Happy Monday! December 20, 2021

– Full Moon Phase – illumination, realization, fulfillment, shadow, relationships, experience

– Moon in Cancer

– Retrograde Planets – Pluto, Neptune, Chiron, Venus

– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – December 19th -20th – Brew Beer, Can Fruits and Vegetables, Mow to Slow Growth, Go Hunting, Slaughter

– Planting Calendar (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – December 19th – 20th –Start seedbeds and flower gardens. Good days for transplanting. Most favorable days for planting beets, onions, turnips, and other root crops where climate allows.

– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): Shodashi, The Goddess Who Fulfills Highest Desire.

– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Elias – God of the West, God of Transformation

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New Moon in Sagittarius: “a widow’s past is brought to light” (& “a world-famous pianist giving a concert performance”)

– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: –“A Woman in pastel colors carrying a heavy and valuable but veiled load”

SUN – 29 SAGITTARIUS: a fat boy mowing the lawn

EARTH– 29 GEMINI: the first mocking bird of spring sings from the tree top

Happy Monday! Peace on Earth, goodwill to men.

As with so many things, the words come to me and then I must discover the story. As the Monday messages have followed the theme’s of advent, this week is Peace. And the words that I could not get out of my head were from a song.

This song, I Heard the Bells of Christmas Day, is familiar and traditional. Though it’s not as mainstream as Wham’s Last Christmas or Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You, it still evokes image and memories that we all know as Christmas.

As deep dives go, I had to look further. Below I have included the lyrics and the version of the song that I cannot get out of my head.

Where did this song come from? It was from a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It began as a way to express his feelings about the loss of his wife tragically in 1861, written at Christmas 1962. The following year, tragedy struck again when his son was mortally wounded fighting in the Civil War. After retrieving him and returning to New England, he was inspired to write Christmas Bells – a continuation of the feelings from Christmas 1862. 10 yeas later, it was set to music, and the song gained popularity since.

The message he was writing was for our Nation. That peace would come again.

https://youtu.be/F2nxeACcW3I

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet their songs repeat

Of peace on Earth, good will to men

And the bells are ringing (peace on Earth)

Like a choir they’re singing (peace on Earth)
In my heart I hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on Earth, ” I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

But the bells are ringing (peace on Earth)
Like a choir singing (peace on Earth)
Does anybody hear them? (Peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doth He sleep
(Peace on Earth)
(Peace on Earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on Earth, good will to men

Then ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on Earth, good will to men

And the bells, they’re ringing (peace on Earth)
Like a choir they’re singing (peace on Earth)
And with our hearts, we’ll hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

Do you hear the bells, they’re ringing? (Peace on Earth)
The light, the angels singing (peace on Earth)
Open up your heart and hear them (peace on Earth)
Peace on Earth, good will to men

Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth
Peace on Earth, good will to men