Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter January 13, 2016

 Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
 January 13, 2016
 FreeWillAstrology.com

+

DREAM AND SCHEME ABOUT YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE

with my 3-part EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES for the Coming Year.

RealAstrology.com

What new influences will be headed your way in 2016? What fresh resources will you be able to draw on? How can you conspire with life to create the best possible future for yourself?

This week, my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES feature Part 3 of the long-range, in-depth explorations of your destiny in 2016.

Part 1 and Part 2 of your Big-Picture Predictions, which I offered the last two weeks, are also still available.

What will be the story of your life in 2016? How can you exert your free will to create the adventures that'll bring out the best in you, even as you find graceful ways to cooperate with the tides of destiny?

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

Register and/or log in through the main page, and then click on the link "Long Term Forecast for 2016."

The cost is $6 per sign. There are discounts for the purchase of multiple tokens.

You can also listen to Part 3 over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888. The cost is $1.99 per minute. Each forecast is 7-9 minutes long.

+

P.S. You can also still access my Sneak-Peek at 2016. In these expanded audio horoscopes, I describe some major themes I think you'll be working and playing with in 2016. After you register and/or log in, click on "Three Weeks Ago (Dec. 22, 2015)."

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

I invite you to select a song that will serve as your inspirational anthem in 2016 -- an emotionally-enriching song that will help keep you focused on what's important, lift you up when you're dragging, and spark you to love life with compassionate ingenuity.

If you're so moved, provide a link to the theme song you choose so I can listen to it. (I'm always looking for new inspirational tunes!) Send it to me at Truthrooster@gmail.com

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

MERCURY IS RETROGRADE UNTIL JANUARY 25. One of my favorite astrologers, William Sebrans, gives ten reasons why we can appreciate the glitchy tweaks that this astrological configuration allegedly spawns:

1. Misunderstandings are now attributable to impersonal forces or gods in vacation mode. That is, we are for the time being in the clear and temporarily off the hook.

2. We expect things to not work, so when they do -- we are happier than before, when we expected them to.

3.We can spend hours now tossing out crap, purging mail sludge, organizing our micro-universes, and are entitled to call it all productive work. No need to rush forward, when it is salutary to shuffle backward for a spell.

4. We are forgiven in advance for impatience and frustration, but as well we are given extra permission to blow off the pressure and be calmly accepting of what we are are usually supposed to get upset with. Think: customer service.

5. For a few weeks, we get to hear less New Age murmurings about the Divine Flow, the power of creative visualization, and the power of surrender to Shakti -- and are allowed to focus on getting the job done any damned way we can figure it out.

6. If we are believers, we can find proof of the retrograde effect; if we are non-believers, -- we can find proof of the non-retrograde effect. Either way, we are vindicated.

7. We can watch more Merchant Ivory-period films and feel good about ourselves.

8. We can hand-write letters and craft arty post cards at work, while justifying the less efficient retro-fit communication as coming by Divine Decree.

9. We can slow down.

10. We can slow down and repeat ourselves

~ William Sebrans, facebook.com/william.sebrans

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Now here's some additional commentary from me about Mercury Retrograde:

Mercury retrogrades are always heading our way -- an average of three per year. Also heading our way -- always, always -- are numerous astrological configurations that traditional astrologers interpret as malefic, miserable, and menacing.

As just one of many examples, some regard moon void-of-course with the same fear and loathing that they do Mercury retrograde, and the moon void-of-course is a regular and frequent occurrence.

For my sanity, I can't afford to be extra careful around these aspects. There are too damn many of them.

And as for the Mercury Retrograde itself:

Traditional astrologers regard each Mercury retrograde phenomenon to consist of eight phases:

Pre-Shadow phase

Pre-Shadow phase intensified

Mercury Retrograde Station

Mercury Retrograde Phase intensified

Mercury Retrograde Phase

Mercury Direct Station

Post-Shadow phase intensified

Post-Shadow phase

Every complete Mercury retrograde cycle lasts an average of 55 days. Since there is an average of three Mercury retrogrades per year, we are in some part of the Mercury retrograde phenomenon for at least 165 days per year -- about 45% of the time.

2016 is unusual because the first Mercury retrograde happens so early in the year. So this year, the complete Mercury retrograde cycle will cover 185 days, or a little over 50% of the year.

That's a lot of time to be on guard.

+

I am aware that my views are not shared by many astrologers, but they reflect my observation and experiences. Here's a brief version:

Mercury does not mean communication snafus are inevitable. Rather, it tells you this is a propitious time to refine the ways you exchange information . . . and to concentrate harder on saying what you mean and meaning what you say . . . and to meditate on how to improve the ways you connect yourself to the people and resources you need and like.

Some people say that when Mercury is retrograde, it's a bad time to begin anything new. During one such period two years ago, an acquaintance of mine decided to delay accepting a dream job offer as editor of a magazine. By the time Mercury returned to "normal," the magazine had hired another applicant. I wish I'd have known, because I would have told her what I'll tell you: Some of America's biggest, most enduring Fortune 500 companies began when Mercury was retrograde, including Disney, Goodyear, and Boeing.

My deep skepticism about big corporations notwithstanding, the fact that their founders had great success in launching them during Mercury retrograde is a telling statement about Mercury retrograde.

In my understanding of astrology, there's no such thing as a bad astrological aspect. It's true that some may be more challenging than others, but every one of them presents an opportunity.

Having said that, I don't regard Mercury retrograde as being dauntingly challenging. If you fear and expect it to be, you may tend to be slightly more attractive to disruptive events. But then that's true about how every superstition works.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

Top 10 Health, Cancer, and Science Breakthroughs of 2015.
tinyurl.com/gpty2az

Humans Actually Did Some Good Stuff For The Planet In 2015.
tinyurl.com/pgl65xs

Virginia Church Votes to Sell its Building and Property to Build Affordable Housing on the Site.
tinyurl.com/jgo3y9t

(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.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
 Week beginning January 14

Copyright 2016 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

"It's a terrible thing to wait until you're ready," proclaims actor Hugh Laurie. He goes even further: "No one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready." His counsel is too extreme for my tastes. I believe that proper preparation is often essential. We've got to get educated about the challenges we want to take on. We need to develop at least some skills to help us master our beloved goals. On the other hand, it's impossible to ever be perfectly prepared and educated and skilled. If you postpone your quantum leaps of faith until every contingency has been accounted for, you'll never leap. Right now, Capricorn, Laurie's view is good advice.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

Fate has transformed a part of your life that you didn't feel ready to have transformed. I won't offer my condolences, though, because I've guessed a secret that you don't know about yet. The mythic fact, as I see it, is that whatever you imagine you have had to let go of will ultimately come back to you in a revised and revivified form -- maybe sooner than you think. Endings and beginnings are weaving their mysteries together in unforeseen ways. Be receptive to enigmatic surprises.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

Good news: Your eagerness to think big is one of your superpowers. Bad news: It's also one of your liabilities. Although it enables you to see how everything fits together, it may cause you to overlook details about what's undermining you. Good news: Your capacity for intense empathy is a healing balm for both others and yourself. At least potentially, it means you can be a genius of intimacy. Bad news: Your intense empathy can make you fall prey to the emotional manipulation of people with whom you empathize. Good news: Your willingness to explore darkness is what makes your intelligence so profound. Bad news: But that's also why you have to wrestle so fiercely with fear. Good news: In the next four weeks, the positive aspects of all the above qualities will be ascendant.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

You love autonomy. You specialize in getting the freedom and sovereignty you require. You are naturally skilled at securing your independence from influences that might constrain your imagination and limit your self-expression. But here's a sticking point: If you want the power to help shape group processes, you must give up some of your autonomy. In order to motivate allies to work toward shared goals, you need to practice the art of interdependence. The next test of your ability to do this is coming right up.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

"Nothing is really work unless you'd rather be doing something else." So said Taurus writer James M. Barrie (1860-1937), who created the Peter Pan stories. Your challenge and invitation in the coming months is to increase the amount of time you spend that does not qualify as work. In fact, why don't you see how much and how often you can indulge in outright play? There'll be no better way to attract grace and generate good fortune.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

Here's my proposal: Get in touch with your madness. And don't tell me you have no madness. We all do. But listen: When I use the word "madness," I don't mean howling rage, hurtful lunacy, or out-of-control misbehavior. I'm calling on the experimental part of you that isn't always polite and reasonable; the exuberant rebel who is attracted to wild truths rather than calming lies; the imaginative seeker who pines for adventures on the frontiers of your understanding. Now is an excellent time to tap into your inner maverick.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

LET'S IMAGINE WHAT BEAUTIFUL MYSTERIES
 MIGHT BE COMING YOUR WAY IN THE COMING YEAR

Who do you want to become in 2016? Where do you want to go and what do you want to do? Would you like some inspiration as you muse and wonder about your upcoming adventures?

In this week's EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, I offer you Part 3 of MY long-term, in-depth exploration of your destiny in the coming year.

Part 1 and Part 2 are still available.

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

Register and/or log in through the main page, and then click on the link "Long Term Forecast for 2016."

The cost is $6 per sign on the Web (discounts with the purchase of multiple tokens).

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

Here's an excerpt from Dorianne Laux's poem "Antilamentation": "Regret nothing. Not the cruel novels you read to the end just to find out who killed the cook. Not the insipid movies that made you cry in the dark. Not the lover you left quivering in a hotel parking lot. Not the nights you called god names and cursed your mother, sunk like a dog in the living room couch, chewing your nails." I'm giving you a good dose of Laux's purifying rant in the hope that it will incite you to unleash your own. The time is favorable to summon an expanded appreciation for the twists and tweaks of your past, even those that seemed torturous in the moment. Laux doesn't regret the TV set she threw out the upstairs window or the stuck onion rings she had to sweep off the dirty restaurant floor, and I hope you will be that inclusive.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

"Modesty is the art of drawing attention to whatever it is you're being humble about," said Alfred E. Neuman, the fictitious absurdist whose likeness often appears on the cover of Mad magazine. I'm here to tell you, Leo, that now is an excellent time to embody this aphorism. You are in a perfect position to launch a charm offensive by being outrageously unassuming. The less you brag about yourself and the more you praise other people, the better able you will be to get exactly what you want. Being unegotistical and non-narcissistic is an excellent strategy for serving your selfish needs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

"To go wrong in one's own way is better than to go right in someone else's," says a character in Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel Crime and Punishment. I don't agree with that idea 100 percent of the time. Sometimes our wrong ideas are so delusional that we're better off getting interrupted and redirected by the wiser insights of others. But for the near future, Virgo, I recommend Dostoyevsky's prescription for your use. One of your key principles will be to brandish your unique perspectives. Even if they're not entirely right and reasonable, they will lead you to what you need to learn next.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

"I love kissing," testifies singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. "If I could kiss all day, I would. I can't stop thinking about kissing. I like kissing more than sex because there's no end to it. You can kiss forever. You can kiss yourself into oblivion. You can kiss all over the body. You can kiss yourself to sleep." I invite you to temporarily adopt this expansive obsession, Libra. The astrological omens suggest that you need more sweet slippery sensual tender interaction than usual. Why? Because it will unleash sweet slippery sensual tender emotions and sweet slippery sensual tender thoughts, all of which will awaken a surge of dormant creativity. Which you also need very much.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

"Everything has been said before," said French author André Gide, "but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again." I am happy to inform you that you're about to be temporarily exempt from this cynical formulation. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you will be able to drive home certain points that you have been trying to make over and over again for quite a while. The people who most need to hear them will finally be able to register your meaning. (P.S. This breakthrough will generate optimal results if you don't gloat. Be grateful and understated.)

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

Do you want more money, Sagittarius? Are there treasures you wish you could have, but you can't afford them? Do any exciting experiences and life-enhancing adventures remain off-limits because of limited resources? If your answer to any of these questions is yes, now would be an excellent time to formulate plans and take action to gather increased wealth. I don't guarantee total success if you do, but I promise that your chance to make progress will be higher than usual. Cosmic tendencies are leaning in the direction of you getting richer quicker, and if you collaborate with those tendencies, financial magic could materialize.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

HOMEWORK:

Find, create, or arrange to be in the path of an experience that makes you cry for joy. Report results to FreeWillAstrology.com.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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 2016 Rob Brezsny

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++