We Must Always Take Sides

Neutrality helps the oppressor

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

—Nobel Prize Laureate and Holocaust survivor 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.

―Humans rights activist and Nobel Prize Laureate 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.

—Educator and philospher Paulo Freire

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

—Feminist theologian Elizabeth Schüssler Fiorenza

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Meme words by Eliezer Yudkowsky

Photo by Rob McInnis

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I HAVE NO LANE TO STAY IN

It's time for my annual announcement to new-ish readers who like my horoscopes but have been shocked and disturbed to realize I have robust progressive political views.

"Stay in your lane" and "Stick to astrology" are the demands I hear most.

Here are the facts: I love astrology and I love writing horoscopes. For decades, I have also been a philosopher, essayist, researcher, poet, musician, performance artist, and activist who has written millions of words and over a hundred songs that are not about astrology.

I have no lane to stay in.

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THE OPPORTUNITY OF THE SOLAR ECLIPSE

There was a solar eclipse in Scorpio on Tuesday, October 25 at exactly 3:49 am Pacific Time. I suspect this event signals an opening and opportunity we can take advantage of during the coming days.

How? I believe we will have EXTRA POWER to transmute and rehabilitate the deep dark damaged parts of us.

If we are brave, we will bestow tender, compassionate care on the shadowy aspects of our psyche. We will offer healing energy and intelligent love to the wounds and the suffering and the ignorance that undermine our lust for life.

I think the possibilities are quite dramatic. The chances of actually changing our inner lives for the better are much higher than usual right now. Let's be daring even as we are merciful and generous. Let’s treat ourselves as we would a beloved person or animal.

In my view, this eclipse is not about trying to fix other people or getting other people to alter their behavior. It's about working on ourselves with all the kind, vibrant creativity we can summon.

(PS: Changing our inner lives for the better in the coming days may not immediately change our outer lives for the better. But it will in the long run.)

If you have questions, write them in the comments, and I will try to respond.

The image is from https://tinyurl.com/2p8ccezz

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WE ARE IN A CULTURAL EMERGENCY

We are in a cultural emergency—as well as a life-and-death emergency for many people. Here's my compilation of abortion resources from a few months ago—still very urgent: https://tinyurl.com/FightAndHeal

I encourage you to vote for candidates who will uphold and restore our right to safe and widely available abortions.

See my newsletter from last week, with essays on why voting is a life-and-death matter: https://tinyurl.com/AlwaysLovingLife

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BOOK BANNING

More news about the Christo-Fascist Theocratic Takeover currently underway in the US. It has worked very hard to make abortion illegal and difficult to obtain.

In addition to that ugly decimation of human rights, it has been responsible for censorship on a massive scale.

Under its influence, over 1,600 books have been banned in the last 12 months. This includes 42 children's books and books about Nelson Mandela, Cesar Chavez, and Rosa Parks.

More info: https://tinyurl.com/2hb52ec2

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NOTES ABOUT THE REAL TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST

Let's celebrate the justice-loving Christians who've embodied Jesus Christ's actual teachings as they've worked in behalf of progressive ideals, including:

Harriet Tubman
César Chávez
Martin Luther King Jr.
the Berrigan Brothers
Archbishop Oscar Romero
Dorothy Day 
Ralph Abernathy
Sojourner Truth
Fred Shuttlesworth
Desmond Tutu
Kim Bobo
Frederick Douglass 
Thomas Merton
Sister Joan Chittister
Anna Howard Shaw
Frances Willard
Helen Keller
and John Lewis . . . 

. . . all of whom were REAL Christians who cared about poor and marginalized people—unlike evangelicals and fundamentalists, who are the antithesis of everything Christ taught.

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In the Biblical book of Matthew, a rich young man asks Jesus what actions bring eternal life. 

First, Jesus advises the man to obey the commandments. 

When the man responds that he already observes them, and asks what else he can do, Jesus adds: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven."

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The book of Luke has a similar episode and states that: Jesus said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven."

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SUPPORTERS OF THE BIG LIE

Molly Jong-Fast reports in The Atlantic:

The New York Times reports: “More than 370 people—a vast majority of Republicans running for these offices in November—have questioned and, at times, outright denied the results of the 2020 election—despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”

The Washington Post reports similar findings: More than half of all Republicans running for congressional and state office this midterm cycle are 2020 election deniers.

Forty-eight out of 50 states have Big Lie supporters running for some kind of office, from governor on down.

Since former President Trump took control of the Republican Party, the party’s platform has evolved into a bizarre hodgepodge of election denialism and owning the libs. The owning-the-libs part is annoying but probably not terminal. However, the election denialism could, if left unchecked, end American democracy.

That isn’t hyperbole. The stakes boil down to a single basic question: If one of two major political parties no longer believes in free and fair elections, how can democracy still function?

It feels like we’re on the precipice of a disaster. And yet, the tone of most mainstream political coverage rarely reflects the terrifying possibilities implicit in the very news they’re covering. As the former New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan told me, “The mainstream press doesn’t seem to quite get that American democracy is on the brink, or be willing to clearly state who’s driving that movement.”

The full article is behind a paywall: https://tinyurl.com/yc5yttpw

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BELIEVE THERE IS GOOD IN THE WORLD

A reader who is upset about my outrage at right-wing extremism sent me this meme: "Believe there is good in the world."

Here's my response: For more than a decade, I have been a tireless advocate for the importance of believing there is good in the world. But if we believers in the world's wonder and glory fail to identify and acknowledge the world's suffering, our advocacy is empty and feeble; our credibility is zero.

To celebrate the good—indeed, to create and cultivate the good—we must deal regularly with the malice and darkness. We must use all our love and power to dismantle injustice.

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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 DOES OUT SPIRITUAL PRACTICE SERVE THE EARTH?

How does our spiritual practice and daily life serve the earth?

How does our spiritual practice and daily life affect the poorest third of humanity?

How will our spiritual practice and daily life affect the generations to come in the future?

—Starhawk

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Image by Banksy

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SIGN UP!

I have made it possible for subscribers to my newsletter to pay a subscription fee to me for my newsletter, BUT ONLY IF THEY WANT TO AND CAN AFFORD TO!

If, however, you are sufficiently prosperous and feel comfortable about donating money to me, I welcome it. Please know, though: I am TOTALLY FINE if you don't donate.

Sign up here: Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

Week beginning October 27

Copyright 2022 by Rob Brezsny

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I guess it would be difficult to create a practical snake costume for Halloween. How would you move around? You'd have to slither across the floor and the ground everywhere you go. So maybe instead you could be a snake priest or snake priestess—a magic conjurer wearing snake-themed jewelry and clothes and crown. Maybe your wand could be a caduceus. I'm nudging you in this direction because I think you will benefit from embodying the mythic attributes of a snake. As you know, the creature sheds its old skin to let new skin emerge. That's a perfect symbol for rebirth, fertility, transformation, and healing. I'd love those themes to be your specialties in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "I need my sleep," proclaimed Sagittarian comedian Bill Hicks. "I need about eight hours a day and about ten at night." I don't think you will need as much slumber as Hicks in the coming nights, Sagittarius. On the other hand, I hope you won't scrimp on your travels in the land of dreams. Your decisions in the waking world will improve as you give yourself maximum rest. The teachings you will be given while dreaming will make you extra smart and responsive to the transformations unfolding in your waking life. Halloween costume suggestion: dancing sleepwalker; snoozing genius; angel banishing a nightmare; fantastic dream creature.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Recently, my mom told me my dad only spoke the Slovakian language, never English, until he started first grade in a school near Detroit, Michigan. Both of his parents had grown up in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but immigrated to the United States in their youth. When I related this story to my Slovakian cousin Robert Brežny, he assured me it's not true. He met my dad's mother several times, and he says she could not speak Slovakian. He thinks she was Hungarian, in fact. So it's unlikely my dad spoke Slovakian as a child. I guess all families have odd secrets and mysteries and illusions, and this is one of mine. How about you, Capricorn? I'm happy to say that the coming months will be a favorable time to dig down to the roots of your family's secrets and mysteries and illusions. Get started! Halloween costume suggestion: your most fascinating ancestor.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): My Aquarian friend Allie told me, "If a demon turned me into a monster who had to devour human beings to get my necessary protein, I would only eat evil billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg." What about you, Aquarius? If you woke up one morning and found you had transformed into a giant wolf-dragon that ate people, who would you put on your menu? I think it's a good time to meditate on this hypothetical question. You're primed to activate more ferocity as you decide how you want to fight the world's evil in the months and years to come. Halloween costume suggestion: a giant wolf-dragon that eats bad people.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do you value the feeling of wildness? Is that an experience you seek and cultivate? If so, what conditions rouse it? How does it feel? When it visits you, does it have a healthy impact? Are you motivated by your pleasurable brushes with wildness to reconfigure the unsatisfying and unwild parts of your life? These are questions I hope you will contemplate in the coming weeks. The astrological omens suggest you have more power than usual to access wildness. Halloween costume suggestion: whatever makes you feel wild.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Of all the rich philanthropists in the world, Aries author MacKenzie Scott is the most generous. During a recent 12-month period, she gave away $8.5 billion. Her focus is on crucial issues: racial equality, LGBTQ+ rights, pandemic relief, upholding and promoting democracy, and addressing the climate emergency. She disburses her donations quickly and without strings attached, and prefers to avoid hoopla and ego aggrandizement. I suggest we make her your inspirational role model in the coming weeks. May she motivate you to gleefully share your unique gifts and blessings. I think you will reap selfish benefits by exploring the perks of generosity. Halloween costume suggestion: philanthropist, Santa Claus, compassion freak.

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YOU ARE A GORGEOUS GENIUS, a miracle unlike any other ever created in the history of the world. Take a moment to celebrate that amazing truth!

And yet you also have a lot to learn. There are many mysteries to solve about how to become the best version of yourself.

For inspiration in carrying out your sometimes challenging, sometimes glorious work, tune in to my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.

To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope, 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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TAURUS (April 20-May 20): What animal best represents your soul? Which species do you love the most? Now would be a good time to try this imaginative exercise. You're in a phase when you'll thrive by nurturing your inner wild thing. You will give yourself blessings by stoking your creature intelligence. All of us are part-beast, and this is your special time to foster the beauty of your beast. Halloween costume suggestion: your favorite animal or the animal that symbolizes your soul.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): During the tyrannical reign of Spain's fascist government in the 1930s, Gemini poet Federico García Lorca creatively resisted and revolted with great courage. One critic said Lorca "was all freedom inside, abandon and wildness. A tulip, growing at the foot of a concrete bulwark." I invite you to be inspired by Lorca's untamed, heartfelt beauty in the coming weeks, Gemini. It's a favorable time to rebel with exuberance against the thing that bothers you most, whether that's bigotry, injustice, misogyny, creeping authoritarianism, or anything else. Halloween costume suggestion: a high-spirited protestor.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): If the trickster god Mercury gave you permission to do one mischievous thing today and a naughty thing tomorrow and a rascally thing two days from now, what would you choose? Now is the perfect time for you Cancerians to engage in roguish, playful, puckish actions. You are especially likely to get away with them, karma-free—and probably even benefit from them—especially if they are motivated by love. Are you interested in taking advantage of this weird grace period? Halloween costume suggestion: prankster, joker, fairy, elf.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Everyone's mind constantly chatters with agitated fervor—what I call the ever-flickering flux. We might as well accept this as a fundamental element of being human. It's a main feature, not a bug. Yet there are ways to tone down the inner commotion. Meditation can help. Communing with nature often works. Doing housework sometimes quells the clamor for me. The good news for you, Leo, is that you're in a phase when it should be easier than usual to cultivate mental calm. Halloween costume suggestion: meditation champion; tranquility superstar; gold medalist in the relaxation tournament.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "Education is an admirable thing," said author Oscar Wilde. "But it is well to remember that nothing worth knowing can be taught.” What?! That's an exasperating theory. I don't like it. In fact, I protest it. I reject it. I am especially opposed to it right now as I contemplate your enhanced power to learn amazing lessons and useful knowledge and life-changing wisdom. So here's my message for you, Virgo: What Oscar Wilde said DOES NOT APPLY to you these days. Now get out there and soak up all the inspiring teachings that are available to you. Halloween costume suggestion: top student.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): To celebrate Halloween, I suggest you costume yourself as a character you were in a past life. A jeweler in first-century Rome? A midwife in 11th-century China? A salt trader in 14th-century Timbuktu? If you don't have any intuitions about your past lives, be playful and invent one. Who knows? You might make an accurate guess. Why am I inviting you to try this fun exercise? Because now is an excellent time to re-access resources and powers and potentials you possessed long ago—even as far back as your previous incarnations.

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Homework: Here’s another Halloween costume suggestion: Be the opposite of yourself. Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

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