Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
"Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like
trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on
stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes."
-Sri Ramana Maharshi
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March 8, 2006
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http://www.freewillastrology.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://snipurl.com/krjj
or find out more at http://www.freewillastrology.com
YOU'RE A PROPHET
With the authority vested in me by the little voice in my head, I'm pleased
to give you permission to add another job title to your résumé: prophet.
Am I being ironic? Only partially. The truth is, you generate numerous
predictions every day. The source is your imagination, which tirelessly
churns out visions of what you'll be doing in the future. The featured
oracle of the moment may be as simple as a psychic impression of
yourself devouring a fudge brownie in an hour or as monumental as a
fantasy of building your dream home in Hawaii.
Your imagination is a treasure when it spins out scenarios that are aligned
with your deepest desires. Indeed, it's an indispensable tool in creating
the life you want; it's what you use to form images of the conditions
you'd like to inhabit and the objects you hope to wield. Nothing manifests
on the material plane unless it first exists as a mental picture.
But for most of us, the imagination is as much a curse as a blessing.
You're just as likely to use it to conjure up premonitions that are at odds
with your conscious values. Fearful fantasies regularly pop up, many
disguising themselves as rational thoughts and genuine intuitions. They
may hijack your psychic energy, directing it to exhaust itself in dead-end
meditations.
Meanwhile, ill-suited longings are also lurking in your unconscious mind,
impelling you to want things that aren't good for you and that you don't
really need. Anytime you surrender to their allure, your imagination is
practicing a form of black magic.
These are the imagination's unsavory aspects, which Zen Buddhists
describe as the chatter of the "monkey mind." If you can stop locating
your sense of self in the endless surge of its slapdash fantasies, only then
might you be able to be here now and want what you actually have.
But whether your imagination is in service to your noble desires or in the
thrall of compulsive fears and inappropriate yearnings, there is one
commonality: Its prophecies can be pretty accurate. Many of your visions
of the future do come to pass. The situations you expect to occur and
the experiences you rehearse and dwell on are often reflected back to you
as events that confirm your expectations.
Does that mean our mental projections create the future? Let's consider
that possibility. What if it's at least partially true that what we expect will
happen does tend to materialize? Here's the logical conclusion: It's
downright stupid and self-destructive to keep infecting our imaginations
with pictures of loss and failure, doom and gloom, fear and loathing. The
far more sensible approach is to expect blessings.
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To read other pieces from my book, go here:
http://snipurl.com/l9o3
or
http://freewillastrology.com/beauty/beauty.main145.shtml
To buy the book, use the links to Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble,
which are on my homepage at http://www.freewillastrology.com
Or cut and paste the direct links below:
AMAZON
http://snipurl.com/krjj
BARNES & NOBLE
http://snipurl.com/krjn
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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
NEWS
Change-the-World News
http://www.cthings.com
"In a world that methodically tells us day in and day out that nothing ever
really changes and nothing ever will, we offer evidence of the opposite:
the amazing things people are doing to alter life as we know it."
BOOK
*Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in
Everyday Life* by Thomas Moore
AUDIO
Internet Audio Archive
http://www.archive.org/details/audio
WEBSITE
"How Change Works" by Joe Flower
http://www.well.com/user/bbear/
VISUAL ART
Manholes of Japan
http://snipurl.com/n718
FOOD
Cafe Gratitude
http://www.withthecurrent.com/cafe.html
(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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Some recent headlines from CHANGE-THE-WORLD NEWS
http://www.cthings.com
80% of College Professors Consider Themselves "Spiritual"
Endangered Species Act Shows 93% Success Rate
Satellites Uncover Mayan Secrets
India Welcomes Peace Breakthrough in Sri Lanka
Google Exec to Expand Global Public Health Intelligence Network
Marijuana Might Cause New Cell Growth in the Brain
U.S. and India Agree on Landmark Nuclear Deal
Chimpanzees Show Hints of Higher Human Traits
Ear Infection Vaccine Developed
Kids Build Soybean-Fueled Car
Drug Found to Reverse the Ravages of Alzheimer's in Mice
Indie Rockers Reject Offers From Gas-Guzzling Hummer Brand
Optimists Live Longer, Study Shows
Fewer Young People Watching TV, Study Shows
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning March 9
Copyright 2006 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Dung beetles were considered sacred and
lucky by the ancient Egyptians. In fact, the seemingly lowly insect, also
known as a scarab, was worshiped as a symbol of transformation and
resurrection, in part because it derives its nourishment from the waste
matter of other animals. Since it also pushes balls of dung to its nest, it
was thought to resemble the god Ra rolling the sun through the heavens.
During the coming week, Aries, the scarab will be your power animal. May
it inspire you to turn crap into treasure as you're reborn from the
deadness of the past.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It took an English woman named Venida
Crabtree 33 years to learn how to drive. She failed her first driving test at
age 17, but never gave up trying. Last year she finally succeeded, getting
her first license at the age of 50. She's your role model, Taurus. There's a
good chance that like her, you will soon be able to master a task or reach
a goal that you've been plugging away at forever.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I'm here at San Francisco's Samovar Tea
Lounge to meditate on your horoscope. I've decided that the beverage
most likely to put me in the right mood is "Monkey-Picked Iron Goddess of
Mercy" tea. That's because my analysis of your astrological omens reveals
that there'll be something both steely and soft about your immediate
future, both willful and delicate. "Iron Goddess of Mercy" is an apt
metaphor for the influences you should seek. Furthermore, I suspect you'll
need the intervention of an agile and vibrant animal energy, which is
suggested by the "Monkey-Picked" aspect of the tea. Using the Samovar
menu as a divinatory tool for generating even more oracular information,
I've come up with three additional phrases to capture the quality of your
life in the coming days: *velvety nuances of roasted chestnuts and
eucalyptus;* *tastes that are zealously smoky yet gossamer and satiny;*
and *not for the sinless.*
CANCER (June 21-July 22): As a Cancerian, you're sometimes prone to
indulging in pathological levels of self-sufficiency. You can get into the
bad habit of making it hard for people to give you emotional support,
constructive feedback, and plain old ordinary gifts. That's why I hesitate
to say anything that might encourage you to get into a woe-is-me, I-have-
to-do-everything-myself mode of heroic martyrdom. Nevertheless, I've
decided to take that risk. To achieve the breakthrough that's now
available, you may have to take what Ernest Hemingway described as the
path to greatness: Push yourself "far out past where you can go, out to
where no one can help you."
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): This would be an excellent time for you to create
your own personal religion, complete with rituals, prayers, and divinities
that fit your precise needs. Feel free to borrow extensively from various
spiritual traditions, of course, but make sure you give each belief or
practice your own unique twist. And please include a few idiosyncratic
touches that have never before been a part of any organized faith, like a
holy day commemorating your first sexual experience or a sacred object
obtained from a toy store or pawn shop or a rousing hymn adopted from
an old Nirvana song.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The ancient Greeks had words for love that
transcend our usual notions, writes Lindsay Swope in her review of
Richard Idemon's book *Through the Looking Glass.* *Epithemia* is the
basic need to touch and be touched. Our closest approximation is
"horniness," though *epithemia* is not so much a sexual feeling as a
sensual one. *Philia* is friendship. It includes the need to admire and
respect your friends as a reflection of yourself--like in high school, where
you want to hang out with the cool kids because that means you're cool
too. *Eros* isn't sexual in the way we usually think, but is more about the
emotional gratification that comes from merging souls. *Agape* is a
mature, utterly free expression of love that has no possessiveness. It
means wanting the best for another person even if it doesn't advance
one's self-interest. The phase you're currently in, Virgo, is providing you
with opportunities to explore the frontiers of at least three of these kinds
of love.
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EXPLORE THE BIG PICTURE OF YOUR LIFE
with my Expanded Audio Horoscopes for the Coming Year
How can you best cooperate with the opportunities and challenges that
2006 will bring you? What are the blessings that life is likely to offer you
as a spur to your growth? Would you like some inspiration as you survey
your destiny from the mountaintop perspective?
To access my IN-DEPTH, LONG-TERM AUDIO FORECASTS FOR YOUR LIFE IN
2006, go here:
http://snipurl.com/krjm
Click on your astrological sign, then choose either part 1, part 2, or part 3
of my BIG PICTURE look at your future--or even all three parts, if you're
feeling adventurous.
You can also choose to listen to my short-range outlook for the coming
week.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes cost $6 apiece if you access them on
the Web via RealAudio.
You can also hear them over the phone for $1.99 per minute.
From the United States, call
1-900-950-7700
or
1-877-873-4888.
If you live in Canada, call
1-888-499-4425.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): America's finest news source, the newspaper
and website known as *The Onion* (www.TheOnion.com), reported
recently that President George W. Bush has hidden the nation's report
card in his sock drawer. Having received a D in international relations, a D
in economics, and an F in military history, the Commander in Chief was
too embarrassed to share the evaluation with anyone. I implore you to
*not* be like him in the coming week, Libra. It may be hard to imagine,
but you will generate good luck and healthy relationships if you freely
admit your mistakes and shortcomings. This is one time when power can
come from revealing your vulnerabilities.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): At its best, a study of astrology illuminates
your choices and leaves the choosing up to you. It helps you understand
that your fate is never set in stone, but is always susceptible to the
command of your free will. In that spirit, I've got a quiz for you to take.
Here are four pairs of equally possible outcomes. Meditate on each pair,
and decide which you'd prefer to induce in the coming week: (1)
simmering happiness versus crazed longing; (2) love packed with chewy
riddles versus infatuation that only temporarily frees you; (3) practical
enthusiasm versus dizzying highs; (4) slow, epic bursts of subtle progress
versus out-of-this-world fantasies.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): On March 11 a Malaysian snake charmer
will attempt to break the world record for kissing a poisonous serpent.
Shahimi Abdul Hamid has in the past managed to survive while smooching
a huge cobra 21 times, but this time he hopes to go further, exceeding
the previous all-time high of 30. I don't know his astrological sign, but if
he's a Sagittarius he has the best chance of succeeding. You Centaurs are
at the peak of your ability to mix tenderness and intimacy with high
adventure.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A reader named Christy McMunn wrote to
tell me that she'll be running for president of the U.S. in 2016. She
promises that she will ruthlessly express the raw, naked facts, whatever
the consequences may be. Her motto: "If you cannot handle the truth, be
careful of what you ask." I urge you to make that your modus operandi in
the coming weeks, Capricorn. Be a greedy hunter in quest of the genuine
story, the inside dope, and the piercing revelation. In preparation, strip
yourself of any belief that might interfere with your receptivity to and
enjoyment of the raw, naked facts.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): After taking inventory of the astrological
factors coming to bear on you the past eight years, I've decided you're
ready to leap to the next octave of your evolution. Therefore, I'll tell you
a truth that was articulated by the powerful activist Mahatma Gandhi. It
was instrumental in his success at leading millions of Indians to overthrow
British oppression. I hope that his demanding, controversial advice will
play a central role in shaping your destiny for the next eight years. But
beware: It will only work if you're a brave rebel who relentlessly resists the
conventional wisdom. Gandhi: "Every moment of your life is infinitely
creative and the universe is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear
enough request, and everything your heart desires must come to you."
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I've been present during the births of two
children, Jasmine and Zoe. Both experiences were daunting, explosive, and
ecstatic. Nothing else that has ever happened to me has rivaled the role
they played in awakening my reverence for life. The gratitude and love
that overflowed in me then will always remain a source of inspiration. If
you choose to respond to the invitations the cosmos is now making
available to you, Pisces, you will soon be visited by events that evoke
comparable feelings.
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HOMEWORK:
Though sometimes it's impossible to do the right thing, doing the half-
right thing may be a viable option. Give an example from your own life.
Testify by going to http://www.freewillastrology.com and clicking on
"Email Rob."
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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing charts these days. In addition to writing my weekly column
and expanded audio horoscopes, I'm also working on a CD and promoting
my new book.
But I can recommend a colleague whose astro-aesthetics closely match
my own. She's RO LOUGHRAN.
Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high
degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation; she is skilled
at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your
connection with your own inner wisdom.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Ro's website is at
http://www.astrology-psychotherapy.com/
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
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where you receive it, go to:
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If my emails don't reach your inbox, you should also look in your "Bulk
Mail" or "Junk Mail" folder.
I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your 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,
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Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve
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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
2006 Rob Brezsny
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