Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter December 23, 2015

 Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
 December 23, 2015
 FreeWillAstrology.com

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A PREVIEW OF YOUR DESTINY IN 2016

Want to get a head start on your future? This week my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES offer you a sneak-peek at some major themes I think you'll be working and playing with in 2016. They're at RealAstrology.com.

Start dreaming and scheming about who you're going to be in the new year.

To access the Expanded Audio Horoscopes, go to RealAstrology.com.

Register and/or log in through the main page, and then click on the link "This week (Dec. 22, 2015)."

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Beginning with next week's Expanded Audio Horoscopes, I will devote three consecutive weeks to an in-depth discussion of your long-range outlook for the coming year.

Part One of my LONG-TERM FORECASTS FOR 2016 will be available beginning Tuesday, December 29.

Part Two will be available on Tuesday, January 5.

Part Three will be available on Tuesday, January 12.

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The cost for the Expanded Audio Horoscopes is $6 per sign. (Discounts for multiple buys.)

You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888. The cost is $1.99 per minute.

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

Below are excerpts.

Take some paper and write "I am doing everything in my power to attract all the help and resources I need as I accomplish the following goal." Then compose a declaration that crisply describes exactly what satisfying, growth-inducing experiences you want most in 2016 -- and are willing to work hard for and even change yourself to attract, if necessary. Keep a copy of this magic formula under your pillow or in your wallet.

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Experiment: Imprint yourself with the intention that in 2016, you will seek out the GOOD news at least as often as you seek out the BAD stuff -- that you will regard tales of affliction and mayhem and corruption and tragedy as no more interesting or worthy of your attention than tales of triumph and liberation and pleasure and ingenuity.

If this idea appeals to you, here are sources of GOOD news to get you started:

Yes magazine: yesmagazine.org

Reddit Uplifting News: reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews

Good News Network: goodnewsnetwork.org

Heroic Stories: heroicstories.com

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In 2016 I wish you joyous eruptions of profound gratification and gratitude; a constant flow of fluid insights and "ah-ha!" revelations that lead to cathartic integrations; a coming together of several different lucky trends, resulting in an exquisite healing; and captivating yet relaxing adventures that allow you to weave together diverse threads of your experience, inspiring you to feel at home in the world.

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"You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. That's a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control."

-- Elizabeth Gilbert

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Here's a holiday gift you could give yourself: Resist and deflect and dissolve wrong-headed opinions about who you are and how you should live your life. (And I mean your own wrong-headed opinions as well as other people's.)

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RE-DREAMING CHRIST

Some Christians might be shocked to learn that Jesus Christ is one of the Main High Magicians in the Beauty and Truth Lab's pantheon of deities and avatars.

They may believe that people like us -- Goddess-worshiping tantric Sufi Qabalist pagans who hang around with Zen trickster witches and espouse a socialist libertarian political philosophy -- couldn't possibly have an intimate and vivid relationship with the cosmic hero they claim to own. They act as if they have commandeered the trademark of one of the smartest wild men in history.

Christ was a champion of women's rights, an antidote to the established and corrupt political order, and a radical spiritual activist who worked outside religious institutions.

He was a passionate advocate for the poor and underprivileged. He owned nothing and had no use for the idea of "private property." He was uncompromisingly opposed to violence and war. Besides that, he was a master of love and he devoted his life to serving the Divine Intelligence. He even went so far as to say, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you, and give away all your possessions."

I want to be like Jesus Christ when I grow up!

(But it's quite OK with us if you don't want to be like him. The good thing about adoring Christ's pronoiac glory but not being a Christian is that we don't have any investment in wanting you to do as we do. We want you to do as you do!)

Is there any hijacked hero you'd like to liberate? Any spoiled treasure you hope to redeem? Any detoured savior you want to get back on track?

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"The whole point of Jesus's life was not that we should become exactly like him, but that we should become ourselves in the same way he became himself. Jesus was not the great exception but the great example."

- Carl Jung

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"When Jesus said 'I and the Father are one,' he meant that he was connected to the raw data feed of pure experience."

- Tim Boucher

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

Latinos Live Longest Despite Poverty. Here's Their Secret.
tinyurl.com/nj58vjs

Get your minimum daily requirement of beauty
tinyurl.com/qgjq4oz
tinyurl.com/nrqtxn6

Nigerians Are Building Fireproof, Bulletproof, And Eco-Friendly Homes With Plastic Bottles And Mud.
tinyurl.com/pzslajw

(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 24

Copyright 2015 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

The coming year will be a favorable time for you to nourish a deeper devotion to truth, beauty, and goodness. Anything you do to make your morality more rigorous will generate benefits that ripple through your life for years to come. Curiously, you can add to the propitious effect by also cultivating a deeper devotion to fun, play, and pleasure. There is a symbiotic connection between the part of you that wants to make the world a better place and the part of you that thrives on joy, freedom, and wonder. Here's the magic formula: Feed your lust for life by being intensely compassionate, and vice versa.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

I predict that 2016 will be your Year of Fruitful Obsessions. In giving this positive spin to the cosmic tendencies, I'm hoping to steer you away from any behavior that might lead to 2016 being your Year of Fruitless Obsessions. One way or another, I think you'll be driven to express your passions with single-minded intensity. Focused devotion -- sometimes verging on compulsive preoccupation -- is likely to be one of your signature qualities. That's why it's so important to avoid wasteful infatuations and confounding manias. Please choose fascinations that are really good for you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

Your symbol of power in 2016 will be the equal sign: =. Visualize it in your mind's eye every morning for 20 seconds. Tattoo it on your butt. Write it on an index card that you keep under your pillow or on your bathroom mirror. Gestures like these will deliver highly relevant messages to your subconscious mind, like "Create balance and cultivate harmony!" and "Coordinate opposing forces!" and "Wherever there is tension between two extremes, convert the tension into vital energy!" Here are your words of power in 2016: "symbiosis" and "synergy."

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

The raw materials you have at your disposal in 2016 may sometimes seem limited. You might not have access to all the tools you wish you did. You could be tempted to feel envy about the vaster resources other people can draw on. But I honestly don't think these apparent inhibitions will put you at a disadvantage. Within your smaller range of options, there will be all the possibilities you need. In fact, the constraints could stimulate your creativity in ways that would have never occurred if you'd had more options.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

You know what physical hygiene is. But are you familiar with imaginal hygiene? Educator Morgan Brent defines it like this: "Imaginal hygiene is the inner art of self-managing the imagination, to defend it from forces that compromise, pollute, colonize, shrink, and sterilize it, and to cultivate those that illuminate, expand, and nourish it." It's always important for everyone to attend to this work, but it's especially crucial for you to focus on it in 2016. You will be exceptionally creative, and therefore likely to generate long-lasting effects and influences out of the raw materials that occupy your imagination.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

Your mind sometimes works too hard and fast for your own good. But mostly it's your best asset. Your versatility can sometimes be a curse, too, but far more often it's a blessing. Your agile tongue and flexible agenda generate more fun than trouble, and so do your smooth maneuvers and skillful gamesmanship. As wonderful as all these qualities can be, however, I suggest that you work on expanding your scope in 2016. In my astrological opinion, it will be a good time for you to study and embody the magic that the water signs possess. What would that mean exactly? Start this way: Give greater respect to your feelings. Tune in to them more, encourage them to deepen, and figure out how to trust them as sources of wisdom.

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START EXPLORING YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE

This week my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES offer you a teaser, sneak-peek look of some major themes you'll be working and playing with in 2016.

Who do you want to be in the coming year? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Your destiny is more wide-open than you might imagine. You have a lot of power to shape the flow of events.

I hope to inspire you to take advantage of the possibilities!

The cost is $6, with a discount for multiple purchases.

To get your sneak peek of some of 2016's major themes:

1. Go to RealAstrology.com

2. Register and/or log in

3. Then click on the link "This week (Dec. 22, 2015)."

They are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22):

Swedish movie director Ingmar Bergman won three Academy Awards and was nominated for eight others. Numerous filmmakers have cited him as an important influence on their work. His practical success was rooted in his devotion to the imagination. "I am living permanently in my dream, from which I make brief forays into reality," he said. Can you guess his astrological sign? Cancer the Crab, of course! No other tribe is better suited at moving back and forth between the two worlds. At least potentially, you are virtuosos at interweaving fantasy with earthy concerns. The coming year will afford you unprecedented opportunities to further develop and use this skill.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

Avoid pain and pursue pleasure. Be kind, not cruel. Abstain from self-pity and ask for the help you need. Instead of complaining, express gratitude. Dodge time-wasting activities and do things that are meaningful to you. Shun people who disrespect you and seek the company of those who enjoy you. Don't expose yourself to sickening, violent entertainment; fill your imagination up with uplifting stories. Does the advice I'm offering in this horoscope seem overly simple and obvious? That's no accident. In my opinion, what you need most in 2016 is to refresh your relationship with fundamental principles.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

Many of the atoms that compose your flesh and blood were not part of your body 12 months ago. That's because every year, 98 percent of you is replaced. Old cells are constantly dying, giving way to new cells that are made from the air, food, and water you ingest. This is true about everyone, of course. You're not the only one whose physical form is regularly recycled. But here's what will be unique about you in 2016: Your soul will match your body's rapid transformations. In fact, the turnover is already underway. By your next birthday, you may be so new you'll barely recognize yourself. I urge you to take full charge of this opportunity! Who do you want to become?

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

The English word "ain't" can mean "am not," "is not," "are not," or "have not." But it ain't recognized as a standard word in the language. If you use it, you risk being thought vulgar and uneducated. And yet "ain't" has been around since 1706, more than 300 years. Most words that are used for so long eventually become official. I see your journey in 2016 as having resemblances to the saga of "ain't," Libra. You will meet resistance as you seek greater acceptance of some nonstandard but regular part of your life. Here's the good news: Your chances of ultimately succeeding are much better than ain't's.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

My old friend John owns a 520-acre farm in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Blueberries are among the crops he grows. If he arranges their growing season so that they ripen in July, he can sell them for $1.75 a pint. But if he designs them to be ready for harvest in late summer and early fall, the price he gets may go up to $4 a pint. You can guess which schedule he prefers. I urge you to employ a similar strategy as you plot your game plan for 2016, Scorpio. Timing may not be everything, but it will count for a lot.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

In 1803, the U.S. government bought a huge chunk of North American land from the French government. At a price of three cents per acre, the new republic doubled its size, acquiring what's now Louisiana and Montana and everything between. I don't think you'll add that much to your domain in 2016, Sagittarius, but it's likely you will expand significantly. And although your new resources won't be as cheap as the 1803 bargain, I suspect the cost, both in terms of actual cash and in emotional energy, will be manageable. There's one way your acquisition will be better than that earlier one. The Americans bought and the French sold land they didn't actually own -- it belonged to the native people -- whereas your moves will have full integrity.

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HOMEWORK:

Send me predictions for your life in 2016. Where are you headed? Go to RealAstrology.com; 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 2015 Rob Brezsny

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