You Are in Possession of Life's Most Monumental Gift
Your consciousness is a miracle
I dream that I love everything about my life. I dream that each event I have ever experienced or will ever experience is precious and glorious, even the painful interludes.
I dream that I have personal possession of the universe's most monumental and mysterious accomplishment: "consciousness."
I have a visceral insight about the mercurial flash and shimmer that ceaselessly whirls around inside my head: It's miraculous. I can think thoughts any time I want to—soaring, luminescent, flamboyant thoughts or shriveled, rusty, burrowing thoughts . . . thoughts that can invent or destroy, corrupt or redeem, bless or curse.
There's more. I can revel and wallow in great flows of feelings. It's ultimately irrelevant whether they are poignant or intoxicating or somewhere in between. I simply relish the fact that I can harbor so much intensity. I cherish the privilege of commanding such extravagant life force.
And maybe the best part is being in possession of a prodigiously potent magical tool: an imagination. I can use it to change and shape the way my thoughts and feelings unfold. It potentially gives me the power to treat every single one of my experiences as a door leading to infinity.
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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.
These forecasts will be available for just two more weeks.
Who do you want to become between now and January 2023? Where do you want to go and what do you want to do? How can you exert your free will to create adventures that'll bring out the best in you, even as you find graceful ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?
To listen to my three-part, in-depth reports, go here:
Register and/or log in through the main page, and then access the horoscopes by clicking on "Long Range Prediction." Choose from Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Each part is a standalone report, not dependent on the other two.
If you'd like a boost of inspiration to fuel you in your quest for beauty and truth and love and meaning, tune in to my meditations on your Big-Picture Outlook.
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Each of the three-part reports is seven to nine minutes long. The cost is $6 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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IDIOT COMPASSION
Pema Chödrön says that one of the enemies of compassion “is idiot compassion. This is when we avoid conflict and protect our good image by being kind when we should definitely say 'no.'
"Compassion doesn't only imply trying to be good. When we find ourselves in an aggressive relationship, we need to set clear boundaries. The kindest thing we can do for everyone concerned is to know when to say 'enough.' Many people use Buddhist ideals to justify self-debasement. In the name of not shutting our heart we let people walk all over us.
"It is said that in order not to break our vow of compassion we have to learn when to stop aggression and draw the line. There are times when the only way to bring down barriers is to set boundaries."
- Pema Chodron, The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times
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ON NOT MEETING NAZIS HALFWAY
Rebecca Solnit writes:
"We get this hopelessly naïve version of centrism, of the idea that if we’re nicer to the other side there will be no other side, just one big happy family.
"This inanity is also applied to the questions of belief and fact and principle, with some muddled cocktail of moral relativism and therapists’ “everyone’s feelings are valid” applied to everything.
"But the truth is not some compromise halfway between the truth and the lie, the fact and the delusion, the scientists and the propagandists.
"And the ethical is not halfway between white supremacists and human rights activists, rapists and feminists, synagogue massacrists and Jews, xenophobes and immigrants, delusional transphobes and trans people.
"Who the hell wants unity with Nazis until and unless they stop being Nazis?"
— Excerpted from the essay, "On Not Meeting Nazis Halfway," by Rebecca Solnit
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REAL COMPASSION
A reader tried to tell me that we need to rise above partisan politics; that we need people who have no ideology fueling their perspective; that we can't afford to be feeding argument.
This person invoked Martin Luther King Jr. as fitting this description. They said that King brought people together like no one has done since.
The truth is very different. Martin Luther King Jr. was fiercely anti-racist, anti-poverty, and anti-war and anti-militarism. He did not hold anything back in his criticisms of the corrupt American system. And he alienated a great number of white people.
Historian Nathan Connolly says it's important to remember that King was considered a divisive figure, both in his lifetime and after his death. Some people today try to make him into a consensus builder. But the fact is that he never watered down his commitments to justice.
It's true that he specifically advised us to avoid physical violence. But he was a staunch fighter, a vehement defender of what's right, an uncompromising force advocating a fundamental remaking of American politics and culture.
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TOXIC NEGATIVITY
I am all in favor of critiquing what some call "toxic positivity." When we refuse to look at difficulties and insist on being compulsively optimistic, we spawn monsters. At the same time, I think toxic negativity is at least as big a problem.
Science says that we actually take pleasure in the negative emotion itself. We willingly dive back into misery again and again for the same reason we willingly board a roller coaster or go bungee jumping: We get a rush from it.
That is, the pleasure/reward centers of your brain light up and release dopamine. And you can get addicted to whatever causes your brain to release dopamine, whether it's chocolate or fistfights.
MORE INFO:
https://tinyurl.com/yagc9f9k
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How to overcome your brain's fixation on bad things:
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MALEFIC ECSTASY
"Malefic ecstasy" or "pestilent ecstasy" or "exultant malaise" is the pleasure that the disenchanters feel as they dwell on and talk about horrific futures and demoralizing events.
They don't want their blissful pessimism to be diluted. That's why they hate it when we offer evidence that world is a paradise replete with miracles and blessings, even if it is also a realm where much suffering occurs.
We align ourselves with poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning's hypothesis: "Earth's crammed with heaven."
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ENLIGHTENMENT IS LOVE IN ACTION
One thing is certain about your destiny in the coming years: Life will conspire to bring you deep insights into the nature of reality—and the excited joy that comes with it.
If you decide to cooperate with life’s efforts, keep in mind these provocations from designer Elissa Giles:
“Enlightenment is not an asexual, dispassionate, head-in-the-clouds, nails-in-the-palms disappearance from the game of life. It’s a volcanic, kick-ass, erotic commitment to love in action, coupled with hard-headed practical grist.”
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WEAVE THESE ALL TOGETHER
“There isn't anything in your life that cannot be changed.”
—Caroline Myss
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"I am not excited by the idea that the world we live in is made up of 90 percent ugly things and ugly places, while things and places endowed with beauty are rare and difficult to find. My opinion is that there is no ugly object or ugly person in this world. Anything is potentially fascinating."
—Jean Dubuffet
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"Expect the unexpected or you won't find it."
—Heraclitus
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"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
—Buckminster Fuller
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"Try with all your might and work very, very hard to make the world a better place. But if all your efforts are to no avail—no hard feelings."
—The Dalai Lama
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“If you don't appreciate what you have in life right now, whatever it is, you will never realize your purpose. Without appreciation, you will never become strong enough to respect yourself.”
—Caroline Myss
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"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
—Alvin Toffler, Powershift: Knowledge, Wealth, and Power at the Edge of the 21st Century
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Kefir the Maine Coon Cat is So Big People Mistake Him For a Dog. https://tinyurl.com/2e5y4dxj
Scientists Achieve Milestone in Self-Sustaining Fusion Energy, Burning Plasma in U.S. Experiments for First Time. https://tinyurl.com/2rt83kbt
Back from the Brink. A Zambian park has reversed the national extinction of a precious and vulnerable species. Soon, it won’t be alone. https://tinyurl.com/4mdbj244
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For a lot more pronoiac resources and ideas, read my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
Available at Bookshop.org: https://tinyurl.com/548hp8y8
Available at Powells: https://bit.ly/PowellsPronoia
Available at Barnes & Noble: https://tinyurl.com/PronoiaBN
Available at Amazon: https://bit.ly/Pronoia
A free preview of the book is available here: https://tinyurl.com/PronoiaPreview
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Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES: Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning March 10
Copyright 2022 by Rob Brezsny
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Singer-songwriter Jill Scott has earned one platinum and two gold records. She approaches her craft with diligence and intensity. On one occasion, she was frying a burger at her boyfriend's house when she sensed a new song forming in her imagination. Abandoning the stove, she ran into the next room to grab pen and paper. Soon she had transcribed the beginning of a melody and lyrics. In the meantime, though, the kitchen caught on fire. Luckily, she doused it. Later Jill testified, "His cabinets were charred, and he was furious. But it was worth it for a song." I don't think you'll have to make as big a sacrifice as hers in the coming days, Pisces. But you should respond robustly whenever inspiration arrives.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Isak Dinesen defined "true piety" as "loving one's destiny unconditionally." That's a worthy goal for you to aspire to in the coming weeks. I hope you will summon your deepest reserves of ingenuity and imagination as you cultivate a state of mind in which you adore your life just as it is. You won't compare it negatively to anyone else's fate, and you won't wish it were different from what it actually is. Instead, you will be pleased and at peace with the truth of exactly who you are right now.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As author Mary Ruefle points out, "In the beginning, William Shakespeare was a baby, and knew absolutely nothing. He couldn't even speak." And yet eventually, he became a literary superstar—among history's greatest authors. What happened in between? I'm not exaggerating when I attribute part of the transformation to magic. Vast amounts of hard work and help and luck were involved, too. But to change from a wordless, uncoordinated sprout to a potent, influential maestro, Taurus-born Shakespeare had to be the beneficiary of mysterious powers. I bring this up, Taurus, because I think you will have access to comparable mojo during the next four weeks.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As talented and financially successful as Kanye West is, the Gemini singer-songwriter experiences a lot of emotional suffering. But no one lives an ideal life, right? And we can learn from everyone. In any case, I've chosen quotes by Kanye that are in rapt alignment with your astrological omens. Here they are: 1. "I'm in pursuit of awesomeness; excellence is the bare minimum." 2. "You're not perfect, but you're not your mistakes." 3. "I'm not comfortable with comfort. I'm only comfortable when I'm in a place where I'm constantly learning and growing." 4. "Everything I'm not makes me everything I am."
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Any real ecstasy is a sign you are moving in the right direction," wrote philosopher Saint Teresa of Avila, who was renowned for her euphoric spiritual experiences. So is there any such thing as "fake ecstasy," as she implies? Maybe fake ecstasy would be perverse bliss at the misfortune of an enemy, or the trivial joy that comes from realizing your house keys aren't missing. Real ecstasy, on the other hand, might arise from a visceral sense of the presence of God, or the rapture that emerges as you make love with a person you care for, or the elation you feel when you commune with your favorite animal. Anyway, Cancerian, I predict that in the coming days, you will have an extra rich potential for the *real* kinds of rhapsodic delight and enchantment.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo actor Jennifer Lawrence portrayed a rugged, fierce, resourceful champion in The Hunger Games film trilogy. In real life, however, she has few resemblances to that stalwart hero. "I have the street smarts and survival skills of a poodle," she has confessed. But I've got potentially good news for her and all the rest of you Leos. The coming months will be a favorable time for you to cultivate the qualities of a rugged, fierce, resourceful champion. And right now would be an excellent time to launch your efforts.
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EXPLORING THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
My long-range, big-picture EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES for the coming months are still available, but only for two more weeks.
Who do you want to become between now and January 2023? Where do you want to go and what do you want to do? How can you exert your free will to create adventures that'll bring out the best in you, even as you find graceful ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?
Go to https://RealAstrology.com to register and/or sign in through the main page.
Then access the horoscopes by clicking on "Long Range Prediction." Choose from Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3. Each part is a standalone report, not dependent on the other two.
Each of the three-part reports is seven to nine minutes long. The cost is $6 per report. There are discounts for the purchase of multiple reports.
A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.
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"Your audio horoscopes help me love myself better, and I mean that in a non-narcissistic way."
—Deva Paramaus, Indianapolis
"I'm really grateful for the way you pick up my telepathic requests and answer them in your expanded audio 'scopes."
—Marion Houseman, Birmingham, AL
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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Each of us periodically has to deal with conflict. There come times when we must face the fact that a specific situation in our lives isn't working well and needs to be adjusted, fixed, or transformed. We might prefer to pretend the problem doesn't exist. We may be inclined to endure the stressful discomfort rather than engage with its causes. But such an approach won't be right for you in the coming days, dear Virgo. For the sake of your mental and spiritual health, you have a sacred duty to bravely risk a struggle to improve things. I'll provide you with advice from novelist John Fowles. He said, "I must fight with my weapons. Not his. Not selfishness and brutality and shame and resentment." Fowles goes on to say that he will offer generosity and gentleness and no-shame and forgiveness.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A blogger named MysteryOfWhat expressed appreciation for her errors and wrong turns. "I love all my mistakes!" she exclaimed. "I had fun!" She has a theory that she would not have been able to completely fulfill her interesting destiny without her blunders and her brilliant adjustments to those blunders. I won't encourage you to be quite so boisterously unconditional in celebrating your fumbles and miscues, Libra. My inclination is to urge you to honor them and feel grateful for them, but I'm not sure I should advise you to shout out, "I love all my mistakes! I had fun!" But what do you think?
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio poet Norman MacCaig wrote, "Ask me, go on, ask me to do something impossible, something freakishly useless, something unimaginable and inimitable like making a finger break into blossom or walking for half an hour in twenty minutes or remembering tomorrow." I hope people say things like that to you soon, Scorpio. I hope allies playfully nudge you to stretch your limits, expand your consciousness, and experiment on the frontier. To encourage such a development, you could do the same for your beloved allies: nudge them to stretch their limits, expand their consciousness, and experiment on the frontier.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "Look at your body not as a source of physical attraction but as a shrine," wrote teacher Sobonfu Somé. Personally, I have no problem if you regard your body as a source of physical attraction—as a gorgeous, radiant expression of your life energy, worthy of inspiring the appreciation of others. But I agree with Somé that you should also treat your body as a sacred sanctuary deserving of your reverence—especially now. Please boost your intention to provide your beloved organism with all the tender care it needs and warrants.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "It's surprising how much memory is built around things unnoticed at the time," writes author Barbara Kingsolver. Yes! I agree. And by providing you with this heads-up from her, I'm hoping that the subtly potent events unfolding for you in the coming weeks *will not* go unnoticed. I'm hoping you will be alert for seemingly small but in fact crucial developments—and thereby give them all the focus and intelligence they deserve. Later, you'll remember this delicately pivotal time with amazed gratitude.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): What's more important: to learn or to unlearn? The answer, of course, is they are equally important. But sometimes, the most crucial preparation for a new learning phase is to initiate a surge of unlearning. That's what I'm recommending for you right now. I foresee you embarking on a series of extravagant educational experiences in a couple of weeks. And the best way to ensure you take maximum advantage of the available lessons is by dumping useless knowledge and irrelevant information and numbing habits.
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Homework: Every day for three days, seek out three experiences that will make you laugh a lot. Report results: Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com
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Submissions sent to Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter or in response to "homework assignments" may be published in a variety of formats at Rob Brezsny's discretion, including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, style, and content.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2022 Rob Brezsny
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Thank you so much, Rob. I have a stepson -- a Romanian orphan, adopted at age 2 -- who wallows in negativity and I've never quite understood why he can't break the pattern. I know that kids who don't get the care they need in infancy suffer all their lives. But I wasn't clear on the addiction to negativity. I have noted it in others, of course, and in myself when I was younger. I also appreciate your mention of John Fowles in Virgo. I adored his book "The Magus." Thanks!