Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
AUGUST 22, 2012
FreeWillAstrology.com
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My book
PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Below is an excerpt. It's from the piece called "Subterranean
Pronoia Therapy."
1. No matter how holy and good, everyone in the world has a portion
of the world's sickness inside them. It's known by many names:
neurosis, shadow, demon, devil. Many people try to deny that it
inhabits them. Others acknowledge its power so readily that they
allow themselves to be overwhelmed and distorted by it. At the
Beauty and Truth Lab, we take a position between those two positions.
We accept the fact that the evil is part of us, but treat it with
compassionate amusement and flexible vigilance. Our stance is
partly that of loving parents and partly that of warriors.
Once you make a commitment to explore the mysteries of pronoia,
your shadow will try to play tricks on you that it has never tried
before. How will you respond? We recommend an aggressive, tender,
improvisational approach. Be ready for anything. Avoid both blithe
excesses of tolerance and grave fundamentalism.
2. "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.
3. 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 makeup.
We can't simply repress it, but must find a positive way to express
it. How might you go about this project?
4. Some of my readers complain when I draw inspiration from a
public figure they consider a bad person. Once I cited philosopher
Bertrand Russell, and a woman from Austin 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 an outraged emailer. 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.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
VERY GOOD OMEN ABOUT SERVING THE MOST BASIC NEEDS
Getting practical about searching for a new kind of toilet better
suited for preventing disease and death in developing countries.
tinyurl.com/boubmx7
POWERFUL PEOPLE DOING POWERFUL THINGS
President of Uruguay donates 90 percent of his salary to charity
tinyurl.com/8d9upaa
WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE MYSTERIOUS, UPLIFTING ART
Intricate crop circles of Buddhist symbol for infinite time and
wisdom appears in crop field
http://tinyurl.com/bmfyhy6
(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 August 23
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
A guy I know was invited to hang one of his paintings in a New
York gallery -- on one condition. It had to be a piece he created
on the spot, in the gallery, on the day the show opened. That
would be way too much pressure for me to handle. I need to spend
a long time on the stuff I make, whether it's music or writing.
I've got to fuss over every little detail as I constantly edit
and refine and add layers. What about you, Virgo? Could you quickly
come up with some new wrinkle or fresh creation that would show
the world who you really are? I'm guessing we will soon find out.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
If you've been reading my horoscopes for a while, you know I'm
not a decadent cynic who thinks "no pain, no gain" is
the supreme formula for success. On the contrary. I think it's
quite possible to enjoy tremendous growth spurts when you're happy
and healthy. Pleasurable events can be great learning experiences.
Joy and freedom may activate potentials that would otherwise remain
dormant. Having said that, I want to make a suggestion that may
seem at odds with my usual approach, even though it's not. For
the next two weeks, I encourage you to explore the necessary power
of decay. Harness the archetypes of breakdown and dissolution
as you put an end to things whose time is up. This work is key
to your future rejuvenation and renaissance.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
I'm going to ignore the Urban Dictionary's more modern definitions
of the word "yeast," and stick to the original meaning:
an agent of fermentation that brews alcoholic drinks and makes
bread dough rise. Metaphorically speaking, Scorpio, you should
be like that for your gang or crew or tribe. I urge you to stir
up group morale. Provoke deeper thought and stronger feelings.
Instigate some bubbly new trends and effervescent interactions.
Be yeasty!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Sussex is a county in southeast England. Its official motto
is "We wunt be druv," which is Sussex dialect for "We
won't be pushed around." It's not bad as mottoes go, I guess.
There's power in announcing to the world that you're not going
to allow anyone to manipulate you or bully you. But I'd like to
see you come up with a more robust battle cry for yourself, Sagittarius
-- one that doesn't focus on what you won't do, but rather
on what you will do. It's an ideal astrological moment
to articulate your driving purpose in a pithy formula that will
give you strength whenever you invoke it.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
"Most people consider global warming somewhat of a mixed
blessing," wrote Aaron Sankin on Huffington Post. "On
one hand, there's ocean acidification, deserts gobbling up wide
swaths of farmland and the massive die-off of the innumerable
species unable to cope with the effects of the world's rapidly
rising temperature. But, on the other hand, you'll be able to
wear shorts for literally the entire year." Sankin
is being deeply sarcastic, of course. Let's make his satire a
jumping-off point as we consider some sincerely worthwhile trade-offs
you might want to implement in your own sphere. Would you be willing
to sacrifice a trivial comfort for a new privilege? Would you
shed a small pleasure to gain a much bigger pleasure? Might you
divest yourself of a pocket of resentment if in doing so you'd
attract a cleansing epiphany?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
I don't expect your travels in the coming weeks to be like a
smooth luxury cruise in a stretch limousine. Your route is not
likely to be a straight shot through breathtaking scenery with
expansive views. No, my dear Aquarius, your journeys will be more
complicated than that, more snakey and labyrinthine. Some of the
narrow passages and weedy detours you'll need to navigate may
not even resemble paths, let alone highways. And your metaphorical
vehicle may resemble a funky old 1967 Chevy pick-up truck or a
forklift bedecked with flowers. It should be pretty fun, though.
Keep in mind that your maps may only be partially useful.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE
Since I put all my brainpower and heartpower into the written
horoscopes I send out in this newsletter, they're pretty nutritious.
You may never need any of the other stuff I create.
But if you ever do crave an added boost, you may want to sample
my Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're different in tone and intent
than the written scopes, imbued with a little more of the psychologist
in me, and a little less of the poet.
Find out more at RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
"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):
In medieval times, you didn't need a priest to get married, nor
did you have to be in a church or recite a set of vows. You didn't
even have to round up witnesses. All that was required was that
the two people who wanted to be wed said "I marry you"
to each other. Those three words had great power! In the coming
days, Pisces, I'd love to see you draw inspiration from that lost
tradition. Your assignment is to dream up three potent declarations
that, while not legally binding, express the deepest and most
loving intentions you promise to be faithful to in the coming
years. (More info on medieval marriage: tinyurl.com/MedievalMarriage.)
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Do you know what a controlled burn is? Firefighters start small,
manageable fires on purpose so as to eradicate brush that has
accumulated too close to wooded areas. With less fuel around,
bigger fires are not as likely to ignite accidentally and turn
into conflagrations. I encourage you to use this as a metaphor
for your own life, Aries. How? First, identify a big potential
problem that may be looming on the horizon. Then, in the coming
weeks, get rid of all the small messes that might tend to feed
that big problem. Make sure it'll never happen.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Jungian storyteller Clarissa Pinkola Estes advises us to take
good care of the untamed aspects of our nature. "The wild
life must be kept ordered on a regular basis," she writes.
One way to do this is to keep our uncommon and unruly ideas clear
and organized. It's also important to give them respect, and understand
that they're crucial to our spiritual and psychological health.
How are you doing in this regard, Taurus? What's your relationship
with the untamed aspects of your nature? According to my reading
of the omens, now is prime time for you honor and nurture and
cultivate them.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
By my astrological reckoning, you're not nearly wet enough right
now. I recommend that you take immediate and intensive steps to
remedy the situation. There should not be anything about you that
is high and dry; you need to soak up the benefits that come from
being slippery and dripping. If you're suffering from even a hint
of emotional dehydration, you should submerse yourself in the
nearest pool of primal feelings. For extra credit, drink deeply
from the sacred cup that never empties.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
In the 16th century, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V ruled over
a vast swath of land that included 12 modern European nations.
According to some historians, he once said, "I speak Spanish
to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse."
This is the kind of attitude I recommend that you adopt in the
coming weeks, Cancerian. Tailor your language to the people and
creatures you're speaking to. Address them on their own level
of consciousness, respecting their limitations and appealing to
their particular kind of intelligence. Of course this is always
a good policy, but it's especially important for you to observe
now. Fluency and flexibility will be rewarded in ways you can't
imagine.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Would you like to enhance your relationship with money? If so,
do you have any specific ideas about how to do it? The coming
weeks will be an excellent time to identify and implement those
ideas. Let me make an initial suggestion: Keep your magical thinking
to a minimum, but don't stamp it out entirely; a small amount
of frisky fantasizing will actually boost the likelihood that
your more practical intentions will achieve critical mass. Here's
another tip: Imagine the presents you'd get for people if you
had some extra cash. Stimulating your generous urges may help
motivate the universe to be generous to you.
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HOMEWORK:
What's the single most important question you'd like to find
an answer for in the next five years? Tell all: Freewillastrology.com
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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