Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life

By Len Wallick

Most of us have been told. Some of us understand. Few live it. Today is all we have. This moment is all there is. Be here now. Here now be. Now be here. Be now here. Now here be. What is in the past, even the immediate past, is done. What is in the future, even a few moments hence is but a speculation.

If ever there were a day to appreciate the now, it is this one with Jupiter conjunct Uranus in the first degree of Aries. Those of you who have been regular readers of Planet Waves are already briefed on some of the implications of this conjunction. Self actualization comes to pass. Our old paradigms are no longer able to contain our reality. We’re becoming aware of how we live and the consequences. There are auspicious gatherings and meetings. Indications are that the implicit will be come explicit, but that is for posterity to determine.

There is one thing however — clear, undeniable and empirical — about the now when Jupiter conjoins Uranus in Aries. Nobody reading this will see it again. Nor will our children. Nor will their children. The last time it happened was on July 15, 1927. The next time, well, your correspondent cannot say. Every ephemeris available does not show it happening again in this millennium. That’s right, between now and through the year 2999 Jupiter will conjoin Uranus many times (on average, once every 14 years) but not in Aries, not again.

Here, be now.

So, what are we to make of this unique day, never to be repeated for as long as we know? One would propose the first realization that every day is like that. Every moment consists of a unique combination of events that will not be duplicated again. How many of them do we allow to slip by without appreciation because we are angry about the past or worried about the future? Most of them? How many times does it take for us to be fully present in and conscious of the now in order for our lives to be changed for ever? One of them?

It’s like a lotto with a winner every second. First prize, only prize, the beginning of the Universe. Everybody is holding a winning ticket but almost nobody is claiming their prize. What’s up with that?

That’s life. That’s a big part of the answer. We are busy, more and more all the time. We’re occupied with staying fed, sheltered and clothed and doing the same for loved ones who depend on us. So often it’s a matter of running as fast as one can to stay in the same place. Then we fall into bed troubled by so much not done, only to hit the floor running the next morning, terrified of getting behind.

Mars in Virgo knows something about that. Applying ourselves to get things done. Chiron in Pisces, opposing Mars today, knows about what it takes out of us. Working the bind implied by the opposition means negotiating both sides separately. On the one side the grounded mutable warrior with focus and precision. On the other the wise teacher with the holistic viewpoint. The twain shall never meet, but they can be balanced.

Given the orientation of the Sacred Warrior Opposition to the Everlasting Conjunction, the key word would seem to be adjustment. Taking it a little further the key question would seem to be “What can you live with?”. That’s because Chiron has almost precisely 30 degrees of separation from Jupiter-Uranus. That’s a semi-sextile. Mars is 150 degrees away, that’s a quincunx. Both are degrees of aversion. Whatever qualities the signs are imparting upon the four planets involved are out of conjunction.

Mars, finally getting up to speed direct, will resolve this aspect of alienation by moving towards opposition. That’s in character. One would expect the Red Warrior in Virgo to be up front. Not confrontational for it’s own sake you understand, but in the interest of the proverbial “get `er done” ethic.

With Chiron, it’s not so simple. By the time it retrogrades back into Aquarius for the rest of the year, Uranus will be on its way back to Pisces with Jupiter tumbling after. In other words the inconjunct will sustain like a Wagnerian composition – movement after movement, scene after scene in search of a resolving note. The holistic will have to wait for the practical. One can almost sense the Pluto in Capricorn influence here placing emphasis on what’s good for business.

Don’t lose faith. Uranus will turn direct in December and return to Aries next year. Pluto will meet its match and what’s good for business will take on a whole new meaning. Look at it this way, the resolution is in evolution. We will hear that note soon enough.

Offered In Service

40 thoughts on “Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life”

  1. I just laughed out loud!

    After reading the latest posts I caught myself thinking, “If only we were so much closer I would invite you over for (and yes, I thought it)… COFFEE!!” 🙂

    I have to write an essay so can’t linger but I too hope others will join the commentary. I learn so much reading and contemplating the thoughts and views of others.

    So please share them.

    xo
    Patricia MoonRose

  2. patricia, hazel, morgana —

    thank you so much for continuing this dialogue!

    i can’t take a lot of time to elaborate, but i especially appreciate that you’ve taken the time to offer some suggestions, patricia. it’s a constant exploration to find the balance that works for the most people in this situation, and the more minds we have thinking creatively, the quicker we’ll find new solutions.
    thank you!

  3. Patricial – bless you for your comments. And suggestions.

    Re subscription, it seems to me, that at PW, there is an openness that allows folks to contact E et al, and explain their circumstances and work something out. That has been my experience, and I believe others too. And if it becomes too much like ‘free beer’ I reckon they handle that too, gently and frankly.

    Love that you would immediately think to help us temporary strugglers out – though, I really am okay for now – but thank you so much for thinking it.

    I would also add my thanks to Len, who has given me time and benefit of his fine brain, and Mysti who has given me insight and blessings. I have never met them in person, however they reached across and it was much appreciated.

    H.

  4. That 88$ can feel like a lot in one go though it may sound ridiculous to say so.

    Not ridiculous at all. I do the monthly sub @ $9.94 for just that reason. It “feels” more manageable to me that way.

  5. Amanda and Hazel, I really appreciated both of your posts. Very thoughtful and relevant.

    I want to offer something further.

    I think what Len said was truly meant good-naturedly, and I’m pretty sure he didn’t take the time to weigh those words and how they might affect his and PW’s audience. He is a contributor at PW and therefore is widely read and respected for what he writes, which is justified, so to make a comment like that to his supporters denied the responsibilities inherent in that role. In my opinion, this is one of the main takeaways from this occurrence.

    It’s not the point he was trying to make, it’s how he made the point. And those in a leadership role are always held to a higher standard than, say, if I made that comment as just a participator/reader.

    Amanda, the main difference I see in your fundraising job and here on PW is the personal contact made: the phone calls. I’m pretty sure that the folks whose doors I’ve been knocking on to collect census data would not nearly be as responsive to a letter (they’ve already not responded to that measure). But, when I greet them cheerfully and, if they ask or sometimes even if they don’t, explain to them what the purpose of the data is, I build a connection with them that’s so much different when done in person (even moreso than the phone). I’ve seen expressions of understanding come across their face regarding why this data is so important to our city (or any city for that matter). You are very right: the work just needs to feel important to someone. And a conversation is a great way to help someone understand or point out things they may not see or yet consider. When you hear someone say “we need your help” it can and often does strike a chord in our human nature.

    So PW has a great challenge in that way: it’s web-based.

    There are two publications I subscribe to, and both send me something in the mail. One is “Lesbian Connection” and I received issues (bi-monthly) for about a year and a half before I subscribed. At the bottom of their cover page it says “Free to lesbians worldwide, but the suggested donation is $7/issue (more if you can, less if you can’t).” And every month they have a small section where they publish readers’ comments about how the publication (it’s a community of sorts) made a difference for them, whether they were receiving it free or were helping to pay for someone else. There came a time when I could pay the fee, and I did, but it had also been working on me in a way that didn’t feel good to continue to receive something for free when I could indeed pay, even when I really thought I could not, especially after hearing of others in truly dire straits (that wasn’t me) and also hearing of others helping to cover those in that situation (and me too, since I wasn’t yet paying). Is that guilt? No, I think my values were re-orienting and I was paying attention to my gut feelings (maybe that is guilt).

    I think I said it before, and this is in no way a judgmental call, some people for whatever reason holds true for them will always take the freebie without consideration of the wider picture. But some people do see the bigger picture in that. Whether it’s taking advantage of a situation or a person, not giving credit where credit is due, not putting money behind their values, or any other reason that can be considered about why people are ok with getting something for nothing. And that’s not necessarily the case with PW because folks have to subscribe to get that something and it may be that ‘unknown’ variant that, in part, holds them back.

    My grandfather’s favorite beer was “free beer”. And he never felt bad about this for one second, or it surely never was evident when he split the party every time it was his turn to “buck up”. He never considered the bigger picture or the consequences of his actions.

    These are just the facts of life. There must be some consideration of that here on PW (and I’m not suggesting that there isn’t already) through and beyond all of its wonderful ideology it holds and enacts. We’re all trying to be the best humans we can be, and this is a process. It takes time.

    Give people appropriate space and encouragement, and set the example, and that will take its toll much more effectively than coffee commentary. 😉

    I like the idea of setting up something where folks can contribute to help others (like, my inclination is to send money to Amanda and Hazel and wandering_yeti, even when I don’t “feel” as though I have it). That’s something I can get behind as it brings out my nurturing and ideological side. I also like the idea of a monthly subscription or the 6-mos fee becoming the annual fee, or both. It may increase your subscribers. Offering the subscriber service for free again would be another option, knowing that those that have been paying probably would continue, and then you might also get the added benefit of those whose values will shift in progress and end up signing up somewhere along the way later.

    Maybe we should collectively consider solutions or suggestions?

    Good morning.

    Patricia MoonRoose

  6. Amanda – Splendidly put. Summed up exactly what I was thinking and feeling.

    Personally, after many fine years, I found myself in tough times financially and also found PW incredibly supportive. Initially I felt a tad embarassed by that support – bit of a proudly independent girl me – but I quickly realised that I can’t afford to be proud, and eventually allowed PW to help, plus any other lovely chums out there who have given amazing things to me in order to help me out. For the most part without my asking. It was an incredibly, deeply, loving thing to open up and let others to give to me in this way – something new for me, that’s for sure.

    Fortunes changed once again, and I was able to get back to normal (well ‘ish). That 88$ can feel like a lot in one go though it may sound ridiculous to say so. I understand and know first hand what it feels like to be wondering where the rent will come from – that subscription fee can feel like the furthest down the list of priorities. It’s true that in those times, even a monthly fee would help, rather than a half year.

    You guys work your socks off here, and it has to be paid for – end of.
    No guilt trips, just gratitude and you pay when you can.
    Love.

  7. regarding len’s comment about “those who choose to spend less on planet waves than on coffee,” i just wanted to offer a take on it. i’m a bit sleepy so hopefully this will come out right.

    several months ago it dawned on me to actually calculate how much a subscription costs per week, since to my stressed finances, $88 felt like a real chunk of change. when i saw that it breaks down to $1.69 per week, i realized that’s equal to or less than what many people (not everyone, of course) spend on a coffee drink every day, let alone every week. i was amazed.

    it seemed to me a great way to help put a subscription into perspective when i talk to subscribers on the phone: suddenly it might feel quite a bit more manageable for many people who do have a little wiggle room in their discretionary spending.

    after all, i too am scraping by yet somehow manage to find the money for certain little things i value on a regular basis. there are some things i tell myself i cannot afford when really it may be a matter priorities and remembering all that i value.

    this is not the case for many people; there are many who truly do not have discretionary income.

    and if you are one of those people, and especially if you have subscribed or would subscribe if it were not impossible (or currently do), then really there is no reason to think that any “guilt trip” — real or perceived, intended or not — is aimed at you personally.

    it is not.

    i worked for 6 years fundraising on the telephone for a citizen-action non-profit group. i and everyone else who worked there were there because we care about people, the environment, the general state of the world and our immediate communities. thus, we tended to be a sensitive, empathizing bunch — sometimes to our detriment as fundraisers.

    so our supervisor would occasionally remind us of her own situation: she’s a single mom of two kids whose day care costs eat up a huge chunk of her non-profit-sector paycheck, and her ex didn’t work and therefore wasn’t much help with child support. yet even in her incredibly tight budget, she could find $10 per month to give back to the very organization she worked for. true, it might mean not getting that saturday night treat pizza one week per month. but she reminded us that if she could do it, many of the other people we spoke with could, too: it just needed to feel important to them. the work we did had to be something they valued and consciously recognized as such.

    not everyone i spoke with fell into that category: for example, the elderly woman in a very rural town who told me she and her husband could no longer afford to buy meat. i would have gladly been fired immediately than try to convince her we deserved some of her money. luckily, the organization is more humane than that.

    so, to those reading who either do give and subscribe or else truly cannot but would like to: please bear with us and the constant reminders. all of here at PW really value your input and support.

    many of us involved behind the scenes at PW are just scraping by along with you (yeti: i too am trying to figure out how to pay rent — a week late — and likely will have to use most of my overdraft protection on my account to do so, then figure out the other bills i’m behind on. i totally understand the stress, fear, and frustration you are feeling and why len’s comment became a lightning rod for that).

    and many of those behind the scenes are not getting paid for all or any of their writing contributions; *that* is how much it takes to run planet waves, put out the amazing subscription issues and make this blog look as good as it does, with the thought-provoking, compassionate, sincere content we all love to read and comment on. believe me — eric does not scrimp on the love and effort he puts into the blog compared to the subscription services; they are just slightly different beasties.

    for a couple of years i read the monthly horoscopes back when they were free and would visit the blog once in a while. i never would have guessed at that time how much time, effort and money it takes to put it all out there. now that i have a better sense… well, it’s astonishing that we don’t feature paid advertisements. it’s really quite an oasis in that regard.

    offered with respect, empathy and gratitude,
    amanda

  8. Hi Len and Everyone, especially my Arian twin, jseward,

    I felt Jupiter coming in on Saturday when, out of the clear blue, everything seemed fresh and new and happy. Yes, I had almost $1,000 of dental work to plan for (and this after insurance), no, I don’t have the funds but this is necessary so I know I’ll find it, yes the mess in the Gulf is still beyond horrific, yes everything is still the same. The only difference is that I feel happy above and beyond and despite the horror of it all. On a deep inner layer I know that we will come through this and be better for it, and the discomforts and insecurities and instability cannot change the fact that it’s going to be alright. That’s how I feel right now. That it will be alright in the end, even if it sucks raw eggs right now and will suck raw rotten eggs for some time to come. That the lesson will be hard and will probably be unpleasant, there is no doubt. We’ve been given a wonderful gift; an opportunity to pull away from fossil fuels and develop some real alternatives. It is time for the Positive Pioneer to come back to us. I am ready.

  9. It was a lovely Tuesday, Len, and thank you for this. Indeed, “the first day of the rest of my life.” I spent the day happy, far less busy at work than I should have been (though it seems I’ll make up for it today), and felt a sense of calm anticipation about the future. Friday next week is my last day at the current job. Then, I’m cleaning up/vacating my current place, putting my dog and whatever else I can carry in my SUV, and moving 440 miles to my new locale in early July. Then I’m getting rid of my SUV (though very grateful that the Fates provided it to me during a difficult time). One of Eric’s astrology mentors has said about Summer 2010 and the T-square (apropos to Libra) that there’s “real, rare, raw magic at work.” I’m really feeling it right now. My world is alive with possibilities.

  10. Thanks Len,
    From downunder, to the many who have stated that we spend money on coffee etc instead of subscribing to planet waves is a no no, well yes if we do waste money but no,having raised two kids on my own from dipers with no help whatsoever with no family and every drama from broken bones to ashma and now finished school and still at home, money has been a huge issue, even trying to grow stuff to get by, I have relied on sites like planet waves and P Kale to get through at times, to find enough to spend on a subscibution would be a godsend, I wish some more would apreciate those in difficult circumstances for a change.
    Thanks Len for taking to get back to me at times when you appear to be extremely busy.
    Meanwhile my work is in a caring situation and I am helping mostly males, some very spastic with everything from personal hygine to activities and the other cares (all female)
    The probem we are having is huge in the case of an old matriarch of 69 years who should have been put to pasture years ago,in control of the organisation, constantly nagging and venting her anger upsetting a lot of staff, she constantly gives me hell and I think her unresolved issues go back to Joan of Arc, one may say why dont you get the hell out of there but there is so much love expressed by the clients and limited other other venues I am gaining insight from this site and hopefully the new energies will help disipate the old warn out energies so the likes of myself can see some light at the end of the tunnel.
    Don Downunder

  13. Dearest Len, Thank YOU! And thanks to everyone else in our amazing community. Here is what it felt like to be an Aries today on this day like no other. I woke up wondering how I might feel different; I had been warned, but was not expecting to be vibrating – yes, I spent the first hours of the morning, as Jupiter officially conjoined Uranus, just kind of humming and having a very “in body” experience. During the day, there were periods where I just simply couldn’t speak. Len, your advice on “be here now” was completely taken to heart, and followed. Weather-wise, if there was ever a finer day in Western Massachussetts, I don’t remember it. It was simply spectacular, and I felt called to be outdoors, just in it, reveling – a quiet, humming excitement, feeling very alive. I felt like I was part of a large celestial celebration. And I kept feeling like it was my birthday – my real, true birthday, as opposed to the one I celebrated exactly two months ago to the day. So, yes, I’ve been born again, into a planetary consciousness that will stay with me forever. It’s a new day, it’s a new world, and we’re all called –

    Offered in community,
    Jan Seward

  14. Len, shebear13, sarah taylor, Hazel;, awordedgewise, zk and michele,

    I thank you for your words of solace, remembrance and advice. It seems to have helped. Sara, you should know that my whole life (and probably yours too) seems to be an extended metaphor. I believe zk wanting a new toilet set (or is it seat?) is probably a metaphor, as is aword’s bedroom getting painted once upon a time, and Hazel’s food cravings. A desire for change; for something different. Or maybe, like the birds and bees; do they do it because they want to settle down or do they do it because something in them just knows its time? I think something in them just knows.

    Something in us just knows it’s time for change. Len puts it this way: “the resolution is in evolution” and these little agitating, or out-of-sync aspects, this aversion we feel when, like today, planets are quincunx or semisextile, they are still motivating. The way a grain of sand can become a pearl. We still try to keep up with the endless chores and the needs of others and our own, but we take a moment to do something about that grain of sand.

    Now, right now, the big picture planets and their relationships to one another tell us, if we are star watchers, that things are really, really changing. But something in us, even if we aren’t star watchers, is trying to let us know that same thing. Do we take a day off from the many chores that never get caught up, or ignore our needs and those of others and take the time to get a clear message? Not often enough, if ever. But something inside makes us get a craving to do something different or eat something different or get a new bathroom set (or seat?) Some irritating little thing like an obstinate tooth or a remark that chafes until something is done about it. It keeps us moving toward something in a more-or-less unconscious manner. Slowly evolving.

    So today being one of those days like no other, appreciate it and be in it. But if you missed it; do it tomorrow. If your lucky enough to get a tomorrow.
    be

  16. So, here’s the funniest part of the story— my brother goes to the liquor store to get a bottle of champagne to celebrate. He smirks up to owner announcing that he’s a winner. Upon inspecting the tickets, she points out the fine print and his judgment error — It was A Cherry Twist ticket Not a Bar Twist. Ug.

    So, he calls me up and we have a fucking rollicking good belly laugh on his whole “Ralph Kramden” braggadocio, and my MC effected career hopes, for a while blazing, and then dashed to the devil.

    HAHAHA!! I love it , the big cosmic Uranus joke !!

    xoxo

  17. I didn’t appreciate the guilt trip. I don’t even have enough for rent that’s due in about a week, I just graduated from college with no job in sight. Sorry about the lame comment. The article was great, but guilt trips like that aren’t going to induce me to spend money I don’t have. You can talk up the subscriber services in such a way that they make people feel they’re missing something without making jabs about people who aren’t currently subscribed. I share this site on my facebook so often I ought to get a subscription just for advertising. I’ll probably subscribe again when I get this whole rent thing figured out. So that’s why I said it was lame. Only that part of that comment, not the post in general.

  18. After 42 years of job jumping, I realised this morning this restless search (39 jobs) is driven by my VALUES. I literally cannot do something I don’t believe in. (Saturn conjunct Neptune conjunct Libran Ascendant – a classic)

    Some jobs or situations dissolved or the companies failed, sometimes the realisation of the consequences came later and I jumped but ALL have been driven by my values. (Taurus moon conjunct Mars and Jupiter in the 8th – another classic)

    I’ve been confused and a little ashamed at this history of change. But today, no longer.

    Today I realise I have never given up looking for ways to leverage a self-destructive system into a more humane, kind and gracious one and I put my own life, comfort and public opinion on the line in the search to embody my values.

    I currently have 2 jobs – one is paid to perform a service (funerals) and the other is volunteer. (managing a Buddhist Centre) After all these jumps, this is where I landed. I am content. (but not complacent!)

    No more regret. This is the moment I’ve longed for – to come out of the closet and stand for sanity in a world gone mad with fear and confusion.

    Dears – it all about our values. Never give up. Remember what you know in your bones and do what you feel is right in your heart. Even if no one agrees – do your best and stand for your own VALUES.

    Offered with joy this crisp autumn morning in Sydney,

    Linda

  19. “For those of you who are not subscribers, you may want to consider that nearly every Tuesday Eric has something special for those who choose to spend less on Planet Waves than they spend on coffee.”

    And what does he have in store for the rest of us?! 😉

    I do believe Len meant well with this statement, but my first thought was ‘guilt tactic’ and my second thought was “presumptuous”. That those of us that aren’t subscribed are frivolously spending our money elsewhere, like on coffee (which smacks of Starbucks), and which I, for one, do not drink.

    I keep a tight budget, I have no debt outside of my mortgage, I pay my credit card every month, I rarely eat out and most months I spend between $300-500 on things outside of fixed expenditures. This includes very good food which is very expensive. And in the past year I’ve donated more money than probably the sum of every year prior. I am thoughtful about where I spend my money and it’s not just a matter of trimming the fluff: I don’t have any. And a PW subscription is not pennies and nickels; I do balk at the amount.

    Visiting Planet Waves is not piracy; it’s a free resource. To get behind the scenes takes a subscription and not everyone is willing to do that. There are plenty of folks who sit in the pew every week and pass the basket; this is just a fact of life, and churches have a difficult time motivating them, too. And churches give their sales pitches too, but all the ones I’ve heard come across as “give what you can, maybe you can give a little more, either way, we love you and you’re welcome.” Some churches I’ve been to don’t pitch at all; it’s left between each individual and god/goddess.

    What has made the difference for me recently is that I am feeling more like this is a community due to my participation within it and that factor more than anything is what has motivated me to subscribe, which I am in the process of (sans an internet transaction).

    I guess I feel that gathering of the tribes here, and to have an insider’s view on all of what PW produces will allow me to feel more included and enable me to participate more fully. That’s worth subscribing for to me, and it’s wholly my choice in the matter. We each have one.

    xo
    Patricia MoonRose

  20. “does anyone else feel like they could just close their eyes and fall asleep for ten years? (random # of years.) ”

    Michele, yes, me too.

    Len, have not said for a while how very much I enjoy your writing. If you think you don’t do it so good I can’t wait to read it on a day when you DO think you do it good. 😉

    Regarding money spent on this joint….. I first connected with PW when there was a pretty active campaign to encourage anyone to subscribe even with no money as free subscriptions were offered for I believe it was three months at a time, if only one would ask. I did ask…… because I finally got a message that the offer really was meant? And I was the type of person who always felt guilty in those days for my lack of what would be considered a normal amount of resources?

    I was so grateful for the connection and for the “no trips about this” vibe with the complimentary subscription, and I was so supported by the information shared, that believe me, as soon as I did have the little bit extra I put some of it right here. I have unsubscribed and resubscribed since that time in the ebb and flow of existence, but just saying, I also now know due to my own work how very much love care and effort goes into providing quality online connections and information flow that is not full of advertising and corporate/government mind control memes…… that I honor this place for its integrity and feel it is worth every penny of the subscription cost….

    just sayin.

    😉

  21. This is funny story I like to share with you. Back in around February my brother asked me to look at his chart and tell him when he would come into money as he was beginning plans for his wedding. Well, I dont like to predict, but I did it for fun.

    At the time I was fascinated with the June 8 jupiter/uranus upcoming event, so I was looking at possible impacts on various charts. I look at his chart and see aries moon at 3 degrees in 5th house natal opposed to jupiter at 1 degree 11th and uranus 9 leo. So I tell him June 8, 2010 but start buying tickets about 1 week before. He just phoned me.

    He bought a ticket on June 1 and won a free ticket. Two days later, he bought a ticket and won $100 bucks. Today he won $3000 on yet another ticket. Not only is he “sold” on astrology and has become a believer in astrology as a science, but he bought a MEGA ticket for tomorrow night. LOL!! 😀

  22. Yes, I agree, thanks to all.
    Once Eris – Opps! I wanted to write Eric! – wrote this wonderful sentence: “However weird you think you are, there always is somebody weirder than you.”

    Everybody can say it of everybody else. This makes all more free and makes me laugh at it all.
    Love you all.

  23. Today I thank you Len, for your thoughts and wisdom, and your writing– which is more clear than you seem to think. And today I thank you all, the PW community who join with me in support of this site and all it accomplishes.

    Tricia

  24. does anyone else feel like they could just close their eyes and fall asleep for ten years? (random # of years.) could be the lack of night. i was taking pictures of the sun above the little-city skyline at 4 am. regardless, everything feels like lots of golden mellowiness.

    and i was born without wisdom teeth but i hear they hurt like hell… speedy healing. (even though it was the other tooth.) and happy dancing and arm-waving.

    and len… your writing is beautiful.

  25. P.S. I also think that part of the shifting collective dialogue we are having these days is about Money. Oh, God/dess Forbid we TALK about money directly!!!! I think being turned off and feeling the need to call someone “lame” when someone asks you to please shift your dollar-power to something you care about (and you apparently seem to enjoy if you are reading these words) is actually what is worth calling out and examining.

    ?

  26. Wandering Yeti-Why lame to state the obvious? Plenty of people who are experiencing the effects of “tight money” these days are able to contribute and don’t. Nothing wrong with reminding people (especially those of us who are struggling) that they have a lot of POWER with how they spend their money.

    Thanks Len for something soooooo WORTH it……

  27. …”for those who choose to spend less on Planet Waves than they spend on coffee.”

    Money is tight for a lot of people these days. This is just lame.

  28. Thank you, Len, thank you all.

    Len, you do manage to make things so clear and concise that I’m always in awe when I do understand what is happening to me and around me.

    I have felt so hopelessly optimistic the last few days, and today is no different: a wonderful, sunny day here in the Northwest. A nice way to celebrate the conjunction if I may say so, and one in to go outside and partake of the earth around me.

  29. Here’s what happened on July 15, 1927, from wikipedia:

    During the Austrian July Revolt of 1927 (also known as Black Friday), 84 protesters were killed by Austrian police forces[1], while four policemen died, on 15 July 1927. More than 600 people were injured.

    The clash was the result of conflict between the Social Democrats and an alliance including wealthy industrialists and the Roman Catholic Church in Austria. Both paramilitary forces had been created during the 1920s, namely the right-wing Heimwehr in 1921-1923 and the left-wing Republikanischer Schutzbund in 1923.

    A clash between those groups in Schattendorf, Burgenland, on 30 January 1927 resulted in the death of a man and a child. Right-wing veterans were indicted for those deaths at a court in Vienna in July, but acquitted in a jury trial.

    This led to a general strike which had the aim of bringing down the government headed by Chancellor Ignaz Seipel. Massive protests resulted in a fire at the Justizpalast in Vienna. Police minister Johann Schober attempted to suppress the protests with force, which resulted in 84 deaths.

  30. be – hope you feel better soon. On this day unlike any other day i thank you and all other members of the Planet Waves community who have offered their comments, perspectives, music and support. Special thanks to Eric and Fe for helping me to make sense to the readers because sometimes i don’t write so good. For those of you who are not subscribers, you may want to consider that nearly every Tuesday Eric has something special for those who choose to spend less on Planet Waves than they spend on coffee.

  34. Thank you for the song Shebear, I was expecting something far less awesome!

    Thank You Len and Eric for your words today, stabs in the heart.

    I took the day off from my job today. So far all I have decided to do is go buy a new toilet set, something i have needed to do for a loooooong time….. Maybe it will be more epic than I think 🙂

    zk

  35. Ha ha Ha zel!
    so cool, tuna!…..me? I painted my bedroom walls – took my mind off the pain – like a meditation.

  36. Len,
    Always always your words are wise, comforting, poetic, educational. Thank you.

    Be,
    Ouch! Me too, didn’t realize! Had my sideways wise-guys extracted from in the bone years back, no fun process. From my mouth to yours….may your pain be eased!

    Shebear,
    I am dancing! – each morning now dreams are following me into consciousness, being able to fill the empty houses of week/s ago with FEELING the relationships between people like mom and dad – and now being able to realize and release their baggage more fully – and by way of this process Be Here Now.

    xo

  37. Be:

    You may get weird cravings for certain foods – when all 4 of my wisdom teeth got pulled a few years ago, I was craving tuna with lemon and pepper and orange slices. I ate through a bag of oranges and many cans of tuna (don’t want to know about the mercury, don’t tell me!), but as I ate these two things, I could feel the energy getting stronger and the pain becoming less and I actually stood up straighter, literally! So, whatever craving you get, I know he didn’t pull an actual wisdom tooth, but still, go for it, if you can chew it! Your body will know and tell you and you’ll be better for it if you listen.

  38. be, I hope you’re feeling better soon! Honestly – I thought your reference to wisdom tooth extraction was an extended metaphor, and not the real and painful thing. Oops! 🙂

  39. Perfect title Len; am I ever living this.

    Dance with me wavers.
    Get up, raise your arms above your heads and dance to this new day.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24zRbtZYwmc

    P.S.
    “Be” there!….big hugs for the aching jaw and the rock solid immovable wisdom! Heal well.
    (I recommend icing the soreness, 20 minutes at a time.)

    Oh yes peeps, this is the day, your life will surely change!

  40. be here, how you doin’ Len, oh wise one? I so love the grace of just being. Here. Now. Breathing, functioning, kind of. Reading. Anticipating. But mostly just being. Soon to be chewing again I hope. I would like to add that relentless pain is another way of focusing on the now. Fully present in and conscious of.

    Talk about the surprise of Uranus (the planet), my dentist (the little trickster) took out the tooth in front and above the wisdom. Surprise! Sort of a sacrifice; something like Chiron taking on the fate of Prometheus. That perservering little wisdom, pushing for all he’s worth, tunneling sideways through the dark, demanding to see the light of day. You gotta admire that too. Sacrifice and determination. Tooth #18 will be remembered for creating the space for wisdom to surface; something to think about while I’m just
    be ing.
    And loving it!

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