Everyone's our teacher

Everywhere we go, we're students

Dec 06, 2022

Everyone's my teacher. Everywhere I go, I'm a student. Everyone is in some way my informant, my revelator, my direction connection to the Divine Wow.

The animals, too: They are my confidants, my beloveds, my spirit guides.

And yes, the plants! My godparents, my role models, my advisers.

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

Playful, mysterious intelligences surround me in every direction. I'm available!

(Yes, to you, too, wind and sun and sky and mountain and rivers and oceans and rocks: I greet you daily as my family members, my agent provocateurs, my fellow celebrants.)

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I refuse to obey this edict. Crying is one of my main forms of recreation. I plan to continue to cry whenever I feel like it and for however long it might take. I will not be forced to return to work before I am all cried out, even if break-time is at an end.

IN PRAISE OF CRYING:

My friend Marika regards her crying spells as surrogate orgasms. They bring a surging release of pent-up emotions, and leave her deeply relaxed and in love with life.

Another friend, Renata, weeps now and then out of self-pity, but more often her sobs are triggered by overwhelming beauty, like the sight of the last dragonfly of Indian summer alighting beside her as she gazes on Mt. Tamalpais at dusk and feels the first kick of the growing baby inside her belly.

Myself, I experience my tears as a well-earned triumph, whether they're driven by loss or fullness; they're the sign of the inner work I've done to feel things deeply.

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TALKING ABOUT POLITICS

Comedian Nato Green says:

I have a lot to say about politics. Some people don't want to talk about politics.

They say, Nato, why do you got to talk about politics?

What do politics have to do with me?

I'm not an immigrant or a Black person or a Muslim or a Jew or a gay lesbian bisexual transgender or a woman or an old person or a young person or a student or a union member or artist or journalist or scientist or public employee.

I don’t breathe the air or drink the water. I don't live in a coastal region that will be affected by sea level rise or an arid region that would be affected by drought or fire.

I don't like chocolate, wine, or coffee or other commodities that will no longer be available due to climate change.

I'm not mentally ill, pregnant, disabled, or currently being shot at.

So what do politics have to do with me?

Watch Nato Green's one-minute stand-up rap.

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PRONOIA FIGHTS BIGOTRY

At the heart of my philosophy of pronoia is this vow: Dismantling white supremacy and dissolving racism and misogyny and bigotry are crucial to our spiritual work.

Those of us who aspire to carry out the bodhisattva vow, who strive to do the Goddess's work, who yearn to create a world in which love is the supreme law, devote ourselves to healing the toxic bigotry that is at the heart of the American experiment.

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"Difficulties illuminate existence, but they must be fresh and of high quality."

—Tom Robbins

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Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when published

SMUDGE
by Fred LaMotte

In the birth canal 
you were anointed
with the microbiome,
smeared and smudged 
with the mighty host
of earth's bacteria.

Your first breath hugged
atoms of all races, all tribes
into your blood,
the flesh of stars,
particles of the ancestors, 
atoms from the body of Jesus,
the body of Muhammad,
the subtle body of Kwan Yin,
body of the first murderer
and the murdered one.

Every angel is jealous
for that breath. 

75% of your DNA
you share with a fruit fly.

And now you only need
one more thing:
to touch the silence
of your Being.
Descend into the uncreated
intergalactic vastness
beating at the core of your heart. 

Rest in the hollow seed 
of stillness that contains 
all right doing.

A mere most humble 
and eternal gratitude.

A quietness that does not 
make you a cosmic being, 
or a luminous 
ascended being,
but a human being 
at last.

—Fred Lamotte

https://tinyurl.com/bdapv9uv

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Louis Armstrong plays the trumpet for his wife, Lucille Wilson, in front of the Great Sphinx and the pyramids of Giza.

Photo by Artin DerBalian

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NAIVE CYNICISM by Rebeca Solnit

"The news media and other purveyors of conventional wisdom like to report on the future more than the past. They draw on polls and false analogies to announce what is going to happen next, and their frequent errors don't seem to impede their habit of prophecy or our willingness to abide them. 'We don't actually know' is their least favorite thing to report.

"Their mind-set is what I call naïve cynicism. It bleeds the sense of possibility and the sense of responsibility out of people. Cynicism is first of all a style of presenting oneself, and it takes pride in not being fooled and not being foolish. But cynicism is frequently both these things. That the attitude that prides itself on world-weary experience is often so naïve says much about the triumph of style over substance, attitude over analysis.

"Maybe it also says something about the tendency to oversimplify. If simplification means reducing things to their essentials, oversimplification tosses aside the essential as well. It is a relentless pursuit of certainty and clarity in a world that offers neither, a desire to shove nuances and complexities into clear-cut binaries.

"Naïve cynicism flattens out the past and the future, and it reduces the motivation to participate in public life, public discourse, and even intelligent conversation that distinguishes shades of gray, ambiguities and ambivalences, un-certainties, unknowns, and opportunities.

"Instead, we conduct our conversations like wars, and the heavy artillery of grim confidence is the weapon many reach for. Naïve cynics shoot down possibilities, including the possibility of exploring the full complexity of any situation. They take aim at the less cynical, so that cynicism becomes a defensive posture and an avoidance of dissent.

"They recruit through brutality. If you set purity and perfection as your goals, you have an almost foolproof system according to which everything will necessarily fall short.

"But expecting perfection is naive; failing to perceive value by using an impossible standard of measure is even more so. Cynics are often disappointed idealists and up-holders of unrealistic standards. They are uncomfortable with victories, because victories are almost always temporary, incomplete, and compromised—but also because the openness of hope is dangerous, and in war, self-defense comes first.

"Naive cynicism is absolutist; its practitioners assume that anything you don't deplore you wholeheartedly endorse. But denouncing anything less than perfection as morally compromising means pursuing aggrandizement of the self, not engagement with a place or system or community, as the highest priority."

—Rebecca Solit

Read the entire essay: http://tinyurl.com/jh573td

Keep up with all of Rebecca Solnit's brilliant, brave, heart-felt writing here: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.solnit

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I would love to earn a living from mostly doing what I love to do!

In that spirit, I've made it possible for subscribers to pay a subscription fee for my newsletter.

If you are sufficiently prosperous and feel comfortable about donating money to me, I welcome it. It will help me finish and self-publish the 15 books I am working on. (That’s not a typo: 15 books.)

Please note: I am now offering extra features in additional newsletters that require a paid subscription.

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PRONOIA RESOURCES:

A Good Night’s Sleep Really Does Make Us Happier – by Dampening Negative Emotions. https://tinyurl.com/2nwssp44

Chimpanzees Share Experiences With Each Other ‘Just Because’–A Trait Once Thought to Be Only Human. https://tinyurl.com/ymp3rd5m

Oregon Pardons 45,000 People of Cannabis Possession Charges While Forgiving $14 million in Fines. https://tinyurl.com/366e7xd6

California Tribe Reignites Age-Old Practice of Intermittent Burns to Prevent Wildfires. https://tinyurl.com/4wf43thp

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

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week beginning December 8

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Sagittarians are least likely to stay in one location for extended periods. Many of you enjoy the need to move around from place to place. Doing so may be crucial in satisfying your quest for ever-fresh knowledge and stimulation. You understand that it's risky to get too fixed in your habits and too dogmatic in your beliefs. So you feel an imperative to keep disrupting routines before they become deadening. When you are successful in this endeavor, it's often due to a special talent you have: your capacity for creating an inner sense of home that enables you to feel stable and grounded as you ramble free. I believe this superpower will be extra strong during the coming months.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Capricorn author Edgar Allan Poe made this mysterious statement: "We can, at any time, double the true beauty of an actual landscape by half closing our eyes as we look at it." What did he mean? He was referring to how crucial it is to see life "through the veil of the soul." Merely using our physical vision gives us only half the story. To be receptive to the full glory of the world, our deepest self must also participate in the vision. Of course, this is always true. But it's even more extra especially true than usual for you right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian theologian Henri Nouwen wrote, "I have discovered that the gifts of life are often hidden in the places that hurt most." Yikes! Really? I don't like that idea. But I will say this: If Nouwen's theory has a grain of truth, you will capitalize on that fact in the coming weeks. Amazingly enough, a wound or pain you experienced in the past could reveal a redemptive possibility that inspires and heals you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen says it's wise to talk to yourself. No other conversational partner is more fascinating. No one else listens as well. I offer you his advice in the hope of encouraging you to upgrade the intensity and frequency of your dialogs with yourself. It's an excellent astrological time to go deeper with the questions you pose and to be braver in formulating your responses. Make the coming weeks be the time when you find out much more about what you truly think and feel.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky wrote, "To be free, you simply have to be so, without asking permission. You must have your own hypothesis about what you are called to do, and follow it, not giving in to circumstances or complying with them. But that sort of freedom demands powerful inner resources, a high degree of self-awareness, and a consciousness of your responsibility to yourself and therefore to other people." That last element is where some freedom-seekers falter. They neglect their obligation to care for and serve their fellow humans. I want to make sure you don't do that, Aries, as you launch a new phase of your liberation process. Authentic freedom is conscientious.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): The term "neurodiversity" refers to the fact that the human brain functions in a wide variety of ways. There are not just a few versions of mental health and learning styles that are better than all the others. Taurus musician David Byrne believes he is neurodiverse because he is on the autism spectrum. That's an advantage, he feels, giving him the power to focus with extra intensity on his creative pursuits. I consider myself neurodiverse because my life in the imaginal realm is just as important to me as my life in the material world. I suspect that most of us are neurodiverse in some sense—deviating from "normal" mental functioning. What about you, Taurus? The coming months will be an excellent time to explore and celebrate your own neurodiversity.

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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. They're longer and more leisurely in tone.

To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to https://RealAstrology.com

The cost is $7 per sign online. (Discounts are available for bulk purchases.)

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Poet Jane Hirshfield says that Zen Buddhism is built on three principles: 1. Everything changes. 2. Everything is connected. 3. Pay attention. Even if you are not a Zen practitioner, Gemini, I hope you will focus on the last two precepts in the coming weeks. If I had to summarize the formula that will bring you the most interesting experiences and feelings, it would be, "Pay attention to how everything is connected." I hope you will intensify your intention to see how all the apparent fragments are interwoven. Here's my secret agenda: I think it will help you register the truth that your life has a higher purpose than you're usually aware of—and that the whole world is conspiring to help you fulfill that purpose.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Author Flannery O'Connor wrote, "You have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it." I will add a further thought: "You have to cherish the world at the same time that you struggle to endure it and strive to transform it into a better place." Let's make this one of your inspirational meditations in the coming months, Cancerian. I suspect you will have more power than usual to transform the world into a better place. Get started! (PS: Doing so will enhance your ability to endure and cherish.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Many sports journalists will tell you that while they may root for their favorite teams, they also "root for the story." They want a compelling tale to tell. They yearn for dramatic plot twists that reveal entertaining details about interesting characters performing unique feats. That's how I'm going to be in the coming months Leo, at least in relation to you. I hope to see you engaged in epic sagas, creating yourself with verve as you weave your way through fun challenges and intriguing adventures. I predict my hope will be realized.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Venus is too hot and dry for humans to live on. But if travelers from Earth could figure out a way to feel comfortable there, they would enjoy a marvelous perk. The planet rotates very slowly. One complete day and night lasts for 243 Earth days and nights. That means you and a special friend could take a romantic stroll toward the sunset for as long as you wanted, and never see the sun go down. I invite you to dream up equally lyrical adventures in togetherness here on Earth during the coming months, Virgo. Your intimate alliances will thrive as you get imaginative and creative about nurturing togetherness.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As far as I'm concerned, Libran Buddhist monk and author Thích Nhất Hạnh was one of the finest humans who ever lived. "Where do you seek the spiritual?" he asked. His answer: "You seek the spiritual in every ordinary thing that you do every day. Sweeping the floor, watering the vegetables, and washing the dishes become sacred if mindfulness is there." In the coming weeks, Libra, you will have exceptional power to live like this: to regard every event, however mundane or routine, as an opportunity to express your soulful love and gratitude for the privilege of being alive. Act as if the whole world is your precious sanctuary.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): A reader named Elisa Jean tells me, "We Scorpio allies admire how Scorpios can be so solicitous and welcoming: the best party hosts. They know how to foster social situations that bring out the best in everyone and provide convivial entertainment. Yet Scorpios also know everyone's secrets. They are connoisseurs of the skeletons in the closets. So they have the power to spawn discordant commotions and wreak havoc on people's reputations. But they rarely do. Instead, they keep the secrets. They use their covert knowledge to weave deep connections." Everything Elisa Jean described will be your specialties in the coming weeks, Scorpio.

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Homework: What action could you take to rouse unexpected joy in a person you care about? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

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