Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
November 22, 2017
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See a pretty version of this newsletter: http://bit.ly/YouLiveStrong
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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.
As an experiment, I invite you to say this twice a day for the next ten
days:
"Novel intuitions are now erupting from my smart heart, awakening me
from any trance I've been ensnared in.
"I am hereby breaking and escaping obstructions that have hindered my
ability to express my soul's code.
"My unique capacities are being liberated, my potentials activated."
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WHAT CAUSES HAPPINESS?
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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YOUR YEARNING TO BE LOVED
Notice how you feel as you speak the following:
"The strong, independent part of me resisted the embarrassing truth for a
long time, but I finally came to accept that I'm someone who craves vast
amounts of love.
"Ever since I surrendered to this need, it doesn't nag me all the time, as it
used to. In fact, it feels comforting, like a source of sweetness that
doesn't go away. I never thought I'd say this, but I've come to treasure
the feeling of having a voracious yearning to be loved."
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ROUGH AND CROOKED OPPORTUNITIES
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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COMMUNICATE YOUR FEELINGS?
A common obstruction to a vital intimate relationship is what I call the
assumption of clairvoyance. You imagine, perhaps unconsciously, that
your partner or friend is somehow magically psychic when it comes to you
-- so much so that he or she should unfailingly intuit exactly what you
need, even if you don't ask for it.
This fantasy may seem romantic, but it can undermine the most
promising alliances.
To counteract any tendencies you might have to indulge in the
assumption of clairvoyance, practice stating your desires aloud.
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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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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Blue Mind: The Surprising Science That Shows How Being Near, In, On, or
Under Water Can Make You Happier, Healthier, More Connected, and
Better at What You Do.
http://tinyurl.com/ycsq6g87
Birds Have Feelings.
https://sillysutras.com/birds-have-feelings/
People dancing in mid-air while in wind tunnels:
http://tinyurl.com/yd2vo4q3
(Note: I endorse these because I like them. They aren't advertisements,
and I get no kickbacks.)
Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning November 23
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Journalist James A. Fussell defined
"thrashing" as "the act of tapping helter-skelter over a computer
keyboard in an attempt to find 'hidden' keys that trigger previously
undiscovered actions in a computer program." I suggest we use this as a
metaphor for your life in the next two weeks. Without becoming rude or
irresponsible, thrash around to see what interesting surprises you can
drum up. Play with various possibilities in a lighthearted effort to
stimulate options you have not been able to discover through logic and
reason.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Let's observe a moment of silence for the
illusion that is in the process of disintegrating. It has been a pretty
illusion, hasn't it? Filled with hope and gusto, it has fueled you with
motivation. But then again -- on second thought -- its prettiness was
more the result of clever packaging than inner beauty. The hope was
somewhat misleading, the gusto contained more than a little bluster, and
the fuel was an inefficient source of motivation. Still, let's observe a
moment of silence anyway. Even dysfunctional mirages deserve to be
mourned. Besides, its demise will fertilize a truer and healthier and prettier
dream that will contain a far smaller portion of illusion.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Judging from the astrological omens, I
conclude that the upcoming weeks will be a favorable time for you to
engage in experiments befitting a mad scientist. You can achieve
interesting results as you commune with powerful forces that are usually
beyond your ability to command. You could have fun and maybe also
attract good luck as you dream and scheme to override the rules. What
pleasures have you considered to be beyond your capacity to enjoy? It
wouldn't be crazy for you to flirt with them. You have license to be saucy,
sassy, and extra sly.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): A snail can slowly crawl over the edge of a
razor blade without hurting itself. A few highly trained experts, specialists
in the art of mind over matter, are able to walk barefoot over beds of hot
coals without getting burned. According to my analysis of the astrological
omens, Pisces, you now have the metaphorical equivalent of powers like
these. To ensure they'll operate at peak efficiency, you must believe in
yourself more than you ever have before. Luckily, life is now conspiring to
help you do just that.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): In alignment with the current astrological
omens, I have prepared your horoscope using five hand-plucked aphorisms
by Aries poet Charles Bernstein. 1. "You never know what invention will
look like or else it wouldn't be invention." 2. "So much depends on what
you are expecting." 3. "What's missing from the bird's eye view is plain to
see on the ground." 4. "The questioning of the beautiful is always at least
as important as the establishment of the beautiful." 5. "Show me a man
with two feet planted firmly on the ground and I'll show you a man who
can't get his pants on."
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): It may seem absurd for a dreamy oracle like
me to give economic advice to Tauruses, who are renowned as being
among the zodiac's top cash attractors. Is there anything I can reveal to
you that you don't already know? Well, maybe you're not aware that the
next four weeks will be prime time to revise and refine your long-term
financial plans. It's possible you haven't guessed the time is right to plant
seeds that will produce lucrative yields by 2019. And maybe you don't
realize that you can now lay the foundation for bringing more wealth into
your life by raising your generosity levels.
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MAYBE JOY AND PLEASURE ARE ESSENTIAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES
Assume that your drive to experience pleasure and happiness 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.
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.
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"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): I used to have a girlfriend whose mother hated
Christmas. The poor woman had been raised in a fanatical fundamentalist
Christian sect, and she drew profound solace and pleasure from rebelling
against that religion's main holiday. One of her annual traditions was to
buy a small Christmas tree and hang it upside-down from the ceiling. She
decorated it with ornamental dildos she had made out of clay. While I
understood her drive for revenge and appreciated the entertaining way
she did it, I felt pity for the enduring ferocity of her rage. Rather than
mocking the old ways, wouldn't her energy have been much better spent
inventing new ways? If there is any comparable situation in your own life,
Gemini, now would be a perfect time to heed my tip. Give up your
attachment to the negative emotions that arose in response to past
frustrations and failures. Focus on the future.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): So begins the "I Love To Worry" season for
you Cancerians. Even now, bewildering self-doubts are working their way
up toward your conscious awareness from your unconscious depths. You
may already be overreacting in anticipation of the anxiety-provoking
fantasies that are coalescing. But wait! It doesn't have to be that way. I'm
here to tell you that the bewildering self-doubts and anxiety-provoking
fantasies are at most ten percent accurate. They're not even close to
being half-true! Here's my advice: Do NOT go with the flow, because the
flow will drag you down into ignominious habit. Resist all tendencies
towards superstition, moodiness, and melodramatic descents into hell.
One thing you can do to help accomplish this brave uprising is to sing
beloved songs with maximum feeling.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Your lucky numbers are 55 and 88. By tapping
into the uncanny powers of 55 and 88, you can escape the temptation of
a hexed fiction and break the spell of a mediocre addiction. These
catalytic codes could wake you up to a useful secret you've been blind to.
They might help you catch the attention of familiar strangers or shrink
one of your dangerous angers. When you call on 55 or 88 for inspiration,
you may be motivated to seek a more dynamic accomplishment beyond
your comfortable success. You could reactivate an important desire that
has been dormant.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): What exactly is the epic, overarching goal that
you live for? What is the higher purpose that lies beneath every one of
your daily activities? What is the heroic identity you were born to create
but have not yet fully embodied? You may not be close to knowing the
answers to those questions right now, Virgo. In fact, I'm guessing your
fear of meaninglessness might be at a peak. Luckily, a big bolt of
meaningfulness is right around the corner. Be alert for it. In a
metaphorical sense, it will arrive from the depths. It will strengthen your
center of gravity as it reveals lucid answers to the questions I posed in
the beginning of this horoscope.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): We all need teachers. We all need guides and
instructors and sources of inspiration from the day we're born until the
day we die. In a perfect world, each of us would always have a personal
mentor who'd help us fill the gaps in our learning and keep us focused on
the potentials that are crying out to be nurtured in us. But since most of
us don't have that personal mentor, we have to fend for ourselves. We've
got to be proactive as we push on to the next educational frontier. The
next four weeks will be an excellent time for you to do just that, Libra.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): This is your last warning! If you don't stop
fending off the happiness and freedom that are trying to worm their way
into your life, I'm going to lose my cool. Damn it! Why can't you just
accept good luck and sweet strokes of fate at face value?! Why do you
have to be so suspicious and mistrustful?! Listen to me: The abundance
that's lurking in your vicinity is not the set-up for a cruel cosmic joke. It's
not some wicked game designed to raise your expectations and then dash
them to pieces. Please, Scorpio, give in and let the good times wash over
you.
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Homework: What's the most important question you'd like to find an
answer for in the next five years? Tell all: Freewillastrology.com
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Submissions sent to Rob Brezsny's Astrology 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
2017 Rob Brezsny
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