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Meditations
from 2006 Autumn
The
autumn is such a fascinating time of year. It is a microcosm of life,
condensed into one tiny part of the year. Our ancient fore-parents honored
the wisdom and beauty of this season with many rituals and celebrations,
mostly of thanksgiving and gratitude.
The gradual darkening of the days and the lengthening of the nights
may serve to remind us of the lengthening of our own days into the evening
time of our lives. The brilliant blaze of color from the trees, which
comes from the chlorophyll fading away revealing the true nature of its
leaves, serves to remind us of our own true nature. The days now are decidedly
cooler, which brings about greater enthusiasm for moving and scurrying
about. The coolness also brings us into the shelter of our warm homes. The
fall clothes are coming out of storage…warm, cuddly sweaters and thick
socks take the place of summer’s tank tops and sandals. Everything
changes. Life is transformed yet again. And this is the message of the
Goddess of the Autumn. The Goddess invites us to look
with wisdom on this autumn season. Notice and marvel at all you can
discover. And there is much to learn. What has always been meaningful to
me is watching the cycle of life complete itself in Autumn. Winter brings
dormancy and rest. Spring bursts forth new life in infinite variety.
Throughout Summer, life has
been growing and flourishing at an amazing pace. And now, in Autumn, the
growing is done. No more will the fruits and vegetables grow; they are at
the peak of their cycle. What happens next, if fruits are not eaten and
enjoyed, is decay and rot. The vegetation turns inward, and begins to
consume itself. No more growth is possible, only decomposition. However,
if the fruit or vegetable falls into the soil, it can transform. The seeds
become part of the soil, burrow downwards, and there, safe and snug in
darkness, rest for many months. Many animals seek the safety of
hibernation, and secret inner growth. By
the magic of inner knowledge and wisdom, they will grow in the light of
Spring at exactly the proper time. The miracle of the seasons is
continuing once again. The message in this Autumn
transformation is knowing the wisdom of letting go. There is only so much
we can hold on to, only so much we can grow in a single season. There
needs to be time to absorb, assimilate, and reflect. There needs to be
time for rest and release. New vegetation cannot be produced if the seeds
are not released. New animals cannot grow if they are not born. Autumn is
the time for letting go, and giving thanks for what has been given. Autumn
is time for inward turning and inward growing. Autumn is the time for
recognizing what is no longer needed or necessary. The fruits of our lives
need to be released so that new growth can occur. Autumn
housecleaning is just as important as Spring housecleaning…literally and
figuratively. Whatever you cannot use, can be given away to certainly
bless someone else. The Goddess wisdom invites us
to take a look at life now and discern what needs to be released, to
flourish somewhere else. Outmoded ideas and thoughts make way for new
patterns to be discovered. Outdated clothes are transformed into someone
else’s vintage styles. Relationships that no longer nurture and sustain
need to be released, so that new friendships can begin. Stale routines are
brightened into new travels and interests. Autumn is traditionally the
“back to school time”, and with good reason. New knowledge is always a
necessity for expansion. Release with gratitude and joy.
Give away what no longer gives you pleasure, in the desire that it will
please someone else. Thank Goddess for the happiness of all your seasons
of life, as you embrace this new season with enthusiasm. (And know that
the word “enthusiasm” means to be filled with the Divine.) Know that after all is
released, the resting time can commence. You may patiently watch and wait,
knowing that the new seeds you have planted will begin their growth
presently, in their own time and pace, but grow they will. Please take some time to
delight in the world around you…enjoy the brilliant trees and the cool
winds. Wander through the pumpkin patch, and jump in scratchy hay. Plant a
tree or some flowering bulbs now. Say a little prayer over them as you
“tuck them in bed for the winter”. Observe how our animal friends
prepare for the inevitable cold weather. Where do your favorite birds go
in the autumn? Where do the squirrels in your neighborhood hide their
acorns? How do you invite the cool breezes into your life? Too often, we
forget to “unbusy” our lives enough to spend time outdoors. The Autumn
air will refresh your spirit. Invent a special gratitude
ritual to thank the Goddess for all this incredible beauty that surrounds
us. And please don’t let the word “ritual” intimidate you. A ritual
can be as simple as a heartfelt “thank you” prayer before your evening
meal. Thanksgiving does not have to occur only on one specific day in
November….it can and should, be literally every day, if you desire it to
be. As
much as you can, live in gratitude. Be grateful for the people you
encounter, the places you go, the things you see. The “attitude of
gratitude” will transform your life! I wish you all the blessings of
this glorious season of Autumn. I
keep you in my heart. Blessed
be.
August…what a regal
sounding name for this month. You can feel the lushness in the air, the
overwhelming abundance of warmth, green, sunshine and plant life. It seems
as though all creation is reaching completion in this month. The fruits
and vegetables are almost done with their growing cycle, ready to be
harvested and either enjoyed now or preserved in some fashion for the
coming cold fall and winter months. And, yes, a touch of autumn is in the
air. Some of summers flowers are brown and withered now, their growing
finished for this time. The
days are perceptibly shorter now, the cycle of the seasons continues.
In the older days, August
was the time of harvest celebrations, of giving thanks to the Great Mother
for Her bounty. There were no supermarket superstores in days gone by. No
guarantees of fresh foods, or of any foods, for the long, frigid months
yet to come. Any weather calamity now that threatened the harvest would
have disastrous results for the community. Food was precious. Food was
life. Food was a gift from the Goddess for Her children. And Thanksgiving
celebrations were the order of the day.
The first major festival
of thanksgiving was, and is, called Lughnasadh, or Lamas….the gift of
the first loaf made from the new grains harvested. What an extraordinary
tradition to be celebrated…the giving back to Mother Earth, the gifts
received from Her. This is a celebration of the fruits of the Earth. A
celebration of the community. A celebration of family.
In the old Irish
tradition, Lamas was sometimes termed Colcannon Day, named after
colcannon, a traditional meal. According to Mara Freeman in her lovely
book “Kindling the Celtic Spirit”, the head of the household would dig
the first shovel of potatoes with great reverence and sprinkle it with
holy water. The woman of the household would wear a special white apron,
kept just for this day, and prepare the potatoes with garlic and onions
and cabbage. It was served with butter and hot milk, and eaten with
gratitude. It was believed to be very unlucky to not have potatoes on this
special day, so the household made sure they shared with the neighbors.
In the spirit of
tradition and gratefulness, try to emulate our wise ancestors this month.
At the very least, say out loud some words of thankfulness before you eat
your evening meal. Give thanks to the farmers for growing the vegetables,
give thanks to the truckers for bringing food to the stores, give thanks
to the markets for providing the availability of so much, give thanks to
yourself for preparing the food with love and care, give thanks for those
gathered together to share your meal, and give thanks to the Great Mother
for Her bounty. Your meal will taste so much better.
If you like, try making
the traditional colcannon as a treat this month (it is good!) or try your
hand at making bread….a fruit bread would be appropriate and fun. If
you are like me, you may have neighbors who drop off anonymous bags of
zucchini and squash on your doorstep in the wee hours. Try making
vegetable bread….it still falls in the realm of the traditional. I have
the best recipe for zucchini bread…..drop an email to me if you would
like the recipe…..super yummy!!!
Above all, have fun this
month….this last hurrah of summer. There is no better way to honor the
Goddess than by enjoying Her beautiful world. Bright
Blessings of summer. I
keep you in my heart. My goodness! Where
has the summer gone? I was sure that it was May just a week or two ago! My Wonderful Web
Goddess was beset upon by Internet Gremlins and other unpleasant nasties,
which is why we are a little late updating our website. Ahhh, the
scattered energies of summer! But thanks to Joanna, the Web-Goddess-Guru
and Computer Genius-par-excellent’, everything is up and running
beautifully. Thank you, dear Joanna!! You are the Best!!! Since the month is
half over, I shall keep this message very tiny. I just wanted you to know
that I am keeping you in my heart and prayers these long, warm summer
days. I wish you and
your family safe and happy vacation travels, joyful get-togethers with
friends and family, inspiring summer reading, and peace in your innermost
heart. Goddess Bless! Sharon June
Musings “Mother Earth
laughs in flowers”
If ever a month could be said to laugh in flowers, it would have to
be June. How lovely the world is now, sweetly fragranced and richly
colored. I love green!
June receives its name from the Roman Great Mother Juno, the Roman
Goddess of love and marriage and families. She
extends Her blessings to all couples who select Her month to celebrate
their marriages. And surely She must be the patroness of family reunions!
Juno had dozens of titles and attributes: She was a Goddess of war, Juno
Seispitei (Juno the Preserver), the Goddess of
checks and balances (Juno Moneta), the Goddess of Light (Juno
Lucina), the Goddess of the people (Juno Populonia) and many other names
throughout the ages.
It was believed in the ancient times that every woman had her own
personal “Juno” within her….her own special Goddess sparkle which
illuminated her spirit. No matter what her looks, talents, attributes or
demeanor, every woman embodied the Goddess in a special way.
The Goddess Juno brings a timely amount of balance into our lives.
She reminds us that there is nothing more important in our lives than the
people in our world: our families, our friends, and our communities.
“Work can take a back seat for awhile,” Juno says. “Make time for
picnics, and graduations and outings to the beach. Talk to your relatives,
get to know your cousins, play with the nieces and nephews.” The gift of
family in our lives is a true blessing. Use your “Juno Gifts” to make
this month memorable: plan the family bar-be-que and prepare the world’s
best tasting potato salad; make a scrap book for the family to marvel
over; listen to Great-Grandmother’s stories, and then preserve them in a
book, a poem, photographs or a painting or collage. You have the gift of
the Goddess within you!
Father’s Day is celebrated this month, on the 18th,
under the good auspices of Juno. She who is the spiritual guardian of
families, smiles on the physical guardian of the family: Father. Please
cherish the gift of your father.
This is the first Father’s Day our family will observe
without Dad. He has been gone from our lives for two months now, and he is
missed more than words can express. We, his six children, always bought
him Father’s Day gifts of “Old Spice” after shave, and when he still
smoked his pipe, cherry tobacco or “Mixture Seventy-nine”. How I still
love the scent of “Old Spice!” He said they were his favorite gifts,
and we always believed him. We bought Dad outrageously colored t-shirts
and sweatshirts with goofy messages on them, and he actually wore them. We
gave him the most ridiculous ties and socks ever created, and he wore them
proudly to work. We lovingly crafted treasures from tuna fish cans and
baby-food jars and macaroni, and Dad used them. He loved us, and we
worshipped him.
Now we have the precious memories of the way his eyes crinkled
up when he grinned, his beautiful salt and pepper hair, (he said the
silver was another gift from his children) his marvelous scent. I would
give anything to see him smile again, and hear one of his silly jokes. We
all would. I see him in my heart each day, and give thanks for the time we
had together.
This Father’s Day, give your father an extra hug and kiss.
Make sure your Dad knows that he is so very important in your life.
Give him an outrageous tie with a smile, and love from me, and Juno. The first day of
summer, the Summer Solstice, occurs on June 21st. Celebrate the longest day of the day of the year with some
quality time with Mother Earth. Let Her know how very grateful you are for
Her wondrous bounty. Beautify your corner of the planet with love for our
Mother. Plant a tree or flowers, pick up the trash, create a compost pile,
and revere our sacred world in your own fashion. You will be glad you did! Bright Blessings
of the Summer and the Solstice to you. I keep you in my
heart. Sharon
After
the parade, we would walk home and talk about all we had seen and heard.
When she was a little child, Christa did not understand about war heroes
and veterans. She understands now.
One
of his daughters, Gladys, was inspired to follow in his footsteps and
joined the Navy. She developed discipline, strength of character and
courage. She met her husband, Peter, through the Navy. They married and
had a child, Peter Ray, who, when he grew up, joined the Marines, and just
recently finished his tour of duty overseas. Another grandson, my son,
Michael, joined the Army after 9/11, and is currently stationed in Iraq.
Both grandsons joined the American Legion in honor of their Grandfather.
Dad was the Commander of the Roose-Vanker Post 286 in Detroit for many
years, and he was proud to have two grandsons join him there.
My
Father lived his life in color: he had a laugh that would make a stone
smile. He sported a huge handlebar moustache, and favored bright happy
clothes in reds and blues and yellows. He painted landscapes in oils and
read thousands of books on every subject imaginable. He could out -solve
Sherlock Holmes and Nero Wolfe. Pizza
and chocolate were his world-famous cure-alls for what ailed you. He sang
wonderful, semi-cleaned up sea shanties. It never occurred to us that not
every child was lulled to sleep with a stirring rendition of “99 bottles
of beer on the wall” and “what do you do with a drunken sailor?”…..that
was Dad and we loved him without reservation.
Our
Dad died on April 2, just a few weeks ago, after a long struggle with
cancer. He was in his home
surrounded by his family. We hugged him, and talked to him and loved him
as he fought his last battle. He was always brave and had a smile for each
of us. He is the finest man I have ever known, and I am so proud to be his
child, and a part of his family. Family was the most important thing in
his life. He worshipped our mother, and all of his children, and we adored
him.
Purchase a poppy this May
18th, for the physical rehabilitation of our veterans, and the welfare of
their families who have been left without their presence. They have given
their all for us. Remember them in your prayers. Keep Memorial Day a
Remembrance Day for our brave warriors. Christa’s Birthday parade is in
honor of her Grandpa this year. I love you, Daddy. I keep you in my
heart. Sharon At last,
April is here, we have begun
to see the blossomings of new life in the world outside…and hopefully, a
new blossoming in our spiritual lives as well.
April is a mixture of so many things:
the blustery winds of winter, the warmth of summer, and the vibrant
colorways of autumn, all rolled into one tapestry of delight, with
April’s own special vibrancy.
The name “April” comes to us from
one of the many names of the Greek Goddess Aphrodite. The entire month of
April is sacred to Her. Aphrodite
is most commonly known as the Goddess of love and pleasure. But She is
also a rich and multi-faceted presence in myth. She presided over
childbirth, life, death and time. Aphrodite was also worshipped as the
Goddess of crafts and letters, arts and culture.
In
other translations of the Goddess’ name, Aprilis and Apru, the meaning
of Her name is “to open”. “To Open”. How fascinating is that! We
have just completed the Spring Equinox, the new beginning of life in the
Seasons of the Year. And now, through the blessings of Aphrodite, we are
invited to open. Open to what? To whom?
Let us ponder for a moment the ritual
of the spring equinox, when we thought about our lives and what was needed
to become more in balance, in every aspect of our being. Physical, mental,
emotional and spiritual balance is the beginning of wisdom. And now we
receive the invitation to open to the freshness and newness of April.
To enliven the balance with the grace of Aphrodite.
For
my own personal meditations, this means opening to the new and unknown. To
welcome the new thoughts, ideas, and people that come into my life, and
bless their presence. Random coincidences are rarely just that. I believe
in the Divine Presence that sends exactly what I need, exactly when and
how it is needed, into my life. And I believe that is true for you also.
New
people wander in and out of our lives for a purpose. Perhaps that reason
is not known yet, but, in truth, it is not necessary to know. Just accept,
and be prepared for an abundance of wonderment in your life!
New ideas make their presence known in dreams, or songs, or flashes of
inspiration. This provides the mechanism for creativity. Run
with those ideas! Write your poem! Create your new artistic endeavor!
Redecorate your living room! Paint your toenails! Live in color! Live in
Aphrodite! Take all the wisdom from the Equinox and refresh your life; use
this wisdom to implement the balance of your life.
Easter is this month….April 16th. Easter is “late” in the
season this year, as compared to occurring at the end of March in other
years. Did you ever wonder how the Easter date is calculated? I
always did……so I will share it with you! Easter is the first Sunday, after the full moon, after the
Spring Equinox.
Easter
receives its name from the Goddess Eostara, who is the Goddess of the
Springtime. Her symbols are bunnies and eggs and newly blooming flowers,
the traditional signs of the spring celebration of new life.
No matter what your spiritual
tradition or background is, Easter can still be powerfully symbolic of
transformation and renewal. The promise of new life and resurrection can
open us to unique wisdom. The promise of new potential and new
possibilities can open us to a treasure trove of unlimited brilliance.
Take a moment over the Easter weekend to enjoy the fullness of your life,
and make a commitment to live in gratitude for the tremendous gift of life
we have been given. Let the beauty of April, Aphrodite and Easter open your heart
and bring you closer to the balance and brightness of Spring. I keep you in my heart. Bright
Spring Blessings, No, really, I have not lost my mind! It truly is March, not January. But we can celebrate a brand new year this month! In the old Julian calendar, the New Years festivities began on March 25. Now that is something that makes sense to me. I could never figure out why the New Year was started in the dead of winter…..well, that was when Pope Gregory wanted it to start in his new and improved calendar. But in the old way, the Julian way, the New Year began on March 25. The beginning of the warm times, the return of the Sun, the welcome return of Spring. That seems more in tune with the cycle of the year. Apparently, our foremothers and fathers felt the same way. They marked the New Years beginning at the Spring Equinox, the time when day and night are equal in length. The even gave this day s special name: Ostara. This is when darkness and light are in perfect balance. This is the beginning of the light returning to conquer the darkness, the lengthening of the daylight hours, the return of the nourishing warmth, and the gladness of Spring. It is indeed a new beginning. The Spring Equinox on March 20th is a perfect occasion to gain some insight into our lives. This is the day of balance. It is a great time to look deeply into our lives, and see just where some balance is needed. This month is also a nice time to take a brief inventory of our lives, to see just where we are and where we plan on going. Make a list of all the items in your life now, to see where you can add the necessary balance. Start with your food…are you nurturing your body with good, wholesome foods? And no, what the burger joint down the street serves is not food! Your body requires the lovely foods provided by Mother Earth, and in as near a state as She offers it. Sleep….are you getting the hours that your body needs? My husband always tells me, when I am stressing out, that I don’t get a prize for staying up too late. He is right! Sleep is Our Mother’s way of healing the body and restoring the soul. Go to sleep!!
Are you taking the
necessary measures to calm and de-stress yourself? Watching television
does not count! TV is an additional stressor on your emotional and
physical systems. Go outside for a short walk instead. Breathe. Take a
soothing bath. Read an uplifting work of literature. Write an uplifting
piece of literature! Play with your pets. Go outside and watch the clouds.
You are entitled to a respite! I am sure you can discover more ways to find balance within yourself. I am very aware that for so many of you life is a whirlwind of activity. You are going to school, finishing a degree, and working full-time in demanding career. Some of you are planning weddings, and preparing an event for two or three or four hundred people is a massive undertaking. But that is all the more reason to rediscover the balance within you! Please take the necessary time for prayer, meditation, stress relief, and just plain taking care of yourself….in positive, loving ways. You are a very valuable creation! Enjoy the Bright Blessings of Spring! You are in my heart. Sharon I
love February, because its arrival signals the beginning of the end of
winter. The seemingly endless sunless days and cold winds are about to
give way to the bright blessings of warmth and sunshine. All we need do is
wait.
Our Foremothers and fathers would mark this new beginning as sacred
and special. They understood that hidden in the depths of Mother Earth the
tiniest beginnings of Spring are making their presence known. The days are
lengthening. Spring bulbs are
beginning to awaken. The blood of the trees, the sap, is starting to flow
once again, waking the sleeping giants of the woods.
Our foremothers would celebrate these new beginning with a ceremony
of light, called Imbolic, the festival of the Goddess Brigit. Brigit was
later Christianized and canonized into Saint Brigit, but She is forever
and always a Goddess. The Goddess of Ireland and the Celts, and us, as
well.
Spring is already beginning in Ireland, where this festival
originated, although for us, Spring is many weeks away. It was, and is, a
time for reflection, peaceful contemplation, prayer and inner seeking, and
making a Brigit solar cross to protect the home. It was a time to contemplate what needed to be accomplished in
the coming weeks and months. It was a time of celebration.
It is a good idea to use this wisdom of the past for our own
benefit. Perhaps now would be a nice time to take a mini inventory of our
lives, to see what needs doing, what needs removing, what need cherishing.
It is all right to be quiet for a while. The Great Goddess encourages the
quiet. There are those beings
that cannot grow and prosper in noise and confusion, that need and demand,
the quiet in order to flourish.
Sometime around the beginning of the month, for that is when
Imbolic is, take time for yourself. Prepare a peaceful interlude for
yourself, perhaps with a small scented candle and a cup a spiced tea.
Breathe in and out quietly, softly, and enjoy the silence around you. Have
your journal handy, and jot down a few things that you would like to see
grow and prosper in your life. Write out your gratitudes: your health,
your family, your friends, your pets, this lovely world, clean air,
sparkling water, your job, your education, everything you can think of. It
would be especially significant to find 19 things to be grateful about,
for the number 19 is sacred to Bridget. And
to complete, write a statement about your life, a powerful affirmation.
“I am growing peace in my world”
“I am a competent, gracious friend to many people.”
“I am a loving child of the Goddess.” “I am a creator of
prosperity.” I am sure you can think of many more. Copy your favorite
statement to a sticky-note, or make a poster, and put it where you can see
it every day this month. Become the blessing of light in the world.
To close your ceremony, finish your tea, blow out the candle, and
breathe a genuine “thank you” to the Creator of all, for the goodness
of your life. Give your journal a little kiss, and place it on your altar
space. Ask Bridget to bless you with Her love and awareness. Imbolic is
February 1, but there is no reason you could not do this little ritual any
day you desire this month…..particularly on the 19th.
Enjoy these first whisperings of Spring. I keep you in my thoughts
and prayers each day. Bright
Blessings! Sharon New Years has always confounded me. I could never figure out why the New Year begins in the dead of winter. During the winter in my part of the world, the sun vanishes for weeks at a time behind a thick layer of clouds. It is very cold, snowy and topped with gale force winds….and that is on an average day. On stormy days…. Oh my goodness! Head for the downy covers….it is a maelstrom! So why on earth would anyone decree that the New Year is to begin when there is nothing alive in sight? How can one talk about beginnings when not a thing is beginning? What is the meaning behind all this?
In some earlier cultures,
the New Year will begin in February, when the sap in the tr Our New Year began in 45 BC, when Julius Caesar decreed that a new calendar was to be implemented, and January First was the first day of the New Year. And so it is today. Trying to find meaning and value in the New Year, in the coldest and dreariest time of the year, can be a challenge. The media would like us to believe that there is much we need to change about ourselves, beginning with our physical appearance. Aggressively advertised products for self improvement dominate the airwaves and newspapers beginning the minute that the Christmas push is over. Perhaps this year we might like to explore a more Goddess-centered look at the New Year. Perhaps we might like to look at out lives as a metaphor of the Earth. The Earth now is slumbering under mounds of snow, yet is still providing us with oxygen to breathe, water to drink, food to nourish. Outside, it is crisp and still. The landscape has a stark, special beauty found at no other time of year. Some animals enjoy hibernation, a respite from the world, to dream, to hide, to survive. Yet under this quietude, there is hope and the promise of new life returning. There is the certain knowing that Spring will burst forth, but only in Her own good time. First must come the deep, icy rest of winter. The cycles of the Earth Mother have suggested that winter is the time of rest and rejuvenation. Many things need the darkness and the quietness for growth. Tulips and daffodils need the dark layer of cold in order to bloom in the Spring. And we too need the rejuvenating quiet and peace in order to grow and become the being we are in the process of becoming. May I offer a suggestion for this New Years? Please take a few moments for yourself. Make a nice hot cup of tea (my personal cure-all for almost anything), enjoy the scent and taste, and relax. Do nothing. Just relax. Enjoy your own company….you are pretty nice after all! Don’t think of all the “shoulds” and ways to change yourself. You are absolutely perfect, just the way you are. Your hair is perfect, your nose is perfect, your life is perfect….just the way it is now, because it is yours. You are a Child of the Goddess….how could you be anything less than wonderful? Take a moment, while enjoying your tea, to reflect on all the beauty in your life. There is beauty in everything, if only we know where, and how, to look. Look deeply at yourself, and see the beauty there is…the beauty of your kindness, your generosity of spirit, your compassion and love. You are gifted with so much goodness. Please do not forget the beauty that is YOU. Look at the beauty of the world around you. And if you see something that does not please you, know that you can affect a change. You are intelligent, beautiful, wise, and powerful, and a Divine Child……the change you seek is within you now. Go within yourself, and truly rest. Let the wisdom that comes from the quiet come forth in its own time, in its own method. If you would like to make a resolution, resolve to add more love to your life. Resolve to add more love to your family. Resolve to add more love to the world. Resolve to add more joy, more laughter, and more light. Resolve to include more reverence in your life…..reverence for yourself, your home, your work, your family, your community, your world. Resolve to be more peaceful. Resolve to see the beauty in all things. Resolve to love things about yourself that you have a hard time loving. Resolve to see the goodness. Resolve to smile more. Meditate with tea as often as you can, hopefully daily, and enjoy the sense of peace that comes with your respite from the busyness of your life. Enjoy the New Year as the precious gift that it is, and enjoy yourself, as the gift you are to the world. Contact
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ees
is starting to flow, signaling the first nuances of Spring. New England
celebrates this event with maple sugar festivals. Other cultures, such as
the Celtic peoples, find the New Year beginning in October, after the last
of the autumn’s harvest has been brought in. The Chinese use a
lunar-based calendar, and their New Years is anywhere between January 21
and February 20, depending on the moon.