The Next Magic Is on Its Way

Be Alert for Subtle Miracles

THE FOUR ADDICTIONS

Success coach Tom Ferry says our ability to pursue our dreams can be damaged by four addictions:

• an addiction to what other people think of us;

• an addiction to creating melodrama in a misguided quest for excitement;

• an addiction to believing we’re imprisoned by what happened in the past;

• an addiction to negative thoughts that fill us with anxiety.

Here's the good news: It’s your birthright to beat or at least outwit all four of those addictions.

The work won’t necessarily come fast or early, and may never be perfect. But you have the potential to achieve a rough prowe

FREE FROM BEING JUDGED AND QUESTIONED

Would you like to be free from the experience of getting judged, questioned, and reviewed? Do you think it might be nice if no one ever accused you of being wrong or off-track?

If so, here’s how you should proceed, writes American author and philosopher Elbert Hubbard: “Do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.”

But I can’t recommend that behavior for you. The way I see things, you have a sacred duty to your Future Self to assert your best guesses, unveil your genuine feelings, and take audacious stands.

Yes, you may sometimes draw flack. You might disturb the sterile peace. But that is usually an acceptable price to pay for the self-mastery you nurture as a result.

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WE CHANGE EVERYTHING

We change everything we look at by looking at and forming ideas about it. So why not work as makers of meaning as much as understanders of meaning?

Why not proceed on the hypothesis that our highest expression, our way of participating with the Divine Intelligence, is to create?

We could regard spiritual practice to be as much about play as about worship—changing what we're given even more than figuring out what we're given; artistry more than piety.

Since we can't possibly know what's ultimately true, why don't we create love and beauty and enchantment as much as possible?

Inspired by my old teacher Norman O. Brown, I like to find "words used not to interpret the world but to change it; not to advertise this world but to find another. To pass from this world to the next; from ordinary to extraordinary language."

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Innocent and infinite are the pleasures of observation.

—author Henry James

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“We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us,” writes novelist Robert R. McCammon. “We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. We get put on the straight and narrow path and told to be responsible.”

Is that true for you, even a little bit? If so, I’m happy to inform you that you have the power you need to re-magic yourself.

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I think, therefore I think. I feel, therefore I am.

—author Lily Akerman

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BODY KNOWLEDGE

There are many different facets to your intelligence, and each matures at a different rate.

So for example, your ability to think symbolically may evolve more slowly than your ability to think abstractly.

Your wisdom about why humans act the way they do may ripen more rapidly than your insight into your own emotions.

In the coming years, I personally hope one particular aspect of your intelligence undergoes a growth spurt: your knowledge of what your body needs and how to give it what it needs.

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Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos—the trees, the clouds, everything.

―author and teacher Thich Nhat Hanh

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THE EARLY SEEDS OF YOUR DESTINY

When the future aviators Wilbur and Orville Wright were kids, their father gave them a toy helicopter powered by a rubber band. The year was 1878.

Twenty-five years later, the brothers became the first humans to sail above the earth in a flying machine. They testified that the toy helicopter had been a key inspiration as they worked to develop their pioneering invention.

In the spirit of the Wright Brothers' magic seed, I invite you to remember and celebrate the revelations about your future destiny that arrived when you were a child. They might have more to give you.

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The future belongs to those who see possibilities before they become obvious.

—businessperson and entrepreneur John Sculley

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ODD BLESSINGS?

The good fortune that swirls in your vicinity may sometimes be odd or irregular or hard-to-understand. To harvest it, you might have to expand your ideas about what constitutes good fortune. It can bless you with powers you don’t realize it's possible to have.

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To a brave person, good and bad luck are like her left and right hand. She uses both.

—theologian and philosopher St. Catherine of Siena

DOING WHAT YOU CANNOT YET DO WELL?

“Nothing would be done at all,” writes theologian and poet Cardinal Newman, “if a man waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault with it.”

Let’s overlook his sexist language and concentrate on the truth he articulates, because it’s good counsel.

I recommend that you regularly try to do what you cannot yet do well—that you not use lack of mastery as an excuse to avoid practicing an immature skill.

Are you willing to look foolish? That’s a rare asset.

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Invent a new language anyone can understand.

—poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti

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REAL MAGIC

I’m not a big fan of the notorious occultist Aleister Crowley, but I appreciate some of his ideas. His definition of magic is pure and true: “the Science and Art of causing change to occur in conformity with will.”

He wasn’t simply referring to the esoteric transformations attempted by wizards wielding spells and conjurations. He meant anyone who seeks to make practical shifts in his or her life.

Let’s say you grew up conditioned to feel shame about behavior there’s no good reason to feel shame about, and you resolve to do whatever it takes to dissolve that shame, and you succeed in doing it. That’s magic.

Or maybe you no longer want to attract bad listeners and flaky collaborators into your sphere, and you promise yourself you will alter that pattern, and you ultimately achieve your goal. That’s magic, too.

One other example: You decide you want to be a skilled songwriter, and spend years learning to play an instrument, analyzing the songs you love in order to understand how they’re constructed, and cultivating your creativity. That’s magic at work.

By these measures, you are potentially an adroit magician. The ability to change what you want to change is your birthright.

Corollary: this superpower is most likely to manifest in its entirety as you implement your soul’s code.

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We want our heartbeats to echo the boom of the sacred drum that pulses time.

—eighth-century Tamil poet Andal

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I never get tired of waiting for the next magic.

—actor Marlon Brando

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I have a close personal relationship with clouds.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week beginning Week of May 25

Copyright 2023 by Rob Brezsny

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your meandering trek through the Unpromised Land wasn't as demoralizing as you feared. The skirmish with the metaphorical dragon was a bit disruptive, but hey, you are still breathing and walking around—and even seem to have been energized by the weird thrill of the adventure. The only other possible downside was the new dent in your sweet dream. But I suspect that in the long run, that imperfection will inspire you to work even harder on behalf of your sweet dream—and this will be a blessing. Here's another perk: The ordeal you endured effectively cleaned out stale old karma, freeing up space for a slew of fresh help and resources.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Testing time is ahead, but don't get your nerves in an uproar with fantasy-spawned stress. For the most part, your challenges and trials will be interesting, not unsettling. There will be few if any trick questions. There will be straightforward prods to stretch your capacities and expand your understanding. Bonus! I bet you'll get the brilliant impulse to shed the ball and chain you've been absent-mindedly carrying around with you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Biologist Edward O. Wilson said that the most social animals are ants, termites, and honeybees. He used the following criteria to define that description: “altruism, instincts devoted to social life, and the tightness of the bonds that turn colonies into virtual superorganisms.” I’m going to advocate that you regard ants, termites, and honeybees as teachers and role models for you. The coming weeks will be a great time to boost your skill at socializing and networking. You will be wise to ruminate about how you could improve your life by enhancing your ability to cooperate with others. And remember to boost your altruism!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Jack Sarfatti is an authentic but maverick physicist born under the sign of Virgo. He suggests that if we make ourselves receptive and alert, we may get help from our future selves. They are trying to communicate good ideas to us back through time. Alas, most of us don’t believe such a thing is feasible, so we aren’t attuned to the potential help. I will encourage you to transcend any natural skepticism you might have about Sarfatti’s theory. As a fun experiment, imagine that the Future You has an important transmission for you—maybe several transmissions. For best results, formulate three specific questions to pose to the Future You.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I have five points for your consideration. 1. You are alive in your mysterious, endlessly interesting life, and you are imbued with the fantastically potent power of awareness. How could you not feel thrilled? 2. You’re on a planet that’s always surprising, and you're in an era when so many things are changing that you can't help being fascinated. How could you not feel thrilled? 3. You have some intriguing project to look forward to, or some challenging but engaging work you're doing, or some mind-bending riddle you're trying to solve. How could you not feel thrilled? 4. You're playing the most enigmatic game in the universe, also known as your destiny on Earth, and you love ruminating on questions about what it all means. How could you not feel thrilled? 5. You never know what's going to happen next. You’re like a hero in an epic movie that is endlessly entertaining. How could you not feel thrilled?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): "Trust those that you have helped to help you in their turn," advises Scorpio author Neil Gaiman. Let's make that one of your mantras for the coming weeks. In my astrological understanding, you are due to cash in on favors you have bestowed on others. The generosity you have expressed should be streaming back your way in abundance. Be bold about welcoming the bounty. In fact, I hope you will nudge and prompt people, if necessary, to reward you for your past support and blessings.

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EXTRA HELP

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Check out your EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE at https://Realastrology.com

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Click on "Daily Sunbursts" in the left-hand panel.

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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): So many of us are starved to be listened to with full attention. So many of us yearn to be seen and heard and felt by people who are skilled at receptive empathy. How many of us? I’d say the figure is about 99.9 percent. That’s the bad news, Sagittarius. The good news is that in the coming weeks, you will have an exceptional ability to win the attention of good listeners. To boost the potential healing effects of this opportunity, here’s what I recommend: Refine and deepen your own listening skills. Express them with panache.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Because you’re a Capricorn, earthiness is probably one of your strengths. It’s your birthright to be practical and sensible and well-grounded. Now and then, however, your earthiness devolves into muddiness. You get too sober and earnest. You’re bogged down in excess pragmatism. I suspect you may be susceptible to such a state these days. What to do? It may help if you add elements of air and fire to your constitution, just to balance things out. Give yourself a secret nickname with a fiery feel, like Blaze, or a crispy briskness, like Breezy. What else could you do to rouse fresh, glowing vigor, Breezy Blaze—even a touch of wildness?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I love to use metaphors in my writing, but I hate to mix unrelated metaphors. I thrive on referring to poetry, sometimes even surrealistic poetry, but I try to avoid sounding like a lunatic. However, at this juncture in your hero's journey, Aquarius, I frankly feel that the most effective way to communicate with you is to offer you mixed metaphors and surrealist poetry that border on sounding lunatic. Why? Because you seem primed to wander around on the edges of reality. I'm guessing you'll respond best to a message that's aligned with your unruly mood. So here goes: Get ready to surf the spiritual undertow all the way to the teeming wilderness on the other side of the cracked mirror. Ignore the provocative wasteland on your left and the intriguing chaos on your right. Stay focused on the stars in your eyes and devote yourself to wild joy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "The gift of patience opens when our body, heart, and mind slow enough to move in unison." So says Piscean poet Mark Nepo. I feel confident you are about to glide into such a grand harmony, dear Pisces. Through a blend of grace and your relaxed efforts to be true to your deepest desires, your body, heart, and mind will synchronize and synergize. Patience will be just one of the gifts you will receive. Others include: a clear vision of your most beautiful future; a lucid understanding of what will be most meaningful to you in the next three years; and a profound sense of feeling at home in the world wherever you go.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): My reading of the astrological omens inspires me to make a series of paradoxical predictions for you. Here are five scenarios I foresee as being quite possible in the coming weeks. 1. An epic journey to a sanctuary close to home. 2. A boundary that doesn’t keep people apart but brings them closer. 3. A rambunctious intervention that calms you down and helps you feel more at peace. 4. A complex process that leads to simple clarity. 5. A visit to the past that empowers you to redesign the future.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do you want a seed to fulfill its destiny? You must bury it in the ground. There, if it’s able to draw on water and the proper nutrients, it will break open and sprout. Its life as a seed will be over. The plant it eventually grows into will look nothing like its source. We take this process for granted, but it's always a miracle. Now let’s invoke this story as a metaphor for what you are hopefully on the verge of, Taurus. I invite you to do all that’s helpful and necessary to ensure your seed germinates!

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Homework: What is the most spiritually nourishing pleasure you should seek out but don’t? Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

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