Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
September 13, 2017
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/YouAmazeLife
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My book *PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA*
is available at Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: http://bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Below are excerpts.
Psychologist Carl Jung said that all desires have a sacred origin, no matter
how odd they seem. Frustration and ignorance may cause them to twist
into distorted caricatures, but it is always possible to locate the beautiful
source from which they arose.
In describing one of his addictive patients, Jung said: "His craving for
alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst for
wholeness, or as expressed in medieval language: the union with God."
Holding this in mind, ruminate about this question: What are the glorious
prototypes behind the longings that confuse you or drain you?
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WE NEED VISIONS OF UTOPIA
"You gotta remember, and I'm sure you do, the forces that are arrayed
against anyone trying to alter the hammerlock on the human imagination.
There are trillions of dollars out there demotivating people from imagining
that a better tomorrow is possible.
"Utopian impulses and utopian horizons have been completely disfigured
and everybody now is fluent in dystopia. My young people's vocabulary …
their fluency is in dystopic futures. When young people think about the
future, they don't think about a better tomorrow, they think about
horrors and end of the worlds and things or worse.
"Do you really think the lack of utopic imagination doesn't play into
demotivating people from imagining a transformation in the society?"
- Junot Díaz, "Art, Race and Capitalism"
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IMAGES IN FULL BLOOM
"The rise and fall of images of the future precedes or accompanies the
rise and fall of cultures. As long as a society's image is positive and
flourishing, the flower of culture is in full bloom. Once the image begins to
decay and lose its vitality, however, the culture does not long survive."
- Fred Polak
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THE PRACTICAL REVOLUTIONARY POWER OF OPTIMISM
Howard Zinn said: "Revolutionary change does not come as one
cataclysmic moment (beware of such moments!) but as an endless
succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society. We
don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process
of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can
transform the world. Even when we don't 'win,' there is fun and fulfillment
in the fact that we have been involved, with other good people, in
something worthwhile. We need hope.
"An optimist isn't necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark
of our time. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is
based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but
also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to
emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only
the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.
"If we remember those times and places -- and there are so many --
where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act,
and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a
different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't
have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite
succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should
live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."
Excerpted from Howard Zinn's essay, "The Optimism of Uncertainty"
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"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot
drive out hate; only love can do that."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
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"Every optimist moves along with progress and hastens it, while every
pessimist would keep the world at a standstill. The consequence of
pessimism in the life of a nation is the same as in the life of the individual.
Pessimism kills the instinct that urges men to struggle against poverty,
ignorance and crime, and dries up all the fountains of joy in the world."
- radical socialist, anti-militarist, labor rights activist, suffragette Helen
Keller
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"Optimism is a strategy for making a better future. Because unless you
believe that the future can be better, you are unlikely to step up and take
responsibility for making it so. If you assume there is no hope, you
guarantee there will be no hope."
- Noam Chomsky
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Robert Anton Wilson: "What some call my blasphemous cheerfulness or
my cockeyed optimism just depends on my basic agnosticism. We don't
know the outcome of the current worldwide transformation, so it's sick
and decadent when fashionable opinion harps on the gloomy alternatives
& resolutely ignores the utopian possibilities that seem equally likely (and,
on the basis of past evolution, perhaps a little more likely)."
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Chance The Rapper has become a tireless advocates for teachers and
public schools, raising millions in funding for Chicago-area education and
funding numerous programs through his SocialWorks nonprofit.
http://tinyurl.com/y8klydrl
Dams Be Damned: California Rebuilds the Salmon Habitat It Destroyed.
Innovative restoration projects are working to prevent the state's salmon
from going extinct.
http://tinyurl.com/y8a7hm8n
The Innovating, Creative Superpowers of ADHD. It is so common for self-
employed people to have ADHD, the disorder could be renamed "the
entrepreneur's trait."
http://tinyurl.com/y6wecah4
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They aren't advertisements,
and I get no kickbacks.)
Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning September 14
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the coming weeks, you might want to read
the last few pages of a book before you decide to actually dive in and
devour the whole thing. I also suggest you take what I just said as a
useful metaphor to apply in other areas. In general, it might be wise to
surmise the probable outcomes of games, adventures, and experiments
before you get totally involved. Try this fun exercise: Imagine you are a
psychic prophet as you evaluate the long-range prospects of any
influences that are vying to play a role in your future.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "Dear Dr. Astrology: I'm feeling lost, but am
also feeling very close to finding my new direction. It hurts! It would be so
helpful if I could just catch a glimpse of that new direction. I'd be able to
better endure the pain and confusion if I could get a tangible sense of the
future happiness that my pain and confusion are preparing me for. Can
you offer me any free advice? -Lost Libra." Dear Libra: The pain and
confusion come from the dying of the old ways. They need to die a bit
more before the new direction will reveal itself clearly. I predict that will
happen soon -- no later than October 1.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Welcome to "Compose Your Own Oracle," a
special edition of Free Will Astrology. Departing from tradition, I'm
temporarily stepping aside so you can have the freedom to write the
exact horoscope you want. Normally, you might be in danger of falling
victim to presumptuous arrogance if you imagined you could wield
complete control over how your destiny unfolds. But in the days ahead,
that rule won't be as unyielding, because cosmic forces will be giving you
more slack than usual. Fate and karma, which frequently impel you to act
according to patterns that were set in place long ago, are giving you at
least a partial respite. To get the maximum benefit out of "Compose Your
Own Oracle," identify three plot developments you'd like to weave into a
self-fulfilling prophecy for your immediate future. Then start weaving.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Almost two-thirds of us confess that if
we are alone, we might sip milk directly from the carton rather than first
pouring it into a glass. Fourteen percent of us have used milk as part of
our sexual activities. One out of every five of us admit that we have
"borrowed" someone else's milk from the fridge at work. Most shockingly,
four percent of us brag that we have blown milk out our noses on
purpose. I expect that in the next two weeks, you Sagittarians will exceed
all these norms. Not just because you'll be in the mood to engage in
mischievous experiments and playful adventures with milk, but because
you're likely to have a loosey-goosey relationship with almost everything.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The coming weeks will an excellent time
for you to raise funds in support of political prisoners, or to volunteer at a
soup kitchen, or to donate blood at a blood bank. In fact, any charitable
service you perform for people you don't know will be excellent for your
physical and mental health. You can also generate vivid blessings for
yourself by being extra thoughtful, kind, and generous toward people you
care for. You're in a phase of your astrological cycle when unselfish acts
will yield maximum selfish benefits.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In his novel *The Jungle,* muckraker Upton
Sinclair (1878-1968) exposed the abominable hygiene and working
conditions of the meat-packing industry. The uproar that followed led to
corrective legislation by the U.S. Congress. Sinclair remained devoted to
serving the public good throughout his career. He liked to say that the
term "social justice" was inscribed on his heart. Drawing from his
inspiration, Aquarius, I suggest you decide what your soul's main motto is
-- and imagine that it is written on your heart. Now is a perfect moment
time to clarify your life's purpose, and intensify your commitment to it; to
devote even more practical, tender zeal to fulfilling the reason you were
born.
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LOVE YOUR LIFE!
How's your fight for freedom going? Are you making progress in liberating
yourself from your unconscious obsessions, bad habits, and conditioned
responses? Are you turning out to be the hero of your own life?
For assistance and inspiration, tune in to my EXPANDED AUDIO
HOROSCOPES.
These forecasts are different in tone and format from the written
horoscopes you read here in the newsletter. They're longer and more
leisurely in tone. They tend to bring out more of the patient counselor in
me, and have a bit less of the poet.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to
http://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. Each forecast is 4-5 minutes
long.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.
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"I don't much believe in astrology. But that doesn't seem to get in the
way of me deriving a whole lot of benefits from your expanded audio
horoscopes."
- A. Arrosto, Indianapolis
"You have an amazing aptitude for cutting through the lies I tell myself.
Thanks for the gentle shocks."
- T. Preneris, Toronto
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): You know that "patch of bothersome weeds"
growing right in the middle of your life? Is it really a patch of bothersome
weeds? Or is it perhaps a plot of cultivated blooms that once pleased you
but has now turned into a puzzling irrelevancy? Or how about this
possibility: Is it a chunk of languishing beauty that might flourish and
please you again if it were cared for better? Those are excellent questions
for you to pose in the coming days, Pisces. According to my
interpretation of the astrological omens, it's time for you to decide on the
future of this quizzical presence.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Two animals are pictured prominently on
Australia's coat of arms: the kangaroo and the large flightless bird known
as the emu. One of the reasons they were chosen is that both creatures
rarely walk backward. They move forward or not at all. Australia's
founders wanted this to symbolize the nation's pledge to never look back,
to remain focused on advancing toward the future. The coming weeks will
be a favorable time for you to make a similar commitment, Aries. Is there
a new symbol you might adopt to inspire your intention?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): *The Simpsons* is an animated sitcom that
will soon begin its 29th consecutive year on TV. During its run, it has told
over 600 stories. The creators of another animated sitcom, *South Park,*
once did an episode entitled "Simpsons Already Did It," which referenced
their feelings that it was hard to come up with new tales because their
rival had already used so many good ones. I bring this up, Taurus, because
I suspect your life story will soon be spinning out novel plots that have
never before been seen, not even on *The Simpsons* or *South Park.*
You could and should be the Best Storyteller of the Month.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Love won't exactly be free in the coming
weeks, but there should be some good deals. And I'm not referring to
risky black-market stuff obtained in back alleys, either. I mean
straightforward liaisons and intriguing intimacy at a reasonable cost. So if
you're comfortably mated, I suggest you invest in a campaign to bring
more comedy and adventure into your collaborative efforts. If you're
single, wipe that love-starved look off your face and do some exuberant
window-shopping. If you're neither comfortably mated nor single, money
may temporarily be able to buy you a bit more happiness.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The current state of your fate reminds me of
the sweet confusion alluded to in Octavio Paz's poem "Between Going and
Staying": "All is visible and elusive, all is near and can't be touched." For
another clue to the raw truth of your life right now, I'll quote the poet
William Wordsworth. He spoke of "fleeting moods of shadowy exultation."
Is the aura described by Paz and Wordsworth a problem that you should
try to fix? Is it detrimental to your heroic quest? I don't think do. Just the
opposite, really: I hope you can hang out for a while in this pregnant
mystery -- between the yes and the no, between the dark and the light,
between the dream and the reality. It will help you learn what you've been
too restless to tune in to in the past.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The imminent future will be a favorable time for
refurbished models and revived originals. They are likely to be more fun
and interesting the second time around. I suspect that this will also be an
auspicious phase for substitutes and alternatives. They may even turn out
to be better than the so-called real things they replace. So be artful in
formulating Plan B and Plan C, Leo. Switching over to backups may
ultimately bring out more of the best in you and whisk you toward your
ultimate goal in unexpected ways.
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Homework: Are you ready for an orgy of gratitude? Identify ten of your
best blessings. Tell me all about it at Freewillastrology.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2017 Rob Brezsny
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