This Is Real

Nowhere to Hide

REALNESS

On a late night in May some years ago, I was walking across Duke University’s East Campus, headed for the Greyhound bus station downtown. As I passed Brown Dormitory, an angry-looking stranger glided out from behind a tree and strode up to within six feet of me. He was brandishing a shotgun. I was instantly trembling uncontrollably.

The innocent part of me was hoping this situation wasn’t as dire as it appeared. The realistic part of me saw clearly: I was in mortal danger. But I was in shock, and that shut down the realistic part of me.

If I had had my wits about me, I would have tried to punch the weaponized stranger, kick him, and wrest the gun away from him.

But as it was, being immobilized by fear, I stood passively as he shot me.

47 hot lead pellets slammed into my body, where they still are today. It was a major blow to my life plans that took me a long time to recover from.

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I bring up this story from my past because it provides counsel for today.

Right now, in March 2025, we Americans are embedded in a red-alert emergency crisis. Numerous scholars of American history describe this as the single most dangerous moment since the Civil War. Some say it’s even more dangerous.

Cruel, stupid, psychopathic, evil people are in power. They are perpetrating a non-stop horror show of cruelty, stupidity, psychopathy, and evil. This is not an exaggeration in the least. We are under attack. Every day, more and more corrupt and depraved outrages are piling up.

This confederacy of malignant billionaire dunces is literally threatening the lives and destinies of millions of people, both in America and around the world. They are already responsible for a ruthless, relentless rampage of death and widespread damage—and they are just getting started in implementing the traumas they plan.

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Some people are alarmed by my alarm at this red-alert emergency, this full-on vicious assault by fascist nazi misogynist oligarchic theocratic bigots.

They argue that we should simply beam unconditional love at those who have such violent and destructive intentions; or that we should be gentle souls biding our time.

The innocent part of these people is saying, as I did when confronted with a gun, "This outbreak of horrors can't possibly be real. It can't possibly be happening."

Would the "unconditional love" advocates' solution to my experience on the Duke campus be to beam unconditional love at the assailant?.

That's not my approach to the current onslaught.

Fighting for our lives and other people's lives against cruel, stupid, psychopathic evil is noble, high-minded, and sacred.

That's what I'm doing. That's what I invite you to join me in doing.

I have no hatred or vengefulness toward the brutal thugs committing poisonous mayhem, because in my view emotions like those are irrelevant and unnecessary to the work I must do. I do have holy rage about their toxic, trauma-inducing pathology because that fuels my drive for justice and correction.

I would NEVER advocate literal violence against them or anyone else. And I decry anyone who proposes doing literal violence.

But I am in total support of all other efforts to undermine them, stop them, thwart them in every way — to do everything possible to make them lose the power they have to abuse, ruin, and destroy.

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Not everyone feels called to my approach, and that's fine and right and as it should be. As Bill Widener said (and President Teddy Roosevelt repeated), "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

And as Clarissa Pinkola Estés says, "Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach. Any small, calm thing that one soul can do to help another soul, to assist some portion of this poor suffering world, will help immensely.”

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For as long as space remains
and as long as beings remain,
may I too remain
to end the sorrows in this world.

—Shantideva)

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IS THIS A PRONOIAC WAY TO BE?

Some people also seem alarmed at what they see as my failure, during this time of crisis, to uphold PRONOIA — the concept of crafty optimism that I have made famous through my book Pronoia Is the Antidote to Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings.

But I can assure you that anyone who has actually read my book would never be alarmed at my current alarm. They know that my devotion to identifying and celebrating the world’s beauty and life’s bounty has NEVER involved ignoring the world’s terror and life’s sadness.

They know that people like me who embrace PRONOIA are always ready to fight the oppressive forces of evil cruelty so as to preserve and nurture beauty, truth, justice, and love.

As just one small piece of evidence, listen to this excerpt from PRONOIA, called “Shadow Blessings”:

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WE ARE AT A TURNING POINT IN HISTORY

John Pavlovitz wrote all the words below. He’s here: tinyurl.com/JohnPavlovitzNow

We can’t and shouldn’t deny the nightmare reality or avoid the afflictive emotions or wait for a rescue that simply ain’t comin.’

The only way we’re going to persevere is by not sedating or distracting ourselves, which means we’re going to have to feel and know a lot we’d prefer not to.

Now, contrary to the opinion of some, I really hate being the bearer of bad news, but anyone thinking we "just have to get through the next four years" isn't paying attention.

We are already long-past the point of any conventional remedies to this fascist takeover. November 5th, 2024 was the closing of that window.

The checks and balances are gone, the Republican Party is unsalvageable, the courts will not permanently sustain us, and no election rescue is possible.

The old rules of engagement are no longer relevant, which is why outside of a few leaders, the Democratic Party is falling to the occasion right now.

Whether we survive or not as a nation, is going to depend solely on whether or not We The People are willing to do what we've never had to do in this nation: stand together and oppose our own Government.

And this does not necessarily mean violence, but it will likely mean exposing ourselves to violence directed by those in power, pushback from our neighbors, rejection from our families—but believe me, those we stand with and for are worth it.

What Dr. King and those of his generation did to bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice 60 years ago, we are now entrusted with continuing, and if we fail, that work too will prove not to have prevented democracy’s demise but postponed it.

I don't share this to scare or depress you but to empower you. You have enough information and resources right now to do what needs doing.

No one is going to hold our hands or save us: no party, no court, no personality. We need to use our personal, financial, and relational resources and do something, today.

If tens of millions of people move in the small and close of where they are, we might be astounded at how much collective power we have.

I didn’t write this to tell you how bad things are out there. You know that or you wouldn’t be here. I’m not here today to tell you how bad things are, I’m here to remind you how good you are.

This is not about anyone else’s inhumanity, it is about your humanity.

It's not about one group of people’s cruelty, it’s about your empathy.

It doesn’t matter how horrible the legislation that gets passed is.

It doesn’t matter how much the Evangelical church rejects Jesus and his teachings.

It doesn’t matter how compromised the courts are.

It doesn’t matter how predatory the preachers or the politicians become.

Those things, in one important way, are almost irrelevant.

The only thing any of us possess is how we choose to show up in the world, as ugly, nihilistic, and brutal as it might be.

Anyone else’s capacity for violence is not the point. Your capacity for love is the point.

And that love is the only plan for us individually and collectively.

So, as bad as it is here, we will passionately move together in these days but we will do so recognizing that we are inextricably bound together here.

We will fight for the outcasts and the vulnerable and hungry.

We will fight for the lonely and the hurting and the desperate.

We will fight for the progressive and the moderate and the conservative.

We will fight or the blue voters and the red voters.

We will faith for the deeply religious and the fiercely anti-religious.

We will fight for those fortunate enough to be born here and those who seek to call this place home.

We will see hatred and ignorance and violence as the only enemies worth our collective rage.

We will not become people at war with the world, but for it.

We will fight for everyone.

We will fight for everything.

You are the fighters and you’re still here.

That’s what matters most.

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John Pavlovitz wrote all the words above. He’s here: tinyurl.com/JohnPavlovitzNow

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BEAUTY IS AN ANTIDOTE TO SUFFERING

I know there's a lot of suffering going around, and we're doing what we can to reduce it.

Good to know that this work doesn't inhibit our ability to celebrate marvels like the tufted coquette hummingbird from The Guianas.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

For the Week of March 13

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I’m not exactly sure where you are going, Pisces, but I’m certain you are headed in the right direction. Your instincts for self-love are at a peak. Your ability to see your best possible future is lucid and strong. Your commitment to gracefully serving all that gracefully serves you is passionate and rigorous. I will congratulate you in advance for locating the exact, robust resources you need, not mediocre resources that are only half-interesting.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): What can you do to show how much you care about everyone and everything that deserves your love? Now is a fantastic time to unleash a flood of gratitude and appreciation that takes very practical forms. Don’t just beam warm and fuzzy feelings toward your favorite people and animals, in other words. Offer tangible blessings that will actually enhance their lives. Find your own personally meaningful ways to nourish all that nourishes you.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Ancient Egyptians loved the color blue. The mineral azurite and the semiprecious stones turquoise and lapis lazuli satisfied their fascination to some degree, but were rare and difficult to work with. So the Egyptians decided to fabricate their own pigment. After extensive experimentation, using copper, silica, and lime, they succeeded. The hue they made is known as Egyptian blue. I heartily endorse a comparable process for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. Identify the experience, substance, or feeling you really, really want more of, and then resolve to get as much of it as you really, really want.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Dandelions germinate quickly and grow fast. Because of their deep taproots, they are hardy. Once they establish their presence in a place, they persist. Dandelions are adaptable, too, able to grow anywhere their seeds land, even from cracks in concrete. Their efficient dispersal is legendary. They produce large quantities of lightweight seeds that are easily carried by the wind. Bees love dandelions in the spring when there are few other flowers yet to provide them with nectar. I propose we make the dandelion your symbol of power in the coming weeks, Gemini. Be like them! (PS: They are also beautiful in an unostentatious way.)

CANCER (June 21-July 22): About 36,000 years ago, humans created remarkable drawings and paintings in the Cave of Altamira, located in what we now call Spain. When an early discoverer of the art published his findings in 1880, he was met with derision. Experts accused him of forgery, saying such beautiful and technically proficient works could not have been made by ancient people, who just weren’t that smart. Eventually, though, the art was proved to be genuine. I propose we meditate on this as a metaphor for your life. It’s possible that your abilities may be underestimated, even by you. Hidden potentials and unexpressed capacities may be close to ripening, but they will need your full confidence and boldness. Don't let skepticism, either from your inner critic or others, hold you back.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1977, NASA launched two Voyager probes to study our solar system’s outer planets. Their original mission was designed to last a few years. But in 2025, they still continue to send back useful information from the great beyond, far past Uranus and Neptune, and into interstellar space. I suspect that now is also a good time for you Leos to seek valuable information from adventures you began years ago. Even if those past experiences have not yielded relevant revelations recently, they may soon do so. Be alert for ways to harvest new riches from old memories.

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WHAT LIFE STORY WILL YOU CREATE FOR YOURSELF IN THE COMING MONTHS?

Get inspired by listening to my 3-part EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES about your LONG-RANGE FUTURE.

Theis the last week these forecasts will be available.

Who do you want to become between now and January 2026? Where do you want to go and what do you want to do?

To listen to my three-part, in-depth reports, go here:

https://RealAstrology.com

Register and/or log in through the main page, click "Play Readings", and then select "Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3" of the "Long-Term Prediction for 2025."

Each of the three parts is a separate report, though related to the other two.

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Each of the three-part reports is seven to 11 minutes long. The cost is $7 per report. There are discounts for the purchase of multiple reports.

P.S. You can also listen to a short-term Expanded Audio Horoscope for the coming week.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): About 3,775 years ago, a Babylonian man named Nanni wrote a crabby letter to Ea-nasir, a merchant who had sold him substandard copper ingots. Nanni was also upset that his servant was treated rudely. It is the oldest customer complaint in history. With this as our touchstone, I remind you that maintaining high standards is always crucial for your long-term success. Others may be tempted to cut corners, but your natural integrity is one of your superpowers. Please redouble your commitment to providing highest value, Virgo. And ask for it from others, too.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Blogger Yukiko Kisaki writes about the Japanese concept of ma. She says it’s “the emptiness full of possibilities, like a promise yet to be fulfilled. It’s the purposeful pauses in a speech that make words stand out; the quiet time we all need to make our busy lives meaningful; the silence between the notes that make the music.” According to my analysis, Libra, you will be wise to make ma a central theme in the coming weeks. I invite you to research the power of pauses. Rather than filling up every gap, allow space for pregnant blankness. Trust that in being open to vacancy, you will make room for unexpected riches.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The literal meaning of the Japanese word yohen is “kiln mutation.” It refers to a type of glaze that undergoes unpredictable variations in color when baked in a kiln. The finished pottery that emerges displays patterns and hues that are blends of the artist’s intention and accidental effects created by the heat. I would love to see you carry out metaphorical versions of yohen in the coming weeks, Scorpio. Suggested meditations: 1. Collaborate to create beauty with energies that aren’t entirely manageable. 2. Undertake projects that require both careful preparation and a willingness to adapt to shifting conditions. 3. Engage with opportunities that will have the best outcomes if you relinquish some control.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A big party is underway in your astrological House of Self-Understanding and Self-Definition. The near future will be a favorable time to discover yourself in greater depth and bring your identity into clearer focus. I see this mostly as a task for you to carry out in intimate conversation with yourself. It’s also fine to solicit the feedback of allies who have insight into your nature, but I urge you to rely heavily on your private investigations. How can you deepen your knowledge of the reasons you are here on earth? Can you learn more about your dormant potentials? Who are you, exactly?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan.19): Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila was selected by his country to compete in the 1960 Rome Olympics. But the honor was offered shortly before the games began, and he had to scramble to get there in time. When he arrived for the main event, he couldn't find any running shoes in local stores that fit comfortably. So he decided to go barefoot for the 26.2-mile race. Success! He won, setting a new world-record time. I propose we make him your role model, Capricorn. May he inspire you to respond to an apparent scarcity or deficiency by calling on earthy alternatives. May you adjust to a problem by deepening your reliance on your natural self.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): After being part of two journeys to Antarctica, Aquarian explorer Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) assembled a team to try what no one had ever done: crossing the entire continent on foot with pack dogs and motorized sledges. But the proposed 1,800-mile expedition failed soon after it began. That’s when Shackleton did what he is most famous for. His leadership during the harrowing struggle to survive became legendary. I don’t think you will face anything remotely resembling his challenges in the coming weeks. But I suspect that your response to tests and trials will define your success. As you encounter obstacles, you will treat them as opportunities to showcase your resourcefulness and adaptability. You will inspire others to summon resiliency, and you will bring out their best as together you engage in creative problem-solving. Trials will become triumphs.

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