Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
November 26, 2014
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/15mtTS6
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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
Below are excerpts.
Take inventory of the extent to which your "No" reflex
dominates your life. Notice for 24 hours (even in your dreams) how often
you say or think:
"No."
"That's not right."
"I don't like them."
"I don't agree with that."
"They don't like me."
"That should be different from what it is."
Then retrain yourself to say "YES" at least 51 percent of the time.
Start the transformation by saying "YES" aloud 22 times right now.
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You don't have to be anything you don't want to be. You don't have to
live up to anyone's expectations. There's no need to strive for a kind of
perfection that's not very interesting to you. You don't have to believe in
ideas that make you sad or tormented, and you don't have to feel
emotions that others try to manipulate you into feeling.
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I kick my own ass and wash my own brain.
I push my own buttons and trick my own pain.
I burn my own flags and roast my own heroes.
I mock my own fears and cheer my own zeroes.
Nothing can stop me from teasing my shadow.
I'm full of empty and backwards bravado.
My wounds are tattoos that reveal my true beauty.
I turn tragic to magic and make bliss my duty.
I honor my faults till they become virtues.
I play jokes on my nightmares
till I'm sure they won't hurt you.
I sing anarchist lullabies to lesbian trees
and love songs with punch lines
to anonymous seas.
I won't accept gifts that infringe on my freedom.
I shun sacred places that stir up my boredom.
I change my name daily, pretend to be nobody.
I fight for the truth if it's majestically rowdy.
I brag about what I can't do and don't know.
I take off my clothes to those I oppose.
I'm so far beyond lazy, I work like a god.
I'm totally crazy; in fact that's my job.
- http://bit.ly/Pronoia
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This perfect moment is brought to you by the imaginary lightning bolts
you can fling from your fingers any time you want to.
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When you're an aspiring master of pronoia, you see the cracks in the
facades as opportunities; inspiration erupts as you careen over bumps in
the road; you love the enticing magic that flows from situations that
other people regard as rough or crooked.
"That which is not slightly distorted lacks sensible appeal," wrote poet
Charles Baudelaire, "from which it follows that irregularity—that is to say,
the unexpected, surprise and astonishment—is an essential part and
characteristic of beauty."
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Americans Believe Violence is Worse than Ever; When in Reality U.S.
Violence is Lower than Ever
http://tinyurl.com/ktl9dak
"Here's a narrative you rarely hear: Our lives are safer. This message is so
rarely heard that half of all respondents to a recent YouGov poll
suggested that the violent crime rate had risen over the past two
decades. The reality, of course, is that it has fallen enormously.
"The decline in violent crime is one of the most striking trends over
recent decades; the rate has declined roughly by half since 1993.
"To be precise, the F.B.I.'s count of violent crimes reported to law
enforcement has declined from a rate of 747 violent incidents per
100,000 people in 1993 to 387 incidents per 100,000 people in 2012,
which is the most recent year for which it has published complete data.
This reflects the fact that over this period, the homicide rate has fallen by
51 percent; forcible rapes have declined by 35 percent; robberies have
decreased by 56 percent; and the rate of aggravated assault has been
cut by 45 percent. Property crime rates are also sharply down.
"These trends aren't caused by changes in our willingness to report crime
to the police. We see an even more significant decline in violent crime in
data derived from surveys asking people whether they've been the
victims of certain crimes over the past year. The National Crime
Victimization Survey reports that the rate of violent victimizations has
declined by 67 percent since 1993. This reflects a 70 percent decline in
rape and sexual assault; a 66 percent decline in robbery; a 77 percent
decline in aggravated assault; and a 64 percent decline in simple assault.
This survey has nothing to say about the decline in homicide, for obvious
reasons."
(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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Dear Gmail users:
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning November 27
Copyright 2014 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was an
Italian astronomer, physicist, and mathematician who is sometimes called
"the father of modern science." He expressed his innovative ideas so
vigorously that he offended the Catholic Church, which convicted him of
heresy. For us today, he symbolizes the magnificence of rational thought.
And yet Galileo also had a weird streak. For example, he gave lectures on
the "Shape, Location, and Size of Dante's Inferno," analyzing the poet's
depiction of hell. In the course of these meticulous discourses, Galileo
concluded that Satan was more than four-fifths of a mile tall. In this spirit,
Sagittarius, and in accordance with current astrological omens, you are
temporarily authorized to de-emphasize the constraints of reason and
logic so that you may gleefully and unapologetically pursue your quirky
proclivities.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): While in his early twenties, actor Robert
Downey Jr. appeared in the films *Less Than Zero* and *Weird Science.*
That got him semi-typecast as a member of Hollywood's Brat Pack, a
group of popular young actors and actresses who starred in coming-of-
age films in the 1980s. Eager to be free of that pigeonhole, Downey
performed a ritual in 1991: He dug a hole in his backyard and buried the
clothes he had worn in *Less Than Zero.* I recommend that you carry out
a comparable ceremony to help you graduate from the parts of your past
that are holding you back.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In her book *Revolution from Within,* Gloria
Steinem offers a challenge: "Think of the times you have said: 'I can't
write,' 'I can't paint,' 'I can't run,' 'I can't shout,' 'I can't dance,' 'I can't
sing.'" That's your first assignment, Aquarius: Think of those times. Your
second assignment is to write down other "I can't" statements you have
made over the years. Assignment three is to objectively evaluate whether
any of these "I can't" statements are literally true. If you find that some
of them are *not* literally true, your fourth assignment is to actually do
them. The coming weeks will be a favorable time to transform "I can't"
into "I can."
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "Dogs don't know where they begin and end,"
writes Ursula K. Le Guin in her book *The Wave in the Mind.* They "don't
notice when they put their paws in the quiche." Cats are different, LeGuin
continues. They "know exactly where they begin and end. When they walk
slowly out the door that you are holding open for them, and pause,
leaving their tail just an inch or two inside the door, they know it. They
know you have to keep holding the door open . . . It's a cat's way of
maintaining relationship." Whether you are more of a dog person or a cat
person, Pisces, it is very important that you be more like a cat than a dog
in the coming weeks. You must keep uppermost in your mind exactly
where you begin and where you end.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): What exactly do you believe in, Aries? What's
your philosophy of life? Do you think that most people are basically good
and that you can make a meaningful life for yourself if you just work hard
and act kind? Do you believe that evil, shapeshifting, kitten-eating
extraterrestrials have taken on human form and are impersonating
political leaders who control our society? Are you like the character Crash
Davis in the film *Bull Durham,* who believed in "high fiber, good scotch,
the sweet spot, and long, slow, deep, soft, wet kisses that last three
days"? Now would be an excellent time for you to get very clear about
the fundamental principles that guide your behavior. Re-commit yourself
to your root beliefs -- and jettison the beliefs that no longer work for you.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I have two encyclopedias of dreams, and they
disagree on the symbolic meaning of mud. One book says that when you
dream of mud, you may be facing a murky moral dilemma in your waking
life, or are perhaps dealing with a messy temptation that threatens to
compromise your integrity. The other encyclopedia suggests that when
you dream of mud, it means you have received an untidy but fertile
opportunity that will incite growth and creativity. I suspect that you have
been dreaming of mud lately, Taurus, and that both meanings apply to
you.
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FEELING JOY STIMULATES YOUR COMPASSION?
Assume that your drive to experience pleasure isn't a barrier to your
spiritual growth, but is in fact essential to it. Proceed on the hypothesis
that cultivating joy can make you a more ethical and compassionate
person. Imagine that feeling good has something important to teach you
every day.
For inspiration in practicing this approach, tune in to your Expanded Audio
Horoscopes. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state
of your destiny. The cost is $6 per reading, with a discount for multiple
purchases.
Go here to register and/or sign in: http://RealAstrology.com/
They're available on your tablets and smart phones as well as your
computers.
You can also listen over the phone by calling
1-877-873-4888
"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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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Are there certain influences you would love to
bring into your life, but you can't figure out how? Do you fantasize about
getting access to new resources that would make everything better for
you, but they seem to be forever out of reach? If you answered "yes,"
it's time to stop moping. I'm happy to report that you have more power
than usual to reel in those desirable influences and resources. To fully
capitalize on this power, be confident that you can attract what you
need.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Should you cut back and retrench? Definitely.
Should you lop off and bastardize? Definitely not. Do I recommend that
you spend time editing and purifying? Yes, please. Does this mean you
should censor and repress? No, thank you. Here's my third pair of
questions: Will you be wise enough to shed some of your defense
mechanisms and strip away one of your lame excuses? I hope so. Should
you therefore dispense with all of your psychic protections and leave
yourself vulnerable to being abused? I hope not.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I know you're beautiful and you know you're
beautiful. But I think you could be even more beautiful than you already
are. What do you think? Have you reached the limits of how beautiful you
can be? Or will you consider the possibility that there is even more beauty
lying dormant within you, ready to be groomed and expressed? I
encourage you to ruminate on these questions: 1. Are you hiding a
complicated part of your beauty because it would be hard work to liberate
it? 2. Are you afraid of some aspect of your beauty because revealing it
would force you to acknowledge truths about yourself that are at odds
with your self-image? 3. Are you worried that expressing your full beauty
would intimidate other people?
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Helsinki, Finland is growing downwards. By
cutting out space in the bedrock below the city's surface, farseeing
leaders have made room to build shops, a data center, a hockey rink, a
church, and a swimming pool. There are also projects underway to
construct 200 other underground structures. I'd like to see you start
working along those lines, Virgo -- at least metaphorically. Now would be
an excellent time to renovate your foundations so as to accommodate
your future growth.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): The Pantone Color Matching System presents a
structured approach to identifying colors. It's used as a standard in the
printing industry. According to its system of classification, there are 104
various shades of grey. I suspect you will benefit from being equally
discerning in the coming weeks. It just won't be possible to differentiate
between the good guys and the bad guys. You'll misunderstand situations
that you try to simplify, and you'll be brilliant if you assume there's
always more nuance and complexity to uncover. Don't just grudgingly
tolerate ambiguity, Libra. Appreciate it. Learn from it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I am not necessarily predicting that you will
acquire a shiny new asset in time for the solstice. Nor am I glibly
optimistic that you will get a raise in pay or an unexpected bonus. And I
can offer only a 65-percent certainty that you will snag a new perk or
catch a financial break or stumble upon a treasure. In general, though, I
am pretty confident that your net worth will rise in the next four weeks.
Your luck will be unusually practical. To take maximum advantage of the
cosmic tendencies, focus your efforts on the one or two most promising
prospects.
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Homework: For three days, uphold your highest ideal in every little way
you can imagine. Report results at Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2014 Rob Brezsny
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