Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
February 17, 2021
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See a pretty version of this newsletter:
https://bit.ly/YourLifeTreasure
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The lesson that life constantly enforces is 'Look underfoot.' You are always
nearer to the true sources of your power than you think. The lure of the
distant and the difficult is deceptive. The great opportunity is where you
are. Don't despise your own place and hour. Every place is the center of
the world.
—Naturalist John Burroughs
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MASTER OF THE OBVIOUS
Today I am Master of the Obvious. I am a Simpleton Stating the Prosaic
Truth. I am telling anyone who cares to listen that of course Western
medicine and Big Pharma do bad and self-serving things.
You know who else does bad and self-serving things? Every system and
organization on earth: corporations, religions, governments, the media,
academia, publishing, the film and art and music industries, the big tech
companies, the college football industry and all the other professional
sports industries . . . and many, many more.
Toward all these bad and self-serving institutions, we develop a
discerning skepticism, based on accurate evidence. We criticize them. We
do what we can to reform them. And we acknowledge that they also do some
good and helpful things that we're grateful for.
So we go forward, holding in our minds a poised understanding of their
contradictions, as intelligent people do. We cultivate an awareness that
everything is flawed and imperfect, and that many imperfect and flawed
things (not all) also have value and beneficence.
We meditate on the psychological concept of co-emergence, which
postulates that every beautiful, useful thing is intertwined with some
challenging problem; that every challenging problem has some
inspiration and education to offer us.
We meditate on what my daughter said when she was five years old,
"There's nothing in the world that is either all good or all bad."
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PS: Of course scientists who develop vaccines are motivated in part by
money and ego and personal bias, like everyone else on the planet.
Of course there are problems with things that are created by people under
the influence of money and ego and personal bias.
But that's universally true. NOTHING ever created or offered is perfect.
Everything and everyone is cracked or broken in some way. And we
wander on, doing our best to cultivate equanimity, summoning as much
grace and courage as we can under the influence of the Universal Blemish.
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To specifically apply this line of thought to the covid vaccines: No, they
are not PERFECTLY safe and effective. Nothing is! Nothing on earth is
perfectly safe and effective!
But the vast preponderance of evidence from knowledgeable scientists all
over the world is that the covid vaccines are very safe and very effective.
Furthermore, they are our best hope for emerging from the pandemic.
Again, the vast preponderance of scientific evidence supports that
conclusion.
Here's some of that evidence: Pfizer vaccine sharply reduces symptomatic
Covid-19 in the real world, Israeli researchers say:
https://tinyurl.com/ib5tzt3v
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PS: There's a lot about Big Pharma I dislike. And in general, the US health
system, despite being marginally better in recent years thanks to
Obamacare, is still an abomination compared to the health systems of
virtually all other Western nations.
Bottom line: I passionately want universal single-payer health coverage
for all in the US. Anything less than that is a travesty.
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On the other hand, I am also extremely grateful for Big Pharma and the US
medical system as it is and has been. I would not be here if it weren't for
them. I'd literally be gone from the earth. They saved me. Thank you!
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TRY TO PRAISE THE MUTILATED WORLD
by Adam Zagajewski
translated by Clare Cavanagh
Try to praise the mutilated world.
Remember June's long days,
and wild strawberries, drops of rosé wine.
The nettles that methodically overgrow
the abandoned homesteads of exiles.
You must praise the mutilated world.
You watched the stylish yachts and ships;
one of them had a long trip ahead of it,
while salty oblivion awaited others.
You've seen the refugees going nowhere,
you've heard the executioners sing joyfully.
You should praise the mutilated world.
Remember the moments when we were together
in a white room and the curtain fluttered.
Return in thought to the concert where music flared.
You gathered acorns in the park in autumn
and leaves eddied over the earth's scars.
Praise the mutilated world
and the gray feather a thrush lost,
and the gentle light that strays and vanishes
and returns.
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PERFECTIONISM IS STUPID
Perfectionism is the voice of the oppressor, the enemy of the people. It
will keep you cramped and insane.
—Anne Lamott
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Perfection is a stick with which to beat the possible.
—Rebecca Solnit
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The perfect is the enemy of the good.
—Voltaire
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Excellence does not require perfection.
—Henry James
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THE FUNDAMENTALIST VIRUS
The fundamentalist person delusionally imagines that perfection is a
desirable and possible goal.
The fundamentalist takes everything way too seriously and way too
personally and way too literally.
The fundamentalist divides the world into two camps, those who agree with
him and those who don't. There is only one right way to interpret the
world, and a million wrong ways. Correct belief is the only virtue.
To the fundamentalist, the liberated imagination is a sinful taboo. He not
only enslaves his own imagination to his ideology, but wants to enslave
our imaginations, too.
And who are the fundamentalists? Let's not remain under the delusion that
they are only the usual suspects—the religious fanatics of Islam and
Christianity and Judaism and Hinduism.
There are many other kinds of fundamentalists, and some of them have
gotten away with practicing their tragic magic in a stealth mode.
Among the most successful are those who believe in what Robert Anton
Wilson calls fundamentalist materialism. This is the faith-based dogma
that swears physical matter is the only reality and that nothing exists
unless it can be detected by our five senses or by technologies that humans
have made.
Life has no transcendent meaning or purpose, the fundamentalist
materialists proclaim. There is no such thing as a divine intelligence. The
universe is a dumb accidental machine that grinds on endlessly out of
blind necessity.
I see spread out before me in every direction a staggeringly sublime
miracle lovingly crafted by a supernal consciousness that oversees the
evolution of 500 billion galaxies, yet is also available as an intimate
companion and daily advisor to every one of us. But to the fundamentalist
materialists, my perceptions are indisputably wrong and idiotic.
Many other varieties of fundamentalism thrive and propagate. Every
ideology, even some of the ones I like, has its share of true
believers—fanatics who judge all other ideologies as inferior, flawed, and
foolish.
I know astrologers who insist there's only one way to do astrology right. I
know Buddhists who adamantly decree that the inherent nature of life on
Earth is suffering.
I know college administrators who would excommunicate any psychology
professor who dared to discuss the teachings of Carl Jung, who was in my
opinion one of the greatest minds of the 20th century.
I know pagans who refuse to consider any other version of Jesus Christ
beyond the sick parody the Christian right has fabricated.
None of the true believers like to hear that there are at least three sides to
every story.
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THE ONLY WAR
Poet Diane Di Prima said, "The only war is the war against the
imagination. All other wars are subsumed in it."
The delusional drive for perfection, which fundamentalism is driven by,
is in one sense a war against the imagination—which just wants to be free
to explore eternal variety and paradox.
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BITS OF WISDOM
FROM WENDELL BERRY AND EDITH HAMILTON
Unexpected wonders happen, not on schedule, or when you expect or want
them to happen, but if you keep hanging around, they do happen.
—Wendell Berry
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"You mustn’t wish for another life. You mustn’t want to be somebody else.
What you must do is this: "Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In
everything give thanks." I am not all the way capable of so much, but
those are the right instructions.
—Wendell Berry
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When the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility,
then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again.
—Classicist scholar and author Edith Hamilton
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Our word "idiot" comes from the Greek name for the man who took no
share in public matters.
—Edith Hamilton
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Responsibility is the price every person must pay for freedom.
—Edith Hamilton
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Convention, so often a mask for injustice.
—Edith Hamilton
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THE UNIVERSE IS A SENTIENT, ENSOULED INTELLIGENCE
In his talk on February 5, mind-expanding astrologer and philosopher
Richard Tarnas delivered the most inspiring and emotionally rich
visionary revelations I've heard in many years: uplifting, inspiring, and
soul-shaking in the best ways.
It was an emotionally rich explanation of how the universe is an ensouled,
sentient intelligence that we now have an initiatory opportunity to get
back into communion with, as indigenous people have enjoyed for
millennia.
You can watch it here: https://tinyurl.com/mtq1am58
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TRUE VIRUS NEWS
If you'd like to read about the current state of scientific thinking about the
covid vaccines, this is one of the best articles I've seen lately:
"What If We Never Reach Herd Immunity? Hitting the threshold might
actually be impossible. But vaccines can still help end the pandemic."
https://tinyurl.com/yv2g9v7a
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What does it mean that the cvoid vaccines have 95% efficacy:
https://tinyurl.com/2p4yg8c9
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The mistakes and the struggles behind America’s coronavirus tragedy.
https://tinyurl.com/2vgl2zrt
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THE MISINFORMATION VIRUS
"All of science overturned by a single tweet. Random non-expert on the
Internet proves new claim by tweeting it; all scientists in all fields
abandon centuries of work." [Warning: Satire]
https://tinyurl.com/3gc2wlpk
"Honey, come look! I've found some information all the world's top
scientists and doctors missed." [Warning: Satire]
https://tinyurl.com/52zmqwbz
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ACTUAL PROGRESS
The coronavirus vaccines are a triumph. They are saving lives today; they
will help end this pandemic eventually; and they will pay scientific
dividends for generations.
"Once the history of this is written, they are going to be referred to as
some of the greatest achievements of science," Zeynep Tufekci, a
University of North Carolina sociologist with a track record of prescience
on the coronavirus. "It’s the kind of thing you would have national
celebration and fireworks and church bells ringing."
More: https://tinyurl.com/23yqd466
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Sanctuary Containing ‘Healthiest Coral Reefs in the World’ Just Tripled in
Size Thanks to U.S. Government Protection
https://tinyurl.com/1gyajl14
Nigerian Villagers Score ‘Victory for Humanity’ When a Court Verdict
Slams Shell Oil For Liability After Years of Spills
https://tinyurl.com/o65qnfkd
One Simple Change Cut Accidental Albatross and Seabird Deaths by 98%:
‘Absolutely amazing’
https://tinyurl.com/2fgmsee2
Pakistan Sees Record Drop in Terrorism Last Year, With Attacks Down
45% Compared to 2019.
https://tinyurl.com/qygm5mi1
Australia has Experienced One of the Most Astonishing Drops in Crime
Ever Recorded by Any Country
https://tinyurl.com/42pmaybp
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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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Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning February 18
Copyright 2021 by Rob Brezsny
https://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Ancient Greek playwright Euripides was
popular and influential—and remains so to this day, 2,400 years later.
But there's a curiously boring aspect in five of his plays, *Andromache*,
*Alcestis*, *Helen*, *Medea*, and *The Bacchae*. They all have the
same exact ending: six lines, spoken by a chorus, that basically say the
gods are unpredictable. Was Euripides lazy? Trying too hard to drive
home the point? Or were the endings added later by an editor? Scholars
disagree. The main reason I'm bringing this to your attention is to
encourage you to avoid similar behavior. I think it's very important that
the stories you're living right now have different endings than all the
stories of your past.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Atheists like to confront religious people
with accusations like this: "If God is so good, why does he allow suffering
in the world?" Their simplistic, childish idea of God as some sort of Moral
Policeman is ignorant of the lush range of ruminations about the Divine as
offered down through the ages by poets, novelists, philosophers, and
theologians. For example, poet Stéphane Mallarmé wrote, "Spirit cares
for nothing except universal musicality." He suggested that the Supreme
Intelligence is an artist making music and telling stories. And as you
know, music and stories include all human adventures, not just the happy
stuff. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Aries, because the coming
weeks will be a favorable time to honor and celebrate the marvelously
rich stories of your own life—and to feel gratitude for the full range of
experience with which they have blessed you. PS: Now is also a favorable
phase to rethink and reconfigure your answers to the Big Questions.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Blogger Rachel C. Lewis confides, "I love
being horribly straightforward. I love sending reckless text messages and
telling people I love them and telling people they are absolutely magical
humans and I cannot believe they really exist. I love saying, 'Kiss me
harder,' and 'You're a good person,' and, 'You brighten my day.'" What
would your unique version of Lewis's forthrightness be like, Taurus?
What brazen praise would you offer? What declarations of affection and
care would you unleash? What naked confessions might you reveal? The
coming days will be a favorable time to explore these possibilities.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It's a good time to become more of who you
are by engaging with more of what you are not. Get in the mood for this
heroic exercise by studying the following rant by Gemini poet Adam
Zagajewski (who writes in Polish), translated by Gemini poet Clare
Cavanaugh: "Read for yourselves, read for the sake of your inspiration,
for the sweet turmoil in your lovely head. But also read against
yourselves, read for questioning and impotence, for despair and erudition,
read the dry, sardonic remarks of cynical philosophers. Read those whose
darkness or malice or madness or greatness you can't yet understand,
because only in this way will you grow, outlive yourself, and become what
you are."
CANCER (June 21-July 22): You're on the verge of breakthroughs. You're
ready to explore frontiers, at least in your imagination. You're brave
enough to go further and try harder than you've been able to before. With
that in mind, here's a highly apropos idea from Cancerian novelist Tom
Robbins. He writes, "If you take any activity, any art, any discipline, any
skill, take it and push it as far as it will go, push it beyond where it has
ever been before, push it to the wildest edge of edges, then you force it
into the realm of magic." (I might use the word "coax" or "nudge" instead
of "force" in Robbins' statement.)
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In her story "Homelanding," Margaret Atwood
writes, "Take me to your trees. Take me to your breakfasts, your sunsets,
your bad dreams, your shoes. Take me to your fingers." I'd love you to
express requests like that. It's a favorable time for you to delve deeper
into the mysteries of people you care about. You will generate healing and
blessings by cultivating reverent curiosity and smart empathy and crafty
intimacy. Find out more about your best allies!
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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.
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 access them by phone at 1-877-873-4888. The cost is
$1.99 per minute. Each forecast is 4-5 minutes long.
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"Your expanded horoscopes get more personal and intimate with me than
some of my closest friends. Thanks for the loving reflections."
—Ari Schlectman., Ann Arbor, MI
"When I listen to your audio 'scopes, my free will lights up."
—Alex Denares., Los Angeles
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You're about to reach the end of your phase of
correction and adjustment. To mark this momentous transition, and to
honor your ever-increasing ability to negotiate with your demons, I offer
you the following inspirational proclamation by poet Jeannette Napolitano:
"I don't want to look back in five years' time and think, 'We could have
been magnificent, but I was afraid.' In five years, I want to tell of how
fear tried to cheat me out of the best thing in life, and I didn't let it."
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It's not a good time for you to be obsessed with
vague abstractions, fear-based fantasies, and imaginary possibilities. But
it is a favorable phase to rise up in behalf of intimate, practical changes.
At least for now, I also want to advise you not to be angry and militant
about big, complicated issues that you have little power to affect. On the
other hand, I encourage you to get inspired and aggressive about injustices
you can truly help fix and erroneous approaches you can correct and
close-at-hand dilemmas for which you can summon constructive
solutions.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "The most beautiful things are those that
madness prompts and reason writes," declared author André Gide. As a
writer myself, I will testify to the truth of that formulation. But what
about those of you who aren't poets and novelists and essayists? Here's
how I would alter Gide's statement to fit you: "The most beautiful things
are those that rapture prompts and reason refines." Or maybe this: "The
most beautiful things are those that experimentation finds and reason
uses." Or how about this one: "The most beautiful things are those that
wildness generates and reason enhances." Any and all of those dynamics
will be treasures for you in the coming weeks.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The poet Nayyirah Waheed has some
advice I want you to hear. She writes, "Be easy. Take your time. You are
coming home to yourself." I will add that from my astrological
perspective, the coming weeks will indeed be a time for you to relax more
deeply into yourself—to welcome yourself fully into your unique destiny;
to forgive yourself for what you imagine are your flaws; to not wish you
were someone else pursuing a different path; to be at peace and in
harmony with the exact life you have.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "The chief object of education is not to
learn things but to unlearn things," wrote author G. K. Chesterton. He was
exaggerating for dramatic effect when he said that, as he often did. The
more nuanced truth is that one of the central aims of education is to learn
things, and another very worthy aim is to unlearn things. I believe you
are currently in a phase when you should put an emphasis on unlearning
things that are irrelevant and meaningless and obstructive. This will be
excellent preparation for your next phase, which will be learning a lot of
useful and vitalizing new things.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943)
ultimately became one of the 20th century's most renowned composers.
But his career had a rough start. *Symphony No. 1*, his first major
work, was panned by critics, sending him into a four-year depression.
Eventually he recovered. His next major composition, *Piano Concerto No.
2*, was well-received. I don't anticipate that your rookie offerings or
new work will get the kind of terrible reviews that Rachmaninoff's did.
But at least initially, there may be no great reviews, and possibly even
indifference. Keep the faith, my dear. Don't falter in carrying out your
vision of the future. The rewards will come in due time.
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Homework: Listen to and download my music for free.
https://soundcloud.com/sacreduproar
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2021 Rob Brezsny
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