Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newslettter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
August 12, 2020
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See a pretty version of this newsletter:
https://bit.ly/LoveCreatesFreedom
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Good exercise each morning: Ask yourself, "What do I love, and how can I
serve and enhance and enrich my relationship with what I love?"
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THE VIRTUES OF HIDING
by David Whyte
HIDING is a way of staying alive. Hiding is a way of holding ourselves until
we are ready to come into the light. Even hiding the truth from ourselves
can be a way to come to what we need in our own necessary time. Hiding is
one of the brilliant and virtuoso practices of almost every part of the
natural world: the protective quiet of an icy northern landscape, the held
bud of a future summer rose, the snow bound internal pulse of the
hibernating bear.
Hiding is underestimated. We are hidden by life in our mother’s womb
until we grow and ready ourselves for our first appearance in the lighted
world; to appear too early in that world is to find ourselves with the
immediate necessity for outside intensive care.
Hiding done properly is the internal faithful promise for a proper future
emergence, as embryos, as children or even as emerging adults in retreat
from the names that have caught us and imprisoned us, often in ways
where we have been too easily seen and too easily named.
We live in a time of the dissected soul, the immediate disclosure; our
thoughts, imaginings and longings exposed to the light too much, too early
and too often, our best qualities squeezed too soon into a world already
awash with too easily articulated ideas that oppress our sense of self and
our sense of others.
What is real is almost always to begin with, hidden, and does not want to
be understood by the part of our mind that mistakenly thinks it knows
what is happening. What is precious inside us does not care to be known by
the mind in ways that diminish its presence.
Hiding is an act of freedom from the misunderstanding of others,
especially in the enclosing world of oppressive secret government and
private entities, attempting to name us, to anticipate us, to leave us with
no place to hide and grow in ways unmanaged by a creeping necessity for
absolute naming, absolute tracking and absolute control.
Hiding is a bid for independence, from others, from mistaken ideas we
have about our selves, from an oppressive and mistaken wish to keep us
completely safe, completely ministered to, and therefore completely
managed.
Hiding is creative, necessary and beautifully subversive of outside
interference and control. Hiding leaves life to itself, to become more of
itself. Hiding is the radical independence necessary for our emergence into
the light of a proper human future.
Excerpted from David Whyte: "HIDING" in *CONSOLATIONS: The Solace,
Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words*
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TEST OF INTELLIGENCE
F. Scott Fitzgerald's test of intelligence: "the capacity to hold conflicting
ideas in the mind at the same time and continue to function."
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PUT YOURSELF IN THE PATH OF BEAUTY
Essayist Elaine Scarry defines "the basic impulse underlying education"
as the "willingness to continually revise one's own location in order to
place oneself in the path of beauty."
I'd love that to be your educational strategy. I'd love you to forever be on
the lookout for signs that beauty is near. Sound like a fun plan?
If so, do the research to find out where beauty might be hiding or
ripening. Learn about what kinds of conditions attract beauty. Hang around
beautiful infiuences.
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WHAT IF YOUR DESIRES ARE HOLY?
Listen to my brief meditation on the subject: https://bit.ly/1MPMODh
Here are excerpts:
Some religious traditions teach the doctrine, "Kill off your longings." In
their view, attachment to desire is at the root of human suffering.
But the religion of materialism takes the opposite tack, asserting that the
meaning of life is to be found in indulging desires. Its creed is, "Feed your
cravings like a French foie gras farmer cramming eight pounds of maize
down a goose's gullet every day."
At the Beauty and Truth Lab, we walk a middle path. We believe there are
both degrading desires that enslave you and sacred desires that liberate
you.
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Psychologist Carl Jung believed that all desires have a sacred origin, no
matter how odd they may seem. Frustration and ignorance may contort
them into distorted caricatures, but it is always possible to locate the
divine 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."
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Psychotherapist James Hillman echoes the theme: "Psychology regards all
symptoms to be expressing the right thing in the wrong way."
A preoccupation with porn, for instance, may come to dominate a
passionate person whose quest for love has degenerated into an obsession
with images of love.
"Follow the lead of your symptoms," Hillman suggests, "for there's
usually a myth in the mess, and a mess is an expression of soul."
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Like all of us, you have desires for things that you don't really need and
aren't good for you. But you shouldn't disparage yourself for having them,
nor should you conclude that every desire is tainted.
Rather, think of your misguided longings as the bumbling, amateur
expressions of a faculty that will one day be far more expert. They're how
you practice as you work toward the goal of becoming a master of desire.
It may take a while, but eventually you will get the hang of wanting things
that are really good for you, and good for everyone else, too.
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"The only way anyone is ever cured of desiring nonsensical things is by
getting the nonsensical things and then experiencing the unpleasant but
educational consequences."
—Ann Davies
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To become a master of desire, keep talking yourself out of being attached
to trivial goals and keep talking yourself into being thrilled about the
precious few goals that are really important.
Here's another way to say it: Wean yourself from ego-driven desires and
pour your libido into a longing for beauty, truth, goodness, justice,
integrity, creativity, love, and an intimate relationship with the Wild
Divine.
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MY DAILY HOROSCOPES
Some people don't know that I write daily horoscopes, available as text
messages sent to your cell or smart phone.
They're shorter than the weekly 'scopes, but on the other hand they're
more frequent -- every day of the week.
My weekly horoscopes are free, but the dailies cost about 67 cents a day if
you sign up for a subscription.
If you think you might enjoy getting regular bursts of inspiration from
me to illuminate your adventures, check them out.
Go to https://RealAstrology.com. Register or log in. On the new page, click
on "Subscribe / Renew" under "Daily Text Message Horoscopes" in the
right-hand column.
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TOTALLY OPPOSED
I hate to have to contradict and paradox myself again, but I must make it
very clear: I am totally opposed to duality. See more:
https://tinyurl.com/TotallyOpposed
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THE FULL FEMININE
"Living without the full feminine for so many centuries, we don’t know
what it would be like to live within a society where the feminine voice is
not repressed, women’s bodies are not distorted, controlled or sold, and
where both men and women live with balanced psyches.
"It’s as if humanity has lived with one side of its body atrophied. The
return of the feminine may be the most significant development of the new
millennium. Although there have been steps to begin this process it would
naive to think the reintegration is by any means complete."
~ Lama Tsultrim Allione
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BLACK WOMEN RUNNING FOR CONGRESS
In the US, here is a record number of Black women running for Congress
in 2020. Black women have historically won majority-Black districts,
but many now are running in mostly white or mixed districts.
https://tinyurl.com/y3ejpnbh
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THE GENIUS PROJECT
Michael Meade's "Genius Project": "Much has been said and written about
having a vocation or calling in life; but often overlooked is the idea that a
true calling is aimed at the genius qualities already set within each
person. Most know that the call to awaken to a genuine path in life begins
in youth; but fewer know that the calling keeps calling even in later life.
Not only that, but in mythic terms, the Fountain of Youth that people have
roamed the earth seeking waits to be found within oneself."
http://tinyurl.com/mduldjx
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
How to Keep Going. Embracing uncertainty may be the survival tactic that
gets us through this.
https://tinyurl.com/yxt62knw
History Shows That Sustained, Disruptive Protests Work
https://tinyurl.com/y3u7lf7t
In The Wake Of Lockdowns Coal and Natural Gas May Look Like the Biggest
Covid-19 Casualties
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/coal-and-gas-look-like-covid-19-
casualties/
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For a lot more pronoiac resources and ideas, read my book *Pronoia Is the
Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You
with Blessings*
Available at Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/PronoiaBN
Available at Amazon: https://bit.ly/Pronoia
A free preview of the book is available here:
https://tinyurl.com/PronoiaPreview
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning August 13
Copyright 2020 by Rob Brezsny
https://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the dictionary, the first definition of "magic"
is "the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of
hand and deceptive devices." A far more interesting definition, which is
my slight adjustment of an idea by occultist Aleister Crowley, doesn't
appear in most dictionaries. Here it is: "Magic is the science and art of
causing practical changes to occur in accordance with your will—under
the rigorous guidance of love." According to my analysis of the astrological
omens, the latter definition could and should be your specialty during the
next four weeks.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "The soul, like the moon, is new, and always
new again," wrote 14th-century mystic poet Lalleswari. I will amend her
poetic formulation, however. The fact is that the soul, unlike the moon, is
always new in different ways; it doesn't have a predictable pattern of
changing as the moon does. That's what makes the soul so mysterious and
uncanny. No matter how devotedly we revere the soul, no matter how
tenderly we study the soul, it's always beyond our grasp. It's forever
leading us into unknown realms that teem with new challenges and
delights. I invite you to honor and celebrate these truths in the coming
weeks, Virgo. It's time to exult in the shiny dark riddles of your soul.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "I have one talent, and that is the capacity to
be tremendously surprised," writes Libran author Diane Ackerman. I
advise you to foster that talent, too, in the weeks ahead. If you're feeling
brave, go even further. Make yourself as curious as possible. Deepen your
aptitude for amazements and epiphanies. Cultivate an appreciation for
revelations and blessings that arrive from outside your expectations. To
the degree that you do these things, the wonderments that come your way
will tend to be enlivening and catalytic; unpredictability will be fun and
educational.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author and theologian Frederick Buechner
writes, "If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we
must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, we
must see not just their faces but also the life behind and within their
faces." The coming weeks will be prime time for you to heed Buechner's
advice, Scorpio. You're in a phase when you'll have extra power to
understand and empathize with others. Taking full advantage of that
potential will serve your selfish aims in profound ways, some of which
you can't imagine yet.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "Refine your rapture," advised
occultist Aleister Crowley. Now is an excellent time to take that advice.
How might you go about doing it? Well, you could have a long conversation
with your deep psyche—and see if you can plumb hidden secrets about
what gives it sublime pleasure. You could seek out new ways to experience
euphoria and enchantment—with an emphasis on ways that also make you
smarter and healthier. You might also take inventory of your current
repertoire of bliss-inducing strategies—and cultivate an enhanced
capacity to get the most out of them.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Are you ready to make the transition
from slow, deep, subtle, and dark to fast, high, splashy, and bright? Are
you interested in shifting your focus from behind-the-scenes to right up
front and totally out in the open? Would it be fun and meaningful for you
to leave behind the stealthy, smoldering mysteries and turn your attention
to the sweet, blazing truths? All these changes can be yours—and more. To
get the action started, jump up toward the sky three times, clicking your
heels together during each mid-leap.
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MAYBE JOY AND BLISS ARE CATALYTIC SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
Assume that pleasure and happiness doesn't interfere with your spiritual
growth, but may in fact stimulate it.
Proceed on the hypothesis that cultivating delight and wonder might make
you a more ethical and compassionate person.
Imagine that feeling good has something important to teach you every day.
For inspiration in practicing this approach, tune in to your EXPANDED
AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the
current state of your destiny.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to
https://RealAstrology.com
Register and/or log in through the main page.
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The cost is $6 per sign online. (Discounts are available for bulk
purchases.)
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888. The cost
is $1.99 per minute. Each forecast is 4-5 minutes long.
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"I always feel like I know myself better after listening to your audio
'scopes."
-June R., Austin, TX
"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and pep me up
when I'm down."
-Arthur T., Cleveland, OH
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AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Greenland is a mostly autonomous
territory within the nation of Denmark. In 2019, US President Donald
Trump announced that his government was interested in buying the
massive island, describing it as "a large real estate deal" that would add
considerable strategic value to his country. A satirical story in *The New
Yorker* subsequently claimed that Denmark responded with a counter-
offer, saying it wasn't interested in the deal, but "would be interested in
purchasing the United States in its entirety, with the exception of its
government." I offer this as an example for you to be inspired by. The
coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to flip the script, turn the
tables, reverse the roles, transpose the narrative, and switch the rules of
the game.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Doris Lessing told us, "It is our
stories that will recreate us." Whenever we're hurt or confused or
demoralized, she suggested, we need to call on the imagination to conjure
up a new tale for ourselves. "It is the storyteller, the dream-maker, the
myth-maker, that is our phoenix," she believed. The fresh narratives we
choose to reinvent ourselves may emerge from our own dreams,
meditations, or fantasies. Or they might flow our way from a beloved
movie or song or book. I suspect you're ready for this quest, Pisces.
Create a new saga for yourself.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Motivational speaker Les Brown says his
mission in life is to help people become uncomfortable with their
mediocrity. That same mission is suitable for many of you Rams, as well.
And I suspect you'll be able to generate interesting fun and good mischief if
you perform it in the coming weeks. Here's a tip on how to make sure you
do it well: Don't use shame or derision as you motivate people to be
uncomfortable with their mediocrity. A better approach is to be a shining
example that inspires them to be as bright as you are.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus musician and visual artist Brian
Eno has a practical, down-to-earth attitude about making beautiful
things, which he has done in abundance. He says that his goal is not to
generate wonderful creations nonstop—that's not possible—but rather to
always be primed to do his best when inspiration strikes. In other words,
it's crucial to tirelessly hone his craft, to make sure his skills are
constantly at peak capacity. I hope you've been approaching your own
labors of love with that in mind, Taurus. If you have, you're due for
creative breakthroughs in the coming weeks. The diligent efforts you've
invested in cultivating your talents are about to pay off. If, on the other
hand, you've been a bit lazy about detail-oriented discipline, correct that
problem now. There's still time to get yourself in top shape.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In his 2010 album *My Beautiful Dark
Twisted Fantasy*, Gemini musician Kanye West confesses the decadent and
hedonist visions that fascinate and obsess him. Personally, I'm not
entertained by the particular excesses he claims to indulge in; they're
generic and unoriginal and boring. But I bet that the beautiful dark twisted
fantasies simmering in your imagination, Gemini, are more unique and
intriguing. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to spend
quality time in the coming weeks diving in and exploring those visions in
glorious detail. Get to know them better. Embellish them. Meditate on the
feelings they invoke and the possibility that they have deeper spiritual
meanings. (P.S. But don't act them out, at least not now.)
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Make all your decisions based on how
hilarious it would be if you did it," advises Cancerian actor Aubrey Plaza.
I wish it were that simple. How much more fun we might all have if the
quest for amusement and laughter were among our main motivating
principles. But no, I don't recommend that you always determine your
course of action by what moves will generate the most entertainment and
mirth. Having said that, though, I do suspect the next few weeks may in
fact be a good time to experiment with using Plaza's formula.
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Homework: What is a blessing you can realistically believe life might
bestow on you in the coming months? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.
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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
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2020 Rob Brezsny
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