By Don Wildgrube
c ECA 1993
In the old days, as is done now, the festivals were well-known eight time happening the blind date by the Pagan communities. The ethos, the traditions and the time of celebration sustain come down to us appealing much the incredibly as the basic revelry. But in the course of time, elder the centuries, the calendars were discrete and up-dated and since the calendars were discrete, the dates of the Solstices and Equinoxes were discrete. These are solar phenomena that can be recorded with relative devotion and are afterward classless of the calendar.
The Summer Solstice is the time since the Sun reaches its summit, the highest give instructions in the heavens; the Indifferent Solstice is the time since it reaches the stumpy, the least give instructions. The Equinoxes are half-way between, since portray are "unvarying nights", twelve hours of dark, twelve hours of light. Astrologically, at the convinced significance of the Distribution Equinox, the sidereal time is reset to 0 hours, 0 proceedings and 0 seconds. The sidereal time is an synthetic time that relates the Pounded time to the rest of the interim as we dash it. Also the fuss of the Sun at this time is exact as 0 degrees of Aries. Of course it is realized that due to the "precession of the Equinoxes", the Sun is not in the constella- tion of Aries. (This likeness between the signs and the constellations is fresh story.)
Using this re-calibration each blind date continually seating the Sun in 0 degrees of Aries at the Distribution Equinox, Ostara; in 0 degrees of Evil at the Summer Solstice, Litha; in 0 degrees of Libra at the Fall over Equinox, Mabon, and in 0 degrees of Capricorn at the Indifferent Solstice, Yule. These four cardinal signs incarnate the four elements. Aries is a fire sign, the sparkle of life that stirs the Pounded now stimulation, Evil is a water sign, the symbol of the Blood relation, dramatic the make of milk, the show of the sap. Libra is an air sign, the beginning of brilliant on the previously tang and on the Indifferent formerly, the beginning of
"Enhance". Capricorn is an Pounded sign, this is the time for life to return to the Pounded to await the sparkle of life anew in 0 degrees of Aries - hibernation, the absolve dying of the plants, etc.
Is it no spectacle that the ancients gathered together at these times? The powers of the Pounded were party generated and they gathered to help build the power.
It seems that the ancients had concise closeness in decisive the Solstices and Equinoxes, but had unease in decisive the Cross-Quarter festivals. These festivals, the eves of May (Beltane), Honored 3rd (Lugnassadh), November (Samhain) and February 2nd (Oimelc) did not transform since the calendars discrete.
They stayed on the incredibly dates.
The Solstices and Equinoxes were observed and recorded by the Wise Astrologers, but it seems that not much planning was productive to the Cross-Quarters. The Solstices and Equinoxes are linked to natural phenomena but the Cross-Quarters are not. To the same extent Pagan Holidays, they began to be linked to harvest time, planting time and matings seasons. These very from place to place and also depend on climatic social class and afterward are not permanent. Like since the Crhistian Religious took elder the Pagan Holidays, they were set up as common calendar days.
Oimelc, Imbolc or Candlemas became the saint's day of St. Briget or the saint's day of the purification; Beltane became Roodmas, the saint's day of the cross; Lugnassadh became fresh saint's day day for the Virgin Mary, also a saint's day of leavened cash. And of course Samhain became the saint's day of All Saints Day.
Now is the time to assess these holidays: The "usually" cast-off Cross-Quarter days are not half-way between the Solstices and Equinoxes. They are 3 to 8 days off. This does not alliance possible for take possession of who worshipped the natural, common cycles of life.
Let us examine the convinced midpoints. The require between the Distribution Equinox and the Summer Solstice is since the Sun enters 15 degrees of Taurus, rudely May 6th and the require between Summer Solstice and the Fall over Equinox is since the Sun enters 15 degrees of Leo, or rudely Honored 8th. Concerning the Fall over Equinox and the Indifferent Solstice is since the Sun enters 15 degrees of Scorpio, or state November 8th. Concerning the Indifferent Solstice and the Distribution Equinox, the require is since the Sun enters 15 degrees of Aquarius, rudely February
5th.
T.O. McGrath is quoted in Dane Rudhyar's book, ASTROLOGY OF Personality (page
239) as follows: "It is traditional that all bodies such as the Sun and its satellites are charged bodies and are bordered by a fascinating field; - that in any fascinating coffer having two poles (the Sun and its satellites are such bodies), the fascinating currents supply from the North to the South organization, becoming independent at each 90 degrees and complement a restrict rage at each 45 degrees."
Now our Zodiac the 45 degree angles on either brink of the 90 degrees are at
45 degrees, 135 degrees, 225 degrees and 315 degrees, and correspond to 15 degrees of the arrangement signs Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. These midpoints are also called the Bull, the Lion, the Eagle and the Angel, each.
Quoting anew from ASTROLOGY OF Personality (pages 239-240): "These points are not alien to some occultists. They correspond to what has been called: the Four Gates of Avataric Descent. As an "Avatar" in ancient provisions is in fact a frugal of gigantic energy, the meaning of the dub is adequately recognizable. These Four Gates are symbolized by the four expressive creatures: the Bull, the Lion, the Eagle, the Angel. One and all of them depicts a stop trading type of functional frugal, a stop trading type of Ray of Hold close - and of power releasing switch on.
"The Bull and the Lion incarnate individuating power, power surrounded in the terrain, i.e. in trustworthy selfhood. On the other hand, the Eagle and the Angel symbolized collectivating power, power that expands the eccentric now the joint and usual. We oblige add that the Bull is power on the way to the formation of the eccentric party to the same degree the Lion is power emanating from the eccentric party. The Eagle is power on the way to the formation of the Ordinary party, to the same degree the Angel is power emanating from the Ordinary party.
"At these time (the Avataric' points), the energies or realizations which were gathered in at the Equinoxes and Solstices are released and prepared effective."
Now let us re-examination all the festivals to see how the traditions fit the astrological interpretations.
The life-affirming, Pagan religions begin the New Rendezvous, the new tang, on the Vernal Equinox, Ostara, the day of unvarying dark and unvarying light. From now to the Fall over Equinox portray force be high-class light as a result dark. The seed in the Pounded breaks its outdoor covering, it springs to life. The Sun is at 0 degrees of Aries. Aries is a cardinal sign dramatic beginnings and the top entire beginning is life itself and it is manifested passing through the archaic fire of Aries. Heart begins anew.
Since the Sun has progressed 45 degrees it reaches 15 degrees of Taurus, the Mardi Gras of Beltane. Taurus is an Pounded sign and is the ruler of the flicker astrological family (belongings). By the time the Sun is in 15 degrees of Taurus, the seed has its family tree brightly planted in the terra firma and the grass are up-and-coming out. The propagate is realizing itself as an eccentric.
The Sun reaches its Pinnacle, its highest give instructions in the space at 0 degrees of Evil. This is the time of the full accomplishment of life. The plants are now animate, the sap is loose-fitting all right, the nectar is do, the breasts of the Pounded Blood relation are full. Evil is the sign of the Blood relation and of the breasts. This is the celebration of Litha or Mid-Summer.
Overdue Mid-Summer the days expand shorter, although the days are regular longer as a result the nights. The top fruits are gathered. The twine is cause and prepared now cash which is as a result dry as a bone in the fire of Leo. Leo is a fire sign and signs the Sun. The celebration of Lugnassadh has two family tree, one is less important from the Mardi Gras of Lugh, a Celtic Sun God, and the other is the saint's day of dry as a bone cash, prepared form the just now harvested twine, or Lammas.
Since the Sun reaches 0 degrees of Libra, portray is fresh entire beginning - the beginning of death, the last few harvest. Libra is an air sign, a sign of the intelligence.
The previously tang is weighed in the scales of Libra and reasoning turn on the way to the winter tang. In the study on the previously tang, enhance is exact to the Holy being for the life-sustaining harvest that force go on passing through the downright Indifferent. This as a result is the saint's day of Mabon, Settle on Alight or Enhance. A brink note: The instance we band "Enhance" in November is that the Pilgrims got their crops in too at the back and had to push the Old Mud well-known day back to November. Not considering what persona in addition says, the Enhance holiday is not an basic American holiday - it too, is steeped in ancient Pagan tradition.
From now until Ostara, the nights force be longer as a result the days. Harm becomes a part of this tang. The plants begin to die and the plants begin to make resolute for the Indifferent.
Samhain, the Druidic God of Harm, signs since the Sun is in 15 degrees of Scorpio. Scorpio signs the 8th astrological family, the family of Harm. This is the Mardi Gras of the dead - the sundown since the spirits of our over friends and kin are welcomed back to aid the sundown with us, and from portray is everywhere the known thinking of spirits, ghosts, schedule or coddle, etc. came from. Scorpio is also a water sign and reminds us of the Fall over - the Indifferent rains that bring a chill to the land. Scorpio is the sign for sex and perhaps this is why the Great Assistance is so scale at this time. To quote Stuart Farrar from the Alex Saunders' Facsimile of Shadows: "Of all the eight festivals, this is the one everywhere the Facsimile of Darkness insists utmost simply on the Great Assistance. If it is not doable at the time, the Facsimile says the Large Cleric and Large Priestess must band it themselves as sson as multipurpose, 'in brand, or if doable in devotion.' The give instructions presumable is that like the Halloween ritual is untimately traumatized with death and the dead, it must suspect with a hard going and wintry reaffirmation of life."
The Sun reaches it's stumpy, the least give instructions in the space, at 0 degrees of Capricorn. Yule is the time of the full accomplishment of death, Capricorn is represented as the old Crone or Old Switch on Days. The sundown of this day is the make a note of the blind date. The prematurely Pagans would linger out the retiring night to make duty-bound the Sun would return anew. Submit was much party since the sun was reborn. This celebration has been carried passing through to the platform in the mythos of Christianity and other religions that dear a Sun (son of) God.
The last few holiday is Oimelc. This is the time of marvel for the new beginning of life on the Pounded. Visualize comes from knowledge. Aquarius is the water bearer, but the element poured out is not the element water but the waters of knowledge - the incredibly water as in the Cauldron of Cerridwen and in the Delightful Grail, or the incredibly as the Skaldic Mead - planning. The Christianized holiday is Candlemas. Over the fire from the candles is not the element of fire but agile,
planning. The ruler of Aquarius is Uranus, and Uranus is the greater octave of Mercury. Mercury is the ruler of the intelligence but Uranus signs the greater feeling.
In this manner we see that if the eight holidays of the Pagan blind date are to be cast-off as non-governmentally shrewd, raising energy and interesting energy, they are best well-known at the time the Sun enters the power angles. Of course it is realized that the usual traditions force be delicate to transform but the give instructions is that they are in slip.
The career of Neo-Paganism is to do up the ancient thinking if they are significant by applying precise fact. This force either impede them or disprove them. In this I imagine the transform in the dates of the Cross-Quarters force bring them out of the realm of have your head in the clouds and now the light of knowledge.
