Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
December 2, 2020
FreeWillAstrology.com
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“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.”
—Dan Millman.
"You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."
—Buckminster Fuller
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IMAGINE THE WORLD BELONGS TO YOU
Imagine that the whole world belongs to you. The birch trees in New Hampshire's White Mountains are yours, and so are the cirrus clouds in the western sky at dusk and the black sand on the beaches of Hawaii's Big Island.
You own everything, my dear sovereign -- the paintings in all the museums of the world, as well as the Internet and the wild horses and the eight-lane highways.
Please take good care of it all, OK? Be an enlightened monarch who treats your domain with reverent responsibility.
And make sure you also enjoy the full measure of fun that comes with such mastery. Glide through life as if all of creation is yearning to honor and entertain you.
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DEAR GORGEOUS GENIUS
Dear Gorgeous Genius: You possess exceptional capacities that are absolutely unique. You're a masterpiece unlike any other that has ever lived in the history of the world.
Furthermore, the precise instructions you need to ripen into your genius have always been with you, even from the time before you were born. In the words of psychologist James Hillman, you have a soul's code.
You might also call it the special mission you came to Earth to carry out; the divine blueprint that contains the open secret of how to be perfectly, unpredictably yourself; the master plan that is your heart's deepest desire.
Would you like help in deciphering it? The Divine Intelligence Formerly Known as God is always on call, ready to help. It's your birthright to ask Her a specific question every day about what you need to do next to express your soul's code; it's also your birthright to receive a response.
The divine revelation may not be as unambiguous as a little voice in your head. It might appear in the form of a TV commercial, an odd dream, or an encounter with a stranger. It could be demanding and difficult, delivering information you'd rather not have to deal with. Or it might show up as a clear and simple feeling of knowing exactly what to do, and it could be easy and fun.
What question will you ask the Divine Wow today?
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YOUR VITALITY
"There is a vitality, a life force, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. If you block it, it will never exist through any other medium. It will be lost. The world will not have it.
"It is not your business to determine how good it is, nor how valuable it is, nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open."
—Martha Graham
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WHAT IF YOUR DESIRES ARE HOLY?
Some spiritual traditions teach the doctrine, "Kill off your longings." In their view, attachment to desire is at the root of human suffering.
But the religion of materialism takes the opposite tack, asserting that the meaning of life is to be found in indulging desires. Its creed is, "Feed your cravings like a French foie gras farmer cramming eight pounds of maize down a goose's gullet every day."
At the Beauty and Truth Lab, we walk a middle path. We believe there are both degrading desires that enslave you and sacred desires that liberate you.
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Psychologist Carl Jung believed that all desires have a sacred origin, no matter how odd they may seem.
Frustration and ignorance may contort them into distorted caricatures, but it is always possible to locate the divine source from which they arose.
In describing one of his addictive patients, Jung said: "His craving for alcohol was the equivalent on a low level of the spiritual thirst for wholeness, or as expressed in medieval language: the union with God."
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"The primordial fire that sparked millions of galaxies is the same fire that sparks the human creative impulse."
—Cindy Spring
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"The human reproductive drive is a watered-down version of the godsex that spawned our solar system."
—"Lieutenant" Anfortas, the homeless guy in the Safeway parking lot
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"Feelings that originate in the human genitalia are among the most powerful forces on earth. They have a complex relationship with the feelings that stem from the human heart: at various times in competition or in harmony.
Together these primal energies have forged and toppled empires; unleashed terrible and wonderful ideas; and generated the greatest stories ever told. Our goal is to harness our sexual urges in service to the heart's wisdom."
—Sheila Samizdat
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"Mad! One must become mad with love in order to realize God. When a person attains ecstatic love of God, all the pores of the skin, even the roots of the hair, become like so many sex organs, and in every pore the aspirant enjoys the happiness of communion with the Supreme Universal Self."
—Ramakrishna
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Like all of us, you have desires for things that you don't really need and aren't good for you. But you shouldn't disparage yourself for having them, nor should you conclude that every desire is tainted.
Rather, think of your misguided longings as the bumbling, amateur expressions of a faculty that will one day be far more expert. They're how you practice as you work toward the goal of becoming a master of desire. It may take a while, but eventually you will get the hang of wanting things that are really good for you, and good for everyone else, too.
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"The only way anyone is ever cured of desiring nonsensical things is by getting the nonsensical things and then experiencing the unpleasant but educational consequences."
—Ann Davies
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"To become a master of desire, keep talking yourself out of being attached to trivial goals and keep talking yourself into being thrilled about the precious few goals that are really important. Here's another way to say it: Wean yourself from ego-driven desires and pour your libido into a longing for beauty, truth, goodness, justice, integrity, creativity, love, and an intimate relationship with the Wild Divine."
—Raye Sangfreud
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"God has desires. Since I want to be close to God and to model myself after God, I therefore don't aspire to extinguish my desires, but rather to make my desires more God-like: i.e., imbued with an inexorable ambition to create the greatest and most interesting blessings for everyone and everything."
—Collin Klamper
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As much as I love men and women, they can't satisfy the full extent of my yearning. I need intimate relations with clouds and eagles and sea anemones and mountains and spirits of the dead and kitchen appliances and the creatures in my dreams.
To be continued. To be enhanced and amplified and enlarged upon, world without end, amen. One day I really do hope to be a wise enough lover to be an ocean-fucker and sky-sucker and earth-boinker.
—Jumbler Javalina
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"When I hold you, I hold everything: crones praying in the foamy sand at low tide, a shocked waterfall gracing a new housing development, the foxglove by the fence sipping the fragrance of distant blue straggler stars, my dream of the white crow dreaming of me. In your eyes I see everything that lives."
—mash-up of Pablo Neruda and Rob Brezsny
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Imagine it's 30 years from now. You're looking back at the history of your relationship with desire. There was a certain watershed moment when you clearly saw that some of your desires were mediocre, inferior, and wasteful, while others were pure, righteous, and invigorating.
Beginning then, you made it a life goal to purge the former and cultivate the latter. Thereafter, you occasionally wandered down dead ends trying to gratify yearnings that weren't worthy of you, but usually you wielded your passions with discrimination, dedicating them to serve the highest and most interesting good.
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DESIRE IS THE PATH TO LIBERATION
Brian Bruya wrote the following words: "Is desire the noxious weed that keeps us lurching from one unsatisfactory pleasure to the next? Is it true that uprooting desire is the only way to liberation?
"Daniel Odier, a scholar and teacher of tantra, turns this wisdom on its head in his book Desire: The Tantric Path to Awakening. He says that desire is the only true path to liberation.
"Odier objects to any belief system that pretends to offer liberation in any form other than simple, personal experience. Odier's tantrism focuses on 'micropractices,' conscious withdrawal from habitual activities for just a few seconds several times a day. The crux is to attain consciousness, presence—and beyond this, there is no goal.
"For when there is eventually presence in every activity, the luminosity of existence pervades everything. At this point, the smallest things give pleasure. Gross desires fall away, to be replaced by spontaneous desires arising in a life of grace and joy."
More: tinyurl.com/y4hgzlft
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The dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety.
—Goethe
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Two dangers threaten the universe: order and disorder.
—Paul Valéry
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Without order, nothing can exist. Without chaos, nothing can evolve.
—Oscar Wilde
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ONE OF MY OTHER BOOKS
In 2000, novelist Tom Robbins read my docu-fiction novel The Televisionary Oracle, and wrote a testimonial. He said, "I have seen the future of American literature, and its name is Rob Brezsny."
Here's what philosopher Robert Anton Wilson wrote about The Televisionary Oracle: "A book so weird it might drive you stark raving sane."
I'm still waiting for Tom Robbins' prophecy to come true, but there's plenty of time.
Twenty years later, Wilson's description remains apt: The Televisionary Oracle may be the only book ever written by a man about the shamanic potencies of menstruation.
One of the book's plotlines is the kidnap of a rock star by a women's mystery school. Another is the coming-of-age story of Rapunzel Blavatsky, who the mystery school regards as the reincarnation of Mary Magdalene. An important character in the book is Jumbler Javalina, a transgender person who has an intimate relationship with Rapunzel.
The story also deals with my . . . I mean the rockstar's . . . life-changing actions in response to the death of his manager, rock impresario Bill Graham.
Would I . . . I mean the rockstar . . . be writing a syndicated astrology column today if Graham hadn't died in a helicopter crash? We'll never know. But The Televisionary Oracle provides clues.
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The Televisionary Oracle is available as an ebook at Barnes & Noble: tinyurl.com/yyd7zksy
It's available from Amazon in hard copy or ebook: tinyurl.com/y4gyfmo6
It's available through the publisher: tinyurl.com/y5bym5ok
and also through Bookshop.org: tinyurl.com/yxpdthzz
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DETOUR INTO RIDICULOUSNESS
Instead of being so relentlessly serious and thoughtful, I'm going to take a momentary detour into ridiculousness. See here: tinyurl.com/y65wpp2p
I realize this may compromise my dignity and tempt some people to suspect I have less gravitas than I allegedly should have.
I may disappoint those who would like to believe I am a shaman, expert, authority, pundit, or intellectual.
And that's a good thing!
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
In all the news media, from mainstream to alternative, there is only one source I know of that regularly calls on poets to add their flavors: the PBS News Hour. This is largely due to the influence of my old friend Jeff Brown, who is one of main journalists there. Check out the News Hour poetry page:
pbs.org/newshour/arts/poetry
The Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education investigates methods for cultivating compassion and promoting altruism within individuals and society through rigorous research, scientific collaborations, and academic conferences.
See its "Compassion Wiki" at tinyurl.com/lfnrlgf
Srinivasa Ramanujan was one of India's greatest mathematical geniuses. He lacked formal training and his work was thought peculiar by his fellow mathematicians, but he made dramatic breakthroughs that are highly regarded. He attributed his success to the Hindu goddess Namakkal. She appeared regularly in his dreams, where she revealed innovative formulas he had only to verify when he awoke.
tinyurl.com/zmrfkc9
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For a lot more pronoiac resources and ideas, read my book Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings
Available at Barnes & Noble: tinyurl.com/PronoiaBN
Available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
A free preview of the book is available here: tinyurl.com/PronoiaPreview
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Please tell me your own nominations for PRONOIA RESOURCES: Truthrooster@gmail.com.
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning December 3
Copyright 2020 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
"Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked," observed Sagittarian author Jane Austen. She wrote this confession in a letter to her niece, Fanny, whose boyfriend thought that the women characters in Jane's novels were too naughty. In the coming weeks, I encourage you Sagittarians to regard pictures of perfection with a similar disdain. To accomplish all the brisk innovations you have a mandate to generate, you must cultivate a deep respect for the messiness of creativity; you must understand that your dynamic imagination needs room to experiment with possibilities that may at first appear disorderly. For inspiration, keep in mind this quote from Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich: "Well-behaved women seldom make history."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
Capricorn novelist Anne Brontë (1820–1849) said, "Smiles and tears are so alike with me, they are neither of them confined to any particular feelings: I often cry when I am happy, and smile when I am sad." I suspect you could have experiences like hers in the coming weeks. I bet you'll feel a welter of unique and unfamiliar emotions. Some of them may seem paradoxical or mysterious, although I think they'll all be interesting and catalytic. I suggest you welcome them and allow them to teach you new secrets about your deep self and the mysterious nature of your life.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
Aquarian philosopher Simone Weil formulated resolutions so as to avoid undermining herself. First, she vowed she would only deal with difficulties that actually confronted her, not far-off or hypothetical problems. Second, she would allow herself to feel only those feelings that were needed to inspire her and make her take effective action. All other feelings were to be shed, including imaginary feelings—that is, those not rooted in any real, objective situation. Third, she vowed, she would "never react to evil in such a way as to augment it." Dear Aquarius, I think all of these resolutions would be very useful for you to adopt in the coming weeks.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
In June 2019, the young Piscean singer Justin Bieber addressed a tweet to 56-year-old actor Tom Cruise, challenging him to a mixed martial arts cage fight. "If you don't take this fight," said Bieber, "you will never live it down." A few days later, Bieber retracted his dare, confessing that Cruise "would probably whoop my ass in a fight." If Bieber had waited until December 2020 to make his proposal, he might have had more confidence to follow through—and he might also have been better able to whoop Cruise's ass. You Pisceans are currently at the peak of your power and prowess.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
An anonymous blogger on Tumblr writes the following: "What I’d really like is for someone to objectively watch me for a week and then sit down with me for a few hours and explain to me what I am like and how I look to others and what my personality is in detail and how I need to improve. Where do I sign up for that?" I can assure you that the person who composed this message is not an Aries. More than any other sign of the zodiac, you Rams want to *be* yourself, to inhabit your experience purely and completely—not see yourself from the perspective of outside observers. Now is a good time to emphasize this specialty.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
"Humans like to be scared," declares author Cathy Bell. "We love the wicked witch’s cackle, the wolf’s hot breath, and the old lady who eats children, because sometimes, when the scary is over, all we remember is the magic." I suppose that what she says is a tiny bit true. But there are also many ways to access the magic that don't require encounters with dread. And that's exactly what I predict for you in the coming weeks, Taurus: marvelous experiences—including catharses, epiphanies, and breakthroughs—that are neither spurred by fear nor infused with it.
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ARE YOU THE HERO OF YOUR OWN LIFE?
"Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show." So begins Charles Dickens' novel David Copperfield.
I'd like to inspire you to create a story of your own that begins with similar words. That's why I provide these free horoscopes for you.
If you'd ever enjoy getting even more assistance from me, tune into your EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE, which I create for you each week. They're four-to-five-minute meditations on the current state of your destiny.
To buy and listen to your Expanded Audio Horoscope online, go to RealAstrology.com
Register and/or log in through the main page.
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The cost is $6 per sign on the On the Web. (Discounts are available for bulk purchases.)
You can also listen over the phone by calling 1-877-873-4888. The cost is $1.99 per minute. Each forecast is 4-5 minutes long.
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"Your expanded horoscopes get more personal and intimate with me than some of my closest friends. Thanks for the loving reflections."
—Ari Schlectman., Ann Arbor, MI
"When I listen to your audio 'scopes, my free will lights up."
—Alex Denares., Los Angeles
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GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
In 1994, the animated movie The Lion King told the story of the difficult journey made by a young lion as he struggled to claim his destiny as rightful king. A remake of the film appeared in 2019. During the intervening 25 years, the number of real lions living in nature declined dramatically. There are now just 20,000. Why am I telling you such bad news? I hope to inspire you to make 2021 a year when you will resist trends like this. Your assignment is to nurture and foster wildness in every way that's meaningful for you—whether that means helping to preserve habitats of animals in danger of extinction or feeding and championing the wildness inside you and those you care about. Get started!
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Is there anyone whose forgiveness you would like to have? Is there anyone to whom you should make atonement? Now is a favorable phase to initiate such actions. In a related subject, would you benefit from forgiving a certain person whom you feel wronged you? Might there be healing for you in asking that person to make amends? The coming weeks will provide the best opportunity you have had in a long time to seek these changes.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
Scientists know that the Earth's rotation is gradually slowing down—but at the very slow rate of two milliseconds every 100 years. What that means is that 200 million years from now, one day will last 25 hours. Think of how much more we humans will be able to get done with an extra hour every day! I suspect you may get a preview of this effect in the coming weeks, Leo. You'll be extra efficient. You'll be focused and intense in a relaxing way. Not only that: You will also be extra appreciative of the monumental privilege of being alive. As a result, you will seem to have more of the precious luxury of time.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
Adventurer Tim Peck says there are three kinds of fun. The first is pure pleasure, enjoyed in full as it's happening. The second kind of fun feels challenging when it's underway, but interesting and meaningful in retrospect. Examples are giving birth to a baby or taking an arduous hike uphill through deep snow. The third variety is no fun at all. It's irksome while you're doing it, and equally disagreeable as you think about it later. Now I'll propose a fourth type of fun, which I suspect you'll specialize in during the coming weeks. It's rather boring or tedious or nondescript while it's going on, but in retrospect you are very glad you did it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
"I made the wrong mistakes," said Libran composer and jazz pianist Thelonious Monk. He had just completed an improvisatory performance he wasn't satisfied with. On countless other occasions, however, he made the right mistakes. The unexpected notes and tempo shifts he tried often resulted in music that pleased him. I hope that in the coming weeks you make a clear demarcation between wrong mistakes and right mistakes, dear Libra. The latter could help bring about just the transformations you need.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
"Home is not where you were born," writes Naguib Mahfouz. "Home is where all your attempts to escape cease." I propose we make that one of your mottoes for the next 12 months, Scorpio. According to my astrological analysis, you will receive all the inspiration and support you need as you strive to be at peace with exactly who you are. You'll feel an ever-diminishing urge to wish you were doing something else besides what you're actually doing. You'll be less and less tempted to believe your destiny lies elsewhere, with different companions and different adventures. To your growing satisfaction, you will refrain from trying to flee from the gifts that have been given you, and you will instead accept the gifts just as they are. And it all starts now.
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HOMEWORK:
What parts of your past weigh you down and limit your imagination? What can you do to free yourself? Testify at 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 2020 Rob Brezsny
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