Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 28, 2019
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: https://bit.ly/CrazyGoodTruth
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The people I trust the most are those who are always tenderly wrestling
and negotiating with their own shadows, making preemptive strikes on
their personal share of the world's evil, fighting the good fight to keep
from spewing their darkness on those around them. I aspire to be like
that.
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MY UPCOMING PERFORMANCE IN NEW YORK CITY
Join me as I read poetry
at The Strand bookstore
828 Broadway, New York City
7:30 pm on Friday, September 13
I'll be opening for the poets
Ariana Reines
and
CAConrad
And
Zoe Brezsny
Here's the info: https://tinyurl.com/PoetryNYC
In the meantime, check out Ariana Reines' sensational new book
*A Sand Book*, and read my review of it:
https://tinyurl.com/PoetryMedicine
Here's my favorite book by CAConrad:
*ECODEVIANCE: (Soma)tics for the Future Wilderness*:
https://tinyurl.com/Ecodeviance
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SHADOW SCHOOL
You're a gorgeous mystery with a wild heart and a lofty purpose. But like
all of us, you also have a dark side -- a part of your psyche that snarls
and bites, that's unconscious and irrational, that is motivated by ill will
or twisted passions or instinctual fears.
It's your own personal portion of the world's sickness: a mess of
repressed longings, enervating wounds, ignorant delusions, and unripe
powers. You'd prefer to ignore it because it's unflattering or
uncomfortable or very different from what you imagine yourself to be.
If you acknowledge its existence at all (many of us don't), you might call
it the devil, your evil twin, your inner monster, or your personal demon.
Psychologist Carl Jung referred to it as the shadow. He regarded it as the
lead that the authentic alchemists of the Middle Ages sought to transmute
into gold.
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Astrologer Steven Forrest has a different name for the shadow: stuff.
"Work on your stuff," he says, "or your stuff will work on you." He means
that it will sabotage you if you're not aggressive about identifying,
negotiating with, and transforming it.
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The shadow is not inherently evil. If it is ignored or denied, it may become
monstrous to compensate. Only then is it likely to "demonically possess"
its owner, leading to compulsive, exaggerated, "evil" behavior.
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"The shadow, which is in conflict with the acknowledged values, cannot be
accepted as a negative part of one's own psyche and is therefore projected
-- that is, it is transferred to the outside world and experienced as an
outside object. It is combated, punished, and exterminated as 'the alien out
there' instead of being dealt with as one's own inner problem." -- Erich
Neumann, *Depth Psychology and a New Ethic*
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The qualities in ourselves that we deny or dislike are often the very
qualities that we most bitterly complain about in other people. So for
instance, an old friend of mine named Mark had a special disgust for
friends who were unavailable to him when he really needed them. But I
was witness to him engaging in the same behavior three different times,
disappearing from the lives of his friends just when they needed him
most.
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"Whatever is rejected from the self, appears in the world as an event,"
said Jung. If you disown a part of your personality, it'll materialize as an
unexpected detour.
Everyone who believes in the devil is the devil . . . .
TO READ THE REST OF "SHADOW SCHOOL," go here:
https://bit.ly/wGN3iM
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HOW TO KICK YOUR OWN ASS
How-to-kick-your-own-ass lessons are available at 2:20 of this video:
https://bit.ly/1QWemwr
How-to-kick-your-own-ass lessons are also available at 7:30 of this
video: https://bit.ly/1T6Z7jp
Here's the "Kick Your Own Ass" anthem: https://bit.ly/1jdAyEz
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WEEDS CAN BE GOOD
It turns out that some weeds are good for flowers and vegetables,
protecting them from predatory insects. So say horticulturalists Stan
Finch and Rosemary Collier, writing in Biologist magazine. When the bugs
come looking for their special treats -- the plants we love -- they often
get waylaid by the weeds, landing on them first and getting fooled into
thinking there's nothing more valuable nearby.
So for example, when cabbages are planted in the midst of clover, flies lay
eggs on only seven percent of them, compared to a 36 percent infestation
rate on cabbages that are grown in bare soil with no clover nearby.
This could be a useful metaphor in working with your own versions of
impurities and interlopers. Make sure there are always a few chickweed
or henbit weeds surrounding your ripening tomatoes.
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LOVE YOUR ENEMIES?
The Bible quotes the radical first-century religious activist Jesus Christ
as follows: "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those
who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." Sounds like he had a
good strategy for working with his shadow.
Here's a corollary to Christ's injunction to love thy neighbor as thyself: "I
will love the dark, difficult side of my neighbor -- not just the
attractive, friendly side -- and I will encourage it to express itself in
constructive ways."
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WANT TO GET YOUR ASTROLOGICAL CHART READ?
If you want your personal chart done, I recommend a colleague whose
approach to reading astrology charts closely matches my own. She's my
wife, RO LOUGHRAN. She's at http://www.roloughran.com.
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and
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.
In addition to over 30 years of astrological experience, Ro has been a
licensed psychotherapist for 17 years. She integrates psychological
insight with astrology's cosmological perspective.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Check out Ro's website at http://www.roloughran.com
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PERSEPHONE'S OTHER STORY
In the best-known version of the Greek myth, Persephone is dragged down
into the underworld by Hades, whose title is "Pluto." But in earlier, pre-
patriarchal tales, she descends there under her own power, actively
seeking to graduate from her virginal naivete by exploring the intriguing
land of shadows.
"Pluto" is derived from the Greek word *plutus*, meaning "wealth."
Psychologist James Hillman says this refers to the psyche-building
riches available in Pluto's domain. Hades, he says, is "the giver of
nourishment to the soul."
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SEEDS ARE NOURISHED IN THE DARK
"Suffering can't be avoided," James Broughton told Jack Foley. "The way to
happiness is to go into the darkness of yourself. That's the place the seed is
nourished, takes its roots and grows up, and becomes ultimately the plant
and the flower. You can only go upward by first going downward."
—James Broughton
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WHERE YOU STUMBLE
"It is by going down into the abyss that you recover the treasures of life,"
wrote Joseph Campbell. "Where you stumble, there lies your treasure."
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POETIC JUSTICE
"As is demonstrated by a wealth of historical examples, every form of
fanaticism, every dogma and every type of compulsive one-sidedness is
finally overthrown by precisely those elements which it has itself
repressed, suppressed, or ignored."
—Erich Neumann
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MAKE THE UNCONSCIOUS CONSCIOUS
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you
will call it fate."
—Carl Jung
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Illinois Becomes Third State to Ban Sale of Animal-Tested Cosmetics.
https://tinyurl.com/y5vfsp2f
From America's New Poet Laureate, Poems Reclaiming Tribal Culture.
https://tinyurl.com/y4ruufey
Thomas Sankara, the first president of Burkina Faso, had over 10 million
trees planted. He outlawed genital mutilation, polygamy, and forced
marriages, and led the first African government to recognize AIDS as a
major threat to Africa.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sankara
(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 August 29
Copyright 2019 by Rob Brezsny
https://FreeWillAstrology.com/horoscopes/
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): *Shogun* is a bestselling novel about an
Englishman who transforms himself into a samurai warrior in
seventeenth-century Japan. Written by James Clavell, it's over 1,100
pages long. Clavell testified that the idea for the story sprang up in him
when he read one line in his daughter's school book: "In 1600 an
Englishman went to Japan and became a samurai." I suspect it's highly
likely you will soon encounter a seed like that, Virgo: a bare inspiration
that will eventually bloom into a Big Thing.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran athlete Mickey Mantle is in Major
League Baseball's Hall of Fame. He had a spectacular 18-year career,
winning the Most Valuable Player Award three times, playing in 12 World
Series, and being selected to the All-Star team 16 times. So it's
astounding that he played with a torn ligament in his knee for 17 years,
according to his biographer Jane Leavy. She quoted an orthopedic surgeon
who said that Mantle compensated for his injury with "neuromuscular
genius." I'm thinking that in the next few weeks you're in a position to
accomplish an equivalent of Mantle's heroic adjustment.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Most people who belong to the Church of
Satan neither believe in nor worship Satan. (They're atheists, and don't
believe in the supernatural.) I think a comparable principle is true for
many rightwing fundamentalist Christians. Their actions and words are
replete with bigotry, hard-heartedness, materialism, and selfishness: so
contrary to what the real Jesus Christ taught that they in effect don't
believe in or worship Jesus Christ. I mention this, Scorpio, in hope of
inspiring you to take inventory of whether your stated ideals are reflected
in the practical details of how you live your life. That's always an
interesting and important task, of course, but it's especially so for you
right now. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to purge any
hypocrisy from your system and get your actual behavior in close
alignment with your deepest values.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It's the right time for you to create a
fresh mission statement and promotional campaign. For inspiration, read
mine: "My column 'Free Will Astrology' offers you a wide selection of
realities to choose from. With 4,212 years of dedication to customer
service (over the course of my last 13 incarnations), I'm a reliable ally
supporting your efforts to escape your oppressive conditioning and other
people's hells. My horoscopes come with an ironclad guarantee: If the
advice you read is wrong, you're under no obligation to believe it. And
remember: a panel of 531 experts has determined that 'Free Will
Astrology' is an effective therapy for your chronic wounds and primordial
pain. It is also dramatic proof that there is no good reason to be afraid of
life."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Here are good questions for you to
meditate on during the next four weeks. 1. How can you attract resources
that will expand your mind and your world? 2. Are you bold enough to
reach out to wise sources and provocative influences that could connect
you with useful tricks and practical treasures? 3. What interesting
lessons can you stir up as you explore the mercurial edges, skirt the
changeable boundaries, journey to catalytic frontiers, and make
pilgrimages to holy hubbubs? 4. How best can you encourage lyrical
emotion over polished sentimentality? Joyous idealism over astringent
zealotry? Exuberant integrity over formulaic kindness?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "It is the beginning of wisdom when you
recognize that the best you can do is choose which rules you want to live
by," wrote author Wallace Stegner, "and it's persistent and aggravated
imbecility to pretend you can live without any." That will be an excellent
meditation for you during the coming weeks. I trust you are long past the
time of fantasizing you can live without any rules. Your challenge now is
to adjust some of the rules you have been living by, or even dare to align
yourself with some new rules—and then completely commit yourself to
being loyal to them and enjoying them.
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I LOVE YOU!
It has been a while since I told you that I love you. So I'm doing it now. I
LOVE YOU.
And that's why I continue to offer these weekly horoscopes to you free of
charge, with no strings attached. That's why I work so hard to be a playful
therapist and an edgy mentor for you. That's why I am so tenacious in my
efforts to serve you as a feminist father figure and a kindly devil's
advocate and a sacred cheerleader.
Again, I don't expect anything in return from you. But if you would like to
express your appreciation, you could do so by offering a similar type of
well-crafted care to people in your own sphere.
There is also something you could do to support me -- and help yourself at
the same time! -- and that is to buy my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
for you. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of
your destiny.
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.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to
https://freewillastrology.sparkns.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 On the Web. (Discounts are available for
bulk purchases.) You can also access them for $1.99 per minute by
phone
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"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes seem to have the effect of activating my
inner teacher. Thanks!" - Eleanor A., Toronto
"Your expanded audio horoscopes are the next best thing to actually having
you here next to me to remind me who I really am." - Alyssa R., Des
Moines, Iowa
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Given the astrological omens that will
symbolize your personal story in the coming weeks and months, I think
Piscean author Nikos Kazantzakis articulated the perfect prescription for
you. I invite you to interpret his thoughts to fit your circumstances.
"We're going to start with small, easy things," he wrote. "Then, little by
little we shall try our hand at the big things. And after that, after we
finish the big things, we shall undertake the impossible." Here's an
additional prod from Kazantzakis: "Reach what you cannot."
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Here are examples of activities I
recommend you try in the coming days. 1. Build a campfire on the beach
with friends and regale each other with stories of your most interesting
successes. 2. Buy eccentric treasures at a flea market and ever thereafter
refer to them as your holy icons. 3. Climb a hill and sit on the grass as
you sing your favorite songs and watch the moon slowly rise over the
eastern horizon. 4. Take naps when you're "not supposed to." 5. Sneak into
an orchard at night and eat fruit plucked just moments before. 6. Tell a
beloved person a fairy tale in which he or she is the hero.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The hardiest creature on the planet may be
the bacterium known as *Deinococcus radiodurans*. It can endure
exposure to radiation, intense cold, dehydration, acid, and vacuum. I
propose we make it your power creature for the coming weeks. Why? Not
because I expect you'll have to deal with a lot of extreme conditions, but
rather because I think you'll be exceptionally robust, both physically and
psychologically. If you've been waiting for the right time to succeed at
demanding challenges that require you to be in top form, now is a good
time to do it. P.S. *Deinococcus radiodurans* is colloquially referred to as
Conan the Bacterium, borrowing from the spirit of the fictional character
Conan the Barbarian, who is renowned for his strength and agility.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the yearly cycle of many Geminis,
retreating into a state akin to hibernation makes sense during the end of
August and the first three weeks of September. But since many of you are
high-energy sophisticates, you often override your body's signals. And
then nature pushes back by compelling you to slow down. The result may
be a rhythm that feels like constantly taking three steps forward and two
steps backward. May I suggest a different approach this year? Would you
consider surrendering, even slightly, to the invitation to relax and
recharge?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): If you decide to travel to a particular place
via hot air balloon, you must be prepared for the possibility that your
route will be indirect. At different altitudes, the wind may be blowing in
different directions: toward the east at a hundred feet high, but toward the
southwest at two hundred feet. The trick for the pilot is to jockey up and
down until finding a layer that's headed toward the desired destination. I
see your life right now as having a metaphorical resemblance to this
riddle. You have not yet discovered the layer that will take you where you
want to go. But I bet you will soon.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Considering how bright you have been burning
since the Flame Angels designated you as the Hottest Cool Person of the
Month, I hesitate to urge you to simmer down. But I must. Before there's a
meltdown in your vicinity, please lower your thermostat. Not a lot. Just a
little. If you do that, everyone will continue to see your gleaming
charisma in the best possible light. But don't you dare extinguish your
blaze. Don't apologize for your brilliant shimmer. The rest of us need
your magical radiance.
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Homework: What do you want most for the person or animal you love
best? FreeWillAstrology.com
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P.S. I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your
address to anyone.
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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
2019 Rob Brezsny
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