picking evidence that
rationalizes their emotional bent. The variables are chaotic and abundant
and beyond our ken.
In the meantime, I'm doing what I can to create a golden age.
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SYNERGY
Hypothesis: There's no contradiction between being:
a highly individuated, creative person devoted to developing your own
maximum potential and enjoying life to the fullest
AND
a spiritual freedom fighter dedicated to the liberation of other humans
and to the transformation of civilization into a paradise that serves and
exalts all creatures.
In fact, the two tasks can blend together quite well.
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TAKE TIME TO STOP AND BE THE FLOWERS
"Take time to stop and smell the flowers," says an old homily. Albert
Hoffman, the Swiss scientist who discovered LSD and lived to age 102,
had a different approach. "Take the time to stop and be the flowers," he
said.
That's a sweet invitation: Don't just set aside a few stolen moments to
sniff the snapdragons, taste the rain, chase the wind, watch the
hummingbirds, and listen to a friend.
Use your imagination to actually be the snapdragons and rain and wind
and hummingbirds and friend. Don't just behold the Other; become the
Other.
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SECRET HEROISM
Jeff Brown says: Most of the greatest achievements on the planet are
unknown to others — private overcomings, silent attempts at belief, re-
opening a shattered heart.
The real path of champions truly lies within — the transforming of
suffering into expansion, the clearing of horrifying debris, the building of a
healthy self-concept without tools.
The greatest achievers have found a way to believe in something good
despite being traumatized and fractured on life's battlefields. No matter
what else they accomplish in their lives, they are already champions.
One day the world will realize that it is much harder to heal a shattered
heart than excel at athletics. Go(l)d medals all around.
- Jeff Brown, excerpted from his book from "Love It Forward" -
http://tinyurl.com/ycu6yr5u
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
10 Films to Keep You Inspired. Movies to remind you there's hope in the
fight for justice and equality.
http://tinyurl.com/z6ruafd
In a Bad Mood? Studies Show Why That Can Be a Good Thing.
Five reasons why the quest for constant happiness is misguided.
http://tinyurl.com/yc6k58gs
It's Not Just the South: Here's How Everyone Can Resist White
Supremacy. Every region of our country has its history of racial exclusion
and white supremacy. Here are 13 ways to right those wrongs.
http://tinyurl.com/yaduh36w
(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 28
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Be realistic, Libra: Demand the impossible;
expect inspiration; visualize yourself being able to express yourself more
completely and vividly than you ever have before. Believe me when I tell
you that you now have extra power to develop your sleeping potentials,
and are capable of accomplishing feats that might seem like miracles. You
are braver than you know, as sexy as you need to be, and wiser than you
were two months ago. I am not exaggerating, nor am I flattering you. It's
time for you to start making your move to the next level.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In accordance with the astrological omens, I
invite you to take extra good care of yourself during the next three
weeks. Do whatever it takes to feel safe and protected and resilient. Ask
for the support you need, and if the people whose help you solicit can't or
won't give it to you, seek elsewhere. Provide your body with more than
the usual amount of healthy food, deep sleep, tender touch, and
enlivening movement. Go see a psychotherapist or counselor or good
listener every single day if you want. And don't you dare apologize or feel
guilty for being such a connoisseur of self-respect and self-healing.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A queen bee may keep mating until she
gathers 70 million sperm from many different drones. When composing
my horoscopes, I aim to cultivate a metaphorically comparable
receptivity. Long ago I realized that all of creation is speaking to me all
the time; I recognized that everyone I encounter is potentially a muse or
teacher. If I hope to rustle up the oracles that are precisely suitable for
your needs, I have to be alert to the possibility that they may arrive from
unexpected directions and surprising sources. Can you handle being that
open to influence, Sagittarius? Now is a favorable time to expand your
capacity to be fertilized.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You're approaching a rendezvous with
prime time. Any minute now you could receive an invitation to live up to
your hype or fulfill your promises to yourself -- or both. This test is likely
to involve an edgy challenge that is both fun and daunting, both liberating
and exacting. It will have the potential to either steal a bit of your soul or
else heal an ache in your soul. To ensure the healing occurs rather than
the stealing, do your best to understand why the difficulty and the
pleasure are both essential.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In 1901, physician Duncan MacDougall
carried out experiments that led him to conclude that the average human
soul weighs 21 grams. Does his claim have any merit? That question is
beyond my level of expertise. But if he was right, then I'm pretty sure
your soul has bulked up to at least 42 grams in the past few weeks. The
work you've been doing to refine and cultivate your inner state has been
heroic. It's like you've been ingesting a healthy version of soul-building
steroids. Congrats!
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): There are enough authorities, experts, and
know-it-alls out there trying to tell you what to think and do. In
accordance with current astrological factors, I urge you to utterly ignore
them during the next two weeks. And do it gleefully, not angrily. Exult in
the power that this declaration of independence gives you to trust your
own assessments and heed your own intuitions. Furthermore, regard your
rebellion as good practice for dealing with the little voices in your head
that speak for those authorities, experts, and know-it-alls. Rise up and
reject their shaming and criticism, too. Shield yourself from their fearful
fantasies.
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MAYBE JOY AND PLEASURE ARE ESSENTIAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
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.
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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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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Conceptual artist Jonathon Keats likes to play
along with the music of nature. On one occasion he collaborated with
Mandeville Creek in Montana. He listened and studied the melodies that
emanated from its flowing current. Then he moved around some of the
underwater rocks, subtly changing the creek's song. Your assignment,
Aries, is to experiment with equally imaginative and exotic collaborations.
The coming weeks will be a time when you can make beautiful music
together with anyone or anything that tickles your imagination.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Some newspapers publish regular
rectifications of the mistakes they've made in past editions. For example,
the editors of the UK publication *The Guardian* once apologized to
readers for a mistaken statement about Richard Wagner. They said that
when the 19th-century German composer had trysts with his
chambermaid, he did not in fact ask her to wear purple underpants, as
previously reported. They were *pink* underpants. I tell you this, Taurus,
as encouragement to engage in corrective meditations yourself. Before
bedtime on the next ten nights, scan the day's events and identify any
actions you might have done differently -- perhaps with more integrity or
focus or creativity. This will have a deeply tonic effect. You are in a phase
of your astrological cycle when you'll flourish as you make amendments
and revisions.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It's high time to allow your yearnings to
overflow . . . to surrender to the vitalizing pleasures of nonrational joy . . .
to grant love the permission to bless you and confound you with its
unruly truths. For inspiration, read this excerpt of a poem by Caitlyn Siehl.
"My love is honey tongue. Thirsty love. My love is peach juice dripping
down the neck. Too much sugar love. Sticky sweet, sticky sweat love. My
love can't ride a bike. My love walks everywhere. Wanders through the
river. Feeds the fish, skips the stones. Barefoot love. My love stretches
itself out on the grass, kisses a nectarine. My love is never waiting. My
love is a traveler."
CANCER (June 21-July 22): One of the oldest houses in Northern Europe
is called the Knap of Howar. Built out of stone around 3,600 B.C., it faces
the wild sea on Papa Westray, an island off the northern coast of
Scotland. Although no one has lived there for 5,000 years, some of its
stone furniture remains intact. Places like this will have a symbolic power
for you in the coming weeks, Cancerian. They'll tease your imagination
and provoke worthwhile fantasies. Why? Because the past will be calling
to you more than usual. The old days and old ways will have secrets to
reveal and stories to teach. Listen with alert discernment.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The United States has a bizarre system for
electing its president. There's nothing like it in any other democratic
nation on earth. Every four years, the winning candidate needs only to win
the electoral college, not the popular vote. So theoretically, it's possible
to garner just 23 percent of all votes actually cast, and yet still ascend to
the most powerful political position in the world. For example, in two of
the last five elections, the new chief of state has received significantly
fewer votes than his main competitor. I suspect that you may soon
benefit from a comparable anomaly, Leo. You'll be able to claim victory on
a technicality. Your effort may be "ugly," yet good enough to succeed.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I found this advertisement for a workshop:
"You will learn to do the INCREDIBLE! Smash bricks with your bare hands!
Walk on fiery coals unscathed! Leap safely off a roof! No broken bones!
No cuts! No pain! Accomplish the impossible first! Then everything else
will be a breeze!" I bring this to your attention, Virgo, not because I think
you should sign up for this class or anything like it. I hope you don't. In
fact, a very different approach is preferable for you: I recommend that
you start with safe, manageable tasks. Master the simple details and
practical actions. Work on achieving easy, low-risk victories. In this way,
you'll prepare yourself for more epic efforts in the future.
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Homework: Would I enjoy following you on Twitter or Tumblr? Send me
links to your tweets or posts. Truthrooster@gmail.com
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2017 Rob Brezsny
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