Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter February 6, 2008

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
FEBRUARY 6, 2008
FreeWillAstrology.com

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“The best thing for being sad is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.”
- spoken by Merlyn the Magician in T. H. White's, The Once and Future King

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WHAT'S TO COME?
BRAINSTORM ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE

with the help of my
Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Coming Year

Go to RealAstrology.com

You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2008. Each report in the three-part series is about 6-9 minutes long.

What will be the story of your life in 2008? How can you exert your free will to create the adventures that'll bring out the best in you, even as you find graceful ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?

If you'd like a high-octane boost of inspiration to fuel you in your quest for beauty and truth and love and justice and meaning, tune in to my meditations on your long-term outlook.

A new short-range forecast for this week is also available, both on the Web and at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

To find out more about Your BIG PICTURE horoscopes, go to RealAstrology.com.

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My book
"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
is available for sale at
tinyurl.com/qaj62

Here's an excerpt:

SUBTERRANEAN PRONOIA THERAPY

Experiments and exercises in becoming a rebelliously kind, affably unpredictable, insanely poised Master of Supernal Mischief.

[Part Two, continued from last week's newsletter]

8. Declare amnesty for the part of you that you don't love very well. Forgive that poor sucker. Hold its hand and take it out to dinner and a movie. Tactfully offer it a chance to make amends for the dumb things it has done. And then do a dramatic reading of this proclamation by the playwright Theodore Rubin: "I must learn to love the fool in me—the one who feels too much, talks too much, takes too many chances, wins sometimes and loses often, lacks self-control, loves and hates, hurts and gets hurt, promises and breaks promises, laughs and cries. It alone protects me against that utterly self-controlled, masterful tyrant whom I also harbor and who would rob me of human aliveness, humility, and dignity but for my fool."

9. Some readers of my weekly column complain when I draw inspiration from a public figure they consider a bad person. Once I cited philosopher Bertrand Russell, and Pat G. went ballistic: "Russell was a terrible father! How dare you give him any credence?" Another time I invoked the wisdom of ex-U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt. "What possessed you to quote such a militaristic bully?" wrote Arthur H. Here's how I respond to these grumbles: If I refused to learn from people unless I agreed with everything they had ever said and done, I would never learn from anyone.

What about you? Have you set up your life so that everyone is either on or off your good list? If so, try something new: Cultivate a capacity to derive help and insight from people who aren't perfect.

10. "We are attracted to people who express the qualities we deny or repress in ourselves," says creativity expert Shakti Gawain. Using this idea as your hypothesis, take an inventory of the people you're most drawn to. Ask yourself whether they have talents and dreams that you wish could come alive in you. If you find this to be the case, consider the possibility that it's time to claim those talents or dreams as your own.

11. Philosopher William James proposed that if our culture ever hoped to shed the deeply ingrained habit of going to war, we'd have to create a moral equivalent. It's not enough to preach the value of peace, he said. We have to find other ways to channel our aggressive instincts in order to accomplish what war does, like stimulate political unity and build civic virtue.

Astrology provides a complementary perspective. Each of us has the warrior energy of the planet Mars in our psychological make-up. We can't simply repress it, but must find a positive way to express it. How you might go about this project?

12. Dealing with your shadow may require superhuman levels of patient objectivity. The experience may be like having to maintain a neutral tone of voice as you speak the language of diplomacy during negotiations with the inscrutable leader of a guerrilla enemy that is carrying out covert attacks against your most vulnerable sanctuaries.

On rare occasions, though, you may get a more direct opportunity to disarm your shadow. The following anecdote is an example. Study it as a metaphor for the approach you might try one day.

While still a young man, the medieval English king Richard was captured and imprisoned by his enemy Modard. For many days he languished alone in his cell, barely fed and having no blanket to warm him at night.

One morning he awoke to the sound of growling. His jailers had brought a full-grown male lion to the cell. They opened the door and brought the beast in, whereupon they cut off the leather muzzle binding its jaws and scurried out, leaving Richard to fend for himself against the lion.

Freed from its constraint, the beast reared back and unleashed a roar. Without wasting a moment in useless fear, Richard leaped forward and jammed his arm down the throat of the lion. Thrusting all the way into its chest, he ripped out its heart, killing it instantly.

13. In a radio interview, a former remote-viewer for the U.S. military was asked how his personal life had changed as his psychic skills had grown. "There were secrets my conscious and subconscious minds had been waiting for years to tell each other," he said, "and as my telepathic power improved, I found they no longer wanted to wait."

Try to accomplish this yourself. Imagine that the barriers between your everyday awareness and your deep self are crumbling. Act as if you are developing an ever-increasing ability to read your own mind.

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To read news and features from my book, go here: tinyurl.com/lhwx2

You can buy the book here:

AMAZON
tinyurl.com/qaj62

POWELLS
tinyurl.com/3dsx6q

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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:

WHAT IF YOU ACTUALLY SEARCHED FOR HAPPINESS?
The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World
by Eric Weiner
tinyurl.com/226uet

WHAT IF YOU ACTUALLY STUDIED HAPPINESS?
World Database of Happiness
tinyurl.com/246zun

THE FUTURE OF SPIRITUALITY?
Suicide Dictionary: The History of Rainbow Abbey
by Paul Lonely
www.suicidedictionary.com
The title is a bit misleading. Suicide Dictionary is a "contemporary Upanishads that captures the beauty of both western intellectuality and eastern (or mystical) spirituality in a single literary framework."

(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They are not advertisements, and I get no kickbacks.)

Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning February 7

Copyright 2008 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

"To be young, really young, takes a very long time," said Picasso. I agree. It's not easy to hone your ability to see the world fresh over and over again. You've got to work for years to immunize yourself against the millions of people who think they're got everything figured out. To cultivate an ingenious and fully awakened innocence, you have to continually shed your temptation to rely on habitual responses, never ceasing from the effort to greet every experience with a beginner's mind. This playful approach to life goes against the grain of every religious teaching, every political system, and every ideology, which means that only the fiercest individualists with a highly developed sense of self can summon the courage to do it. It so happens, Aquarius, that you're now primed to make rapid progress in this noble undertaking.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

Whether or not you're a Catholic, I recommend a good stiff dose of confession for you. It's the most effective action you can take to clear out your psychic congestion and prepare the way for an influx of cathartic realizations. So find someone who won't judge you for your so-called sins, and tell him or her about things you've done in the past year that make you feel squeamish or guilty. If there is no such person, confess to a beloved animal, a favorite tree, a passing cloud, or the morning sun.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

"Men should be barred from holding public office for 100 years," says billionaire Ted Turner. "Men have been running the world for too long and they've made a mess of it." If women were in charge, he adds, "It would be a much more peaceful, prosperous, equitable world in a very short period of time. You'd have a huge shift away from military budgets and into education and health care." I agree with everything Turner said except when he implied that men should be prohibited from serving. That's totalitarian, the exact opposite of what I trust a feminine majority would usher in. From an astrological perspective, by the way, 2008 is prime time to move forcefully in the direction of bringing more women into power. And it so happens that Aries people of both genders are best able to lead the way. To jumpstart your ability to fulfill this potential, I urge you to take three actions in the coming week to foster female authority. Men, you may devote two of these to boosting your inner woman.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Musician Chuck Prophet has artistic integrity even if he isn't a mega-star. He keeps making records that are inspired by his creative urges rather than by a lust for fame and riches. At age 43, he still tours all over creation, performing in small and mid-size clubs. "I have a dark need to drive around the world in a van like I'm 22," he told the San Francisco Chronicle. "And I'm good at it, too. I'm good at staring out of a window for long stretches." Prophet's your role model in the coming week, Taurus. I hope he inspires you to do whatever's necessary as you go about the business of promoting what you love to do with dogged integrity.

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EXPLORING YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE

Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your upcoming adventures in 2008?

You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2008. Each report in the three-part series is about 6-8 minutes long.

Go to RealAstrology.com
for these EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES

A new short-range forecast for this week is also available, both on the Web and at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

I've got some of the strangest good news you've ever heard. Ready to open your mind to the odd opportunities? Get this: 1. Your wild speculations could serve you better than your educated guesses. 2. Your experimental urges might be smarter than your cautious plans. 3. Your "stumbles" may lead you to brilliant detours. 4. You just may be able to create lucky breaks out of apparent mistakes.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

The World Dream Bank (WorldDreamBank.org) collects tales recorded by spirited dreamers. I'd like to call your attention to one of those dreams, because you'll benefit from entertaining similar themes. Here's a paraphrased report: "I dreamed I was a telepathic teenage unicorn with five hearts. My lesbian twin, an untameable mare from the Middle of Nowhere Desert, came to join me, as did my best friend, a cute Tyrannosaurus Rex doctor on roller skates. We built a boat and sailed off into a warm red sea, headed towards a rite of passage that we looked forward to as a fun adventure. We passed a buoy with a sign that said, 'Beware of Insane Swimming Bunnies.' We weren't scared in the least. We had packets of magic confetti that we knew would make the bunnies sane."

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Tibetans use the phrase "Gadrii nombor shulen jongu," which literally means "to give a green answer to a blue question." It's what happens when a person offers a reply that is unrelated to the question that has been asked. This is an apt description of a certain situation you're either dealing with now or will soon be. It may be that someone close to you is responding with irrelevant answers to your piercing inquiries. Or it might be that you have misunderstood a mystery that a friend has presented to you. A third possibility: A question you've been asking yourself is the wrong question. (Thanks to the book Toujours Tingo for the Tibetan phrase: tinyurl.com/2sgv6z.)

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

"Success means controlling your own time," observed actor Rod Steiger. "If you gain control over 60 percent of the time in your life, you are really successful." In 2008, Virgo, you will have far more power than you've had before to fulfill this definition of success. And right now you happen to be in a phase of your astrological cycle when your hard work toward this goal will have maximum impact. The ironic fact of the matter is that it's an ideal time to slave away in behalf of greater freedom.

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LET'S IMAGINE WHAT BEAUTIFUL MYSTERIES
MIGHT COME YOUR WAY IN 2008

What hidden factors will be massaging your destiny in 2008? Could you use some hints about how to prepare for the adventures awaiting you in the next 12 months?

You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2008. Each report in the three-part series is about 6-8 minutes long.

Go to RealAstrology.com
for these EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES

A new short-range forecast for this week is also available, both on the Web and at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

"When it comes time to do your own life," wrote author Rosellen Brown in her book Civil Wars, "you either perpetuate your childhood or you stand on it and finally kick it out from under." According to my analysis of the omens, Libra, you will, sometime in 2008, reach the pivotal point Brown referred to. And the coming weeks could be a big turning point. So which way will you go?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

The Onion newspaper cites a government study showing that America's top product isn't cars, corn, pot, or porn, but rather rich, buttery goodness. "Soaring demand among consumers for the melt-in-your-mouth sensation of buttery goodness meant that more then 32 million tons were manufactured and consumed last year," the report said. I advise you to make that experience a top priority in the coming week, Scorpio -- even if you're normally a bigger fan of what The Onion terms "crispety-crunchitiness" or "chewy, double-stuffed deliciousness." According to my analysis of the cosmic omens, you're most likely to thrive if you pursue silky, smooth, velvety, plush feelings of every kind.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

The world's record for skipping stones across the water belongs to Russel Byars. In July 2007, he threw a stone that bounced along the surface of the Allegheny River 51 times before it sank. If that mark is destined to be broken, it may be done by a Sagittarius in the coming week. Your tribe will have an exceptionally light touch. You'll have a knack for getting things to do what they supposedly can't do, even to the point of seeming to violate the law of gravity. You'll be at the peak of your ability to perform amusing tricks, pull off good mischief, and accomplish odd little miracles.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

After studying your planetary aspects, I got on my bicycle and took a vow to scour the world for an omen that would embody their meaning. Within a few minutes, I spied what my intuition immediately knew I was looking for: a carport with grass growing on the roof. Here are two interpretations of the oracle: 1. It's now possible for something to grow in a place that you thought was barren and/or over your head. 2. Fertility will abound in a high place that isn't usually hospitable to sprouting seeds.

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HOMEWORK:

What symbol best represents your deepest desire? Go to FreeWillAstrology.com and click on "Email Rob."

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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?

I'm not doing personal charts, but I highly recommend my astrological colleague, RO LOUGHRAN. Her approach closely matches my own. In our many discussions about astrology over the years, we've had a major influence on each other's work.

Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high degree of 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.

Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.

Ro's website is at YourSoulJourney.com

She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net

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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly 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 such submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored with submissions; otherwise, reader names, screen names, or initials will be used. Please be sure to note your preference when sending to us. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.

Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2008 Rob Brezsny

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