Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter
NOVEMBER 4, 2009
FreeWillAstrology.com
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"An immense globe of fire continually detonates nuclear
reactions in order to convert its own body into light and heat
and energy for your personal use."
- me
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The revised and expanded version of my book PRONOIA IS THE
ANTIDOTE FOR PARANOIA is eager to be read by you. With 55%
fresh material beyond the original edition (60,000 additional
words and 75 new illustrations). It basically has a whole new
extra book inside it.
You can order it at Amazon: tinyurl.com/lxpnyt
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One of my favorite sites, Reality Sandwich (realitysandwich.com),
is publishing a three-part piece from my new book. It's called
"Glory in the Highest." Read the first two parts here:
bit.ly/1UBoce and here: bit.ly/1VIp0n.
Here's an excerpt.
GLORY IN THE HIGHEST
Human biology has changed dramatically in the past three centuries,
says Noble Prize-winning economic historian Robert Fogel -- and
especially in the last 100 years. People in the developed world
live twice as long as they used to. They weigh more and grow taller.
They're far hardier and healthier and smarter. When sickness comes,
they're better at defeating it than their ancestors were, and
they're not as likely to contract diseases in the first place.
"We're just not falling apart like we used to," says
Fogel. "Even our internal organs are stronger and better
formed." What has occurred is "not only unique to humankind,
but unique among the 7,000 or so generations of human beings who
have inhabited the earth." (Sources: "The Human Equation,"
Lydialyle Gibson, tinyurl.com/2x3u7o,
and "So Big and Healthy Grandpa Wouldn't Even Know You,"
Gina Kolata, The New York Times, tinyurl.com/rban6.)
We're talking about a revolution. In the mid-19th century, Americans
of all ages were much sicker than they are now. Child mortality
was almost 25 percent, and of those kids lucky enough to survive
into adolescence, 15 percent more expired before age 15. Chronic
malnutrition was a horrendous curse, compromising immune systems
from birth. During the Civil War, one-sixth of the teenagers who
applied to serve in the Union army were rejected because of chronic
ailments like malaria, tuberculosis, arthritis, cardiovascular
problems, and hernias. As for the older folks, the average ex-soldier
in his 60s had at least six health problems, four more than a
sexagenarian is likely to have today.
What happened between then and now? First, we harnessed electricity,
made it universally available, and used it in a myriad ways to
improve our lot. All of the other boons I'm about to name -- improvements
in our diet, medicine, sanitation, and workload -- were organized
around this fantastic, unprophesied new resource.
Our relationship with food has changed dramatically in the last
century and a half. We discovered more accurate information about
our nutritional needs and gained access to a greater variety and
abundance of food. The perfection of the science of refrigeration
and the eventual universal availability of refrigerators made
a big difference, too. Victory over widespread malnutrition meant
that infants got a better start on building strong bodies, making
them less susceptible to sickness throughout the course of their
lives.
The drastic upgrade in the state of the human body was also made
possible by steadily growing medical expertise, including the
discovery of the germ theory of disease and radical new treatments
like antibiotics and vaccination. Physicians got better training,
large numbers of new hospitals opened, and more people made medicine
their career. Among the diseases that were wiped out were diphtheria,
typhoid, cholera, whooping cough, tetanus, tuberculosis, smallpox,
and polio.
Innovations in sanitation have been key to the upgrades in the
way our bodies work. Everything and everyone are far cleaner than
they used to be. People bathe more frequently and devote more
attention to their hygiene. Among the most important developments
in this triumph were two practical miracles: indoor plumbing and
the installation of municipal sewer systems. It took a while.
As late as 1920, only one in 100 American homes had a toilet or
even a bathroom -- outhouses were standard -- and toilet paper
was a luxury. For those few with bathtubs, a full-body cleanse
was often a once-a-week ritual, and entire families might use
the same bathwater. Fogel says that even into the early 1900s,
"Chicago exported a lot of typhoid down to St. Louis,"
by disposing wastewater in the Illinois River.
Garbage disposal used to be a hit-and-miss proposition until
the 20th century. Private citizens might bury their refuse in
their backyards, take it to public incinerators, or offer it to
pigs at local farms. But eventually, local governments took over
the task. During my lifetime, every city where I've lived has
done a stellar job of hauling my trash away.
In the middle of the 19th century, the average American worked
78 hours a week, often at exhausting manual labor and without
the help of machines. As work became easier and of shorter duration,
our health soared. Technological aids like washing machines and
automatic heating systems also contributed to the rising tide
of physical well-being.
All of the improvements I've mentioned have flourished because
of the most important change of all: greater wealth and more available
resources. Despite periodic economic downturns, per capita income
in the developing nations has grown enormously in the last 150
years. Elsewhere, too: Wealth in India and China has doubled since
1989, according to The Economist magazine. As a result,
more of us have been able to afford to take better care of ourselves.
And more of us have been able to do the research and experimentation
and development that advance the common good.
Even poor people are better off than they used to be. During
the 17 years when my annual income was less than $10,000, well
below the official poverty line, I had many amenities the average
American didn't have in 1900: electricity, telephone, bathtub,
toilet, hot running water, refrigerator, radio, electric hotplate,
space heater, TV, cassette player, shampoo, public transportation,
asthma medicine, access to a laundromat, garbage collection, and
sewer system.
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For my account of the background of the above piece, "Glory
in the Highest," go here: bit.ly/a3dnP
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MORE PRONOIA RESOURCES:
YOU MAY NEED TO RETRAIN YOUR MIND TO GET THE MOST OUT OF PRONOIA
"We can no longer afford to ignore miracles . . . It is time
to enter miracle consciousness."
realitysandwich.com/miracle
THE MYSTERY THRIVES
Six Things Your Body Does That Science Can't explain
tinyurl.com/ygntt6g
PRONOIA FOR THE POOR
One man's difficult quest to build schools in the wildest parts
of Pakistan and Afghanistan
threecupsoftea.com
(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 5
Copyright 2009 by Rob Brezsny
FreeWillAstrology.com
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21):
Your anti-role model -- the person you should be the opposite
of -- is the Scorpio warrior, U.S. General George Patton, also
known as "Old Blood and Guts." He once said, "Practically
everyone but myself is a pusillanimous son of a bitch." That's
an attitude you should especially avoid in the coming weeks, since
your success will depend on you seeing the best in people -- even
if they sometimes don't seem to warrant it. P.S. It may be OK
to think of yourself as "Old Blood and Guts" if and
only if you dedicate your ferocity to the service of smart love
and ingenious collaboration.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
Congratulations, Sagittarius! Free Will Astrology's Task Force
on Creative Suffering has confirmed that your current dilemmas
are exceptionally interesting and useful. You have demonstrated
an impressive talent for getting embroiled in riddles that promise
to bring out your dormant reserves of vitality and ingenuity.
The dumfounding questions you've been wrestling with are high-caliber
tests that have drawn you closer to the heart of the reasons you're
here on Earth. Take full advantage of this beautiful mess, my
dear. Chaos this fertile is hard to come by.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19):
When Dante was nine years old, long before he became one of Italy's
supreme poets, he fell in love with Beatrice, an eight-year-old
girl he met at a May Day party. They never had a close relationship.
In the years after their initial encounter, they met infrequently,
and both eventually married other people. But Beatrice played
a crucial role throughout Dante's life, although she died at the
age of 24. She was not just his muse, but also his "beatitude,
the destroyer of all vices and the queen of virtue, salvation."
Dante even wrote her into his Divine Comedy in the role
of a guide. Is there any person or influence in your life equivalent
to Beatrice? Any once-upon-a-time blessing that might be ready
to give you the fullness of the gifts it has been waiting all
this time to deliver?
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
I would love it if you could find a sword that could cut itself.
Or a fire that could burn itself. Or some water you could wash.
But even if you can conjure the magic to attract an experience
that simply resembles one of those marvelous paradoxes, it would
set in motion a series of epiphanies that would liberate you from
an inferior paradox -- a confusing absurdity that is not worthy
of you and that has been draining your life force.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20):
The planets are aligned in such a way that suggests you may be
able to experience an orgasm solely by meditating. This rare cosmic
alignment also means that it's conceivable you could generate
money or attract new resources by following your holy bliss, or
that you might stumble upon the tricky treasure you've been looking
for in all the wrong places. But I can't say for sure that you
will actually be able to capitalize on any of these remarkable
opportunities. It will depend on whether you can more fully express
one of the skills that is your birthright as a Pisces: being wild
and disciplined at the same time.
ARIES (March 21-April 19):
There was a time when wetlands were considered dismal and unproductive.
At best they were thought to be a waste of space, and at worst
stinky breeding grounds for insect pests. For over 200 years,
many marshes, bogs, and swamps were filled with dirt and transformed
into places suitable for farms, houses, and recreational areas.
But all that has changed in the last 30 years. Science has rehabilitated
the reputation of wetlands, showing how crucial they are. They
clean toxins from water, help control floods and soil erosion,
and are home to more biological diversity than any other ecosystem.
The coming weeks would be an excellent time for you to make a
comparable conversion, Aries. Something you once demeaned or underestimated
could become an inspirational catalyst.
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LISTEN TO AN EXPANDED HOROSCOPE
In addition to the horoscopes you're reading here, I create more
in-depth audio horoscopes for your inspiration. Find out more
at RealAstrology.com.
The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888
or 1-900-950-7700.
"Your Expanded Audio Horoscopes provide me with the Rest
of the Story. I'm not necessarily a believer in the scientific
accuracy of astrology, but I do think you've got a lot of practical
wisdom to impart."
- M. Tennenbaum, New York
"No one knows more about me than me. But you're right up
there near the top of the list of people who do understand something
about how I tick. How is that possible?"
- R. Goren, Albuquerque
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TAURUS (April 20-May 20):
In the coming week, you will have the potential to articulate
what has never been spoken before and to name truths that everyone
has been avoiding. Uncoincidentally, you may also be able to hear
what you've never been able to hear up until now and tune in to
truths you've been oblivious to. As you might imagine, Taurus,
you must fully activate both of these capacities in order for
either to function at its best.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20):
Nature's rhythm is cyclical. Everything alive waxes and wanes.
If you're smart, you honor that flow by periodically letting parts
of your world wither or go to sleep. If you're not so smart, you
set yourself up for needless pain by indulging in the delusion
that you can enjoy uninterrupted growth. According to my reading
of the astrological omens, Gemini, this is your time to explore
the creative possibilities of ebbing and slackening. Ask yourself
the following question, which I've borrowed from the Jungian author
Clarissa Pinkola Estes: "What must I allow to die today in
order to generate more life tomorrow?"
CANCER (June 21-July 22):
Pregnant women sometimes have unusual cravings. From the fourth
to sixth month of her daughter's gestation period, for example,
my friend Marta was on occasion beset by the longing to eat toothpaste.
I've known other women who fantasized about nibbling on mud, coffee
grounds, and chalk. Fortunately, they all resisted the urge, which
is what health practitioners recommend. Instead they tried to
figure out if their bodies were trying to tell them about some
legitimate deficiency of vitamins or minerals. I offer this to
you as a metaphor to keep in mind. As your own special creation
ripens, you may experience odd desires. Don't necessarily take
them at face value.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22):
It might be tempting to turn your home into a womb-like sanctuary
and explore the mysteries of doing absolutely nothing while clad
in your pajamas. And frankly, this might be a good idea. After
the risks you've taken to reach out to the other side, after the
bridges you've built in the midst of the storms, after the skirmishes
you've fought in the Gossip Wars, you have every right to retreat
and get your homebody persona humming at a higher vibration. So
I say: Be meticulously leisurely as you celebrate the deep pleasures
of self-care.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
"Hey Rob: I was having trouble finishing my novel -- typical
writer's block. So I sidetracked myself into making silly creative
projects -- papier-mache chickens, masks made out of junk mail,
collages incorporating bottle caps and dryer lint. I can't say
any of it is 'art,' but I feel creative again and my house is
full of colorful stuff I whipped up myself. If you wait to be
perfect, I concluded, you'll never make anything. I tried something
I knew I'd be bad at, so failure didn't matter. Now I'm branching
out with my inadequacy -- not waiting for Mr. Perfect but having
a beer with Joe Flawed, forgetting to be right all the time, admitting
that I haven't a clue. I've become smilingly, brilliantly dumb.
-Inappropriate Virgo." Dear Inappropriate: Congrats! You're
doing exactly what I want to advise all Virgos everywhere to try.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22):
At a yard sale today, I paid a dollar for a stained, pocket-sized
horoscope book with many of its pages missing. The reason I made
such an odd investment is that it had a forecast for Libra for
the first part of November 2009, and this forecast struck me as
even more useful than the horoscope I had composed for you. As
a public service, I'm providing it here. "The graceful dragonfly
lives for just a few months. But a sequoia tree's time on earth
can last 2,000 years. In the same way, some bonds, some creations,
some worlds, endure for a mere blink in eternity, while others
are destined to outfox the ravages of time. What will be the lifespan
of the dream you recently hatched, Libra? It is time to decide
and take action."
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HOMEWORK:
I invite you to launch a crusade to raise the level of well-being
everywhere you go. Report results by going to FreeWillAstrology.com
and clicking on "Email Rob."
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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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Will Astrology Weekly Newsletter
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Contents of the Free Will Astrology Newsletter are Copyright
2009 Rob Brezsny
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