October 2009...
* 9/26 to 10/4: Navapad Oli. * 10/1 eve to 10/10 eve: Greater Eleusinian Mysteries--Old Greek festival recalling Goddess Demeter's search for Her missing daughter Kore. Devotees fasted, ritually bathed in the sea, processed by torch-light to the temple, made ritual offerings, and danced. * 10/2: Feast of the Guardian Angels; day to honor one's personal guardian and guide. * 10/2: Birthday of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi (1869), Hindu advocate for human rights and self-reliance, who practiced active non-violent resistance to injustice. * 10/2 eve to 10/9 eve: Sukkot/Feast of Ingathering--Jewish thanksgiving for the fruit harvest. Originally, a dance procession was made to vineyards and wine was offered to Elohim. Also commemorates the years in the wilderness after leaving Egypt. * 10/3: Mindfulness Day--Zen Buddhist day for being mindful that fear and hatred of others results from ignorance of interconnectedness. * 10/4 (2:10 a.m. EDT): Full Moon (Indigo/Wise-Crone Moon). * 10/4: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Orunmila, Orisha of Wise Counsel and Protection. * 10/4: Christian feast of St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226), and Animal Blessing Day. * 10/4 to 10/7: Tewa Deer Dance--celebrating the cosmic duality of feminine and masculine. The Tewa recognize gender equality and honor both male and female ancestors. * 10/4 to 10/12: Navajo Sing--Festival in thanksgiving for the harvest. Estsanatlehi/Changing Woman is believed to represent life, and is manifested in the harvest. * 10/5: Day honoring Zen Buddhist philosopher Bodhidharma (470-543), who believed one could attain Buddhahood by realizing one's own Buddha nature. * 10/7: Mahayana Buddhist festival of Bodhisattva Tara/Kuan Yin/Kannon; celebrates Her attainment of Bodhisattvahood. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are aspects of Adi-Buddha - the masculine and feminine, transcendent and immanent, omniscient and omnipotent, primordial and eternal Absolute. * 10/9 eve to 10/10 eve: Shemini Atzeret/Feast of Assembly--Jewish festival of praise and thanksgiving for life-giving rain. * 10/10 eve to 10/11 eve: Simchat Torah/Rejoicing with the Torah--Jewish festival celebrating the Torah. * 10/11: Birthday of Eleanor Roosevelt (1884), advocate for world-wide recognition of the rights of all. * 10/11: Opening of Vatican II Council, during which the Catholic Church committed to ecumenism, freedom of religion, and social justice (1962). * 10/12 (Obs. 10/12): Columbus Day--Commemorates Europeans' colonization of America (1492); day to mourn Native American victims of conquest and oppression (past and present), make peace, and celebrate empowerment of Native Americans. * 10/12: Day the first woman was ordained a Methodist minister in the U.S. (1880). * 10/12 to 10/16: Zoroastrian celebration of Divine Spirit Ameretat, creator and protector of vegetation. * 10/13: Final appearance of Our Lady of Fatima, Lady of Oracles and Miracles (Portugal 1917). * 10/14 to 10/28 (I 10/24): Old Norse Winter Nights Feast--The ancestors were remembered and offerings were made to the Deities (particularly the Norns, Freyja, and the Disir) to survive the season. * 10/15: Makahki/Hawaiian New Year. Hawaiians believe the Akua (Gods and Goddesses) were created by Papa/Mother Earth and Wakea/Father Sky, who themselves were created from the chaos of Po. * 10/15 to 10/18: Diwali/Lunar New Year/Festival of Lights--Hindu festival for Goddess Lakshmi (source of health, fertility, and prosperity) and Her consort, God Vishnu (the preserver); focus is on peace-making and new beginnings. * 10/16: Baha'i feast honoring the one Deity as Ilm - Knowledge. * 10/17 (A 11/27): Old Egyptian feast of Neteret Hathor, Goddess of Fate. * 10/17: Shukaku Matsuri--Shinto rite offering thanks and first fruits of the rice harvest to the Kami. * 10/18 (1:33 a.m. EDT): New Moon. * 10/18: Kali Puja--Hindu festival honoring Great Goddess Maha Devi as Kali - decay, death, and transformation. Hindus believe all Gods and Goddesses are aspects of the limitless, attributeless, immanent, and transcendent Brahman. * 10/18: Day the Clean Water Act was enacted (1972); day to give thanks for the water we drink. * 10/18 eve: Old European feast of the Triple Goddess (Goddess of the Moon and the Seasons), marking the transformation of the Mother into the Crone. * 10/18 eve to 10/26 eve (10/22 peak): Orionid Meteor Showers. * 10/20: Day the Granth Sahib (Adi Granth), the holy scripture of the Sikhs, was recognized as eternal guru (1708). Sikhs believe the infinite and formless Deity should be sought within one's self. * 10/21: Day military attacks on civilians were outlawed world-wide (1950). * 10/23: Beginning of Scorpio (the Scorpion). * 10/23: Jnan Panchami--Day that Jainas celebrate knowledge, education, and holy books with recitations, meditation, and worship. * 10/24: Yoruba/Santeria feast of Orisha Erinle, Healer of the Sick and Injured. Herbs are used for healing. * 10/24: Feast of Raphael, Angel of Healing. * 10/24: Day the United Nations came into being to facilitate world-wide peaceful cooperation (1945). * 10/24: Day the first woman was ordained a Presbyterian minister in the U.S. (1956). * 10/24 to 10/30: World Disarmament Week--Time for peaceful activism to help end the arms race. * 10/28: Day the world's nations committed to bio-diversity and eco-system conservation (1982). * 10/28 to 11/3: Isia--Old Romano-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, realm of the dead. * 10/29 eve to 11/1 eve: Thesmophoria--Old Greek festival commemorating the transformation of Goddess Kore (Queen of the Living) into Persephone (Queen of the Dead), when She eloped to Elysium with Her partner, God Dionysos/Plouton, accompanied by Goddess Hekate and spirits of the dead. * 10/31: Day to mourn the women tortured and killed as witches because of their independence, wealth, wisdom, or religion. * 10/31 eve: Halloween--Night that the dead return to visit their families; celebrated by children, dressed as spirits, going door to door for treats. * 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Old Sumerian fast recalling the descent of Inanna (Goddess of Life) to the Underworld. Ereshkigal (Goddess of Death and Rebirth) detained Her until She agreed to have Dumuzi (God of Life and Death) remain there each Winter. * 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Samhain--Old Celtic/Welsh New Year and feast of Cerridwen (Goddess of Death) and Beli (the Holly King - God of the Waning Sun). * 10/31 eve to 11/7 eve: Mid-Autumn/Day of the Dead/Hallowmas.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Permission to use and distribute these excerpts is granted for non-commercial purposes, provided the following information is included:
Excerpted from
THE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2009
A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality
© 2008 Marija Miovski
www.WheeloftheYear.com
