Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter September 9, 2015

 Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
 September 9, 2015
 FreeWillAstrology.com

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I will be doing my pagan revival show SACRED UPROAR at this year's Symbiosis Gathering. It's September 17-20 in Oakdale, CA.

SACRED UPROAR is based on material from my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia. It's poetically and scientifically formulated to invoke insurrectionary beauty, mystical activism, and friendly shocks.

Also on the Symbiosis bill are several cultural heroes whose work I love:

Amy Goodman from "Democracy Now"
Visionary Activist Caroline Casey
Slam poet Saul Williams
and two of my favorite music-makers, Coco Rosie and the Polish Ambassador
as well as many other provocative speakers and musicians

I'll be doing "Sacred Uproar" at The Hub, one of the main stages. I'm scheduled for 5:15 on Friday, September 18.

Main page for the festival: symbiosisgathering.com
My page: symbiosisgathering.com/workshops/rob-brezsny/

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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 are excerpts.

REVERSAL WISDOM

So it turns out that the "blemish" is actually essential to the beauty. The "deviation" is at the core of the strength. The "wrong turn" was crucial to you getting you back on the path with heart.

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BLESSINGS COME IN MANY GUISES

Pronoia doesn't promise uninterrupted progress forever. It's not a slick commercial for a perfect summer day that never ends.

Grace emerges in the ebb and flow, not just the flow.

The waning reveals a different kind of blessing than the waxing.

But whether it's our time to ferment in the valley of shadows or rise up singing in the sun-splashed meadow,
fresh power to transform ourselves is always on the way.

Our suffering won't last, nor will our triumph.

Without fail, life will deliver the creative energy we need
to change into the new thing we must become.

Read the rest: bit.ly/w3buzJ

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GRATITUDE FESTS

Consider the possibility of celebrating regular Gratitude Fests. During these orgies of appreciation, you could confer praise and respect on the creatures, both human and otherwise, that have played seminal roles in inspiring you to become yourself.

Who teaches and helps you? Who sees you for who you really are? Who nudges you in the direction of your fuller destiny and awakens you to your signature truths? Who loves you brilliantly?

(P.S. Cultivating gratitude primes your power to experience ecstasy.)

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GO WITH WHAT FLOW?

When they say "Go with the flow," what "flow" are they talking about? Do they mean the flow of your early childhood conditioning? The flow of your friends' opinions? The latest cultural trends? Your immediate instinctual needs?

When they say "Go with the flow," are they urging you to keep doing what's easiest to do and what will win you the most ego points, even if it keeps you from being true to your soul's code?

Consider the possibility that there are many flows to go with, but only one of them is correct for you. Do you know which one? Maybe it's the one flowing in an underground cavern, far from the maddening crowd.

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SPIRIT IN ALL THINGS

Yua is a term the Yupik people of Alaska use for the spirit that inhabits all things, both animate and inanimate. A rock, for instance, has as much yua as a caribou, spruce tree, or human being, and therefore merits the same measure of compassion.

If a Yupiit goes out for a hike and spies a chunk of wood lying on a frozen river bank, she might pick it up and put it in a new position, allowing its previously hidden side to get fresh air and sun. In this way, she would bestow a blessing on the wood's yua.

(Source: Earl Shorris, "The Last Word," Harper's, August 2000)

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DAFFY DUCK SAYS

"That makes no sense, and so do I."
- Daffy Duck

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

200 coal plants announced to retire since 2010 in U.S. That's almost 40% of the country's coal plants.
tinyurl.com/nkqwcuz

India Virtually Eliminates Tetanus as a Killer.
tinyurl.com/o7kmsok

At the World's First Empathy Museum, Visitors Walk a Mile in Another Person's Shoes -- Literally.
tinyurl.com/qd9cfjj

(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 10

Copyright 2015 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

I hope it's not too late or too early to give you a slew of birthday presents. You deserve to be inundated with treats, dispensations, and appreciations. Here's your first perk: You are hereby granted a license to break a taboo that is no longer useful or necessary. Second blessing: You are authorized to instigate a wildly constructive departure from tradition. Third boost: I predict that in the next six weeks, you will simultaneously claim new freedom and summon more discipline. Fourth delight: During the next three months, you will discover and uncork a new thrill. Fifth goody: Between now and your birthday in 2016, you will develop a more relaxed relationship with perfectionism.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

A "wheady mile" is an obsolete English term I want to revive for use in this horoscope. It refers to what may happen at the end of a long journey, when that last stretch you've got to traverse seems to take forever. You're so close to home; you're imagining the comfort and rest that will soon be yours. But as you cross the "wheady mile," you must navigate your way through one further plot twist or two. There's a delay or complication that demands more effort just when you want to be finished with the story. Be strong, Libra. Keep the faith. The wheady mile will not, in fact, take forever. (Thanks to Mark Forsyth and his book Horologicon.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Trying improbable and unprecedented combinations is your specialty right now. You're willing and able to gamble with blends and juxtapositions that no one else would think of, let alone propose. Bonus: Extra courage is available for you to call on as you proceed. In light of this gift, I suggest you brainstorm about all the unifications that might be possible for you to pull off. What conflicts would you love to defuse? What inequality or lopsidedness do you want to fix? Is there a misunderstanding you can heal or a disjunction you can harmonize?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Is feeling good really as fun as everyone seems to think? Is it really so wonderful to be in a groove, in love with life, and in touch with your deeper self? No! Definitely not! And I suspect that as you enter more fully into these altered states, your life will provide evidence of the inconveniences they bring. For example, some people might nag you for extra attention, and others may be jealous of your success. You could be pressured to take on more responsibilities. And you may be haunted by the worry that sooner or later, this grace period will pass. I'M JUST KIDDING, SAGITTARIUS! In truth, the minor problems precipitated by your blessings won't cause any more anguish than a mosquito biting your butt while you're in the throes of ecstatic love-making.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

In this horoscope, we will use the Socratic method to stimulate your excitement about projects that fate will favor in the next nine months. Here's how it works: I ask the questions, and you brainstorm the answers. 1. Is there any part of your life where you are an amateur but would like to be a professional? 2. Are you hesitant to leave a comfort zone even though remaining there tends to inhibit your imagination? 3. Is your ability to fulfill your ambitions limited by any lack of training or deficiency in your education? 4. Is there any way that you are holding on to blissful ignorance at the expense of future possibilities? 5. What new license, credential, diploma, or certification would be most useful to you?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

The story of my life features more than a few fiascos. For example, I got fired from my first job after two days. One of my girlfriends dumped me without any explanation and never spoke to me again. My record label fired me and my band after we made just one album. Years later, these indignities still carry a sting. But I confess that I am also grateful for them. They keep me humble. They serve as antidotes if I'm ever tempted to deride other people for their failures. They have helped me develop an abundance of compassion. I mention this personal tale in the hope that you, too, might find redemption and healing in your own memories of frustration. The time is right to capitalize on old losses.

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PLEASURE IS HOLY?

Assume that your drive to experience pleasure isn't a barrier to your spiritual growth, but is in fact essential to it. Proceed on the hypothesis that cultivating joy can make you a more ethical and compassionate person. Imagine that feeling good has something important to teach you every day.

For inspiration in practicing this approach, tune in to your EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.

To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to RealAstrology.com.

Register and/or log in through the main page.

You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.

The cost is $6 per sign on the Web (discounts available for bulk purchases), or $1.99 per minute by phone.

The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.

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"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes provide me with the Rest of the Story. I'm not necessarily a believer in the scientific accuracy of astrology, but I do think you've got a lot of practical wisdom to impart."
- M. Tennenbaum, New York

"No one knows more about me than me. But you're right up there near the top of the list of people who do understand something about how I tick. How is that possible?"
- R. Goren, Albuquerque

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

It's never fun to be in a sticky predicament that seems to have no smart resolution. But the coming days could turn out to be an unexpectedly good time to be in such a predicament. Why? Because I expect that your exasperation will precipitate an emotional cleansing, releasing ingenious intuitions that had been buried under repressed anger and sadness. You may then find a key that enables you to reclaim at least some of your lost power. The predicament that once felt sour and intractable will mutate, providing you with an opportunity to deepen your connection with a valuable resource.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

"More and more I have come to admire resilience," writes Jane Hirshfield in her poem "Optimism." "Not the simple resistance of a pillow," she adds, "whose foam returns over and over to the same shape, but the sinuous tenacity of a tree: finding the light newly blocked on one side, it turns in another." You have not often had great access to this capacity in the past, Aries. Your specialty has been the fast and fiery style of adjustment. But for the foreseeable future, I'm betting you will be able to summon a supple staying power -- a dogged, determined, incremental kind of resilience.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

"The fragrance from your mango groves makes me wild with joy." That's one of the lyrics in the national anthem of Bangladesh. Here's another: "Forever your skies . . . set my heart in tune as if it were a flute." Elsewhere, addressing Bangladesh as if it were a goddess, the song proclaims, "Words from your lips are like nectar to my ears." I suspect you may be awash with comparable feelings in the coming weeks, Taurus -- not toward your country, but rather for the creatures and experiences that rouse your delight and exultation. They are likely to provide even more of the sweet mojo than they usually do. It will be an excellent time to improvise your own hymns of praise.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

There have been times in the past when your potential helpers disappeared just when you wanted more help than usual. In the coming weeks, I believe you will get redress for those sad interludes of yesteryear. A wealth of assistance and guidance will be available. Even people who have previously been less than reliable may offer a tweak or intervention that gives you a boost. Here's a tip for how to ensure that you take full advantage of the possibilities: Ask clearly and gracefully for exactly what you need.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

Why grab the brain-scrambling moonshine when you may eventually be offered a heart-galvanizing tonic? Why gorge on hors d'oeuvres when a four-course feast will be available sooner than you imagine? According to my analysis of the astrological omens, my fellow Crab, the future will bring unexpected opportunities that are better and brighter than the current choices. This is one of those rare times when procrastination may be in your interest.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

As I hike up San Pedro Ridge, I'm mystified by the madrone trees. The leaves on the short, thin saplings are as big and bold as the leaves on the older, thicker, taller trees. I see this curiosity as an apt metaphor for your current situation, Leo. In one sense, you are in the early stages of a new cycle of growth. In another sense, you are strong and ripe and full-fledged. For you, this is a winning combination: a robust balance of innocence and wisdom, of fresh aspiration and seasoned readiness.

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HOMEWORK:

What are five conditions you'd need in your world in order to feel you were living in utopia? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

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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 2015 Rob Brezsny

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