Rob Brezsny’s Free Will Astrology for July

I recently stumbled upon an article that stated, “[Rob Brezsny] has successfully changed the horoscope writing style from dry, banal to more creative and narrative driven.” I couldn’t agree more! Read on and see for yourself. Can you glean any truth from your Free Will Astrology forecast for July?

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
July
© Copyright 2009  Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Time to diversify your energy sources, Aries. It’s as if you’ve grown too dependent on oil — metaphorically speaking — and have neglected to develop relationships with wind turbines, solar panels, natural gas, and other mans of generating power. What if in the future — metaphorically speaking — oil becomes scarcer or wildly expensive? And what if, over the long haul, its byproducts degrade your environment? I suggest you start now to expand the variety of fuels you tap into. It’s a perfect moment to adjust your plans for your long-term energy needs.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Your mirror may lie to you. A friend might neglect to share a crucial detail. Even pets and heroes and normally reliable suppliers might not be completely there for you. Fortunately, I expect that secondary sources will come through. Other people’s mirrors may reveal a clue you haven’t been able to find in your own. An acquaintance could step forward and do a convincing impersonation of a friend. And a previously overlooked or unknown connection might become your own personal wellspring. Moral of the story: If you’re willing to be flexible and forswear all impulses to blame, you won’t be deprived of what you need.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Having discovered I can read the minds of animals, I’ve started a new sideline as a ghostwriter. Here’s an excerpt from an interview I did with Prestige, a potbellied pig born under the sign of Gemini. Brezsny: What do you like best about being a potbellied pig? Prestige: I’m greedy but cute. I get to eat like a pig, yet not be victimized by the negative judgments people usually project onto pigs. Brezsny: Is there anything you’re worried about? Prestige: I need to make my caretaker understand that for the next few weeks we Geminis will need more than the usual amounts of food, love, presents, praise, attention, everything. Brezsny: Anything you’d like to say to my Gemini readers? Prestige: Don’t let anybody make you feel guilty for wanting what you want.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The ancient Chinese sage Lao Tse said, “People of the highest caliber, upon hearing about Taoism, follow it and practice it immediately. People of average caliber, hearing about Taoism, reflect for a while and then experiment. People of the lowest caliber, hearing about Taoism, let out a big laugh.” Now substitute the words “your splashy new ideas” for “Taoism” in Lao Tse’s quote and you’ll have your horoscope for this month, Cancerian. For added punch, remember what he said in another context: “No idea can be considered valuable until a thousand people have laughed at it.”

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Nietzsche’s dictum might be useful for you to keep in mind right now, Leo: “If it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.” Since I’m very sure that the turbulent waters through which you’re navigating will not kill you, I’m looking forward to all the ways this journey will upgrade your confidence and enhance your power. But there’s more to be gained, beyond what Nietzsche formulated. It’s also true that if it doesn’t kill you (which it won’t), it will make you wilder and kinder and smarter and more beautiful.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): According to my projections, you will not, in the coming weeks, meet a dark, secretive stranger who’ll play you like a violin. Nor will you be lured to the warehouse district after midnight to pick up the “missing stuff.” And I highly doubt that you will be invited to join a cult that’s conspiring to seize political power following the events of December 21, 2012. No, Virgo. Your fate is far more mundane than that. In fact, it’s more likely that you will soon meet a bright, forthright stranger who will play you like an accordion. You will be drawn to a convenient location at midday to pick up the “missing stuff.” And you will be invited to become part of a group that has the potential to play a significant role in your quest for meaning in the coming years.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): For years, I’ve remembered most of my dreams every night, so I’m good at spotting trends. And one of the themes that has arisen recently involves you Libras. Last week, I dreamed that three of my Libra friends were pole vaulting at the Olympics. Four nights ago, I dreamed that my two favorite Libran astrologers were rappelling up a skyscraper. Last night, I dreamed that four Libran celebrities — Mahatma Gandhi, Gwen Stefani, Sacha Baron Cohen (a.k.a. Borat), and Kate Winslet — climbed a gold ladder to a cafe on a cloud where they drank magic coffee that made wings sprout on their backs. So what’s going on? Is my subconscious telling me that it’s prime time for you to raise your expectations and upgrade your goals? Do my dreams mean you should rise above the conventional wisdom and rededicate yourself to your loftiest ambitions? What do you think?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Spiritual epiphany alert! Uncanny revelations imminent! Hope you don’t mind being awoken in the middle of your regularly scheduled life by a special delivery from the Great Beyond. Yes, my cute little bundle of rumbling feelings and psychic sensitivities: It doesn’t matter if you’re a true believer or an unrepentant infidel — you will soon be invited to have one of your logical certainties torn out by the roots and replaced with a throbbing vision of cosmic whoopee. Brace yourself for the most pungent fun you’ve had since your last mudwrestle with the angel.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): While appearing on the TV show “I’m a Celebrity . . . Get Me Out of Here,” ex-pro basketball player John Salley gave some advice I’d like to pass along. “When you see crazy coming your way,” he philosophized, “you should cross the street.” I do think crazy will be headed in your direction sometime soon, Sagittarius, and the best response you can make is to avoid it altogether, preferably in a way that it doesn’t notice you. That’s right: Don’t shout at crazy, don’t bolt away ostentatiously, and certainly don’t run up and give crazy a big hug. There are far better ways for you to gather in your fair share of intriguing mystery; I’d hate to see you get bogged down in a useless, inferior version of it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Everyone wants an extra piece of you these days, and they don’t necessarily care about how it will affect you. So beware of emotional manipulation, subliminal seduction, and the temptation to believe in impossible promises. To make matters more extreme, I suspect you may be secretly pleased that everyone wants an extra piece of you — and might be tempted to conspire in your own dismantling. Let me propose a compromise. How about letting three trustworthy people — no more — take an extra piece of you? And be very certain that they have enough self-control to know when to stop taking.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You’re almost never one brick short of a load. Know what I’m saying? Your elevator almost always goes all the way to the top floor. Rarely, if ever, do I have to warn you against playing with a deck of 51 cards. So I hope you don’t be offended when I say that it’s time to find that missing brick and service your elevator and buy a new deck. In other words, you’re due for your 40,000 mile check-up.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): magic  (ma’ jik), n. 1. A mysterious event or process that seemingly refutes the known laws of science. 2. A willed transformation of one’s own state of mind. 3. A surprising triumph that exceeds all expectations. 4. Something that works, though no one understands why. 5. The impossible becoming possible. 6. “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” (Arthur C. Clarke.) 7. A quality predominant in the lives of Pisceans during the period July 1 through July 20, 2009.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Rob Brezsny’s “Free Will Astrology.”

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CLICK HERE to learn more about Rob Brezsny’s book, Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia.

Greenspan’s Anguish

James Eggert, a renowned author of several books on economics and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, has written an innovative new book Meadowlark Economics: Collected Essays on Ecology, Community, and Spirituality, in which he investigates the dramatic disappearance of meadowlarks in a field near his home in Wisconsin. In unraveling the mysterious departure of such creatures and focusing on economical and ecological factors, Eggert is led to conclusions that not only reflect the meadowlark population, but serve as insightful clues into humanity and the need to incorporate environmental, spiritual, and community factors when examining the economy and business practices. The following essay is a fascinating (and rightfully critical) look at Eggert’s principles in relation to Alan Greenspan and the economic pitfalls of free market capitalism.

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Greenspan’s Anguish
by James Eggert

I made a point to save my copy of the Wall Street Journal’s Oct. 24, 2008 issue as an important reminder, a souvenir if you will, of the tumultuous year of 2008. There, on the front page is a memorable photograph of an unhappy Alan Greenspan.  The viewer is, I believe, witnessing a moment of anguish.  Indeed, the headline says it all:

“Greenspan Admits Errors To Hostile House Panel.”

Here then is our former top economist, a man who navigated the nation through numerous financial storms but now has been suddenly blindsided by the greatest economic crisis of our generation.   It was as if Greenspan’s  free-market, anti-regulation house-of-cards had come crashing down on top of him–along with the millions of other victims here and around the globe–a freefall of not only investments, credit, paper wealth,  employment, retirement dreams, and foreclosed realities across the land, but also of economic orthodoxy where at least one hermetically sealed belief bubble had  burst!  It was painful.

I know it hurt because I too have been there.  First it was a fascination with classical Marxism; later it was Democratic Socialism, while sandwiched in between, an infatuation with Milton Friedman’s “Free to Choose” Capitalism.  All of them, in their various ways, had turned out to be limited and, in the end, disappointing.

So now I’m wondering– why not take advantage of this teachable moment?  We might begin by jettisoning all economic “isms” of the past two centuries, to step out of the rigid ideological boxes while distancing ourselves from those “true believers” who have promulgated so many economic and social disasters by trying to cram complex reality into simple ideological molds.

Next, let us invite into our thinking–not a new “ism”–but a new economic consciousness,  a shape-shifting amalgam of market economics informed  by (as this writer sees it), ecological principles, community values, and spiritual insights from the wealth of the world’s great religions.  This new perspective I call simply: “meadowlark economics.”

Markets, of course, do some things very well: recognizing (and pricing) scarcity, identifying trade-offs, while highlighting the importance of incentives and encouraging genuine entrepreneurs.  Markets also do a good job of “bringing forth the goods and services needed for a becoming existence” as one economist elegantly phrased it.   Inventiveness and the evolution of sustainable, democratic, and durable technologies can also be the fruits of efficient markets as well.

But equally important, a “meadowlark economics” will factor in the health of the environment and the maintenance of natural ecological relationships including the integrity of beautiful landscapes and wildlife habitats, the protection of our soils, rivers, lakes, and aquifers, plus the broad spectrum of biodiversity, and yes–if we are very very lucky–the stabilization of Earth’s climate.

The health of local communities should also be a touchstone for economic decision-making.  We might, for example, ask: “How does a new Farm Bill or Energy Bill support local food and transportation systems or encourage livable neighborhoods (vs. the damage done in unregulated free trade agreements)?

Finally, the wisdom and insights from the great spiritual traditions should be added to the mix of an ever evolving economic consciousness.  Consider, for example, the growing emphasis to promote environmental stewardship (“Care of Creation”) or of redressing the savage disparities of wealth and privilege on the one hand, powerlessness and poverty on the other.

As I glance once more at the photo of Greenspan’s tortured face–again the thought crosses my mind: “Please, no more economic fundamentalism, no more militant orthodoxy.  Instead, let us choose a new economic consciousness leading to a sustainable and healthy future for our Earth, our children, and our grandchildren.”

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James Eggert is a writer and emeritus faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.  His new book Meadowlark Economics: Collected Essays on Ecology, Community and Spirituality (North Atlantic Books) is an exploration of the above ideas.

(Note:  A shortened version of the above essay was first published under the title “Meadowlark Economic View Should Guide Us,” in the Wisconsin State Journal, Jan 24th, 2009.)

Click here for more information on Meadowlark Economics.

More than Just a Summer of Love: New June Releases

June is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage. Some believe that good luck will be brought into their new household if they get married in this month. It’s no wonder that June is known for its large number of wedding festivities! Whether you’re a newlywed, celebrating your nth anniversary, or embarking on a path to discover intimate relations, our June releases will accompany you in your exciting journey this season. Enter into this unpredictable summer with new books that teach and explore the eternally challenging but rewarding topics of sexuality, intimacy, and the afterlife.

To order, please visit www.northatlanticbooks.com.

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Conscious Conception: Elemental Journey through the Labyrinth of Sexuality
By Jeannine Parvati Baker and Frederick Baker

In an age when modern reproductive technology is moving at a rapid and alarming rate, Conscious Conception is an alternative exploration into understanding personal fertility, as well as a comprehensive guide to discovering newfound meaning in our sexuality. Combining knowledge of myth and culture, authors Jeannine Parvati Baker and Frederick Baker offer a step-by-step manual of fertility awareness, depth psychology, and psychic birth control and interweave the five elements–Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether–as tools for discovery in the face of reproductive challenges. Including numerous contributions from experts in the field, the book investigates a broad range of topics, from the causes of infertility to the spiritualization of sexuality. Conscious Conception urges us to see all of the possibilities in life’s plan of continuation and to seek a clearer communion with our own reproductive experience.

$25.00/$29.95
Trade Paper
978-0-938190-83-7
416 pages, 8-1/2 x 11

On sale June 2, 2009

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Cupid’s Poisoned Arrow: From Habit to Harmony in Sexual Relationships
By Marnia Robinson

Cupid’s Poisoned Arrow combines revealing personal experience, an easy-to-understand discussion about the science of making love, and information from sacred texts on sexuality. Focusing on the ancient territory of “bonding-based” lovemaking, it offers a refreshing approach to sexuality and spirituality for men and women interested in redefining and strengthening their intimate relationships. Marnia Robinson describes the biological mechanisms behind passion, the “lows” that often follow sexual satiation, and even why the human brain is vulnerable to compulsive sexual behaviors and other addictions. In doing so, she reveals how bonding-based lovemaking can restore balance and promote well-being and authentic monogamy. Emphasizing gentle intercourse with periods of relaxation, Robinson presents specific mammalian bonding behaviors that help couples stay emotionally attached to each other and explains why they work. This book is for anyone questioning why his or her intimate relationship has become fragile—or has failed—and willing to try an approach that’s so ancient, it’s new.

$18.95/$23.00
Trade Paper
978-1-55643-809-7
416 pages, 6 x 9

On sale June 23, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.
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The Western Book of Crossing Over: Conversations with the Other Side
By Sheldon Stoff

This reflective series of conversations with his wife Lorraine after her death enables author Sheldon Stoff to take readers on a journey through the process of living, dying, and living again—in the afterlife. Insights gleaned from both Western and Eastern traditions, especially those of Kabbalah, provide a universalist, non-sectarian context for Stoff’s experiences. With chapters addressing reincarnation, fulfilling one’s life mission, and the significance of finding one’s soul mate, The Western Book of Crossing Over presents a transcendent view of human consciousness and what it means to be alive. Packed with fascinating details about the afterlife, the book serves as a passionate reminder of the importance of keeping an awareness of the afterlife in order to live fully and authentically on this side of the life-death divide. Eleven original drawings of the Other Side based on the conversations between the author and his wife by their son Jesse provide a fascinating visual counterpoint to Lorraine’s descriptions of the afterlife and her uplifting, ultimately hopeful and joyful messages of love.

$14.95/$18.95
Trade Paper
978-1-58394-266-6
176pages, 6 x 9

On sale June 30, 2009

Click HERE for the author’s website.

Sustainable Sushi…in LA?

I am a Los Angeles native. You can find me in my mom’s SUV on the 5, attempting to befriend two-hour traffic jams while stuffing my face with day-old supermarket California rolls. Two years ago, I came to the Bay Area for school, and discovered the beauty of fresh. Fresh air, fresh food, fresh vibe…I love it all! Better yet, fresh for me meant a whole new avenue of truly healthy living and helping to create a healthy world.

I will say that for those of us who live here, we are blessed with the best gift that a coastal city of fresh, world-changing visions could ever want: sushi connoisseur Casson Trenor as a resident.

Lucky for us, we’ve heard of his new release Sustainable Sushi, a friendly guide with all the information needed for us to make sustainable choices at the sushi bar, allowing people like me to enjoy eating fish in a healthy manner while keeping healthy oceans in mind. We also have Tataki, one of the only sustainable sushi bars in the country, that Trenor helped launch. I must admit that my newfound excitement for this alternative mode of sushi eating has, well, made me eat more of it rather than talk about it to my dear, oblivious buddies back home.

Thanks to a review of Sustainable Sushi in the seasonal food magazine Edible Los Angeles, LA will finally get a taste of saving the oceans while dining exquisitely, as they seem to do so well. It’s a win-win situation.

Here’s what Edible Los Angeles had to say:

[Trenor’s] Sustainable Sushi is full of hard fishery facts and undeniable science…but Trenor wisely knows that it’s not just the facts that will change minds. Gorgeous illustrations of each fish and clear photos of exquisite sushi dishes will surely convince readers that seafood like the relatively abundant Northwestern geoduck is as tasty as and more sustainable than the scarce Caribbean conch. Most of us want to do the right thing, but few are willing to sacrifice gustatory pleasure doing it. Sustainable Sushi shows that it is possible to eat right—and well.

So, sushi-loving friends in LA, and elsewhere, here is a list of some sustainable options that can replace our common favorites:

1. Geoduck (“goo-wee-duk”)/mirugai
•    Order mirugai instead of surf clam, wild abalone or conch

2. Alaskan Pollock surimi
•    The Pollock are abundant and a more sustainable option than imitation crab used in rolls like California rolls
•    Here’s a fun fact: Legend has it that the California roll, surimi and avocado, was invited in the 1970s in Los Angeles. The chef used avocado as a replacement for toro, which was difficult to find. The roll went on to become one of the most popular sushi dishes in the US.

3. Wild Salmon
•    Farmed salmon live in crowded conditions which can increase their chances of contracting diseases or parasites. Farmers also use antibiotics or pesticides to combat these problems, and the residual chemicals can be passed onto consumers.
•    Order wild salmon or farmed arctic char instead.

4. U.S. farmed shrimp and freshwater prawns, British Columbia spot prawns, Oregon pink shrimp
•    They are a much better option than most Asian imported farmed shrimp such as tiger prawns—more environmental regulations are in place and in general the product is cleaner.

Can’t wait to make some immediate changes?
CLICK HERE to create a virtual sushi dinner. You can pick up to 8 choices and see if your choices made it on the “Best Choice” or “Good Alternative” categories. Don’t be shocked after the first round when you discover all your choices are ones to avoid; you can read why they are with the helpful pop ups. After you play a couple rounds, put your knowledge to test at dinner tonight at the sushi bar.

CLICK HERE to find reviews of restaurants and recent news in the sushi world.

Browser on IPhone not fast enough?
CLICK HERE to get your own handy copy of the guide!

So go on, tell your friends!

I Want To Go Vegan!

All it took was one blunt but necessary question: “Why aren’t you eating cheese sticks with us?” As an art teacher at an elementary school, Ruby Roth was faced with explaining why she was not joining her students in their meat and dairy-centered school lunches. Though we might think that children are too young and naïve to understand vegetarianism and veganism and the heavy concepts behind them, Roth was surprised with their openness and receptiveness to her answers. Some committed to starting these new diets the very next day!

In this interview podcast from Books Expo America, Roth shares how her interactions with her curious students prompted her to create her groundbreaking children’s book: That’s Why We Don’t Eat Animals. Inspired by her own students’ artwork and taking advantage of the pervasiveness of anthropomorphic cartoon characters-turned-celebrities, Roth both wrote and illustrated this fun, colorful resource introducing vegetarianism, veganism, and the beauty of living animals.

She addresses big, heavy, timely issues of factory farms, environmental consequences, and detrimental health effects through vivid graphics and lively text, making this book not only for early readers but for the entire family.

It’ll make both you and your child want to shout, “I want to go vegan!,” a phrase you thought meat-loving fanatics see only in their nightmares.

We can hope that if the politicians and rigid school systems won’t stop the rising rate of obesity and asthma in our young population, these cute farm animals, charming sea creatures and our cuddly, loyal pets will.

Unconvinced? SEE it for yourself!

CLICK HERE to listen to Ruby Roth’s BEA podcast.