it's a generational thing...

March is a big month to say the least in my family...

Matthew, my great-nephew, turned 16 on the 6th... Rebbecca, my niece and Matt's mum, turned 35 on the 20th, and Judy, my mother, Becc's grandmother, and Matt's great-grandmother, turns 80 on the 30th...

meet Matt... he has the 'distinction' of being the first-born great grandchild... he seems to have had a 'growth spurt' since the last time I saw him (not that long ago) - he's really starting to fill out... and he's a typical hormonal 16 year old teenage boy - you know, brooding, temperamental, non-communicative... he's a really lovely young lad, can be a right dag - but having a conversation can be like getting blood from a stone!!! same as taking his picture - there was a lot of 'cajoling' in between these photos!!!!

this is Rebbecca... she's the first-born grandchild... my first and, yes, favourite niece... and Judy, the matriarch of the 'clan'... and here's 3 generations of us womyn... the 'lad' makes it 4 generations of the family - and you don't get 4 generations of us under the one roof very often...

There was an addition to Irene's family (my friend, Rebbecca's mother and Matt's grandmother) ... the wee Gigi (she's soooo sweet - a real little cutie)... she gets 'tuckered out' really easily though - she's only 11 weeks old...

and of course Irene's boys (Louie's country cuzzins - Luscious Lucky and Handsome Harry, with the wee Loudle on the end) are a tad 'put out' at the moment...

and it was also the autumn equinox - sometime between the 20th and 24th according to the planetarium... 12 hours of daylight, 12 hours of darkness - this, of course, makes for the perfect harvest time... and, of course, that means the bottomless pit munchies!!!! oooooh - take the chocolate away... and sooooo many cakes because of soooo many birthdays!!!!

and then there's Sailor Lil... playing the 'waiting game' - getting ready to give birth... 5 days to go and counting down... and 'Lil's Capn Chris must be 'sailing' the emotional waves too...

Their babe (it's a boy) is going to be an Aries (or Aries Rising - ruled by Mars - first sign of the zodiac) - just like his mother - Lil's birthday is on the 18th April - Rebbecca and Judy are both Aries ... oooooh, scary!!!! and this is an interesting 'interpretation' of those born under Aries from AstroImage...

Positive Expression:
People born under the sign of Aries are energetic, spontaneous and outgoing. They are often courageous, ready to go bold-headed and willing to take risk. Their optimistic and enthusiastic outlook makes them exciting and stimulating company. Since Aries needs to forge ahead, individuals born under this sign generally act on impulse, enjoy challenges and the spice of danger. They excel in sport and are virtually unstoppable.

Negative Expression:
Since Aries 'acts first and thinks later' he/she often regrets his rash action at a later stage. Their impulsive and hasty nature makes them impatient, tactless, quick-tempered and aggressive. Their 'me-first' attitude sometimes turns an assertive Aries into a rude, pushy and in extreme cases a thoughtless 'bully'.

Physical and Sexual Characteristics:
Because Aries is ruled by the 'red' planet Mars, they often have a ruddy complexion with freckles and reddish hair. Aries natives' strong sex drive makes them passionate lovers, but their desire for conquest and the need to prove themselves can lead to a 'Casanova' or 'Femme Fatale' syndrome. However, they able to form stable relationships with those who respect their great need for independence.

or, if you're of the celtic tree cycle persuasion, Rebbecca, Judy, 'Lil and 'the babe' all share the Alder tree...

Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower.
- Albert Camus

Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all.
- Stanley Horowitz

a christian corruption of a Celtic belief?

Halloween was a topic for conversation at work today... not something we really celebrate here in Australia... with good reason!!!!

"Samhain became the Halloween we are familiar with when Christian missionaries attempted to change the religious practices of the Celtic people. In the early centuries of the first millennium A.D., before missionaries such as St. Patrick and St. Columcille converted them to Christianity, the Celts practiced an elaborate religion through their priestly caste, the Druids, who were priests, poets, scientists and scholars all at once. As religious leaders, ritual specialists, and bearers of learning, the Druids were not unlike the very missionaries and monks who were to Christianize their people and brand them evil devil worshippers.

As a result of their efforts to wipe out "pagan" holidays, such as Samhain, the Christians succeeded in effecting major transformations in it. In 601 A.D. Pope Gregory the First issued a now famous edict to his missionaries concerning the native beliefs and customs of the peoples he hoped to convert. Rather than try to obliterate native peoples' customs and beliefs, the pope instructed his missionaries to use them: if a group of people worshipped a tree, rather than cut it down, he advised them to consecrate it to Christ and allow its continued worship.

In terms of spreading Christianity, this was a brilliant concept and it became a basic approach used in Catholic missionary work. Church holy days were purposely set to coincide with native holy days. Christmas, for instance, was assigned the arbitrary date of December 25th because it corresponded with the mid-winter celebration of many peoples. Likewise, St. John's Day was set on the summer solstice..." read the article here

and not only is it a christian corruption, it's an american commercialization of a christian corruption!!!!

"The imagery surrounding Halloween is largely an amalgamation of the Halloween season itself, nearly a century of work from American filmmakers and graphic artists, and a rather commercialized take on the dark and mysterious. Halloween imagery tends to involve death, magic, or mythical monsters. Traditional characters include... witches, owls, crows, vultures, pumpkin-men, black cats, spiders...

Particularly in America, symbolism is inspired by classic horror films, which contain fictional figures like Frankenstein's monster and The Mummy. Elements of the autumn season, such as pumpkins and scarecrows, are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween..." Wikipedia

I hate this graphic depiction of wise women (aka witches)...

the old decrepit hag,

or the mysterious woman

(I have to put this in here - from an earlier post - THE WITCH / WISE WOMAN

“Women have always been healers. They were the unlicensed doctors and anatomists of western history. They were abortionists, nurses and counselors. They were pharmacists, cultivating healing herbs and exchanging the secrets of their uses. They were mid-wives, traveling from home to home and village to village. For centuries women were doctors without degrees, barred from books and lectures, learning from each other, and passing on experience from neighbour to neighbour and mother to daughter. They were called “wise women” by the people, witches or charlatans but the authorities.” .. Witches, midwives & nurses: a history of women healers

they were ALL of these - healers, midwives - oooooh, dare I say doctors - AND sensual beings, sexual beings - they were WOMEN / WOMYN / WOMIN!!!!!

Unfortunately this was the reality of the 'witch-hunts' - women slaughtered!!!!

This is Bridget Bishop's hanging - check out some shit about her... she was a strong woman, and oooooh, apparently sensual and sexual - a no-no in a patriarchal misogynistic world!!!!!

today she'd be called slut, whore, (another older post - the politics of language).....




or read about Eunice "Goody" Cole - the "Witch Of Hampton" ....
.... i'm a tad bewildered by the acceptance of this crap and the depiction and acceptance of women as ugly, evil - those fucking frightening creatures - witches, (midwives and nurses) -- the slaughter of our sisters - and sympathetic brothers... guess I'm sick of patriarchal shit, american garbage... if you 'play' along with it, you never change it, you just accept it!!!!




.... I'm pretty sure I'll be coming back to this post soon....

Interested in Astrology???

I know, still not doing those 2.1 'tasks'... but at least I'm working on my blog!!!

Can't say I'm 'right into' astrology, but I do find the Celtic lunar year symbols far more interesting than the 'traditional' zodiac signs ... here's a quick overview of what Celtic astrology is based on...

The interpretations seem to be far more accurate - well they describe the people I know far better... check out your sign and see what you think...




and this is how the Celtic Lunar Year compares with the traditional Zodiac year...

and if you're really interested, check out Novareinna for a more in-depth interpretation of the symbolism.