Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 15, 2018
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See a pretty version of this newsletter:
https://bit.ly/YouCreateSmartLove
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Everyone's my teacher. Everywhere I go, I'm a student. Everyone is in
some way my informant, my revelator, my direction connection to the
Divine Wow.
The animals, too: They are my confidants, my beloveds, my spirit guides.
And yes, the plants! My godparents, my role models, my advisers.
I vow to gleefully shut up and listen reverently on a regular basis.
Playful, mysterious intelligences surround me in every direction. I'm
available!
(Yes, to you, too, wind and sun and sky and mountain and rivers and
oceans and rocks: I greet you daily as my family members, my agent
provocateurs, my fellow celebrants.)
Hey, YOU reading this: Is there any clue or secret or surprise you'd like to
impart to me?
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WHAT IF YOUR DESIRES ARE HOLY?
What if your desires are holy? Listen to a brief meditation on the subject.
Sample: "There's a difference between degrading desires that enslave you
and sacred desires that liberate you." Tune in at https://bit.ly/1MPMODh
Here are excerpts:
Some religious traditions teach the doctrine, "Kill off your longings." In
their view, attachment to desire is at the root of human suffering. But the
religion of materialism takes the opposite tack, asserting that the
meaning of life is to be found in indulging desires. Its creed is, "Feed your
cravings like a French foie gras farmer cramming eight pounds of maize
down a goose's gullet every day."
At the Beauty and Truth Lab, we walk a middle path. We believe there are
both degrading desires that enslave you and sacred desires that liberate
you.
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Psychologist Carl Jung believed that all desires have a sacred origin, no
matter how odd they may seem. Frustration and ignorance may contort
them into distorted caricatures, but it is always possible to locate the
divine source from which they arose. In describing one of his addictive
patients, Jung said: "His craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low
level of the spiritual thirst for wholeness, or as expressed in medieval
language: the union with God."
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Psychotherapist James Hillman echoes the theme: "Psychology regards all
symptoms to be expressing the right thing in the wrong way." A
preoccupation with porn or romance novels, for instance, may come to
dominate a passionate person whose quest for love has degenerated into
an obsession with images of love. "Follow the lead of your symptoms,"
Hillman suggests, "for there's usually a myth in the mess, and a mess is
an expression of soul."
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Like all of us, you have desires for things that you don't really need and
aren't good for you. But you shouldn't disparage yourself for having
them, nor should you conclude that every desire is tainted. Rather, think
of your misguided longings as the bumbling, amateur expressions of a
faculty that will one day be far more expert. They're how you practice as
you work toward the goal of becoming a master of desire. It may take a
while, but eventually you will get the hang of wanting things that are
really good for you, and good for everyone else, too.
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"The only way anyone is ever cured of desiring nonsensical things is by
getting the nonsensical things and then experiencing the unpleasant but
educational consequences." -Ann Davies
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To become a master of desire, keep talking yourself out of being attached
to trivial goals and keep talking yourself into being thrilled about the
precious few goals that are really important. Here's another way to say it:
Wean yourself from ego-driven desires and pour your libido into a longing
for beauty, truth, goodness, justice, integrity, creativity, love, and an
intimate relationship with the Wild Divine.
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SORRY, I HAVE TO VENT
* I've told you a million times not to exaggerate.
* I really get antsy when you refuse to be patient.
* If you don't stop berating yourself, I'm going to have to cut you down
to size.
* I hate it when you do something nice for me.
* Sure am feeling positive about my pessimism lately.
* "CALM DOWN!!!!"
* Stop being so agreeable.
* I can't stand it when people complain!
* I'm totally opposed to all duality, so if you're one of the 50% of the
population that divides everything into us versus them, please stop.
* It's bad luck to be superstitious, so please refrain from turning logic into
just another form of magical thinking.
* DAMN ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO CAN'T GET BEHIND UNCONDITIONAL
LOVE!!!!!
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THE REAL SECRET OF MAGIC
"The real secret of magic is that the world is made of words," said
Terence McKenna, "and that if you know the words that the world is made
of, you can make of it whatever you wish."
Here's my version of that hypothesis: What world you end up living in
depends at least in part on your use of language.
Do you want to move and breathe amidst infertile chaos where nothing
makes sense and no one really loves anyone? Then speak with
unconscious carelessness, expressing yourself lazily. Constantly
materialize and entertain angry thoughts in the privacy of your own
imagination, beaming silent curses out into eternity.
Or would you prefer to live in a realm that's rich with fluid epiphanies and
intriguing coincidences and mysterious harmonies? Then be discerning and
inventive in how you speak, primed to name the unexpected codes that
are always being born right in front of your eyes. Turn your imagination
into an ebullient laboratory where the somethings you create out of
nothings are tinctured with the secret light you see in your dreams of
invisible fire.
P.S. "The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of
words," wrote Philip K. Dick in his essay, "How to Build A Universe That
Won't Fall Apart in Two Days."
Listen to "Magic Secret" with a musical backing:
http://soundcloud.com/sacreduproar/magicsecret
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HOW DOES YOUR PERSONAL LIFE AFFECT US ALL?
"How does my spiritual practice and daily life serve the earth? How does
my spiritual practice and daily life affect the poorest third of humanity?
How will my spiritual practice and daily life affect the generations to come
in the future?"
~ Starhawk
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
How to Use Desire to Trick Yourself Into Joyful Presence
https://tinyurl.com/y8nxw2nj
A Conservative Town Embraces Its Immigrants, Documented or
Undocumented.
https://tinyurl.com/y7f9fqw3
How to Reclaim the Narrative—and Power—in Post-Truth America
Hope plus action and investment equals revolutionary muscle. Now is the
time for the progressive majority to set the terms of the conversation.
https://tinyurl.com/y9cd59o3
(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.
Read old but still useful archives of Pronoia Resources:
https://pronoiaresources.com
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning August 16
Copyright 2018 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com/horoscopes/
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never
really be elegant," wrote French author Honoré de Balzac. I think that's an
exaggeration, but it does trigger a worthwhile meditation. According to
my analysis of the astrological omens, you're in a phase of your cycle
when you have maximum power to raise your appreciation of elegance,
understand how it could beautify your soul, and add more of it to your
repertoire. So here are your homework meditations: What does elegance
mean to you? Why might it be valuable to cultivate elegance, not just to
enhance your self-presentation, but also to upgrade your relationship with
your deep self? (P.S.: Fashion designer Christian Dior said, "Elegance must
be the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care, and simplicity.")
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Many of us imagine medieval Europe to have
been drab and dreary. But historian Jacques Le Goff tells us that the
people of that age adored luminous hues: "big jewels inserted into book-
bindings, glowing gold objects, brightly painted sculpture, paintings
covering the walls of churches, and the colored magic of stained glass."
Maybe you'll be inspired by this revelation, Virgo. I hope so. According to
my reading of the astrological omens, you can activate sleeping wisdom
and awaken dormant energy by treating your eyes to lots of vivid reds,
greens, yellows, blues, browns, oranges, purples, golds, blacks, coppers,
and pinks.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An astrologer on Tumblr named Sebastian says
this about your sign: "Libras can be boring people when they don't trust
you enough to fully reveal themselves. But they can be just as exciting as
any fire sign and just as weird as any Aquarius and just as talkative as a
Gemini and just as empathetic as a Pisces. Really, Librans are some of the
most eccentric people you'll ever meet, but you might not know it unless
they trust you enough to take their masks off around you." Spurred by
Sebastian's analysis, here's my advice to you: I hope you'll spend a lot of
time with people you trust in the coming weeks, because for the sake of
your mental and physical and spiritual health, you'll need to express your
full eccentricity. (Sebastian's at http://venuspapi.tumblr.com.)
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A blogger who calls herself Wistful Giselle has
named the phenomena that make her "believe in magic." They include the
following: "illuminated dust in the air; the moments when a seedling
sprouts; the intelligence gazing back at me from a crow's eyes; being
awaken by the early morning sun; the energy of storms; old buildings
overgrown with plants; the ever-changing grey green blue moods of the
sea; the shimmering moon on a cool, clear night." I invite you to compile
your own list, Scorpio. You're entering a time when you will be the
beneficiary of magic in direct proportion to how much you believe in and
are alert for magic. Why not go for the maximum?
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Since 1969, eight-foot-two-inch-tall Big
Bird has been the star of the kids' TV show *Sesame Street*. He's a
yellow bird puppet who can talk, write poetry, dance, and roller skate. In
the early years of the show, our hero had a good friend who no one else
saw or believed in: Mr. Snuffleupagus. After 17 years, there came a happy
day when everyone else in the Sesame Street neighborhood realized that
Snuffy was indeed real, not just a figment of Big Bird's imagination. I'm
foreseeing a comparable event in your life sometime soon, Sagittarius.
You'll finally be able to share a secret truth or private pleasure or
unappreciated asset.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Activist and author Simone de Beauvoir
was one of those Capricorns whose lust for life was both lush and
intricate. "I am awfully greedy," she wrote. "I want to be a woman and to
be a man, to have many friends and to have loneliness, to work much and
write good books, to travel and enjoy myself, to be selfish and to be
unselfish." Even if your longings are not always as lavish and ravenous as
hers, Capricorn, you now have license to explore the mysterious state she
described. I dare you to find out how voracious you can be if you grant
yourself permission.
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WHY IS MY HOROSCOPE COLUMN CALLED "FREE WILL" ASTROLOGY?
It's called Free Will Astrology because my goal is to create horoscopes
that nurture your free will.
Contrary to what some horoscope fans believe, there's no such thing as
predestination. Fate is a tricky sucker that keeps changing its mind about
where it wants to go. The stars may impel, as the astrological saying
goes, but they don't compel.
That's why I've never considered myself a fortuneteller. I prefer to think
that my greatest service is as a psychic intelligence agent, helping you
expose the hidden patterns and unconscious forces that may be affecting
your life without your knowledge.
If I "predict" anything, it's not so much the future as the unknown part of
the present.
And if you ever want more than the horoscopes you're reading in this
newsletter, 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.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go here:
https://freewillastrology.sparkns.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 are available for bulk
purchases), or $1.99 per minute by phone.
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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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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): According to my reading of the astrological
omens, the coming weeks will be prime time to vividly express your
appreciation for and understanding of the people you care about most. I
urge you to show them why you love them. Reveal the depths of your
insights about their true beauty. Make it clear how their presence in your
life has had a beneficent or healing influence on you. And if you really
want to get dramatic, you could take them to an inspiring outdoor spot
and sing them a tender song or two.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In her book *Yarn: Remembering the Way
Home*, Piscean knitter Kyoko Mori writes, "The folklore among knitters is
that everything handmade should have at least one mistake so an evil
sprit will not become trapped in the maze of perfect stitches." The idea is
that the mistake "is a crack left open to let in the light." Mori goes on to
testify about the evil spirit she wants to be free of. "It's that little voice
in my head that says, 'I won't even try this because it doesn't come
naturally to me and I won't be very good at it.'" I've quoted Mori at
length, Pisces, because I think her insights are the exact tonic you need
right now.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "The prettier the garden, the dirtier the hands
of the gardener," writes aphorist B. E. Barnes. That'll be especially
applicable to you in the coming weeks. You'll have extra potential to
create and foster beauty, and any beauty you produce will generate
practical benefits for you and those you care about. But for best results,
you'll have to expend more effort than maybe you thought you should. It
might feel more like work than play -- even though it will ultimately
enhance your ability to play.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Author and theologian Thomas Merton
thought that the most debilitating human temptation is to settle for too
little; to live a comfortable life rather than an interesting one. I wouldn't
say that's always true about you, Taurus. But I do suspect that in the
coming weeks, a tendency to settle for less could be the single most
devitalizing temptation you'll be susceptible to. That's why I encourage
you to resist the appeal to accept a smaller blessing or punier adventure
than you deserve. Hold out for the best and brightest.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "I've learned quite a lot, over the years, by
avoiding what I was supposed to be learning." So says the wise and well-
educated novelist Margaret Atwood. Judging by your current astrological
omens, I think this is an excellent clue for you to contemplate right now.
What do you think? Have you been half-avoiding any teaching that you or
someone else thinks you're "supposed" to be learning? If so, I suggest
you avoid it even stronger. Avoid it with cheerful rebelliousness. Doing so
may lead you to what you *really* need to learn about next.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Sometimes you make it difficult for me to
reach you. You act like you're listening but you're not really listening. You
semi-consciously decide that you don't want to be influenced by anyone
except yourself. When you lock me out like that, I become a bit dumb. My
advice isn't as good or helpful. The magic between us languishes. Please
don't do that to me now. And don't do it to anyone who cares about you.
I realize that you may need to protect yourself from people who aren't
sufficiently careful with you. But your true allies have important influences
to offer, and I think you'll be wise to open yourself to them.
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Homework: Make a boast about how you'll pull off a feat you've previously
lacked the chutzpah to attempt. Testify at Freewillastrology.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,
including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2018 Rob Brezsny
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