Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
December 3, 2014
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/1ycxZHg
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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 several excerpts.
You can drink a glass of water. You can spread butter on a slice of toast.
You can wash your hair and prune your plants and draw infinity signs on a
piece of paper. Your hands work wonderfully well! Their intricate force and
sustained grace are amply supported by your heart, which circulates your
blood all the way out to replenish the energy of the muscles and nerves in
your fingers and palms and wrists. After your blood has delivered its
blessings, it finds its way back to your heart to be refreshed. This
masterful mystery repeats itself over and over again without you ever
having to think about it.
Contemplate the unfathomable prowess of your digestive system.
Countless chemical reactions have to unfold with alacrity in order for it to
work as well as it does. The gastric juice has to be composed of just the
right mix of pepsin, rennin, mucus, and hydrochloric acid. The bile and
pancreatic juice must arrive at the right spot and at the right time. The
enterocytes in your small intestine always have to remember anew how to
carry out their uptake of ions, lipids, and peptides. How can they possibly
be so good at knowing exactly what to do and when to do it?
The circulation of blood and the conversion of food into fuel are just two
of many alchemical feats that the secret intelligence within you takes care
of. Thousands of other exchanges and transformations and syntheses are
ceaselessly working their wizardry inside your body without your
conscious participation.
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What causes happiness? Brainstorm about it. Map out the foundations of
your personal science of joy. Get serious about defining what makes you
feel good. To get you started, I'll name some experiences that might
rouse your gratification: engaging in sensual pleasure; seeking the truth;
being kind and moral; contemplating the meaning of life; escaping your
routine; purging pent-up emotions, doing practical work that helps others
or that serves your high ideals. Do any of these work for you? Name at
least ten more.
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When many people talk about their childhoods, they emphasize the
alienating, traumatic experiences they had, and fail to report the good
times. This seems dishonest -- a testament to the popularity of cynicism
rather than a reflection of objective truth.
I don't mean to downplay the way your early encounters with pain
demoralized your spirit. But as you reconnoiter the promise of pronoia,
it's crucial for you to extol the gifts you were given in your early years: all
the helpful encounters, kind teachings, and simple acts of grace that
helped you bloom.
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In Homer's epic tale *The Odyssey,* he described nepenthe, a mythical
drug that induced the forgetfulness of pain and trouble. I'd like to
imagine, in contrast, a potion that stirs up memories of delight, serenity,
and fulfillment. Fantasize that you have taken such a tonic. Spend an hour
or two remembering the glorious moments from your past.
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Mark Morford explains why militant optimism is essential to fighting back
against entrenched power:
"The system isn't nearly as powerful as it wants you to believe. It is, in
fact, far more feeble, fallible, terrified (just ask the GOP). It's also
changing by the minute. It can change again in a single act, law, cultural
tipping point. Happens all the time. For better, for worse. It's happening
right now.
"This is why the Ferguson protests, or Cosby's belated takedown, the
#_YesAllWomen phenom, the onrush of legal gay marriage or even
Obama's China environmental agreement, health care battle or
immigration plan, are all so vital. They snap us back to attention. They
nudge the disruptive energy awake. And they remind us of the most
important takeaway of all:
"Want to help keep the system as it is? Believe all is lost. Want to ensure
the system's eventual, perpetual, ongoing annihilation? Believe the exact
opposite."
Read Morford's whole essay: http://tinyurl.com/ku92k5g
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
"Urban Comeback: How Cities Are Leading Us Into the Future.
At a time when nations are gridlocked and corrupted by special interests,
cities are taking on poverty, social isolation, and the climate crisis."
http://tinyurl.com/py9w2u3
Scientists predict green energy revolution after incredible new graphene
discoveries. The breakthrough raises the prospect of extracting hydrogen
fuel from air and burning it as a carbon-free source of energy in a fuel cell
to produce electricity and water with no damaging waste products.
http://tinyurl.com/mgk5spz
Gates Foundation Will Require All Its Research To Be Freely Accessible.
http://tinyurl.com/ln67u78
(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 4
Copyright 2014 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): With both symbolic and practical
actions, Sagittarius-born Pope Francis has tried to reframe the message
of the Catholic Church. He's having public showers installed for the
homeless in Vatican City. He has made moves to dismantle the Church's
bigotry toward gays. He regularly criticizes growing economic inequality,
and keeps reminding politicians that there can be no peace and justice
unless they take care of poor and marginalized people. He even invited
iconic punk poet Patti Smith to perform at the Vatican Christmas Concert.
You now have extra power to exert this kind of initiative in your own
sphere, Sagittarius. Be proactive as you push for constructive
transformations that will benefit all.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The limpet is an aquatic snail. When it's
scared, it escapes at a rate approaching two inches per hour. If you get
flustered in the coming week, Capricorn, I suggest you flee at a speed no
faster than the limpet's. I'm making a little joke here. The truth is, if you
do get into a situation that provokes anxiety, I don't think you should
leave the scene at all. Why? There are two possibilities. First, you may be
under the influence of mistaken ideas or habitual responses that are
causing you to be nervous about something there's no need to be
nervous about. Or second, if you are indeed in an authentic bind, you
really do need to deal with it, not run away.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Science-fiction novelist Philip K. Dick has
been one of my favorite authors since I discovered his work years ago. I
love how he reconfigured my mind with his metaphysical riffs about
politics and his prophetic questions about what's real and what's not.
Recently I discovered he once lived in a house that's a few blocks from
where I now live. While he was there, he wrote two of his best books. I
went to the place and found it was unoccupied. That night I slept in a
sleeping bag on the back porch, hoping to soak up inspiration. It worked!
Afterwards, I had amazing creative breakthroughs for days. I recommend
a comparable ritual for you, Aquarius. Go in quest of greatness that you
want to rub off on you.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do you enjoy telling people what to do? Are
you always scheming to increase your influence over everyone whose life
you touch? If you are a typical Pisces, the answer to those questions is
no. The kind of power you are interested in is power over yourself. You
mostly want to be the boss of you. Right now is a favorable time to
intensify your efforts to succeed in this glorious cause. I suggest you
make aggressive plans to increase your control over your own destiny.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The National Science Foundation estimates
that we each think at least 12,000 thoughts per day. The vast majority
of them, however, are reruns of impressions that have passed through
our minds many times before. But I am pleased to report that in the
coming weeks, you Aries folks are primed to be far less repetitive than
normal. You have the potential to churn out a profusion of original ideas,
fresh perceptions, novel fantasies, and pertinent questions. Take full
advantage of this opportunity. Brainstorm like a genius.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): I enjoy getting spam emails with outrageous
declarations that are at odds with common sense. "Eating salads makes
you sick" is one of my favorites, along with "Water is worse for you than
vodka" and "Smoking is healthier than exercising." Why do I love reading
these laughable claims? Well, they remind me that every day I am
barraged by nonsense and delusion from the news media, the Internet,
politicians, celebrities, and a host of fanatics. "Smoking is healthier than
exercising" is just a more extreme and obvious lie than many others that
are better disguised. The moral of the story for you in the coming week:
Be alert for exaggerations that clue you in to what's going on discreetly
below the surface. Watch carefully for glitches in the Matrix.
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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.
Register and/or sign in at 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
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Every one of us, including me, has blind spots
about the arts of intimacy and collaboration. Every one of us suffers from
unconscious habits that interfere with our ability to get and give the love
we want. What are your bind spots and unconscious habits, Gemini. Ha!
Trick question! They wouldn't be blind spots and unconscious habits if
you already knew about them. That's the bad news. The good news is
that in the next six weeks you can catch glimpses of these blocks, and
make a good start toward reducing their power to distort your
relationships.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Now and then, it is in fact possible to fix
malfunctioning machines by giving them a few swift kicks or authoritative
whacks. This strategy is called "percussive maintenance." In the coming
days, you might be inclined to use it a lot. That's probably OK. I suspect
it'll work even better than it usually does. There will be problems, though,
if you adopt a similar approach as you try to correct glitches that are
more psychological, interpersonal, and spiritual in nature. For those, I
recommend sensitivity and finesse.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What feelings or subjects have you been wanting
to talk about, but have not yet been able to? Are there messages you are
aching to convey to certain people, but can't summon the courage to be
as candid as you need to be? Can you think of any secrets you've been
keeping for reasons that used to be good but aren't good any more? The
time has come to relieve at least some of that tension, Leo. I suggest you
smash your excuses, break down barriers, and let the revelations flow. If
you do, you will unleash unforeseen blessings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In 1662, Dutch painter Rembrandt finished
*The Oath of Claudius Civilis.* It was 18 feet by 18 feet, the largest
painting he ever made. For a short time, it hung on a wall in Amsterdam's
Town Hall. But local burgomasters soon decided it was offensive, and
returned it to the artist to be reworked. Rembrandt ultimately chopped
off three-fourths of the original. What's left is now hanging in a
Stockholm museum, and the rest has been lost. Art critic Svetlana Alpers
wishes the entire painting still existed, but nevertheless raves about the
remaining portion, calling it "a magnificent fragment." I urge you to think
like Alpers. It's time to celebrate your own magnificent fragments.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You now have a special talent for connecting
things that have never been connected. You also have a magic touch at
uniting things that should be united but can't manage to do so under
their own power. In fact, I'm inclined to believe that in the next three
weeks you will be unusually lucky and adept at forging links, brokering
truces, building bridges, and getting opposites to attract. I won't be
surprised if you're able to compare apples and oranges in ways that make
good sense and calm everyone down.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In 1989, Amy Tan birthed her first novel,
*The Joy Luck Club.* Her next, *The Kitchen God's Wife,* came out in
1991. Both were bestsellers. Within a few years, the student study guide
publisher CliffsNotes did with them what it has done with many
masterpieces of world literature: produced condensed summaries for use
by students too lazy to read all of the originals. "In spite of my initial
shock," Tan said, "I admit that I am perversely honored to be in
CliffsNotes." It was a sign of success to get the same treatment as
superstar authors like Shakespeare and James Joyce. The CliffsNotes
approach is currently an operative metaphor in your life, Scorpio. Try to
find it in your heart to be honored, even if it's perversely so. For the most
part, trimming and shortening and compressing will be beneficial.
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Homework: What gifts do you want for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza,
Yule, and the winter solstice? Write to Buddha Claus at
uaregod@comcast.net.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2014 Rob Brezsny
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