Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
October 14, 2020
FreeWillAstrology.com
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Healing mantra for the day: May I feel all I need to feel in order to heal; may I heal all I need to heal in order to feel.
—Marguerite Rigoglioso
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MERCURY IS RETROGRADE from late on October 13 through November 3. One of my favorite astrologers, William Sebrans, gives ten reasons why we can appreciate the glitchy tweaks that this astrological configuration allegedly spawns:
1. Misunderstandings are now attributable to impersonal forces or gods in vacation mode. That is, we are for the time being in the clear and temporarily off the hook.
2. We expect things to not work, so when they do, we are happier than before, when we expected them to.
3. We can spend hours tossing out crap, purging mail sludge, organizing our micro-universes, and are entitled to call it all productive work. No need to rush forward, when it is salutary to shuffle backward for a spell.
4. We are forgiven in advance for impatience and frustration, but as well we are given extra permission to blow off the pressure and be calmly accepting of what we are usually supposed to get upset with. Think: customer service.
5. For a few weeks, we get to hear less New Age murmurings about the Divine Flow, the power of creative visualization, and the power of surrender to Shakti -- and are allowed to focus on getting the job done any damned way we can figure it out.
6. If we are believers, we can find proof of the retrograde effect; if we are non-believers, we can find proof of the non-retrograde effect. Either way, we are vindicated.
7. We can watch more Merchant Ivory-period films and feel good about ourselves.
8. We can hand-write letters and craft arty post cards, while justifying the less efficient retro-fit communication as coming by Divine Decree.
9. We can slow down.
10. We can slow down and repeat ourselves
~ William Sebrans, www.otherwiseworld.com
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DISCERNING HOPE
It's a dark and chaotic moment in our culture, but my discerning hope for the future is abundant.
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"It is not in the least superstitious, it is even a counsel of realism, to look for the unforeseeable and unpredictable, to be prepared for and to expect 'miracles' in the political realm."
—Hannah Arendt
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See an image of hope: tinyurl.com/HeroGlow
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MORE ON MERCURY RETROGRADE
Now here's some additional commentary from me about Mercury Retrograde:
Mercury retrogrades are always heading our way -- an average of three per year. Also heading our way -- always, always -- are numerous astrological configurations that traditional astrologers interpret as malefic, miserable, and menacing.
As just one of many examples, some regard moon void-of-course with the same fear and loathing that they do Mercury retrograde, and the moon void-of-course is a regular and frequent occurrence.
For my sanity, I can't afford to be super extra careful around these aspects. There are simply too damn many of them. I don't want to constantly be in a state of red-alert alarm.
And as for the Mercury Retrograde itself:
Traditional astrologers regard each Mercury retrograde phenomenon to consist of eight phases:
Pre-Shadow phase
Pre-Shadow phase intensified
Mercury Retrograde Station
Mercury Retrograde Phase intensified
Mercury Retrograde Phase
Mercury Direct Station
Post-Shadow phase intensified
Post-Shadow phase
Every complete Mercury retrograde cycle lasts an average of 55 days. Since there is an average of three Mercury retrogrades per year, we are in some part of the Mercury retrograde phenomenon for at least 165 days per year -- about 45% of the time.
That's a lot of time to be on guard.
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I am aware that my views are not shared by many astrologers, but they reflect my observation and experiences. Here's a brief version:
Mercury retrograde does not mean communication snafus are inevitable. Rather, it tells you this is a propitious time to refine the ways you exchange information . . . and to concentrate harder on saying what you mean and meaning what you say . . . and to meditate on how to improve the ways you connect yourself to the people and resources you need and like.
Some people say that when Mercury is retrograde, it's a bad time to begin anything new. During one such period a few ago, an acquaintance of mine decided to delay accepting a dream job offer as editor of a magazine. By the time Mercury returned to "normal," the magazine had hired another applicant. I wish I'd have known, because I would have told her what I'll tell you: Some of America's biggest, most enduring Fortune 500 companies began when Mercury was retrograde, including Disney, Goodyear, and Boeing.
My deep skepticism about big corporations notwithstanding, the fact that their founders had great success in launching them during Mercury retrograde is a telling statement about Mercury retrograde.
In my understanding of astrology, there's no such thing as a bad astrological aspect. It's true that some may be more challenging than others, but every one of them presents an opportunity.
Having said that, I don't regard Mercury retrograde as being dauntingly challenging. If you fear and expect it to be, you may tend to be slightly more attractive to disruptive events. But then that's true about how every superstition works.
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THE SPIRITUAL POWER OF NOT TAKING YOUR THOUGHTS TOO SERIOUSLY
Here is a new spiritual practice: Don't take your thoughts too seriously.
—Eckhart Tolle
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Being spiritual has nothing to do with what you believe and everything to do with your state of consciousness.
—Eckhart Tolle
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YOU HAVE A PIECE TO SOMEONE ELSE'S PUZZLE
"Everyone carries with them at least one piece to someone else's puzzle." So wrote Lawrence Kushner in his book, Honey from the Rock.
In other words, you have in your possession certain clues to your loved ones' destinies -- secrets they haven't discovered themselves.
Wouldn't you love to hand over those clues -- to make a gift of the puzzle pieces that are most needed by the people you care about?
Search your depths for insights you've never communicated. Tell truths you haven't found a way to express before now. More than you know, you have the power to mobilize your companions' dreams.
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GREAT SPIRITS IN DISGUISE
"In mythos and fairy tales, deities and other great spirits test the hearts of humans by showing up in various forms that disguise their divinity. They show up in robes, rags, silver sashes, or with muddy feet. They show up with skin like old wood, or in scales made of rose petal, as a frail child, as a lime-yellow old woman, as a man who cannot speak, or as an animal who can.
"The great powers are testing to see if humans have yet learned to recognize the greatness of soul in all its varying forms."
—Clarissa Pinkola Estés
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FREEDOM IS IN THE UNKNOWN
Freedom is in the unknown. If you believe there is an unknown everywhere, in your own body, in your relationships with other people, in political institutions, in the universe, then you have maximum freedom.
—philosopher John C. Lilly
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Changing the way we see and think about Native America:
www.project562.com
Good News Sources:
yesmagazine.org
goodnewsnetwork.org
reasonstobecheerful.world
celebratesmallvictories.com/archives
reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews
greatnewsnetwork.org
goodnewsdaily.com
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For a lot more pronoiac resources and ideas, read my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
Available at Barnes & Noble: tinyurl.com/PronoiaBN
Available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
A free preview of the book is available here: tinyurl.com/PronoiaPreview
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Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES: Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning October 15
Copyright 2020 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
"The hardest thing you will ever do is trust yourself," says Libran journalist Barbara Walters. Really? I don't think so. In my experience, the hardest thing to do is to consistently treat ourselves with the loving care we need to be mentally and physically healthy. But I do acknowledge that trusting ourselves is also an iffy task for many of us. And yet that's often because we don't habitually give ourselves the loving care we need to be healthy. How can we trust ourselves if we don't put in the work necessary to ensure our vitality? But here's the good news, Libra: In the coming weeks, you're likely to be extra motivated and intuitively astute whenever you improve the way you nurture yourself.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
"You can’t learn anything when you’re trying to look like the smartest person in the room," writes author Barbara Kingsolver. That's a useful message for you right now. Why? Because you will soon be exposed to teachings that could change your life for the better. And if you hope to be fully available for those teachings, you must be extra receptive and curious and open-minded—which means you shouldn't try to seem like you already know everything you need to know.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
I've decided not to use quotes by famous writers who've endorsed bigoted ideas. In the future, my horoscopes won't mention the work of T. S. Eliot, Roald Dahl, V. S. Naipaul, Edith Wharton, Kingsley Amis, H. P. Lovecraft, Flannery O’Connor, Rudyard Kipling, and Louis-Ferdinand Celine. I'm sorry to see them go, because I've learned a lot from some of them. And I understand that many were reflecting attitudes that were widespread in their era and milieu. But as I've deepened my commitment to fighting prejudice, I've come to the conclusion that I personally don't want to engage with past perpetrators. Now, in accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to take an inventory of your own relationship with bigoted influences—and consider making some shifts in your behavior. (More info: tinyurl.com/BigotedAuthors1 and tinyurl.com/BigotedAuthors2)
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn chemist Tu YouYou doesn't have a medical degree or PhD. Yet she discovered a treatment for malaria that has saved millions of lives. The drug was derived from an ancient herbal medicine that she spent years tracking down. In part because of her lack of credentials, she remained virtually unsung from the time she helped come up with the cure in 1977 until she won a Nobel Prize in 2015. What's most unsung about your accomplishments, Capricorn? There's a much better chance than usual that it will finally be appreciated in the coming months.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
"Luck is what happens to you when fate gets tired of waiting," says author Gregory David Roberts. If that's true, I expect that a surge of luck will flow your way soon. According to my astrological analysis, fate has grown impatient waiting for you to take the actions that would launch your life story's next chapter. Hopefully, a series of propitious flukes will precipitate the postponed but necessary transformations. My advice? Don't question the unexpected perks. Don't get in their way. Allow them to work their magic.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
Have you formulated wily plans and crafty maneuvers to help you navigate through the labyrinthine tests and trials up ahead? I hope so. If you hope to solve the dicey riddles and elude the deceptive temptations, you'll need to use one of your best old tricks—and come up with a new trick, as well. But please keep this important caveat in mind: To succeed, you won't necessarily have to break the rules. It may be sufficient merely to make the rules more supple and flexible.
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YOU NEED MAGIC EVERY DAY
Every day, you have to wade through a relentless surge of soul-less facts. The experience tends to shut down your sense of wonder.
Every day, you're over-exposed to cynical narratives that have been sucked free of delight and mystery. That's why you have to make such strenuous efforts to keep your world enchanted.
I like to think I can contribute to the sacred cause of feeding your sense of wonder and enchantment. In fact, that's one of my prime motivations for offering you the free weekly horoscopes you read in this newsletter.
If you ever want more of that good stuff, and think it's worth paying for, please consider trying out my 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.
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The cost is $6 per sign online. (Discounts are available for bulk purchases.)
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888. The cost is $1.99 per minute. Each forecast is 4-5 minutes long.
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"I almost always come away from listening to your audio horoscopes with greater clarity about what's best for me to give my attention to next."
—Jada Washington, New York
"I love how your audio horoscopes stimulate my idealism and also help me think about the practical actions I can take to support my idealism."
—Rita Mashner, Tampa
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ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Would you be willing to meditate on how you might become more skilled in the arts of intimacy? Would you consider reading books and websites that offer guidance about strategies for being the best partner and ally you can be? Are you receptive to becoming more devoted to practicing empathy and deep listening? I'm not saying you're deficient in these matters, nor am I implying that you need to improve your mastery of them any more than the rest of us. I simply want you to know that now is an especially favorable time for you to make progress.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Entre chien et loup is a French idiom that literally means "between dog and wolf." It's used to describe twilight or dusk, when the light is faint and it's tough to distinguish between a dog and a wolf. But it may also suggest a situation that is a blend of the familiar and the unknown, or even a moment when what's ordinary and routine is becoming unruly or wild. Entre chien et loup suggests an intermediary state that's unpredictable or beyond our ability to define. In accordance with astrological omens, I propose you regard it as one of your main themes for now. Don't fight it; enjoy it! Thrive on it!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
For 34 years, the beloved American TV personality Mr. Rogers did a show for children. He's now widely acknowledged as having been a powerful teacher of goodness and morality. Here's a fun fact: His actual middle name was "McFeely." I propose that you use that as a nickname for yourself. If McFeely doesn't quite appeal to you, maybe try "Feel Maestro" or "Emotion Adept" or "Sensitivity Genius." Doing so might help inspire you to fulfill your astrological assignment in the coming weeks, which is to allow yourself to experience more deep feelings than usual—and thereby enhance your heart intelligence. That's crucial! In the coming weeks, your head intelligence needs your heart intelligence to be working at peak capacity.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
A blogger named Dr.LoveLlama writes, "You may think I am walking around the house with a blanket around my shoulders because I am cold, but in fact the 'blanket' is my cloak and I am on a fantasy adventure." I approve of such behavior during our ongoing struggles with COVID-19, and I especially recommend it to you in the coming days. You'll be wise to supercharge your imagination, giving it permission to dream up heroic adventures and epic exploits that you may or may not actually undertake someday. It's time to become braver and more playful in the inner realms.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
According to author Rev. Dr. Marilyn Sewell, "The body has its own way of knowing, a knowing that has little to do with logic, and much to do with truth." I recommend that you meditate on that perspective. Make it your keynote. Your physical organism always has wisdom to impart, and you can always benefit from tuning in to it—and that's especially important for you right now. So let me ask you: How much skill do you have in listening to what your body tells you? How receptive are you to its unique and sometimes subtle forms of expression? I hope you'll enhance your ability to commune with it during the next four weeks.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
In his fictional memoir Running in the Family, Virgo author Michael Ondaatje returns to Sri Lanka, the land where he spent his childhood, after many years away. At one point he enthuses that he would sometimes wake up in the morning and "just smell things for the whole day." I'd love for you to try a similar experiment, Virgo: Treat yourself to a festival of aromas. Give yourself freely to consorting with the sensual joy of the world's many scents. Does that sound frivolous? I don't think it is. I believe it would have a deeply calming and grounding effect on you. It would anchor you more thoroughly in the here and now of your actual life, and inspire you to shed any fantasies that you should be different from who you are.
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HOMEWORK:
What subject might you be willing to change your mind about if presented with convincing counter-evidence? FreeWillAstrology.com
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Submissions sent to Rob Brezsny's Astrology 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 submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2020 Rob Brezsny
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