Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
December 17, 2014
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
Below are excerpts.
You are a genius. Maybe not in the same way that Einstein and
Beethoven were, but still: You possess exceptional capacities
that are 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.
What's the most important question for you to ask today?
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Take inventory of the extent to which your "No" reflex
dominates your life. Notice for 24 hours (even in your dreams)
how often you say or think:
"No."
"That's not right."
"I don't like them."
"I don't agree with that."
"They don't like me."
"That should be different from what it is."
Wherever you find that NO is a habit, a reflex, a conditioned
compulsion, consider the possibility of rebelling against the
habit, reflex, or conditioned compulsion with a big red YES.
What would it be like for you to say "YES" at least
51 percent of the time?
Invitation: Say "YES" aloud 22 times right now.
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Thank you for creating your own fantastic reality. It inspires
me to make my own.
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Featured emotions of the week: compassionate ecstasy and ecstatic
compassion.
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From Pema Chodron:
"This body that we have, this very body that's sitting here
right now in this room, this very body that perhaps aches, and
this mind that we have at this very moment, are exactly what we
need to be fully human, fully awake, and fully alive.
"Furthermore, the emotions that we have right now, the negativity
and the positivity, are what we actually need. It is just as if
we looked around to find out what would be the greatest wealth
that we could possibly possess in order to lead to a decent, good,
completely fulfilling, energetic, inspired life, and found it
right here."
- Pema Chodron, "The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of
Loving Kindness"
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
This 19-Year Old Has A Plan To Clean Up Half of The Pacific Garbage
Patch In 10 Years
tinyurl.com/ljjnpm5
Activists are transforming outrage into community organizing
projects, voter registration drives and mass protests.
bit.ly/1yzoVZq
Malaria deaths have been cut in half: a tremendous achievement.
bbc.com/news/health-30375202
(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 18
Copyright 2014 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
I have lived near an open space preserve for five years. Up
until the last two months, it has been a peaceful, quite place.
But then the coyotes moved in. Just after dusk every evening,
a pack of them start yipping and yowling in the distance. At first
I found the racket to be eerie and unsettling. It activated some
primal unease in me. And yet the coyotes have never actually been
a problem. They don't roam into my neighborhood and try to bite
people or prey on pets. So now I've come to relish the situation:
The wild things are close and exciting, but not dangerous. I'm
guessing this has a metaphorical resemblance to what your life
will be like in the next six months, Capricorn.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Stanstead, Quebec and Derby Line, Vermont are really a single
town that straddles the border between the U.S. and Canada. Many
of the people who live there have dual citizenship, but they're
still supposed to carry their passports with them at all times.
I suspect you may experience a metaphorical version of this split
in the coming months, Aquarius. You will be in a situation that
has a split down the middle or a seemingly unnatural division.
Whether it turns out to be a problem or an opportunity will depend
on your adaptability and flexibility.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
When a dead tree topples over in the woods, its withered branches
may get entangled with the branches of a living tree that's standing
nearby. As years go by, the living tree must grow the best it
can with the decaying wood trapped in its midst. Has something
like that ever happened to you? Are you still carrying the rot
that other people have burdened you with? If so, the coming months
will be an excellent time to get disentangled. A tree isn't capable
of freeing itself from the dead weight of the past, but you are
-- especially in the first half of 2015.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
"Too much happiness can make you unhappy," reported
journalist Marta Zaraska in the Washington Post. Citing
research by psychologists, she concluded that being super-extra
cheerful can make you selfish, gullible, and more prone to stereotyped
thinking. On the other hand, she said, maintaining merely moderate
levels of happiness is pretty damn good for your mental and physical
health. So here's the takeaway, Aries: The astrological omens
suggest you're due for a surge of joy and pleasure. Just be careful
it doesn't spill over into rash, delirious excess. Here's your
watchword: well-grounded delight.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In the 19th century, the Grimm brothers gathered over 200 old
fairy tales from a variety of sources and published them in an
unprecedented collection. Many of their stories are still popular,
including "Cinderella," "Snow White," "Hansel
and Gretel," and "Rapunzel." Around the same time
they did their work, a storyteller named Franz Xaver von Schönwerth
assembled his own compendium of fantastic myths, fables, and folklore.
Unlike the Grimm brothers' book, his work faded into obscurity.
But it was rediscovered in 2011, and 500 lost fairy tales are
now finding their way into newly published books. I foresee a
comparable phenomenon happening for you in 2015, Taurus. Forgotten
stories will return. Raw material from the depths will resurface.
Interesting news from the past will come flowing into the present.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Your first task is to ascertain the half-truth, the whole half-truth,
and nothing but the whole half-truth. Only then will you be able
to find the other half of the truth. I realize it may be frustrating
to use this approach. You'd probably prefer to avoid wrangling
with the deceptions and misdirections. But I think it's the only
way to jostle loose the hidden or missing information. For best
results, be a cunning and unsentimental detective who's eager
to solve the mystery. Don't focus on finding fault or assigning
blame.
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FEELING JOY STIMULATES YOUR COMPASSION?
Assume that your drive to experience pleasure isn't a barrier
to your spiritual growth, but is in fact essential to it. Proceed
on the hypothesis that cultivating joy can make you a more ethical
and compassionate person. Imagine that feeling good has something
important to teach you every day.
For inspiration in practicing this approach, tune in to your
Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're four-to-five-minute meditations
on the current state of your destiny. The cost is $6 per reading,
with a discount for multiple purchases.
Go here to register and/or sign in: RealAstrology.com
They're available on your tablets and smart phones as well as
your computers.
You can also listen over the phone by calling
1-877-873-4888
"I always feel like I know myself better after listening
to your audio 'scopes."
- June R., Austin, TX
"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and
pep me up when I'm down."
- Arthur T., Cleveland, OH
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CANCER (June 21-July 22):
One of the ingredients that makes yoga mats so soft and springy
is the chemical azodicarbonamide. The same stuff is added to the
soles of shoes. There's a third place where it's used, too: in
the burger buns sold by McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, and
other fast food joints. I'm not suggesting that you order a big
supply of azodicarbonamide and ingest it. But I do hope you will
consider the metaphorical equivalent: doing whatever's necessary
to make yourself bouncy and fluffy and pliable and supple and
resilient.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
"There are two kinds of light," said author James
Thurber, "the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures."
Lately you have been an abundant source of that first kind of
light, Leo. The fire in your heart and the gleam in your eyes
have not only brightened the mood wherever you've gone. They have
also clarified confusing situations, warmed chilly attitudes,
and healed dispirited allies. Thank you! In the coming weeks,
I'd love to see you continue on your hot streak. To help ensure
that you do, keep your ego under control. Don't let it pretend
that it owns the light you're emitting. With a little introspection,
you will continue to generate illumination, not glare.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Studies suggest that 57 percent of all people with access to
the Internet have engaged in the practice known as ego-surfing.
This modern art form consists of searching Google for mentions
of one's own name. This is a suspiciously low figure unless we
factor in the data uncovered by my own research -- which is that
a disproportionately small amount of Virgos go ego-surfing: only
21 percent. If you are one of the 79 percent of your tribe who
does not indulge, I invite you to remedy the situation. It's an
excellent time to risk exploring the potential benefits of increased
self-interest and self-regard.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
When I started writing horoscopes many years ago, I was a good
astrologer but an unexceptional writer. Eventually, the practice
of composing 12 packets of pithy prose every week allowed me to
improve my authorial skills. The stuff I composed in the early
years wasn't bad, but I wouldn't want to present it as my work
any more. So should I feel guilty that I got paid and appreciated
for those old efforts even though I was less than perfect? Did
I get away with something I shouldn't have gotten away with? I
don't think so. I was doing the best I could at the time. And
even my unpolished astrological musings were helpful to many people.
Now, Libra, I invite you to apply these meditations to you own
unfolding destiny.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
You may already know what I'm about to tell you. It's a core
principle at the root of your Scorpio heritage. But I want to
focus your attention on it. In the coming months, you'll be wise
to keep it at the forefront of your conscious awareness. Here
it is, courtesy of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche: "You
have it in your power to invest everything you have lived through
-- your experiments, false starts, errors, delusions, passions,
your love and your hope -- into your goal, with nothing left over."
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
"A savage desire for strong emotions and sensations burns
inside me: a rage against this soft-tinted, shallow, standardized
and sterilized life." So says Harry Haller, the protagonist
of Herman Hesse's novel Steppenwolf. His declaration
could serve as an interesting point of reference for you in the
coming months, Sagittarius -- not as a mood for everyday use,
but as a poetic inspiration that you periodically call on to invigorate
your lust for life. My invitation has a caveat, however. I advise
you not to adopt the rest of Harry Haller's rant, in
which he says that he also has "a mad craving to smash something
up, a department store, or a cathedral, or myself."
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HOMEWORK:
What's the one feeling you want to feel more than any other in
2015? Tell all: Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2014 Rob Brezsny
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