Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter January 20, 2010

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
JANUARY 20, 2010
FreeWillAstrology.com

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO IN 2010?
BRAINSTORM ABOUT THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE

with the help of my three-part
EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
for the Coming Year

RealAstrology.com

You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2010. Each report in the three-part series is about 6-9 minutes long.

What will be the story of your life in 2010? 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 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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The Monterey County Weekly published a story on me and my work: "Rob Brezsny on God, media, and why we're better off than you think."

Sample quote: I couldn't earn the right to speak about the universe showering us with blessings until I made peace with the dark goddess and became better allies with my own shadow.

The text is here: bit.ly/6t6802

and here: bit.ly/7BI6CI

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The revised and expanded version of my book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia

Below is an excerpt. To read the whole text, go here: bit.ly/ReGeniusSpell

To see and hear the Youtube version, go here:
bit.ly/ReGenius1
bit.ly/ReGenius2

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A SPELL TO RE-GENIUS YOURSELF

Although we are all born geniuses, said Buckminster Fuller, the grind of day-to-day living tends to de-genius us. That's the bad news. The good news is that you have the power to re-genius yourself.

Below is a ritual you can use to jump-start the process.

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The Greek philosopher Plato long ago recognized that in addition to eating, drinking, sleeping, breathing, and loving, every creature has an instinctual need to periodically leap up into the air for no other reason than because it feels so good.

TAKE THIS ACTION: Face south, leap up in the air, and say the following: "From the south, I purify, electrify, beautify, and fructify this sacred space."

When I was a kid I used to love to go out in the middle of a meadow and whirl around in spirals until I got so dizzy I fell down. As I lay on the ground, the earth and sky and sun kept reeling madly, and I was no longer just a pinpoint of awareness lodged inside my body, but rather an ecstatically undulating swirl in the kaleidoscopic web of life. I invite you to feel that way right now.

TAKE THIS ACTION: Spin yourself around until you topple over. While lying on the ground, face west and say the following: "From the west, I sanctify, unify, clarify, and intensify this sacred space."

The people I trust the most are those who are always tenderly wrestling and negotiating with their own shadows, making preemptive strikes on their personal share of the world's evil, fighting the good fight to keep from spewing their darkness on those around them. I aspire to be like that, which is why I regularly kick my own ass. Will you try that right now?

TAKE THIS ACTION: Jump off the ground and snap your heels up against your butt. Then face north and say the following: "From the north, I immunize, psychoanalyze, satirize, and exorcise this sacred space."

In one sense each of us is an intriguing, intricately unique individual, justifiably proud of and in love with our own personal story. In another sense, we are all one body, descended from the same primordial mother and made of identical stuff—the calcium in all of our bones and the iron in all of our blood originally forged in a red giant star that died billions of years ago.

TAKE THIS ACTION: Rotating slowly in a clockwise direction, look down at your belly and breathe deeply five times as you imagine that at this moment, everyone in the world is breathing along with you. Then face east and say: "From the east, I lubricate, pollinate, consecrate, and emancipate this sacred space."

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Now it's time to confess the truth about who you really are.

TAKE THIS ACTION: Gaze upward and stretch your arms out high. Say the following: "I am a genius."

TAKE THIS ACTION: Put your arms out to the side, parallel to the ground with palms up, and say: "I am a lucky, plucky genius."

TAKE THIS ACTION: Swing your arms back and forth from behind you to in front of you as you say: "I am a lucky, plucky, good-sucking genius."

TO READ THE REST OF "A SPELL TO RE-GENIUS YOURSELF," go here: bit.ly/ReGeniusSpell

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

BEAUTY ON ALL SIDES OF US
The Earth is an artist
tinyurl.com/y9g6prm

HUMANS ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE COMPASSIONATE
The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in a World in Crisis by Jeremy Rifkin
"We are a fundamentally empathic species . . . Social scientists are reexamining human history from an empathic lens and, in the process, discovering previously hidden strands of the human narrative which suggests that human evolution is measured not only by the expansion of power over nature, but also by the intensification and extension of empathy to more diverse others across broader temporal and spatial domains."
tinyurl.com/y8epkld

MORE PROOF OF THE POWER OF THE IMAGINATION
Placebos are getting more effective
bit.ly/4nq8ss

(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 21

Copyright 2010 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

One of the musical Jonas Brothers got married last month. Up until then, 22-year old Kevin Jonas was a virgin, having long ago pledged himself to abstinence until his wedding day. Soon after he and his bride returned from their honeymoon, he issued his report at a press conference: "To be honest, sex was not worth the wait. After we did it, I was kind of like, that's it?" His confession surprised me. How could he have reached such a definitive conclusion based on so little experience? Wouldn't it be wise to consider the possibility that over time he might uncover secrets and plumb mysteries that are unknown to him in his unripe state? Learn from his mistake, Aquarius. In the coming weeks, cultivate a humble, innocent, curious attitude not just about sex, but about everything.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

I have a Piscean friend who does modern-day cave paintings. She hikes out to underground caverns and abandoned gold mines, where she creates murals on stony walls. Only a few friends know about her unusual hobby. She shows us photos of her work, but otherwise keeps it secret. She says it's a pleasurable spiritual practice to offer these beautiful mysteries as a gift to the earth, without any expectation of getting recognition or money. I don't normally recommend such behavior for Pisceans; in general, I believe you should err of the side of being somewhat self-promotional to compensate for your self-deprecating tendencies. But I do suggest that you try it in the coming weeks. I think you'll conjure up an epiphany or two if you offer life your favors without worrying about whether they'll be returned.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

Philosopher David Pearce is committed to the abolition of suffering. While he acknowledges that we've got a long way to go before accomplishing that goal, he believes it's possible, mostly with the help of technology. (More at bit.ly/8oTsCV.) More than two millennia ago, Buddha also articulated a vision for the cessation of suffering. His methods revolve around psychological and spiritual work. In light of your current astrological omens, Aries, I think it's an excellent time to contribute to this noble enterprise. Your level of suffering is rather low these days, which could give you a natural boost if you set in motion some long-term strategies for reducing the pain that you experience and the pain that you cause.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

I don't mean to sound melodramatic, and I certainly don't want to encourage you to do something foolish, but if you've been pondering the possibility of storming the castle, this would be a good time to do so. What exactly am I implying with the phrase "storming the castle"? Well, anything that involves a brave effort to fight your way into the command center of the empire . . . or a heroic attempt to take back the sanctuary you were exiled from . . . or a playful adventure in which you work your way into the heart of the king or queen.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

"Let us not underestimate the privileges of the mediocre," wrote Friedrich Nietzsche. "Life becomes harder and harder as it approaches the heights -- the coldness increases, the responsibility increases." I bring these thoughts to your attention, Gemini, because in the next two months you'll be in a prime position to renounce some of the "privileges" of your laziness. Please hear me out. I'm not saying that your lackadaisical attitudes are any worse than mine or anyone else's. But there come times in everyone's cycle when he or she has a chance to outgrow those lackadaisical attitudes so as to reach a higher level that's both more demanding and more rewarding. This will be one of those times for you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

According to a poll conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, there are as many people who give credence to astrology as call themselves Catholic. Believers in reincarnation are another sizable minority; their numbers equal those who put their faith in the Pope and in the planetary omens. Based on this evidence, we can safely conclude that at least some supposedly woo-woo notions are no longer just for woo-woo-ers. You can't be considered a New Age weirdo or pagan infidel if you're receptive to the possibility that the world is exceedingly mysterious and a long way from being all figured out. That's good news for you Cancerians. According to my analysis, your belief system is ready to crack open and allow a surge -- maybe even a flood -- of new data to rush in.

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EXPLORING YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE

Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your upcoming adventures in 2010?

You can still listen to my long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2010. Each report in the three-part series is about 6-9 minutes long.

Go to RealAstrology.com to sign in and access the EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES

A new short-range forecast for this week is also available.

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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

How are your wooing skills? Have you enhanced your seductiveness in any way during the last few months? Have you been working on boosting your ability to attract the bounty you need? I'm not just speaking about your power to corral love and sex and tenderness and thrills. I'm referring to the bigger project of enticing all the resources that would be helpful as you pursue your quest to become the best and brightest version of yourself. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to ramp up your efforts.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

"We should feel excited about the problems we confront and our ability to deal with them," said philosopher Robert Anton Wilson. "Solving problems is one of the highest and most sensual of all our brain functions." I wholeheartedly agree with him, which is why I expect that in the coming weeks you will be getting even smarter than you already are. The riddles you'll be presented with will be especially sexy; the shifts in perspective you'll be invited to initiate will give your imagination the equivalent of a deep-tissue massage.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

"Dear Rob: I've been listening to your audio messages on my laptop in my bedroom. And I've noticed a curious thing: My cat goes NUTS trying to get to you. She never shows any interest in the other videos and music I play. But when your voice comes on, she does everything she can to try to get into my computer, to find the source of your voice. What's going on? Libralicious." Dear Libralicious: Maybe it's because in all versions of my recent Libra horoscopes, I've been putting subliminal messages designed to draw out and energize your tribe's inner feline. It's that time in your cycle when you have a mandate to be graceful and inscrutable and sleek.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

This would be an excellent time for you to do a lot less of everything. You're entering a phase when you can actually help your long-term goals by being less ambitious. The point is not to give up your drive to succeed, but rather just put it to sleep for a while. Let it recharge. Allow it to draw energy from the deeper psychic sources that it tends to get cut off from when it's enmeshed in the frenzy of the daily rhythm. Do you have the courage to not work so much, not try so hard, and not push so relentlessly?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Cartoon character Homer Simpson is on record as saying that whenever he learns something new, it pushes some old stuff out of his brain. For example, when he took a course in home winemaking, he forgot how to drive. But I don't see this being a problem for you as you enter the High-Intensity Educational Season, a time when your capacity to find and absorb new teachings will be at a peak. If you push hard to learn new lessons, you will certainly not cause the expulsion of old lessons. On the contrary, you'll dramatically enhance the power and brightness of what you've already learned.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

Take what you really need, Capricorn, but don't take what you just sort of want. That's my advice to you. Haggle with life, yes, but insist only on the specific essentials and forgo irrelevant goodies. A similar principle applies as you seek the information you crave: Formulate precise questions that will win you the exact revelations that are necessary to help your cause and that won't fill your beautiful head up with useless data.

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HOMEWORK:

Want inspiration as you reclaim your own unique relationship with the Divine Wow? Go here: bit.ly/RebrandGod. Testify about what you're doing at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

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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 2010 Rob Brezsny

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