Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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October 12, 2005
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http://www.freewillastrology.com.
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UPCOMING PUBLIC APPEARANCES:
Open Secret Bookstore
Thursday, October 27
7 pm
923 C Street
San Rafael, CA
415.457.4191
http://www.opensecretbookstore.com
Sunday, November 6
2 pm
Regulator Bookshop
Durham, North Carolina
720 Ninth Street
Durham, NC 27705
Tel: 919-286-2700
http://www.regbook.com
Saturday, November 12
8 pm
Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
540 West 27th Street, 4th Floor
New York, NY 10001
212 564 4253
http://www.cosm.org
Sunday, November 20
8 pm
Continental
25 Third Avenue (between St. Marks Place & 9th St.)
New York, NY 10003.
(212) 529-6924
http://www.continentalnyc.com
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A review of my book, from the *San Francisco Chronicle*:
'PRONOIA' INVITES SURRENDER TO THE UNFATHOMABLE
by Rick DelVecchio
Rob Brezsny says the apocalypse is now, so let's dance.
"We are in fact living through the apocalypse," the astrology
columnist-author-musician declares in his radically optimistic
self-help bible, "Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole
World Is Conspiring to Shower You With Blessings," a surprise
top-1,000
seller on Amazon.com.
The biblical idea of apocalypse is the terrifying end of things,
followed by judgment. Brezsny's version takes away the fear and the
finality and redefines apocalypse as a slow, subtle, revolving process
of death and rebirth in which we're all invited to take part.
In the end, according to him, we can't lose. But -- and this is the
trick -- first we have to be willing to play the game.
Brezsny argues that the game is stacked in favor not so much of steady
happiness as happy accidents -- iridescent streams of fruitful,
fulfilling or inspiring moments in the mundane. He wrote the book in
order to provide evidence, tips and inspiration for people who sense
that theory is right but who find that media and education provide
little in the way of guidance.
"We're not looking for starry-eyed optimism and repressed boosterism,"
Brezsny said. "Pronoia is not boosterism for empty-brained people. I
think the media tend to emphasize that part of human experience that
doesn't work. There are a lot of people who don't identify that as
their primary state of existence."
TO READ THE REST OF THIS REVIEW, go here:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/07/EBG0JF24EB1.DTL&hw=brezsny&sn=001&sc=1000
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Here's an excerpt from my book
"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
PRONOIA NEWS NETWORK
These are our top stories.
INEXORABLE BEAT OF FREEDOM
For more than 30 years, Freedom House has evaluated the global state
of
civil liberties, democratic institutions, and independent media. Its
research suggests that the world is steadily becoming more free. In a
press release issued in December 2002, it reported that of the world's
192 nations, 117 were electoral democracies. "All provide considerable
political space and media access for opposition movements," it said,
"and allow for elections that meet minimum international standards of
ballot secrecy and vote tabulation."
In a more thorough analysis published in 2003, Freedom House said that
the 89 most free countries control 89 percent of the world's Gross
Domestic Product. It concluded that the majority of the planet's
economic, technological, and military resources belong to democracies.
(Source: http://www. freedomhouse.org)
ALMOST MORE GOOD LUCK THAN YOU CAN BEAR
"The rise of modernity served many extraordinary purposes: the rise of
democracy; the banishing of slavery; the emergence of liberal
feminism;
the differentiation of art and science and morality; the widespread
emergence of empirical sciences; an increase in average life span of
almost three decades; the introduction of relativity and perspectivism
in art and morals and science; the move from ethnocentric to
world-centric morality; and the undoing of dominator social
hierarchies." —Ken Wilber, *A Brief History of Everything*
RAPTURE UPDATE
The World Health Organization reports that over 100 million acts of
sexual intercourse, involving more than 200 million partners, take
place on the earth every 24 hours. According to the Beauty and Truth
Laboratory, if even one out of every two of those communions is
motivated by love, the planet is continuously awash with tender
ecstasy.
GREEN BUSINESS RISING
Toyota plans to use gasoline-electric hybrid engines in all of its
vehicles by 2012. The company pioneered hybrids in 1997, when it first
sold the Prius, a car that gets 50 miles per gallon of gas and emits
40
percent less carbon dioxide than a traditional engine. The third
largest automaker in the world, Toyota has inspired the top two to
play
catch-up. General Motors and Ford both introduced their own hybrids in
2004.
GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS
Calculated annually, the Gross National Product (GNP) is the standard
by which countries gauge their prosperity. In an age when other values
are subservient to the obsession with material wealth, the GNP is in
essence a measure of the current worth of the Holy Grail.
In recent years the Buddhist nation of Bhutan has rebelled against
this
vulgarity, proposing a different accounting system: Gross National
Happiness (GNH). While it takes into consideration economic
development, it also includes factors like the preservation of the
environment, enrichment of the culture, and quality of governance.
Here's an example of how Bhutan has raised its GNH. Its scenic beauty
could potentially generate a huge tourist industry. But strict limits
have been placed on the numbers of foreign visitors, ensuring the land
won't be trampled and despoiled.
EPIC COLLABORATION
You are a metropolis of 50 trillion citizens, says biologist Dr. Bruce
Lipton. Each of the cells in your body can be considered a sentient
being in its own right. They all act together as a community,
performing an ongoing act of prodigious collaboration.
THIS DAY IN PRONOIAC HISTORY
Leo Alard was the first Hispanic to become an Episcopalian bishop in
the U.S. His pioneer spirit emerged early on. As a young priest in the
1960s, he headed a racially integrated parish in Cattahoochee,
Florida.
The bigots of the KKK didn't look favorably on his work, and on one
occasion they burned a cross on the church lawn. Alard, who was
supervising a youth group on that particular night, brought the class
out and had everyone toast marshmallows over the fire.
PNN IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY Emily Dickinson's passion. She "could never
understand why the most intense human experiences had to be relegated
to the margins of human society," wrote Edward Hirsch in *American
Poetry Review.* "She read poetry and wrote every day because she
needed
a daily dose of ecstasy, the elation and exhilaration poetry
provides."
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There are hundreds more stories like this in *PRONOIA Is the Antidote
for Paranoia: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with
Blessings*
To read other pieces from the book, go here:
http://freewillastrology.com/beauty/beauty.main145.shtml
To buy the book, use the links to Amazon.com and Powells, which are on
my homepage at http://www.freewillastrology.com
Or cut and paste the direct links below:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1583941231/qid=1123690660/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-1737423-7631942?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
POWELLS
http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-1583941231-2
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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
WEBSITE
Abraham-Hicks
http://www.abraham-hicks.com
PLACE
Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
http://www.cosm.org
BOOK
*Women Who Run With the Wolves* Clarissa Pinkola Estes
*Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey* by Alex Grey
MUSIC
*Gathering One* by Hamsa Lila
CARTOON
SpongeBob Squarepants
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They're 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 October 13
Copyright 2005 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): California's San Joaquin Valley has the
worst air in the state, and as a result, 12 percent of the kids who
live there have asthma. The terrible pollution stems largely from
burned fossil fuels trapped between the mountain ranges that surround
the valley. Ironically, the smog often hides the mountains from view.
Some environmentalists have made that a symbol of what they hope to
accomplish as they strive to purify the air. "Fifteen years from now,"
one activist told the *San Francisco Chronicle,* "I have faith that
I'll see the mountains." Let this be a metaphor for the work you have
ahead of you, Aries. Banish what's obscuring your sight of the big
picture.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "Life would be a lot less boring if there
was
a fight to pick." So mused the narrator of a show about rival monkey
groups on cable TV's "Animal Planet." The moment I heard this, my
psychic sensors went on red alert and the image of a lethargic bull
popped into my mind's eye. "Uh-oh," I thought. "I bet this is a theme
I
should warn my Taurus readers about." Checking the astrological
aspects, I had my hunch confirmed. And so I am asking you not to seek
an exit from your doldrums by throwing your weight around in a china
store or in a crowded room full of sensitive egos. Have a little
patience, and your healthy, lusty appetites will soon return, rescuing
you from the need to spark an entertaining ruckus.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): There's not enough time to do all the things
you want to do. You're constantly rushing to get to places at an
appointed hour or to complete a certain task by a deadline. Part of
you
hates the regimen of doing the same thing at the same hour every day,
and part of you hates living your life by schedules set by other
people. In short, Gemini, you have an embattled relationship with
time.
Can anything be done about it? A little. You're now in a phase when
it's possible to make modest progress. To get in the mood, I suggest
you conduct a ritual to empower yourself. For instance, you could buy
a
cheap battery-operated alarm clock, take it into a natural place where
the rhythms of nature surround you, and smash the clock with a hammer.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Your assignment, my fellow Cancerian, is to
meditate every day on the following lines of poetry by L. S. Asekoff:
"There's a hole/ in my left shoe/ stuffed with a page/ of Aristotle's
Essay/ on Morals/ which contains/ a grammatical error/ in the first
line." Every secret you need to discover in the coming week can be
obtained by holding that image in your mind's eye and letting it work
its magic on you. Clues to your biggest question can be found in the
same way.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): British actor John Gielgud was considered one
of
the greatest Shakespearean actors of the 20th Century. He also won an
Oscar for his supporting role in the film *Arthur.* He once said,
"People like to hear me say 'shit' in my gorgeous voice." You Leos are
likely to have encounters with experiences like that in the coming
week. Vulgarity and elegance may arrive wrapped in the same package.
Expensive wizardry may use cheap effects. High-quality performances
might deliver base emotions. None of these mixed messages will cause
you problems as long as you're discriminating enough to separate the
dross from the essence.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In America's presidential election of 2000,
Al Gore received 543,816 more votes than George Bush, the candidate
who
was declared the new commander-in-chief. I foresee the potential for a
comparable event occurring in your life soon. An apparent loser may,
by
some technicality or twist of fate, become the winner. A stronger,
more
popular option could be eclipsed by a second choice. There's a 50-50
chance you can prevent this aberration from coming to pass, but only
if
you act quickly and with unshakable integrity as you take a fierce
stand for what's fair and just.
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
In addition to the written horoscopes you get in this newsletter, I
offer Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're $6 if you access them on the
Web, or $1.99 per minute over the phone.
For Web access, go here:
http://www.relationshipnetwork.com/horo/index.asp?client_id=50700
From the United States, call
1-900-950-7700
or if you prefer to pay by credit card
1-877-873-4888
If you live in Canada, call 1-888-499-4425 to purchase a Block of Time
with your credit card.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Columnist L.M. Boyd told the story of Mark
Gubin, a photographer whose business was located near Milwaukee's
airport. A lover of pranks, Gubin decorated his roof with a giant sign
that read "Welcome to Cleveland." Countless passengers arriving in
Milwaukee by plane were amused and confused by the greeting. I suspect
that a similar event will occur in your life this week, Libra. As you
arrive at your new destination, you'll get signals that lead you to
believe you're not where you thought you were. Ignore the
misdirection.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): To an optimist, the glass is half-full. A
pessimist says the glass is half-empty. But in the eyes of an
engineer,
the glass is twice as big as it needs to be. For the foreseeable
future, Scorpio, it makes perfect sense for you to think like an
engineer. Resist all temptations to be either an optimist or a
pessimist. Purge any reflex you have to indulge in hope or fear.
Instead, maintain a neutral, objective attitude as you try to see
things exactly as they are, then make a calm, reasonable response.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): British physician Joseph Lister
(1827-1912) was a pioneer of antiseptic surgery. He even built an
unwieldy machine called the donkey engine to spray steamy disinfectant
on patients he operated on. His most famous patient was Queen
Victoria,
whose armpit had an abscess that he healed. She rewarded him with the
royal title of baronet, which is like a knighthood except that it can
be passed on to one's heirs. I bring this up, Sagittarius, because
there's a good chance you'll receive an opportunity comparable to
Lister's. One of your talents could be called on by an unexpected
source--maybe even a higher power or VIP. If you do well, you'll get a
long-lasting reward.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): My friend Glenn suffered a thumb injury
while playing softball a few years back. Though it eventually healed,
the scar tissue made the thumb less mobile than it had been before.
Three weeks ago, he got stung by a bee in the exact spot where the
original wound occurred. It swelled up for a couple days, then
receded.
Since then, he has enjoyed a dramatic upgrade in the thumb's freedom
of
movement. I predict a comparable scenario for you in the coming days,
Capricorn. A fresh booboo won't last long, and--wonder of wonders--it
will ameliorate an old booboo.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): When I traveled from San Francisco to
Amsterdam with Maureen some years ago, we arrived at our hotel in a
state of radical sleep deprivation. The concierge told us our room
wasn't quite ready, and suggested we go kill some time at a nearby
tourist attraction. We took his advice, walking a few blocks to the
History of Torture Museum. There we found devices like the Judas
Cradle, the Heretic's Fork, and the Chair of Spikes. Being horrified
and grossed out helped keep us semi-awake, which was good, but we kept
nodding off and dreaming of being tortured, which wasn't so fun. And
yet soon we were back at the hotel, safe and sound, catching up on our
lost rest. I predict that in the coming week, Aquarius, you will have
a
series of experiences with an uncanny similarity to ours.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In her book *Women Who Run With the
Wolves,*
Clarissa Pinkola Estes suggests that we all need to periodically go
cheerfully and enthusiastically out of our minds. Make sure, she
says,
that at least one part of you always remains untamed, uncategorizable,
and unsubjugated by routine. Be adamant in your determination to stay
intimately connected to all that's inexplicable and mysterious about
your life. At the same time, though, Estes believes you need to keep
your unusual urges clear and ordered. Discipline your wildness, in
other words, and never let it degenerate into thoughtless chaos. It's
especially important for you to act on all these principles in the
coming weeks.
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HOMEWORK:
What do you like best about the part of yourself that is least evolved
and needs most work? Testify by going to
http://www.freewillastrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2005 Rob Brezsny
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