Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
January 19, 2011
To see a pretty version of this newsletter, go here:
http://bit.ly/fJsJDrHere We Go Again with the "Zodiac Is Wrong" Scam
(There's more info about this issue on my site:
http://bit.ly/AstroHoax)News Flash: The zodiac isn't wrong. Your sign isn't changing. Ignore the
misinformation.
Every year or so, another astronomer erupts into the mainstream media
with a portentous announcement about how, due to the precession of the
equinoxes, the astrological signs are no longer aligned with the actual
constellations. Often the supposed 13th constellation, Ophiuchus, is also
invoked as a further proof of how delusional astrologers are.
What it means, according to these experts, is that astrology is invalid.
Most of the people who think they're Tauruses are actually Aries. Most
Scorpios are really Libras. And so on.
That latest offering is from Parke Kunkle, a board member of the
Minnesota Planetarium Society. "When [astrologers] say that the sun is in
Pisces," he speculated, "it's really not in Pisces." His supposition hit the
Internet recently, on Gawker (http://bit.ly/i1VxqE) and the Minneapolis
Star Tribune (http://bit.ly/f7hWwW), among other places.
I understand that scientists like him would prefer not to lower themselves
to the task of actually doing research about how astrology works. But if
they're going to question its foundations, they should at least learn it well
enough to know what they're talking about.
Here, briefly, is the lowdown on what certain astronomers are too lazy to
find out for themselves.
The astrological signs are not defined by the constellations you see in the
sky. In antiquity, when both astrological and astronomical thinking were
based on insufficient data, the names of the constellations happened to
be paired with the astrological signs. Today, those pairings are no longer
in sync: Astrological signs do not line up with the constellations in the
same way they did way back then, due to the precession of the
equinoxes.
Modern Western astrologers understand this perfectly. It 's irrelevant to
their work because the information upon which they base their
hypotheses does not involve a study of distant stars or constellations.
Rather, their data have to do with the movements of the planets in our
own solar system within a zone of influence defined by the relationship
between the Earth and Sun.
The key demarcation points in that relationship are the equinoxes and
solstices. At the Northern Hemisphere's vernal equinox, which occurs on
about March 20th of each year, the Sun enters into the sign of Aries. At
the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice, the sun enters into the sign
of Cancer. The locations of the constellations are irrelevant; the "influence
of the stars" isn't considered.
To reiterate: Western astrologers don't work with stars or constellations.
Their focus is our solar system. They study the patterns of the planets
and the moon as they pass through 12 zones defined by the relationship
between the Earth and sun. Those zones have the same names as
constellations because of a historical quirk, but they are unrelated to the
constellations.
When Parke Kunkle triumphantly says, "There is no physical connection
between constellations and personality traits," as if he has finally stamped
out the delusions of us astrologers, he doesn't realize that we agree with
him completely. We don't deal with constellations.
P.S. There haven't been many corrective articles in the mainstream press
-- most publications have been content to let their un-fact-checked
stories stand as if they were gospel -- but the New York Times and the
Daily Beast did have the journalistic integrity to make a stab:
http://nyti.ms/gSSVIq and
http://bit.ly/fNEijs.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning January 20
Copyright 2011 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.comGrammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the early 20th century, many women at
the beach covered most of their bodies with swimsuits made of wool. If
they went in the water, they'd emerge about 20 pounds heavier.
Swimming was a challenge. Your current psychic state has resemblances
to what you'd feel like if you were wearing drenched woolen underwear
and a drenched woolen clown suit and a drenched woolen robe. My
advice? Take it off; take it all off. The astrological omens are clear:
Whatever your reasons were for being in this get-up in the first place are
no longer valid.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In comedian Sarah Silverman's memoir, *The
Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption, and Pee,* she confesses that
she was still wetting her bed at age 19. Depression was a constant
companion throughout adolescence, and she took a lot of anti-
depressants. Yet somehow she grew into such a formidable adult that she
was able to corral God himself to write the afterword for her book. How
did she manage that? "This is so trite," she told *Publishers Weekly,* "but
. . . sex." I predict that a comparable reversal of fortune is ahead for you,
Pisces. Some part of your past will be redeemed, quite possibly with the
sexy help of a divine ally.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The age-old question comes up for review
once again: Which should predominate, independence or
interdependence? The answer is always different, of course, depending on
the tenor of the time and the phase of your evolution. But in the coming
weeks, at least, my view is that you should put more emphasis on
interdependence. I think you'll reap huge benefits from wholeheartedly
blending your energies with allies whose power and intelligence match
yours.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I find many of you Tauruses to be excessively
self-effacing. It's a trait that can be both endearing and maddening. Even
as my heart melts in the presence of Bulls who are underestimating their
own beauty, I may also feel like grabbing them by the shoulders and
shaking some confidence into them, barraging them with frustrated
exhortations like "Believe in yourself as much as I believe in you, for God's
sake!" But I'm guessing I won't be tempted to do that anytime soon. You
appear to be due for a big influx of self-esteem.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It will be good week to let your mind go utterly
blank while slouching in front of a TV and sipping warm milk, or to spend
hours curled up in a ball under the covers on your bed as you berate
yourself with guilty insults for the mistakes you've made in your life. NOT!
I'm kidding! Please don't you dare do anything like that. It would be a
terrible waste of the rowdy astrological omens that are coming to bear on
you. Here are some better ideas: Go seek the fire on the mountain! Create
a secret in the sanctuary! Learn a trick in the dark! Find a new emotion in
the wilderness! Study the wisest, wildest people you know so that you,
too, can be wildly wise!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): This would be an excellent week to grieve
madly and deeply about the old love affairs that shattered your heart. I've
rarely seen a better astrological configuration than there is now for
purging the residual anguish from those old romantic collapses. So I
suggest you conduct a formal ritual that will provide total exorcism and
bring you maximum catharsis. Maybe you could build a shrine containing
the photos and objects that keep a part of you stuck in the past, and
maybe you could find the bold words and innovative gestures that will bid
goodbye to them forever. Do you have any intuitions about how to create
a rousing healing ceremony?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EXPLORING YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your
upcoming adventures in 2011?
You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny
in 2011. Each report in the three-part series is about 7-9 minutes long.
Go to
http://RealAstrology.comto sign in and access the EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The *History* cable TV channel has a reality TV
show called "Ice Road Truckers." It documents the exploits of drivers who
haul heavy loads in their 18-wheelers for long distances across frozen
rivers and lakes and swamps in Alaska and northwest Canada. They bring
supplies to remote outposts where humans work exotic jobs like mining
diamonds and drilling for natural gas. If you have any truck-driving skills,
Leo, you'd be a good candidate to apply for a gig on the show. According
to my analysis of the astrological omens, your levels of courage and
adventurousness will be at an all-time high in 2011. May I suggest,
though, that you try to make your romps in the frontier more purely
pleasurable than what the ice road truckers have to endure?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Pop chanteuse Katy Perry is renowned not
only for her singing ability but also for her physical appearance. Her
preternatural ability to sell her musical products can be attributed in part
to her sparkling good looks and charisma. That's why it was amusing when
her husband, the trickster Russell Brand, Twittered a raw photo of her
that he took as she lifted her head off the pillow, awakening from a night
of sleep. (See it at tinyurl.com/RealKaty.) Without her make-up, Katy's
visage was spectacularly ordinary. Not ugly, just plain. In accordance with
the astrological omens, Virgo, I urge you to do what Russell Brand did:
expose the reality that lies beneath and behind the glamorous illusion,
either in yourself or anywhere else you find a need.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): While I was growing up, I was taught to regard
my analytical mind as a supreme tool for understanding reality. I've never
stopped believing that. However, I eventually realized I had to add the
following corollaries if I wanted to thrive: 1. My imagination and intuition
are as essential to my success as my analytical mind; 2. I need to
regularly express my playful, creative urges, and that requires me to
sometimes transcend my analytical mind; 3. to maintain my emotional
well-being, I have to work with my dreams, which occur in a realm where
the analytical mind is not lord and king. Does any of this ring true for you,
Libra? Now is an excellent time to cultivate other modes of intelligence
besides your analytical mind.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): If you're planning on spending any time
hibernating during the next few months, this would be an excellent time
to do it. Your reaction time is slowing down, which is a very healthy thing.
Meanwhile, your allergy to civilization is acting up, your head is too full of
thoughts you don't need, and your heart craves a break from the subtle
sorrows and trivial tussles of daily life. So go find some sweet silence to
hide inside, Scorpio. Treat yourself to a slow-motion glide through the
eternal point of view.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "Dear Rob: All my life I've been
passionate about the big picture -- learning how the universe works,
meditating on why things are the way they are, and probing the invisible
forces working behind the scenes. Too often, though, I'm so enamored of
these expansive concepts that I neglect to pay enough humble attention
to myself. It's embarrassing. Loving the infinite, I scrimp on taking care of
the finite. Any advice? - Larger Than Life Sagittarian." Dear Larger: You're
in luck! Members of the Sagittarian tribe have entered a phase when they
can make up for their previous neglect of life-nourishing details. In the
coming weeks, I bet you'll find it as fun and interesting to attend to your
own little needs as you normally do to understanding the mysteries of the
cosmos.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): All the most credible studies say that the
crime rate is steadily decreasing, and yet three out of every four people
believe it's rising. What conclusions can we draw from this curious
discrepancy? Here's one: The majority of the population is predisposed
towards pessimism. In my astrological opinion, Capricorn, you can't afford
to be victimized by this mass psychosis. If you are, it will interfere with
and probably even stunt the good fortune headed your way. I'm not
asking you to be absurdly optimistic. Just try to root out any tendencies
you might have to be absurdly gloomy.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HOMEWORK: Look in the mirror and tell yourself an edgy but fun truth
you've never spoken. If you care to share, write
Truthrooster@gmail.com.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing personal charts, but I highly recommend my astrological
colleague, RO LOUGHRAN. Her approach closely matches my own. In our
many discussions about astrology over the years, we've had a major
influence on each other's work.
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high
degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation; she is skilled
at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your
connection with your own inner wisdom.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Ro's website is at
http://YourSoulJourney.comShe can also be reached at
roloughran@comcast.net++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
AN OBVIOUS SECRET TO FEELING GOOD
Want to be happier? Pay Attention.
http://tinyurl.com/2b472dsA SMALLER KILLING MACHINE: CAN I GET A "HALLELUJAH"?
It's about time: Defense Secretary Robert Gates Proposes Military Budget
Cuts
http://tinyurl.com/ShrinkTheMilitaryTHERE ARE SO MANY OTHER MODES OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND TYPES OF
INTELLIGENCE BESIDES THE DOMINANT ONES
"Awakening the Cosmic Serpent: Shamanism and Plant Teachers in This
Transformative Time": a class offered by my favorite website,
http://RealitySandwich.comhttp://bit.ly/CosmicSerpent(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They are not advertisements,
and I get no kickbacks.)
Tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
BRAINSTORM ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE
with the help of my three-part
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
for the Coming Year
http://RealAstrology.comYou can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny
in 2011. Each report in the three-part series is about 7-9 minutes long.
What will be the story of your life in 2011? How can you exert your free
will to create the adventures that will bring out the best in you, even as
you find graceful ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?
If you'd like a high-octane boost of inspiration to fuel you in your quest
for beauty and truth and love and justice and meaning, tune in to my
meditations on your long-term outlook.
A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.
To find out more about Your BIG PICTURE horoscopes, go to
http://RealAstrology.com.You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $6 per sign on the Web, or $1.99 per minute by phone.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2011 Rob Brezsny
Thu Jan 20, 2011 9:38 am
