Everyone Is My Teacher

Everywhere I go, I am a student

Rob Brezsny

Mar 22, 2022

Everyone is my teacher.

Everywhere I go, I am a student.

Every person I meet is in some way my superior.

I vow to shut up and listen on a frequent and regular basis.

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LEARNING FROM PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE

Some of my readers complain when I quote a public figure they consider a bad person. For example, I once cited an interesting thought by Carlos Castaneda, and was subsequently besieged by complaints that he was a con man unworthy of our attention.

Once I cited philosopher Bertrand Russell, and a reader berated me: "Russell was a terrible father! How dare you give him any credence?"

Other barrages of gripes flooded in after I referenced those highly imperfect humans Dr. Seuss, George Sand, Mother Teresa, Pema Chödrön, and Edgar Allan Poe.

Here's how I respond to these grumbles: If I refuse to learn from people unless I agree with everything they have ever said and approve of everything they have ever done, I would never learn from anyone.

Furthermore, I don't necessarily agree with every nuance of every quote I cite. They may teach me, rile me up, and provoke me to think, but that doesn't mean I endorse them 100 percent.

What's more likely is that I question some aspect of their thought. But the key point is that I want to be available to learn from pretty much everybody.

Should we boycott the films of Leonardo DiCaprio of because he is prone to temper tantrums? Do we have good reason to burn our copies of William's Blake's visionary poetry after we find out he lived in filth? Does the scarcity of laughter in D. H. Lawrence's work give us license to condemn it and avoid it?

Should we shun Dr. Seuss, who had an affair with another woman while his wife was suffering from cancer?

Should we stop praising the life's work of Martin Luther King Jr. because he plagiarized parts of his doctoral thesis?

Should we renounce the Theory of Relativity because Einstein cheated on his wife and didn't treat her with kindness?

Should we ignore George Sand's novels because she cheated on her husband?

Should we refuse to read the work of Clarissa Pinkola Estés because her editors at Ballantine Books said she was insufferably arrogant.

Should we ignore all male writers and artists throughout history who expressed misogyny—like 95% of them?

I could name a thousand others, but will stop here.

What about you? Have you set up your life so that everyone is either on or off your good list?

If so, consider the possibility of cultivating a capacity to derive insight from people who aren't perfect. Have fun learning from people you partially agree with and partially disagree with.

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THANKS TO MY TEACHERS!

I am a unique character. But the paradox is that I would never have been able to become my singular self without the inspiration, help, influence, and love of hundreds of other unique characters.

I like to keep in mind that all humans and all animals and all spiritual beings are potentially my teachers. Many of them have been spectacular teachers who have shaped me in unpredictable and unexpected ways.

I will never be able to express all the gratitude I feel. But I try to express it nevertheless!

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ASTROLOGY FOR THE SOUL MORE THAN FOR THE EGO

One of my beloved astrology mentors has passed on to the next realm: Alan Oken.

I'm so grateful for his teachings! He helped shape my own approach: astrology for the soul more than astrology for the ego.

When I was a young aspiring astrologer, I practically memorized his intricate analyses of the planetary aspects.

For example: What does it mean when a person has Venus conjunct Neptune in Scorpio in the first house? He was so precise in speaking about the relatively soulful and the relatively egoistic expressions of that configuration.

Edie Weinstein described his essence well: grounded and cosmic at the same time.

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THIS WORLD IS NOT AN ILLUSION

Andrew Harvey writes: "Mystical systems are addicted to transcending this reality. This addiction is part of the reason why the world is being destroyed. The monotheistic religions honor an off-planet God and would sacrifice this world and its attachments to the adoration of that God.

"But the God I know is both immanent and transcendent. This world is not an illusion, and the philosophies that say it is are half-baked half-truths.

"In an authentic mystical experience, the world does disappear and reveal itself as the dance of the divine consciousness.

"But then it reappears, and you see that everything you are looking at is God, and everything you’re touching is God.

"We are so addicted, either to materialism or to transcending material reality, that we don’t see God right in front of us, in the beggar, the starving child, the brokenhearted woman; in our friend; in the cat; in the flea. We miss it, and in missing it, we allow the world to be destroyed."

—Andrew Harvey, Radical Passion: Sacred Love and Wisdom in Action

Some people criticize Andrew Harvey's above statement for being too broad.

In response, I will say that of course it's too broad. Every statement ever made is too broad, because it can't possibly encompass all the nuances and exceptions of complicated, messy reality.

Furthermore, this passage is an excerpt from an entire book Harvey wrote about related subjects. He provides rich nuance there.

And indeed, there have been many examples of religious practitioners from all the monotheistic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, who have devoted loving, practical action to healing and fixing and helping this world.

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WORKING ON BOTH INNER AND OUTER LEVELS

Thomas Merton wrote: "Those who attempt to act and do things for others or for the world without deepening their own self-understanding, freedom, integrity and capacity to love, will not have anything to give others.

"They will communicate nothing but the contagion of their own obsessions, their aggressiveness, their ego-centered ambitions, their delusions about ends and means, their doctrinaire prejudices and ideas.

"We are living through the greatest crisis in the history of humanity; and this crisis is centered precisely in the country that has made a fetish out of action and has lost (or perhaps never had) the sense of contemplation. Far from being irrelevant, prayer, meditation and contemplation are of the utmost importance in America."

—Thomas Merton

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SACRED ACTIVISM

More by Andrew Harvey: "A spirituality that is only private and self-absorbed, one devoid of an authentic political and social consciousness, does little to halt the suicidal juggernaut of history.

"On the other hand, an activism that is not purified by profound spiritual and psychological self-awareness will only perpetuate the problem it is trying to solve, however righteous its intentions.

"When, however, the deepest and most grounded spiritual vision is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing political, economic and social institutions, a holy force—the power of wisdom and love in action—is born. This force I define as Sacred Activism."

—Andrew Harvey

Here's an interview with Andrew Harvey in which he talks about sacred activism: https://tinyurl.com/ycknmpwm

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I'M PERFECTLY FINE IF YOU DON'T THINK AND FEEL LIKE ME!

I am perfectly fine if you don't "believe" in God or Goddess—or, for that matter, if you don't "believe" in Vajrayogini or the Ojibwe creator spirit Nanabozho or the Hindu deities Shakti and Shiva or the Indigenous Australian creator god Baayama or the Yoruban gddess Yemaya.

It's perfectly fine with me if you don't need any spirit intelligences in your world and have zero interest in the supernal and transcendent.

But if you come to my sanctuary and confidently proclaim THERE IS NO GOD, I'm going to laugh at your arrogance.

And if you call me a stupid fool or a delusional idiot because I testify that I have a close intimate relationship with the Blooming HaHa (also known as the Goddess), I will gaze at you with perplexed disbelief.

Carl Sagan spoke like a true scientist when he said the following:

"An atheist is someone who is certain that God does not exist, someone who has compelling evidence against the existence of God. I know of no such compelling evidence.

"Because God can be relegated to remote times and places and to ultimate causes, we would have to know a great deal more about the universe than we do now to be sure that no God exists.

"To be certain of the existence of God and to be certain of the nonexistence of God seem to me to be the confident extremes in a subject so riddled with doubt and uncertainty as to inspire very little confidence indeed.

"A wide range of intermediate positions seems admissable.

"Considering the enormous emotional energies with which the subject is invested, a questing, courageous, and open mind is, I think, the essential tool for narrowing the range of our collective ignorance on the subject of the existence of God."

—Conversations with Carl Sagan, https://tinyurl.com/bbbaewq

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

Solar Power Will Account for Nearly Half of New U.S. Electric Generating Capacity in 2022. https://tinyurl.com/24faev98

Meet the Co-ops Building a More Ethical Food Delivery System. The Grubhub model is here to stay. But community-based delivery services could be lifelines for small restaurants battling huge commission fees. https://tinyurl.com/58h2a792

In Sweden, Drones Are Beating Ambulances to the Scene — and Saving Lives.New technology is intervening in the moments where speed matters more than anything. Welcome to the future of emergency medicine. https://tinyurl.com/2h25d2e7

Meet the Cultural Mediators Who Help Refugees in Germany. For thousands of refugees, integrating in Germany is made easier by a local mentor. https://tinyurl.com/mtaf2v6s

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 Bookshop.org: https://tinyurl.com/548hp8y8

Available at Powells: https://bit.ly/PowellsPronoia

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

Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES: Truthrooster@gmail.com.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week beginning March 24

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Carib people from Surinam quote their mysterious Snake Spirit as follows: "I am the force of the spirit of the lightning eel, the thunder ax, the stone. I am the force of the firefly; thunder and lightning have I created." I realize that what I'm about to say may sound far-fetched, but I suspect you will have access to powers that are comparable to the Snake Spirit's in the coming weeks. In fact, your state of being reminds me of how Aries poet Marge Piercy expressed her quests for inspiration: "When I work, I am pure as an angel tiger, and clear is my eye and hot my brain and silent all the whining grunting piglets of the appetites."

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "It's always too early to quit," wrote cheerful author Norman Vincent Peale, who first popularized the idea of "positive thinking." I'm an optimistic person myself, but I think his advice is excessively optimistic. On some occasions, it's wise to withdraw your energy from a project or relationship you've been working on. Struggling to find relevance and redemption may reach a limit. Pushing ever onward might be fruitless and even harmful. However, I don't think that now is one of those times for you, Taurus. According to my reading of the astrological omens, it is too early for you to quit.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "You can be as earnest and ridiculous as you need to be, if you don’t attempt it in isolation." So says author Barbara Kingsolver. She adds, "The ridiculously earnest are known to travel in groups. And they are known to change the world." In my view, this is perfect advice for you right now. If you and the members of your crew focus on coordinating your efforts, you could accomplish blazing amazements in the coming weeks. You may solve riddles that none of you has been able to decipher alone. You can synergize your efforts in such a way that everyone's individual fate will be lifted up.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): About 200 years ago, poet William Wordsworth wrote, "Every great and original writer must himself create the taste by which he is to be relished." Now I've come up with a variation on that wisdom: "Every great and original soul must herself create the taste by which she is to be understood and appreciated." That's what I hope you will work on in the coming weeks, Cancerian: fostering an ambiance in which you can be even better understood and appreciated. You now have extra power to teach people how to value you and get the best out of you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "I hate housework!" complained comedian Joan Rivers. "You make the beds, you do the dishes, and six months later you have to start all over again." I wish I could give you a six-month reprieve from having to attend to those chores, Leo. In fact, I'd love it if I could permanently authorize you to avoid all activities that distract you from thinking big thoughts and feeling rich emotions and pursuing expansive adventures. But I'm afraid I can only exempt you from the nagging small stuff for just the next three weeks or so—four, tops. After that, you'll have to do the dishes and make the beds again. But for the foreseeable future: Focus your energy on thinking big thoughts and feeling rich emotions and pursuing expansive adventures!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A British plumber named Kev Crane worked for weeks to install a new bathroom at a private home. As he toiled, he passed the time by singing his favorite songs. He didn't know that the homeowner, Paul Conneally, was the owner of a music label. So he was surprised and delighted when Conneally offered him a deal to record an album in the label's studio. There may be a comparable development in your life during the coming weeks, Virgo. You could be noticed in new ways for what you do well. Your secret or unknown talents may be discovered or revealed. You might get invitations to show more of who you really are. Be alert for such opportunities.

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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

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.

"I always feel like I know myself better after listening to your audio 'scopes."

—June Roseville, Austin, TX

"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and pep me up when I'm down."

—Arthur Trachten, Cleveland, OH

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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): It's the start of the Listening Season for you Libras. I propose a full-on celebration of listening: a three-week Holiday of Paying Close Attention to Important and Interesting Words Being Said in Your Vicinity. Make yourself a magnet for useful revelations. Be alert for the rich information that becomes available as you show the world you would love to know more of its secrets. For inspiration, read these quotes. 1. You cannot truly listen to anyone and do anything else at the same time. —M. Scott Peck. 2. Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks very softly. —my friend Jenna. 3. Listening is being able to be changed by the other person. —Alan Alda. 4. If you want to be listened to, you should put in time listening. —Marge Piercy. 5. Listening is a magnetic and strange thing, a creative force. When we are listened to, it creates us, makes us unfold. —Karl A. Menninger.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Worry doesn't count as preparation," writes author Lily Akerman. That sounds wise, but I don't think it's true in all cases. At its best, worrying may serve as a meditation that helps us analyze potential problems. It prompts us to imagine constructive actions we might take to forestall potential disruptions—and maybe even prevent them from erupting into actual disruptions. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Scorpio, because now is an excellent time to engage in this kind of pondering. I declare the next three weeks to be your Season of Productive Worrying.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If I had my way, you'd be a connoisseur of kisses in the coming weeks. You'd make it your intention to expand your repertoire of kissing styles and ask willing partners to do the same. You would give and receive unwieldy kisses, brave kisses, and mysterious kisses. You would explore foolish, sublime kisses and sincere but inscrutable kisses and awakening kisses that change the meaning of kisses altogether. Are you interested in pursuing this challenge? It will be best accomplished through unhurried, playful, luxurious efforts. There's no goal except to have experimental fun.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "Anybody who has survived his childhood has enough information about life to last him the rest of his days," wrote author Flannery O'Connor. Her observation may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. And I'm offering it to you now, as you begin a phase when you can glean many new teachings about your childhood—insights that could prove handy for a long time to come. I encourage you to enjoy a deep dive into your memories of your young years. They have superb secrets to divulge.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected," said author William Plomer. I agree with that. And I'm pleased to let you know that in the coming weeks, you will have more of this power to connect than you've had in a long time. I hope you will use it to link your fortunes to influences that inspire you. I hope you will wield it to build bridges between parts of your world that have been separate or alienated until now. And I hope you will deploy your enhanced capacity for blending and joining as you weave at least one magnificent new creation.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "I use my intelligence to discover more ways of appreciating you," author Piscean Anaïs Nin told her lover Henry Miller. In the coming weeks, I recommend you activate a similar ambition. Now is a time when you can enhance your close relationships with important allies by deepening your insight into them. What magic is at play within them that you haven't fully recognized before? How could you better see and understand their mysteries? PS: You may be pleased when your deepening vision of them prompts them to extend the same favor toward you.

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Homework: What non-sexual experience or adventure do you lust for? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

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Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter

Everyone Is My Teacher

Everywhere I go, I am a student

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