Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
December 20, 2017
FreeWillAstrology.com
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A PREVIEW OF YOUR DESTINY IN 2018
Want to get a head start on your future? This week my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES offer you a sneak-peek at some major themes you'll be working and playing with in 2018. You can access these inspirational clues at RealAstrology.com.
Start dreaming and scheming about who you're going to be in the new year. Enlist my help as you energize your quest to become your best self.
To access the Expanded Audio Horoscopes, go to RealAstrology.com
Register and/or log in through the main page, and then click on the link "This week (Dec. 19, 2017)."
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The cost for the Expanded Audio Horoscopes is $6 per sign. (You can get discounts for multiple purchases.)
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888.
The cost is $1.99 per minute.
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Beginning with next week's EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES, I will devote three consecutive weeks to an in-depth discussion of your long-range outlook for the coming year.
Part One of my BIG-PICTURE FORECASTS FOR 2018 will be available beginning Tuesday, December 26.
Part Two will be available on Tuesday, January 2.
Part Three will be available on Tuesday, January 9.
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BENEVOLENT SPELL
your debts forgiven
your wounds healed
your apologies accepted
your generosity expanded
your love educated
your desires clarified
your uniqueness unleashed
your untold stories heard
your insight heightened
your load lightened
your wildness rejuvenated
your leaks plugged
your courage stoked
your fears dissolved
your imagination fed
your creativity uncorked
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My book PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
is available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells
Below are excerpts.
PROMISES TO YOURSELF
Take some paper and write "I am doing everything in my power to attract all the help and resources I need as I accomplish the following goal." Then compose a declaration that crisply describes exactly what satisfying, growth-inducing experiences you want most in 2018 -- and are willing to work hard for and even change yourself to attract, if necessary. Keep a copy of this magic formula under your pillow or in your wallet.
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HOW TO FIND GOOD NEWS
Experiment: Imprint yourself with the intention that in 2018, you will seek out the GOOD news at least as often as you seek out the BAD stuff -- that you will regard tales of affliction and mayhem and corruption and tragedy as no more interesting or worthy of your attention than tales of triumph and liberation and pleasure and ingenuity.
If this idea appeals to you, here are sources of GOOD news to get you started:
Yes magazine: yesmagazine.org
Good News Network: goodnewsnetwork.org
Celebrate Small Victories: celebratesmallvictories.com
Reddit Uplifting News: reddit.com/r/UpliftingNews
Heroic Stories: heroicstories.com
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MY WISHES FOR YOU
In 2018 I wish you joyous eruptions of profound gratification and gratitude; a constant flow of fluid insights and "ah-ha!" revelations that lead to cathartic integrations; a coming together of several different lucky trends, resulting in an exquisite healing; and captivating yet relaxing adventures that allow you to weave together diverse threads of your experience, inspiring you to feel at home in the world.
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CHOOSE YOUR THOUGHTS?
"You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. That's a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control."
— Elizabeth Gilbert
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DISSOLVE WRONG-HEADED OPINIONS
Here's a holiday gift you could give yourself: Resist and deflect and dissolve wrong-headed opinions about who you are and how you should live your life. (And I mean your own wrong-headed opinions as well as other people's.)
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RE-DREAMING CHRIST
Some Christians might be shocked to learn that Jesus Christ is one of the Main High Magicians in the Beauty and Truth Lab's pantheon of deities and avatars.
They may believe that people like us -- Goddess-worshiping tantric Sufi Qabalist pagans who hang around with Zen trickster witches and espouse a socialist libertarian political philosophy -- couldn't possibly have an intimate and vivid relationship with the cosmic hero they claim to own. They act as if they have commandeered the trademark of one of the smartest wild men in history.
Christ was a champion of women's rights, an antidote to the established and corrupt political order, and a radical spiritual activist who worked outside religious institutions.
He was a passionate advocate for the poor and underprivileged. He owned nothing and had no use for the idea of "private property." He was uncompromisingly opposed to violence and war. Besides that, he was a master of love and he devoted his life to serving the Divine Intelligence. He even went so far as to say, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you, and give away all your possessions."
I want to be like Jesus Christ when I grow up!
(But it's quite OK with us if you don't want to be like him. The good thing about adoring Christ's pronoiac glory but not being a Christian is that we don't have any investment in wanting you to do as we do. We want you to do as you do!)
Is there any hijacked hero you'd like to liberate? Any spoiled treasure you hope to redeem? Any detoured savior you want to get back on track?
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"The whole point of Jesus's life was not that we should become exactly like him, but that we should become ourselves in the same way he became himself. Jesus was not the great exception but the great example."
- Carl Jung
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COLLABORATING WITH THE RELENTLESS COSMIC IMPERATIVE TO CHANGE
What do we need to kill off in ourselves in order to tune in to the beauty that's hidden from us?
What worn-out shticks are blinding us to the blessings that life is conspiring to give us?
Which of our theories may have been useful and even brilliant in the past but are now keeping us from becoming aware of the ever-fresh creation that unfolds before us?
It's not enough to terminate our stale mental habits just once. The price of admission into pronoia is a commitment to continual dying.
We have to ask ourselves rude questions and kick our own asses again and again.
Today's versions of beauty, truth, love, goodness, justice, and liberation will pass away.
To keep abreast of the latest developments — to cultivate tomorrow's versions of pronoia — we have to immerse ourselves regularly in the waters of chaos.
Our relationship with pronoia has to be a never-ending improvisation.
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
Hopeful Images From 2017
tinyurl.com/y8t3wx7o
Iceland’s new Prime Minister is a 41-year-old anti-war feminist and environmentalist
tinyurl.com/yarzl7kx
For the First Time, Antibiotic Use in Farm Animals Drops. Sales of the drugs for U.S. agriculture had risen every year since the FDA started collecting data.
tinyurl.com/yb55j29k
(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 December 21
Copyright 2017 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
In 2018, one of your primary missions will be to practice what you preach; to walk your talk; to be ambitious and masterful in all the ways a soulful human can and should be ambitious and masterful. Live up to your hype in the coming months, Capricorn! Do what you have promised! Stop postponing your dreams! Fulfill the noble expectations you have for yourself! Don't be shy about using exclamation points to express your visions of what's right and good and just!
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Years ago, when I started my career as a horoscope writer, my editor counseled me, "Always give priority to the Big Three. Romance, money, and power are what people care about most." After a few months, he was disgruntled to realize that I wrote about how to cultivate psychological health and nourish spiritual aspirations as much as his Big Three. He would have replaced me if he could have found another astrology writer whose spelling and grammar were as good as mine. But his edict traumatized me a bit. Even today, I worry that I don't provide you with enough help concerning the Big Three. Fortunately, that's not relevant now, since I can sincerely declare that 2018 will bring you chances to become more powerful by working hard on your psychological health . . . and to grow wealthier by cultivating your spiritual aspirations . . . and to generate more love by being wise and ethical in your quest for money and power.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
What binds you? What keeps you closed down and locked up? I urge you to ponder those questions, Pisces. Once you get useful answers, the next step will be to meditate on how you can undo the binds. Fantasize and brainstorm about the specific actions you can take to unlock and unclose yourself. This project will be excellent preparation for the opportunities that the coming months will make available to you. I'm happy to announce that 2018 will be your personal Year of Liberation.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
Your life in the first half of 2018 will be like a psychological boot camp that's designed to beef up your emotional intelligence. Here's another way to visualize your oncoming adventures: They will constitute a friendly nudge from the cosmos, pushing you to be energetic and ingenious in creating the kind of partnerships you want for the rest of your long life. As you go through your interesting tests and riddles, be on the lookout for glimpses of what your daily experience could be like in five years if you begin now to deepen your commitment to love and collaboration.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
You'll soon have a chance to glide out into the frontier. I suggest you pack your bag of tricks. Bring gifts with you, too, just in case you must curry favor in the frontiers where the rules are a bit loose. How are your improvisational instincts? Be sure they're in top shape. How willing are you to summon spontaneity and deal with unpredictability and try impromptu experiments? I hope you're very willing. This may sound like a lot of work, but I swear it'll be in a good cause. If you're well-prepared as you wander in the borderlands, you'll score sweet secrets and magic cookies. Here's more good news: Your explorations will position you well to take advantage of the opportunities that'll become available throughout 2018.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
These days it's not unusual to see male celebrities who shave their heads. Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, Seal, Tyrese Gibson, and Vin Diesel are among them. But in the 20th century, the bare-headed style was rare. One famous case was actor Yul Brynner. By age 30, he'd begun to go bald. In 1951, for his role as the King of Siam in the Broadway play The King and I, he decided to shave off all his hair. From then on, the naked-headed look became his trademark as he plied a successful acting career. So he capitalized on what many in his profession considered a liability. He built his power and success by embracing an apparent disadvantage. I recommend you practice your own version of this strategy in 2018. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to begin.
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START EXPLORING YOUR LONG-RANGE FUTURE
This week my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES offer you a teaser, sneak-peek look of some major themes you'll be working and playing with in 2018.
Who do you want to be in the coming year? What do you want to do? Where do you want to go? Your destiny is more wide-open than you might imagine. You have a lot of power to shape the flow of events.
I hope to inspire you to take advantage of the possibilities!
The cost is $6, with a discount for multiple purchases.
To get your sneak peek of some of 2017's major themes:
1. Go to RealAstrology.com
2. Register and/or log in
3. Then click on the link "This week (Dec. 19, 2017)."
They are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888.
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CANCER (June 21-July 22):
In the Northern Hemisphere, where 88 percent of the world's population resides, this is a quiescent time for the natural world. Less sunlight is available, and plants' metabolisms slow down as photosynthesis diminishes. Deciduous trees lose their leaves, and even many evergreens approach dormancy. And yet in the midst of this stasis, Cancerian, you are beginning to flourish. Gradually at first, but with increasing urgency, you're embarking on an unprecedented phase of growth. I foresee that 2018 will be your Year of Blossoming.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
If you've had an unfulfilled curiosity about genealogy or your ancestors or the riddles of your past, 2018 will be a favorable time to investigate. Out-of-touch relatives will be easier to locate than usual. Lost heirlooms, too. You may be able to track down and make use of a neglected legacy. Even family secrets could leak into view -- both the awkward and the charming kinds. If you think you have everything figured out about the people you grew up with and the history of where you came from, you're in for surprises.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Most of us regard our ring fingers as the least important of our digits. What are they good for? Is there any activity for which they're useful? But our ancestors had a stronger relationship with their fourth fingers. There was a folk belief that a special vein connected the fourth finger on the left hand directly to the heart. That's why a tradition arose around the wedding ring being worn there. It may have also been a reason why pharmacists regarded their fourth fingers as having an aptitude for discerning useful blends of herbs. I bring this up, Virgo, because I think it's an apt metaphor for one of 2018's important themes: A resource you have underestimated or neglected will be especially valuable -- and may even redefine your understanding of what's truly valuable.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
In fairy tales, characters are often rewarded for their acts of kindness. They may be given magical objects that serve as protection, like cloaks of invisibility or shoes that enable them to flee trouble. Or the blessings they receive may be life-enhancing, like enchanted cauldrons that provide a never-ending supply of delicious food or musical instruments that have the power to summon delightful playmates. I bring this up, Libra, because I suspect that a similar principle will be very active in your life during 2018. You'll find it easier and more natural than usual to express kindness, empathy, and compassion. If you consistently capitalize on this predilection, life will readily provide you with the resources you need.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Like all of us, you go through mediocre phases when you're not functioning at peak efficiency. But I suspect that in 2018 you will experience fewer of these blah times. We will see a lot of you at your best. Even more than usual, you'll be an interesting catalyst who energizes and ripens collaborative projects. You'll demonstrate why the sweet bracing brightness needs the deep dark depths, and vice versa. You'll help allies open doors that they can't open by themselves. The rest of us thank you in advance!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The blunt fact is that you can't be delivered from the old demoralizing pattern that has repeated and repeated itself -- until you forgive yourself completely. For that matter, you probably can't move on to the next chapter of your life story until you compensate yourself for at least some of the unnecessary torment you've inflicted on yourself. Now here's the good news: 2018 will be an excellent time to accomplish these healings.
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HOMEWORK:
Write a parable or fairy tale that captures what your life has been like in 2017. 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, including but not limited to newsletters, books, the Free Will Astrology column, and Free Will Astrology website. We reserve the right to edit submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.
Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2017 Rob Brezsny
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