Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
November 14, 2007
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http://FreeWillAstrology.com
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"Now and again, it is necessary to seclude yourself among deep
mountains and hidden valleys to restore your link to the source of life.
Breathe in and let yourself soar to the ends of the universe; breathe out
and let the cosmos back inside. Next, breathe up all the fecundity and
vibrancy of the earth. Finally, blend the breath of heaven and the breath
of the earth with that of your own, becoming the breathe of life itself."
- Morihei Ueshiba Osensei
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This newsletter is available via RSS. Go here:
http://FreeWillAstrology.com/newsletter/
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My book
"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
is available for sale at http://tinyurl.com/qaj62
To read news and features from the book, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/lhwx2
Here's an excerpt:
YOUR BRAND NEW NAME
In some spiritual traditions, devotees attempt an arduous process of self-
transformation as they retrain themselves to perceive the world from
God's point of view. If they succeed, they're honored with an initiation
ritual and given a new name to consecrate their altered state.
I have the same problem with this custom that I have with the idea of
enlightenment: Once isn't enough. Just as anyone in his or her right
spiritual mind has a duty to keep claiming fresh varieties of enlightenment
until the end of time, so should the initiations and renamings continue
forever.
In my opinion, these considerations apply to you. You may not have
sequestered yourself for years in a mountaintop monastery, and you may
not have risen every morning at 5 a.m. to say prayers for hours, but you
are an authentic devotee who has undergone equivalent ordeals. Your
spiritual transformation has unfolded as you've dealt with the challenges
of daily life during our epic moment in history, when unprecedented levels
of annihilation and resurrection are the norm.
You have earned the right, therefore, to enjoy enlightenment after
enlightenment and initiation after initiation and renaming after renaming.
I invite you to get started with a do-it-yourself initiation ceremony. It
doesn't have to be long and complicated, and you can create it yourself.
As an example of what you might do, here's a ritual that some Beauty and
Truth Laboratory's initiates have performed: 1. Eat a pinch of dirt to
declare your solidarity with Mother Earth. 2. Burn a five-dollar bill to purify
your relationship with symbols of wealth. 3. Kick yourself in the ass to
affirm your ongoing intention to discipline your shadow.
As one of your initiatory rewards, consider adopting a fresh alias during
this and every initiation you carry out in the future. You can abandon your
existing name if you want, or simply add your new tag to the current mix.
To celebrate the occasion, I invoke on your behalf the inspiration of all
shedding things. Your tree of power will be the eucalyptus, whose bark
peels away to reveal fresh layers beneath. Your lucky symbol will be the
molting snake. Your sacred insect will be the silverfish, which bursts
through its exoskeleton as it grows a new and bigger one. Your role model
will be Japanese artist Hokusai (1760–1849), who had such a passionate
commitment to reinventing himself that he celebrated 60 births, each
time giving himself a new name.
Below is a list of titles and names you might want to steal for your own
use. Feel free to dream up your own, of course.
Wild Face
Shadow Wrestler
Kiss Genius
Goal Thwacker
Boink Worthy
Fizzy Nectar
Rumbler
Thrill Witch
Rowdy Gusto
Bliss Mutator
Silky Banger
Phoenix Nectar
Mucho Gusto Coco Loco
Mango Sucker
Pain Killer
Fire Keeper
Wobble Binder
Earthshaker
Wish Crayon
Pearly Thunder
Thumper
Gut Stormer
Storm Tamer
Free Sigh
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To read news and features from my book, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/lhwx2
You can buy the book here:
AMAZON
http://tinyurl.com/qaj62
POWELLS
http://tinyurl.com/3dsx6q
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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
*The Red Book: A Deliciously Unorthodox Approach to Igniting Your Divine
Spark* by Sera Beak
http://tinyurl.com/ypacts
"If you're hungry for real magic but allergic to self-righteous jive, sit down
at this feast." -Rob Brezsny
HAPPINESS TIPS
by Dr. Joseph Mercola
from http://tinyurl.com/25o62q
1. Experiment to find out what makes you happy. If you haven't taken the
time to explore what brings joy to your life on a regular basis, you may
realize you don't even know what brings you happiness anymore. If that's
the case, try out different things, including some you've never done
before. The answers just might surprise you.
2. Focus on gratitude. Incorporate a daily gratitude session where you
identify something you are grateful for. You can express your gratitude in
any number of ways: silently say "thank you," call or email the person you
want to thank, or devise your own gratitude ritual – maybe try out "The
Gratitude Dance!"
3. Take time to savor life. Resolve to cut down on the rushing from one
thing to the next – delegate or say no – to reduce your number of
appointments and daily tasks.
4. Stop watching and reading depressing news. In the beginning you may
worry that you'll miss something, but think about it – when was the last
time you truly needed to know the things covered in the daily news. Being
selective about the information you expose yourself to can have an
incredible impact on your level of personal happiness.
5. Laugh now! When you're in the middle of a mess, look around you and
realize the absurdity of the moment. Remind yourself that a year from
now, no one will care, and you'll probably be laughing about it anyway, so
why wait? Laugh about it now!
More here: http://tinyurl.com/25o62q
(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 15
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The sharks in German aquariums weren't
reproducing fast enough. Their keepers hired scientists to come up with
the shark equivalent of aphrodisiacs. The most successful inducement to
love was music -- especially Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body," Bob
Marley's "No Woman, No Cry," and Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It." I suggest you
play tunes like those for you and your chosen ones, Scorpio. It's an
excellent time to coax out more of the tender, romantic sides of your
inner shark, as well as the inner shark of anyone you're attracted to.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In the nick of time, a wild card will
appear. It will reverse the meaning of a series of events that seemed to
be railroading you towards an unhappy ending. What will be the nature of
that wild card? Maybe some missing evidence will trickle in, bringing the
big picture into a rosier focus. Maybe you will realize how valuable your
problem has actually been. And perhaps the wild card will be a divine
intervention that shatters a mental block, thereby correcting a
misapprehension you'd been under. In any case, Sagittarius, there will be
an unexpected twist at the last turn of the plot, and it will lead you to at
least a semi-happy ending.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A marathon séance took place at the
Burning Man festival last August. Top psychics managed to channel floods
of data from dead celebrities. Among the fascinating revelations they
retrieved: Princess Diana would like Gwyneth Paltrow to play her in a
movie about her life; John Lennon would have preferred it if the Beatles'
song "All You Need Is Love" was not used in a TV commercial for diapers;
Ronald Reagan regrets having invaded the tiny nation of Grenada in 1983;
and Nostradamus neglected to mention in his quatrains that in mid-
November of 2007, Capricorns will enter a phase when they're likely to
get a lot of useful information from what's seemingly dead and gone and
past.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): On September 13, 1759, a small contingent
of British troops took less than an hour to rout a few thousand French
troops in a battle near Quebec City. It was a turning point in the history of
North America, leading to events that ensured English speakers would
dominate the continent. I foresee a comparable pivot just ahead for you,
Aquarius. Seemingly small events that last a short time will yield
momentous consequences. To help guarantee that they unfold in your
favor, be like the British troops were back then: well-prepared, highly
disciplined, and very lucky.
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
In addition to the horoscopes that come to you in this newsletter, I create
audio horoscopes for your inspiration. They discuss themes and cover
material that I don't have room to deal with in the written horoscopes.
They're $6 if you access them on the Web, or $1.99 per minute over the
phone.
Try them at http://RealAstrology.com.
By phone: 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.
"I always feel like I know myself better after listening to your audio
'scopes."
-June R., Austin, TX
"Your audio horoscopes calm me down when I'm too manic and pep me up
when I'm down."
-Arthur T., Cleveland, OH
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PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): If you chew coca leaves, you get a mild buzz,
comparable to coffee, because your body metabolizes only tiny amounts
of the plant's alkaloids. But in cocaine, which is made from processed
coca leaves, those same alkaloids are highly concentrated. Snorting or
smoking the stuff gives your bloodstream a potent blast. Bolivia's
president Evo Morales wants the world to know the difference between
the two. "The coca leaf is not cocaine," he says. He pledges to
completely legalize coca in his country, citing its traditional uses as a food
and medicine predating the European invasion. Is there a comparable
scenario in your life, Pisces? Something that's bad for you when done to
excess, but good for you in its understated natural state? It's a favorable
time to commit yourself to its healthy use.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I love it when you forget all your troubles and
get lost in thoughts about your friends' problems. I love it when you place
your entire focus on the heat steaming from your cup of coffee or on the
sun reflecting on a puddle or on the mysterious expression gracing the
face of a stranger. In fact I love it whenever you prove how much you
love being here on earth by taking your attention off yourself, and giving
it to everything else. The coming week will be a perfect time to specialize
in this consummate art.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Hunters recently killed a 50-ton whale off the
coast of Alaska. While cutting it apart back on shore, they found a metal
projectile lodged in its blubber from an older attack. Later research
revealed it had been manufactured around 1890. That means the whale
was at least 115 years old, and had been carrying around the projectile
for over a century. I bring this to your attention, Taurus, in the hope that
it will inspire you to meditate on your own ancient wound. When you pass
on to the next world many years from now, I'd hate for you to still be
infected with the hurt that befell you in your youth. It's an ideal time to
take aggressive corrective action. Heal it!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "Reality is that which when you stop believing
in it, it doesn't go away," wrote novelist Philip K. Dick. I urge you to apply
that benchmark to your own experience in the coming week, Gemini. You
can generate a lot of creative energy by figuring out what is objectively
true about your circumstances and what is merely illusion that's propped
up by misperceptions and misunderstandings. You've got tremendous
power to strip away the fantasies, both positive and negative, that are
preventing you from living with 100 percent of your intelligence in the
real world.
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AUDIO HOROSCOPES
In addition to the horoscopes that you're reading here, I create audio
horoscopes for your amusement and inspiration. Find out more at
http://RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or
1-900-950-7700.
"Your audio horoscopes work better than my therapist and cost me five
percent of what he charges." - Chris M., San Francisco, CO
"You've helped me remember important things about myself that I'd
forgotten." -Ruth V., Toronto
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CANCER (June 21-July 22): Wealthy playboy Lapo Elkann is one of Italy's
most eligible bachelors. But he told *W* magazine that if he ever decides
to tie the knot, he would choose an Israeli woman. "For them, every day is
a beautiful day," he said. "Because when you are in a climate of war, you
take nothing for granted." Your next assignment, Cancerian, is not to put
yourself in a battle zone, but rather to cultivate love with the same
intense ingenuity and inexhaustible resourcefulness you might if you were
living in a battle zone.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Stories interest me more than beliefs. I'd rather
hear you regale me with tales of your travels than listen to you recite
your dogmas. Filmmaker Ken Burns agrees with me. He's worried about
the increasing number of people who love theories more than stories. "We
are experiencing the death of narrative," he told the *San Francisco
Chronicle.* "We are all so opinionated that we don't actually submit to
narrative anymore. That's the essence of YouTube: Abbreviate everything
into a digestible capsule that then becomes the conventional wisdom,
which belies the experience of art." Your assignment, Leo, is to help
reverse this soul-damaging trend. Spout fewer opinions and tell more
stories. Encourage others to do the same.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "Dear Rob: I have eight distinctly different
voices in my head. There's a hurt, oddly puffed-up voice that complains
about everyone who has ever done me wrong. There's an hysterical voice
that nags me with the thought that nothing I could ever do or say will
make any difference to anyone, so why bother. Then there's the still,
small voice. It has more gravity and feels more honest. It gives me useful
instructions about specific things I could do to live a more meaningful life.
The only trouble is, the other voices always blabber so loud I tend to
neglect the only one that's actually helpful. Any advice? - Drowned Out."
Dear Drowned: Set aside five minutes each morning and five minutes
before bed. Whisper "Shut up, all the rest of you!", and then listen
reverently to the still, small voice.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "Weirdness is humanity's way of overcoming
the ever-increasing pressure to live nine-to-five lives," says Bob Rickard,
founder of *Fortean Times,* a magazine that reports on anomalous
events. "We need craziness, it's that simple." I second that emotion, Libra
-- especially for you right now. You don't realize how much juicy psychic
material you've been repressing as a result of sticking to dry duty and
routine. In order to recover lost secrets from your fertile depths, you're
going to have to specialize for now in the mysterious, the curious, and
the uncanny. It will help if you put yourself in situations that are outside
your understanding.
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HOMEWORK: "You know what to do and you know how to do it." True or
False? Why? Tell me about it by going to http://FreeWillAstrology.com
and clicking on "Email Rob."
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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing personal charts, but I highly recommend my astrological
colleague, RO LOUGHRAN. Her approach closely matches my own. In our
many discussions about astrology over the years, we've had a major
influence on each other's work.
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://YourSoulJourney.com
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
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5. The problems may not have to do with anything you do, but may
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that's the case, complain. Tell your email provider to stop blocking my
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P.S. 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,
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
2007 Rob Brezsny
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