Thursday March 21, 2024
– Gibbous Moon Phase – step out, take action, breaking away, expression
– Moon in LEO –
– Best Days (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – March 20th – 21st – Travel for Pleasure, Host a Party, Get Married, Entertain Friends, Mow to Increase Growth, Dig Holes, Kill Plant Pests, Cut Firewood, Paint
– Planting Calendar (from the Farmer’s Almanac) – March 19th – 23rd – A most barren period, best for killing plant pests or doing chores around the farm.
– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Year: – 01 ARIES: “a woman has risen out of the ocean, a seal is embracing her”
– Aspect of the Aeon Sophia: (Wisdom): – Kali – The Destroyer
– Aspect of the Aeon Thelete: (Will/Desire): Seth , God of the North
– Sabian Symbol for the Solar-Lunar Month – New Moon in Pisces SUN/MOON – 21 PISCES: a little white lamb, a child, and a Chinese servant (EARTH – 21 VIRGO: a girls’ basketball team )
SUN – 02 ARIES: a comedian entertaining the group
EARTH – 02 LIBRA: the light of the sixth race transmuted to the seventh
The Rite of Spring
I sometimes think it is sad that the vast majority of this generation’s knowledge of great classical music comes as a result of watching cartoons. In the case of Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, it is the epic Disney movie Fantasia. But Bugs Bunny brought us great works such as Rossini’s Barber of Seville overture, Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, and Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2. Then there were movies like Platoon using Barber’s Adagio for Strings and Twilight using DeBussey’s Clair de Lune and Somewhere in Time using Rachmaninoff’s, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.
These are just a few of the many uses of classical masterpieces that might never be heard in the mainstream today. And I personally see it as a positive thing.
These are beautiful pieces. But how do they compete with Stairway to Heaven or the latest hits from Beyonce or Taylor Swift? At least on the radio, they will not. And if you think any of these would grace the stage of the Grammy’s in this world, forget it.
Without these renditions hidden inside of other forms of entertainment, I think they would be lost. Lost to time. And that is a sad thing.
I started this rant with a higher purpose than to wax nostalgic over Classical Music. It was more specifically to talk about the Rites of Spring.
Astrological Spring began at 11:06 PM. It was the Vernal Equinox, also known as the first day of Spring. It is somewhat of a misnomer as it did not happen until late in the evening EST (my timezone). So I called the 19th the Last Day of Winter instead. Maybe that sounds like a “Glass half Empty” way of looking at things. But the half full side says that the 20th left all that winter crap in the dust.
Now the rites of spring, as I was always taught, had to do with the world waking up again. Trees and plants blooming. Animals coming out of hibernation. And performing first rites (something I always thought of as F–king like rabbits). Maybe sophomoric, but to my adolescent mind back in the 70’s, it was funny and irreverent enough to irritate adults.
Spring is the beginning. Like the new moon, it marks the beginning of a cycle. The cycle of a year.
ALSO – It is an oddly celebrated day of the year. Among the many special celebrations of note on March 21:
National Single Parents Day
International Day of Forests
Spring or vernal equinox
International Tea Day
National Memo Day
National Strawberries and Cream Day
National Waiters and Waitresses Day
My favorite, though is Nauryz
I found out about Nauryz through a friend of mine who happens to be an American expat living in Kazakhstan as a language professor. I like hearing about these local holidays. Kazakhstan has a population of over 19 million people, so I like to think there is something in the air we can all gain by it. I found an article on a Kazakhstan travel site that describes the holiday:
Nauryz is a very important holiday for Kazakhstan. It marks the beginning of a new year. It is celebrated several days starting from 21st of March, the day of the spring equinox.
Nauryz means ‘new day’, it is celebrated in the Great Steppes from ancient times.
Nauryz symbolizes goodness and wealth, happiness and love and a great friendship day, since this holiday is common for many nations.
During Nauryz celebrations, past offences are forgiven and forgotten and everybody makes a wish to leave all badness behind and bring renewal in the New Year.
During the Nauryz holiday, large and small cities, villages become festival centers, felt yurts – traditional nomad houses are erected in city centers and rich dastarkhan (table) is laid down in each of them.
City squares get full of yurts, and many performances take place there. Here one can learn about the culture and lifestyle of nomads and find people wearing beautiful national clothes, listen to Kazakh songs and play of musical instruments, etc. In holiday exhibitions and fairs traditional gifts and souvenirs are sold.
Usually young people gather around Altybakan, which is a large hanging swing, with colourful decorations, where songs are sung, and traditional games are played.
During Nauryz holiday, many famous stars give concerts in cities and the holiday is completed by fireworks.
Nauryz kozhe is the most important of all meals during these days and a main symbol of Nauryz, since it is prepared specially for this day. Nauryz kozhe is special for its unique recipe.Traditionally, 7 different ingredients are added to Nauryz kozhe, which may vary, but basically these ingredients include: water, meat, salt, milk or yoghurt, one type of grains, chosen from rice, corn or wheat, and others. Seven ingredients symbolize seven virtues or qualities, such as joy, success, intelligence, health, wealth, agility and security.
Between 1926-1988, Nauryz holiday was not officially celebrated in Kazakhstan (Kazakh Soviet Socialistic Republic those days)
https://visitkazakhstan.kz/en/about/145/
Now I have to admit, I did not celebrate this holiday. Instead of kozhe, we had a Tomato Pie. It was not officially Tomato Pie Day. And if anyone outside of Philadelphia has even heard of Tomato Pie, I would be shocked. But next time you visit, it is worth a try.
Happy Nauryz!