Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
January 29, 2020
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: https://bit.ly/YourBeautifulStory
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I've gathered together all of the long-term, big-picture horoscopes I
wrote for you in the past weeks, and bundled them in one place. Go here to
read a compendium of your forecasts for 2020:
https://bit.ly/2020BigPicture
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In addition to these, I've created three-part, in-depth EXPANDED AUDIO
HOROSCOPES about Your Long-Range Future. They go even further in
exploring your prospects and challenges in 2020.
Who do you want to become in the coming months? Where do you want to
go and what do you want to do? How can you exert your free will to create
adventures that'll bring out the best in you, even as you find graceful
ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?
To listen to these three-part, in-depth reports, go here:
https://freewillastrology.sparkns.com
Register and/or log in through the main page, and then access the
horoscopes by clicking on "Long Range Prediction." (Choose from Part 1,
Part 2, or Part 3.)
If you'd like a boost of inspiration to fuel you in your quest for beauty and
truth and love and meaning, tune in to my meditations on your Big-
Picture outlook.
Each of the three-part reports is seven to nine minutes long. The cost is
$6 per report. There are discounts for the purchase of multiple reports.
P.S. You can also listen to a short-term Expanded Audio Horoscope for the
coming week.
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FLYING VERSUS RUNNING
Sometimes I fly in my dreams. The ecstasy is almost unbearable as I soar
high above the landscape. But there's something I enjoy dreaming about
even more, and that's running. For years I've had recurring dreams of
sprinting for sheer joy through green hills and meadows, often following
rivers that go on forever. I'm never short of breath. My legs never get
tired. I feel vital and vigorous and fulfilled.
Does it seem odd that I prefer running to flying? I think I understand why.
The flying dreams represent the part of me that longs to escape the bonds
of earth, to be free of the suffering and chaos here. My running dreams, on
the other hand, express the part of me that loves being in a body and
exults in the challenges of this world.
And you?
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EVERY LITTLE INCREASE IN HUMAN FREEDOM
Every little increase in human freedom has been fought over ferociously
between those who want us to know more and be wiser and stronger, and
those who want us to obey and be humble and submit.
—Philip Pullman
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MAGICK VERSUS YOGA
Essential to the practice of real Magick is the training of the imagination
so that it serves one's highest purposes rather than being a reckless
spinner-of-illusions that constantly leaks psychic energy.
In a related matter, here's what Crowley said: "To train the mind to move
with the maximum speed and energy, with the utmost possible accuracy in
the chosen direction, and with the minimum of disturbance or friction:
That is Magick. To stop the mind altogether: That is Yoga."
My education seems to be more about learning Magick than Yoga, more
about practicing Western Hermeticism than Buddhism. But both are good,
fun, essential.
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MY INNOCENCE
In some ways, I'm quite ripe, sophisticated, and savvy. In other ways, I'm
innocent and simple-minded.
As evidence of the latter, I genuinely believe the following: We who care
about truth and love and justice are not only in a fight for the soul of
America
—we are also fighting to save the well-being and even the lives of millions
of people of color, people below the poverty line, LGBTQ people, and
immigrants.
We are also fighting to save the environment from the ecocidal practices
of the earth's despoilers—and stop the mass extinction of species and the
mass killing of animals.
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WHAT IS ENLIGHTENMENT?
One thing is certain about your destiny in the coming years: life will
conspire to bring you deep insights into the nature of reality—and the
excited joy that comes with it.
If you decide to cooperate with life’s efforts, keep in mind these
provocations from designer Elissa Giles:
"Enlightenment is not an asexual, dispassionate, head-in-the-clouds,
nails-in-the-palms disappearance from the game of life. It’s a volcanic,
kick-ass, erotic commitment to love in action, coupled with hard-headed
practical grist."
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A GENEROUS THRASH OF DIVINE GRATITUDE
I want a heaven for my compassionate rage;
a paradise to house my greed for justice;
a choir singing blasphemous hymns for my affectionate lust;
hilarious hallelujahs for my lunatic confusion;
a generous thrash of divine gratitude for my wise mistakes, yearning
terrors, & manic hopes
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THE GRADUAL, SLOW-SIMMERING APPROACH
I'm all about the gradual, slow-simmering approach to just about
everything.
My ongoing spiritual work-and-play is to practice small moment-by-
moment meditations in the midst of "ordinary" life -- to experiment with
the manageable daily self-transformations that are challenging but not
impossibly heroic. What does it mean to be reverential and devotional
toward every little thing that life offers me?
When I was younger I enjoyed cultivating senses-reeling ecstatic
breakthrough on a regular basis. I still like that, of course -- it's
essential! -- but now I'm equally inclined to commune with the chronic,
low-level ecstatic union that thrives on opening to the Mystery wherever
it shows up. Neither is "better," of course. I'm just talking about what has
been right for me in recent years.
I aspire to practice tantra 24/7, worshiping and drawing inspiration
from each gift the daily (and nightly) rhythm brings.
An important prod that led me in this direction was my 18+ years as a
householder -- when I transitioned from being a rock and roll singer
leading ecstatic magick-based communal rituals to being a writer and
living with my partner and our child.
I don't recommend that for everyone, but it worked for me. Learning to
communicate with and care for a child and be fully alive in an intimate
relationship with a woman I love and respect were crucial in me learning
to expand and deepen my capacity to communicate with a wide variety of
beings. It was instrumental in teaching me a very practical mode of
compassion.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
A list of how things have gotten better since the dawn of last decade:
The developed world used less water, despite population growth
The whole world became less transphobic than it once was
The ozone layer started healing
Investment in green energy far, far exceeded investment in fossil fuels
The world got greener
Homicide rates fell worldwide
Weather forecasting became a lot more accurate
The number of people without electricity fell below one billion
Universal health care went from privileged ideal to global ambition
Read more: https://tinyurl.com/whlgtl6
Still more: https://tinyurl.com/ukot5uc
(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 January 30
Copyright 2020 by Rob Brezsny
https://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Please don't imitate or repeat yourself in
the coming weeks. Refrain from relying on formulas that have worked for
you before. Resolve to either ignore or rebel against your past as you
dream up fresh gambits and adventures. Treat your whole life like an
improvisatory game that has just one purpose: to attract and stir up
useful novelty. If you do these things, Aquarius, I can practically
guarantee that you will win the game.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Poet Robert Bly believes that each of us has
a special genius, and the key to understanding and fully activating that
genius is in our core wound. In other words, the part of us that got hurt
the worst is potentially the generative source of the best gifts we have to
give. Do you know where that is in yourself: the wound that could be the
source of your blessing? Now is a great time to investigate this tantalizing
mystery.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): My favorite ancient Greek philosopher was
the rascal Diogenes. As a joke, he carried around a lantern during the
daytime, proclaiming, "I am just looking for an honest man." When
Alexander the Great, the most powerful man in the world, came to meet
Diogenes while he was relaxing outside and asked him if he needed any
favors done, he replied, "Yeah, stop blocking my sunlight." As for Plato,
Diogenes complained that the famous philosopher talked too damn much
and misinterpreted the teachings of Socrates. I encourage you to borrow
some of Diogenes' attitude in the coming weeks. According to my analysis
of the astrological omens, it'll be healing for you to experiment with being
brassy, saucy, and sassy. Emphasize what makes you most unique,
independent, and self-expressive.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus author Anthony Trollope
(1815–1882) published his first novel at age 30. During the next 37
years, he completed 48 additional novels and 18 works of nonfiction.
Critics liked his work well enough, but were suspicious of his prodigious
productivity. When they discovered that one of Trollope's motivations for
writing was to make money, they disapproved. Then they found out that
Trollope kept a watch nearby as he worked, determined to generate 250
words every 15 minutes. The critics hated that even worse. Creative
artists are supposed to court inspiration, not adhere to a schedule—at
least according to the critics. But I approve of and recommend Trollope-
like behavior for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. Cosmic forces will be
on your side if you do.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In accordance with the astrological
indicators, I invite you to rise and soar and glide during the coming weeks.
I encourage you to expand and enlarge and amplify. Don't wait around
hoping to be asked to explore and experiment and improvise—just do those
things. It's high time for you to enjoy stirring quests and research
projects and missions dedicated to discovery. Be a fun-loving pioneer.
Sample the joys of being a maverick and outlier.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): I love living in the material world. Its
crazy-making demands and exhilarating rewards are endlessly
entertaining. Despite having been born as a fantasy-prone, overly
sensitive Cancerian, I've become fairly earthy and well-grounded. I have a
good job, a nice house, a smart wife, and an interesting daughter. On the
other hand, I also love living in the soul's realm. I have remembered and
recorded an average of three dreams per night for many years. Although I
don't take drugs, I cultivate alternate states of consciousness through
meditation, prayer, and ritual. I've long been a student of depth
psychology, which has trained me to be as focused on my soul as my ego. In
accordance with current astrological omens, my fellow Cancerian, I urge
you to hang out more than usual in the soul's realm during the coming
weeks.
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EXPLORING THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your
upcoming adventures in 2020?
You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your
destiny in the coming months. Each report in the three-part series is 7 to
9 minutes long.
Go to https://freewillastrology.sparkns.com
Register and/or log in through the main page, and then access the
horoscopes by clicking on "Long Range Prediction." (Choose from Part 1,
Part 2, or Part 3.)
A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.
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"The best part about your audio horoscopes is that they pat me on the head
and kick me in the ass at the same time." - Rita L., San Diego
"Your audio oracles go beyond helping me find the truth -- they inspire
me to find the WILD truth." - Patrick K., Montreal
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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Can I talk you into being more tender and open-
hearted toward the people who care for you? I don't mean to imply that
you are currently too hard and closed. But all of us can benefit from
enhancing our receptivity, and the coming weeks will be prime time for
you Leos to do just that. I think you'll find it easier than usual to deepen
your listening skills and intensify your sensitivity. You'll have an acute
intuitive grasp of the fact that you can earn yourself huge blessings by
expressing love and compassion in very practical ways.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): All of us are in service to someone or
something—to certain people or ideas or situations. We provide them with
help or energy or mirroring or love. We are dutiful in attending to their
needs and wants. For some of us, our service feels like a burden. It's
grating or humbling or inconvenient, or all of the above. For others of us,
being of service is fulfilling, even joyful. We find a rich sense of purpose
in our devotion to a higher cause or deeper calling beyond our selfish
concerns. Among the 12 signs of the zodiac, you Virgos are more likely
than most to carry out the latter kind of service. I bring these thoughts to
your attention because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to re-
evaluate, reconfigure, and reinvigorate your own service.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Author David Markson imagined what it would
be like to write a novel that lacked conflicts or confrontations—in other
words, a novel unlike any ever created. Libran author Ursula Le Guin also
fantasized about stories with plots that weren't driven by strife and
struggle. Since many of us are addicted to entertainment that depends on
discord to be interesting, we might find it hard to believe Markson's and
Le Guin's dream would ever happen. But I'm pleased to inform you, Libra,
that your life in the coming weeks may be exactly like that: a fascinating
adventure with few hassles and wrangles.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): According to Scorpio painter Georgia
O'Keeffe, success is irrelevant. The most crucial life-long effort that
anyone can be devoted to is "making your unknown known." Did she mean
making your unknown known to yourself? Or making your unknown
known to other people? Or both? According to my analysis of the
astrological omens, the coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to
do both. So I hope you will tease out your best and biggest mysteries from
their hiding places. Give them expression.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): You Sagittarians have a talent for
burning bridges that really do need to be burned. Your intuition often
guides you to assess when the time is ripe to withdraw from connections
that no longer benefit you. On the other hand, you sometimes burn bridges
prematurely. You decide that they are in such disrepair that they're of no
use to you, even though it might serve your ultimate interests to fix them.
I offer these thoughts as a preface for my advice: 1. Refurbish rather than
burn a certain bridge you're a bit disenchanted with. 2. Build at least one
new bridge that will be valuable in the future.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The shape of the planets' orbits around
the sun is elliptical, not circular. Capricorn astronomer Johannes Kepler
(1571–1630) was the first person to figure this out. He didn't like it. He
really wanted the orbits to be circular. That would have been more
satisfying to his aesthetic and spiritual sensibilities. Explaining the
arduous labor he did to arrive at his conclusion, he wrote, "Take pity on
me, for I have repeated these calculations seventy times." In the big
picture of our understanding of the universe, of course, his discovery was
felicitous. It's not a problem that the orbits are elliptical, merely the
truth. In the coming weeks, Capricorn, I foresee you engaging in a process
that's metaphorically comparable to Kepler's. Hard work will yield
useful, if unexpected results.
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Homework: Avoid the Tragic Magic Triad: taking things too personally, too
literally, and too seriously. FreeWillAstrology.com
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published in a variety of formats at Rob Brezsny's discretion,
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2020 Rob Brezsny
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