Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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February 23, 2005
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES FOR THE COMING YEAR
To access my IN-DEPTH, LONG-TERM AUDIO FORECASTS FOR YOUR LIFE IN
2005, go here:
http://www.relationshipnetwork.com/horo/index.asp?client_id=50700
Click on your astrological sign, then choose either part 1, part 2, or part 3
of my BIG PICTURE look at your future--or even all three parts, if you're
feeling adventurous.
You can also choose to listen to my short-range outlook for the coming
week.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes cost $6 apiece.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning February 24
Copyright 2005 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): During a morning hike in the hills, I scavenged
for omens to use in your horoscope. Nothing pertinent appeared until I
was headed home. While rambling down a trail from the top of the ridge, I
spied the back of a man moving towards me. It took me a while to realize
he was walking up the hill backwards. As he passed me, I heard him giving
himself a pep talk. Later I told my 13-year-old daughter Zoe about this
scene, seeking her insight about what motivated him to engage in such an
odd mode of travel. To my surprise, Zoe said she'd done it herself. It's a
psychological trick that helps make a steep ascent easier: You stay
focused on how much you've already accomplished rather than being
overwhelmed by the heights that are ahead of you. I recommend that you
try this yourself, Aries.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): How long do you want to live? Before you
answer, remember that thousands of scientists are engaged in research
to crack the code of the aging process. They will ultimately make
breakthroughs that could allow you to be healthy and vigorous for many
more decades. In the meantime, the astrological omens suggest this is a
perfect moment to meditate on what you can personally do to promote
your own longevity. What habits of mind and body can you cultivate that
will keep you forever fresh? And now I drink a toast to your coffin,
Taurus. May it be fashioned of lumber obtained from a hundred-year-old
cypress tree whose seed will be planted this week.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "If there is anything I'm trying to incorporate
into my strategy of governing, it's a willingness to make mistakes, a
willingness to try new things," San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom told
AP writer Lisa Leff. "I'm probably as proud of my failures as I am of what
someone deems successes." I suggest you emulate Newsom's approach in
the coming weeks, Gemini. Don't bother with timid experiments that you
feel tempted to apologize for; don't mess around with half-assed
tinkering. Rather, be candid and humble as you try daring changes that
may or may not work.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Religion is like a knife," Nobel Peace Prize
winner Desmond Tutu told Msnbc.com. "When you use a knife for cutting
up bread to prepare sandwiches, a knife is good. If you use the same knife
to stick into somebody's guts, a knife is bad." Let's use his idea as a seed
for your horoscope, Cancerian. Are there any aspects of your spirituality
that are rooted in anger, hatred, or intolerance? Are there other aspects
that move you to see the best in everyone and do what you can to
promote their welfare? From an astrological perspective, it's a perfect
moment to be totally honest with yourself as you take an inventory of
the nature and effects of your religious inclinations.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Here's the first draft of the horoscope I wrote for
you: "You may find yourself stumbling through a kind of haunted-house
situation, complete with stairways that lead nowhere, mazes lined with
distorting mirrors, and gargoyles that breathe fire." After having a potent
dream that's too complicated to go into here, I rethought the meaning of
the astrological omens and altered your oracle to read as follows: "You
may find yourself wandering through a fun-house situation, complete with
stairways that lead you to invigorating mysteries, labyrinths lined with
mirrors that help you take yourself less seriously, and protective
gargoyles that will scare away menacing demons."
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): To be in maximum alignment with the cosmic
trends, go to the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and commune with the
painting "Peach Tree in Blossom" while sipping peach blossom wine and
thinking deep thoughts about the parts of you that are like peach
blossoms. Here's another possibility: Travel to a place where actual peach
blossoms are blooming and meditate on why the Chinese consider this
flower the most auspicious of plants. If you can't manage either of those
actions, Virgo, please at least find images of peach blossoms on the
Internet and gaze at them as you muse fondly of the delicate young
aspects of your life that most need your love and care.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Fairy tales are full of characters who suffer loss
and hardship for trying to be something they're not. If they ever change
their ways and accept the truth about themselves, their luck improves
dramatically. It's interesting, then, to contemplate the fact that our
culture adores film and TV actors, who specialize in pretending to be
someone other than who they really are. Do you buy into our collective
obsession, Libra? If so, I urge you to cut way back in the coming weeks.
You need to be careful about exposing yourself to influences that might
encourage you to be something you're not.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Burning Man, the annual festival in the
Nevada desert, is experiencing a crisis. Some long-term supporters are
unhappy about the direction it has taken in recent years. Chicken John
Rinaldi told the *San Francisco Chronicle* that it used to be a joyfully
chaotic jubilee of surprising art, but lately has turned into a mindless
party and "giant group hug--a petting zoo for overweight people in their
mid-40s." At the next Burning Man in August, Rinaldi hopes to restore
what he sees as its radical mission. Is there a comparable development
happening in your life, Scorpio? Has an institution or ideal you've held
dear begun to decline or lose its way? I bet there is. So what are you
waiting for? Go out and fix it; redeem it; revive its glory.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Pulitzer Prize winner Annie Dillard
counsels aspiring authors to hone their chops by immersing themselves in
scenes that aren't right in front of them. "Write about winter in the
summer," she says. "Describe Dublin as James Joyce did, from a desk in
Paris. Willa Cather wrote her prairie novels in New York City; Mark Twain
wrote *Huckleberry Finn* in Hartford." Even if you're not a writer,
Sagittarius, I suggest you do something similar. Identify a time in your
past that has always mystified you or rendered you dumb. Dive into those
memories with the intention of making them sing for you; rethink all the
perplexing moments until you transform them into a beacon.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Are you familiar with the revolution that
was hatched on a toilet? Famed theologian Martin Luther (1483-1546)
didn't suffer from writer's block so much as chronic constipation. He
formulated much of "The 95 Theses," the tract that launched the
Protestant Reformation, while sitting on a stone commode in his home. Be
inspired by Luther, Capricorn: Turn a place where you feel limited into a
power spot. You don't have to be feeling peppy and chipper in order to
light fires under everyone's butts, including your own.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Austrian Prince Pal Antal Esterhazy (1786-
1866) was renowned for his extravagance. Roaming across Europe for
decades in a constant state of vacation, he squandered his stupendous
fortune. In one infamous stunt, he removed a priceless Titian painting
from its frame and had it made into the lining for his coat. In bringing this
to your attention, Aquarius, I don't mean to imply that you're as
profligate as Esterhazy. But there is a way in which you're being as
wasteful with one of your valuable assets as he was with his Titian. Fix
this glitch, please.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Who could have predicted that the quest for
chemical-induced erections would help stem the extinction of endangered
species? Since the advent of Viagra, Asian men have cut way back on
their demand for traditional aphrodisiacs like harp seal penises and
reindeer antlers. The wild animals in possession of these body parts are no
longer hunted so relentlessly. With this as your point of departure, Pisces,
meditate on unleashing a similar synergy in your life. Is there any pleasure
you might pursue in a way that sends ripples of benevolence into the
world around you?
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HOMEWORK:
What if you didn't feel compelled to have an opinion about every single
hot-button issue? Try living opinion-free for a week. Report results by
going to http://www.freewillastrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2005 Rob Brezsny
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