Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
January 8, 2020
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Experiment: Review in loving detail the history of your life and remember why you came to be where you are now -- and where exactly you want and need to go in 2020.
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EXPLORE YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
with my 3-Part EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES for the Coming Year.
freewillastrology.sparkns.com
Who do you want to become in 2020? Where do you want to go and what do you want to do? My reports might stimulate and inspire your meditations about the interesting possibilities.
This week, my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES feature Part 2 of my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2020.
Part 1 of your Beginning-of-the-Year Predictions, which I offered last week, is also still available. Part 3 will be ready for you on January 14.
What will be the story of your life in 2020? 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 your BIG PICTURE horoscopes online, go here: freewillastrology.sparkns.com
Register and/or log in through the main page, and then click on the link "Long Range Prediction, Part 2"
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The cost for the Expanded Audio Horoscopes is $6 per sign. (You can get discounts for multiple purchases.)
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $1.99 per minute.
Each forecast is 7-9 minutes long.
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P.S. You can also still access my Sneak-Peek at 2020. In these Expanded Audio Horoscopes, I describe some major themes I think you'll be working and playing with in 2020. After you register and/or log in, click on "Two Weeks Ago (Dec 24, 2019)."
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WHAT ARE YOUR RELATIONSHIP GOALS FOR 2020?
What are your relationship goals for 2020?
To stimulate your imagination, I offer below some of my ideas on relationship, all taken from my book Pronoia Is the Antidote from Paranoia. (bit.ly/Pronoia)
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CAST A LOVE SPELL ON YOURSELF
Experiment: Compose and cast a love spell on yourself. There's no need to consult pagan books about how to proceed. It may even be better if you improvise homemade conjurations and incantations. Be sure to formulate a clear intention of what you want to accomplish with your mojo.
Example: "I want to make myself irresistibly lovable." For best results, stand naked in front of an altar crammed with magical objects that symbolize both lust and compassion.
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WHAT'S GETTING IN THE WAY OF ROBUST INTIMACY?
A common obstruction to a vital intimate relationship is what I call the assumption of clairvoyance. You imagine, perhaps unconsciously, that your partner or friend is somehow magically psychic when it comes to you—so much so that he or she should unfailingly intuit exactly what you need, even if you don't ask for it. This fantasy may seem romantic, but it can undermine the most promising alliances.
To counteract any tendencies you might have to indulge in the assumption of clairvoyance, practice stating your desires aloud.
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THE SKILLFUL AUDACITY TO SHARE AN INNER LIFE
Gertrude Stein defined love as "the skillful audacity required to share an inner life." It suggests that expressing the truth about who you are is not something that amateurs do very well. Practice and ingenuity are required. It also implies that courage is an essential element of successful intimacy. You've got to be adventurous if you want to weave your life together with another's.
Comments? Examples? Refutations? Action steps?
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YOU CAN NEVER OWN LOVE
You understand that you can never own love, right? No matter how much someone adores you today, no matter how much you adore someone, you can't force that unique state of grace to keep its shape forever. It will inevitably evolve or mutate, perhaps into a different version of tender caring, but maybe not. From there it will continue to change, into either yet another version of interesting affection, or who knows what else?
Describe how you could get the hang of putting this tricky wisdom into practice.
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LOVE IS BEING SMART TOGETHER
"Love is being stupid together," said French poet Paul Valéry. While there's a grain of truth to that, it's too corny and decadent for my tastes.
I prefer to focus on a more interesting truth, which is this: Real love is being smart together. If you weave your destiny together with another's, he or she should catalyze your sleeping potentials, sharpen your perceptions, and boost both your emotional and analytical intelligence. Your relationship becomes a crucible in which you deepen your understanding of the way the world works.
Give an example of your closest approach to this model in your own life. Then formulate a vow in which you promise you'll do what's necessary to more fully embody the principle "Love is being smart together."
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LOVE NEEDS IMAGINATION
"For a relationship to stay alive," writes James Hillman, "love alone is not enough. Without imagination, love stales into sentiment, duty, boredom. Relationships fail not because we have stopped loving but because we first stopped imagining."
Make this your hypothesis. The next time you sense that you're about to say the same old thing to your closest ally, interrupt yourself and head off in the direction of storyland.
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AN ALLIANCE OF EQUALS
A heterosexual man who is seeking a partner often doesn't want a woman to be complete unto herself; he hopes she'll feel inadequate and lost without him. Similarly, many hetero women demand that their men be absolutely dependent on them.
Those of the gay persuasion aren't necessarily any different; quite a few also prefer their consorts to be unable to thrive alone. But there are also plenty of people who want their intimate relationships to be an alliance of strong, equal, independent partners.
Where do you stand on this issue?
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"TELL ME THE STORY OF YOUR SCARS"
Play the game called "Tell me the story of your scars." It's best to do it with a skilled empath who is curious about your fate's riddles and skilled at helping you find redemption in your wounds.
"How did you get that blotch on your knee?" he or she might begin, and you describe the time in childhood when you fell on the sidewalk. Then maybe he or she would say, "Why do you always look so sad when you hear that song?"
And you'd narrate the tale of how it was playing when an old lover broke your heart. The questions and answers continue until you unveil the history of your hurts, both physical and psychic. Treat yourself to this game soon.
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WHAT'S YOUR TYPE?
Some hetero men believe they won't find romantic happiness unless they hook up with a woman who resembles a supermodel. Their libidos were imprinted at a tender age by our culture's narrow definition of what constitutes female beauty. They steer clear of many fine women who don't fit their ideal.
The addiction to a physical type is not confined to them, though. Some straight women, for instance, wouldn't think of dating a bald, short guy, no matter how interesting he is. And there are people of every sexual persuasion who imagine that their attraction to the physical appearance of a potential partner is the single most important gauge of compatibility. This delusion is the most common cause of bad relationships.
The good news is that anyone can outgrow their instinctual yearning for a particular physical type, thereby becoming available for union with all of the more perfect partners who previously didn't look quite right.
What's the state of your relationship with this riddle? Describe how you might ripen it; speculate on how you can move it to the next level of maturity.
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YOUR BROKEN HEART
Even if your heart's not exactly shattered at the moment, it has no doubt been so at some time in the past. I invite you to feel a wave of sadness about your suffering, then move on to this possibility: that having a broken heart is one of the best things that can happen to you.
Why? Because it strengthens your humility, which makes you smarter. It demonstrates to you that you have a tremendous capacity for deep feelings—far more than you're normally aware of. It breaks down defense mechanisms that have desensitized you to the world's secret beauty. It may also inspire you to treat other people's hearts with greater care, making it more likely that you'll be able to create intelligent intimacy in the future.
That's why I say, celebrate your broken heart. It's a gift the world gives you to awaken you to the truth about what matters most.
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THE MANY NAMES FOR LOVE
"The Eskimos had 52 names for snow because it was important to them," wrote novelist Margaret Atwood. "There ought to be as many for love."
Here are a few that the ancient Greeks devised, according to Lindsay Swope in her review of Richard Idemon's book "Through the Looking Glass."
1. Epithemia is the basic need to touch and be touched. Our closest approximation is "horniness," though epithemia is not so much a sexual feeling as a sensual one.
2. Philia is friendship. It includes the need to admire and respect your friends as a reflection of yourself—like in high school, where you want to hang out with the cool kids because that means you're cool too.
3. Eros isn't sexual in the way we usually think, but is more about the
emotional gratification that comes from merging souls.
4. Agape is a mature, utterly free expression of love that has no possessiveness. It means wanting the best for another person even if it doesn't advance your self-interest.
Your assignment is to coin three additional new words for love, which means you'll have to discover or create three alternate states of love that have previously been unnamed. To do that, you'll have to put aside your habitual expectations and standard definitions of what constitutes love so that you can explore an array of nuances, including varieties you never imagined existed.
Robin Norwood's self-help book "Women Who Love Too Much" deals with a theme that has gotten a lot of play in recent decades: If you're too generous to someone who doesn't appreciate it and at the expense of your own needs, you can make yourself sick.
An alternative perspective comes from philosopher Blaise Pascal, who said, "When one does not love too much, one does not love enough." He was primarily addressing psychologically healthy altruists, but it's a fertile ideal for pronoia lovers to keep in mind.
Decide whether you need to move more in the direction of Norwood's or Pascal's advice. Develop a game plan to carry out your resolve, then take action.
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THE MYSTERY OF YOUR THIRST
Imagine this scene. You're really thirsty—so dehydrated that you're feeling faint. Yet here's the weird thing: You're walking along the bank of a wide river that's so clear you could see the bottom if you looked. But you're not looking. In fact, you seem oblivious to the surging force of nature just a few yards away.
Is it invisible to you? Are you so preoccupied with your suffering that you're blind to the very source that would end your suffering?
Up ahead you see a man. As you approach, you realize he's holding a bottle of water. You run to him and beg him to let you drink. He readily agrees. Gratefully, you guzzle the precious liquid, then thank him profusely.
As you walk away, he calls after you, "By the way, there's a lot more water over there," and he points to the river.
Do you hear him? If you hear him, do you believe him? Or do you keep walking, hoping to find another person with another bottle somewhere up ahead?
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ALL I ASK OF YOU
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Be my slowmotion dance.
Be my birthday earthquake.
Be my spiral marble staircase
in the middle of a Vermont meadow.
Be my handstand on a barstool,
my whirlwind week in clown school,
my joke shared with a Siberian shaman
while shopping for T-shirts at Sears.
Be my last because.
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Be my puzzle with one piece missing.
Be my ripe pomegranate
floating in a blue plastic swimming pool
on the first day of winter.
Be the imaginary conversations
I have with Thomas Jefferson
while watching the news on TV.
Be the waves crashing on my beach
in the south of France in the 22nd century
and the song
that my great-grandmother wrote for my greatgranddaughter.
Be my golden hammer resting on a mossy rock
I've known for 10,000 years.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Experiment: Imprint yourself with the intention that in 2020, you will seek out the GOOD news at least as often as you seek out the BAD stuff -- that you will regard tales of affliction and mayhem and corruption and tragedy as no more interesting or worthy of your attention than tales of triumph and liberation and pleasure and ingenuity.
If this idea appeals to you, here are sources of GOOD news to get you started:
Yes magazine: yesmagazine.org
Good News Network: goodnewsnetwork.org
Celebrate Small Victories: celebratesmallvictories.com
Reddit Uplifting News: reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews
Heroic Stories: heroicstories.org
(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 January 9
Copyright 2020 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Let's get 2020 started with a proper send-off. According to my reading of the astrological omens, the coming months will bring you opportunities to achieve a host of liberations. Among the things from which you could be at least partially emancipated: stale old suffering; shrunken expectations; people who don't appreciate you for who you really are; and beliefs and theories that don't serve you any more. (There may be others!) Here's an inspirational maxim, courtesy of poet Mary Oliver: "Said the river: imagine everything you can imagine, then keep on going."
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
In a poem titled "The Mess-iah," spiritual teacher Jeff Foster counsels us, "Fall in love with the mess of your life . . . the wild, uncontrollable, unplanned, unexpected moments of existence. Dignify the mess with your loving attention, your gratitude. Because if you love the mess enough, you will become a Mess-iah." I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I suspect you'll have a better chance to ascend to the role of Mess-iah in the coming weeks and months than you have had in many years.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Comedian John Cleese believes that "sometimes we hang onto people or relationships long after they've ceased to be of any use to either of you." That's why he has chosen to live in such a way that his web of alliances is constantly evolving. "I'm always meeting new people," he says, "and my list of friends seems to change quite a bit." According to my analysis of the astrological omens, Pisces, 2020 will be a propitious year for you to experiment with Cleese's approach. You'll have the chance to meet a greater number of interesting new people in the coming months than you have in a long time. (And don't be afraid to phase out connections that have become a drain.)
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
When comedian John Cleese was 61, his mother died. She was 101. Cleese testifies, "Just towards the end, as she began to run out of energy, she did actually stop trying to tell me what to do most of the time." I bet you'll experience a similar phenomenon in 2020—only bigger and better. Fewer people will try to tell you what to do than at any previous time of your life. As a result, you'll be freer to be yourself exactly as you want to be. You'll have unprecedented power to express your uniqueness.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Renowned Taurus philosopher Bertrand Russell was sent to jail in 1918 because of his pacifism and anti-war activism. He liked being there. "I found prison in many ways quite agreeable," he said. "I had no engagements, no difficult decisions to make, no fear of callers, no interruptions to my work. I read enormously; I wrote a book." The book he produced, Introduction to Mathematical Philosophy, is today regarded as a classic. In 2020, I would love to see you Tauruses cave out an equally luxurious sabbatical without having to go through the inconvenience of being incarcerated. I'm confident you can do this.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
It's common to feel attracted to people because of the way they look and dress and carry themselves. But here's the problem: If you pursue an actual connection with someone whose appearance you like, there's no guarantee it will turn out to be interesting and meaningful. That's because the most important factor in becoming close to someone is not their cute face or body or style, but rather their ability to converse with you in ways you find interesting. And that's a relatively rare phenomenon. As philosopher Mortimer Adler observed, "Love without conversation is impossible." I bring these thoughts to your attention, Gemini, because I believe that in 2020 you could have some of the best conversations you've ever had—and as a result experience the richest intimacy.
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WHAT'S YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE?
Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your upcoming adventures in 2020?
In this week's EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, I offer you Part 2 of a long-term, in-depth exploration of your destiny in the coming year.
Part 3 will be available next week. Part 1 is still available.
To listen to your BIG PICTURE horoscopes online, go here: freewillastrology.sparkns.com
Register and/or log in through the main page, and then click on the link "Long Term Prediction, Part 2"
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
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The cost for the Expanded Audio Horoscopes is $6 per sign. (You can get discounts for multiple purchases.)
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $1.99 per minute.
Each forecast is 7-9 minutes long.
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CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Mystic poet Rumi told us the kind of person he was attracted to. "I want a trouble-maker for a lover," he wrote. "Blood spiller, blood drinker, a heart of flame, who quarrels with the sky and fights with fate, who burns like fire on the rushing sea." In response to that testimony, I say, "Boo! Ugh! Yuck!" I say "To hell with being in an intimate relationship with a trouble-maker who fights with fate and quarrels with the sky." I can't imagine any bond that would be more unpleasant and serve me worse. What about you, Cancerian? Do you find Rumi's definition glamorous and romantic? I hope not. If you do, I advise you to consider changing your mind. 2020 will be an excellent time to be precise in articulating the kinds of alliances that are healthy for you. They shouldn't resemble Rumi's description. (Rumi translation by Zara Houshmand.)
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
The 18th-century comic novel Tristram Shandy is still being translated, adapted, and published today. Its popularity persists. Likewise, the 18th-century novel Moll Flanders, which features a rowdy, eccentric heroine who was unusual for her era, has had modern incarnations in TV, film, and radio. Then there's the 19th-century satirical novel Vanity Fair. It's considered a classic even now, and appears on lists of best-loved books. The authors of these three books had one thing in common: They had to pay to have their books published. No authority in the book business had any faith in them. You may have similar challenges in 2020, Leo—and rise to the occasion with equally good results. Believe in yourself!
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
I'll present two possible scenarios that could unfold for you in 2020. Which scenario actually occurs will depend on how willing you are to transform yourself. Scenario #1. Love is awake, and you're asleep. Love is ready for you but you're not ready for love. Love is hard to recognize because you think it still looks like it did in the past. Love changed its name, and you didn't notice. Scenario #2. Love is awake and you're waking up. Love is ready for you and you're making yourself ready for love. Love is older and wiser now, and you recognize its new guise. Love changed its name, and you found out. (Thanks to Sarah and Phil Kaye for the inspiration for this horoscope.)
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Renowned Greek sculptor Praxiteles created some famous and beloved statues in the fourth century B.C. One of his pieces, showing the gods Hermes and Dionysus, was displayed inside the Temple of Hera in Olympia. But a few centuries later an earthquake demolished the Temple and buried the statue. There it remained until 1877, when archaeologists dug it out of the rubble. I foresee a metaphorically equivalent recovery in your life, Libra—especially if you're willing to excavate an old mess or investigate a debris field or explore a faded ruin.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Over a period of 74 years, the Scorpio philosopher and author Voltaire (1694–1778) wrote so many letters to so many people that they were eventually published in a series of 98 books, plus nine additional volumes of appendixes and indexes. I would love to see you communicate that abundantly and meticulously in 2020, Scorpio. The cosmic rhythms will tend to bring you good fortune if you do.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Picasso was one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century. He was also the richest. At the end of his life, experts estimate his worth was as much as $250 million, equivalent to $1.3 billion today. But in his earlier adulthood, while Picasso was turning himself into a genius and creating his early masterpieces, he lived and worked in a small, seedy, unheated room with no running water and a toilet he shared with twenty people. If there will be ever in your life be a semblance of Picasso's financial transformation, Sagittarius, I'm guessing it would begin this year.
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HOMEWORK:
Figure out how you might transform yourself in order for the world to give you what you yearn for. 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 Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2020 Rob Brezsny
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