March 2010...
* 2/17 to 4/1
(OC 2/15 to 3/27): Lent. * 2/28 to 3/7: Navajo Sing--Festival in which
fields are blessed in preparation for planting. Navajos believe Estsanatlehi/Changing
Woman wields the power to constantly create and change the world. * 3/1:
Day the production and use of landmines was outlawed world-wide (1999); day to
mourn their victims. * 3/1 to 3/31: Gender Equality Month--Time to honor
both genders; time to meditate on the equality of women and men, on the
respect due to both women and men, and on Goddess-God manifesting as woman and
man. * 3/2 to 3/20: Baha’i feast honoring the one Deity as ‘Ala’ -
Loftiness, followed by the Fast - time of purification by fasting from sunrise
to sunset. * 3/3: Great American Weigh In--Day to commit to a healthy
diet and daily exercise. * 3/4: Civics Education Day. Democracy
can exist only with an educated electorate.
* 3/5: Day commemorating the birth of Taoist
Lao-Tzu (570? BCE).
Taoists live simply and
tranquilly, respect life, and recognize the equality of all. * 3/5 eve to 3/12 eve: Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries--Old Greek
festival celebrating the marriage of Goddess Kore and God Dionysos,
following their return from Elysium. * 3/6: Mindfulness Day--Zen Buddhist
day for being mindful that you are connected to each and every sentient being
that has ever existed. * 3/8: International Women’s Day--Day to mourn
victims of gender-based oppression and misogyny (past and present), make peace,
and celebrate women’s empowerment. * 3/9: Day slavery was outlawed
world-wide (1927); day to mourn its continued existence. * 3/10: Death
day of Harriet Tubman (1913), who risked her life to guide slaves to freedom. *
3/13: Birthday of Joseph Priestley (1733), Unitarian who found Biblical
basis for belief in a unitary Deity, and believed Jesus to be Deity’s
Great Prophet. * 3/14 (2:00 a.m.): Daylight Savings Time begins - set
clocks ahead 1 hour. * 3/14: Sikh New Year (Nanakshahi Era 542 begins). *
3/14: Christian feast of Blessed Mary, partner of St. Joseph
and mother of Blessed Jesus - honors her as nurturer, teacher, protector,
and guide of all mothers. * 3/15 (5:01 p.m. EDT): New Moon. * 3/15 to
3/18: Iroquois Maple Ceremony--in thanksgiving for the Maple tree and its
sugar. * 3/15 to 3/21: Old Anglo-Teutonic festival of Goddess Ostara,
celebrating the annual rebirth. Her Hare gave gifts of eggs - signifying
rebirth. * 3/15 to 3/21: National Wildlife Week--Time to watch for
wildlife in the wild. * 3/16 to 3/20: Zoroastrian celebration of Divine Spirit
Spenta Mainyu, creator and protector of humans. * 3/16 to 3/24:
Navaratri/Gangaur--Hindu festival honoring Great Goddess Maha Devi as
Gauri - life, growth, and fruition. Shaktas are devoted to Great Goddess Maha Devi in all Her
aspects. * 3/17: St. Patrick’s Day--Old European festival
marking rebirth of Viridios/the Green Man/Green George (God as deciduous
vegetation); merged with the Christian feast of St. Patrick. * 3/18: Day
the first bat mitzvah occurred - in Reconstructionist Judaism (1922). * 3/18:
Day the first woman served as imam, leading a public, mixed-gender, Muslim
congregation in Jum’ah prayer, and delivering the sermon (2005). * 3/19:
Yoruba/Santeria feast of Osanyin, Orisha of Deciduous Vegetation. *
3/19: Christian feast of St. Joseph, partner of Blessed Mary
and foster-father of Blessed Jesus - honors him as nurturer, teacher,
protector, and guide of all fathers. * 3/19 to 3/23: Quinquatrus of
Minerva--Old Roman festival of Goddess Minerva - as font of artistic
inspiration. * 3/20 (1:32 p.m. EDT): Spring Equinox--Marks the beginning
of Spring and point of equal daylight and darkness; celebrates first, annual,
and perpetual Creation with egg hunts and exchanges. * 3/20: Old Slavic
Jare--God Jarilo/Lado returns from Virey (the realm of the dead
across the sea), to reunite with Goddess Morana/Lada. Their love
and happiness bring the world light, warmth, and fertility. * 3/20 to 3/21:
Old Sumerian festival celebrating the return of Dumuzi (God of Life and
Death) from the Underworld to be with Inanna (Goddess of Life) for the
verdant part of the year. * 3/21: Taoist festival honoring the Shen
(Deities) of Water, East, and Spring; prayers are made for growth.
Taoists seek enlightenment and live in harmony with Nature.
* 3/21: Haru-no-Higan--Day Japanese Buddhists mark the time of
change by meditating on the impermanence of death. * 3/21: Zoroastrian
New Year and celebration of Divine Spirit Asha Vahishta, creator and
protector of fire. Zoroastrians worship by making offerings to a sacred fire. *
3/21: Naw Ruz--Baha’i New Year (Year 166) and feast honoring the one
Deity as Baha - Splendor. * 3/21: Beginning of Aries (the
Ram/Ewe/Lamb). * 3/21: World Forest Day--Day to celebrate the
complex living community of trees, plants, birds, and mammals that live in
forests world-wide; day to give thanks for forests for cleaning the air of
pollution.
* 3/21 eve to 3/22 eve: Feast of Old Greek Goddess
Artemis - as protector of wild animals, vegetation, and places. * 3/22:
World Water Day--Day to recognize the world's dependence on clean fresh water;
day to advocate for the sustainable management of all fresh water resources. * 3/23: Day the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(1889). Ahmadi Muslims preach love for all, hatred for none.
* 3/23 to 3/24:
Ramanavami--Birthday of Hindu God Rama (avatar of Vishnu),
protector of beloved wife, Goddess Sita (avatar of Lakshmi).
Vaishnavas are devoted to God Vishnu and His avatars. * 3/25:
Yoruba/Santeria feast of Oshun, Orisha of Passion and Fertility. *
3/25 (OC 4/7): Annunciation Day--Christian feast commemorating Blessed
Mary’s fiat - choosing to conceive Child Jesus by the power of the
Holy Spirit and to become catalyst of liberation and redemption. * 3/26:
Birthday of Joseph Campbell (1904), who found Deity within all religions and
myths. * 3/26: Day production and use of biological weapons was outlawed
world-wide (1975); day to mourn their victims. * 3/26 eve to 3/27 eve:
Day commemorating the death of Abdul Qadir Jilani (1166), Sufi saint who was
renown for his compassion, particularly for the poor. * 3/28: Day
commemorating the birth of Mahavira Vardhamana Jnatrputra (599 BCE),
founder of the Jain faith. Jainas avoid aggression and practice harmlessness, simplicity, and charity
to attain enlightenment and unity with Deity. * 3/28 (OC 3/28): Palm
Sunday--Christian feast marking Savior Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem to
teach love and justice for all humanity and to sacrifice Himself for the
liberation and redemption of all. * 3/28: Death day of Scott Cunningham
(1993), who taught a reverent, ethical, egalitarian, and ecological form of
Wicca. Wiccans create sacred space by calling on the powers of the four
directions, invoke the Lord and Lady in their various guises,
and raise power (through drumming, dance, and chant) to realize a positive
purpose. * 3/29 (10:25 p.m. EDT): Full Moon (White/Virgin Moon). * 3/29:
Birthday of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise (1819), who founded Reform Judaism in 1873. *
3/29 eve to 4/6 eve: Passover/Pesach--Jewish festival recalling their
deliverance from slavery in Egypt and celebrating freedom from oppression. *
3/30: Day the U.S. Constitution’s 15th Amendment went into effect, recognizing
the right of all ethnic peoples to vote (1870). * 3/31: Birthday of Cesar
Chavez (1927), who won recognition of migrant workers’ rights through
organization and non-violent protest. * 3/31: Vigil to mourn China’s
annexation of Tibet (1959) and the killings, torture, and religious persecution
of Tibetan Buddhists.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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 2010
A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality
© 2009 Marija Miovski
www.WheeloftheYear.com
