New Language

Playing with Words Is Good for the Soul

NEW LANGUAGE — excerpted from my book ASTROLOGY IS REAL

As a writer who grasps the power of language to shape our experience, I am in favor of questioning words and phrases that might be hurtful and demeaning to some people. I aspire to keep evolving my usage. 

For instance, I no longer employ the words “pioneer” and “pioneering,” because they are associated with colonialism, with the theft of Indigenous people’s land and the destruction of their cultures. Instead, I may call on words like “groundbreaking” or “innovative.” 

Since I decided to become a professional many years ago, my intention has always been to invoke idioms sparingly. In recent years, I’ve put a special emphasis on avoiding those that suggest or imply violence: "blown away,” “killer smile,” “take a stab at it,” “jumped the gun,” “bite the bullet,” “locked and loaded,” and “twist your arm.”  

Another personal project is to wean myself from gendered language—words that have a bias towards a particular sex or conventionally understood gender. That includes "actress," "statesman," and "heroine." There are many others. I’m always on the lookout. 

How about deploying “they” as a singular pronoun? Yes, please. Every dictionary I know of now asserts it’s official. I’m not sure why there was ever any controversy. The singular “they” has been in play since at least 1375. Among the authors who have used it were Geoffrey Chaucer, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and W. H. Auden. 

Art by Paul Klee

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There are many lists online that discuss terms we should consider avoiding. I question some of their recommendations. “Spirit animal” is one. 

I’ve encountered people who insist this usage is a cultural appropriation of a Native American concept. In my view, such an argument is tenuous. In fact, many cultures in every part of the world in every historical era have posited otherworldly animals that serve as guides and helpers.  

For instance, some of my Polish ancestors regarded the cuckoo as being associated with Zywie, the goddess of health, healing, and longevity. She was even thought to periodically transform herself into a cuckoo. That's why my people sought to divine future events as they might be revealed in the birds' calls and behavior. 

Some of my Polish forbears also consorted with płanetnicy, "shepherds of the clouds." These spirit creatures had the power to manipulate the weather. If my people maintained good relationships with them, the płanetnicy would bestow favors in the form of good weather and, when necessary, rains to nourish the crops.

My Polish relatives didn't use the term "spirit animals" to refer to their supernatural benefactors, of course, since they spoke Polish. Similarly, Indigenous people in the Americas use the terms of their own language to refer to such creature allies. "Spirit animal” is an English term.

Nonetheless, to honor the wishes of those Indigenous people who regard “spirit animal” as insulting, I instead employ terms like “power creature,” “medicine animal,” “medicine creature,” “spirit creature,” and others.  

I feel fine coming up with new ways to say things. Indeed, it’s the writer’s job to be innovative with language. Since there's virtually an inexhaustible array of expressions to call on, why would I ever choose one that was hurtful or offensive?

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Brandeis University published one of my favorite guides about oppressive language. In general, I like it, although, again, I don’t agree with all of it. 

From Brandeis: “Identity-based oppressive language includes a range of words and phrases including potentially lesser-known slurs, unhelpful euphemisms, and exclusionary words and phrases. Important to note: the appropriateness of some identity-based language varies between insiders and outsiders of a group.”  

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One reader told me she doesn’t like the Brandeis recommendations. She complained that she is fatigued by the effort of having to censor herself.  

Here’s how I reply: I don’t regard it as censorship. People who use language consciously are eagerly alert for the opportunity to evolve the way language is used. They enjoy transcending numbing idioms and worn-out figures of speech so as to stimulate fresh thoughts with an invigorating use of words. 

Why should we be attached to using terms that are boring, inexact, and excuses for lazy thinking? 

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Poets and imaginative writers and other expressive people coin new words all the time, in every language. They help us outgrow outmoded ways of thinking and feeling. 

I love this hotbed of language reinvention: Urbandictionary.com. 

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“Crazy” appears as a taboo word on the Brandeis list. The description of its problematic use reads, “Ableist language can contribute to stigmas about and trivializes the experiences of people living with disabilities, mental health conditions, and more.” 

For me personally, “crazy” has always been a positive word. “Crazy wisdom” is one of my lifelong studies. The concepts of crazy wisdom and divine madness have appeared for centuries in many spiritual traditions, including Hinduism, Sufism, Christianity, Buddhism and shamanism.  

In the book Western Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Asia, Sandra Bell writes that “crazy wisdom” is a translation of the Tibetan word drubnyon, which “traditionally combines exceptional insight and impressive magical power with a flamboyant disregard for conventional behavior.” 

Many people who enjoy my work have used “crazy” and “crazy wisdom” as complimentary terms to refer to the unconventional inspiration I have provided them. I welcome that designation. 

Nevertheless! I will consider dropping “crazy” from my vocabulary, since it may be offensive to some people in ways that it’s not for me. 

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NEW WORDS — excerpted from my book ASTROLOGY IS REAL

Below are a few novel words I have coined as well as some I’ve plucked from the work of other coiners. 

• ahahaha, exclam. Used to express surprised triumph and explosive amusement while in the midst of a great realization. 

• angel-retentive, adj. In contrast to “anal retentive,” angel-retentive refers to a person with a relaxed openness to the possibility of miracles that confound the rational mind. 

• assymectricity, n. Energy generated by lopsidedness.

• autodidactickle, n. Teaching yourself how to tickle yourself. 

• careenstable, adj. Anything that maintains its poise and balance during wild, fast movement. 

• chantepleure, v. To sing and weep simultaneously.  

• chiaroscurofy, v. To find a comfortable place where you are partially in darkness and partially illuminated, or half in shadow and half in sunlight. 

• demagnostic, n. A person who provides leadership by rousing people’s noblest ambitions and high ideals, not by pandering to their fears and jealousies. Derived from a blend of “demagogue” and “agnostic.” 

• dissident bodhisattva, n. A bodhisattva or aspiring bodhisattva who believes that existing political and cultural institutions must be overthrown or revolutionized and replaced in order to make it more possible for sentient beings to achieve nirvana. 

• enigmagnetic, adj: A person who is prone to attracting mysteries. 

• epiphony, n. A fake realization.

• fauxbia, n. A fake fear.

• flossolalia, n. An improvised prophetic speech performed while flossing one’s teeth. 

• Go fuck yourself, phrase. A sincere wish that people to whom this phrase is addressed will indulge themselves in life-affirming, self-administered pleasure to the point of rapture. 

• golden bough, n. Alternative term for penis. Other variations: jade stalk, justice root, starry plough, righteous supplicant, swooping dabbler, tender thunderbolt, frisky risker, raunchy weaver, grateful harvester, worshipful pouncer. 

• hypephobic, adj. Afraid of hype. 

• indumbnitable, adj. Incapable of being dumbed down. 

• insurrectionary intimacy, n. A relationship built on the intention to nurture each other’s beautiful qualities, while also thriving on the fact that the bond will inevitably draw out and require redemption of both parties’ unripe aspects.  

• lapidrowdy, adj. Performing intricate tasks with a boisterous spirit. Derived from a blend of “rowdy” and “lapidary,” the art of cutting, polishing, and engraving gems. 

• lushbuddy, n. An alternate term for significant other. Additional signifiers: jellyroll, heartbeat, freestyle, greased lightning. 

• melancholicoholic, adj. Addicted to sadness; when you can't stop listening to Leonard Cohen records.

• menstruarchy, n. Rule by menstruating women. In a menstruarchy, menstruating women are thought to have special powers of perception, insight, and wisdom, and are therefore best qualified to make decisions that affect the collective. A menstrual council may be composed of women whose cycles vary so that at any one time, several council members are menstruating. 

• mutinyversal, n. A rebellion against the entire universe. 

• narcissircumcision, n. Removal of the egoist gland. 

• narcissucculence, n. Succulent narcissism; juicy heroic powers of super-narcissism without the negative connotation that narcissism usually suggests; profound self-love on all levels.

• Oxymoronic Tao, n. An expansive mutation of the old Chinese concept of Tao. The Oxymoronic Tao is Tao with an attitude. It’s not the calm, abstract, world-weary Tao imagined by the ancient sage Lao-Tse, but an uproarious witchy wow-y Tao of now. It’s not invoked by sitting cross-legged in cool, poised contemplation of the ultimate unity of the light and the dark, of the wound and the cure, of the back and forth. Rather, it implies an aggressive desire to jam together even the most incongruous juxtapositions in the spirit of tricksterish love, romancing the contradictions into a slathering pulse of ripe kundalini. 

• psychethanatoil, n. Soul-death from overwork.  

• psychevivatoil, n. The blooming of the soul through work. The antidote for psychethanatoil. 

• pyrokleptomania, n. A brave and noble compulsion to steal fire. Derived from the Greek myth of Prometheus, who pilfered a glowing coal from the gods and gave it as a gift to humankind. 

• reverse panhandle, v. To stand on a street corner or highway exit ramp and give money to passersby while holding a cardboard sign that reads “I love to give; I need to help; please take some money.” 

• selfish bodhisattva, n. 1. A bodhisattva-in-training who gives too much to others, muting their initiative to care for themselves. 2. A grandiose humanitarian whose egotistical attachment to the image of themself as a generous spirit taints the gifts they give. 3. A naïve saint who disseminates idiot compassion, which is a short-term fix offered to suffering people to console them, even though it encourages them to keep doing what brought about their pain. 

• sexcommunicate, v. To banish one’s brain into servitude to one’s genitals. 

• silk furrow, n. Alternative term for vagina. Other freshly coined variations: fluttering phoenix, pearly grove, blooming haha, ambrosial thicket, rumble chamber, bombastic lotus, chthonic riddler, rosy manger, honeyed gateway, Quetzalcoatl’s gangplank. 

• smadgic, n. A wizardly transmutation of a mundane or boring situation into a fascinating adventure or exploration. Derived from “magic” and “smidgen,” a small portion. 

• stink of Zen, n. Northern California has more spiritual workshops per capita than anywhere else on earth. On a given weekend, you can choose from yoga retreats, meditation classes, astrology intensives, and a hundred other adventures in woo-woo. Grizzled veterans of the scene have a phrase to describe the attitude of workshop leaders who are overly proud of how enlightened they are—who ooze a pretentious solemnity that belies the divine grace they’re championing. The term is “the stink of Zen.” It conveys the truth that humorless self-importance can undermine fine ideals. 

• storegasm, n. Orgasm achieved while walking down supermarket aisles crammed with thousands of colorfully packaged products. 

• taurocoprology, n. First coined by Harper’s magazine, it means the study of bullshit—how to use it creatively, how to recognize when it’s being used, and how to make it work for you instead of against you. 

• wild-seed epiphany, n. In addition to the benefits of a mere epiphany, a wild-seed epiphany packs a fiery punch, moving a person to laugh maniacally, unleash a wicked joke, or both. In the wake of a wild-seed epiphany, one feels a spectacular decisiveness about what concrete actions must be taken to infuse righteous order into messy and chaotic places.  

• whirlygig, n. A fact-finding mission that mandates people to wander around aimlessly in unfamiliar places to attract information and inspiration they didn’t realize they needed to gather. 

• wowallelujah, exclam. Uttered during a surge of uncanny intuition that comes while waking up from sleep or ignorance. 

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Bend words. Stretch them, squash them, mash them up, fold them. Turn them over or swing them upside down. Make up new words. Leave a place for the strange and downright impossible ones. Use ancient words. Hold on to the gangly, silly, slippy, truthful, dangerous, out-of-fashion ones. 

—author Kyo Maclear 

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This meme was created by Lisa Arnold.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY For This Perfect Moment

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In old Hawaii, the people loved their deities but also demanded productive results. If a god stopped providing worshipers with what they wanted, they might dismiss him and adopt a replacement. I love that! And I invite you to experiment with a similar approach in the coming weeks. Are your divine helpers doing a good job? Are they supplying you with steady streams of inspiration, love, and fulfillment? If not, fire them and scout around for substitutes. If they are performing well, pour out your soul in gratitude.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In my astrological estimation, the coming weeks will be an ideal time for you to declare amnesty, negotiate truces, and shed long-simmering resentments. Other recommended activities: Find ways to joke about embarrassing memories, break a bad habit just because it's fun to do so, and throw away outdated stuff you no longer need. Just do the best you can as you carry out these challenging assignments; you don't have to be perfect. For inspiration, read these wise words from poet David Whyte: "When you forgive others, they may not notice, but you will heal. Forgiveness is not something we do for others; it is a gift to ourselves."

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Many of you Tauruses have a robust capacity for doing diligent, effective work. Many of you also have a robust capacity for pursuing sensual delights and cultivating healing beauty. When your mental health is functioning at peak levels, these two drives to enjoy life are complementary; they don’t get in each other’s way. If you ever fall out of your healthy rhythm, these two drives may conflict. My wish for you in the coming months is that they will be in synergistic harmony, humming along with grace. That’s also my prediction: I foresee you will do just that.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Many people choose wealthy entertainers and celebrity athletes for their heroes. It doesn’t bother me if they do. Why should it? But the superstars who provoke my adoration are more likely to be artists and activists. Author Rebecca Solnit is one. Potawatomi biologist and author Robin Wall Kimmerer. The four musicians in the Ukrainian band DahkaBrakha. Poet Rita Dove and novelist Haruki Murakami. My capacity to be inspired by these maestros seems inexhaustible. What about you, Gemini? Who are the heroes who move you and shake you in all the best ways? Now is a time to be extra proactive in learning from your heroes—and rounding up new heroes to be influenced by.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your homework assignment is to work on coordinating two issues that are key to your life’s purpose. The first of these issues is your fervent longing to make your distinctive mark on this crazy, chaotic world. The second issue is your need to cultivate sweet privacy and protective self-care. These themes may sometimes seem to be opposed. But with even just a little ingenious effort, you can get them to weave together beautifully. Now is a good time to cultivate this healing magic.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you don’t recognize the face in the mirror right now, that’s a good thing. If you feel unfamiliar feelings rising up in you or find yourself entertaining unusual longings, those are also good things. The voice of reason may say you should be worried about such phenomena. But as the voice of mischievous sagacity, I urge you to be curious and receptive. You are being invited to explore fertile possibilities that have previously been unavailable or off-limits. Fate is offering you the chance to discover more about your future potentials. At least for now, power can come from being unpredictable and investigating taboos.

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

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I invite you to study the fine art of sacred intimacy in the coming weeks. Life’s rhythms will redound in your favor as you enjoy playing tenderly and freely with the special people you care for. To aid you in your efforts, here are three questions to ponder. 1. What aspects of togetherness might flourish if you approach them with less solemnity and more fun? 2. Could you give more of yourself to your relationships in ways that are purely enjoyable, not done mostly out of duty? 3. Would you be willing to explore the possibility that the two of you could educate and ripen each other’s dark sides?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Creativity teacher Roger von Oech tells how bandleader Count Basie asked a club owner to fix his piano. It was always out of tune. A few weeks later, the owner called Basie to say everything was good. But when Basie arrived to play, the piano still had sour notes. "I thought you said you fixed it!" Basie complained. The owner said, "I did. I painted it." The moral of the story for the rest of us, concludes von Oech, is that we've got to solve the right problems. I want you Libras to do that in the coming weeks. Make sure you identify what really needs changing, not some distracting minor glitch.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Most of us have received an inadequate or downright poor education about love and intimate togetherness. Given how much misinformation and trivializing propaganda we have absorbed, it’s amazing any of us have figured out how to create healthy, vigorous relationships. That’s the bad news, Scorpio. The good news is that you are cruising through a sustained phase of your astrological cycle when you’re far more likely than usual to acquire vibrant teachings about this essential part of your life. I urge you to draw up a plan for how to take maximum advantage of the cosmic opportunity. For inspiration, here’s poet Rainer Maria Rilke: "For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation." (Translation by Stephen Mitchell.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The myths and legends of many cultures postulate the existence of spirits who are mischievous but not malevolent. They play harmless pranks. Their main purpose may be to remind us that another world, a less material realm, overlaps with ours. And sometimes, the intention of these ethereal tricksters seems to be downright benevolent. They nudge us out of our staid rhythms, mystifying us with freaky phenomena that suggest reality is not as solid and predictable as we might imagine. I suspect you may soon have encounters with some of these characters: friendly poltergeists, fairies, ghosts, sprites, or elves. My sense is that they will bring you odd but genuine blessings.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Some studies suggest that less than half of us have best friends. Men are even less likely to have beloved buddies than the other genders do. If you are one of these people, the coming weeks and months will be an excellent time to remedy the deficiency. Your ability to attract and bond with interesting allies will be higher than usual. If you do have best friends, I suggest you intensify your appreciation for and devotion to them. You need and deserve companions who respect you deeply, know you intimately, and listen well. But you’ve got to remember that relationships like these require deep thought, hard work, and honest expressions of feelings!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Among all the zodiac signs, you Aquarians are among the best at enjoying a bird’s-eye perspective on the world. Soaring high above the mad chatter and clatter is your birthright and specialty. I love that about you, which is why I hardly ever shout up in your direction, “Get your ass back down to earth!” However, I now suspect you are overdue to spend some quality time here on the ground level. At least temporarily, I advise you to trade the bird’s-eye view for a worm’s-eye view. Don’t fret. It’s only for a short time. You’ll be aloft again soon.