Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter December 31, 2008

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
DECEMBER 31, 2008
FreeWillAstrology.com

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EXPLORE THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE
with my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES for the Coming Year.

RealAstrology.com

What new influences will be headed your way in 2009? What fresh resources will you be able to draw on? How can you conspire with life to create the best possible future for yourself?

Beginning this week, and for the next two weeks as well, I'm exploring the BIG PICTURE of your life in my Expanded Audio Horoscopes. If you slip into a philosophical, visionary mood at the end of each year, you might appreciate my perspectives on your long-term outlook.

To listen to your BIG PICTURE horoscopes online, go to RealAstrology.com.

You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700

The cost is $6 per sign on the Web, or $1.99 per minute by phone.

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"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather."
- John Ruskin

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My book
PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
is available for sale at
tinyurl.com/qaj62

Here's an excerpt:

WHAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR YOU TO ASK TODAY?

You are potentially a genius. Maybe not in the same way that Einstein and Beethoven were, but still: You possess some exceptional capacity that is absolutely unique. You're a masterpiece unlike any other that has ever lived in the history of the world.

Furthermore, the precise instructions you need to ripen into your genius have always been with you, even from the time before you were born. In the words of psychologist James Hillman, you have a SOUL'S CODE.

You might also call it the special mission you came to Earth to carry out; the divine blueprint that contains the open secret of how to be perfectly, unpredictably yourself; the master plan that is your heart's deepest desire.

Would you like help in deciphering it? The Divine Intelligence Formerly Known as God is always on call, ready to help. It's your birthright to ask Her a specific question every day about what you need to do next to express your soul's code; it's also your birthright to receive a response.

The divine revelation may not be as unambiguous as a little voice in your head. It might appear in the form of a TV commercial, an odd dream, or an encounter with a stranger. It could be demanding and difficult, delivering information you'd rather not have to deal with. Or it might show up as a clear and simple feeling of knowing exactly what to do, and it could be easy and fun.

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P.S. "There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium. It will be lost. The world will not have it.

"It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open."
- Martha Graham, quoted by Agnes de Mille, Dance to the Piper and Promenade Home

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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:

I DARE YOU TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE MIRACLES
Just because everything's amazing doesn't mean that people are happy
"Is the speed of light too slow for you?"
tinyurl.com/6glsnn

WAYS TO EXPERIENCE PLEASURE JUST KEEP INCREASING
Ecstasy Over G-Spot Therapy
tinyurl.com/3nnvon

WONDERS NEVER CEASE
More Than a Thousand new Species Discovered in Last Decade
tinyurl.com/5gplvt

(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They are not advertisements, and I get no kickbacks.)

Please tell me your own personal nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES.

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning January 1

Copyright 2008 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

The Swiss are building a 35-mile railroad tunnel through the Alps. It'll take another nine years to finish carving out the path through the mountain, and will ultimately require the removal of 24 million tons of rock. I suggest you regard this masterpiece, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, as an inspirational symbol. The coming months will be prime time for you summon the willpower necessary to get really serious about an equally ambitious project.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

I've got three quotes for you. I hope you'll write them out and keep them in a prominent place for the duration of 2009. They'll set the right tone for everything you do. The first is from psychologist Abraham Maslow: "A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write if he is to be ultimately at peace with himself. What one can be, one must be." The second quote comes from choreographer Agnes DeMille: "Dance in the body you have." The third is from historian Gerald Sorin: "When Reb Zusye went to heaven, God didn't ask him why, in his life on earth, Zusye wasn't Moses, but why he wasn't even Zusye."

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

What would it take for you to collaborate with the forces of change? Not in a resigned, resentful way. Not with a sense of defeat, wishing things could stay the same forever. Rather, what would you have to do in order to feel eager about adjusting to the ongoing shifts? Is there any way you might even learn to experience exhilaration and gratitude in the face of the eternal flux? Your assignment in 2009, Pisces, is to become an expert surfer of the beautiful, playful, blessed waves.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

It's a great privilege to live in a free country. You're fortunate if you have the opportunity to pursue your dreams without having to ward off government interference or corporate brainwashing or religious fanaticism. But that's only partly useful if you have not yet won the most important struggle for liberation, which is the freedom from your own unconscious habits and conditioned responses. Becoming an independent agent who's not an unwitting slave to his or her past is one of the most heroic feats a human being can accomplish. And you, Aries, will have more mojo to do that in 2009 than you've had in a long time.

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EXPLORING YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE

Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your upcoming adventures in 2009?

In this week's EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, I offer you Part One of a long-term, in-depth exploration of your destiny in the coming year.

Part Two and Part Three will be available in the next two weeks.

Find out how to access them online at RealAstrology.com.

They are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

The cost is $6 per sign on the Web, or $1.99 per minute by phone.

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TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

American financier Jim Rogers evaluates life as many devout capitalists do: under what circumstances can he achieve the most wealth? That's why he relocated to Singapore. "If you were smart in 1807 you moved to London," he said two years ago, "if you were smart in 1907 you moved to New York City, and if you are smart in 2007 you move to Asia." With that as your spur, Taurus, I'd like you to identify the driving force of your life. The desire for more money? More power? Wisdom? Love? Status? None of the above? The next step is to meditate on the environment and the conditions that would be most conducive to you fulfilling your quest. In 2009, you'll have exceptional potential to create the ideal context for your success.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

When I was 19, I read Alan Watts' The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are. After that, I was sure there was nothing else I needed to know in order to live intelligently. It was, I thought, a compendium of the best insights worth knowing. My certainty eventually faded, thank Goddess. In its place came the understanding that life's mystery just keeps getting deeper and vaster as one grows older -- that it's idiotically arrogant to ever think you've got it all figured out. A healthier approach is to cultivate a capacity to be endlessly surprised. I hope you'll do that in 2009, Gemini. The flood of novel ideas and fresh perspectives surging your way will warrant it.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

"Dear Rob: These last few months have been absurdly full of pluses and minuses, ups and downs, lefts and rights. There have been so many good things happening and yet so many obstacles, too. It often feels like we Crabs are being rewarded and punished at the same time. I'm wondering where it's all going and when it will end? A happy ending? A sad ending? No ending? Will zero ever equal one? - Agitatedly Neutral." Dear Agitated: You're at the climax of a long balancing process. I suggest you take this opportunity to tally up the valuable lessons you've learned in the relentless back-and-forth. Your graduation to a less ambiguous chapter of your life story will be more robust if you work hard to extract the meaning from experiences you've tended to see as random or confusing.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Here's an update on the world's tigers: Fewer than 5,000 are living in their natural habitats, while the U.S. alone has more than that number in zoos. Let's use that fact as a starting point for your meditations, Leo. How much of your animal essence is in captivity, and how much is running free? Is your inner lion able to wander at will through places where it feels at home, or is it trapped in a confined space it would never stay in if allowed to choose? Keep coming back to these questions during 2009. It will be an excellent time to spring the great cat in you from conditions that make it pace in neurotic circles.

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LET'S IMAGINE WHAT BEAUTIFUL MYSTERIES
MIGHT COME YOUR WAY IN 2009

Listen to my Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Coming Year.

They're available for you to buy at RealAstrology.com

What hidden factors will be massaging your destiny in 2009? Could you use some hints about how to prepare for the adventures awaiting you in the next 12 months?

In this week's EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, I give you Part One of a long-term, in-depth exploration of your destiny in the coming year.

Part Two and Part Three will be available in the next two weeks.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

The cost is $6 per sign on the Web, or $1.99 per minute by phone.

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VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

In 2009, you'll receive a lot of help, some unexpected, whenever you phase out your trivial desires so that you can better pursue your truly important desires. The coming months will also be an excellent time to shed unrealistic fantasies so you can be freer to concentrate on the realistic kind. While these are not quite once-in-a lifetime opportunities, Virgo, they may be the once-in-a-decade variety. Why not draw up a plan for how you can take maximum advantage of the specific luck that will be flowing your way?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

"God calls you to the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet," wrote Frederick Buechner. You're free to ignore that call, of course. You can pretend that you don't really know what brings you deep gladness, and you can act as if the world's deep hunger is of no concern to you. But if you hope to be proud of the life you have lived when, many years from now, you shed your mortal coil, I advise you to at least experiment with using Buechner's formula as a working hypothesis. The coming year will be en excellent time to do just that.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

Studies suggest that the average person who reaches old age has been upset with some family member or another for a total of 30 years. Is that a standard you'd like to match, Scorpio? If not, you will have an excellent chance to reduce any inclination you might have to hold grudges in 2009. The coming months will bring you ripe opportunities to dissolve tensions between you and your kin. You will also be more skilled than usual at navigating your way with grace and diplomacy through complications involving the home and domestic issues.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

"Dear Rob: I have followed my nose most of my life, weaving from pleasurable diversion to interesting crisis and back. I've honestly had a great time and wouldn't change a thing. But lately I've been getting strong hints from life that maybe the game is changing for me. More and more I'm feeling like the grasshopper in that old fable -- you know, with no resources stored up and winter coming on fast -- while all the steady, hard-working ants are sitting pretty. So here's my question: Do I really have to stop enjoying myself and get down to business, whatever that means? Are there any real jobs for grasshoppers? - Shaky Sagittarius." Dear Shaky: If there will ever in your life be a time when you could figure out how to be both a grasshopper and ant simultaneously, it will be in 2009. Start meditating on how to get the best of both worlds.

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HOMEWORK:

Make a list of your anti-resolutions. What weird habits, incorrigible vices, and controversial actions do you promise to cultivate in 2009? Report your results by going to FreeWillAstrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."

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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 YourSoulJourney.com

She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net

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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly 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 such submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored with submissions; otherwise, reader names, screen names, or initials will be used. Please be sure to note your preference when sending to us. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.

Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2008 Rob Brezsny

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