Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
December 5, 2007
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http://FreeWillAstrology.com
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"The soul can become a reality again only when each of us has the
courage to take it as the first reality in our own lives, to stand for it and
not just 'believe' in it."
- James Hillman
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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:
APOCALYPSE VERSUS APOCALYPSE
The chauvinism I suffer from is a peculiar variety. I don't have delusions of
grandeur about my religion, country, or football team, but rather of the
era I live in. I fantasize that our moment in history is more important than
all the others. Those of us alive today are on the cusp of a radical turning
point in the evolution of humanity. Or so I like to imagine.
It's embarrassing. It associates me with wacky millenarians of all stripes,
from histrionic New Age prophets to fundamentalist Christians who
fanatically anticipate the "end times." And as much as I would like to
imagine my views are subtler and more rational than those of the
superstitious extremists, I must admit that I sometimes catch myself
dreaming of how deliriously interesting it would be if the mass
hallucination that is mistakenly referred to as "reality" really did mutate
"in the twinkling of an eye," as the Bible insinuates.
Did I scoff at the scaremongers who shivered at the approach of Y2K?
Well, yeah, I mostly did. But there was also a Drama King in a dark corner
of my psyche who indulged in perversely thrilling chimeras about the
possibility that the melodramatic doomsayers might be right. A similar
reflex put me in alignment with the Nostradamus wannabes who forecast
"earth changes" and a global economic depression in the face of the
massive conjunction of planets in the astrological sign of Taurus in May
2000.
In recent years, a month rarely goes by when my inner Drama King
doesn't pounce on some new sign of imminent upheaval. Endgame
scenarios are no longer solely the province of certifiable cranks and
paranoids. Scientists speculate on the odds of the earth getting blasted
by an asteroid similar to the one that apparently wiped out the dinosaurs
65 million years ago. Medical researchers raise the specter of novel
strains of the flu turning into out-of-control pandemics. Seemingly sane
politicians and journalists insist on cramming our imaginations full of
visions of terrorist-delivered suitcase nukes and killer bioweapons.
*
But there is another part of me, a voice that feels older and wiser, who
suspects that even if we are on the verge of an evolutionary turning
point, even if those of us who are alive today will experience the End of
Life as We Know It, it just won't be as simple and obvious and bad as the
literalist prophets fantasize. The transformation will not come via some
cataclysmic overnight worldwide presto-chango.
It is this same part of me--the older, wiser voice--that's distrustful of our
culture's predilection for seeing the worst in everything. How did
hopelessness come to be regarded as a mark of sophisticated realism?
Why are Things Falling Apart thought to be inherently more gripping than
Things Being Reborn?
Luckily, the jingoistic part of me that yearns to be alive when Everything
Changes can find a common ground with the Zen master in me who
regards the entropy-obsessed, all-or-nothing mindset as a unique
signature of the civilization that's dying. Together these two aspects of
my psyche can collaborate to conclude the following:
WE ARE IN FACT LIVING THROUGH THE APOCALYPSE RIGHT NOW.
But it's nothing like the end of the world visualized by any of the usual
suspects. It's different in four ways.
1. It's a slow, gradual apocalypse.
2. The apocalypse is usually invisible, erupting into our conscious
awareness only on rare occasions.
3. The apocalypse is as much about rebirth as collapse.
4. The primary way most of us experience the apocalypse is through the
intimate events of our personal lives.
I'll explore these four points in more detail.
1. THE APOCALYPSE IS HAPPENING IN SLOW MOTION. It has been going
on for decades and will continue to unfold for many years. Sudden,
sensational punctuations arise now and then to expedite it, but for the
most part it ferments continuously in the background. Most days bring no
emergency that is beyond our capacity to bear, but the cumulative
effects of the transfigurations that relentlessly weave themselves into our
lives have turned every one of us into heroes whose courageous
endurance dwarfs the valor of legends like Gilgamesh, Odysseus, Arthur,
and Joan of Arc.
2. THE APOCALYPSE IS FOR THE MOST PART INVISIBLE. Here's the most
extreme evidence: Few of us have registered the fact that we're in the
midst of the largest mass extinction of life on Earth since the demise of
the dinosaurs. This is the conclusion of the American Institute of
Biological Sciences, a professional society of 5,000 scientists. Think of it:
About 40 animal and plant species are dying off every day--a rate
unmatched in 65 million years. Shouldn't this be a recurring headline on
the front page of every major newspaper?
But the work-in-progress that is the apocalypse is not always cloaked.
Now and then a riveting event transfixes our collective emotions, driving
millions of us deep into a visceral encounter with the ongoing collapse.
For a brief interlude, the covert, slow-motion upheaval explodes into plain
view. In recent years, no event has done that more dramatically, at least
for Americans, than the mass murder on September 11, 2001.
3. THE APOCALYPSE IS AS MUCH ABOUT REBIRTH AS BREAKDOWN. The
English word "apocalypse" is derived from the Greek word for
"revelation." In the esoteric spiritual traditions of the West, "apocalypse"
has also come to denote a great awakening.
The apocalypse we're living through can be described by all three
meanings of the word: as the end of the world, a revelation, and an
awakening. Disintegration and renewal are happening side by side;
calamity and fertility; rot and splendor; grievous losses and surges of
invigorating novelty. Yes, the death of the old order is proceeding apace;
but it's overlapped by the birth pangs of an as-yet unimaginable new
civilization.
The devastation and regeneration often have no apparent link. But in the
case of 9-11, they seemed to be meshed. I received many e-mails from
people testifying about how the terrorist assault was a weird kind of gift.
In the aftermath, their petty worries evaporated and they stopped
wasting time on low-priority, dead-end desires. Roused by an electrifying
clarity of purpose, they began to live the life they'd previously only
fantasized they wanted. And they had direct perceptions--gut-level,
intuitive gnosis--that We Are All One.
It's as if millions of people had a simultaneous Near Death Experience and
harvested the epiphanies that typically come to those who have peered
over to the other side of the veil.
Here's another example of catastrophe and regeneration arising from a
single set of events, suggested by Caroline Myss in her book *Energy
Anatomy.* China's invasion and occupation of Tibet in the 1950s resulted
in the exile of the Dalai Lama, which ultimately brought that great soul's
influence, along with his elegant brand of Buddhism, to the entire world
with a breadth and depth that would never have happened otherwise.
4. MOST OF THE TIME WE EXPERIENCE APOCALYPSE NOT THROUGH BIG,
BAD EVENTS LIKE THE SEPTEMBER 11 MASSACRES, BUT THROUGH THE
DETAILS OF OUR PERSONAL LIVES. The sweeping but gradual revolution,
the agonizing decay of the old order and breathtaking bloom of the new,
are framed in the storylines of your most intimate dramas. Again and
again over the years, you're pushed to a brink that challenges you to
either rise to the occasion or else surrender to demoralizing chaos. The
crises may come in the form of divorce or illness or job loss, or even in
less dramatic events like a misunderstanding with a friend or the
inexplicable waning of a once-passionate dream.
Seeded inside each of these personal turning points is the crux of the
evolving global apocalypse: You get to choose whether you'll adjust by
taking a path that keeps you aligned with the values of the dying world or
else a path that helps you resonate with what's being born. In effect, you
get the chance to vote, with your entire life, for which aspect of the
apocalypse you want to predominate.
*
The apocalypse is being brought to you by the time you dreamed you
signed the Declaration of Independence with your non-dominant hand as
you ate fresh Peruvian figs flown to you on the backs of albatrosses.
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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:
ENLIGHTENMENT TIPPING POINT: DEMOCRATIZE ENLIGHTENMENT!
We are waking up from the global dark night of the soul, right?
http://www.onemillionawake.com
* What if there were a million Enlightened Beings in the World, awake to
their true nature as pure consciousness, free from mentally imposed
limitations and belief systems?
* What if a million of us declared our rapturous recognition of the Divine
Wow, our ecstatic gratitude for the One Intelligence That Pervades the
Universe and Recreates It Fresh Every Moment?
* What if we dedicated ourselves to the Awakening of all of humanity?
* What if you are one of us -- one of these million Geniuses of Love? You
can be. Simply decide that's what you want.
* What if the one million grew to ten million, then grew to a hundred
million? Because we willed it.
X-TREME KISSING
The Love Art Laboratory
http://tinyurl.com/2xkr8g
"What happens when former porn star, sexologist and performance artist
Annie Sprinkle falls madly in love with experimental artist, professor, and
sexy dyke playboy Elizabeth Stephens? The Love Art Laboratory, a seven-
year wedding performance."
FILM
What Would Jesus Buy?
http://www.revbilly.com/
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. These are 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 December 6
Copyright 2007 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): A man in Santiago, Chile won $250,000
in a contest held by his bank. There was only one catch: In accepting the
money, Mario Habit had to abide by the bank's stipulation that he spend
all of his winnings in one day. Summoning a manically relaxed
concentration, he succeeded, paying off his substantial debts while also
buying two cars and three apartments. I believe a comparable opportunity
is about to come your way, Sagittarius. You will be offered a new resource
or blessing that has to be used quickly in order for it to be fully available
and effective.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The phrase "new roses" can serve as an
antidote to neurosis in the coming days -- as a kind of magical spell.
Invoke it whenever you're in danger of getting undermined by either your
own neurosis or someone else's. If you notice, for instance, that your
subconscious mind is spiraling down into a sour fantasy stirred up by one
of your habitual fears, start muttering a cheerful round of "new roses,
new roses, new roses." If your allies engage in compulsive behavior that
they tend to get stuck in when stress overflows, chant "new roses, new
roses, new roses" in a blithe, sing-song tone.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Few people realize that in the 15th century
the Buddha was canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church. He
was officially called Saint Josaphat, a name that's derived from the word
"bodhisattva," which refers to a deeply compassionate person devoted to
becoming an enlightened being. Virtually every element of Josaphat's life
story as reported by the Church is a duplicate of the original legends
about the Buddha. I expect to see a comparable theme unfold in your life
in the coming weeks, Aquarius. I bet you will get credit or receive an
honor or be given an acknowledgement that seems rather accidental, or
comes from an unexpected source. Like the Buddha, you will richly
deserve the reward, even though it may feel odd or askew at first.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): How would you go about relocating
Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro to the south of France? How might you undo
and fix the debacle of America's occupation of Iraq? What steps could
you take to creatively disrupt the pathological family patterns that have
knocked you off-center for years? In 2008, I predict that you will have
extraordinary potential to solve impossible problems like those. More than
ever before, you will be able to attract the help and summon the
inspiration necessary to accomplish goals that have previously seemed
beyond your power. And it all starts now, Pisces.
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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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ARIES (March 21-April 19): This would be an excellent time for you to
visit terminally ill patients in a hospice or go on a tour of a maximum
security prison. To take maximum advantage of the current cosmic
opportunities, you might also travel to the Slum Theme Park in Americus,
Georgia, where Habitat for Humanity has built replicas of the leaky-roofed,
earthen-floored, bug-infested huts that so many millions of the world's
poor call home. In other words, Aries, I recommend that you give yourself
firsthand exposure to people whose problems are much more demanding
than yours. To do so at this juncture in your life's journey would provide a
helpful shock that would inspire you to conquer the personal challenge
you find most daunting.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): These last two weeks before the solstice will
stir up a vortex of novelty in your depths. Among the sparkly surprises
swirling around down there will be some shimmering intuitions about your
life in 2008. So stay on high alert, Taurus. Snag every one of those
prophetic glimpses. Here are questions to focus your attention: What new
interests are gestating within you? How is life asking you to modify your
ideas about who you are? What do you suspect will be your best three
creations in the coming year?
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I love how electrifyingly your intelligence
works, Gemini -- how fast you can comprehend things that other people
require many twists and turns to grasp. But I don't love how your quick
mind sometimes alienates you from those who are moving more slowly
than you, and I don't love it when that undermines your ability to
capitalize on your brilliance. Fortunately, I don't think this will be a
problem in the coming days. From what I can tell, you will have uncanny
fun without making any karmic messes as your brainpower generates
breathtaking feats of voluminous understanding.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Hell isn't an imaginary place dreamed up to
scare the faithful, according to Pope Benedict XVI. He says sinners are
actually tortured by fire for all eternity. My opinion is that his crazy talk is
less worthy of consideration than the rants of the homeless guy
downtown who thinks evil reptilian extraterrestrials have taken over
George Bush's brain. To prime you for this week's advice, I ask you to
purge any tendency you might have to believe in cartoony notions of hell
like the Pope's. That will free you to meditate on the possibility that we
do in fact ultimately suffer for the pain we cause others. Not by being
literally tortured in a demonic realm, not at the hands of a "devil," but
rather by the ugliness we have unleashed inside us. It's a good week for
you to spend quality time in your personal hell, Cancerian, making up for
any hurtful or greedy or unconscious things you may have done in 2007.
(P.S. You're not any guiltier than the rest of us; it's just that this is a
good time for you to atone.)
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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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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): To many Tibetan Buddhists, the snow lion is a
symbol of fearless joy, which is a cornerstone of their spiritual practice. I
trust that in 2007 you have learned a lot about this sublime quality, and I
hope you will make it the basis of your daily rhythm in 2008. These last
two weeks before the solstice will be an excellent time to integrate all the
teachings you've absorbed about fearless joy, and to prime yourself to
take your mastery to the next level. What other terms can you come up
with to describe this superpower? How about "brave bliss," "aggressive
happiness," or "fierce pleasure"?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In some places, you can't buy a gun 15
minutes after you get an itch to hold it in your hand. In America, for
example, a few of the states force you to delay your purchase for a short
time. Many countries also require couples seeking marriage licenses to
endure a cooling-off period of a few days before they can officially tie the
knot. I urge you to adopt this approach to making important decisions,
Virgo. Impose a waiting period on yourself if you're thinking about
acquiring heavy artillery, intensifying your relationship commitment,
altering your consciousness, or initiating any other big action.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You're coming to the climax of the season of
fertile tension and productive arguments. (Let's hope you haven't allowed
it to devolve into the season of fruitless disputes and awkward silence.)
As you prepare to harvest the full potential of the opportunities that have
been made available, I offer you three pieces of advice from the French
essayist Joseph Joubert. (1) "Never cut what you can untie." (2) "It is
better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question
without debating it." (3) "The aim of argument, or of discussion, should
not be victory, but progress."
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You won't believe how talented you're going
to be at blending pragmatism and idealism in the coming days, Scorpio.
You may be amazed at your knack for being down to earth and up in the
clouds at the same time. Among the feats you could accomplish are the
following: making money from doing what you love; acquiring crucial nuts
and bolts for a long-deferred fantasy; and turning lead into gold just in
time to make a big down payment on a dream boat, dream home, or
dream trip.
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HOMEWORK: Write a one-page summary of the great task you plan to
accomplish in 2008. Share 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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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2007 Rob Brezsny
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