Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
NOVEMBER 10, 2010
FreeWillAstrology.com
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IS PRONOIA JUST FOR RICH, COMFORTABLE PEOPLE? Part 6
Excerpted from PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
The Maasai people of Kenya don't have running water, toilets,
or electricity, and their per capita income is $300 a year. They
use cattle dung as plaster in building their homes because the
scent helps repel lions, which dislike it, from venturing too
close.
And yet they are as happy with their lives as Forbes'
magazine's "400 richest Americans" are with theirs --
even though the latter may live in 10,000-square-foot palaces
with stained glass windows, French patio doors, limestone kitchen
counter tops, spas, wine cellars, and Olympic-sized swimming pools.
This assertion comes from "Beyond Money: Toward an Economy
of Well-Being," a report done by psychologists Ed Diener
and Martin E. P. Seligman. On a scale of 1 to 7, where 1 is "extremely
dissatisfied," 4 is "neutral," and 7 means "extremely
satisfied," the Maasai, the Inuit of northern Greenland,
and the wealthiest Americans all scored 5.8.
Paupers scratching out a livelihood in the slums of Calcutta
registered a score of 4.6, while international college students
and the Amish of Illinois weighed in at 4.9. Citing 150 other
studies in their work, Diener and Seligman conclude that economic
factors are not necessarily correlated with happiness levels,
especially in the developed world.
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Meanwhile, according to the World Values Survey, published in
New Scientist magazine, Nigerians are the happiest people
on the planet, although 60 percent of them live below the poverty
line. The next four populations at the top of the list are Mexicans,
Venezuelans, Salvadorans, and Puerto Ricans. On the scale of the
planet's wealthiest places, they rank 63rd, 64th, 101st, and 163rd,
respectively.
To be clear, Ed Diener notes in another report that on average,
rich people are happier than poor people. He also says that cultural
context is an important consideration in analyzing the relationship
between financial well-being and happiness.
A homeless man in California may have more money than a Maasai
cattle-herder but be less sanguine about his fate. That's because
basic necessities cost more for him and he is surrounded by people
who are far better off than he is.
But Diener also declares that happiness is harder to attain for
those who believe money is the most important factor in feeling
good.
Echoing him, the World Values Survey goes so far as to say that
"the desire for material goods is actually a 'happiness suppressant,'"
mirroring the Buddhist assertion that the craving for earthly
riches can be the source of intense suffering.
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In calling attention to some of the surprisingly good news about
the developing world, I of course don't mean to imply that paradise
is at hand.
My recognition of the underreported progress and miracles is
not equivalent to an endorsement of evil-doers.
And I trust that after having read the six-part series that's
completed here this week you won't go numb to the suffering of
others and stop agitating on their behalf.
Just the opposite: I hope that you will be energized by the signs
of creeping benevolence and waxing intelligence.
As you absorb the evidence that an aggressive strain of compassion
is loose in the world, maybe you will conclude that activism actually
works, and you'll be motivated to give yourself with confidence
to the specific role you can play in manifesting the ultimate
goal: to create a heaven on earth in which everyone alive is a
healthy, free, self-actualized, spiritually enlightened millionaire
dedicated to living sustainably.
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"Is Pronoia just for Rich, Comfortable People?"
To read Part One of the series, go here: bit.ly/RichComfy
To read Part Two of the series, go here: bit.ly/RichComfy2
To read Part Three of the series, go here: bit.ly/RichComfy3
To read Part Four of the series, go here: bit.ly/RichComfy4
To read Part Five of the series, go here: bit.ly/RichComfy5
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
THE SELFISH BENEFITS OF PRONOIA
Want to Ward Off the Evil Eye? Just Be Nice
tinyurl.com/2det6e7
IN ADDITION TO FOOD, DRINK, SLEEP, AND AIR, YOU REALLY DO NEED
BEAUTY EVERY DAY
The world's most beautiful tree bark
tinyurl.com/23tgn93
IS BROCCOLI SENTIENT?
It may be time to stop the senseless slaughter of plants
tinyurl.com/PETAforPlants
(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 November 11
Copyright 2010 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
"I cannot seem to feel alive unless I am alert," wrote
author Charles Bowden, "and I cannot feel alert unless I
push past the point where I have control." Yikes! That's
a pretty extreme approach. But I suggest that you consider trying
it out in the coming week. If you hope to seize even one of the
multiple opportunities that are swirling in your vicinity, you
will need both supreme focus and a loosey-goosey willingness to
respond to novelty. So don't tense up and blank out and try to
wrestle the mysterious flows into submission. Use your sixth sense
to find the groove, and relax into it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
"Democracy is the worst form of government except for all
those others that have been tried," said Winston Churchill.
He was defending his favorite political system, asserting that
its imperfections are superior to the flaws of monarchy, plutocracy,
anarchy, theocracy, and the rest. I invite you to use a similar
gauge as you evaluate the belief system that's at the center of
your life. Does it sometimes lead you astray, cause you to see
things that aren't really there, and fill you with confusion --
but in ways that are more life-enhancing than any other belief
system you know of? Or is your belief system actually kind of
toxic? Should you consider replacing it with another set of organizing
principles? If it's the latter, now would be a good time to begin
making a change.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Connie Post, my beloved former editor at the Dayton Daily
News, sent me a haiku-like poem that I'd like you to ponder:
"November trees / which are living? / which are dead?"
I'm hoping this will put you in the mood to mull over an even
bigger question, namely: What parts of your own life are withering
and what parts are thriving? In my astrological opinion, it's
very important that you know the difference, and act accordingly.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Numerologists say the number 10 signifies completion, wholeness,
totality. It could rightly serve as your lucky number in the coming
weeks -- a symbol of your power to draw long-term processes to
a climax on your own terms. But you might also want to consider
using 11 as your emblem of good mojo. That number denotes the
drive to surpass the success you've earned before -- to transcend
easy triumphs and conventional wisdom so as to reach for a more
challenging conquest. Either way, Aquarius, I think you'll be
flying high for the foreseeable future, so there's no need to
worry about which way you should go. If you do choose 11, the
risks will be somewhat greater and the rewards more interesting.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In Moby Dick, Herman Melville suggested that ideally
a person should be a "patriot to heaven." Poet Gary
Snyder wrote, "I pledge allegiance to the soil / one ecosystem
/ in diversity / under the sun / with joyful interpenetration
for all." Seminal environmentalist Edward Abbey said, "My
loyalties will not be bound by national borders . . . or limited
in the spiritual dimension by one language or culture. I pledge
my allegiance to the damned human race, and my everlasting love
to the green hills of Earth, and my intimations of glory to the
singing stars, to the very end of space and time." I recommend
you experiment with this perspective in the coming weeks, Pisces.
You don't have to tone down your love for your tribe or country.
Just see if you can expand your sense of belonging . . . extend
the borders of your comfort zone . . . and feel at home everywhere
you go.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Where I live, 35 percent of all high school students confess
(or brag) that they have engaged in binge drinking, which is defined
as imbibing five or more alcoholic drinks in a two-hour period.
According to my reading of the omens, your inner teenager may
soon be longing to flirt with that kind of intense and total release.
Can I talk him or her out of it? As much as I sympathize with
the younger you's need to escape the numbing effects of the daily
grind, I'm asking the adult you to step in and assert your authority.
Try to find a more constructive approach to liberation.
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MY OTHER HOROSCOPES
Factual information and reasonable thinking alone are not sufficient
to guide you through life's labyrinthine tests. You need and deserve
regular deliveries of uncanny revelation.
One of your inalienable rights as a human being should therefore
be to receive mysteriously useful omens on a regular basis. In
this spirit, I offer you the free weekly horoscopes you read in
this newsletter.
If you ever want more, and think it's worth paying for, try my
daily text message 'scopes or my expanded audio 'scopes.
Go here to access them: RealAstrology.com
The weekly forecasts are also available by phone: 1-877-873-4888
or 1-900-950-7700.
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TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
Why did feathered dinosaurs evolve wings? Paleontologists in
Britain have a new theory: It added to their sexual allure. The
head researcher at the University of Manchester speculated that
"maybe they ran around with their arms outstretched to show
off how pretty their feathers were." Eventually those forearms
became wings that came in handy for flying. In other words, the
power of flight did not originate from the urge to fly but rather
from the urge to be attractive. Oddly enough, Taurus, this approach
to understanding evolution would be useful for you to meditate
on in the coming weeks. According to my reading of the astrological
omens, you could develop some interesting new capacities as you
work to enhance your appeal to people who matter.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
On the subject of being divided, novelist Iris Murdoch wrote
the following: "He led a double life. Did that make him a
liar? He did not feel a liar. He was a man of two truths."
Whether you deserve the generosity of that interpretation still
remains to be seen, Gemini. It is possible that your version of
doubleness will be rooted in deceit or delusion rather than sincere
and honest duality. Of course I'm rooting for the latter. Please
do all you can to ensure that you're being authentic, not manipulative.
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
My friend Ariel's six-year-old daughter Juno doesn't understand
why anyone would build streets that run in a straight line. Isn't
it more fun if the highways and byways are crooked and curvy?
Shouldn't people want to get to where they're going by veering
this way and that, relishing the playful twists and turns? That's
where the best action is, says Juno, and I agree: in the tweak,
in the twirl, in the winding way -- not in the beeline route that
leaves no room for improvisation. That's especially true for you
right now, my fellow Cancerian.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Would you be delighted if I arranged to get an offshore oil-drilling
rig named after you? Probably not. Would you celebrate if you
won a prestigious all-expenses-paid vacation to the hottest war
zones in Afghanistan? I doubt it. So don't accept dubious honors
and gifts like those, Leo. Be clear that you're not interested
in ego strokes that are irrelevant to your long-term dreams. If
you hope to get the prize you're aiming for, you will have to
say a definitive no to supposedly good things that you don't really
want.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
The nature of the game is changing. Do you know which game I'm
referring to? I mean the one that everyone's playing but no one's
acknowledging they're playing. The rules of the game had held
steady for quite some time, but recently they began to shift.
Now even the game's rewards are in the process of metamorphosing.
My advice? You don't necessarily need to splash a big dose of
raw candor all over the place, but I do recommend that you at
least tell yourself the truth about what's going on.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
My Facebook friend Robert Goldberg has come up with terms for
you Libras that puts a more positive spin on your reputation as
a fence-sitter. He suggests "fence dancer" or "fence
warrior." You don't always deserve to be bestowed with those
honorable titles, of course. Sometimes you really do molder there
in your intermediate position, paralyzed by indecision and unable
to do what's in the best interests of anyone, including yourself.
But on other occasions -- like now -- you have the power to use
your in-between status dynamically, coordinating the opposing
interests to work as a whole that's greater than the sum of the
parts.
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HOMEWORK:
What's the best, most healing trouble you could whip up right
now? Go to Freewillastrology.com
and click "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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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2010 Rob Brezsny
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