Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
MARCH 10, 2010
FreeWillAstrology.com
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New song, "Prayer for Us": bit.ly/PrayerforUs
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Dear Readers,
I've been working on the soundtrack for my book PRONOIA
since 2005. Why is it taking forever to finish it? One reason
is that in order to even begin, I had to set up a home recording
studio and learn how to use the technology.
Another reason is that I work verrrry slowwwwwly.
So here it is 2010, five years later, and the project isn't polished
to my satisfaction. It's still a work in progress. But I've decided
to release parts of it anyway.
This week I'm offering the song "Prayer for Us." You
can access it here: bit.ly/PrayerforUs
It's based on a piece from the revised and expanded version of
my book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA, which I'm
also excerpting below.
In addition to my music and vocals, "Prayer for Us"
also features the singing of my friend Jessica Rice and guitar
work by my friend Josh Brill.
Enjoy!
In the weeks to come, I'll be announcing the release of other
new songs.
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I'm very grateful that you responded so heartily to my requests
in last week's newsletter. You went out and bought lots of copies
of PRONOIA, at one point bumping it up to #576 in the
Amazon rankings. And you added more than 20 new reviews of the
book to the Amazon page. Your show of support was generous. Thank
you!
Rob
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Push hard to get better, become smarter, grow your devotion to
the truth, fuel your commitment to beauty, refine your emotional
intelligence, hone your dreams, negotiate with your shadow, cure
your ignorance, shed your pettiness, heighten your drive to look
for the best in people, and soften your heart -- even as you always
accept yourself for exactly who you are with all of your so-called
imperfections.
- PRONOIA
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The revised and expanded version of my book PRONOIA IS THE
ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
Below is an excerpt of "PRAYER FOR US." To read the
whole text of the prayer, go here:
bit.ly/OurPrayer
To hear the song based on "PRAYER FOR US," go here:
bit.ly/PrayerforUs
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PRAYER FOR US
This is a perfect moment. It's a perfect moment because I have
been inspired to say a gigantic prayer. I've been roused to unleash
a divinely greedy, apocalyptically healing prayer for each and
every one of us -- even those of us who don't believe in the power
of prayer.
And so I am starting to pray right now to the God of Gods . .
. the God beyond all Gods . . . the Girlfriend of God . . . the
Teacher of God . . . the Goddess who invented God.
DEAR GODDESS, you who always answer our very best questions, even
if we ignore you:
Please be here with us right now. Come inside us with your sly
slippery slaphappy mojo. Invade us with your silky succulent salty
sweet haha.
Hear with our ears, Goddess. Breathe with our lungs. See through
our eyes.
DEAR GODDESS, you who never kill but only change:
I pray that my exuberant, suave, and accidental words will move
you to shower ferocious blessings down on everyone who reads or
hears this benediction.
I pray that you will give us what we don't even know we need
-- not just the boons we think we want, but everything we've always
been afraid to even imagine or ask for.
DEAR GODDESS, you wealthy anarchist burning heaven to the ground:
Many of us don't even know who we really are.
We've forgotten that our souls live forever.
We're blind to the fact that every little move we make sends
ripples through eternity. Some of us are even ignorant of how
extravagant, relentless, and practical your love for us is.
Please wake us up to the shocking truths. Use your brash magic
to help us see that we are completely different from we've been
led to believe, and more exciting than we can possibly imagine.
Guide us to realize that we are all unwitting messiahs who are
much too big and ancient to fit inside our personalities . . .
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To READ THE REST of "PRAYER FOR US," go here: bit.ly/OurPrayer
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
LET'S CELEBRATE WHAT WORKS
Read about real heroes, and nominate your own.
tinyurl.com/cefezd
THERE'S MORE GOOD HEALTH NEWS THAN BAD
Norway conquers infections by cutting use of antibiotics
tinyurl.com/ybyj4po
THE EVIDENCE IS THAT LIFE IS AT LEAST 51% FANTASTIC
See all the pronoia resources in one radiant place.
pronoiaresources.com
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They are not advertisements,
and I get no kickbacks.)
Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning March 11
Copyright 2010 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
I used to have an acupuncturist who, as she poked me with needles,
liked to talk about her understanding of Chinese medicine. Once
she told me that every human being needs a "heart protector,"
which is a body function that's "like a holy warrior who
serves as the queen's devoted ally." But the heart protector
is not something you're born with. You've got to grow it by building
your fortitude and taking care of your body. I think the heart
protector will be an apt metaphor for you to play with in the
coming weeks, Pisces. It's going to be an excellent time for you
to cultivate any part of your life that gives your heart joy,
strength, peace, and integrity.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was called "the most famous
actress the world has ever known." She did a few films in
the early days of the cinema, but most of her work was in the
theater. At age 70, she played the role of the 13-year-old Juliet
in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. I commend her on her
refusal to act her age, and recommend that you make a comparable
effort in the coming weeks. For example, if you're in your twenties,
try something you thought you wouldn't do until you were at a
very ripe age. If you're over 50, be 25 for a while. It's an excellent
time to do this kind of time-traveling.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
You might have to use primitive means to accomplish modern wonders.
It may be necessary to hearken back to what worked in the past
in order to serve the brightest vision of the future. Take your
cue from Luis Soriano, a saintly teacher who carries a library
of 120 books on the back of a donkey as he meanders around the
back country of Colombia, helping poor kids learn how to read.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Humans have been baking and eating bread for at least 5,000 years.
But it wasn't until the 20th century that anyone figured out a
fast and easy way to cut it into thin, precise pieces. Then Otto
Rohwedder, who had been working on the project for 16 years, produced
a machine that cut a loaf into individual slices. I bring him
to your attention, Gemini, because I think you are in a phase
of your life when you could very possibly create an innovation
that would be as intimately revolutionary as Rohwedder's was for
the masses. In fact, why aren't you working on it right now?
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
In order to heal deep-seated problems, people may need to engage
in long-term psychotherapy, patiently chipping away at their mental
blocks for many years. But some lucky sufferers get their neuroses
zapped virtually overnight, either with the help of a monumental
event that shocks them out of their malaise or through the work
of a brilliant healer who uses a few strokes of kamikaze compassion
to creatively destroy their deluded fixations. I think you're
now a candidate for this type of correction, Cancerian.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
To discover the most useful truths, you will have to peek behind
the curtains and root around to see what's cloaked in the dark
and maybe even explore messes you'd rather not touch. What complicates
your task is that the fake truths may be extra loud and shiny,
distracting you from the down and dirty stuff with their relentless
come-ons. But I have confidence in your ability to outmaneuver
the propaganda, Leo. You shall know the hype, and knowing the
hype will set you free.
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WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES ARE LIKE?
To get an idea of how my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES might make
you feel, tune in to my podcast, "Fear Versus Intuition."
It's here: bit.ly/FearVersusIntuition
"Fear Versus Intuition" is a meditation about the difference
between your fearful fantasies and your authentic, accurate intuitions.
My approach there has a close resemblance to the style of my
weekly EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. Go here to access them:
RealAstrology.com
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The evil geniuses of the advertising industry are hard at work
in their labs dreaming up seductive new mojo to artificially stimulate
your consumer lusts. Meanwhile, the media's relentless campaign
to get you to believe in debilitating fantasies and divert you
from doing what's really good for you has reached a fever pitch.
And here's the triple whammy: Even more than usual, some of your
relatives and cohorts are angling to convince you that what pleases
them is what pleases you. So is there any hope that you will be
able to hone in on what truly excites you? (It's especially important
that you do so right now.) The answer, in my opinion, is a qualified
yes -- IF you're willing to conduct intensive research into the
idiosyncratic secrets of what makes you happy; and IF you're not
scared to discover who you are when you're turned on all the way.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
If you were living in Greece in the fifth century B.C., I'd urge
you to bathe in the healing spring at the shrine of Asklepios
in Athens. If you were in 19th-century France, I'd recommend that
you trek to the sacred shrine at Lourdes -- being sure to crawl
the last half-mile on your hands and knees -- and sip from the
curative waters there. But since you're a busy 21st-century sophisticate
and may have a limited belief in miracles, I'll simply suggest
that you visit the most interesting tree you know and spill a
bottle of pristine water over your head as you confess your sins
and ask the sky for forgiveness and sing songs that purify you
to the bone.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
It's quite possible that the nature of consciousness is in the
midst of a fundamental transformation. The human race seems to
be getting more empathetic, more compassionate, and even more
psychic. Many of us are having experiences that were previously
thought to be the province of mystics, such as epiphanies that
give us visceral perceptions of the interconnectedness of all
life. Even as some traditional religions lose members and devolve
into cartoony fundamentalism, there are ever-increasing numbers
of intelligent seekers who cultivate a more discerning spiritual
awareness outside the decrepit frameworks. If you haven't been
on this bandwagon, Scorpio, now's a good time to jump on. If you're
already on board, get ready for an accelerated ride.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
This week you'll be working overtime while you sleep. Your dreaming
mind will be playing around with solutions to your waking mind's
dilemmas. Your ally, the wild conjurer in the ramshackle diamond-encrusted
sanctuary at the edge of the deep dark forest, will be spinning
out medicine stories and rounding up help for you. So of course
you should keep a pen and notebook by your bed to record the dreams
that come. I suggest that you also try to keep the first part
of your mornings free of busy work so you can integrate the full
impact of the nights' gifts. And don't despair if you can't actually
remember any of your nocturnal adventures. Their tasty after-images
will remain with you subliminally, giving your logical mind an
intuitive edge.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
There'll be an abundance of unambiguous choices for you to make
in the coming days. I'm not implying they'll be easy, just that
the different alternatives will be clearly delineated. To get
you warmed up for your hopefully crisp decisions, I've compiled
a a few exercises. Pick one of each of these pairs: 1. exacting
homework or free-form research; 2. pitiless logic or generous
fantasies; 3. precise and disciplined communication or heedless
self-expression; 4. grazing like a contented sheep or rambling
like a restless mountain goat.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Among Eastern religions, some traditions preach the value of
getting rid of your desires. To be righteously attuned to current
cosmic rhythms, however, I think you should rebel against that
ideal, and instead cultivate a whole host of excellent desires.
Use your imagination, please! Here are a few I highly recommend:
a desire for a revelation or experience that will steer you away
from becoming more like a machine; a desire for a fresh blast
of purity from a primal source; a desire for an imaginary pet
snake that teaches you how to be more playful with your libidinous
energy; and a desire for a jolt of unexpected beauty that reminds
you how important it is to always keep a part of your mind untamed.
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HOMEWORK:
Wes Nisker says, "If you don't like the news, go out and
make some of your own." I'd love to hear about your efforts
to create good news. Tell me at Truthrooster@gmail.com.
For inspiration, check out these sources of good news: bit.ly/PronoiaNetwork
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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing personal charts, but I highly recommend my astrological
colleague, RO LOUGHRAN. Her approach closely matches my own. In
our many discussions about astrology over the years, we've had
a major influence on each other's work.
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained
intuition, emotional warmth, and
a high
degree of 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.
Ro is based in California, but
can do phone consultations and
otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic
boundaries.
Ro's website is at YourSoulJourney.com
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2010 Rob Brezsny
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