Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter September 30, 2009

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
SEPTEMBER 30, 2009
FreeWillAstrology.com

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"Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating."
- Simone Weil

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The revised and expanded version of my book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA is now available. It has 55% brand new extra added stuff! You can order it here:

Amazon: tinyurl.com/lxpnyt

Barnes and Noble: tinyurl.com/kkadtb

(P.S. Don't order the old version of the book! Due to a mistake by my publisher, the 2005 edition is still for sale online. Make sure you get the revised and expanded PRONOIA published in September 2009. It's available through the two links above.)

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Dear Readers,

When the original edition of PRONOIA came out in 2005, it had a fine three-page essay called "Glory in the Highest," in which I spoke of all the miraculous things that we take for granted. It was one of my personal favorites, and I incorporated it into the performances that I did as I toured to support the book.

But a lot changed for me between the time the first edition came out and the time I started work on the revised and expanded version a couple of years later. For starters, I became a magnet for revelations about the marvels and wonders of the world -- including many I hadn't previously been aware of.

It was as if, by publishing the book, I had invited the universe to shower me with even more evidence for pronoia.

One of the results of this flood of good news was that when I finished the revised version of "Glory in the Highest," it was eight times as long as the original. Why? Because I crammed it full of the many shocking facts I had discovered about how wrong the conventional wisdom is. It's not just that we take our everyday miracles for granted. The further truth is that we are fantastically lucky and blessed to be alive at this moment of history.

Among the well-researched points included in the new essay are the six below.

1. The world has become dramatically more peaceful since the end of the Cold War, with steep declines in the numbers of armed conflicts, acts of genocide, weapon sales, and refugees. In fact, our era is the most peaceful time in recorded history.

2. Crime in the U.S. is at its lowest level since it was first officially tracked. Between 1973 and 2005, the violent crime rate decreased by 56 percent, while crimes against property shrank by 70 percent. The years 2005 and 2006 brought a small increase in violent crimes, but by 2008, the rate had fallen even lower than it was in 2005.

3. After rising steadily since the beginning of time, the number of people in the world living in absolute poverty has fallen by nearly one-third in less than three decades.

4. A Nobel prize-winning economic historian has shown that those of us alive today are far hardier and healthier and smarter than our ancestors, even those of 150 years ago. We get sick less, overcome the sickness we do suffer from better, and live longer. Even our internal organs are formed better.

5. Torture is no longer a commonplace feature of the justice system, as it was in many places of the world for centuries.

6. The rate of child mortality in the developing world has dropped precipitously, while literacy is increasing steadily.

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Check out my new Facebook page: tinyurl.com/nkay2n

Sign up for the RSS feed of this newsletter: freewillastrology.com/newsletter

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

THERE REALLY ARE PEOPLE WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES -- PEOPLE YOU DON'T KNOW -- TO PROVIDE YOU WITH BLESSINGS
The virtually unknown hero who saved millions of lives
tinyurl.com/yekhuex

WHY WASN'T THIS NEWS ON THE FRONT PAGE?
Landlord goes back to work so that unemployed tenants can stay rent-free
tinyurl.com/ybtawlo

EVEN THE BAD GUYS MAY DO SOME GOOD WORKS
Frito-Lay angrily introduces line of healthy snacks
tinyurl.com/y3mbml

(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 October 1

Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Is there a big difference between your current job and your beloved career? Do you suffer from the unsettling feeling that your calling hasn't called you yet? Are you under the impression that your main reason for being here on Earth may reveal itself at some unknown time in the future, but not anytime soon? If you answered no to all those questions, congrats! You are more than halfway toward living a victorious life. But if you answered yes to at least one question, it's high time to take action. Start by formulating an intention to find out what you need to know in order to deal with the problem more aggressively. The cosmic forces are arrayed in such a way as to reward you for doing so.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

The Indian guru known as Amma has hugged over 30 million people during her three-decades career. I've known people who've received blessings from her, and they tell me that she can magically undo your karmic knots with her spiritual power, freeing you from having to suffer indefinitely for the bad decisions you made in the past. Amma rarely does a complete unraveling of all karmic knots in one sitting, however. Your negative conditioning might be holding you together, after all, and a sudden super-fix could cause you to fall apart. That's the situation I suspect is true for you right now, Scorpio: You'll be wise to undo some, but not all, of your karmic knots.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

The coming week will have something to offend and agitate everyone -- except you. Whines and moans and yelps will ring out across the land, even as you're emanating poise and aplomb. You may be tempted to brazenly exploit everyone's vulnerability and seize control of your corner of the world, but I think that would be shortsighted of you. A better strategy for capitalizing on your advantage would be to dole out large doses of mercy, making sure that the people who will be important to your future don't lose their way.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

"The bear must deal with 20 obstacles, and each one of them involves pears," says the Sufi proverb, "because the bear adores pears." That's a twisty truth worth meditating on, Capricorn. I suspect that the gifts coming your way will bring their own unique problems; the dreams you're in love with will generate new dilemmas to solve. By no means does this imply that you should avoid accepting the gifts or pursuing your dreams. Part of the fun of doing great things is dealing with the changes they generate!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

On behalf of all us non-Aquarians, I'd like to express our appreciation for the experiments you've been performing. Please don't be discouraged just because the results thus far have been inconclusive and left you feeling a trifle rudderless. We feel confident that sooner or later you'll come up with discoveries that will have bottom-line value to both you and the rest of us. We'd also like to apologize for the shortsighted and timid types among us who are accusing you of being unrealistic or overly optimistic. Please keep trying those novel approaches and making those imaginative forays.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

While reviewing the work of Angelina Jolie in the film Taking Lives, A. O. Scott called her "the flesh-and-blood actress most likely to be mistaken for a computer-generated special effect." I don't expect you to rival Jolie's odd talent anytime soon, but I wonder if maybe you'll be seeing a lot of that kind of stuff in the world around you. Some of the characters who will be advancing the plotlines in your life story may seem to be able to breathe fire, walk through walls, or change the weather at will. At the very least, you'll witness phenomena that resemble optical illusions. My advice: Try to get these exotic outbreaks to work for you rather than against you. Embrace them, don't fear them.

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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE

Since I put all my heart and soul into the written horoscopes I send out in this newsletter, they're pretty nutritious. You may never need any of the other stuff I create.

But if you ever do crave an added boost, you may want to sample my Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're different in tone and intent than the written scopes, imbued with a little more of the psychologist in me, and a little less of the poet.

Find out more at RealAstrology.com.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

"Your expanded horoscopes get more personal and intimate with me than some of my closest friends. Thanks for the loving reflections."
- Ari S., Ann Arbor, MI

"Your audio 'scopes have a knack for waking me up from whatever random dream has sneaked into my brain and rendered me half-blind."
- Teresa F., Boston, MA

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ARIES (March 21-April 19):

Is the electron a wave or a particle? Physicists had to conduct thousands of experiments to arrive at the definitive answer, which is that it's both. In other words, the solution to one of the fundamental questions about the nature of reality is a paradox. I think this strongly suggests that the correct response to many other riddles about the ultimate truth might be two seemingly opposing explanations. Could the Unitarians and Buddhists both be right? Socialists and capitalists? Mystics and scientists? In the upcoming days, Aries, you will be offered lots of practice in adopting this approach as you deal with a personal dilemma that's very much akin to "Is the electron a wave or a particle?"

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

Have you ever mused on the fact that your body is actually a kind of furnace? And that your whole life depends upon it? Food and oxygen are constantly combusting inside you, generating fiery energy that fuels your every movement, thought, and feeling. This awareness of fire as a source of vitality, not a destroyer, would be valuable for you to cultivate in the coming days. Your steady, earthy rhythm needs a shot of radiance and luminosity and fervor.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

Several couples I know keep lists of the five celebrities they'd be allowed to boink if the chance ever presented itself. My friend Jim, for instance, will incur no karmic repercussions with his girlfriend Alicia if he ever spends a night of carnal delight with the following people: Lady Gaga, Sarah Silverman, Karen O, Shakira, or Halle Berry. Alicia's permitted to enjoy liaisons with Johnny Depp, Chris Rock, Marilyn Manson, Jimmy Fallon, and Portia de Rossi. I bring this up, Gemini, because I believe you'll soon be the beneficiary of some extravagant cosmic luck that could offer you a close brush with an exotic form of pleasure. This might not exactly take the form of a one-night stand with a famous fox, but it could be almost as extraordinary.

CANCER (June 21-July 22):

I'm happy you're getting back to fundamentals and shedding pretensions and nourishing your roots, but I also want to make sure that you don't get too funky and lowdown. I'd hate to have to be hoisting you up out of the gutter next week, or counseling you on how to cover for the fact that you've compromised your own highest standards. So please resist any temptations you might feel to descend toward the lowest common denominator, Cancerian. As you deepen your center of gravity, make sure you keep your attitude elevated.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

"I may not love you," wrote R. R. Doister, "but I can certainly love my fantasy about you." Personally, I've been guilty of embodying that attitude toward certain people in my life. There have also been allies to whom I could have said, "I do love you, although I love my fantasy about you a little more." And it has even been the case on numerous occasions that I've been proud to declare, "I love you even more than I love my fantasy about you." What about you, Leo? Where do you stand on the issue? This is an excellent time to get on the righteous side of the great divide, which is to say: Adore your special people for who they really are more than for your fantasies about them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

In a puckish fantasy, the poet Linh Dinh imagined a hypothetical scenario in which it would be uncool to be too cool. "In an effort to inject more pep and resolve into its lethargic citizens," he waxed with prophetic longing, "the government is mandating the use of an exclamation mark at the end of each sentence, spoken or written. 'It looks like rain!' for example, or 'I must sleep!'" I suggest that you take his vision, Virgo, and turn it into reality for the immediate future! You would really benefit from getting more excited than usual! Who knows, maybe a simple thing like imagining every one of your sentences ending with an exclamation mark could make your whole being more thrillable!

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HOMEWORK:

Are you doing anything in particular to kill the apocalypse and usher in the Great Awakening? Go toFreeWillAstrology.com and click on "Email Rob."

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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?

I'm not doing personal charts, but I highly recommend my astrological colleague, RO LOUGHRAN. Her approach closely matches my own. In our many discussions about astrology over the years, we've had a major influence on each other's work.

Ro utilizes a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation; she is skilled at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your connection with your own inner wisdom.

Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.

Ro's website is at YourSoulJourney.com

She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net

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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 2009 Rob Brezsny

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