FOUNDER Leo J. McGovern III PUBLISHER & EDITOR IN CHIEF Dan Fox [email protected] SENIOR EDITOR Erin Hall [email protected] magazine.com PHOTO EDITOR Adrienne Battistella [email protected] COMICS EDITOR Caesar Meadows [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITORS Holly Devon [email protected] Norah Emily [email protected] Robert Landry [email protected] Beck Levy [email protected] Andru Okun [email protected] Elizabeth Vash Williams [email protected] ADVERTISING [email protected] WRITERS William Archambeault Lyn Archer Kevin Barrios Jules Bentley Yvette Del Rio Terra Durrio Bill Heintz Raphael Helfand Maeve Holler Christina Igoe Ben Miotke Jean Morphy Alynda Segarra Ian Willson PHOTOGRAPHERS Paris Achenbach "KINDNESS IS A CHOICE, ONE THAT MUST BE Zach Brien Jared Landry Lenore Seal MADE OVER AND OVER, IN SMALL WAYS AND Casey Shaw Brandt Vicknair BIG ONES, IN PRIVATE AND IN PUBLIC. IT’S A ILLUSTRATORS Victoria Allen Happy Burbeck CHOICE THAT REQUIRES SACRIFICE." P. 50 Ben Claassen III Kiernan Dunn Melissa Guion Katie O'Connor Ben Passmore Growing up, I wasn’t a huge fan of going this mission by carving it into a tree. the man still got what he wanted—it Kallie Tifeaux to synagogue. My forced attire was stiff But lightning struck the tree and just didn’t look like the thing he first SNAIL MAIL and uncomfortable, the services always blew it up. He grew up to be a wealthy envisioned. In this season of blind P.O. Box 2215 crawled along like a slow drip, and the man and—supposedly one-upping consumption and desire, it might be Gretna, LA 70054 worship sounded especially mindless himself after the tree-lightning worth thinking about how our own egos to a rebellious young whippersnapper thing—commissioned a towering might be getting in the way of what’s LETTER TO THE EDITOR: [email protected] like myself. God was like, so great, he building made of stone, in which his really important to our survival, both was the greatest great that ever greated, name was engraved across the front in as individuals and as a collective. I hope cover photo of HiGH don’t ever question or forget it. Amen. huge letters. That’ll stand forever, he you find in this issue (and really all at Euclid Records It was all pretty hard to swallow. I was certainly thought. But as it goes with issues of ANTIGRAVITY) many stories by Adrienne Battistella either crawling out of my skin with the poor schmucks in these fables, an of compassion and giving, whether photo this page of agonizing boredom or dead asleep. Yet earthquake struck, leveling the building it’s the lovable louts in HiGH coming Renee DeVille performing for the somehow, despite my near-catatonic (and the man’s name) to rubble, foiling together through thick and thin, Puerto Mr. Pole America Competition state, one of the rabbi’s stories slipped his wishes yet again. So he gave up Rican musicians helping their fellow at Awakenings Pole Fitness by Lyn Archer through and resonates with me even and decided to become a retired elder, artists hit by Hurricane Maria, or in today. I’d like to share it with you now, teaching children about the Torah the raw remembrance of the unbound dear readers, as we draw one hell of a and other Jewish lore and lessons. life of our friend Shiloh. It’s our central year to a close. It’s an old Jewish tale, And wouldn’t you know, his students mission here at AG HQ to preserve whose origin I haven’t been able to (and their students, and so on) carried these stories as best we can. We might locate (despite asking half the Diaspora those teachings—along with the man’s lose this particular publication to a @antigravitymag for a reference), so I’ll have to embellish name—far past his own lifetime. fire, massive data loss, or just the slow, it a little here. unyielding grind of time itself, but One reason I like this story so much hopefully the ideas (and a few stories) It goes something like this: There is that not only does it succinctly will survive. That’s the idea, anyway. was a man who wanted his name to illustrate the folly and short-sighted Happy Holidays. —Dan Fox live on forever, so he started out on nature of a person’s ego, but in the end, 4 * ANTIGRAVITY * DECEMBER 2017 DECEMBER 2017 * ANTIGRAVITY * 5 STAR HUSTLER BY CHRISTINA IGOE @iamastrology The planet Saturn is named after the Greek God Cronus. Cronus came to power by overthrowing his father; he stayed in power by eating all of his offspring after learning they would eventually do the same to him. In our charts, Saturn is exactly like this mythology: it will do everything in its ability to stay on the course it wants for you. Ultimately, the roles of Saturn expect order. Saturn expects empowerment, ownership, and responsibility. Of course, these themes are broad and land in different people’s laps very differently. Generations of people all had a common idea of what exactly it meant to be responsible, and have complained about how the younger generations feel too individual in their feats. As Saturn influences and moves the tides socially, we undo some of the hard rules that were set before us to create our best, most responsible selves. The people who hold tight to rules might be upset that they were bound by these things that someone new doesn’t respect; but Saturn wants to unbind, for the betterment of order. On the 21st of this month, Saturn enters Capricorn. It was last in this placement from 1988 to 1991, and before that 1959 to 1962. This is its most comfortable and structurally sound placement because Saturn rules Capricorn naturally. Saturn will be in Capricorn until December of 2020. On a global level, we can expect: order in our systems, lots of hardwon change, and wakeup calls in spaces that are crumbling and unhealthy because they haven’t been prioritized. On a more personal level, this is a good time to get your ducks in a row, your bearings before moving on. Going is a satisfying road to self-discovery. as they say. If there are goals you want to reach, what do you need to do to get there? into the new year, your main resolution Physical health becomes a huge focus, This is a time to look at your life pragmatically and see what steps you need to take to should be finding joy and lightness in the and it is critical to approach yours fully get to where you want to be. Money is a part of it, health is a part of it, ownership is a reality of being a human. during this period. Going into the new part of it. You can wish on all the stars and consult all the horoscopes; but a lot of the year, see a doctor for a physical and time, first steps need to be physical, actual steps in bettering our lives. CANCER routine blood work. Ask about that weird thing you’ve been freaking out It is unique and exciting that the sun and Saturn move from Sagittarius to Capricorn There are plenty of signs that crumble about for years. within a day of each other. Our ideas and motivations will shift so fully in the days under the pressure of Saturn. Cancer, surrounding the winter solstice that it’s a good time for a lot of conversation and you may overreact, dramatically reenact, VIRGO meditation around how we feel liberated but motivated, how we feel like moving with and share every feeling you have ever purpose, and how we know our worth in what we make and how we live. had, but you are not weak. Saturn energy Saturn is moving from making an checks in with your sign regularly, uncomfortable square to your sign to a because your opposition sign, Capricorn, pleasant trine on the 21st of this month, is ruled by it. You are no stranger to taking away some of the pressure that ARIES When Saturn enters Capricorn on the regular check-ins with self-worth, has been smushing you off and on for 21st, there will be a very pronounced cleaning house, and creating healthier three years. When we see ourselves In the beginning of this month, the sun, direction in your life that will last for boundaries. While the opposition of through a trine, we believe in ourselves, Venus, and Saturn are all still working at least the next two years. This change Saturn will bring these exercises into and we feel more able. Virgo, the on propping you up to feel motivation might happen overnight or gradually, a more life-altering placement in your homework of this transit is to find the and direction in your identity, love life, but it is very important that you create chart, this opposition will be less jarring creative outlet that truly makes you and purpose. The new moon on the 18th space for this breakthrough. With a to your sign than every other sign in feel whole. Do you make things for is an especially potent day to realize strong Saturn influence we want to the zodiac. Still, this transit defines a function or beauty? Is it worthwhile if your power and ability as you shape and understand worth; and sometimes lot about your lifetime, Cancer. You can it’s not physically functional or clear shift everything you touch. When Saturn things we felt completely incapable of be aware of what makes you feel best to everyone? Of course it is, but Saturn enters Capricorn on the 21st, followed are exactly what we end up doing when and not do it, because you don’t find the will test your allegiance to your craft in by the sun the next day and Venus a few Saturn shows up.