Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
May 1, 2019
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See a pretty version of this newsletter:
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Some religious traditions preach the value of banishing or renouncing
your desires. I do not subscribe to those traditions, so I will never urge
you to banish or renounce your desires.
I prefer to encourage you to cultivate excellent desires. Here are a few I
highly recommend:
• a desire for interesting riddles and fascinating challenges that excite
both your mind and your heart;
• a desire for comrades who enjoy your specific idiosyncrasies and
eccentricities;
• a desire to attract ongoing encounters with nonstandard beauty so as to
always ensure a part of you remains untamed;
• a desire to help create a world in which everyone gets the food,
housing, and health care they need;
• a desire for good surprises and unpredictable fun;
• a desire for group collaborations that enhance the intelligence of
everyone in the group;
• a desire to keep outgrowing what worked for you in the past and a
desire to ceaselessly explore and invent new approaches to being
yourself;
• a desire to be playful and creative with your libidinous energy;
• a desire to help cultivate the health and beauty of the natural world;
• a desire for revelations and experiences that steer you away from
thinking and acting like the machines you interact with so much;
• a desire to keep reinventing and reinvigorating your relationships
with those you love;
• a desire to keep refining and expanding your ability to learn from non-
human intelligences;
• a desire to keep refreshing your quest for freedom and deepening your
capacity to be free;
• a desire to move your body in ways that delight your soul;
• a desire to help eliminate bigotry, misogyny, plutocracy, racism, and
militarism.
Any others you'd like to add?
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AUTHENTIC OPTIMISM AND DESPAIR
No optimism is authentic without visiting the depths of despair. No
despair is authentic unless it has fully let in the joy.
—Charles Eisenstein
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TRUE NATURE OF FUNDAMENTALISM
The fundamentalist takes everything way too seriously and way too
personally and way too literally. He divides the world into two camps,
those who agree with him and those who don't. There is only one right
way to interpret the world, and a million wrong ways. Correct belief is
the only virtue.
To the fundamentalist, the liberated imagination is a sinful taboo. He not
only enslaves his own imagination to his ideology, but wants to enslave
our imaginations, too.
And who are the fundamentalists? Let's not remain under the delusion
that they are only the usual suspects—the religious fanatics of Islam and
Christianity and Judaism and Hinduism.
There are many other kinds of fundamentalists, and some of them have
gotten away with practicing their tragic magic in a stealth mode. Among
the most successful are those who believe in what Robert Anton Wilson
calls fundamentalist materialism. This is the faith-based dogma that
swears physical matter is the only reality and that nothing exists unless
it can be detected by our five senses or by technologies that humans have
made.
Life has no transcendent meaning or purpose, the fundamentalist
materialists proclaim. There is no such thing as a divine intelligence.
The universe is a dumb accidental machine that grinds on endlessly out of
blind necessity.
I see spread out before me in every direction a staggeringly sublime
miracle lovingly crafted by a supernal consciousness that oversees the
evolution of 500 billion galaxies, yet is also available as an intimate
companion and daily advisor to every one of us. But to the fundamentalist
materialists, my perceptions are indisputably wrong and idiotic.
Many other varieties of fundamentalism thrive and propagate. Every
ideology, even some of the ones I like, has its share of true
believers—fanatics who judge all other ideologies as inferior, flawed,
and foolish.
I know astrologers who insist there's only one way to do astrology right.
I know Buddhists who adamantly decree that the inherent nature of life
on Earth is suffering.
I know progressive activists who sincerely believe that every single
Republican is either stupid or evil or both.
I know college administrators who would excommunicate any psychology
professor who dared to discuss the teachings of Carl Jung, who was in my
opinion one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
I know pagans who refuse to consider any other version of Jesus Christ
beyond the sick parody the Christian right has fabricated.
None of the true believers like to hear that there are at least three sides
to every story. They don't want to consider the hypothesis that everyone
has a piece of the truth.
And here's the really bad news: We all have our own share of the
fundamentalist virus. Each of us is fanatical, rigid, and intolerant about
products of the imagination that we don't like. We wish that certain
people would not imagine the things they do, and we allow ourselves to
beam hateful, war-like thoughts in their direction.
We even wage war against our own imaginations, commanding ourselves,
sometimes half-consciously, to ignore possibilities that don't fit into
our neatly _constructed theories. Each of us sets aside certain precious
beliefs and symbols that we give ourselves permission to take very
seriously and personally and literally.
Our fundamentalism, yours and mine, may not be as dangerous to the
collective welfare as, say, the fundamentalism of Islamic terrorists and
right-wing Christian politicians. It may not be as destructive as that of
the CEOs who worship financial profit as the supreme measure of value,
and the scientists who ignore and deny every mystery that can't be
measured, and the journalists, filmmakers, novelists, musicians, and
pundits who relentlessly generate rotten visions of the human condition.
But still: We are all infected, you and I. We are fueling the war against
the imagination. What's your version of the virus?
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WANT TO GET YOUR ASTROLOGICAL CHART READ?
If you want your personal chart done, I recommend a colleague whose
approach to reading astrology charts closely matches my own. She's my
wife, RO LOUGHRAN. She's at http://www.roloughran.com.
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and
technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation. She is skilled at
exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your
connection with your own inner wisdom.
In addition to over 30 years of astrological experience, Ro has been a
licensed psychotherapist for 17 years. She integrates psychological
insight with astrology's cosmological perspective.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Check out Ro's website at http://www.roloughran.com
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MY BOOK OF ANGER
Someday I'll have an epiphany and tap adeptly into the raw, supercharged
fuel of my anger. I'll stop going numb with blind rage when I think about
misogyny and racism and militarism and plutocracy and homophobia and
the rape of the earth.
On that day, my fury will become so beautiful and strong that I'll sit
down and write "The Book of Good Anger" in one sustained three-week
frenzy of creative indignation. It'll be filled with stories that inspire
everyone who reads it to express their sacred wrath in the most
constructive ways possible.
In the meantime, I'll be here urging you to seize those times when
getting mad naturally gives you the lucid clarity to help correct the
injustices you perceive—and encourages you to not wallow in rage for
rage's sake.
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MAGICAL THINKING
One of my readers, Jay O'Dell, told me this story: "After my cancer
surgery, a nurse said to me, 'You may as well try magical thinking.
Regular thinking hasn't helped.' I said to the nurse, 'Well, why the hell
not?' That was seven years ago."
In bringing O'Dell's testimony to your attention, I don't mean to suggest
you will have any health problems that warrant a strong dose of magical
thinking. Not at all. But now and then in the coming years, you may get
wrapped up in a psychological twist or a spiritual riddle that could
benefit from magical thinking.
And what exactly is magical thinking? Here's one definition: The stories
that unfold in your imagination may have important effects on what
actually happens to you.
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ARGUMENTS WITH GOD is the only organization on the planet that
specializes in the art of debating with the Creator. Our trained Prayer
Warriors are standing by, ready to deliver the protests and complaints
that you want to convey.
Send your mad, rebellious, poignant appeals to
Truthrooster@gmail.com, and we will relay them directly to the Cosmic
Trickster with persuasive eloquence. Write your first draft here.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
How Beauty Is Making Scientists Rethink Evolution.
The extravagant splendor of the animal kingdom can’t be explained by
natural selection alone — so how did it come to be?
https://tinyurl.com/ya3behph
The Women Who Rode Miles on Horseback to Deliver Library Books.
http://tinyurl.com/y5lzahtd
Seven reasons why the world is improving. You’d be forgiven for
thinking the world is all doom and gloom – and getting worse. But these
seven charts show that’s not actually the case.
http://tinyurl.com/y4tl7cy7
(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 May 2
Copyright 2019 by Rob Brezsny
https://FreeWillAstrology.com/horoscopes/
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I invite you to explore the frontiers of
what's possible for you to experience and accomplish. One exercise that
might help: visualize specific future adventures that excite you.
Examples? Picture yourself parasailing over the Mediterranean Sea
near Barcelona, or working to help endangered sea turtles in Costa Rica,
or giving a speech to a crowded auditorium on a subject you will someday
be an expert in. The more specific your fantasies, the better. Your
homework is to generate at least five of these visions.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "We must choose between the pain of having
to transcend oppressive circumstances, or the pain of perpetual
unfulfillment within those oppressive circumstances," writes mental
health strategist Paul John Moscatello. We must opt for "the pain of
growth or the pain of decay," he continues. We must either "embrace the
tribulations of realizing our potential, or consent to the slow suicide in
complacency." That's a bit melodramatic, in my opinion. Most of us do
both; we may be successful for a while in transcending oppressive
circumstances, but then temporarily lapse back into the pain of
unfulfillment. However, there are times when it makes sense to think
melodramatically. And I believe now is one of those times for you. In the
coming weeks, I hope you will set in motion plans to transcend at least
30 percent of your oppressive circumstances.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You Cancerians can benefit from always
having a fertility symbol somewhere in your environment: an icon or
image that reminds you to continually refresh your relationship with
your own abundant creativity; an inspiring talisman or toy that keeps
you alert to the key role your fecund imagination can and should play in
nourishing your quest to live a meaningful life; a provocative work of
art that spurs you to always ask for more help and guidance from the
primal source code that drives you to reinvent yourself. So if you don't
have such a fertility symbol, I invite you to get one. If you do, enhance it
with a new accessory.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In my horoscopes, I often speak to you about
your personal struggle for liberation and your efforts to express your
soul's code with ever-more ingenuity and completeness. It's less common
that I address your sacred obligation to give back to life for all that life
has given to you. I only infrequently discuss how you might engage in
activities to help your community or work for the benefit of those less
fortunate than you. But now is one of those times when I feel moved to
speak of these matters. You are in a phase of your astrological cycle
when it's crucial to perform specific work in behalf of a greater good.
Why crucial? Because your personal well-being in the immediate future
depends in part on your efforts to intensify your practical compassion.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "We are whiplashed between an arrogant
overestimation of ourselves and a servile underestimation of ourselves,"
writes educator Parker Palmer. That's the bad news, Virgo. The good
news is that you are in prime position to escape from the whiplash.
Cosmic forces are conspiring with your eternal soul to coalesce a well-
balanced vision of your true value that's free of both vain
misapprehensions and self-deprecating delusions. Congrats! You're
empowered to understand yourself with a tender objectivity that could at
least partially heal lingering wounds. See yourself truly!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The country of Poland awards medals to
couples that have stayed married for 50 years. It also gives out medals to
members of the armed forces who have served for at least thirty years.
But the marriage medal is of higher rank, and is more prestigious. In
that spirit, I'd love for you to get a shiny badge or prize to acknowledge
your devoted commitment to a sacred task—whether that commitment is
to an intimate alliance, a noble quest, or a promise to yourself. It's time
to reward yourself for how hard you've worked and how much you've
given.
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THOUGHTFUL OPTIMISM
Some people regard me as more of a cheerleader and motivator than an
impartial reporter. They think I downplay the pain and embellish the
gain that awaits you.
There's a grain of truth in that. Now and then I may imply that paradise
is nigh when in fact the suburbs of paradise are a more realistic goal.
But I view my optimism as a healing counterbalance to the absurdly
exaggerated doses of discouraging news you hear almost everywhere else
you go.
I you ever want more of that good stuff, beyond the horoscopes you're
reading here, keep in mind that evey week I also create EXPANDED AUDIO
HOROSCOPES for you. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the
current state of your destiny.
These forecasts are different in tone and format from the written
horoscopes you read here in the newsletter. They're longer and more
leisurely in tone. They tend to bring out more of the patient counselor in
me, and have a bit less of the poet.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to
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 On the Web. (Discounts are available for
bulk purchases.) You can also access them for $1.99 per minute by
phone
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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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SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet Sylvia Plath wrote, "I admit I
desire, / Occasionally, some backtalk / From the mute sky." You'll be
wise to borrow the spirit of that mischievous declaration. Now is a good
time to solicit input from the sky, as well as from your allies and
friends and favorite animals, and from every other source that might
provide you with interesting feedback. I invite you to regard the whole
world as your mirror, your counselor, your informant.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In January 1493, the notorious
pirate and kidnapper Christopher Columbus was sailing his ship near
the land we now call the Dominican Republic. He spotted three creatures
he assumed were mermaids. Later he wrote in his log that they were "not
half as beautiful as they are painted [by artists]." We know now that the
"mermaids" were actually manatees, aquatic mammals with flippers and
paddle-shaped tails. They are in fact quite beautiful in their own way,
and would only be judged as homely by a person comparing them to
mythical enchantresses. I trust you won't make a similar mistake,
Sagittarius. Evaluate everything and everyone on their own merits,
without comparing them to something they're not.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I want what we all want," writes
novelist Jonathan Lethem. "To move certain parts of the interior of
myself into the exterior world, to see if they can be embraced." Even if
you haven't passionately wanted that lately, Capricorn, I'm guessing you
will soon. That's a good thing, because life will be conspiring with you to
accomplish it. Your ability to express yourself in ways that are
meaningful to you and interesting to other people will be at a peak.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Using algorithms to analyze 300 million
facts, a British scientist concluded that April 11, 1954 was the most
boring day in history. A Turkish man who would later become a
noteworthy engineer was born that day, and Belgium staged a national
election. But that's all. With this non-eventful day as your inspiration, I
encourage you to have fun reminiscing about the most boring times in
your own past. I think you need a prolonged respite from the stimulating
frenzy of your daily rhythm. It's time to rest and relax in the sweet
luxury of nothingness and emptiness.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): *The Blue Room* is a famous Picasso
painting from 1901. Saturated with blue hues, it depicts a naked woman
taking a bath. More than a century after its creation, scientists used X-
rays to discover that there was an earlier painting beneath *The Blue
Room* and obscured by it. It shows a man leaning his head against his
right hand. Piscean poet Jane Hirshfield says that there are some people
who are "like a painting hidden beneath another painting." More of you
Pisceans fit that description than any other sign of the zodiac. You may
even be like a painting beneath a painting beneath a painting—to a depth
of five or more paintings. Is that a problem? Not necessarily. But it is
important to be fully aware of the existence of all the layers. Now is a
good time to have a check-in.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): "How prompt we are to satisfy the hunger
and thirst of our bodies," wrote Henry David Thoreau. "How slow to
satisfy the hunger and thirst of our souls!" Your first assignment in the
coming days, Aries, is to devote yourself to quenching the hunger and
thirst of your soul with the same relentless passion that you normally
spend on giving your body the food and drink it craves. This could be
challenging. You may be less knowledgeable about what your soul thrives
on than what your body loves. So your second assignment is to do
extensive research to determine what your soul needs to thrive.
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Homework: What are the five conditions you'd need in your world in
order to feel you were living in utopia? Write 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,
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2019 Rob Brezsny
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