Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter April 29, 2009 + http://FreeWillAstrology.com ___________________________________________________________________________________ + "Pain and conflict are, to a large extent, the result of a discrepancy between the way we think others should treat us, react to us, and appreciate us, and the way they actually do. Many of our miseries are thus rooted in self-pity, the most worthless of all human emotions." --Ann Davies, Qabalist teacher ________________________________________________________________________________________ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES: WHY NOT STUDY THE TECHNIQUES? *The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want* by Sonja Lyubomirsky http://tinyurl.com/c9mn45 HOW ABOUT ORGANIZING A MASTER PLAN? The Happiness Project Read about her Happiness Project, then create your own version. http://www.happiness-project.com/ MAYBE YOU SHOULD STUDY THE EXPERTS *The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom* by Jonathan Haidt http://tinyurl.com/dgo5yg "Practical advice on finding happiness and meaning: Riches don't matter much, but close relationships, quiet surroundings, and short commutes help a lot, while meditation, cognitive psychotherapy and Prozac are equally valid remedies for constitutional unhappiness." (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. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To buy my book, *PRONOIA IS THE ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA: How the Whole World Is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings* go here: http://tinyurl.com/qaj62 or here: ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ _____________________________________________________________________________________ FREEhttp://tinyurl.com/3dsx6q WILL ASTROLOGY Week beginning April 30 Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny http://FreeWillAstrology.com Grammar key: Asterisks equal *italics* _____________________________________________________________________________________ TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An engineering company has plans to grow flowers on the moon. Paragon Space Development intends to land mustard seeds inside a small greenhouse dome on the lunar surface by 2011. If all goes well, they will bloom within two weeks, and, thanks to the marvels of communications technology, we earthlings will soon thereafter view one of the most iconic photographs ever seen. Paragon hopes the inspiring image of yellow blossoms on the lunar landscape will incite a new wave of space exploration. Take your cue from this vignette, Taurus. Come up with a riveting new personal symbol: some photo or image or object that thrills your imagination and inspires you to outdo all your previous efforts in pursuit of an ambitious future goal. _______________________________________________________________________________________ GEMINI (May 21-June 20): "A Pain in the Ash: Volcano Irritates Alaskans." That was the headline of a news story about how the people of Anchorage, Alaska are dealing with the erratic behavior of nearby Mount Redoubt. As of this writing, the volcano hasn't exploded yet, but it keeps hinting that it might. Meanwhile, it regularly burps clouds of ash that float around and wreak a lot of inconvenience. "I would like it to have a big boom and get it over with," said one native. In accordance with your astrological omens, Gemini, let's use this situation as a metaphor for your life. The fact is, there's no sense in getting irritated or impatient with the primal force in your vicinity. Doing so would be a waste of your precious emotional energy. Besides, cultivating calm equanimity is the best way to acquire the grace you'll need to respond appropriately when the primal force does go boom. ________________________________________________________________________________________ CANCER (June 21-July 22): If His Holiness the Dalai Lama (like you, born under the sign of the Crab) had a Twitter account, I bet that this week he'd tweet something like this: "Nothing's permanent and we should never be attached to anything, but wow! -- the goodness rising up now may send ripples through eternity!" What he'd mean is that while reality is always in continual flux, and it's wise not to cling obsessively to either its pleasures or sadnesses, the powerfully healing mojo that's moving through Cancerians' lives these days could have long-term positive consequences. __________________________________________________________________________________________ LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): America's Republican Party has lost a lot of style points lately. Its national committee chairman Michael Steele even went so far as to say, "We need to uptick our image with everyone, including one- armed midgets." Your reputation isn't anywhere near as in need of rehabilitation, Leo -- in part because you don't make references about one-armed midgets -- but it could still use some work. Fortunately, the coming weeks will be an excellent time, astrologically speaking, for you to not only tidy up your stature, but also to actually enhance your respectability and increase your influence. Take advantage! _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE In addition to the horoscopes that you're reading here, I create more in- depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration. Find out more at http://RealAstrology.com. The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700. "Your expanded audio horoscopes are the next best thing to actually having you here next to me to remind me who I really am." - Alyssa R., Des Moines, Iowa "When I listen to your audio 'scopes, my free will lights up." - Alex D., Los Angeles ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ______________________________________________________________________________________ VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The coming weeks would be an excellent time to devote extra care and attention to your home-away-from-home -- you know, the place that's second-best at making you feel like you truly belong here on this earth. Enhance the ambiance in this alternate power spot, Virgo. Add beauty to the decor. Let the people who hang out there know how much they mean to you. And if you don't yet have such a sanctuary, then I suggest you hunt one down. You need to experience more of the pleasurable stimulation that comes from going back and forth between two different comfort zones. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): You may not literally have X-ray vision right now, but you certainly have a metaphorical version of it. With a little concentration, I bet you could peer beneath the surface of anything you want to. My analysis of the omens suggests that you have the power to see hidden agendas, invisible frameworks, and maneuverings that are unfolding behind the scenes. Please keep in mind that not all of the secret stuff is corrupt or insidious. Some of it is quite beautiful, even elevating. Don't push your enhanced perceptiveness to search exclusively for the worst in human nature. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): According to the legends of the Scottish Highlanders, this is the anniversary of the fallen angels' expulsion from paradise. That's why, they said, it was so crucial for humans to be well- behaved at this time. To blindly indulge in sin and error would set up a resonance with the malevolent exiles, making oneself vulnerable to being preyed on by them. While you and I can chuckle at this quaint superstition, it does have a grain or truth for you to meditate on. At this juncture in your yearly cycle, you tend to be more receptive to bad influences than usual. That's why you should do everything you can imagine to attract good influences and cultivate experiences that give you the feeling that this world is a paradise. _________________________________________________________________________________________________ SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): An Arizona woman was jogging in the woods when a fox ran out of nowhere, leaped up, and clamped down on her arm with its teeth. Unable to pry it loose, the woman ran back to her car, which was a mile away, with the fox hanging on. She drove herself to the hospital, where doctors removed the creature and treated her successfully. I imagine that right about now you might feel a bit like she did, Sagittarius: bustling along energetically, in a state of alert, as some nagging vexation clings to you parasitically. Now here's the good news: I predict that you will get rid of the pest, and will ever thereafter enjoy an enhanced confidence in your ability to function well under pressure. ______________________________________________________________________________ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you'd like to get an idea of what my EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES are like, tune in to my free podcast "Fear Versus Intuition." It's here: http://tinyurl.com/cwmssb "Fear Versus Intuition" is a meditation about the difference between your fearful fantasies and your authentic, accurate intuitions. My approach there has a close resemblance to the style of my weekly pay-for-view offerings. Find out more about the EXPANDED AUDIO HOROSCOPES at http://RealAstrology.com. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Since it's the Capricornian season of romance, I thought I'd give you some tips on how to thrive in the mysterious, paradoxical, crazy-making game of love. 1. Love shouldn't be a lottery, so don't gamble on unlikely odds. 2. Love shouldn't be a power struggle, so try to purge any unconscious yearnings you might have to control people you care for. 3. Love can't be a self-sustaining perpetual motion machine, so I hope you work on it at least as hard as you do at your job. 4. Love isn't an endless vacation in the promised land, but neither is it a wrestling match with a three-legged pit bull from hell, so don't you dare indulge in all-or-nothing fantasies. _________________________________________________________________________________________ AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The kitchen table will be a power spot for you in the coming weeks. Your own table will be a supreme vortex for visionary brainstorming, but even those in other households could be epicenters for brilliant planning, crucial shifts in attitude, and increased solidarity among allies. To encourage eruptions of creative behavior, make sure the tables are nice and clean. Try to have good food and drink on hand. I also suggest you keep at least one notebook and pen lying around. __________________________________________________________________________________________ PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In April I was grateful whenever you obeyed all the signs, stuck to the beaten paths, worked a little harder than usual, and averted your eyes from the places where "interesting" bursts of chaos were unfolding. In May I'd appreciate it if you did pretty much the opposite: Question authority rigorously, wander off into less-traveled regions, play harder than usual, and tune in to commotions that could be productive learning experiences. In the past month, Pisces, I was hopeful that you'd pay your debts to society before society's collection agency started making harassing calls. In the coming month, I invite you to ask everyone to do you extra favors. _________________________________________________________________________________________ ARIES (March 21-April 19): "It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little," said the writer Sydney Smith. While this is always good advice, it's especially apt for you right now. You're in a phase when giant leaps of faith are irrelevant, and fast, massive accomplishments are impossible. This is the season of incremental progress; a time when painstaking attention to detail is your best strategy. Inch by inch, Aries. Hour by hour. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ HOMEWORK: What's the best thing you could give right now to the person you care for the most? Share by going to http://FreeWillAstrology.com and clicking on "Email Rob." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 http://YourSoulJourney.com She can also be reached at roloughran [at] comcast [dot] net ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ NEED TO CHANGE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS? To join or leave the email list for this newsletter, or to change the address where you receive it, go to: http://www.freewillastrology.com/newsletter/ Once you do join, check all the below points to make sure you'll actually receive the newsletter: 1. Add my address, televisionary [at] comcast [dot] net, to your address book so that the newsletter won't be treated as spam and filtered out. 2. Adjust your spam filter so it doesn't treat my address as a source of spam. 3. Tell your company's IT group to allow my address to pass through any filtering software they may have set up. 4. If my newsletters don't reach your inbox, look in your "Bulk Mail" or "Junk Mail" folder. 5. The problems may not have to do with anything you do, but may originate with your email provider. It may be using a "content filter" that prevents my newsletter from ever reaching you at all. If you suspect that's the case, complain. Tell your email provider to stop blocking my newsletter from reaching you. P.S. I totally respect your privacy. I'll never sell or give away your address to anyone. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 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 2009 Rob Brezsny ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ You received this email because you subscribed to "Rob Brezsnys Astrology Newsletter" Unsubscribe: https://member.ezezine.com/sub.ez?e=756_2.16922.46467 Subscriber settings: https://member.ezezine.com/sub.ez?c=756_2.16922.46467 Report abuse: https://member.ezezine.com/abuse.ez?e=756_2.16922.46467

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