Descriptions of Holy Days
THE MYSTIC'S
WHEEL OF THE YEAR
An
Eco-Egalitarian
Creation Spirituality
Calendar
- November 1997 -
* 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Sumerian, Babylonian & Canaanite-
Hebrew festival marking the descent of Inanna/Ishtar/Astarte
(Goddess of Life) to the Underworld. Ereshkigal/Sheol (Goddess
of Death and Rebirth) holds Her until She agrees to have
Dumuzi/Tammuz/Baal (God of Life and Death) remain there until
Spring.
* 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Celtic New Year; Feast of
Morrigan/Cerridwen (Goddess of Death) and Balor/Beli (the Holly
King--God of the Waning Sun).
* 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Teutonic Feast in which Hoder (God of
Darkness) kills Balder (God of Light), and devoted Nanna (Goddess
of Flowers) dies of a broken heart.
* 10/31 eve to 11/3 eve: Isia--Old Egyptian festival recalling Set
(God of Destruction) killing God Osiris; Goddess Isis mourning Him,
resurrecting Him, and conceiving God Horus with Him; and Osiris
becoming Lord of Amenta, land of the dead.
* 10/31 eve to 11/4 eve: Old Greek & Roman festival marking the
passage of the dead, with Goddess Hekate and Goddess Kore/Virga
(Queen of the Living), to Elysium. Kore/Virga becomes
Persephone/Proserpina (Queen of the Dead) and remains with Her
chosen partner, the Unseen Plouto/Orcus (God of Wealth and Death)
for the dormant part of the year. (Eggs, symbols of rebirth, were
left on graves of the dead.)
* 10/31 eve to 11/4 eve: Dipavali/Lunar New Year/Festival of
Lights--Hindu festival for Goddess Lakshmi (source of health,
fertility, and riches) and Her consort, God Vishnu (the preserver);
focus is on reconciliation and new beginnings.
* 10/31 eve to 11/6 eve: Mid-Autumn/Hallowmas/Samhain--Festival
marking the transformation of life to death: the end of the
agricultural year, departure of migrating and hibernating animals,
and beginning of decay and death of vegetal and animal life;
celebrated by honoring departed ancestors and contemplating one's
own mortality.
* 11/2: Day of the Dead--Day for honoring the departed and
Mictlancihuatl-Miclanteuctli, Aztec Goddess-God of the Dead. Aztecs
believe all Gods are united in the Great God Ometeuctli, all
Goddesses are united in the Great Goddess Omecihuatl; and the
Great God and Goddess are united in the Deity Ometeoltl.
* 11/2: Hopi/Zuni/Pueblo Tribes' Ancestors' Day--ancestors are
honored by putting food offerings into rivers or lakes.
* 11/4: Election Day--Remember to vote!
* 11/5: World Community Day--Day for celebrating the unity behind
diversity and remembering we are all one people--all children of
the Universal Deity of many names and aspects.
* 11/11: Veterans Day--Day to honor all warriors, past and present,
who fight against evil of all kinds.
* 11/12 to 11/15: Tewa/Pueblo Tribes' Buffalo Dance--focused on
healing. Pueblo rites honor Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the four
directions and elements of life--air of the North, earth of the
East, fire of the South, and waters of the West.
* 11/13 to 11/15 (11/14 9:12 a.m. EST): Full Moon (Wolf/Hunting
Moon).
* 11/13 eve to 11/15 eve: Feast of Old Greek & Roman primordial
creating and destroying Goddess Artemis/Diana--as the Huntress,
destroyer of life.
* 11/15: World Fast for an Abundant World Harvest--Day to fast so
that none will go hungry during the next year; day to advocate for
ad
equate sustenance for all.
* 11/23: Beginning of Sagittarius (the Hunter/Huntress).
* 11/26 to 11/28: Dark Moon.
* 11/29 (9:14 p.m. EST): New Moon.
* 11/29: Tibetan Fast of Tara, Supreme Tantric Goddess of Nature,
Mother of all Buddhas, and Perfect Buddha of many emanations. All
are equal in Her circles; She is worshipped with the chanting of
mantra and praises.
Copyright 1996 Marija Angelos / Page Two, Inc.
(The full calendar is available as a 32 page spiral bound wall calendar printed on cloudy blue sky
linen paper for $11.50 from
Page Two, Inc.
P.O. Box 77167, Washington, D.C. 20013-7167
1-800-821-6604
email: WheeloftheYear@BookArts.com
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *