I’m not really into astrology, though I certainly don’t fault anyone who is. Heck, if it works for someone in their life, who am I to question? After all, I might be completely wrong.
Still, I do recognize the difference between the hokey “so general and positive it’ll apply to anyone” astrology in a lot of papers, and that which has some significant thought behind it. Over the years, in various papers and online, I’ve run into Free Will Astrology (previously Real World Astrology) by Rob Brezsney every so often. It isn’t always the case, but sometimes his horoscopes for my sign are damn close.
In the horoscopes for last week, posted the same day I posted Stones & Friendships, he wrote this (italics his):
This oracle was originally commissioned by a spiritual wilderness school to train its students in high-stress meditation. It has been tested by disciplined explorers who’ve learned to be fluid and resourceful in the midst of natural chaos. Now it’s being made available to you, Leo — just in time for the last stretch of your dash (or crawl) across the wasteland. By contemplating the code phrase that appears at the end of this message, you will discover the key for turning poisons into medicine, taking advantage of your weaknesses, and knowing your direction without a compass. Here it is: Love the beauty and intelligence that are hidden in your darkness.
It’s one of those things that got me to thinking, the idea of “the last stretch of dash (or crawl) across the wasteland” and, especially, that last sentence. “Darkness.” If there’s one thing Stones & Friendships was, it was pretty dark.
And it makes me curious what this week’s horoscope will read…
The GeekHiker 
That Rob is a real character. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard people say that his readings are scary-close. Though I suppose if you ask enough people to hold their broken watches up to the TV so that you can fix them through prayer, some statistically significant number of those watches will start running, simply because some watches aren’t really broken. Just stuck.
When I lived in Santa Cruz Brezsney fronted a band called Tao Chemical, which clearly bore some influence from Talking Heads. I believe Brezsney was also one of the motivators of the Santa Cruz Squid Festival, held every year on Squid Row. He may or may not have been involved with Truth In Advertising, a guerilla billboard remixing enterprise.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
By: Phil on July 16, 2008
at 8:40 am
Thanks for sharing – I dig his writing style. And I love it when horoscopes creep me out. Yours from the day of your stones and friendships post was very cool.
So you’re a Leo, huh? Got a birthday coming up, huh? You gonna share with your readers when that big day is? I’m a fellow fire sign – if you don’t tell me, I’ll burn you. 😛
By: Mel Heth on July 16, 2008
at 9:45 am
Ooh, I’m a Leo, too!
By: thecoconutdiaries on July 16, 2008
at 1:42 pm
I tend to read mine until it’s accurate and then I get freaked out and stop for a while. (I swear I don’t wear tinfoil on my head…)
By: Rachel on July 16, 2008
at 2:08 pm
As long as you can see the beauty and intelligence in the dark.
August 4th?
By: just a girl on July 16, 2008
at 5:20 pm
Phil – It’s true what you say about the accuracy. I read an interview with him once and I can honestly say he was the only astrologer I’d ever heard that seemed so incredibly grounded in reality…
Mel Heth – You’re quite welcome. Hmmmmm… you might find something regarding that in the archives.
TheCoconutDiaries – Hello fellow Leo!
Rachel – Heh, that’s probably a good plan (it’s okay if you do, all is good on the internet!).
Just A Girl – I haven’t yet, I don’t think. Nope. 😉
By: geekhiker on July 16, 2008
at 9:42 pm
There are some 6 billion people alive today. If their birthdays are evenly spaced out, then some 16,438,356 share the same birthday. That means that on any day, over 16 million people have the same horoscope. Seems unlikely to me that that many people would have the same issues and need the same advise and guidance.
But that’s just my opinion.
By: Homer-Dog on July 17, 2008
at 11:55 am
I know it’s near my sister’s…
Wait.
I’ll look it up…
7th!
By: just a girl on July 17, 2008
at 10:49 pm