Aquarius
January
20 – February 18
“The
man who in his work finds silence, and
Who
sees that silence is work,
This
man in truth sees the Light and
In
all his works finds peace”.
Bhagavad
Gita
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
2011 February Dates:
St.
Brigid's Day, Celtic Goddess Brighid, end of winter
Imbolic,
Wiccan celebration
Candlemas,
Christian, last holiday of the Christmas season.
Groundhog
day, Folklore, American celebration
Chinese
New Year, Asian Zodiac
Tu
Bishvat, One of four Jewish new years. Originally honored Old Canaanite-Hebrew
Goddess Asherah
Nirvana
Day, Buddhist, also known
as Parinirvana is the celebration of Buddha's death when he reached total
Nirvana, at the age of 80.
St.
Valentines Day, Catholic, lovers feast
Magha
Puja, Buddhist, meeting of the Ahrats
Egyptian
Day of Nut - Goddess of Healing and Fertility.
Moon Phases
Native
American: The Full Snow Moon. The heaviest snows usually fall
in this month. Hunting becomes very difficult, for some tribes this is called the
Full Hunger Moon.
Wiccan:
The Quickening Moon, this month new life is begins, but still lies dormant.
Pregnant animals, due in the spring, begin to feel the quickening of their
unborn young. The earth itself is quickening, as seeds and bulbs far beneath
the soil begin their journey towards the light. We know these things are coming
-- and we also know that this is a good month to make plans for the future.
Magical work this month should focus on personal achievements and advancement.
________________________________________________________________________
AQUARIUS
AQUARIUS
Attributes
Duality: Masculine
Element:
Air
Position:
Fixed
Symbol: Water bearer
Planet: Uranus
Planet: Uranus
Flower:
Primrose,
violet
Gemstone: Amethyst
Anatomy: Circulatory system, shins, ankles and
calves
Best Food: Barley, celery,
cabbage, pears, cacao, honey soya apples and figs. Foods rich in magnesium.
Avoid: Weight gain, being
detached, being attracted to odd individuals.
Colors: Turquoise
Action needed: Working in groups, communicating the unconventional in a way others understand.
Motto: “I know”
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Vedic:
Aquarius
represents the pitcher from which water flows. The Pitcher is known as Upadhi--vehicle
of consciousness, and the water is Mool Prakati, the Primordial Substance, from
which everything is made. It is a state of consciousness where the activity of awareness is not limited by the form of the Upadhi, or the organism of life
through which consciousness is usually expressed. In a way, this sign reflects
the ultimate liberation, which is possible, when cycle of evolution is completed.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Character:
Aquarius
is the sign of universalism, group-work and service. This service can extend
all the way from service to humanity to the service of the ego, In addition,
Aquarius expresses itself as an interest in political and social issues. Since
it is an air sign Aquarius is more inclined towards intellectual than emotional
pursuits and this manifests as an interest in science.
Aquarius is a sign in which you learn to think in terms of lofty ideas and universalism. Aquarius has to learn to work in a group, and to understand what it means to be a true servant. The mature Aquarius is both an universalist and an individualist. It creates a longing for freedom, a freedom that seeks to eliminate all borders between people.
The
lower aspect of group-work is egoism. This can be both individual egoism and
group-egoism. Group-egoism is the result of living within a small circle and
not allowing your love reach out to those who work in any community other than
your own. It reveals an attitude that divides the world into we and them.
The
mature Aquarius takes all she has and puts it in her waterspout. When she comes
upon someone in need she takes from her store and gives freely. Aquarius is
often depicted as a man pouring water from a pot. This water is a symbol for
the universal love that he gives freely on demand, in response to the needs of
others. In it’s higher aspect Aquarius signifies brotherhood, the disposition
to regard every human being one meets as a brother or sister.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Myths and Legends:
Goddess Birgid
The
goddess Brigid is the patroness of healing, poetry and blacksmiths, She is
associated with midwives, the quickening of babes, springs of water and practical
and inspired wisdom.
She
is also known as St. Brigit, the White Goddess, Triple Goddess of Fire – the
fire of poetic inspiration and divination, the fire of health and fertility,
and the fire of metal working and crafts.
Known
as The Mistress of the Mantle. This could refer to the mantle of snow that covers
the world in white at this time or the veil between the worlds, she is the patron
of seers and prophets.
People still hang ribbons
or rags on trees believing that if the goddess touches them (imbues them with
dew), they will have curative powers. These prayer trees are often found near
springs of fresh water in Celtic countries.
Birgid
possesses an unusual status as a Sun Goddess who hangs Her cloak upon the rays
of the sun and whose dwelling-place radiates light as if on fire. Most sun
deities are male. She was reprsented
with a halo long before the saints existed. She is the patron of blacksmiths
who work with fire and she is at the center of many origin stories concening
the Mother ‘s cosmic waters and the fire of the Sun.
As
a solar deity, she taught that sunlight and water could be used for healing,
especially the eyes. She advised sufferers to find a clean, clear spring, or
fast moving body of fresh water, sparkling with sunlight, and bathe sore eyes
fwith it or a restorative cure. An herb called Lady’s Mantle is dedicated to
her as the dew creates perfect drops of pure water to gather from it’s leaves.
Brigid is also the Goddess of physicians and healing, divination and prophecy. One of Her most ancient names is Breo-saighead meaning fiery arrow, inspiring the creation of a bridge from the personality to the spiritual, sometimes called the antakarana or the rainbow bridge.
Her
symbol, the cow, is the same as the symbol for the goddess Hathor from Egypt. (See
the chaper on Scorpio). Birgid is celebrated in festival lighting of fires,
purification and blessing of wells and the ushering in of the new year (Spring)
by a maiden known as the Queen of the Heavens.
Her Temple at
Kildare, Ireland, over time became a christian convent but still maintained an
eternal flame. This is assumed to be a last symbol that survived of an ancient
college of vestal priestesses who were trained and then scattered throughout
the land to tend sacred wells, groves, caves and hills. These priestesses were
originally committed to thirty years in service but, after this period, were
free to marry and leave. The first ten years were spent in training, ten in the
practice of their duties and the final ten in teaching others, similar to the
three degrees of initiation found in most initiatic traditions.
The
three faces of the goddess are also known and the virgin, the mature woman and
the crone. Much has been written on these three faces of the divine feminine.
_________________________________________________________
Imbolic
Imbolc
divides Winter in half; the Crone months of Winter are departing and the
promise of the Spring Maiden is just around the corner. This holiday was eventually
transformed into Candlemas with Saint Brigid’s Day and the Feast of the
Purification of Mary all being celebrated during this same period of time.
To fully grasp the importance of the festival of Imbolc we need to understand the
primal fight for survival represented by this time of year. In an ancient world lit only by fire, the snow, cold and ice
of this season literally held the community in its grip and this stress was
only relaxed with the coming of Spring.
Imbolic
originated from a herding culture –
where lambs are born and ewes are in milk. It is one of the four major Celtic
festivals in the year, going back to Druid tradition. The other three are
Beltaine (the first of May), Lughnassad (the first of August), and Samhain (the
first of November).
The rite of Imbolc is a women’s ceremony, the Goddess has
recovered from giving birth to the Sun God. The lengthening periods of light
awaken her. The Sun God's strength is increasing and He is now a young, lusty
boy. The warmth of the Sun fertilizes the earth (the Goddess), causing seeds to
germinate and sprout. And so, Imbolc celebrates the earliest stirrings of
Spring. It is a time of purification, creativity, and inspiration, a welcoming change
from the old to the new. This is a traditional time for Wiccan initiations and
dedications. Imbolc is also a traditional time
to do divination. Looking into the ashes in the hearth the next morning one
might find symbols of the coming year, or perhaps the very footprint of Brigit
herself.
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Candlemass
The Celtic feast of
Candlemas falls on February 2nd which is also Birgit’s festival. It is held to
mark the return of the sun, asindicated in nature as the quickening.
Traditionally
on this day, all the candles for the church in the coming year are made and
blessed. The Catholic Church also celebrates
the “Purification of the Virgin Mary”on this day.
On
Candlemas, the members of each parish
carry lighted candles in a procession around the church, then the priest
blesses these candles. The candles are then taken to the homes and used in
protection from storms, and evil. The last rays or the energy of the Christmas
season are gone now and we truly start the New Year._______________________________________________________
Groundhog Day
is
celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to
tradition, if the weather is cloudy when the groundhog emerges from its burrow,
it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end. If
the weather is sunny, the groundhog might see its shadow and retreat back into
its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks.
The
largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This
celebration began as a Pennsylvania German custom in the 18th century, has its
origin in ancient European weather lore. In this tradition a badger or sacred bear is the weather
predictor as opposed to a groundhog.
It also has ties to Imbolc, which is celebrated is at this time and also involves weather prognostication.
________________________________________________________________________
Chinese New Year
Chinese months are calculated by the lunar
calendar, with each month beginning on the darkest day. New Year festivities
traditionally start on the first day of the month and continue until the
fifteenth, when the moon is brightest. In China, people may take weeks of
holiday from work to prepare for and celebrate the New Year. This is now the
largest human migration on the planet with everyone trying to get home for this
New Year Festival. It is celebrated with Fireworks and Family Feasts
At Chinese New Year celebrations people wear
red clothes,ecorate with poems on red paper, and give children "lucky
money" in red envelopes. Red symbolizes fire, which according to legend
can drive away bad luck.
___________________________________________________
The lantern festival
The lantern festival is held on the fifteenth
day of the first lunar month. Some of the lanterns may be works of art, painted
with birds, animals, flowers, zodiac signs, or scenes from history. People hang
glowing lanterns in temples,
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Tu Bishvat
The 15th of Shevat on the Jewish
calendar is the day that marks the beginning of a “New Year for Trees.” The
earliest-blooming trees in the Israel emerge
from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle in this season. This is one of four Jewish New Year celebrations.
Originally it honored the old Canaanite-Hebrew Goddess Asherah.We mark the day of Tu
B’Shevat by eating fruit, particularly from the kinds that are singled out
by the Torah in its praise of the bounty of the
Holy Land: grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates. On this day we
remember that “man is a tree of the field” (Deuteronomy
20:19).
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Nirvana Day
Nirvana
Day is also known as Parinirvana and is celebrated by some Buddhists on
February 2nd and by some Febuary 15th. It celebrates the death
of Buddha when he reached total Nirvana,
at the age of 80.
Parinirvana
is the final nirvana, which occurs with the death of the body of someone who
has attained complete awakening (bodhi). It implies a release from the bhavachakra,
Saṃsāra, karma and rebirth as well as the dissolution of the skandhas.
Buddhists
celebrate the death of the Buddha because they believe that since he was
Enlightened, he was free from the pain of physical existence.
Passages
from the Nirvana Sutra describing the Buddha's last days of life are often read
on Parinirvana Day. Other observances include meditation and visits to Buddhist
temples and monasteries. Also, this is a day put aside to think about one's own future death
and on the deaths of loved ones. This thought process reflects the Buddhist
teachings on impermanence.
The story of Buddha’s death is as follows: the
Buddha asked the monks to leave and find other places to stay during the
monsoon. He would remain in Beluvagamaka
with only his cousin and companion, Ananda. After the monks had left, Ananda
could see that his master was ill. The Blessed One, in great pain, found
comfort only in deep meditation. But with strength of will he overcame his
illness.
Ananda
was relieved, but shaken. When I saw the Blessed One's sickness my own body
became weak, he said.Everything became dim to me, and my senses failed. Yet I
found comfort in the thought that the Blessed One would not come to his final
passing away until he had given some last instructions to his monks.
hibeijingattraction.com
“Now
I am frail, Ananda, old, aged, far gone in years. This is my eightieth year,
and my life is spent. My body is like an old cart, barely held together. Therefore,
Ananda, be islands unto yourselves, refuges unto yourselves, seeking no other
refuge; with the Dharma as your island, the Dharma as your refuge, seeking no
other refuge”.
Then
he said: “All compounded things are subject to decay. Strive with diligence”.
Then, serenely, he passed into Parinirvana.
The
Lord Buddha responded, “What more does the community of monks expect from me,
Ananda? I have taught the dharma openly and completely. I have held nothing
back, and have nothing more to add to the teachings”.
___________________________________________________________
St. Valentine's Day
The Goddess Juno.
The
Catholic Church dropped St. Valentine's Day from the Roman calendar of
official, worldwide feasts in 1969. Historians trace the origin of Valentine's
Day to ancient Roman Empire. It is said that the ancient peoples of Rome observed
a holiday on February 14th to honor the goddess Juno - the Queen of Roman Gods
and Goddesses.
The
Romans also regarded Juno as the Goddess of Women and Marriage. On the
following day, February 15th began the fertility
This
celebration was definitely a feminine festival. Women would gather to welcome
the maiden aspect of the Goddess as embodied by Brigid. Maidens would dress in
white and would offer gifts of food to the Goddess Juno. A special feast was
given and young men were invited for the purpose of ritual mating to insure
that new souls would be brought in to replace those lost during the cold times.
A baby born of this union was thought to be a baby belonging to the goddess.
Litany to the Christian Goddesses of
Love
Give
glory to our Father in Heaven;
And give glory to our Mother, Primordial Waters.
Give honor to our Brother, Lord of Fire;
And give honor to our Sister, Spirit of Earth.
Come
Holy Spirit, Pneuma, Ruach, Breath of Deity -
Holy
Mary, grant us love.
Bride of Yahweh, grant us love.
Isis Incarnate, grant us love.
Temple Virgin, grant us love.
Betrothed to Joseph, grant us love.
Jewel of David, grant us love.
God's Desire, grant us love.
Holy
Magdalene, fulfill our desires.
Bride of Yeshua, fulfill our desires.
Inanna Incarnate, fulfill our desires.
Queen of Hearts, fulfill our desires.
Lover of the Faithful, fulfill our desires.
Song of Solomon, fulfill our desires.
Love's Light, fulfill our desires.
Holy
Shekinah, bring us together.
Bride of El, bring us together.
One with Asherah, bring us together.
Queen of Tsion, bring us together.
Israel as Bride, bring us together.
Lover of Prophets, bring us together.
Affectionate Hope, bring us together.
Thanks
be to our Divine Creators,
And to their Children who were sent to the world -
May we share in their divine mission of love. _____________________________________________________________________
Magha Puja
Known
as Fourfold Assembly or "Sangha Day, this was a spontaneous gathering,
from many separate parts of the countryside, of 1250 enlightened monks. They
had all, independently, decided to go and visit the Buddha and assemble on the
full moon of Magha in the Bamboo Grove at Rajagaha where the Buddha was staying.
Magha Puja Day takes places on the full moon day of the third lunar month.
The
assembly is called the Fourfold Assembly because it consisted of four factors:
(1)
All 1250 were Arahats;
(2)
All of them were ordained by the Buddha himself;
(3)
They assembled by themselves without any prior call;
(4)
It was the full moon day of Magha month. This
day is a time for consideration of what it means to be part of sangha - this
includes the fourfold sangha; lay men and women, monks and nuns. For the
ordained community who have come together there may be a series of meetings to
discuss various aspects of the teachings, periods of group meditation, talks
given by senior members of the community (both resident and visiting) and a
variety of other events –like meditations or seminars, often quite spontaneous
- over a period of several days.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Celtic feast of Candlemas falls on February 2nd which is also Birgit’s festival. It is held to mark the return of the sun, asindicated in nature as the quickening.
Traditionally on this day, all the candles for the church in the coming year are made and blessed. The Catholic Church also celebrates the “Purification of the Virgin Mary”on this day.
On Candlemas, the members of each parish carry lighted candles in a procession around the church, then the priest blesses these candles. The candles are then taken to the homes and used in protection from storms, and evil. The last rays or the energy of the Christmas season are gone now and we truly start the New Year._______________________________________________________
The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This celebration began as a Pennsylvania German custom in the 18th century, has its origin in ancient European weather lore. In this tradition a badger or sacred bear is the weather predictor as opposed to a groundhog. It also has ties to Imbolc, which is celebrated is at this time and also involves weather prognostication.
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