A00210 - Book of the Month for the Month of November 2023: Astrotopia by Mary-Jane Rubinstein
November is Native American Heritage Month, also known as National American Indian Heritage Month
In recognition of the month, I had planned on reading Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo. However, a book that has been on mind for some time seems to be more appropriate for this Native American Heritage Month.
The book I have chosen for this Native American Heritage Month is Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space Race by Mary-Jane Rubinstein. I think you will find the connection once you begin reading the book.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
November 3, 2023
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2023 at 04:19:31 AM PDT
Subject: Book of the Month for the Month of October 2023: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius: The Book of Everett, Volume One
Over the years, I have had many Zen daily calendars which contain quotes that tend to have a Zen theme. During those years, I have tried to collect the daily quotes that particularly resonated with me. They have been a personal collection that I call The Book of Everett. There are now two volumes The Book of Everett. Volume One of The Book of Everett happens to contain three quotes from Marcus Aurelius, the Philosopher/Emperor of the Roman Empire. The three quotes in my book are
"Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them."
"He who sees what is now has seen all things, whatsoever comes to pass from everlasting and whatsoever shall be unto everlasting time."
"When you arise in the mornning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ... "
88888
Over the weekend, while living amongst the Joshua Trees, I finished reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. There is a great deal to contemplate in this book. Two of the segments that I include are
"40. Constantly regard the universe as one living being, having one substance and one soul; and observe how all things have reference to one perception, the perception of this one living being; and how all things act with one movement; and how all things are cooperating causes of all things which exist; observe too the continuous spinning of the thread and the contexture of the web.
"41. "You are a little soul bearing about a corpse" as Epictetus used to say."
"42. It is no evil for things to undergo change, and no good for things to subsist in consequence of change."
Meditations, Book Four.
"13. I am composed of the formal and the material. Neither of them will perish into non-existence, as neither of them came into existence out of non-existence. Every part of me then will be reduced by change into some part of the universe, and that again will change into another part of the universe, and so on forever. And by consequence of such a change I too exist, and those who begot me, and so on forever in the other direction. For nothing hinders us from saying so, even if the universe is administered according to definite periods."
Meditations, Book Five
There is so much more to say. However, it is October 31 and I must get ready for November. However, before leaving, in response to a query from my Victorville cousins, "Yes, I believe in immortality." And to all one of the more recent additions to The Book of Everett is this quote from Richard Jefferies:
It is eternity now, I am in the midst of it. It is about me in the sunshine; I am in it; as the butterfly in the light-laden air. Nothing has to come; it is now. Now is eternity; now is the immortal life.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 03:55:53 AM PDT
Subject: Book of the Month for the Month of October 2023: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Last week, I finished reading Surviving Death by Leslie Kean, and on September 30, I finished reading The Song of Bernadette by Franz Werfel. Surviving Death was interesting but a bit disappointing in not exploring the rather abundant documented afterlife beliefs and practices of other cultures and the prolific afterlife beliefs of many established religions. In conjunction with these worldwide beliefs and practices, it seems clear to me that there is life after death. And The Song of Bernadette simply confirmed that an afterlife consciousness can continue to exist thousands of years after the body is gone.
It is now October 17, and there is not much time left in the month. So, for October 2023, I have decided to read a small book by a very important man. The book for the Month of October 2023 is Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Those who venture into its pages will understand why.
Peace,
Everett "Skip" Jenkins
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