Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
A BRIEF FOR THE DEFENSE
by Jack Gilbert
Sorrow everywhere. Slaughter everywhere. If babies
are not starving someplace, they are starving
somewhere else. With flies in their nostrils.
But we enjoy our lives because that's what God wants.
Otherwise the mornings before summer dawn would not
be made so fine. The Bengal tiger would not
be fashioned so miraculously well. The poor women
at the fountain are laughing together between
the suffering they have known and the awfulness
in their future, smiling and laughing while somebody
in the village is very sick. There is laughter
every day in the terrible streets of Calcutta,
and the women laugh in the cages of Bombay.
If we deny our happiness, resist our satisfaction,
we lessen the importance of their deprivation.
We must risk delight. We can do without pleasure,
but not delight. Not enjoyment. We must have
the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless
furnace of this world. To make injustice the only
measure of our attention is to praise the Devil.
If the locomotive of the Lord runs us down,
we should give thanks that the end had magnitude.
We must admit there will be music despite everything.
We stand at the prow again of a small ship
anchored late at night in the tiny port
looking over to the sleeping island: the waterfront
is three shuttered cafés and one naked light burning.
To hear the faint sound of oars in the silence as a rowboat
comes slowly out and then goes back is truly worth
all the years of sorrow that are to come.
-Jack Gilbert
Gilbert has several books. One is *Refusing Heaven,* available here:
http://tinyurl.com/o8kwn
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August 30, 2006
http://www.freewillastrology.com
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Dear Gorgeous Unpredictable Geniuses Full of Lyrical Longing,
When I offered to give away my Burning Man ticket last week, I had no
idea there were hundreds of you who'd respond so gleefully and
innocently and heart-wrenchingly. Your appeals--your reasons for why I
should give you the ticket--touched me in that beautifully confused,
permanently surprised part of me I love to honor. Thank you.
Now I'm sorry I only have one ticket to give, and that I decided to give it
to a St. Louis woman named Chris McClarren instead of all the rest of you.
I trust that in writing your requests to me you awakened some of your
hidden desires, and that they'll bloom and guide you in the weeks to
come.
I gave the Burning Man ticket to Chris for many reasons, but here are two:
She introduced me to an amazing poet I had never heard of, Jack Gilbert.
There's a poem of his at the top of his newsletter, and more here:
http://tinyurl.com/opvn4
I also found out Chris had gone to great lengths lobbying on behalf of
pronoia. She was a contributor to a discussion list based on the work of
Derrick Jensen, an anarchist philosopher who believes that civilization is
beyond fixing and should be brought down. I have read parts of Jensen's
latest book, *Endgame,* and find it quite stimulating and interesting. He,
on the other hand, regards me and pronoia as essentially the work of (his
version of) the devil.
Chris eventually got kicked off the Jensen discussion list. "When Derrick
trashed your book *Pronoia,*" she said, "I defended you a bit too
profusely perhaps. I think your optimism threatened the rocky foundation
of pessimism and anger he clings to so dearly as the basis of his
righteousness."
P.S. You can read excerpts from *Endgame* and get other info about
Jensen and the book at http://www.endgamethebook.org/. You can read
an article about Jensen at http://tinyurl.com/qdcb5.
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ROB'S UPCOMING PUBLIC APPEARANCES
Inside Story Time
Thursday, September 21st, 7 - 9 pm
Rickshaw Stop
155 Fell Street (@ Van Ness)
San Francisco, CA
http://www.insidestorytime.com/
Rob will do 20 minutes, sharing the night with four great authors:
Peter Beagle, Judy Budnitz, Charlie Anders, and Sona Avakian
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Here's an excerpt from my book
"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
available at http://snipurl.com/krjj
or find out more at http://www.freewillastrology.com
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FLIP-FLOP THE TRAUMATIC IMPRINT
Beauty and Truth Laboratory researcher Artemisia had just begun
menstruating, and was suffering from debilitating cramps. Massive doses
of ibuprofen were not relieving the distress, so she went to her regular
acupuncturist, Dr. Lily Ming, to get relief.
Dr. Ming had Artemisia lie down on the table and proceeded to insert 10
needles in her belly and hand and ear. Then Dr. Ming introduced a
treatment that Artemisia was unfamiliar with: She lightly pounded the nail
of Artemisia's big toe with a small silver hammer for a few minutes.
"Why are you doing that?" Artemisia asked.
"It is good for the uterus," the doctor replied.
Indeed, Artemisia's cramps dramatically diminished as the doctor
thumped, and in the days to come they did not recur.
After the session, as Artemisia prepared to leave, the usually taciturn
Ming started up a conversation. Artemisia was surprised, but listened
attentively as Dr. Ming made a series of revelations. The most surprising
was Dr. Ming's description of a traumatic event from her own childhood.
During the military occupation of her native Manchuria, a province of
China, she was forced to witness Japanese soldiers torturing people she
loved. Their primary atrocity was using hammers to drive bamboo shoots
through their victims' big toes.
The moral of the story: Dr. Ming has accomplished the heroic feat of
reversing the meaning of her most traumatic imprint. She has turned a
symbol of pain into a symbol of healing.
++++++++++++++++++++++++
To read other news and features from my book, go here:
http://snipurl.com/l9o3
or
http://freewillastrology.com/beauty/beauty.main145.shtml
To buy the book, use the links to Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble,
which are on my homepage at http://www.freewillastrology.com
Or cut and paste the direct links below:
AMAZON
http://snipurl.com/krjj
BARNES & NOBLE
http://snipurl.com/krjn
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
POETRY
Jack Gilbert
several poems of his are at http://tinyurl.com/opvn4
and
his book *Refusing Heaven* is at http://tinyurl.com/o8kwn
MUSIC
*Baba Bulleh Shah* by Abida Parveen
http://tinyurl.com/rensf
and
*Visal: Meeting Mystic Poets From the Hind & Sind*
http://tinyurl.com/o2wqn
"Abida Parveen is a rarity in the world of Sufi music, a female lead
performer. She is the daughter of prominent Pakistani vocalist Ustad
Ghulam Haider, who bravely ignored convention and allowed her to study
under him." -Adam Greenberg, *All Music Guide*
GAMES
"Come Out and Play"
http://www.comeoutandplay.org/
"When was the last time you played in public? Come Out & Play, a festival
dedicated to street games, is three days of play, talks, and celebration, all
focused on new types of games and play. It happens in New York City
from September 22-24."
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They're 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 August 31
Copyright 2006 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The *Weekly World News* suggests that we
celebrate a new holiday this week, National Hate Day. For 24 hours, it
would be socially acceptable to drain off the rancid opinions, bitter spleen,
and sickening ideas we've been hoarding. While every sign of the zodiac
can profit from this massive purge of psychic pus, no one has as much
need or would experience more healthful benefits than you Aries. For best
results, add a touch of humor to your howls, and don't you dare actually
hurt anyone. Screaming gibberish into a lavender-scented pillow is
especially recommended.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "In every work of genius we recognize our
own rejected thoughts," wrote American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson.
"They come back to us with a certain alienated majesty." The first part of
your assignment, Taurus, is to identify other people's brilliant creations
that remind you of good ideas of your own that you've failed to develop.
The second part of your assignment is to do something--anything!--to
correct for your neglect. Get started on your own masterpiece.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1957, when Melba Pattillo Beals was 15
years old, she and eight other students volunteered to be the first African
Americans to integrate all-white Central High School in Little Rock,
Arkansas. For months, she and her cohorts were spat upon, beat up, and
threatened with death by bigots. Her grandmother stayed awake all night
holding a loaded shotgun, guarding the family home against assaults.
Years later Beales wrote *Warriors Don't Cry,* a memoir of that traumatic
time. I have a psychotherapist friend in Seattle who gives copies of this
book to certain clients who are inclined to inflate their own suffering.
"Read about Beales' ordeal," she tells them, "and you'll feel less
overwhelmed by your own problems." That's your assignment, Gemini.
Study people whose lot in life is far worse than yours. Get some
perspective.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Praising actor Jim Carrey at the MTV Movie
Awards, Will Ferrell proclaimed "This man's versatility makes Thomas
Jefferson look like a big fat idiot." That's rather hyperbolic, considering
that Jefferson was not only President of the United States, but also an
architect, author, musician, horticulturist, lawyer, archaeologist, inventor,
surveyor, and mathematician. Let's say, to be more accurate, that Carrey
is maybe five percent as versatile as Jefferson. That will help you get a
realistic understanding of my meaning when I tell you that though you
may not make Jim Carrey look like a big fat idiot in the coming weeks,
you'll have the potential to match his multifaceted, adaptable, puttylike
resourcefulness.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): When offered a choice between dueling
interpretations, you should opt for elegant and generous stories over
vulgar, boring, and unimaginative tales. While the no-nonsense, just-the-
facts approach may seem to explain everything just fine, I assure you that
there will always be catalytic enigmas lurking beneath the surface. This is
one time when poet John Keats' rule will be in full effect: "If something is
not beautiful, it is probably not true." Transcend the obvious, please.
Rebel against the ravaging numbness of plain old everyday ugliness.
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AUDIO LOVE LETTERS
In addition to the horoscopes that come to you in this newsletter, I create
more in-depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration. They're $6 if you
access them on the Web, or $1.99 per minute over the phone.
For Web access, go here:
http://www.relationshipnetwork.com/horo/index.asp?client_id=50700
From the United States, call
1-900-950-7700
or if you prefer to pay by credit card
1-877-873-4888
If you live in Canada, call 1-888-499-4425 to purchase a Block of Time
with your credit card.
"You told me the truth when no one else in my life would." -Darren H.,
Minneapolis
"Your wake-up calls keep me from getting stale." -Arris T., Aspen, CO
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Editors at the prestigious UK medical journal
*Lancet* have called for the legalization of LSD and other psychedelic
drugs. They're not envisioning a thousand totally buzzed freaks dancing
deliriously at an outdoor festival, however. Rather, they want to make it
possible for researchers to carefully explore the therapeutic benefits of
altering consciousness. "The blanket ban on psychedelic drugs continues
to hinder safe and controlled investigation of their potential benefits,"
they said. Be inspired by their example, Virgo. What taboo is it high time
for you to break in a discerning way? What inhibition no longer serves
you, even though at one time it might have kept you safe and sane? What
conventional wisdom based on fear has infected you, preventing you from
experimenting with exciting possibilities?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I really encourage you to have a celebration.
The planets are urging you to revel and rejoice, too. I wouldn't be
surprised if God Herself is rooting for you to whip up festivities worthy of
a jubilee. So what are you waiting for? What? You say you don't have
anything to celebrate? I beg to differ. How about extolling the end of your
addiction to a time-wasting delusion? Or maybe the loss of a "privilege"
that encouraged you to be lazy, or the end of a false hope that kept you
stuck in the past? How about if you throw a party to express your
gratitude at finally being forced to embrace a creative limitation that will
ultimately set you free?
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): What happens to buttered toast when it
accidentally falls off a table? According to folk wisdom, it's more likely to
land buttered face down, and hence create a bigger mess than if it had
fallen dry side down. In a research paper published in the *European
Journal of Physics,* Robert A. J. Matthews scientifically verified that this
folk wisdom is accurate. Or at least it is when conditions are normal. But
conditions are far from normal for you, Scorpio. Cosmic assistance and
good luck are flowing your way in such abundance that they're rendering
some laws of nature temporarily irrelevant. If you knock your toast off the
table each morning for the next 15 days (and it's quite possible you will,
given how excitable you are), it's not likely to ever fall butter-side down.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "If you want to upset the law that all
crows are black," wrote William James, "you mustn't show that no crows
are; it is enough if you prove one single crow to be white." Philosopher
Jonathan Zap applies this idea to his ruminations about telepathy. He says
that if there is even one irrefutable case in which two minds have
communicated with each other at a distance and without the aid of
technology, then telepathy must be a fundamental human capacity. I
believe this is an important line of thought for you to consider,
Sagittarius. Why? Because you've entered the Season of the White Crow.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): If you were at the Burning Man festival in
the Nevada desert right now, you might be racing your souped-up tricycle
through a miniature golf course-style maze while dressed in a superhero
costume, after which you'd enjoy a sushi dinner served on the naked belly
of a good-looking clown. Or maybe you'd be exploring the benefits of a
short duration marriage to a temporary soulmate selected for you by a
seven-year-old girl deity sitting on a neon green plastic throne surrounded
by a circle of flame. Since you're probably not at Burning Man, however,
you've got to find other ways to carry out your astrological mandate,
which is to enjoy semi-crazy acts of liberation you'd normally never try.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Why just ask the donkey in me to speak to
the donkey in you when I have so many other beautiful animals and
brilliant colored birds inside that are all longing to say something
wonderful and exciting to your heart?" That's the question Daniel
Ladinsky asks in his translation of a poem by the Persian mystic poet
Hafiz. (It's in the book *The Gift: Poems of Hafiz* at
http://tinyurl.com/jpfc4.) I'd like you to ponder it, Aquarius. You're in a
phase when you have an exceptional ability to bring out the best and
brightest in your allies. Uncoincidentally, doing that will result in your allies
having a magical ability to bring out the best and brightest in you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you're alert, people whose magic you had
become deadened to will reveal stirring secrets. Places you've visited a
thousand times may seem to have undergone an overnight
transformation, exposing you to a series of mini-awakenings that
ultimately add up to a full-blown *aha.* You may find yourself penetrating
to the heart of mysteries that you previously didn't even realize were
mysteries. By week's end, if you're brave enough to keep welcoming the
surprises, you will be ripped free from an especially sneaky illusion and
reunited with a lost fragment of your soul.
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HOMEWORK:
Pretend in extravagant detail that your dream has come true: that you're
living the life you've always wanted to. Testify by going to
http://www.freewillastrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing charts these days. In addition to writing my weekly column
and expanded audio horoscopes, I'm also working on a CD and promoting
my new book.
But I can recommend a colleague whose astro-aesthetics closely match
my own. She's RO LOUGHRAN.
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high
degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation; she is skilled
at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your
connection with your own inner wisdom.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Ro's website is at
http://www.yoursouljourney.com/
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
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I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your address to
anyone.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2006 Rob Brezsny
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