Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
OCTOBER 31, 2012
FreeWillAstrology.com
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PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
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Below is an excerpt.
To read the piece in its entirety, go here: bit.ly/wGN3iM
SHADOW SCHOOL
You're a gorgeous mystery with a wild heart and a lofty purpose.
But like all of us, you also have a dark side -- a part of your
psyche that snarls and bites, that's unconscious and irrational,
that is motivated by ill will or twisted passions or instinctual
fears.
It's your own personal portion of the world's sickness: a mess
of repressed longings, enervating wounds, ignorant delusions,
and unripe powers. You'd prefer to ignore it because it's unflattering
or uncomfortable or very different from what you imagine yourself
to be.
If you acknowledge its existence at all (many of us don't), you
might call it the devil, your evil twin, your inner monster, or
your personal demon. Psychologist Carl Jung referred to it as
the shadow. He regarded it as the lead that the authentic alchemists
of the Middle Ages sought to transmute into gold.
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Astrologer Steven Forrest has a different name for the shadow:
stuff. "Work on your stuff," he says, "or your
stuff will work on you." He means that it will sabotage you
if you're not aggressive about identifying, negotiating with,
and transforming it.
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The shadow is not inherently evil. If it is ignored or denied,
it may become monstrous to compensate. Only then is it likely
to "demonically possess" its owner, leading to compulsive,
exaggerated, "evil" behavior.
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"The shadow, which is in conflict with the acknowledged
values, cannot be accepted as a negative part of one's own psyche
and is therefore projected -- that is, it is transferred to the
outside world and experienced as an outside object. It is combated,
punished, and exterminated as 'the alien out there' instead of
being dealt with as one's own inner problem." -- Erich Neumann,
Depth Psychology and a New Ethic
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The qualities in ourselves that we deny or dislike are often
the very qualities that we most bitterly complain about in other
people. So for instance, an old friend of mine named Mark had
a special disgust for friends who were unavailable to him when
he really needed them. But I was witness to him engaging in the
same behavior three different times, disappearing from the lives
of his friends just when they needed him most.
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"Whatever is rejected from the self, appears in the world
as an event," said Jung. If you disown a part of your personality,
it'll materialize as an unexpected detour.
Everyone who believes in the devil is the devil . . . .
TO READ THE REST OF "SHADOW SCHOOL," go here: bit.ly/wGN3iM
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Steal a song from the soundtrack for THE TELEVISIONARY ORACLE:
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Triple Witching Hour
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
FOR BEST RESULTS, KEEP RE-EVALUATING YOUR BIASES
Steven Pinker charts the decline of violence from Biblical times
to the present, and argues that, though it may seem illogical
and even obscene, given Iraq and Darfur, we are living in the
most peaceful time in our species' existence.
tinyurl.com/9eywawj
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS ARE JUST ONE WAY TO CHANGE THE WORLD
Radical historian Howard Zinn: "We don't have to engage in
grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change.
Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform
the world. Even when we don't "win," there is fun and
fulfillment in the fact that we have been involved, with other
good people, in something worthwhile. We need hope. An optimist
isn't necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark
of our time. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly
romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history
not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage,
kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history
will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys
our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places
-- and there are so many -- where people have behaved magnificently,
this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility
of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.
And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait
for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession
of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live,
in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous
victory."
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GET YOUR MINIMUM DAILY REQUIREMENT OF BEAUTY
Snake River, Wyoming
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(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 November 1
Copyright 2012 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
This is an excellent time to explore the frontiers of wise foolishness.
I'm hoping you will take full advantage of learning opportunities
that might require you to shed your excess dignity and acknowledge
how much you don't know. Are you brave enough to disavow cynical
thoughts and jaded attitudes that muffle your lust for life? Are
you smart enough to understand how healthy it would be to go out
and play like an innocent wild child? Make yourself available
for delightful surprises.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Zombies used to be terrifying. But then they became a featured
motif in pop culture, often in humorous contexts, and now there's
a growing acceptance and even affection for them. Here's the view
of Max Brooks, author of The Zombie Survival Guide: "Eventually
rock and roll morphs from Sid Vicious to the Jonas Brothers. Same
thing with vampires: We went from Dracula to Twilight
to make them peachy and G-rated. I guarantee you someone is working
on a way to take the fear out of zombies and market them to children."
Your assignment, Sagittarius, is to do to your personal fears
what the entertainment industry has done to zombies: Turn them
into amusing caricatures that don't trouble you so much. For example,
visualize an adversary singing a duet with Justin Bieber.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
"You must learn from the mistakes of others," said
humorist Sam Levenson. "You can't possibly live long enough
to make them all yourself." That's excellent advice for you
right now, Capricorn. In order to glean the teachings you need
most, you won't have to bumble through a single wrong turn or
bad decision yourself. There will be plenty of blundering role
models who will be providing you with the precise inspiration
you need. Study them carefully.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Every November, thousands of writers participate in National
Novel Writing Month. They pledge to compose at least 50,000 words
of a new novel in that 30-day period. In accordance with the astrological
omens, Aquarius, I propose that you commit yourself to a comparable
project in your own field. Is there a potential masterpiece on
which you could get a substantial amount of work done? Is there
a major transformation you've long wanted to undertake but have
always had some excuse to avoid? I predict that you will attract
unexpected help and luck if you summon the willpower to focus
on that task.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Don't believe the climate is changing? Go ask the birds what
they think. Sixty percent of all the feathered species in North
America have moved north in the past 46 years. Scientists are
pretty sure their migration is a response to the warming trend
that's afoot. I like the idea of tuning in to how animals behave
in order to get accurate information about the state of the world.
Would you consider doing more of that, Pisces? According to my
astrological analysis, the coming months will be a time when you
can learn a lot from non-human intelligences.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Big opportunities are coming up for you. Even if you cash in
on them, though, they aren't likely to make an immediate practical
impact. They are subtle and deep, these prospects. They have the
potential of catalyzing monumental shifts in your long-term unfolding,
but will take a while to transform your day-to-day rhythm. So
what are these openings? Here are my guesses: 1. You could root
out a bad seed that got embedded in your subconscious mind before
you knew any better. 2. You could reinterpret the meaning of certain
turning points in your past, thereby revising the flow of your
life story. 3. You could forgive yourself for an old sin you thought
you'd never let go of. 4. You could receive a friendly shock that
will diminish some sadness you've carried for a long time.
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES GO FURTHER
In addition to the horoscopes that come to you in this newsletter,
I create more in-depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration.
I think of them as my love letters to you. They're $6 if you access
them on the Web, or $1.99 per minute over the phone.
Try them at RealAstrology.com.
They're available by phone at 1-877-873-4888
"Your audio horoscopes help me love myself better, and I
mean that in a non-narcissistic way."
-Deva P., Indianapolis
"I'm really grateful for the way you pick up my telepathic
requests and answer them in your expanded audio 'scopes."
-Marion H., Birmingham, AL
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TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
This would be a good time to get introspective and meditative
about your urge to merge . . . to think objectively about the
way you approach togetherness . . . to be honest with yourself
about what strengths and weaknesses you bring to the art of collaboration.
The most important question you can ask yourself during this inventory
is this: "How do I personally contribute, either knowingly
or unconsciously, to the problems I experience in relationships."
Here's another query you might consider: "How hard am I willing
to work to create the kinds of intimacy and alliances I say I
want?"
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
"Dear Rob: I seem to be marooned in an interesting limbo.
The sights and sounds are not exactly pretty, but they keep me
perversely entertained. I'm sampling tastes that are more sour
than sweet, thinking that sooner or later the sweetness will start
to prevail -- but it never does. Sometimes I feel like I'm in
a trance, unable to do what's best for me. Can you offer any help?
Like maybe give me a password that would break me out of the trance?
-Meandering Gemini." Dear Meandering: This is one of those
rare times when you have cosmic permission to favor what's calming
and reassuring rather than what's amusing and stimulating. Your
password is sanctuary.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
On September 22, the San Francisco Giants played a baseball game
against the San Diego Padres. In the fourth inning, Giants' third
baseman Pablo Sandoval sprinted to the edge of the field, then
hurled himself over a railing and into the crowd in order to snag
a foul pop-up. The fact that he landed upside down but perfectly
unhurt wasn't the most impressive aspect of his feat. Nor was
his improbable ability to wield such precise concentration while
invoking so much raw force. Even more amazing was the pink bubble
that Sandoval blew with his chewing gum nanoseconds before he
dived. It was a supremely playful and successful Zen moment. That's
the spirit I hope you will bring to your efforts in the coming
days.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Your unconscious mind will be more accessible than usual in
the coming weeks. It will reveal its agendas more clearly and
play more of an active role in your life. Is that a good thing
or a bad thing? It will depend on how open-minded you are toward
the surprises your secret self will reveal. If you try to ignore
or repress its eruptions, they'll probably wreak chaos. If, on
the other hand, you treat this other part of you as an unpredictable
but generous ally, you may be able to work out a collaboration
that serves you both.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Urbandictionary.com defines "Skymall solution" as
"an absurdly single-purposed tool or solution that solves
a problem you don't actually have." The term is derived from
the famous Skymall catalog, which sells unusual specialty products.
According to my analysis of the current astrological omens, you
should be wary of any attraction you might have to Skymall solutions.
Do you really need a King Tut tissue box cover or an ice cube
tray that makes ice in the shape of dachshunds or a stencil set
for putting messages on your bundt cake? I doubt it. Nor do you
need their metaphorical equivalents.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
Right before I woke up this morning, I had a dream that one of
my teeth fell out. As I lay there groggily in bed, my mind searched
for its meaning. "What does losing a tooth symbolize?"
I asked myself. "What is its psychological meaning?"
I promised myself that when I got up, I would google that question.
But my rumination was interrupted by a dull ache in the back of
my mouth, and it was only then that I remembered: Yesterday, in
actual waking life, I had a real tooth yanked out by a real dentist.
The moral of the story, Libra: Be wary of making up elaborate
stories and mythic assumptions about events that have simple,
mundane explanations.
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HOMEWORK:
It's easy to see fanaticism, rigidity, and intolerance in other
people, but harder to acknowledge them in yourself. Do you dare?
Tell all at Freewillastrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2012 Rob Brezsny
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