Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter December 22,2010

Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
December 22, 2010
FreeWillAstrology.com

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A PREVIEW OF YOUR DESTINY IN 2011

Want to get a head start on your future? This week my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES offer you a teaser look at some major themes you'll be working and playing with in 2011.

Beginning next week, I will devote three consecutive weeks to an in-depth discussion of your long-range outlook for the coming year.

Part One of my FORECAST FOR 2011 will be available on Tuesday, December 28.

Part Two will be available on Tuesday, January 4.

Part Three will be available on Tuesday, January 11.

To find out more about the Expanded Audio Horoscopes, go to RealAstrology.com.

The cost is $6 per sign on the Web, or $1.99 per minute by phone.

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Excerpted from PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA
available at Amazon: bit.ly/Pronoia
or Powells: bit.ly/PronoiaPowells

LET'S EXPOSE THE OBVIOUS MIRACLES, Part 6

Many people alive today are convinced that our civilization is in a dark age, cut off from divine favor, and on the verge of collapse. But it's healthy to note that similar beliefs have been common throughout history.

As far back as 2800 BC, an unknown prophet wrote on an Assyrian clay tablet, "Our earth is degenerate in these latter days. There are signs that the world is speedily coming to an end." In the seventh century BC, many Romans believed Rome would suffer a cataclysm in 634 BC.

Around 300 BC, Hindus were convinced they lived in an "unfortunate time" known as the Kali Yuga -- the lowest point in the great cosmic cycle. In 426 AD, the Christian writer Augustine mourned that this evil world was in its last days. According to the Lotharingian panic-mongers who lived more than a 1,000 years ago, human life on earth would end on March 25, 970.

Astrologers in 16th-century London calculated that the city would be destroyed by a great flood on February 1, 1524. American minister William Miller proclaimed the planet's "purification by fire" would occur in 1844. Anglican minister Michael Baxter assured his followers that the Battle of Armageddon would take place in 1868. The Jehovah's Witnesses anticipated the End of Days in 1910, then 1914, then 1918, then 1925.

Oddly, no major prophets forecast cataclysm for the years between 1930 and 1945. Is there any time in history that was more deserving of being called the "Apocalypse" than that period? The Great Depression was the most widespread, long-lasting economic disaster ever. During World War II, 50 million civilians and 25 million soldiers were killed.

John Ballou Newbrough ("America's Greatest Prophet") wasn't impressed with the tragedy of that era. After the war, he promised mass annihilation and global anarchy for 1947.

The website "A Brief History of the Apocalypse" at tinyurl.com/yqb83n lists over 200 visions of doom that have spilled from the hysterical imaginations of various prophets in the last two millennia.

Our age may have more of these doomsayers per capita than previous eras, although the proportion of religious extremists among them has declined as more scientists, journalists, and storytellers have taken up the singing of humanity's predicted swan song.

In her book For the Time Being, Annie Dillard concludes, "It is a weakening and discoloring idea that rustic people knew God personally once upon a time but that it is too late for us. There never was a more holy age than ours, and never a less. There is no whit less enlightenment under the tree by your street than there was under the Buddha's bo tree."

I invite you to go sit under that tree by your street.

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READ PART 1 OF THE SERIES "Let's Expose the Obvious Miracles" here:
bit.ly/ObviousMiracle1

READ PART 2 OF THE SERIES here:
bit.ly/ObviousMiracle2

PART 3:
bit.ly/ObviousMiracle3

PART 4:
bit.ly/ObviousMiracle4

PART 5:
bit.ly/ObviousMiracle5

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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:

HUMANS ARE CAPABLE OF AMAZING FEATS
Just a reminder that humans were able to send a probe almost a billion miles to Saturn and have it send back beautiful and useful images.
tinyurl.com/23t4srm

NATURE'LL MAKE YOU HOLY
18 Natural Spots That Evoke Reverence and Awe
tinyurl.com/33jeclp

TRACKING ANOTHER BIZARRE, INEXPLICABLE PHENOMENON
Teens Are the Happiest People in Canada
tinyurl.com/2avwa3j

(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 December 23

Copyright 2010 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):

I have tracked down a formula that I think should be one of your central ongoing meditations in 2011. It's from newsman David Brinkley: "A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her." In the coming months you will be extra smart about knowing which of these bricks to use and how exactly to position them in your foundation. And more than that, Capricorn: You will have special insight not only about bricks that have been flung fairly recently, but also about those that have been hurled at any time in your life.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):

The city of Stockholm, Sweden consists of 14 islands that are spanned by more than 50 bridges. It's a beautiful, clean, culturally rich place that's ranked among the best urban centers in the world. I'm hoping that in the coming year you will develop a certain resemblance to it. With a little luck and a clear intention to forge strong new links, you will connect the many fragmented areas of your life, creating a unified network that ensures each part is humming in resonance with the whole. In fact, let's call 2011 your Bridge-Building Year.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):

At age 19, I wanted to be a poet when I grew up. My goal was to write a poem every day forever. And yet I had almost no ambition to get published. I was satisfied to bask in the ecstatic epiphany that accompanied each fresh poetic eruption. Then one day I was browsing in a bookshop and saw a flyer for a big upcoming poetry reading. It included every major poet in my then-hometown of Santa Cruz -- except me. I was shocked and hurt. Why was I left out? Eventually I realized it was because all the other poets listed had written a book. From that moment on I was obsessively driven to publish my own tome. A year later, after much hard work, it came to pass. I would love to see you experience a similar wake-up call in 2011, Pisces: a friendly jolt that motivates you to rise to the next level.

ARIES (March 21-April 19):

"There's always one moment in childhood when the door opens and lets the future in," wrote novelist Graham Greene. I'll add to that: There are at least three moments in adulthood when a new door opens and invites the rest of the future in. Judging by the astrological omens, I'm guessing that one such breakthrough lies ahead for you in 2011. What can you do to expedite and encourage fate's summons? Here's one possibility: Surrender to the naked truth of what you love.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20):

If oil companies were given permission to sink their drilling rigs into the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the petroleum they produced would ultimately lower gasoline prices by four cents per gallon. To my mind, that's not a good trade-off. Let this scenario serve as a cautionary metaphor for you in 2011, Taurus. Don't share your pristine wilderness or soulful beauty with exploitative types who offer iffy rewards. Instead, hold out for those who appreciate you profoundly and whose own gifts help you to thrive.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20):

Freud said that among all human endeavors, there were three "impossible professions" that inevitably yielded unsatisfying results. They were child-rearing, the governing of nations, and psychoanalysis. My own experiences don't entirely confirm this. My parents raised me pretty well and I've given my daughter a decent upbringing. Of the nine psychotherapists I've consulted in my life, two were excellent healers and none were damaging. But even those relatively winning projects were sometimes fraught with unsolvable riddles, chronic frustrations, and maddening uncertainties. I bring this up, Gemini, because I think 2011 will be a time when you will generate far more gratification and success than usual in your own versions of "impossible professions." Unsolvable riddles, chronic frustrations, and maddening uncertainties won't be completely absent, but they could very well be at an all-time low.

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EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPE

This week my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES offer you a teaser look of some major themes you'll be working and playing with in 2011.

Beginning next week, I will devote three consecutive weeks to an in-depth discussion of your long-range outlook for the coming 12 months.

To access the Expanded Audio Horoscopes, go to RealAstrology.com.

They're $6 if you access them on the Web, or $1.99 per minute over the phone: 1-877-873-4888.

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CANCER (June 21-July 22):

"We have to believe in free will. We have no choice." So said author Isaac Bashevis Singer. I encourage you to adopt that puckish thought as your motto in 2011, my fellow Cancerian. According to my reading of the astrological omens, this will be our year to supercharge our willpower and intensify our ability to carry out our plans -- but always with good humor and a highly tuned sense of irony. In fact, one of the best ways to deepen our command over our own unconscious impulses and the caprices of fate will be to take ourselves -- and everything else, too -- less seriously.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):

The coming year will be a time to think big -- maybe even bigger than you've dared to think in over a decade. That doesn't mean you should be rash, reckless, or unrealistic. On the contrary. Your expansive dreams should be carefully wrought and anchored in a detailed understanding of how things actually work. As an example of what not to do, learn from Snoop Dogg. The rapper wanted to rent all 62 square miles of the small European nation of Liechtenstein so he could film his music video there. Liechtenstein authorities turned him down, but only because his team didn't ask far enough in advance. Had he been better organized, the whole country could have been his.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):

An Oregon man named Don Wesson stopped his truck by the side of the road and took home a 40-pound rock that caught his eye. That was more than a decade ago. For years he used it as part of a border to prevent his dog from messing up his garden. Then he saw a TV show about meteorites and brought the rock to scientists. They told him it was a 4.5 billion-year-old meteorite that fell to earth long ago and originally came from the asteroid belt. Other experts told him he could probably sell the exotic artifact for as much as $40,000. I predict a metaphorically similar development in your life during the coming year: the discovery of a valuable old thing from far away that you will underestimate at first.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):

Richard Grossinger is my friend, my teacher, and the brilliant author of numerous books. (His latest is called 2013.) He is also a humble adept in the high art of gratitude. On his website, he has a page devoted to expressing vivid appreciation for the 71 best teachers of his life. (bit.ly/YourTeachers) His testimony is a riveting and touching reminder of how each of us is a creation of all the important people we've loved and hated. Compiling such a list should, I think, be a rite of passage for anyone who aspires to be an authentic human being. There will never be a better time than 2011 for you to do this work yourself, Libra.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):

"Just when I found out the meaning of life," said comedian George Carlin, "they changed it." I'm hoping that will be one of your top inspirational jokes in 2011, Scorpio. If all goes well, you will no longer be content with all your previous answers to the question "What is the meaning of life?" -- either because "they changed it," as Carlin suggested, or because it's no longer interesting or useful to you. This is very good news, in my opinion. You will have the invigorating privilege of going off in search of fresh answers to the riddle of the ages!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):

The United Nations has declared that 2011 will be the International Year of Chemistry -- a time to honor the role chemistry plays in our lives. Meanwhile, you Sagittarians will be celebrating your own personal Year of Chemistry, although in a different sense of the word -- the sense that means natural attraction, spontaneous connection, intuitive allure, and uncanny synchronicity. Don't let this abundance of grace make you overconfident, and don't just sit back and let it run wild. Be a master chemist intent on rigorously cultivating the very best experiments.

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HOMEWORK:

What would the people who love you best say is the most important thing for you to learn? Testify at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

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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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Submissions sent to the Free Will Astrology Weekly 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 such submissions for length, style, and content. Requests for anonymity will be honored with submissions; otherwise, reader names, screen names, or initials will be used. Please be sure to note your preference when sending to us. We are not responsible for unsolicited submission of any creative material.

Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright 2010 Rob Brezsny

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