Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
"The moment you come to trust chaos, you see God clearly. Chaos is
divine order, versus human order. Change is divine order, versus human
order. When the chaos becomes safety to you, then you know you're
seeing God clearly."
—Caroline Myss, *Spiritual Madness: The Necessity of Meeting God in
Darkness*
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November 2, 2005
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http://www.freewillastrology.com
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HERE ARE MY UPCOMING PUBLIC APPEARANCES
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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Here's an excerpt from my book
"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
available at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1583941231/qid=1117646708/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-0132506-6764676?v=glance&s=books
or get direct links at http://www.freewillastrology.com
PRONOIA NEWS NETWORK
These are our top stories.
CULTURE WARS A FABRICATION?
The high degree of religious and multicultural tolerance in the United
States is unprecedented in world history. So said sociologist Alan
Wolfe in his book *One Nation, After All,* based on two years of
interviews with 200 subjects.
"Wolfe argues that middle-class Americans don't deserve their
reputation as angry, sanctimonious, and narrow-minded," reported Alicia
Potter in the *Boston Phoenix.* "On the contrary, they're optimistic,
thoughtful, and slow to judge."
Wolfe's subjects expressed remarkable acceptance of immigrants,
non-whites, and people of other socio-economic classes.
Wolfe was frustrated by his findings. Because he makes part of his
living writing for opinionated magazines, he yearned for more
controversial data.
"The reasonableness, the sensitivity, the thoughtfulness just drove me
batty," he told Potter. "I just wanted to scream at people, ‘Isn't
there something that really just makes you angry and upset?'" (Source:
Alicia Potter, Boston Phoenix, March 30, 1998)
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SINGING DUELS DIFFUSE ANGER
"In Greenland, disputes are solved through singing duels. The quibbling
parties face off and proceed to croon tunes heaped high with insults.
While spectators pass the final judgment on the event, the singing
generally diffuses the anger, and the dueling parties leave as
friends." —Mental Floss, July–August 2004
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FREE OF MENTAL ILLNESS
You don’t suffer from anthonephophobia, a fear of flowers falling from
clouds.
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REBORN STEEL
The North American steel industry annually recycles millions of tons of
steel scrap from recycled cans, automobiles, appliances, construction
materials, and other steel products. The scrap is remelted to produce
new steel. Every ton of steel recycled saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore,
1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone. The industry’s
overall recycling rate is 68 percent.
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ANIMAL ECSTASY
In his book *Animals and Psychedelics: The Natural World and the
Instinct to Alter Consciousness,* ethnobotanist Giorgio Samorini proves
that many animals deliberately alter their consciousness. His evidence
includes robins that get drunk on holly berries and act "like winged
clowns," as well as goats hooked on caffeine and reindeer that seek out
hallucinogenic mushrooms.
Samorini concludes that the desire to get high is a natural drive.
Intoxication has served as an evolutionary force for some species,
breaking down outworn habits in such a way as to improve long-term
survival.
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BLINK OF PRONOIA
Jean-Dominique Bauby was a 43-year-old editor when he suffered an
unusual stroke. Though his brain remained undamaged, his entire body
was paralyzed except for his left eye. Slowly he learned to communicate
in code by blinking, and over the next two years he dictated a memoir.
Feeling as if he were trapped in a diving bell, but with his
imagination as free as a butterfly, he called his book The Diving Bell
and the Butterfly. Critics have described it as "startling,"
"inspirational," and "a jewel."
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CRANE OPPORTUNISM
Between North and South Korea is a long, narrow strip of land called
the DMZ. Designed to be a buffer zone where all human activity is
prohibited, it has accidentally become a nature preserve beloved by
white-naped cranes. The area is a paradise for the birds because it has
an abundance of undisturbed marshland and is free of predators.
Luckily, the cranes are so lightweight that they're in no danger of
detonating the many land mines buried throughout the 370-square-mile
area.
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POETRY FACTS
"Poetry is a rich, full-bodied whistle, cracked ice crunching in pails,
the night that numbs the leaf, the duel of two nightingales, the sweet
pea that has run wild, Creation's tears in shoulder blades." —Boris
Pasternak
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FREE WORK DONE OUT OF LOVE
The U.S. Labor Department periodically analyzes the volunteer work done
by Americans. In one report, it estimated that between September 2001
and September 2002, 59 million people offered their services free of
charge as they mentored, tutored, built affordable housing, cleaned up
the environment, and helped respond to community emergencies. The
average contribution per person for the year was 52 hours. (Source:
Associated Press)
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SACRED ADVERTISEMENT
PNN is brought to you by this passage from Eknath Easwaran's book
*Gandhi, the Man:* "One of the most radical discoveries Gandhi was to
make in a lifetime of experimentation: In order to transform others,
you have to transform yourself."
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THIS WEEK IN PRONOIAC HISTORY
Pablo Picasso had a difficult birth. When he finally popped out after a
long labor, he wasn't breathing. The midwife decided his face was so
blue he'd be impossible to revive. She declared him dead and left. But
Picasso's uncle, who was in attendance, got up close to the infant and
puffed cigar smoke up his nose. The shock brought him back to life.
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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:
VIDEO
Brian Swimme, *The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos*
BOOK
*Authentic Happiness : Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize
Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment* by Martin Seligman
MAGAZINE
Lilipoh
http://www.lilipoh.com
WEBSITE
Caroline Casey's Visionary Activism
http://www.spiritualintrigue.com
NATURAL PHENOMENON
Aurora Borealis
(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 November 3
Copyright 2005 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I myself have not played the fantasy
role-playing game Nox. From the review of it in *Fortean Times,*
though, I surmise you might want to check it out. It could prepare you
well for the coming week--maybe teach you a few tricks that would come
in handy. The reviewer of Nox says that in the game you have to weave
your way through booby-trapped mazes and haunted libraries as you try
to foil the schemes of an evil necromancer. An army of magic spiders
may be at your command, but it won't necessarily be of assistance as
you wade through a swamp rife with lethal stinking cabbages. Sound
familiar?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "In the animal kingdom, the rule is, eat or
be eaten; in the human kingdom, define or be defined," wrote
psychiatrist Thomas Szasz. This is always true, but it's especially
apropos for you Tauruses right now. You have arrived at a three-way
fork in the road, and which way you go will have a big impact on your
future capacity to exercise your free will. To make the best choice,
you've got to have maximum power to define yourself. Don't let anyone,
whether it's an enemy or a loved one or a so-called expert, take charge
of determining the contours of your identity.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the 1670s a British naturalist named Robert
Plot discovered what we now recognize to be the first dinosaur fossil
ever found by a scientist. It was the femur of a Megalosaurus, though
back then no one knew what it was. Taxonomist Richard Brookes, a
contemporary of Plot, made an educated guess. He believed it was the
petrified scrotum of Adam, the first man. I believe a comparable
scenario will soon unfold in your life, Gemini. Through ignorance or
inexperience, a potentially rich discovery may initially be
misidentified. It will be your job to reject premature conclusions,
keep everyone's mind open, and organize a quest for the unpredictable
truth.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): The ancient Greek mythic hero Orpheus
possessed an abundance of what we today call emotional intelligence.
His feelings were profound, well-wrought, and lyrical, and he had a
virtuoso talent for rousing sublime passions in others. The music he
played on his lyre inspired warring soldiers to stop fighting. Wild
animals listened raptly. Workaholics ceased their compulsive toil. When
he gave concerts in the underworld, even the cold-hearted rulers of
that infernal realm were charmed. None of us will ever soar to the same
heights of emotional intelligence as Orpheus, of course, but this week
you Cancerians can get closer than ever before.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Woolly mammoths, relatives of the elephant, have
been extinct for 10,000 years. But several fully intact specimens have
been discovered in Alaska and Siberia, well-preserved in ice. A few
daring men have cooked and eaten the meat. They claim that it has a
decent taste. I bring this to your attention, Leo, because it provides
an apt metaphor for your imminent future. I believe you'll be offered
an ancient meal, in a manner of speaking--an exotic form of nourishment
that originated long before you were born. It'll be more than food for
thought--it'll be ambrosia for the soul.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Members of your tribe are even more likely
than usual not to be given their proper credit or just due--which is
exactly why you should fight with wild intensity to get it. If people
try to claim your work as their own, protest loudly. If your strenuous
efforts aren't rewarded as they should, give yourself the reward. If
your ideas are plagiarized, your style ripped off, or your product
copied without your permission, fight back with tactful ferocity.
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AUDIO LOVE LETTERS
In addition to the horoscopes that come to you in this newsletter, I
create more in-depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration. I think of
them as my love letters to you. 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.
"Your expanded astrology thingees help me remember who I really am."
-Gareth N., Toronto
"I never knew it was possible to get my butt kicked and my head patted
at the same time -- until I listened to you, Rob." -Kristi P.,
Portland, OR
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In one of his books, the Dalai Lama
challenges readers to go just ten minutes without having a negative
thought about another person. When I told this to my acquaintance
Arthur, he said, "What a simplistic, overrated fraud that Dalai Lama
dude is. It's totally easy to go ten minutes without dissing someone."
Your assignment, Libra, is to submit to a marathon version of the
challenge: See if you can go seven whole days without having a negative
thought about anyone. His Holiness implies there's a good selfish
reason for doing so: It helps you cultivate a state of mind in which
peaceful contentment is a natural condition.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Charles Darwin developed the theory of
evolution 20 years before he finally published a book about it. Why did
he wait? Here's one theory: In contrast to his radical ideas, Darwin
was a conservative Victorian squire who cared deeply about his
reputation. According to Professor John Carey, he was afraid that "the
blow to Christianity and to the dignity of man inherent in [his] theory
would encourage atheistic agitators and socialist revolutionaries." I
believe you're facing a dilemma comparable to Darwin's. The changes
you're going through will definitely mess with the status quo when you
start openly expressing them. So will you postpone your coming out
party, hoping that time will somehow make the New You more palatable?
I'm not sure that approach would do anyone much good.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "Dear Dream Doctor: Last night I dreamed
I was taking care of a suicidal priest. Part of my job was to keep him
occupied in order to make sure he didn't kill himself. As we played the
child's card game called War, I noticed that the clothes I was wearing
were moldy rags. Suddenly I was startled by a bright light. The door to
the room was open, and floating out in the hall was a giant exclamation
mark that seemed to be a living creature. What does it all mean?
-Spooked Sagittarius." Dear Spooked: When you stop clinging to the
tattered, worn-out delusion that has functioned as your faith all these
years, you will find a far more vibrant faith that is based on reality
and that truly nurtures your soul.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Actress Sarah Jessica Parker recently told
the *San Francisco Chronicle* about her new perfume, Lovely. It's "a
fragrance that has social skills," she said. "It doesn't dominate a
room. It doesn't cling to a person who hugs you. It's sexy, but not
'of-the-moment.' It's a timeless thing." This is a perfect description
of your assignment in the coming days, Capricorn. Be like a memorable
but subtle fragrance that has social skills. Work every room you're in,
but do it with understated grace. Give every person you encounter a
strong impression of your uniqueness, but without hitting them over the
head with it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Isaac Newton was one of the most
influential scientists who ever lived. He developed the theory of
gravity, and made many other revolutionary contributions to physics and
mathematics. And yet his consuming interest for the last 20 years of
his life was alchemy; he wrote thousands of pages on the subject, most
of which hasn't been published. Similarly, Arthur Conan Doyle is
renowned for his stories about Sherlock Holmes, but in his own mind his
most important gift to the world was his research into the paranormal
and his ideas about spirituality. What about you, Aquarius? Is there a
gap between the way the world perceives you and how you see yourself?
This is a perfect moment to do something about it.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "Dear Rob: It's my goal to become a Texas
Congressman by 2016 and a senator by 2028. I have a lot of original
ideas about how to make the world a better place, and I've decided that
the best way to make them happen is by becoming a force in national
politics. Do you have any advice on how to proceed? -Pisces Who Doesn't
Need to Marry a Blond, Blue-Eyed Cheerleader with Six-Pack Abs." Dear
Pisces: It's funny you should ask, because it's an ideal time for you
Fish to go on a vision quest that will reveal glimpses of the best ways
to spend your life in the next 20 years.
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HOMEWORK:
Unleash an outrageous boast about how you're going to pull off a
certain feat that you've previously lacked the chutzpah to attempt.
Testify by going to http://www.freewillastrology.com and clicking on
"Email Rob."
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address to anyone.
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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
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Requests for anonymity will be honored with submissions;
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Please be sure to note your preference when sending to us. We
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2005 Rob Brezsny
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