The Potency of Joy

Wielding Our Liberated Imaginations

FEED YOUR IMAGINATION WITH BEAUTY

Think of all the stories, images, and sounds you invite into your beautiful head.

Do you absorb a relentless barrage of distressing news reports and movies brimming with brutality and gossipy tales of decline and degeneration? Does your diet consist primarily of repulsive memes that agitate your revulsion?

If so, that’s the equivalent, for your psyche, of eating crud scraped off from the inner wall of a dumpster behind a McDonald's and pitchers of trans fats recovered from the deep fryer in the kitchen at a Dunkin’ Donuts.

On the other hand, maybe you seek out, at least part of the time, stories that loosen your fixations and riffs that stretch your understanding of the human condition and news about situations that are working well.

If so, you’re taking decent care of your precious insides. You’re practicing good imaginal hygiene.

Nigerian writer Ben Okri: “Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world.”

Diane di Prima: “The only war that matters is the war against the imagination. All other wars are subsumed by it.”

Me: The delusional drive for perfection that fuels fundamentalism is a weapon in the war that di Prima references. In its natural state, the imagination yearns to be free to explore ever-fresh variety and mystery and paradox—which perfectionism is allergic to.

Elizabeth Gilbert: “You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. That’s a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control.”

I invite you to read this fine article on imaginal hygiene by educator Morgan Brent: https://tinyurl.com/ImaginalHygiene.

Time for a pep talk from St. Howard Zinn, historian of the people: “Revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment (beware of such moments!) but as an endless succession of surprises, moving zigzag toward a more decent society.

"We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.

"Even when we don’t ‘win,’ there is fun and fulfillment in the fact that we have been involved, with other good people, in something worthwhile. We need hope.

"An optimist isn’t necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark of our time. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness.

"What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something.

"If we remember those times and places – and there are so many – where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction.

"And if we do act, in however small a way, we don’t have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory.”

Excerpted from Howard Zinn’s essay, “The Optimism of Uncertainty”

ACTIVISM AS A SPIRITUAL PRACTICE

In the late 1990s, environmental activist Julia Butterfly Hill spent two years living in a redwood tree she named "Luna." Her goal was to save it from being cut down by a logging company. She succeeded both literally and mythically. Luna was spared from death, as was a surrounding three-acre swath of trees. Hill became an inspiring symbol of artful, compassionate protest.

Later she told Benjamin Tong in the DVD The Taoist and the Activist:

"So often activism is based on what we are against, what we don't like, what we don't want. And yet we manifest what we focus on. And so we are manifesting yet ever more of what we don't want, what we don't like, what we want to change.

“So for me, activism is about a spiritual practice as a way of life. And I realized I didn't climb the tree because I was angry at the corporations and the government; I climbed the tree because when I fell in love with the redwoods, I fell in love with the world. So it is my feeling of 'connection' that drives me, instead of my anger and feelings of being disconnected."

ROMANCING THE PARADOX

How do we summon a righteous blend of practical love and constructive anger? 

How do we refrain from hating people even as we fight against the hatred and danger they have helped unleash? 

How do we cultivate cheerful buoyancy even as we neutralize the bigoted, autocratic poisons on the loose? 

How can we be both wrathful insurrectionaries and exuberant lovers of life? 

How do we stay in a good yet unruly mood as we overthrow the mass hallucinations? 

In the face of global peril, how do we remain dedicated to building beauty and truth and justice and love even as we keep our imaginations wild and hungry and free? 

Can our struggle also be a form of play? 

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PRO-JOY

“We’re not just against fascism. Like, fascism’s a fucking bore. It is boring to have your books banned, to have your sexual freedoms taken away. It is a nightmare, and the opposite of all of that is joy,” Anand Giridharadas says.

“We can’t just fight the kind of depravities of American fascism with something that just makes people feel sad all the time, makes people feel scared all the time. We have to show what it would feel like to be alive.”

More on the good vibes that’s sweeping away tRumpism: https://tinyurl.com/yd4v9u2w

REAL COMPASSION

A reader tried to tell me that we are wise to rise above partisan politics; that we need people who have no ideology fueling their perspective; that it’s unspiritual to feed disagreements. 

The reader invoked Martin Luther King Jr. as fitting this description. He said that King brought people together as no one has done since. 

But the truth is different. Martin Luther King Jr. was fiercely anti-racist, anti-poverty, and anti-militarism. He was uninhibited in his criticisms of the corrupt American system. And he alienated many White people. 

In his lifetime and for years after his death, King was a divisive figure. He called for a “radical revolution of values,” a relentless devotion to “go out into a sometimes-hostile world, declaring eternal opposition to poverty, racism and militarism.” 

It’s true that he advised us to avoid physical violence. But he was a staunch combatant, a vehement defender of what’s right, an uncompromising force advocating a fundamental remaking of American politics and culture. 

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HOW CAN I EARN YOUR PAID SUBSCRIPTION?

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WHY YOU GOT TO TALK ABOUT POLITICS?

Novelist and journalist Martha Gellhorn wrote, "People often say, with pride, 'I’m not interested in politics.' They might as well say, 'I’m not interested in my standard of living, my health, my job, my rights, my freedoms, my future or any future.'"

Gelhorn added, "If we mean to keep control over our world and lives, we must be interested in politics."

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

They say, 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 deliver this rap: https://tinyurl.com/NatoGreen

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WE MUST ALWAYS TAKE SIDES

We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.

—Elie Wiesel

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If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.

―Desmond Tutu

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Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.

—Paulo Freire

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Intellectual neutrality is not possible in a historical world of exploitation and oppression.

—Elizabeth Schüssler Fiorenza

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Check out my new Linktree: https://linktr.ee/robbrezsny

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

For The Week of August 22

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Now and then, zoologists decide that their classifications of species need to be revised and refined. For example, three subspecies of soft-furred, teardrop-shaped hedgehogs in Southeast Asia were recently elevated to distinct species of their own. They are no longer considered to be subspecies of Hylomys suillusbut, but are now named H. dorsalis, H. maxi, and H. peguensis. I bring this to your attention, Virgo, because I suspect that you, too, are ready for an upgrade to a new category all your own. It's time for you to claim greater sovereignty. You will be wise to define how distinctive and unique you are, to distinguish yourself from influences that are superficially like you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When mega-famous artist Pablo Picasso was asked how he felt about NASA landing people on the moon in 1969, he said, “It means nothing to me. I have no opinion about it, and I don’t care.” I invite you to use his statement as one of your power mottoes in the coming weeks. Now is an excellent time to identify the experiences, influences, events, and people about which you have absolutely zero interest. Once you do that, I predict you will have a rush of clear revelations about the most interesting experiences, influences, events, and people you want in your future.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu made an observation that could serve as your watchword in the coming months. “Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,” he wrote, “while loving someone deeply gives you courage.” In my astrological opinion, Scorpio, you are now primed to embody and express these states with unique intensity. If you embrace the inspiring challenge of loving deeply and being loved deeply, you will reach new heights of strength and courage.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Many musical instruments must be constantly adjusted to ensure they stay in tune. This usually means that the note A above middle C vibrates at 440 cycles per second—with all other notes tuned in relation to it. Having sung in bands for years, I have seen how guitarists, bass players, violinists, and even drummers have to continually attend to their tuning during performances. Imagine the diligent finesse it takes to keep an entire orchestra of many instruments in tune with each other. I suspect that one of your jobs in the coming weeks, Sagittarius, will have similarities to this kind of management and coordination.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Dancing is always good for you, but it will be extra healthy and energizing in the next four weeks. I hope you will be inspired to dance as often as possible, even if you just do it alone in your kitchen or bedroom while listening to music that moves you. Do you need rational explanations for why this is a good idea? OK, here are the hard facts: Dancing reduces stress, raises serotonin levels, enhances well-being, and is excellent physical exercise. Here’s another motivational reason: Dancing literally makes you smarter. Scientific research clearly says so (https://tinyurl.com/SmartDancing). Furthermore: In the near future, you will be in a playful, sexy, exuberant phase of your astrological cycle.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Quo signo nata es?" is the Latin expression for "What's your sign?" Did anyone in ancient Rome ever say that? Probably not, since it's a modern idiom. However, astrology was very popular in that society and era. According to scholar Rhianna Padman in her essay "Astrology in Ancient Rome," Romans "believed that the specific positions of celestial bodies at the moment of a person’s birth could greatly impact their life and character." Back then, Thrasyllus of Mendes was a prominent astrologer who became a key advisor to Emperor Tiberius. Anyway, Aquarius, I bring "Quo signo nata es?" to your attention so as to inspire the following assignment: Update all your old favorite things. Put new spins on symbols and ideas that have served you for a long time. Take the best parts of your traditions and transplant them into the future.

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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming weeks will be an excellent time to declare amnesty about all matters affecting your close alliances. Dissolve grudges, please. Tussle less, play more. Relax your demands and expectations—and nicely ask your companions to relax their demands and expectations. If possible, forgive others and yourself for everything; failing that, forgive as much of everything as feels right. You might even convene a ritual in which you and your intimate collaborators chant the following affirmation: "We are gleefully free to reimagine and reinvent the ways we fit together!"

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Some centenarians testify they have lived more than a century because they smoked many cigarettes, drank a lot of booze, and ate a steady diet of junk food. Should the rest of us adapt their habits? Of course not. The likelihood of remaining healthy while following such an unsound regimen is infinitesimal. Just because a few lucky people miraculously thrived like that is not a sound argument for imitating them. I bring this to your attention, Aries, because the coming weeks will be an excellent time to upgrade your commitment to healthy habits. If you've been waiting for the right time to love your body better, this is it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus stage magician Doug Henning had lavish ambitions. They served him well as he became a star performer in theater and on TV. “If I produce a 450-pound Bengal tiger,” he said, “it’s going to create a lot more wonder than if I produce a rabbit.” That’s the spirit I invite you to embrace in the coming weeks, Taurus. The cosmos is authorizing you to expand your understanding of what you can accomplish—and then accomplish it. Dream bigger dreams than you have previously dared.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The color of planet Earth is predominantly blue with green, brown, and white mixed in. And for people all over the world, blue is more often their favorite color than any other. Why? In part because blue typically evokes peace, tranquility, security, and stability. It’s often used in therapeutic environments, since it makes us feel more at ease about expressing our feelings. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Gemini, because you are entering a blue phase of your cycle. It will be a favorable time to harvest the benefits of relaxing and slowing down. You are more likely to feel at home with yourself and accept yourself just as you are.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Harvard Business School professor Gerald Zaltman, born under the sign of Cancer, says that 95 percent of our buying choices originate in our subconscious minds. Behavioral psychologist Susan Weinschenk believes 90 percent of all our decision-making is unconscious. But I propose that in the coming weeks, you increase the amount of conscious awareness you bring to sorting out your options. Cosmic energies will conspire in your favor if you do. You will receive unexpected boosts and generate creative enhancements if you resolve to rouse more lucid analysis and careful thoughtfulness.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): A wealthy hedge fund manager named Raj Rajaratnam paid Leo singer Kenny Rogers $4 million to perform at his epic birthday party. But the night turned nightmarish for Rogers when Rajaratnam insisted that he sing his hit song “The Gambler” over and over again. Finally, after 12 repetitions, Rogers refused to do more. I wonder if you, too, might soon have to deal with a situation that’s too much of a good thing. My advice: Make sure all agreements between you and others are clear and firm. Get a guarantee that you will receive exactly what you want, and don’t do more than you have promised.

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