Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Free Will Astrology Newsletter
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July 20, 2005
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"PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings"
is the title of my new book.
for more info, go to my website at
http://www.freewillastrology.com.
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Now here's an excerpt from the book:
BIGGER, BETTER, MORE INTERESTING PROBLEMS
Is there anything more dangerous than getting up in the morning and
having nothing to worry about, no problems to solve, no friction to heat
you up? That state can be a threat to your health, because if untreated it
incites an unconscious yearning for any old dumb trouble that might
rouse some excitement.
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Acquiring problems is a fundamental human need. It's as crucial to your
well-being as getting food, air, water, sleep, and love. You define
yourself-indeed, you make yourself-through the riddles you attract and
solve. The most creative people on the planet are those who frame the
biggest, hardest questions and then gather the resources necessary to
find the answers.
Conventional wisdom implies that the best problems are those that place
you under duress. There's supposedly no gain without pain. Stress is
allegedly an incomparable spur for calling on resources that have been
previously unavailable or dormant. Nietzsche's aphorism, "That which
doesn't kill me makes me stronger," has achieved the status of an
ultimate truth.
I half-agree. But it's clear that stress also accompanies many mediocre
problems that have little power to make us smarter. Pain frequently
generates no gain. We're all prone to become habituated, even addicted,
to nagging vexations that go on and on without rousing any of our
sleeping genius.
There is, furthermore, another class of difficulty-let's call it the delightful
dilemma-that neither feeds on angst nor generates it. On the contrary,
it's fun and invigorating, and usually blooms when you're feeling a
profound sense of being at home in the world. The problem of writing my
book is a good example. I've had a good time handling the perplexing
challenges with which it has confronted me.
Imagine a life in which at least half of your quandaries match this profile.
Act as if you're most likely to attract useful problems when joy is your
predominant state of mind. Consider the possibility that being in
unsettling circumstances may shrink your capacity to dream up the
riddles you need most; that maybe it's hard to ask the best questions
when you're preoccupied fighting rearguard battles against boring or
demeaning annoyances that have plagued you for many moons.
Prediction: As an aspiring lover of pronoia, you'll have a growing knack for
gravitating toward wilder, wetter, more interesting problems. More and
more, you will be drawn to the kind of gain that doesn't require pain.
You'll be so alive and awake that you'll cheerfully push yourself out of
your comfort zone in the direction of your personal frontier well before
you're forced to do so by divine kicks in the ass . . . .
. . . To read the rest of
"BIGGER, BETTER, MORE INTERESTING PROBLEMS,"
excerpted from "PRONOIA Is the Antidote for Paranoia,"
go here:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/beauty/
To buy the book, use the links to Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and
Powells, which are on my homepage at http://www.freewillastrology.com
Or here are the direct links:
AMAZON
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-
/1583941231/qid=1117646708/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-8504044-
3522341?v=glance&s=books
BARNES & NOBLE
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=Pb
6oZrnAQk&isbn=1583941231&itm=2
POWELLS
http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-1583941231-2
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A REVIEW of "PRONOIA Is the ANTIDOTE FOR PARABOIA"
by Divalion
"Rob Brezsny's 'PRONOIA' is a most unusual book. It takes ideas that he
has developed in his 'Free Will Astrology' column and in his amazing novel,
'The Televisionary Oracle,' and expands on them, shaping them into a
chaotically coherent philosophy of life. The style is undeniably Brezsny --
quirky, irreverent, soulful, linguistically athletic, challenging, hopeful.
"The book has a freewheeling structure: part creative workbook (including
spaces for you to write your own thoughts and even your own chapter),
part essay collection, part word art, part exuberant poetry slam, and part
instruction manual for the inner development of 'rowdy bliss.' Big and
packed full of interesting information and musings, illustrated lavishly with
quirky graphics and nifty fonts, it is the kind of book you can either read
straight through or flip around, seeing where the pages fall in a
bibliomantic attempt to receive an eccentric oracle. One thing's for sure:
A single reading is not enough to completely absorb everything this book
contains. But it will be a pleasure to go back and re-read many times in
the future.
"The less whimsically inclined might regard 'PRONOIA' with a raised
eyebrow and incredulity. Brezsny's a holy fool and a sacred clown, and he
can be downright outrageous and goofy even when he's at his most
heartfelt and profound. Cynics may find his relentless optimism over the
top.
"But this is a smart man who has invested a tremendous amount of
contemplation and personal experience into every idea he proposes. He is
in radical as he challenges the assumptions about the bleakness of the
world that are so constantly fed to us. His optimism and faith are not at
all blind, nor are they syrupy or saccharine; he addresses the existence of
sorrow and suffering in the world and encourages his readers to adopt the
scientist's tools to test and evaluate our beliefs.
"At the heart of his philosophy is that we all have the right to experience
tremendous joy in our lives, the ability to shape the world around us, and
the unceasing gifts of a benevolent universe that longs to help us and
communicate with us. He takes the previously-little-explored concept of
'pronoia' and expands it into a creative, active, loving, lusty way of life.
Not for him is traditional religion's dichotomy of material = bad vs. spirit =
good; nor the 'fluffy new age' optimism that shoves the shadow self into
the closet and slams the door. He proscribes neither quivering submission
to and timid requests of a scornful punisher deity, nor Spartan rejection
of the world in seeking a cold and lonely enlightenment.
"His ideas belong in the world, not apart from it; they go boldly into
crowds, creating beauty and weirdness, offering a hand to others, and
proclaiming the dangerous notion that the world is a rich and beautiful
place. He recruits 'guerrilla prayer warriors' and sacred artists and tantric
clowns with a charisma and dedication that is thrilling in its possibility and
irresistible in its charm.
"This is not a book to read if you are determined to be unhappy or if you
don't want your world shaken up a bit. However, if you have the sneaking
suspicion that leading a happy, fulfilled life might just not be a heresy, or
if you are tired of the status quo and eager for a truly unusual point of
view, or if you need the kind of healing that makes you laugh and cry at
the same time, or if you have already been crusading for beauty, truth,
freedom, and love -- you need this book. It is hope and humor and beauty
and love."
-from divalion's blog at
http://www.livejournal.com/users/divalion/164487.html
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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Week beginning July 21
Copyright 2005 by Rob Brezsny
http://www.freewillastrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Nitrogen comprises 80 percent of the Earth's
atmosphere, but plants can't access it in its gaseous form. That's a
problem, because plants need nitrogen to live. Luckily, there are five
million lightning strikes on our planet every day. The fierce heat they
generate compels nitrogen to blend with oxygen, thereby forming nitrous
oxides, which are soluble in water and carried into the ground with the
rain. There the plants drink up the nitrogen with ease. The moral of the
story, Aries, is that without lightning, there'd be no plants, which means
that you are utterly dependent on the lightning for your sustenance. In
the coming weeks, you will receive abundant evidence of how much you
need metaphorical kinds of lightning as well.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): "People who do not break things first will
never learn to create anything," says a Tagalog proverb. I'd like you to
remember that in the coming days, Taurus. It may be quite important for
you to make mistakes. Your path to the next stage of mastery might
even require you to take some detours into mediocrity. In fact, I bet that
one of the keys you stumble on while you're off-track will eventually allow
you to unlock a higher expression of your unique genius.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In his commencement address to Stanford's
graduating class, Apple CEO Steve Jobs reminisced about the time, many
years ago, when he was sacked by the company he started. "It turned out
that getting fired was the best thing that could have happened to me,"
he said. "The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness
of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter
one of the most creative periods of my life." In telling you this, Gemini, I
am definitely *not* predicting that you will lose your job. My purpose is to
encourage you to cultivate the frame of mind Jobs described. Here's
another angle on the perspective I hope you'll make into your permanent
modus operandi: "In times of change, learners inherit the earth," wrote
Eric Hoffer, "while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to
deal with a world that no longer exists."
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Every now and then I go down to the booth
at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk where you can find out how fast you
throw a baseball. You hurl the ball as hard as you can, and a speed gun
tells you your score. In all the years I've tested myself, I have never
topped 65 miles per hour--until this week, when I posted an astounding
74 mph, which is 14 percent higher than ever before. I've been feeling
lately that my strength and physical energy have been exceptional, and
this was hard proof. The astrological omens suggest it's because those of
us born under the sign of Cancer, like me, are currently enjoying a time of
maximum vitality and rapid growth. Take advantage, my fellow Crabs.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The odds against getting a royal flush in poker are
649,739 to 1. The odds that Elvis Presley is still alive are 1,000 to 1.
The odds that the Loch Ness monster exists are 150 to 1. And the odds
that Elvis will someday crash a UFO into the Loch Ness monster are 14
million to 1. If you would have asked me a month ago, Leo, I'd have given
you similar odds, 14 million to 1, that you would ever walk on water while
closing a big deal on your cell phone and seeing a double rainbow appear
over a cloud that resembles your face. But as of today, the odds of that
happening have dropped to a mere 10 to 1. Magic time begins now.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the 1933 movie *King Kong,* the starring
gorilla appeared to be 25 feet tall--so humongous that airplanes had to
shoot him down from the top of the Empire State Building. But the model
used to depict Kong in that era of primitive special effects was just 18
inches high. This discrepancy is similar to the gap between your
perceptions of your personal monster and the truth about it, Virgo. It may
seem to be a giant, but in reality you could hold it in the palm of your
hand.
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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES
In addition to the written horoscopes you get in this newsletter, I offer
Expanded Audio Horoscopes. They're $6 if you access them on the Web,
or $1.99 per minute over the phone.
For Web access, go here:
http://www.relationshipnetwork.com/horo/index.asp?client_id=50700
From the United States, call
1-900-950-7700
or if you prefer to pay by credit card
1-877-873-4888
If you live in Canada, call 1-888-499-4425 to purchase a Block of Time
with your credit card.
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LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Thousands of years ago, inhabitants of India
thought the Earth was carried by giant elephants, which in turn were
balancing on the back of a huge turtle, which itself was perched on top of
a stupendous snake. We laugh at this belief now, but many of us have
equally preposterous ideas about the way reality is constructed. I mention
this, Libra, because it's the best time in many moons for you to revisit
your own versions of the elephant-turtle-snake theory. I promise you it
will be liberating. So examine any unwieldy delusions that are at the
foundation of your personal worldview. Look for evidence that supports
your theories about the nature of life, and if you can't find any evidence,
abandon the theories.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mountains are not always as static as they
seem. Due to the collision of two tectonic plates, for example, the
Himalayas are growing at the rate of about a half-inch per year. And in
1972, the flooding of an underground river moved a mountain in the
Caucasus range over a mile in eight days. Likewise, Scorpio, a situation
you have always believed to be fixed and inert is now susceptible to
change.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Bureaucrats at an agency in Belfast have
banned the word "brainstorming" from official usage. They say it's
insulting to people with epilepsy. In the future, they'll use the phrase
"thought-showers" to describe meetings that are designed to stimulate
fresh ideas. I don't care what term you employ, Sagittarius, as long as you
just do it. You're overdue for prolonged encounters with mind volcanoes,
imagination avalanches, and creativity hurricanes.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): "I am crossing years tonight to light an
answer," writes Keith Althus in his poem called "Poem." That should be
your theme in the coming week, Capricorn. Take a deep journey into your
past, armed with good will. Before you go, inscribe in your mind's eye a
vision of something that symbolizes the power to illuminate, like a torch,
lantern, or star. As you wander through your memories, becoming
reacquainted with all the turning points that helped make you what you
are today, pay special attention to lingering questions from the old days
that never got properly resolved. With the help of your torch, lantern, or
star, light some new answers.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Lip Venom is a gloss you apply to your lips
to make them look pouty and bee-stung. The secret ingredients that
provide the swollen effect seem to be cinnamon and ginger. While it
would definitely be fun to see how people would react to you if you had
the look of an icy supermodel, I don't recommend you try the product
anytime soon. For one thing, it's not a good time, astrologically speaking,
for you to try cosmetic augmentation or any other form of masking your
true essence. For another thing, it's essential that you give off warm,
engaging, intimate vibes in the coming weeks. There's a lot of help
available to you out there, and the best way to draw it all the way in is to
be inviting, not icy.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): "When truth is buried underground it grows,"
wrote French novelist Emile Zola, "it chokes, it gathers such explosive
force that on the day it bursts out, it blows up everything with it." I'm
delivering this as a warning, Pisces, not as a prediction. In fact, if you act
quickly, you have an excellent chance of ensuring that Zola's scenario
doesn't unfold in your own life. There are important truths that are
buried, but if you dig them up and expose them to the fresh air now, they
won't explode in a few weeks.
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HOMEWORK:
Where's the place you're half-afraid to travel to even though you know it
would change your life for the better? Testify by going to
http://www.freewillastrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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WANT TO GET YOUR CHART DONE?
I'm not doing charts these days. In addition to writing my weekly column
and expanded audio horoscopes, I'm also working on a CD and promoting
my new book.
But I can recommend a colleague whose astro-aesthetics closely match
my own. She's RO LOUGHRAN.
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. In addition to over 20 years of
astrological experience, Ro is also a licensed psychotherapist, allowing her
to integrate psychological insight with the cosmological perspective that
astrology offers.
Ro is based in California, but can do phone consultations and otherwise
work with you regardless of geographic boundaries.
Ro's website is at
http://www.astrology-psychotherapy.com/
She can also be reached at roloughran@comcast.net
Namaste,
Rob
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I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your address to
anyone.
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2005 Rob Brezsny
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