Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
FreeWillAstrology.com
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"Everything on earth is beautiful, everything -- except
what we ourselves think and do when we forget the higher purposes
of life and our own human dignity."
- Anton Chekhov
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PRONOIA NEWS
The revised and expanded version of my book PRONOIA IS THE
ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA will be available beginning next week.
You can pre-order it here:
Amazon:
tinyurl.com/lxpnyt
Barnes and Noble:
tinyurl.com/kkadtb
Random House:
tinyurl.com/kpxqcf
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Read an early review of the new edition of PRONOIA here:
tinyurl.com/pcp93p
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One of the most famous agents of pronoia is singer-songwriter
JASON MRAZ. More than any other big celebrity I know of, he's
out there feeding the conspiracy to shower blessings on all of
creation. In his blog (tinyurl.com/nxu88f),
he encourages his readers to view the world as a fount of glory;
he urges them to be sources of goodness and gratitude.
I'm glad to see that Mraz's song "I'm Yours" is now
officially the longest running hit in the history of the Billboard
Hot 100 chart, having been there for over 70 weeks.
What does it say about the current state of reality when an intelligent
optimist like Mraz has such mainstream popularity? Here's what
I suspect: The media may relentlessly wallow in news about what's
wrong and bad and rotting, but a lot of people are resisting that
hypnotic hum as they wake up to the glorious other side of the
story.
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On his blog, Jason Mraz talked about me and my book PRONOIA
IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
"Meet Rob Brezsny. He writes everybody's favorite astrology
column, Free Will Astrology. I dig him for his powerful yet playful
insights, his poetry and his humor. I recently got turned onto
his book, Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia. Believing
not that the world is out to get you, but rather, the world is
there to GIVE you, takes you to a powerful place. His website
alone can give you a lift just by smelling it. Today I salute
him for his dedication to inspiration."
You can read the whole thing on his blog: tinyurl.com/ldcwpb
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Go to Youtube to see Mraz talk about the concept of pronoia during
one of his live shows: tinyurl.com/m3m69p
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Interesting fodder for pronoiac conspiracy theorists: Jason Mraz
and I were both born on June 23.
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"The next time you don't understand someone's style, language,
or way of being, I invite you to pause and be grateful for having
eyes and ears to see and hear them. Then take a moment to celebrate
their interests the way you would hope they celebrate yours. You
don't have to share their beliefs to be genuinely stoked for them.
The world is a party waiting to happen. All you have to do is
shout SURPRISE and give them some applause for doing their best
with what they've been given."
- Jason Mraz
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
AN EXAMPLE OF PRONOIA IN ACTION ON A LARGE SCALE
Burning Man is a temporary autonomous zone where self-expression
is more important and interesting than self-aggrandizement, and
where nothing is bought and sold.
"Once you are free," said Baudrillard, "you are
forced to ask who you are."
tinyurl.com/ncgwso
CAN YOU HANDLE THIS MUCH GOOD NEWS?
Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future (and a Way to Get
There from Here) by Bruce H. Lipton and Steve Bhaerman
"We've all heard stories of people who've experienced seemingly
miraculous recoveries from illness, but can the same thing happen
for our world? According to pioneering biologist Bruce H. Lipton
and philosopher Steve Bhaerman, it's not only possible, it's already
occurring."
tinyurl.com/ntagtc
SOMETIMES ILLUSIONS ARE BEAUTIFUL
Uncanny chalk murals by street artist Kurt Wenner
tinyurl.com/dlpflk
(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 September 17
Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
There's a device on the market that claims to age wine very quickly.
The makers of "Clef du Vin" say that by using their
simple technology, you can "accelerate the aromatic development
of the wine's flavor and soften its structure." So dramatic
is the supposed effect that "one second of the device in
the wine is equal to one year's age." I believe that you
now have the metaphorical equivalent of this marvel, Virgo. This
temporary talent won't work on wine, but it could perform wonders
with other processes that would benefit from having their evolution
expedited.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
"The soft-minded person always fears change," said
one of my favorite transformers, Martin Luther King Jr. "For
him, the greatest pain is the pain of a new idea." The corollary
to King's pronouncement is that changes are less likely to be
painful if you're not afraid of them. According to my astrological
analysis, Libra, none of that stuff will be an issue for you in
the coming weeks. As you slip into a phase of riotous growth,
I expect you will have abundant access to previously dormant reserves
of courage and tough-mindedness.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Studies show that many people believe their attendance at a sports
event impacts the outcome of the game. They are obviously suffering
from a ridiculous delusion, right? They're enthralled by the kind
of magical thinking that our primitive ancestors engaged in, right?
Normally I'd say yes, but not right now, not for you Scorpios.
For a limited time only, your presence at events where people
congregate may exert an uncanny influence far beyond the power
of logic to explain. Your opinions will carry more weight than
usual, and your power to shape group dynamics will be at a peak.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
If I'm reading the astrological omens correctly, you're now
ensconced in a smooth groove and not even close to being stuck
in a cluttered rut. You're making the right moves for the best
reasons, and never trying to get ahead at the expense of others.
During a grace period like this, I think you'd be wise to convene
what I call a problem team. A problem team is a posse of smart
allies whose task it is to dream up every possible glitch that
could threaten to undermine your efforts in the coming weeks.
They lead you through dry runs that test your reflexes and prime
your resourcefulness, thereby making those glitches unlikely to
occur.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
While I'm pretty much a genius when it comes to the meaning of
Kurt Cobain's lyrics, the art of cooking perfect scrambled eggs,
and the secrets of being a good listener, I'm an absolute idiot
about how a car engine works, how to make money on eBay, and how
to craft a foreign policy that would deal effectively with Pakistan.
What about you, Capricorn? What are dumb about? This is an excellent
time to cure your ignorance about any subject that will be important
for you to be smarter about in the future.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
The following projects would be excellent ways for you to spend
your time in the coming weeks: 1. Attend a fantasy camp where
you learn rodeo tricks. (They might come in handy during committee
meetings and collaborative efforts in the next six months.) 2.
Teach a worthy candidate the intricacies of licking your nuzzle
spots. (It no longer makes sense to expect people to read your
mind). 3. Scratch an itch that has been subliminally bugging you.
(Unless of course you find some value in being subliminally bugged.)
4. Solicit lively information from a devil's advocate, a sexy
mother, and a world traveler. (You need exposure to people whose
perspectives will pry open a couple of the closed areas of your
mind).
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE
In addition to the horoscopes that you're reading here, I create
more in-depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration. Find out
more at RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888
or 1-900-950-7700.
"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
"Your audio 'scopes have a knack for waking me up from whatever
random dream has sneaked into my brain and rendered me half-blind."
- Teresa F., Boston, MA
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Your quest has come to a fork, Pisces. Down one path lies a tumultuous
obsession -- a compulsive, tormented hunt like Captain Ahab's
pursuit of Moby Dick. In the other direction, a graceful chase
beckons, more in the manner of Sir Galahad's pure-hearted search
for the Holy Grail. Choose one fork and your quarry will be beastly,
impossible, and frustrating. If you choose the other fork, your
quarry will be magical, earthy, and transformative.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
To the thug who stole my Chevy Malibu from its parking place
while I was recording an album in San Francisco back in 1991:
I forgive you. To the lovely and talented Artemisia, who couldn't
bring herself to fall in love with me as we partied at the Burning
Man festival back in 2001: I forgive you. To the agent who helped
my writing career so much but also cheated me out of thousands
of dollars: I forgive you. To any Aries readers who hate it when
I refer to my personal life in their horoscopes, and would much
rather I confine myself to talking about them: I forgive you,
and recommend that you engage in a more thorough and profound
version of the cleansing I just illustrated.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
The old saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too"
suggests that maybe it's not a good idea to go out on dates with
a variety of lovers while you're engaged to be married. Nostradamus
scholar John Hogue has taken the spirit of this idea and created
a variation that I think applies to you right now, Taurus. "You
can't have your past and your future, too," he says. In other
words, you cannot fully embrace the exciting and daunting possibilities
that loom ahead of you if you also insist on immersing yourself
in the pleasures of the past. You can either have the old ways
or the new ways, but not both.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
According to my astrological analysis, you currently have a
certain resemblance to a vacuum cleaner or a hungry baby or a
min-black hole. Every time I've turned my meditations to the Gemini
tribe, I've been hearing a psychic version of a giant sucking
sound. What does it all mean? I sense that you're especially voracious
right now, almost insatiable -- as if you're inclined to engorge
and absorb any old thing that you happen to find in front of you.
Are my speculations true? If so, I hope and pray that all the
things you're finding in front of you are healthy for you. But
just in case some of them are not: Would you consider exercising
some discrimination about what you allow to enter into the sacred
temple of your body and mind?
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
These days, your gods can kick the butts of everyone else's gods.
Likewise, your lawyers and agents and sidekicks can most likely
outwit, outdo, and out-wrestle everyone else's. But it's crucial
to note that if you try to work alone, you will not be able to
kick other people's butts, let alone the butts of their gods,
lawyers, agents, and sidekicks. The skills of your allies will
be indispensable. The way I see it, your test in the coming days
will be to overcome any tendency you might have to indulge in
pathological levels of self-sufficiency as you cultivate a greater
capacity to ask for and receive help.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
"We're all mutants," read the headline of a report
on the latest genetic research. It turns out that like everyone
else, you have between 100 and 200 mutations in your DNA -- absolutely
new characteristics that were not passed down to you by your parents.
To gather the evidence for this revelation, scientists had to
sort through huge amounts of data; there are thousands of genes
but only a few mutations. A Chinese scientist who was a member
of the research team said that "finding this tiny number
of mutations was more difficult than finding an ant's egg in an
emperor's rice store." I predict that you will soon have
a comparable experience, Leo: From an overwhelming array of choices,
you'll be able to locate the rare catalysts you need.
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HOMEWORK:
What's the most selfish, narcissistic thing about you? Do you
think that maybe you should transform it? Testify by going to
FreeWillAstrology.com
and clicking 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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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2009 Rob Brezsny
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