Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
February 27, 2019
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: https://bit.ly/YourGoodSurprises
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I gathered together all of the long-term, big-picture horoscopes I've
written for you and bundled them in one place. Go here to read a
compendium of your forecasts for 2019:
https://bit.ly/YourGloriousStory2019
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WHAT LIFE STORY
WILL YOU CREATE FOR YOURSELF
IN THE COMING MONTHS?
Get inspired by listening to my 3-part EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
about your LONG-RANGE FUTURE.
These forecasts will be available for just a few more weeks.
Who do you want to become between now and January 2020? Where do
you want to go and what do you want to do? How can you exert your
free will to create adventures that'll bring out the best in you, even as
you find graceful ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?
To listen to these three-part, in-depth reports, go here:
https://freewillastrology.sparkns.com
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, and Part 3. Each part is a standalone report, not dependent on the
other two.
If you'd like a boost of inspiration to fuel you in your quest for beauty and
truth and love and meaning, tune in to my meditations on your Big-Picture
Outlook.
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Each of the three-part reports is seven to nine minutes long. The cost is
$6 per report. There are discounts for the purchase of multiple reports.
P.S. You can also listen to a short-term Expanded Audio Horoscope for
the coming week.
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WHAT'S MY RELATIONSHIP WITH INTUITION?
The quirky and elegant *Conduit* magazine
(https://www.conduit.org/robbrezsny) did a ten-page interview with me
in a recent issue. Here's a brief excerpt:
CONDUIT: Can you talk about your relationship with intuition?
ROB BREZSNY: One reliable source of intuition is formulating good
questions and having an intention behind the questions: "What is it that I
need to learn today?", "What is it that I need to learn today?", "What is it
that I need to learn to live my life better?", "What is it that I need next to
write my book?"
My sense is that intuition often reveals what you need to do next,
although not necessarily the big picture. And if we're content with not
pressuring intuition to always give us a mountaintop perspective, but
rather just to answer for us, "What happens next? What do I need to do
next?", I think that's a better relationship with intuition.
Four more things I'll mention about intuition: Working with dreams is
fraught with the possibility of descending into chaos, but with practice
and the development of skills, it can become a crucial source of intuition. I
really value my ability to do one of the primary Jungian practices, which is
shadow work -- dealing with those aspects of me that are unripe and
dumb. Dreams have been crucial in helping me unlock the magic of
dealing with my shadow and transforming my shadow.
Another good practice for intuition is to ask the question, "What does my
death say?" On one's deathbed, what does one want to look back at and
say, "That was important. That was important. That was important. No,
that wasn't so important." So one's death can be a tonic informant that
helps intuition really focus and come into maximum usefulness.
The other thing is that intuition is aided immeasurably by moving, by
walking. I don't know if that's true for everybody. Walks and nature are
important for me being able to tune into intuition that turns out to be
useful and enduring. So often I'll take a notebook with me, or a recorder
with me, to capture those intuitions that come to me while I'm walking.
There's one other thing. The practice of intuition takes place best when
you have gone as far as you can with your intellect. In other words, I can't
skip the stage of the process of research, of thinking hard, of using my
logic, of being reasonable. That's crucial for generating intuition that's
accurate and useful.
And once I've done the research, once I've tried to think my way to being
as objective as possible -- and that involves using the scientific method --
then I hand it over to intuition and say, "Well, what more can you tell me,
given that I've come this far with all this analysis? What can you add to
it?"
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WHAT DO I MEAN BY "FREE WILL" ASTROLOGY?
Here's more of the interview that *Conduit* magazine did with me.
CONDUIT: Can you say what you mean by "Free Will Astrology"? It
sounds like an oxymoron.
ROB BREZSNY: My approach to astrology is quite different from a lot of
mainstream astrologers. I'm not alone in that. There are a few colleagues
who share what I might call an allergy to how traditional astrology is
practiced. I already had that allergy when I was young, when I first began
writing the column many years ago.
Back then, I didn't like astrology columns, and I didn't like a lot of the
ways astrology was practiced. Then as now, astrology in the hands of
many practitioners tends to make people afraid of the future, fills them
with ideas about there being some sort of fixed destiny that they're being
pulled toward and that they're helpless to resist. That kind of thinking
was and still is repulsive to me.
I didn't like astrology columns, because they were watered-down versions
of the complex art of astrology, which was practiced, after all, by seminal
psychologist Carl Jung.
So when I first got the opportunity to write an astrology column -- I was
dirt poor and didn't have a job -- I decided if somebody's going to do it, it
might as well be me, someone who's trained in poetry, loves language,
and respects the free will of the people who might be my audience.
The bedrock of my practice has always been the idea that the planets
may impel, but they don't compel. A study of the configurations of
planets shows us the archetypal forces that are coalescing, dissolving,
and becoming active in our lives. That can instruct us on how to use our
free will to best activate the best versions of those archetypal forces as
they coalesce and dissolve.
So for me, "free will astrology" conveys the notion that we have far more
power than we might imagine over the way that we express the bigger
forces that are at work in our lives.
My aspiration is not to condemn my readers to a particular fate that they
can't avoid, but rather to show them the options that are available: the
higher level, the mid-level, and the low-level ways in which they might
express the archetypal forces, and to nudge them in the direction of
finding where the highest-level expression of those forces might be.
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HOW I GOT STARTED IN THE BEAUTY AND TRUTH BUSINESS
For more of my description about how I got started writing my column
"Free Will Astrology," go here: httpS://bit.ly/8TIj9u
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SUFFERING COMPETITION?
A stranger who had read my book *Pronoia Is the Antidote to Paranoia*
came up to me at a party and sneered, "You haven't suffered enough to
have earned the right to be an optimist. It's easy to have a rosy outlook,
like you have, when your life has been so easy and peachy."
I didn't respond, because it's my policy not to take trolls seriously. But in
case anyone out there is wondering whether I've experienced sufficient
pain to have earned credibility as an optimist: the answer is yes, I have.
I'll be glad to provide a résumé of my suffering to the Credentials
Committee, upon request.
And by the way, how are you doing with your suffering?
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
For more about the good news stories below, plus links to the articles
that provide full evidence, go here: https://tinyurl.com/ya8kb4rh
1. New Zealand became the second country in the world (after the
Philippines) to pass legislation granting victims of domestic violence 10
days paid leave.
2. Scotland became the first nation in the world to guarantee free
sanitary products to all students, and India's finance ministry announced
it would scrap the 12% GST on all sanitary products.
3. Canada became the second country in the world to legalize marijuana.
A major crack in the grass ceiling, and a wonderful moment for fans of
evidence-based decision making everywhere.
4. In a major milestone for human rights in the Middle East, a Lebanese
court issued a new judgment holding that homosexuality is not a crime.
5. Trinidad and Tobago's high court ruled that the Caribbean nation's
colonial-era law banning gay sex was unconstitutional.
6. Tunisia became the first Arab nation to pass a law giving women and
men equal inheritance, overturning an old provision of Sharia Islamic law.
7. Pakistan's parliament passed a landmark law guaranteeing basic rights
for transgender citizens and outlawing all forms of discrimination by
employers.
8. Scotland became the first country in the world to include teaching of
lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights into its state school
curriculum.
9. Nepal became the 54th country in the world, and the first country in
South Asia, to pass a law banning corporal punishment for children.
10. Quietly and unannounced, humanity crossed a truly amazing threshold
in 2018. For the first time since agriculture-based civilization began
10,000 years ago, the majority of humankind is no longer poor or
vulnerable to falling into poverty.
(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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GIFTS FOR ME
If you would like to contribute to me and my well-being, please visit my
Gift Page: https://paypal.me/GiftsForRob
Give your gift via the "Friends and Family" option.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning February 28
Copyright 2019 by Rob Brezsny
https://FreeWillAstrology.com/horoscopes/
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Until the sixteenth century in much of Europe
and the eighteenth century in Britain, the new year was celebrated in
March. That made sense given the fact that the weather was growing
noticeably warmer and it was time to plant the crops again. In my
astrological opinion, the month of March is still the best time of year for
you Pisceans to observe your personal new year. The coming weeks will
be an excellent time to start fresh in any area of your life. If you
formulate a set of New Year's resolutions, you're more likely to remain
committed to them than if you had made them on January 1.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): South Koreans work too hard. Many are on the
job for fourteen hours a day, six days a week. That's why a new concept
in vacations has emerged there. People take sabbaticals by checking into
Prison Inside Me, a facility designed like a jail. For a while, they do without
cell phones and Internet and important appointments. Freed of normal
stresses and stripped of obsessive concerns, they turn inward and
recharge their spiritual batteries. I'd love to see you treat yourself to a
getaway like this—minus the incarceration theme, of course. You'd
benefit from a quiet, spacious, low-pressure escape.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The astrology column you're reading is
published in periodicals in four countries: the U.S., Canada, Italy, and
France. In all of these places, women have had a hard time acquiring
political power. Neither the U.S. nor Italy has ever had a female head of
government. France has had one, Édith Cresson, who served less than a
year as Prime Minister. Canada has had one, Kim Campbell, who was in
office for 132 days. That's the bad news. The good news is that the
coming months will be a more favorable time than usual to boost feminine
authority and enhance women's ability to shape our shared reality. And
you Tauruses of all genders will be in prime position to foster that
outcome. Homework: Meditate on specific ways you could contribute,
even if just through your personal interactions.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A 19-year-old guy named Anson Lemmer
started a job as a pizza delivery man in Glenwood, Colorado. On his
second night, he arrived with a hot pizza at a house where an emergency
was in progress. A man was lying on the ground in distress. Having been
trained in CPR, Lemmer leaped to his rescue and saved his life. I expect
that you, too, will perform a heroic act sometime soon, Gemini—maybe
not as monumental as Lemmer's, but nonetheless impressive. And I bet it
will have an enduring impact, sending out reverberations that redound to
your benefit for quite some time.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Scientist Michael Dillon was shocked when he
learned that some bees can buzz around at lofty altitudes where the
oxygen is sparse. He and a colleague even found two of them at 29,525
feet—higher than Mt. Everest. How could the bees fly in such thin air?
They "didn't beat their wings faster," according to a report in *National
Geographic*, but rather "swung their wings through a wider arc." I
propose that we regard these high-flying marvels as your soul animals for
the coming weeks. Metaphorically speaking, you will have the power and
ingenuity and adaptability to go higher than you've been in a long time.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Do you find it a challenge to commit to an entirely
plant-based diet? If so, you might appreciate flexitarianism, which is a
less-perfectionist approach that focuses on eating vegetables but doesn't
make you feel guilty if you eat a bit of meat now and then. In general, I
recommend you experiment with a similar attitude toward pretty much
everything in the coming weeks. Be strong-minded, idealistic, willful, and
intent on serving your well-being—but without being a maniacal purist.
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EXPLORING THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your
upcoming adventures in 2019?
You can still buy access to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your
destiny in the coming months. Each report in the three-part series is 7 to
9 minutes long.
Go to https://freewillastrology.sparkns.com to register and/or sign in
through the main page.
Then access the horoscopes by clicking on "Long Range Prediction."
Choose from Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Each part is a standalone report,
not dependent on the other two.
Each of the three-part reports is seven to nine minutes long. The cost is
$6 per report. There are discounts for the purchase of multiple reports.
A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.
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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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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): If you gorge on sugary treats and soft drinks,
you ingest a lot of empty calories. They have a low nutrient density, and
provide you with a scant amount of minerals, vitamins, protein, and other
necessities. Since I am committed to helping you treat yourself with
utmost respect, I always discourage you from that behavior. But I'm
especially hopeful you will avoid it during the next three weeks, both in
the literal and metaphorical senses. Please refrain from absorbing barren,
vacant stuff into the sacred temple of your mind and body—including
images, stories, sounds, and ideas, as well as food and drink.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Charles Grey was the second Earl of Grey, as
well as Prime Minister of England from 1830 to 1834. His time in office
produced pivotal changes, including the abolition of slavery, reform of
child labor laws, and more democracy in the nation's electoral process.
But most people today know nothing of those triumphs. Rather he is
immortalized for the Earl Grey tea that he made popular. I suspect that in
the coming weeks, one of your fine efforts may also get less attention
than a more modest success. But don't worry about it. Instead, be
content with congratulating yourself for your excellent work. I think that's
the key to you ultimately getting proper appreciation for your bigger
accomplishment.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): At a young age, budding Scorpio poet Sylvia
Plath came to a tough realization: "I can never read all the books I want,"
she wrote in her journal. "I can never be all the people I want and live all
the lives I want. I can never train myself in all the skills I want. And why do
I want? I want to live and feel all the shades, tones, and variations of
mental and physical experience possible in life." Judging by current
astrological omens, I can imagine you saying something like that right
now. I bet your longing for total immersion in life's pleasures is especially
intense and a bit frustrated. But I'm pleased to predict that in the next
four weeks, you'll be able to live and feel more shades, tones, and
variations of experience than you have in a long time.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): When Europeans invaded and occupied
North America, they displaced many indigenous people from their
ancestral lands. There were a few notable exceptions, including five tribes
in what's now Maine and Eastern Canada. They are known as the Wabanaki
confederacy: the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Micmac, Maliseet, and
Abenaki. Although they had to adjust to and compromise with colonialism,
they were never defeated by it. I propose we make them your heroic
symbols for the coming weeks. May their resilient determination to remain
connected to their roots and origins motivate you to draw ever-fresh
power from your own roots and origins.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn javelin thrower Julius Yego won a
silver medial at the 2016 Summer Olympics. How did he get so skilled?
Not in the typical way. He gained preliminary proficiency while competing
for his high school team, but after graduation, he was too poor to keep
developing his mastery. So he turned to Youtube, where he studied videos
by great javelin throwers to benefit from their training strategies and
techniques. Now that you're in an intense learning phase of your cycle,
Capricorn, I suggest that you, too, be ready to draw on sources that may
be unexpected or unusual or alternative.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The first edition of *Action Comics*, which
launched the story of the fictional character Superman, cost ten cents in
1938. Nowadays it's worth three million dollars. I'll make a bold prediction
that you, too, will be worth considerably more on December 31, 2019
than you are right now. The increase won't be as dramatic as that of the
Superman comic, but still: I expect a significant boost. And what you do in
the next four weeks could have a lot to do with making my prediction
come true.
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Homework: Write a short essay on "How I Created Something Out of
Nothing." Go to https://RealAstrology.com and click on "Email Rob."
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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,
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2019 Rob Brezsny
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