Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter July 8, 2015

 Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
 July 8, 2015
 FreeWillAstrology.com

+

My book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells

Below are two excerpts.

+

Visualize yourself being able to recognize the raw truth about the people you care about. Imagine that you can see how they already embody the beauty their souls' codes have promised as well as how they still fall short of embodying that beauty.

Picture yourself being able to make them feel appreciated even as you inspire them to risk changes that will activate more of their souls' codes.

+

What are the three miracles
that are most likely
to happen to you?

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

EXPLORE THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE in the Rest of 2015 and Beyond

Get more information about your Mid-Year Audio Horoscope for the Rest of 2015 and Beyond:
bit.ly/BigPicture2015-2016

Or simply log in through the main page at RealAstrology.com, and then click on the link "Long Term Forecast for Second Half of 2015."

+

Whether or not you want to listen to those Big Picture audio reports for the rest of 2015 and beyond, you may be interested in reviewing the long-term horoscopes I wrote for you earlier this year.

To see them, go here: bit.ly/BigView2015

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Here are two more excerpts from my book PRONOIA:

"If everything seems under control," said auto racer Mario Andretti, "you're probably not moving fast enough."

I second that emotion. It applies to the entire human race, which is swirling through evolutionary tipping points at an accelerating speed.
But it's doubly apropos for you spiritual freedom fighters and renegade bodhisattvas, because you're the vanguard shock troops fighting to merge heaven with earth.

For your edification and amusement, I will add three corollaries to Andretti's wisdom:

1. If you're not pretty much always half-confused, most likely you're not thinking deeply enough.

2. If you're not feeling forever amazed, maybe you're not seeing wildly enough.

3. The truth is fluid, slippery, vagrant, scrambled, promiscuous, kaleidoscopic, and outrageously abundant.

How might you go about using these tricks to marinate yourself in a gentle state of ecstasy pretty much all the time?

+

"Malefic ecstasy" or "pestilent ecstasy" is the feeling of intense pleasure that some people get as they think about and dwell on and talk about negative events. It explains why they go into a rage whenever I present evidence that although the world may be a realm where much suffering occurs, it is also a paradise full of blessings. They don't want their malefic ecstasy to be diluted.

I'm with poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning: "Earth's crammed with heaven."

P.S. My spiritual teachers say that being alive on this planet is the highest honor and privilege. It's an invitation to work wonders and perform miracles that aren't possible in any nirvana, promised land, or afterlife.

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

I'd love to hear you riff on how it feels and what it's like for you to be the astrological sign that you are. Send your testimony to me at Truthrooster@gmail.com

Here are some examples: readers' thoughts on "How to Be a Sagittarius."

"Know how to have fun even when life sucks." -Mandy O.

"Embrace optimism for both its beauty and its tactical advantages." -Sam Austin, Staten Island.

"Paint a self-portrait with your nipples." -Marsha Coupe, Carmel, CA.

"Be a pompous ass, then laugh at yourself for being a pompous ass." -Peter Yates-Hodshon and Mare Hodshon-Yates, Tucson.

"Give names like 'Stinky' and 'Cubby' to your fears." -Joanne Helfrid, Upper Darby, PA.

"The best way to be like me, is not try to be like me at all, but to be true to yourself." -Catherine King, Greenfield, MA.

*

Here's an example of a Gemini who told me how she went about being the best Gemini he could possibly be:

"Be amazed with and in awe of yourself. And try to keep doing new things to justify your amazement and awe. Be like the Native American heyoka who rode his horse backward, wearing only an apron in a blizzard, with sweat running down his chest. Talk to yourself; people can join in if they want to. Have a large papier maché ego; redecorate it often. Be like Grandmother Spider who created the world by imagining it. Be like Pygmalion and fall in love with your creation. Never imitate. Be a tricky, sticky tickler. No one will ever solve the Sphinx's precious riddle if she doesn't know the answer herself." - Shimmering Elf

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

Worldwide Child Mortality declined by half from 1990 to 2012.
tinyurl.com/nmbdtfg

Violent crime drops again in California
tinyurl.com/o2ogwal

There are approximately 850 million visits each year to American museums. That's more than the attendance at all major league sporting events and theme parks combined.
tinyurl.com/l9knvdr

(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.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
 Week beginning July 9

Copyright 2015 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

When novelist John Irving begins a new book, his first task is to write the last line of the last page. Then he writes the second-to-last line. He continues to work backwards for a while until he has a clear understanding of the way his story will end. Right now, Cancerian, as you hatch your next big phase of development, I invite you to borrow Irving's approach. Visualize in detail the blossoms that will eventually come from the seeds you're planting. Create a vivid picture of the life you will be living when your plans have fully ripened.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

You have cosmic permission to lose your train of thought, forget about what was so seriously important, and be weirdly amused by interesting nonsense. If stress-addicts nag you to be more responsible, tell them that your astrologer has authorized you to ignore the pressing issues and wander off in the direction of nowhere in particular. Does that sound like a good plan? It does to me. For now, it's your sovereign right to be a wise and innocent explorer with nothing much to do but wonder and daydream and play around.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

Even the most provocative meme cannot literally cause the Internet to collapse from overuse. It's true that photos of Kim Kardashian's oiled-up butt spawned a biblical flood of agitated responses on social media. So did the cover shot of Caitlyn Jenner in Vanity Fair and the Youtube video of a tiny hamster noshing tiny burritos and the season-five finale of the TV show Game of Thrones. But none of these starbursts unleashed so much traffic that the Web was in danger of crashing. It's too vast and robust for that to ever happen. Or is it? I'm wondering if Virgos' current propensities for high adventure and rollicking melodrama could generate phenomena that would actually, not just metaphorically, break the Internet. To be safe, I suggest you enjoy yourself to the utmost, but not more than the utmost.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to acquire a new title. It's quite possible that a person in authority will confer it upon you, and that it will signify a raise in status, an increase in responsibility, or an expansion of your clout. If for some reason this upgrade doesn't occur naturally, take matters into your own hands. Tell people to refer to you as "Your Excellency" or "Your Majesty." Wear a name tag that says "Deputy Director of Puzzle-Solving" or "Executive Vice-President of Fanatical Balance and Insane Poise." For once in your life, it's OK to risk becoming a legend in your own mind. P.S. It wouldn't be a bad time to demand a promotion -- diplomatically, of course, in the Libran spirit.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Between now and July 22, your password and mantra and battle cry is "serendipity." To make sure you are clear about its meaning, meditate on these definitions: a knack for uncovering surprising benefits by accident; a talent for stumbling upon timely help or useful resources without searching for them. Got that? Now I'll provide clues that should help you get the most out of your lucky breaks and blessed twists: 1. Be curious and receptive, not lackadaisical and entitled. 2. Expect the unexpected. Vow to thrive on surprises. 3. Your desires are more likely to come true if you are unattached to them coming true. But you should formulate those desires clearly and precisely.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

On behalf of the Strange Angels in Charge of Uproarious Beauty and Tricky Truths, I am pleased to present you with the award for Most Catalytic Fun-Seeker and Intriguing Game-Changer of the Zodiac. What are your specific superpowers? You're capable of transforming rot into splendor. You have a knack for discovering secrets that have been hidden. I also suspect that your presence can generate magic laughter and activate higher expectations and wake everyone up to the interesting truths they've been ignoring.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

BRAINSTORM ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE

with my Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Second Half of 2015 and beyond:

RealAstrology.com

What will be the story of your life during the rest of 2015 and onward into 2016? How can you exert your free will to create the adventures that will 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 your quest to create your most interesting and meaningful destiny, tune in to my meditations on your long-term outlook.

Go here: RealAstrology.com. Then log in and click on the link
"Long Term Forecast for Second Half of 2015"

You can also listen to your short-term forecast for the coming week by clicking on "This week (July 7, 2014)."

+

"The best part about your audio horoscopes is that they pat me on the head and kick me in the ass at the same time." - Rita L., San Diego

"Your audio oracles go beyond helping me find the truth -- they inspire me to find the WILD truth." - Patrick K., Montreal

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

"Who is that can tell me who I am?" asks King Lear in the Shakespeare play named after him. It's a painful moment. The old boy is confused and alarmed when he speaks those words. But I'd like to borrow his question and transplant it into a very different context: your life right now. I think that you can engender inspirational results by making it an ongoing meditation. There are people in a good position to provide you with useful insights into who you are.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

What's hard but important for you to do? What are the challenging tasks you know you should undertake because they would improve your life? The coming days will be a favorable time to make headway on these labors. You will have more power than usual to move what has been nearly impossible to move. You may be surprised by your ability to change situations that have resisted and outfoxed you in the past. I'm not saying that any of this will be smooth and easy. But I bet you will be able to summon unprecedented amounts of willpower and perseverance.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

Franz Kafka produced three novels, a play, four short fiction collections, and many other stories. And yet some of his fellow writers thought he was uncomfortable in expressing himself. Bertolt Brecht said Kafka seemed perpetually afraid, as if he were being monitored by the cops for illicit thoughts. Milena Jesenská observed that Kafka often wrote like he was sitting naked in the midst of fully-clothed people. Your assignment in the coming weeks is to shed such limitations and inhibitions from your own creative expression. What would you need to do to free your imagination? To get started, visualize five pleasurable scenarios in which you feel joyful, autonomous, generous, and expansive.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

How can you fulfill your potential as an Aries? What strategies will help you become the best Aries you can possibly be? Now is an excellent time to meditate on these riddles. One of my Aries readers, Mickki Langston, has some stellar tips to inspire you: 1. One of your greatest assets is your relentless sense of purpose. Treasure it. Stay connected to it. Draw on it daily. 2. Love what you love with pure conviction, because there is no escaping it. 3. Other people may believe in you, but only sometimes. That's why you should unfailingly believe in yourself. 4. It's your duty and your destiny to continually learn more about how to be a leader. 5. Don't be confused by other people's confusion. 6. Your best friend is the Fool, who will guide you to laughter and humility when you need it most, which is pretty much all of the time.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

While making a long trek through the desert on a camel, British author Somerset Maugham passed the time by reading Marcel Proust's novel In Search of Lost Time. After finishing each page, Maugham ripped it out and cast it away. The book weighed less and less as his journey progressed. I suggest that you consider a similar approach in the coming weeks, Taurus. As you weave your way toward your next destination, shed the accessories and attachments you don't absolutely need. Keep lightening your load.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

"I have gathered about me people who understand how to translate fear into possibility," writes John Keene in his story "Acrobatique." I'd love to see you do the same, Gemini. From an astrological perspective, now is a favorable time to put your worries and trepidations to work for you. You have an extraordinary capacity to use your doubt and dread to generate opportunities. Even if you go it alone, you can accomplish minor miracles, but why not dare to think even bigger? Team up with brave and resourceful allies who want to translate fear into possibility, too.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

HOMEWORK:

What's your secret beauty -- the great thing about you that no one knows about? FreeWillAstrology.com.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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 2015 Rob Brezsny

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++