The Spring Equinox: The beginning of Spring

[Overmind One]

Today is the Spring Equinox for 2015 which marks the first day of Spring. In millenia passed, the Spring Equinox was celebrated as a "holy day" and when Easter was established, it fell on this day. Later, it came to be celebrated on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, and finally the Christians started celebrating it on different days, usually a Sunday one or two weeks afterward.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/determining-easter-date.html

Looking at these celestial events and knowing their once clear connection to "holy days" is interesting. Also, if you happen to get a chance to observe high noon on any given day, note the time on your phone or watch and see how far "off" it is from the actual Noon hour (as determined by the Sun's position overhead in your location). Use a sundial or a stick in the ground to determine the actual high noon.

The next major celestial milestone is the Summer Solstice (which is the counterpart to the Winter Solstice which coincides closely with Christmas), but no Western "holy day" or celebration is attached to it. I find that interesting.

 

[Gatefan1976]

It's called Litha, and is primarily a celebration devoted to Goddesses, hardly a surprise it has been "forgotten".

 

[Overmind One]

It's called Litha, and is primarily a celebration devoted to Goddesses, hardly a surprise it has been "forgotten".

I am aware of it. It is a Wiccan Sabbat, and other pagan rituals surrounding it were regularly celebrated in Celtic and other European cultures. But somehow Christianity and Judaism never attached a holiday to it. The Ancient Egyptians associated it with Osiris and oriented several structures to mark it on the sunset of the Summer Solstice. This is also true of Stonehenge.

It has been my (pleasant) experience that studying the so-called pagan celebrations and marking of events seemed to be far more meaningful, in a scientific sense, than the religious holidays that once shared them and then drifted for political reasons. And let's not forget the original 10-month (pre Julian and Gregorian) calendars which were based on the Lunar cycles. They made more sense than the methods we use today, and they told us about the state of our position in Solar Year. Everything is so out of sync with that now...

 

[Gatefan1976]

I am aware of it. It is a Wiccan Sabbat, and other pagan rituals surrounding it were regularly celebrated in Celtic and other European cultures. But somehow Christianity and Judaism never attached a holiday to it.

Why would a male dominated monotheistic religious structure give a female divine concept anything?

The Ancient Egyptians associated it with Osiris and oriented several structures to mark it on the sunset of the Summer Solstice. This is also true of Stonehenge.

You might find it is more associated with Isis, and the passing of Ra's "power"

It has been my (pleasant) experience that studying the so-called pagan celebrations and marking of events seemed to be far more meaningful, in a scientific sense, than the religious holidays that once shared them and then drifted for political reasons. And let's not forget the original 10-month (pre Julian and Gregorian) calendars which were based on the Lunar cycles.

There are 13 lunar cycles per year, not 10, ask any woman.

They made more sense than the methods we use today, and they told us about the state of our position in Solar Year. Everything is so out of sync with that now...

Keep investigating, you may work out why.

 

[Overmind One]

Why would a male dominated monotheistic religious structure give a female divine concept anything?

You might find it is more associated with Isis, and the passing of Ra's "power"

There are 13 lunar cycles per year, not 10, ask any woman.

Keep investigating, you may work out why.

Excellent clues there...especially the lunar cycles info! There are 13, which means that the original "year" probably was divided into 13 months and not 10. Why the negative connotations attached with the number 13? Could it be related to this? So many pagan rituals centering on Earth Mother...

Im always trying to unravel this sort of shit. Thanks for these bits of info.

 

[shavedape]

Not to be confused with the Styx album Equinox, which every stoner had in their album collection back in the late 70's, go figure.

 

[Rac80]

this song says it all - especially for Boston this year:

 

[Gatefan1976]

Excellent clues there...especially the lunar cycles info! There are 13, which means that the original "year" probably was divided into 13 months and not 10. Why the negative connotations attached with the number 13? Could it be related to this? So many pagan rituals centering on Earth Mother...

Im always trying to unravel this sort of shit. Thanks for these bits of info.

MONOTHEISTIC PATRIARCHAL BELIEF SYSTEM!!
Jeez man, how many more clues do you need??
13 lunar cycles, 13 menstrual cycles for women, women being "unclean" during this time, do you really wonder why 13 is seen as a "evil number" by a system that cares about shooting it's spuds??
Really??

 

[Overmind One]

MONOTHEISTIC PATRIARCHAL BELIEF SYSTEM!!
Jeez man, how many more clues do you need??
13 lunar cycles, 13 menstrual cycles for women, women being "unclean" during this time, do you really wonder why 13 is seen as a "evil number" by a system that cares about shooting it's spuds??
Really??

Of course I see that. Why the ranting? I want to understand when the matriarchal belief systems were subdued by the patriarchal systems and why. Im doing some studying.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Of course I see that. Why the ranting? I want to understand when the matriarchal belief systems were subdued by the patriarchal systems and why. Im doing some studying.

Men could beat the shit out of women?
It made them feel good?

Here is a big one, there is no room for equality in MONOtheism?

The ranting is due to frustration.

 

[Overmind One]

Men could beat the shit out of women?
It made them feel good?

Here is a big one, there is no room for equality in MONOtheism?

The ranting is due to frustration.

There is no room for equality in ANY of the world's organized religions today which is why I do not associate with them. However, the first monotheist religion of the Sun (The Aten) has nothing to do with subjugating women or following gender-based dogma. All religions centering around sun worship had (have) equal consideration for both genders. Judaism and Christianity are patriarchal, as are all the Semitic religions. Worship of the Sun and Deism are not patriarchal concepts.

Religions focusing on men OR women are lame.

 

[ecgordon]

Religions focusing on men OR women are lame.

There, fixed that for you.

 

[Overmind One]

There, fixed that for you.

I agree. I am not a religious man.

 

[ecgordon]

I'm not either, but I wouldn't try to argue that I'm not spiritual. The thing I have against religions are that they are legalistic - do it this way, believe these specifics, or else! Same reason I can't claim allegiance to any political party.

 

[Overmind One]

I'm not either, but I wouldn't try to argue that I'm not spiritual. The thing I have against religions are that they are legalistic - do it this way, believe these specifics, or else! Same reason I can't claim allegiance to any political party.

I am VERY spiritual. I actually do believe in a "supreme being" (the Universe) which if defined, might be considered Deist. But Im definitely not religious even though I am techically not an athiest.

 

[ecgordon]

Then we're pretty close on this issue. Deism is about the closest I've found to express my inclinations. At other times I think of myself as either an Existentialist or a Spiritual Humanist.

 

[YJ02]

Today is the Spring Equinox for 2015 which marks the first day of Spring. In millenia passed, the Spring Equinox was celebrated as a "holy day" and when Easter was established, it fell on this day. Later, it came to be celebrated on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox, and finally the Christians started celebrating it on different days, usually a Sunday one or two weeks afterward.

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/determining-easter-date.html

View attachment 31012
Looking at these celestial events and knowing their once clear connection to "holy days" is interesting. Also, if you happen to get a chance to observe high noon on any given day, note the time on your phone or watch and see how far "off" it is from the actual Noon hour (as determined by the Sun's position overhead in your location). Use a sundial or a stick in the ground to determine the actual high noon.

The next major celestial milestone is the Summer Solstice (which is the counterpart to the Winter Solstice which coincides closely with Christmas), but no Western "holy day" or celebration is attached to it. I find that interesting.

because winter and spring solstices are the two that can be most capitalized psychologically--

winter = depression-talk of new hope and coming "anything" and ppl will believe it

spring= high hopes, new birth--confirms the religious promises-psychologically-of Christmas with Easter

there is no psychological harvest for summer--it was preceded by new birth of life and follwed by continuance of wild life and greenery--can't cash in from that

 

[Gatefan1976]

because winter and spring solstices are the two that can be most capitalized psychologically--

winter = depression-talk of new hope and coming "anything" and ppl will believe it

spring= high hopes, new birth--confirms the religious promises-psychologically-of Christmas with Easter

there is no psychological harvest for summer--it was preceded by new birth of life and follwed by continuance of wild life and greenery--can't cash in from that

Equinox dude, not solstice

 

[YJ02]

Equinox dude, not solstice

equinox,solstice--whatever latin word fits

 

[shavedape]

because winter and spring solstices are the two that can be most capitalized psychologically--

winter = depression-talk of new hope and coming "anything" and ppl will believe it

spring= high hopes, new birth--confirms the religious promises-psychologically-of Christmas with Easter

there is no psychological harvest for summer--it was preceded by new birth of life and follwed by continuance of wild life and greenery--can't cash in from that

You can if you're the producer of a Summer block buster! :encouragement: