Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
November 30, 2011
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/smf9q8
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My book
*PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA*
is available at Amazon: http://bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: http://bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
I published the original version of my book *PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE
FOR PARANOIA* in 2005. For my next big writing project, I might have
chosen to write a sequel. But instead I opted to fatten up the first
edition.
The Revised and Expanded edition of *PRONOIA,* which came out in
2009, is MUCH fatter. It has 55% brand new extra material, or 92 more
pages and 63,000 additional words -- the size of a whole new book.
There are 17 totally new pieces. It also has amplified and intensified
versions of many of the central pieces of the original book, including "This
Is a Perfect Moment," "Glory in the Highest," "World Kiss," and "I Me
Wed," the ceremony for you to use if you want to marry yourself.
I got especially pumped up and carried away while revising "Glory in the
Highest," which is a manifesto celebrating the everyday miracles we take
for granted, the uncanny powers we possess, the small joys that occur so
routinely we forget how much they mean to us, and the steady flow of
benefits bestowed on us by people we know and don't know. In the newer
edition of the book, this piece is eight times longer than it was in the first
edition.
The Revised and Expanded edition of *PRONOIA* also has 14 brand new
Sacred Advertisements. Don't worry -- if you're new to *PRONOIA* -- the
Sacred Ads aren't real ads. Here's an example:
"This perfect moment is brought to you by the imaginary lightning bolts
you can shoot out the ends of your fingers anytime you want to."
Like the 2005 edition, the revised and expanded *PRONOIA* has an
abundance of space for you to write and scrawl and draw your responses
to what you read. It's designed to make you my collaborator as we
conspire together to incite the Great Awakening.
P.S. The following prophecy is even truer today than it was when I first
made it a couple of years ago: Civilization may be unraveling in a lot of
areas; some of its structures may be collapsing; but it is also in the midst
of a tremendous upheaval of creativity -- a flood of innovation and genius
and love pouring out of millions upon millions of people -- a Great
Awakening that is far louder and stronger and more interesting than the
sleepy resignation and corrosive maliciousness and ignominious decline
that the media prefers to focus on.
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The piece below is excerpted from
*PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA*
GATHER EVIDENCE
Do you have an unconscious belief that the forces of evil are loud,
vigorous, and strong, while good is quiet, gentle, and passive? Gather
evidence that contradicts this irrational prejudice.
Are you secretly suspicious of joy because you think it's inevitably rooted
in wishful thinking and a willful ignorance about the true nature of reality?
Expose these suspicions as superstitions that aren't grounded in any
objective data you can actually prove.
Do you fear that when you're in the presence of love and beauty you tend
to become softheaded, whereas you're likely to feel smart and powerful
when you're sneering at the ugliness around you? As an antidote, for a
given amount of time, say a week or a month or a year, act as if the
following hypothesis were true: that you're more likely to grow smarter
when you're in the presence of love and beauty.
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"The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively
disciplined, is that of the difference between good and evil; and the task
of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with
immobility, and evil with activity." -Maria Montessori
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
MORE PROOF THE GOOD NEWS IS HIDDEN AWAY FROM US
The world is becoming steadily less violent.
http://tinyurl.com/4y9p6v3
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW VAST THE CONSPIRACY IS
Evidence that the Universe is Fine-Tuned for Life?
http://tinyurl.com/bw523vc
GET YOUR MINIMUM DAILY REQUIREMENT OF BEAUTY
The beauty of pollination
http://tinyurl.com/7gub7pw
(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 1
Copyright 2011 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): "Dear Mr. Brezsny: My name is Sonny
McGee and I own a website that caters to people who are addicted to
playing poker. I'm a big fan of your horoscopes, and I'm wondering if you
would like to advertise your work to our audience. Gamblers love
astrology! Get in touch. - Sagittarian Wheeler Dealer." Dear Wheeler
Dealer: Thanks for your interest, but I'll pass. I don't like to encourage
anyone to focus their gambling urges on trivial matters like card games,
sports events, and lotteries. I prefer they direct that mojo to high-minded
stuff like daring themselves to excel, pursuing exciting and idealistic
adventures, and doing brave things to help save the world. By the way,
it's prime time for you Sagittarians to ratchet up your commitment to
those kinds of gambles.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I hope you're not so perversely attached
to your demons that you're inclined to keep providing them with a
comfortable home. Why? Because the coming weeks will be an excellent
time for you to permanently banish them from the premises. Yes, I know
it may seem lonely at first without their nagging, disruptive voices
chattering away in your head. But I really do encourage you to bid them
adieu. By the way, as you plan your exorcism, you might want to include a
humorous touch or two. They're allergic to satire and mockery, you know.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The Beauvais Cathedral in northern France
has been called "the most daring achievement of Gothic architecture." Its
soaring facades, carved wooden doors, stained glass windows, and
astronomical clock demonstrate high artistry. There's a problem with the
place, however -- it has never been completed. Work began in the year
1225, and experts are still talking about how to solve certain ongoing
difficulties with its construction. I don't know when this happy ending will
occur, Aquarius, but I do expect that in 2012 you will be able to put the
finishing touches on your own personal version of the Beauvais Cathedral.
And now would be a good time to formulate definite plans to do so.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In my prayers, I've been negotiating with the
Goddess to grant you the power to change the course of rivers, at least
in a metaphorical way. I've also beseeched her to show you how to
overthrow the Puppet Master and convert overwrought hawks into savvy
doves. The Goddess seems to be seriously considering these appeals, and
has even hinted she might offer you instructions on how to shape a new
Adam out of one of Eve's ribs, mythically speaking. In return, she does
have one request: that you do what you can to make sure the sun rises
on schedule for the next ten days.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): This would be an excellent week to head
down to Pucon, Chile and hire a daredevil to fly you in a helicopter into
the caldera of the active Villarrica volcano, whereupon you would bungee-
jump out of the copter down to within 700 feet of the molten lava. If
that's too extreme or expensive for your tastes, I urge you to come up a
milder adventure that will still bring you a close encounter with primal
heat and light -- and maybe even some divine fire.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): As a mouse looks for food or shelter, it is
flexible enough to fit through a hole as small as a quarter of an inch. You
would really benefit from having a talent like that right now, Taurus. Of
course, even if you are as slippery and pliable as you'll need to be, you will
also have to be on high alert for the inviting possibilities, some of which
may be brief or subtle. For example, let's say you spy an interesting-
looking person with whom you'd love to chat. The window of opportunity
may be open for less than ten seconds. Seize that moment! Refuse to get
hung up in shyness. Don't convince yourself that another chance will
come along later.
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YOU NEED MAGIC EVERY DAY
Every day, you have to wade through a relentless surge of soul-less facts.
The experience tends to shut down your sense of wonder.
Every day, you're over-exposed to narratives that have been sucked free
of delight and mystery. That's why you have to make such strenuous
efforts to keep your world enchanted.
I like to think I can contribute to the sacred cause of feeding your sense
of wonder and enchantment. In fact, that's one of my prime motivations
for offering you the free weekly horoscopes you read in this newsletter.
If you ever want more of that good stuff, and think it's worth paying for,
please consider trying out my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES. They're
four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.
Go here to access them:
http://RealAstrology.com
You can also listen over the phone by calling
1-877-873-4888
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): One of my Gemini acquaintances, Tara, has
been playing a slow-moving game of tag with three friends since they
were all in second grade together. They're 27 years old now, and still live
in the same city. Currently, Tara is "It," and has been so for quite some
time. But she confided in me that she plans to make a move this week.
She says she'll sneak up on one of the other players during his lunch
break at work, tag him, and run away before he can tag her back. I told
her she's likely to meet with success, since this is an excellent time for
you Geminis to gain an advantage in pretty much any kind of game you're
playing.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): "Far more crucial than what we know or do
not know is what we do not *want* to know," wrote philosopher Eric
Hoffer. This is a good idea for you to contemplate right now. I realize it
may be a challenge for you to figure out what you would rather not know
and are afraid to know and might even be allergic to knowing. Still, I hope
you'll make the effort. Maybe you could enlist a smart ally who'd be
skillful in helping you uncover the taboo truth. And maybe you could
formulate an intention to be as objective as you've ever been.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Biologists say there are 680 species of trees and
shrubs in the U.S. and Canada. By comparison, Lambir Hills National Park
on the island of Borneo is the home of 1,175 species on its 128 acres. I
suspect you will feel right at home in places like Lambir Hills in the coming
week, Leo. Your own creative urges will be running hotter than usual, and
are most likely to thrive in contexts that are themselves teeming with
lush fertility and rich diversity. Please surround yourself with inspirational
influences, thereby giving yourself the best possible chance to express
yourself with vivid imagination.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): "People travel to faraway places to watch, in
fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home," wrote philosopher
Dagobert D. Runes. Your assignment, Virgo, should you choose to accept
it, is to refute that assertion. In other words, I'm inviting you to travel to
all of your usual haunts and treat everything that happens there with the
attitude of a first-time visitor. Just assume that the familiar people and
places in your life have stimulating gifts to give and lessons to impart.
Remember, though, they can't do that to the fullest unless you expect
them to.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The human brain is composed of 30 percent
protein and 70 percent fat. So it wouldn't be incorrect to refer to you as
a fathead. In order to nourish your brain cells, you've got to eat foods
that provide two essential fatty acids your body doesn't manufacture:
omega-3 ALA and omega-6 LA. Since you're now in a "brain-building"
phase of your astrological cycle, I urge you to get more than your
minimum requirements of these basics. If I may be permitted to resurrect
a now-out-of-fashion slang term, I suggest that you also expose yourself
to a lot of extraordinarily *phat* sources of intellectual stimulation.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The *mawashi* is the loincloth that Japanese
sumo wrestlers wear while competing. It's rare for the garment to come
off, even in the heat of a match, but it did happen once in 2000, when a
wrestler named Asanokiri suddenly found himself standing naked during
his bout with Chiyohakuho. In conformity with sumo's rules, Asanokiri was
immediately disqualified. I don't think you're at risk for being rendered
literally unclothed in the heat of a showdown or a plot twist, Scorpio. But I
do advise you to take extra precautions to prevent a metaphorical version
of that occurrence. Get your act very together, and keep it very together.
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Homework: Imagine what your life would be like if you licked your worst
fear. Describe this new world to me. Go to RealAstrology.com and click on
"Email Rob."
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2011 Rob Brezsny
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