Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
November 4, 2015
+
See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/1Ok9KAz
+
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.
EXPERIMENT: Be scarier than your fears. If an anxious thought pops into
your mind, bare your teeth and growl, "Get out of here or I will rip you to
shreds!" If a demon visits you in a nightly dream, chase after it with a
torch and sword, screaming "Begone, foul spirit, or I will burn your mangy
ass!"
Don't tolerate bullying in any form, whether it comes from a critical little
voice in your head or from supposedly nice people who are trying to guilt-
trip you. "I am a brave conqueror who cannot be intimidated!" is what you
could say, or "I am a monster of love and goodness who will defeat all
threats to my integrity!"
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
I love your pilgrim soul and I love your ever-deepening eyes.
I love how unflinchingly you peer into the heart of your own darkness.
I love how you're making yourself more and more receptive to truths in
their wild states.
I love how you can dive into your in passion but never shirk your
commitment to the good and the true.
I admire the way you never bear a grudge against the mountains that are
in your way, but rather just set to work getting around them.
I love your commitment to deciphering the code you left for yourself
before you came into this life.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
In response to our culture's ever-rising levels of noise and frenzy, rites of
purification have become more popular. Many people now recognize the
value of taking periodic retreats. Withdrawing from their usual
compulsions, they go on fasts, avoid mass media, practice celibacy, or
even abstain from speaking.
While we applaud cleansing ceremonies like this, we suggest balancing
them with periodic outbreaks of an equal and opposite custom: the BLISS
BLITZ.
During this celebration, you tune out the numbing banality of the daily
grind. But instead of shrinking into asceticism, you indulge in uninhibited
explorations of joy, release, and expansion.
Turning away from the mildly stimulating distractions you seek out when
you're bored or worried, you become inexhaustibly resourceful as you
search for unsurpassable sources of cathartic pleasure. Try it for a day or
a week: the BLISS BLITZ.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"This body that we have, this very body that's sitting here right now in
this room, this very body that perhaps aches, and this mind that we have
at this very moment, are exactly what we need to be fully human, fully
awake, and fully alive.
"Furthermore, the emotions that we have right now, the negativity and
the positivity, are what we actually need. It is just as if we looked around
to find out what would be the greatest wealth that we could possibly
possess in order to lead to a decent, good, completely fulfilling, energetic,
inspired life, and found it right here."
- Jack Kornfield, http://tinyurl.com/crt35ah
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Morocco poised to become a solar superpower with launch of desert
mega-project.
http://tinyurl.com/osr727a
The 20 most generous people in the world.
http://tinyurl.com/o2aprop
American Ingenuity Awards, which showcase revolutionary breakthroughs
in the arts and sciences, education and social progress.
http://tinyurl.com/pe7bhyu
(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.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning November 5
Copyright 2015 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Is it possible to express a benevolent form of
vanity? I say yes. In the coming weeks, your boasts may be quite lyrical
and therapeutic. They may even uplift and motivate those who hear them.
Acts of self-aggrandizement that would normally cast long shadows might
instead produce generous results. That's why I'm giving you a go-ahead
to embody the following attitude from Nikki Giovanni's poem "Ego
Tripping (there may be a reason why)": "I am so perfect so divine so
ethereal so surreal / I cannot be comprehended except by my
permission."
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Regard the current tensions and detours
as camouflaged gifts from the gods of growth. You're being offered a
potent opportunity to counteract the effects of a self-sabotage you
committed once upon a time. You're getting an excellent chance to
develop the strength of character that can blossom from dealing with
soul-bending riddles. In fact, I think you'd be wise to feel a surge of
gratitude right now. To do so will empower you to take maximum
advantage of the disguised blessings.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You are slipping into a phase when new
teachers are likely to appear. That's excellent news, because the coming
weeks will also be a time when you especially need new teachings. Your
good fortune doesn't end there. I suspect that you will have an enhanced
capacity to learn quickly and deeply. With all these factors conspiring in
your favor, Capricorn, I predict that by January 1, you will be smarter,
humbler, more flexible, and better prepared to get what you want in
2016.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): American author Mark Twain seemed to
enjoy his disgust with the novels of Jane Austen, who died 18 years
before he was born. "Her books madden me so that I can't conceal my
frenzy," he said, even as he confessed that he had perused some of her
work multiple times. "Every time I read *Pride and Prejudice,*" he wrote
to a friend about Austen's most famous story, "I want to dig her up and
beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone." We might ask why he
repetitively sought an experience that bothered him. I am posing a similar
question to you, Aquarius. According to my analysis, the coming weeks
will be an excellent time to renounce, once and for all, your association
with anything or anyone you are addicted to disliking.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The Sahara in Northern Africa is the largest
hot desert on the planet. It's almost the size of the United States. Cloud
cover is rare, the humidity is low, and the temperature of the sand can
easily exceed 170º F. (80º C.). That's why it was so surprising when snow
fell there in February of 1979 for the first time in memory. This once-in-a-
lifetime visitation happened again 33 years later. I'm expecting a similar
anomaly in your world, Pisces. Like the desert snow, your version should
be mostly interesting and only slightly inconvenient. It may even have an
upside. Saharan locals testified that the storm helped the palm trees
because it killed off the parasites feeding on them.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1978, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield
began selling their new ice cream out of a refurbished gas station in
Burlington, Vermont. Thirty-seven years later, Ben & Jerry's is among the
world's best-selling ice cream brands. Its success stems in part from its
willingness to keep transforming the way it does business. "My mantra is
'Change is a wonderful thing,'" says the current CEO. As evidence of the
company's intention to keep re-evaluating its approach, there's a "Flavor
Graveyard" on its website, where it lists flavors it has tried to sell but
ultimately abandoned. "Wavy Gravy," "Tennessee Mud," and "Turtle
Soup" are among the departed. Now is a favorable time for you to engage
in a purge of your own, Aries. What parts of your life don't work any
more? What personal changes would be wonderful things?
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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 cynical 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.
To listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to
http://RealAstrology.com.
Register and/or log in through the main page.
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $6 per sign on the Web (discounts available for bulk
purchases), or $1.99 per minute by phone.
The Expanded Audio Horoscopes work on most smart phones and tablets.
+
"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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Before he helped launch Apple Computer in
the 1970s, tech pioneer Steve Wozniak ran a dial-a-joke service. Most of
the time, people who called got an automated recording, but now and
then Wozniak answered himself. That's how he met Alice Robertson, the
woman who later became his wife. I'm guessing you will have comparable
experiences in the coming weeks, Taurus. Future allies may come into
your life in unexpected ways. It's as if mysterious forces will be conspiring
to connect you with people you need to know.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Small, nondestructive earthquakes are
common. Our planet has an average of 1,400 of them every day. This
subtle underground mayhem has been going on steadily for millions of
years. According to recent research, it has been responsible for creating
80 percent of the world's gold. I suspect that the next six or seven
months will feature a metaphorically analogous process in your life. You
will experience deep-seated quivering and grinding that won't bring major
disruptions even as it generates the equivalent of gold deposits. Make it
your goal to welcome and even thrive on the subterranean friction!
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here's the process I went through to create
your horoscope. First I drew up a chart of your astrological aspects. Using
my analytical skills, I pondered their meaning. Next, I called on my intuitive
powers, asking my unconscious mind to provide symbols that would be
useful to you. The response I got from my deeper mind was surprising: It
informed me that I should go to a new cafe that had just opened
downtown. Ten minutes later, I was there, gazing at a menu packed with
exotic treats: Banana Flirty Milk . . . Champagne Coconut Mango Slushy . .
. Honey Dew Jelly Juice . . . Creamy Wild Berry Blitz . . . Sweet Dreamy
Ginger Snow. I suspect these are metaphors for experiences that are
coming your way.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Beatles' song "You Never Give Me Your
Money" has this poignant lyric: "Oh, that magic feeling, nowhere to go." I
suggest you make it your motto for now. And if you have not yet begun
to feel the allure of that sentiment, initiate the necessary shifts to get
yourself in the mood. Why? Because it's time to recharge your spiritual
battery, and the best way to do that is to immerse yourself in the
mystery of having nothing to do and nowhere to go. Put your faith in the
pregnant silence, Leo. Let emptiness teach you what you need to know
next.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Should a professional singer be criticized for
her lack of skill in laying bricks? Is it reasonable to chide a kindergarten
teacher for his ineptitude as an airplane pilot? Does it make sense to
complain about a cat's inability to bark? Of course not. There are many
other unwarranted comparisons that are almost as irrational but not as
obviously unfair. Is it right for you to wish your current lover or best
friend could have the same *je ne sais quoi* as a previous lover or best
friend? Should you try to manipulate the future so that it's more like the
past? Are you justified in demanding that your head and your heart come
to identical conclusions? No, no, and no. Allow the differences to be
differences. And more than that: Celebrate them!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the mid-19th century, an American named
Cyrus McCormick patented a breakthrough that had the potential to
revolutionize agriculture. It was a mechanical reaper that harvested crops
with far more ease and efficiency than hand-held sickles and scythes. But
his innovation didn't enter into mainstream use for 20 years. In part that
was because many farmers were skeptical of trying a new technology, and
feared it would eliminate jobs. I don't foresee you having to wait nearly as
long for acceptance of your new wrinkles, Libra. But you may have to be
patient.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Homework: Brag about a talent or ability that few people know you have.
Tout one of your underappreciated charms. Report to
FreeWillAstrology.com.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
NEED TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS?
To join or leave the email list for this newsletter, or to change the address
where you receive it, go to:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/newsletter/
Once you do join, check all the below points to make sure you'll actually
receive the newsletter:
1. Add my address, televisionary@comcast.net, to your address book so
that the newsletter won't be treated as spam and filtered out.
2. Adjust your spam filter so it doesn't treat my address as a source of
spam.
3. Tell your company's IT group to allow my address to pass through any
filtering software they may have set up.
4. If my newsletters don't reach your inbox, look in your "Bulk Mail" or
"Junk Mail" folder.
5. The problems may not have to do with anything you do, but may
originate with your email provider. It may be using a "content filter" that
prevents my newsletter from ever reaching you at all. If you suspect
that's the case, complain. Tell your email provider to stop blocking my
newsletter from reaching you.
P.S. I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your address
to anyone.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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,
including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will
Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve
the right to edit such submissions for length, style, and content.
Requests for anonymity will be honored with submissions;
otherwise, reader names, screen names, or initials will be used.
Please be sure to note your preference when sending to us. We
are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative
material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2015 Rob Brezsny
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++