Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
December 2, 2009
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http://FreeWillAstrology.com
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"I've told you a million times not to exaggerate. I really get antsy when
you refuse to be patient. If you don't stop berating yourself, I'm going to
have to cut you down to size. I'm sick and tired of you emphasizing the
dark side of everything. I swear I'll lose my freaking temper and do
something stupid if you don't stop making threats."
-*PRONOIA*
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The revised and expanded version of my book *PRONOIA IS THE
ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA* is available at Amazon:
http://tinyurl.com/lxpnyt
See videos of me performing material from the book:
http://bit.ly/6hyZo9
Here are a couple of testimonials:
"With his book *PRONOIA* -- an instant pop classic -- Rob Brezsny offers
a positive, participatory, proactive vision of the workings of our inner and
outer universe, which will only give us as much pleasure, love, and ecstasy
as we are prepared to accept." -Daniel Pinchbeck, author of *2012: The
Return of Quetzalcoatl*
"I dig Rob Brezsny for his powerful yet playful insights, his poetry, and his
humor . . . I salute him for his dedication to inspiration."
—Jason Mraz, singer-songwriter
Hear Jason Mraz talk about pronoia here: http://bit.ly/7OO7TQ
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Below is a book excerpt. To get the full effect, including a picture of the
Medicine Spell itself, go here: http://bit.ly/7AnA6W
HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE SPELL
Being a devotee of pronoia doesn't mean you will never have another
difficult or painful experience. It doesn't obligate you to pretend that
everything is perfectly right with the world. You don't have to cover your
eyes whenever you come into proximity to a daily newspaper.
On the other hand, we're not going to waste our valuable space or your
precious energy by giving equal time to stories of tragedy, failure, and
tumult. They get far more than their fair share of attention everywhere
else. Future historians might even conclude that our age suffered from a
collective obsessive-compulsive disorder: the pathological need to
repetitively seek out reasons for how bad life is.
Still, we feel the need to push a bit further in our acknowledgment of all
the confusing evils of the world. We realize that what we've said so far
may not be sufficient to satisfy the paranoid cynics, who include among
their number many well-respected thinkers. Unless we demonstrate that
we have some mastery of their ideology, they'll dismiss us as intellectual
pussies. They will need proof that we're familiar with the data they favor.
We've decided, therefore, to launch a preemptive strike that will make it
harder for the paranoids to dismiss us pronoiacs as naive optimists. On
the next page and at four other places in this book, we've created
Homeopathic Medicine Spells. They're designed to recognize the evils of
the world, but in a controlled manner that prevents them from poisoning
you. In this way, we can also practice what we preach, subverting any
tendencies we might have toward fanaticism and unilateralism.
Each Homeopathic Medicine Spell consists of a contained space within
which lies a recitation of Very Bad Things. The border around each space
is a magical seal that we consecrated during a ritual invocation of the
Cackling Goddess Who Eternally Creates Us Anew. Inspired through
communion with Her fierce jokes, we also surrounded each seal with good
mojo in the form of word charms and talismanic symbols.
As you gaze at the Homeopathic Medicine Spells, you'll be building up
your protection against the dangers named inside the contained space.
You'll also get intuitions about how to dissolve the pop nihilistic toxins
within you that resonate with those dangers.
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WANT ME TO WRITE A BLESSING IN YOUR COPY OF *PRONOIA*?
Buy a copy of the book and mail to me. I'll autograph it and inscribe it
with a rowdy blessing, and then I'll send it back to you.
You've got to provide me with a self-addressed envelope or package
that's big enough to hold the book
AND
the envelope or package must be stamped with $3.16 postage if you
want it sent back to you by Media Mail, or with $11.95 postage if you
want it sent by Priority Mail.
If you want me to autograph and inscribe more than one book, send the
appropriate packaging and stamps.
If you live in Canada, send $10 Canadian worth of International Reply
Coupons per book, in addition to the self-addressed envelope or package.
This will allow for First-Class delivery. If you want Priority Mail delivery,
enclose $26 worth of coupons.
Here's the address to send the books you want me to sign: P.O. Box
4399, San Rafael, CA 94913.
This offer is good though December 18.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND TO BE HAPPY?
Psychological Therapy 32 Times More Cost Effective at Increasing
Happiness Than Money
http://bit.ly/7wyFBw
MAYBE THERE ARE STRATEGIES FOR CULTIVATING HAPPINESS THAT YOU
HAVEN'T TRIED YET
Lucid Dreaming Can Give You Access to Inside Information
http://bit.ly/5ii1lh
PEOPLE ARE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO IMPROVE YOUR WORLD
New Device Can Wipe Out Superbugs
http://bit.ly/7HjaqL
WHAT'S THE OPPOSITE OF MUCKRAKING? DIGGING UP THE GOOD NEWS
There's lots of good news out there. It's just underreported. The violent
crime rate has declined 50 percent since 1993. Every 24 hours, 200
million people make love on this planet. Levels of literacy and education
and freedom are steadily growing everywhere. The world has become
dramatically more peaceful since 1992, with wars, coup d'etats, and acts
of genocide having declined by 40 percent. Check out the sites listed
here -- http://bit.ly/7XEHKD -- and tune in here:
http://pronoiaresources.com
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They 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 3
Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "Dear Rob: I love to be proven wrong.
That's not an ironic statement. I actually get excited and feel creative
when I acquire new information that shows me I've been operating under
a misunderstanding. One of my very favorite life moments occurs when I
am convincingly liberated from a negative opinion I've been harboring
about someone. As you can tell, I'm quite proud of this quality. The way I
see it, emotional wealth and psychological health involve having so much
self-respect that I don't need to be right all the time. -Sagittarian
Freedom Fighter." Dear Freedom Fighter: Thanks for your testimony. The
capacity you described is one that many Sagittarians will be poised to
expand in 2010. And this is an excellent week for them to start getting
the hang of it.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In an early version of the tale of Pinocchio,
friendly woodpeckers chiseled his nose back to its original size after it had
grown enormous from his incorrigible lying. From a metaphorical
perspective, Capricorn, a comparable development may soon occur in
your own life. A benevolent (if somewhat rough) intervention akin to the
woodpeckers' assistance will shrink an overgrown, top-heavy part of your
attitude, allowing you to proceed to the next chapter of your story with
streamlined grace.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "There is light enough for those who wish
to see," wrote French philosopher Blaise Pascal, "and darkness enough for
those of the opposite disposition." I'm hoping you will align yourself with
the first group in the coming week, Aquarius. More than ever before, what
you choose to focus on will come rushing in to meet you, touch you,
teach you, and prompt you to respond. Even if all the smart people you
know seem to be drunk on the darkness, I encourage you to be a brave
rebel who insists on equal time for the light.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): White dwarfs are small and extremely dense
stars. They're typically no bigger than the Earth but as heavy as the sun.
You currently have a resemblance to one of those concentrated balls of
pure intensity. I have rarely seen you offering so much bang for the buck.
You are as flavorful as chocolate mousse, as piercing as the scent of
eucalyptus, as lustrous as a fireworks display on a moonless night.
Personally, I'm quite attracted to your saucy and zesty emanations, and I
think most people with strong egos will be. But some underachievers with
lower self-esteem may regard you as being more like astringent medicine.
My advice: Gravitate toward those who like you to be powerful.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): When Carolee Schneeman was a kid, her
extravagant adoration of nature earned her the nickname "mad
pantheist." Later, during her career as a visual artist, she described her
relationship with the world this way: "I assume the senses crave sources
of maximum information, that the eye benefits by exercise, stretch, and
expansion towards materials of complexity and substance." I hope that
you're attracted to that perspective right now, Aries. To be in most
productive alignment with the cosmic rhythms, you should be in a state
of nearly ecstatic openness, hungry to be stretched -- like a mad
pantheist.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "Dear Rob: Last night my son and I were star-
gazing. When we focused on the constellation Cassiopeia, an owl started
hooting. Then a brilliant shooting star zipped by as a huge bat flew right
over our heads. Was this a bad omen? Bats are creepy -- associated with
vampires. And in Greek mythology Cassiopeia got divine punishment
because she bragged that she and her daughter were more beautiful than
the sea god's daughters. But I don't know, maybe this blast of odd events
was a good omen. Owls are symbols of wisdom and shooting stars are
lucky, right? What do you think? Are we blessed or cursed? -Spooked
Taurus." Dear Spooked: The question of whether it's good or bad luck is
irrelevant. Here's what's important: You Tauruses are in a phase when the
hidden workings of things will be shown to you -- the mysterious magic
that's always bubbling below the surface but that is usually not visible.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE
In addition to the horoscopes you're reading here, I create more in-depth
audio horoscopes for your 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 Expanded Audio Horoscopes provide me with the Rest of the Story.
I'm not necessarily a believer in the scientific accuracy of astrology, but I
do think you've got a lot of practical wisdom to impart."
- M. Tennenbaum, New York
"No one knows more about me than me. But you're right up there near
the top of the list of people who do understand something about how I
tick. How is that possible?"
- R. Goren, Albuquerque
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The week ahead will be a ripe time to pull off
magic reversals. May I suggest that you try to transform dishwater greys
into sparkling golds? Or how about recycling the dead energy of a lost
cause in such a way as to generate raw fuel for a fresh start? I'm
confident, Gemini, that you'll be able to discover treasure hidden in the
trash, and that you'll find a way to unleash the creative zeal that has been
trapped inside polite numbness. Now ponder this riddle, please: Do you
think there's any mystical significance in the fact that the word
"stressed" is "desserts" spelled backwards?
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Lately you remind me of the person Robert
Hass describes in his poem "Time and Materials": "someone falling down
and getting up and running and falling and getting up." I'm sending you
my compassion for the times you fall down, and my admiration for the
times you get up, and my excitement for the times you run. It has
probably become clear to you by now that the falling down isn't a
shameful thing to be cursed, but rather is an instrumental part of the
learning process that is teaching you marvelous secrets about getting
back up and running.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): "I burn for no reason, like a lantern in daylight,"
writes poet Joseph Lease. I think that's a succinct formulation of one of
your central issues, Leo. Burning for no reason, like a lantern in the
daylight, can be the cause of either failure or success for you, depending
on subtle differences of emphasis. This is how it can be failure: When
you're mindlessly and wastefully burning through your prodigious reserves
of fuel without any concern for the benefits it may provide you and
others. This is how it can be success: When you are exuberant and self-
disciplined in shining your light and radiating your warmth just because it
feels so good and so right and so healthy, and without any thought about
whether it's "useful" to anyone.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In one of his short poems, John Averill
(twitter.com/wiremesa) describes a scene that I think captures the
essence of your current astrological omens: "Today is the day of the
photo of moonrise over Havana in a book on a shelf in the snowbound
cabin." Here's a clue about what it means: The snowbound cabin is where
you are right now in your life. The moonrise over Havana is where you
could be early in 2010. How do you get there from here?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): An estuary is a bay where the salt water of a
sea mixes with the fresh water of rivers. These days you remind me of
such a place. You are two-toned, Libra. You're dual-purpose and double-
tracked. You're a hybrid blend of the yes and the no, the give and the
take, the extravagant and the traditional. And somehow this has been
working out pretty well for you. You're not so much a dysfunctional
contradiction as an interesting juxtaposition. You're not being crushed by
a squeeze of opposites so much as you're getting massaged by the
oscillating throbs of complementary influences. Keep doing what you've
been doing, only more so.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Big shiny egos with flashy tricks may be
mucking around in everyone's business, calling narcissistic attention to
themselves as they pretend to do noble deeds. Meanwhile, I hope you'll be
doing the hard, detailed work that must be done to serve the greater
good -- quietly and unpretentiously improving people's lives without
demanding major tribute. That approach will stir up some sleek, silky
karma that will come in handy when you undertake the building of your
masterpiece in 2010.
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HOMEWORK: Send your favorite dream of 2009 to The Dream of the
Month Club. Go to http:FreeWillAstrology.com and click 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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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,
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2009 Rob Brezsny
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