APRIL, 2008

April 13 - 22:

4/13 (Sun):

In the Hindu calendar, this day is Vaisakhi, the beginning of the new solar year, celebrated with rites of purification, most notably a ritual bath in the mother river, the Ganges. For the Sikh community, this is the most important festival day of the year, commemorating the founding of the Khalsa Brotherhood.

Thomas Jefferson was born on this day in 1732.

Thai Buddhists celebrate Songkran, their New Year festival, on these days. The ritual of bathing statues of the Buddha doubles as a playful water fight that leaves the Awakened One, and everybody else, dripping clean. The statues are then coated with new gold leaf, and displayed in processions that are followed by boat races, concerts, plays and fireworks.

Birthday of Leonardo da Vinci (1452).

In the ancient Khemitian calendar, this day begins the month of Payni, sacred to Hor, aka Horus, with feasts of Hor and Bastet, the cat-headed neter who is the benign form of the formidable lioness Sekhmet.

Sun enters Taurus, representing both Bull and Cow, the latter venerated as nurturer, in such forms as the Khemitian neters Aset ("Isis") and Het-Hor ("Hathor"), since the time of the ancient Goddess religions. The energy principle of the month is Stamina, involving spiritual and practical questions: whether new initiatives begun in the preceding month of Aries can be sustained, and whether, like the Earth that now bursts into fresh green leaves, the human collective soul can move steadily toward fruition. The time favors slow, methodical movement, and, as Taurus is ruled by Venus, is equally favorable to focused intentions of attraction, which bring the desired outcome toward us. The phrase from the I Ching, "Perseverance furthers", is relevant here.

4/20 (Sun), 0:126am HT; 10:26am UT:

Full Moon in Scorpio, opposite Sun in Taurus. The "lusty month of May" that begins now owes some of its sensuousness to the Moon in the sign that rules sexuality, at the same time that the Sun is in the sign ruled by Venus. Alchemically and esoterically, the Scorpionic power of rebirth and transformation, beginning at the Full Moon, combines with the earthy tenacity and drive of Taurus and the sheer beauty of Venus to lend this season its uncommon juice and stamina. The Moon's Nodes, at Pisces/Virgo, form trines to both Sun and Moon, making this Full Moon a superb moment for communal as well as personal love unions.

The founding of Rome in 753 BC is celebrated annually on this day. It is also the day of the Parilia, a festival honoring Pales, the god who safeguards sheep from illness and wolves.  Fires are made of green branches, and sheep are herded through the smoke to purify and protect them.

In some Native American calendars, Month of the Beaver begins.

4/20 sunset to sunset on 4/27 (8 days):

Pesach, the Jewish feast of Passover, begins at sunset this day and continues for the next eight days. These holy days commemorate the night on which the Jews of Egypt painted the door posts of their homes with lamb's blood, as a sign that the Angel of Death was to spare the family from the death of their firstborn. This was the last and most terrible of the seven plagues visited upon Pharaoh, and the one that convinced him to release the Hebrews from bondage.

4/21 (Mon):

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks on this day. The Moon has just gone Full, so viewing is less than ideal.

In the Baha'i calendar, this is the first day of Ridvan, the twelve- day festival commemorating the announcement by Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i faith, that he was the new Prophet.

Rastafarians celebrate this day as one of their most important holidays, marking Haile Selassie's visit to Jamaica in 1961.

This day is the birthday (1182) of the celebrated environmentalist and animal communicator St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order of monks.

4/22 is also the date of the original Earth Day.