Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter http://ezezine.com
Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
November 19, 2008
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http://FreeWillAstrology.com
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My new podcast is called "You Are a Prophet." You can hear and download
it here:
http://tinyurl.com/5dcedz
or here:
http://tinyurl.com/5bt9ng
You can read the text of "You Are a Prophet" below.
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"The universe looks less and less like a great machine and more and more
like a great thought."
- physicist James Jeans
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My book
*PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA:
How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings*
is available for sale at http://tinyurl.com/qaj62
Here's an excerpt:
YOU ARE A PROPHET
Your imagination is the single most important asset you possess.
Your imagination is your power to create mental pictures of things that
don't exist yet and that you want to bring into being.
Your imagination is what you use to shape your future.
And so in your own way, you are a prophet. You generate countless
predictions every day. Your imagination is the source, tirelessly churning
out mental pictures of what you'll be doing in the future.
The featured prophecy of the moment may be as simple as a psychic
impression of yourself devouring a fudge brownie at lunch or as
monumental as a daydream of some year building your dream home on a
mountainside in Hawaii.
Your imagination is a treasure when it spins out scenarios that are aligned
with your deepest desires. Indeed, it is an indispensable tool in creating
the life you want; it's what you use to form images of the conditions
you'd like to inhabit and the objects you hope to wield. Nothing manifests
on the material plane unless it first exists as a mental picture.
But for most of us, the imagination is as much a curse as a blessing.
We're often just as likely to use it to conjure up premonitions that are at
odds with our conscious values -- that's the result of having absorbed
toxic programming from the media and from our parents at an early age
and from other influential people in our past.
Fearful fantasies regularly pop up into our awareness, many disguising
themselves as rational thoughts and genuine intuitions. Those fearful
fantasies may hijack our psychic energy, directing it to exhaust itself in
dead-end meditations.
Every time we entertain a vision of being rejected or hurt or frustrated,
every time we rouse and dwell on a memory of a painful experience, we're
basically blasting ourselves with a hex.
Meanwhile, ill-suited longings are also lurking in our unconscious mind,
impelling us to want things that aren't good for us and that we don't
really need. Anytime we surrender to the allure of these false and trivial
and counterproductive desires, our imagination is practicing a form of
black magic.
This is the unsavory aspect of the imagination that the Zen Buddhists
deride as the "monkey mind." The monkey mind is the part of our mental
apparatus that's filled with pictures that endlessly zip around with the
energy of an agitated monkey. If we can stop locating our sense of self in
the endless surge of the monkey mind's slapdash fantasies, only then
might we be able to be here now and want what we actually have.
But whether our imagination is in service to our noble desires or in the
thrall of compulsive fears and inappropriate yearnings, there is one
constant: The prophecies of our imagination can be pretty accurate. Many
of our visions of the future do come to pass. The situations we expect to
occur and the experiences we rehearse and dwell on are at least
sometimes reflected back to us as events that confirm our expectations.
Does that mean that our mental projections create the future? Let's
consider that possibility. What if it's at least partially true that what we
expect will happen does tend to materialize?
Well, here's the logical conclusion: It's downright stupid and self-
destructive to keep infecting our imaginations with pictures of loss and
failure, doom and gloom, fear and loathing. The far more sensible
approach is to expect blessings and joy and peace and fulfillment and
understanding and meaningfulness.
And that's the reason why I'm so reverent in composing my messages for
you. If I'm to be one of the influences you invite into the intimate
sanctuary where you nurse your self-fulfilling prophecies, I really want to
be gentle with you. It's why I avoid invoking worry and doubt, and instead
nudge you in the direction of passion, integrity, happiness, and
generosity.
And that's exactly the approach I'd like you to take. I want you to pay
ultimate respect to yourself. Understand your power as a potent prophet
of your own life. Flush away the images running around your imagination
that are not in harmony with your life goals. Create images that
encourage you to be your best. Cultivate feelings and ideas and
imaginations that are in alignment with your highest ideals and deepest
desires.
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To read news and features from my book, go here:
http://tinyurl.com/lhwx2
You can buy the book here:
AMAZON
http://tinyurl.com/qaj62
POWELLS
http://tinyurl.com/3dsx6q
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OTHER PRONOIA RESOURCES:
PRANK OF THE YEAR
Visualize This:
Iraq War Ends
National health Insurance Act Passes
USA Patriot Act Repealed
Maximum Wage Law Passed
All Public Universities To Be Free
http://www.nytimes-se.com/
http://tinyurl.com/5ufaad
http://tinyurl.com/6pjs8t
WE'RE ALL CLOSER TO EACH OTHER THAN WE REALIZE
The "Six Degrees of Separation" Meme Is Real
http://tinyurl.com/6lo8w2
Scientific proof that anyone on the planet can be connected to anyone
else in just a few steps of association
GENIUS SERVING THE POOR
MIT's Guru of Low-Tech Engineering Fixes the World on $2 a Day
http://tinyurl.com/6ewkqg
"From impoverished Peruvian villages to MIT's D-Lab, professor Amy
Smith and her spirited team of engineers are on a mission: Fight global
poverty and improve living standards for developing countries -- one low-
cost, accessible invention at a time."
(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 20
Copyright 2008 by Rob Brezsny
http://FreeWillAstrology.com
Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics*
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In her book *One Continuous Mistake,*
Gail Sher provides excellent advice for people who want to be writers. I'm
offering it to you for your all-purpose use as you enter the Reinvent
Yourself phase of your astrological cycle. The drive for perfection can be
a distraction, Sher says. What's more useful is to be brave and free
enough to experiment with possibilities that may or may not pan out.
Don't think yourself into a corner, agonizing about where to begin. Simply
dive in and get to work, trusting that the agitation you churn up will show
you what works. Exult in the revelations provided by the trial-and-error
approach! "We learn nothing from our successes," writes Sher, "which
prescribe business-as-usual. We learn everything from our mistakes, which
require us to analyze where we went wrong and invent fresh strategies."
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Long-time conservative writer Christopher
Buckley, son of rightwing icon William F. Buckley, voted for Obama.
Though he was once a speech-writer for John McCain, a man he admired,
Buckley was aghast at how the presidential campaign unfolded. "I didn't
leave the Republican Party," he said. "The Republican Party left me." I
urge you to be alert for a comparable development in your own life,
Capricorn. A group whose ideals you have held dear may be changing
right in front of your eyes. Or perhaps a movement you've been part of
has veered off course from the principles that drew you to it.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): "Never keep up with the Joneses,"
counseled author Quentin Crisp. "Drag them down to your level. It's
cheaper." But I don't recommend that approach, Aquarius. To do so
would be as big a waste of your energy as trying to match the
consumerist folly of the Joneses. The same holds true about any situation
in which you're tempted to compete for status with people whose values
aren't very deep: It's crazy to get obsessed with wanting to either be like
them or to drag them down. This advice is especially important now, when
you're more susceptible than usual to the dumbed-down influences of
peer pressure. Try to carve out an independent path without indulging in
envy, hatred, or superiority.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Do you have a negative opinion of clouds?
Are you inclined to regard them as symbols of gloom or malaise,
interruptions in what you wish would always be clear blue sky? If so, I'll
ask you to revise your view. Consider the fact that in Chinese mythology,
there are *xiangyun,* or "lucky clouds" that are harbingers of great
blessings. Deities may even ride on them for pleasure. Among the Zuni
Indians, the monster known as the Cloud Eater was feared because he
devoured clouds that might bring replenishing rain. And modern
meteorologists know that white, fluffy cumulus clouds are signs that fair
weather is on the way. Armed with these ideas, Pisces, go out in search of
your own personal lucky clouds. They're your metaphors of the week.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE
In addition to the horoscopes you're reading here, I create more in-depth
audio horoscopes for your inspiration. Find out more at
http://RealAstrology.com.
To get an idea of what the audio 'scopes are like, tune in to my free
podcast, "You Are a Prophet": http://tinyurl.com/5dcedz
My approach there has a close resemblance to the style of my weekly
pay-for-view offerings.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or
1-900-950-7700.
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ARIES (March 21-April 19): Fifty-five percent of Americans not only
believe in guardian angels, but testify that they have been actively aided
by the intervention of those divine helpers. Commenting on the results,
one religious expert said that "Americans live in an enchanted world." The
55 percent figure may rise even higher in the coming weeks. A majority of
Aries all over the planet, regardless of their religious orientation, could
have a mystical experience that will spook and delight them. If you're one
of the chosen ones, don't get fixated on or distracted by the sheer
amazement of the visitation. Make sure you're alert for its eminently
practical guidance.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You've been hiding a part of yourself from
your conscious awareness. That's why I'm going to ask you to take off
the mask you wear when you're alone with yourself. You might be
surprised when you actually gaze upon your secret face. But I believe it
will ultimately prove to be an intriguing breakthrough that will give you
good ideas about how to share yourself more completely.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): A year ago, I had a vision that your experiences
in 2008 would boost your heart's smarts -- maybe not up to the same
level as your head's intelligence, but much closer than before. I predicted
you'd have a growing ability to master your own moods and emotions,
and speculated on how that would in turn increase your understanding of
why people do the things they do. So if, during these last 11 months,
you've been taking advantage of the potentials I named back then, you
have undoubtedly developed impressive new skills in the art of intimate
relationships. If for any reason this hasn't happened yet, start playing
catch-up immediately.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Activist and author Naomi Klein tells a story
about the time she traveled to Australia at the request of Aboriginal
elders. They wanted her to know about their struggle to prevent white
people from dumping radioactive wastes on their land. Her hosts brought
her to their precious wilderness, where they camped under the stars.
They showed her "secret sources of fresh water, plants used for bush
medicines, hidden eucalyptus-lined rivers where the kangaroos come to
drink." After three days, Klein grew restless. When were they going to get
down to business and show her the despoiled places? "Before you can
fight," one elder told her, "you have to know what you are fighting for."
That's good advice, Cancerian. I suggest you immerse yourself in the
beauty you'll be serving and stewarding in the future.
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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.
She uses a blend of well-trained intuition, emotional warmth, and a high
degree of technical proficiency in horoscope interpretation. She's skilled
at exploring the mysteries of your life's purpose and nurturing your
connection with your own inner wisdom. Ro works both by phone and in-
person.
Her website is at http://YourSoulJourney.com. She can also be reached at
roloughran@comcast.net.
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LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The Mystic Astrology Wizard says: Close one of
your eyes. Tap your forehead three times with the palm of your left hand.
Think of a sexy image. Lick your lips and whisper the words "Love
Whisperer." Insert your middle finger in the "Delight-O-Meter" slot. Keep
your finger there until the "Passion Lamp" turns on. Flash. Flash. Flash.
Thank you. Your evaluation appears below. *Your libido has been a bit off-
course, semi-absorbed in unfruitful or irrelevant distractions. But now it's
realigning itself with the central dream themes of your life. Prepare to
experience a truer juiciness.*
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I suggest you meditate on the theme of exile.
Here are some questions to get you started. 1. Have you ever been
shunned by people you care about? 2. Do you know what it's like to
unwillingly leave a place that has made you feel safe and secure? 3. Can
you remember the desolation that came over you when you found
yourself wandering in the middle of nowhere? 4. Has it been a challenge
to connect with your tribe or be at peace in the land that makes you feel
at home in the world? Whatever your exile is, Virgo, the coming weeks will
be an excellent time to figure out how to heal it.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): "Dear Rob: In the past I've thought of balance
as the ability to move between extremes without falling down. I pride
myself on being a Weeble-Wobbler, the toy that always swings back up
when you try to tip it over. But lately I'm wondering if I should expand my
concept of what we Libras do. I have fantasies of experimenting with a
balance that more closely resembles walking on a railroad track. I could
dip a foot here and there, first this side then that, just for fun, and still
remain on the track. Maybe in time I could even dance on the rail. Your
thoughts? - Libra in Expansion Mode." Dear Expander: The coming weeks
would be a great time, astrologically speaking, to try the experiment you
described.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): It's a ripe time to work on fixing any neurosis
that chronically disrupts your economic karma. Can you afford sessions
with a psychotherapist who'll help you improve your relationship with
money? Just in case you can't, I'll offer two exercises that might propel
you toward financial self-healing. #1: Twice a day for five minutes,
visualize yourself immersed in a joyous and meaningful experience that
would be made possible by a more abundant flow of money into your life.
#2: Think of three generous acts you want to carry out, three blessings
you want to bestow, or three uplifting messages you want to deliver to
deserving people.
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HOMEWORK: What's the decision you chronically agonize about? The
commitment you can never fully make? Tell all by going to
http://FreeWillAstrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob."
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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2008 Rob Brezsny
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