Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter November 30, 2011

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
NOVEMBER 30, 2011
FreeWillAstrology.com

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My book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells

I published the original version of my book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA in 2005. For my next big writing project, I might have chosen to write a sequel. But instead I opted to fatten up the first edition.

The Revised and Expanded edition of PRONOIA, which came out in 2009, is MUCH fatter. It has 55% brand new extra material, or 92 more pages and 63,000 additional words -- the size of a whole new book.

There are 17 totally new pieces. It also has amplified and intensified versions of many of the central pieces of the original book, including "This Is a Perfect Moment," "Glory in the Highest," "World Kiss," and "I Me Wed," the ceremony for you to use if you want to marry yourself.

I got especially pumped up and carried away while revising "Glory in the Highest," which is a manifesto celebrating the everyday miracles we take for granted, the uncanny powers we possess, the small joys that occur so routinely we forget how much they mean to us, and the steady flow of benefits bestowed on us by people we know and don't know. In the newer edition of the book, this piece is eight times longer than it was in the first edition.

The Revised and Expanded edition of PRONOIA also has 14 brand new Sacred Advertisements. Don't worry -- if you're new to PRONOIA -- the Sacred Ads aren't real ads. Here's an example:

"This perfect moment is brought to you by the imaginary lightning bolts you can shoot out the ends of your fingers anytime you want to."

Like the 2005 edition, the revised and expanded PRONOIA has an abundance of space for you to write and scrawl and draw your responses to what you read. It's designed to make you my collaborator as we conspire together to incite the Great Awakening.

P.S. The following prophecy is even truer today than it was when I first made it a couple of years ago: Civilization may be unraveling in a lot of areas; some of its structures may be collapsing; but it is also in the midst of a tremendous upheaval of creativity -- a flood of innovation and genius and love pouring out of millions upon millions of people -- a Great Awakening that is far louder and stronger and more interesting than the sleepy resignation and corrosive maliciousness and ignominious decline that the media prefers to focus on.

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The piece below is excerpted from
PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA

GATHER EVIDENCE

Do you have an unconscious belief that the forces of evil are loud, vigorous, and strong, while good is quiet, gentle, and passive? Gather evidence that contradicts this irrational prejudice.

Are you secretly suspicious of joy because you think it's inevitably rooted in wishful thinking and a willful ignorance about the true nature of reality? Expose these suspicions as superstitions that aren't grounded in any objective data you can actually prove.

Do you fear that when you're in the presence of love and beauty you tend to become softheaded, whereas you're likely to feel smart and powerful when you're sneering at the ugliness around you? As an antidote, for a given amount of time, say a week or a month or a year, act as if the following hypothesis were true: that you're more likely to grow smarter when you're in the presence of love and beauty.

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"The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively disciplined, is that of the difference between good and evil; and the task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility, and evil with activity."
- Maria Montessori

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

MORE PROOF THE GOOD NEWS IS HIDDEN AWAY FROM US
The world is becoming steadily less violent.
tinyurl.com/4y9p6v3

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW VAST THE CONSPIRACY IS
Evidence that the Universe is Fine-Tuned for Life?
tinyurl.com/bw523vc

GET YOUR MINIMUM DAILY REQUIREMENT OF BEAUTY
The beauty of pollination
tinyurl.com/7gub7pw

(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 December 1

Copyright 2011 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

"Dear Mr. Brezsny: My name is Sonny McGee and I own a website that caters to people who are addicted to playing poker. I'm a big fan of your horoscopes, and I'm wondering if you would like to advertise your work to our audience. Gamblers love astrology! Get in touch. - Sagittarian Wheeler Dealer." Dear Wheeler Dealer: Thanks for your interest, but I'll pass. I don't like to encourage anyone to focus their gambling urges on trivial matters like card games, sports events, and lotteries. I prefer they direct that mojo to high-minded stuff like daring themselves to excel, pursuing exciting and idealistic adventures, and doing brave things to help save the world. By the way, it's prime time for you Sagittarians to ratchet up your commitment to those kinds of gambles.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

I hope you're not so perversely attached to your demons that you're inclined to keep providing them with a comfortable home. Why? Because the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to permanently banish them from the premises. Yes, I know it may seem lonely at first without their nagging, disruptive voices chattering away in your head. But I really do encourage you to bid them adieu. By the way, as you plan your exorcism, you might want to include a humorous touch or two. They're allergic to satire and mockery, you know.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

The Beauvais Cathedral in northern France has been called "the most daring achievement of Gothic architecture." Its soaring facades, carved wooden doors, stained glass windows, and astronomical clock demonstrate high artistry. There's a problem with the place, however -- it has never been completed. Work began in the year 1225, and experts are still talking about how to solve certain ongoing difficulties with its construction. I don't know when this happy ending will occur, Aquarius, but I do expect that in 2012 you will be able to put the finishing touches on your own personal version of the Beauvais Cathedral. And now would be a good time to formulate definite plans to do so.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

In my prayers, I've been negotiating with the Goddess to grant you the power to change the course of rivers, at least in a metaphorical way. I've also beseeched her to show you how to overthrow the Puppet Master and convert overwrought hawks into savvy doves. The Goddess seems to be seriously considering these appeals, and has even hinted she might offer you instructions on how to shape a new Adam out of one of Eve's ribs, mythically speaking. In return, she does have one request: that you do what you can to make sure the sun rises on schedule for the next ten days.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

This would be an excellent week to head down to Pucon, Chile and hire a daredevil to fly you in a helicopter into the caldera of the active Villarrica volcano, whereupon you would bungee-jump out of the copter down to within 700 feet of the molten lava. If that's too extreme or expensive for your tastes, I urge you to come up a milder adventure that will still bring you a close encounter with primal heat and light -- and maybe even some divine fire.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

As a mouse looks for food or shelter, it is flexible enough to fit through a hole as small as a quarter of an inch. You would really benefit from having a talent like that right now, Taurus. Of course, even if you are as slippery and pliable as you'll need to be, you will also have to be on high alert for the inviting possibilities, some of which may be brief or subtle. For example, let's say you spy an interesting-looking person with whom you'd love to chat. The window of opportunity may be open for less than ten seconds. Seize that moment! Refuse to get hung up in shyness. Don't convince yourself that another chance will come along later.

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YOU NEED MAGIC EVERY DAY

Every day, you have to wade through a relentless surge of soul-less facts. The experience tends to shut down your sense of wonder.

Every day, you're over-exposed to narratives that have been sucked free of delight and mystery. That's why you have to make such strenuous efforts to keep your world enchanted.

I like to think I can contribute to the sacred cause of feeding your sense of wonder and enchantment. In fact, that's one of my prime motivations for offering you the free weekly horoscopes you read in this newsletter.

If you ever want more of that good stuff, and think it's worth paying for, please consider trying out my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.

Go here to access them: RealAstrology.com.

You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888

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GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

One of my Gemini acquaintances, Tara, has been playing a slow-moving game of tag with three friends since they were all in second grade together. They're 27 years old now, and still live in the same city. Currently, Tara is "It," and has been so for quite some time. But she confided in me that she plans to make a move this week. She says she'll sneak up on one of the other players during his lunch break at work, tag him, and run away before he can tag her back. I told her she's likely to meet with success, since this is an excellent time for you Geminis to gain an advantage in pretty much any kind of game you're playing.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

"Far more crucial than what we know or do not know is what we do not want to know," wrote philosopher Eric Hoffer. This is a good idea for you to contemplate right now. I realize it may be a challenge for you to figure out what you would rather not know and are afraid to know and might even be allergic to knowing. Still, I hope you'll make the effort. Maybe you could enlist a smart ally who'd be skillful in helping you uncover the taboo truth. And maybe you could formulate an intention to be as objective as you've ever been.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Biologists say there are 680 species of trees and shrubs in the U.S. and Canada. By comparison, Lambir Hills National Park on the island of Borneo is the home of 1,175 species on its 128 acres. I suspect you will feel right at home in places like Lambir Hills in the coming week, Leo. Your own creative urges will be running hotter than usual, and are most likely to thrive in contexts that are themselves teeming with lush fertility and rich diversity. Please surround yourself with inspirational influences, thereby giving yourself the best possible chance to express yourself with vivid imagination.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

"People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home," wrote philosopher Dagobert D. Runes. Your assignment, Virgo, should you choose to accept it, is to refute that assertion. In other words, I'm inviting you to travel to all of your usual haunts and treat everything that happens there with the attitude of a first-time visitor. Just assume that the familiar people and places in your life have stimulating gifts to give and lessons to impart. Remember, though, they can't do that to the fullest unless you expect them to.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

The human brain is composed of 30 percent protein and 70 percent fat. So it wouldn't be incorrect to refer to you as a fathead. In order to nourish your brain cells, you've got to eat foods that provide two essential fatty acids your body doesn't manufacture: omega-3 ALA and omega-6 LA. Since you're now in a "brain-building" phase of your astrological cycle, I urge you to get more than your minimum requirements of these basics. If I may be permitted to resurrect a now-out-of-fashion slang term, I suggest that you also expose yourself to a lot of extraordinarily phat sources of intellectual stimulation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

The mawashi is the loincloth that Japanese sumo wrestlers wear while competing. It's rare for the garment to come off, even in the heat of a match, but it did happen once in 2000, when a wrestler named Asanokiri suddenly found himself standing naked during his bout with Chiyohakuho. In conformity with sumo's rules, Asanokiri was immediately disqualified. I don't think you're at risk for being rendered literally unclothed in the heat of a showdown or a plot twist, Scorpio. But I do advise you to take extra precautions to prevent a metaphorical version of that occurrence. Get your act very together, and keep it very together.

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HOMEWORK:

Imagine what your life would be like if you licked your worst fear. Describe this new world to me. Go to RealAstrology.com and click on "Email Rob."

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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 2011 Rob Brezsny

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