Happy Celtic New Year – Year 157 A.D. (After Darwin)

Happy New Year.  Happy Celtic New Year.  It was the global New Year long before they moved it to January 1.

The world seems to be changing very quickly.  Arab Spring. Occupy Everywhere.  Out of Iraq soon? I’ll believe that when I see it. The great non-Depression.  Etc.

It is the Celtic New Year.  The traditional New Year before the Church of Constantine hijacked the date and turned it into the Feast of the Circumcision.  (Boy, what's that all about?) 

Anyway.  I am Areligionist, without religion and dogma.  It saves on the brain cells, avoiding too many brain games etc.

Of this, I am proud in my designating a proposed new global calendar system to reflect the reality of Darwin.  Even if On The Origins of the Species was first published on November 24, 1859, I am starting or setting in motion a Cultural Christian non-religious, non-dogmatic sacred tradition and merging Nov 24 with today Nov 1, a sacred day to me because I am a Celt, in this, the new New Year ‘s day of the year 152 A.D. (after Darwin).  Cute.

Cultural Christian Sensibility

Organized religion seems to be obsolete in western culture. Schools, hospitals and government are mostly secular and here in the USA the separation of church and state has been the cornerstone law of this land for over two centuries.

It is not that God is dead in so much as ancient myths and logics are misunderstood and or incompatible with this modern age. In any case – God is God; man is religion.

I pray that all of Islam wakes up one day soon. I pray that it is able to think independently of the state and the evil fascist rulers controlling the local mosque. That awakening will be Islam’s Reformation and gift to the world. 

The harder the extremists of Islam and Christianity fight for a place at the table of a fascist rulers’ feast – the greater the awakening to moderates who do not want to be told what God wants. 

Who knows what God wants ? Only madmen!

The secular sunshine of tomorrow will shine on all cultures on all continents.

Other than that, my Cultural Christian Sensibility knows that in fifty years time – all of humanity will look at all things including God and religion as either “B.D” or “A.D.” – either “Before Darwin” or “After Darwin”. - - (April 29, 2009)

I have some New Year's Resolutions and will be devoting more time to some postponed projects.  I do not anticipate being so active on this blog in the near future.

Happy New Year.  Happy 157. 

Treasure (not bless) Darwin.

Samhain!

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Year 155 A.D. (After Darwin) - Happy Celtic New Year

Happy New Year.  Happy Celtic New Year.  It was the global New Year long before they moved it to January 1.

The world seems to be changing very quickly.  Arab Spring. Occupy Everywhere.  Out of Iraq soon? I’ll believe that when I see it. The great non-Depression.  Etc.

It is the Celtic New Year.  The traditional New Year before the Church of Constantine hijacked the date and turned it into the Feast of the Circumcision.  (Boy, what's that all about?)

Anyway.  I am Areligionist, without religion and dogma.  It saves on the brain cells, avoiding too many brain games etc.

Of this, I am proud in my designating a proposed new global calendar system to reflect the reality of Darwin.  Even if On The Origins of the Species was first published on November 24, 1859, I am starting or setting in motion a Cultural Christian non-religious, non-dogmatic sacred tradition and merging Nov 24 with today Nov 1, a sacred day to me because I am a Celt, in this, the new New Year's day of the year 155 A.D. (after Darwin).  Cute.

Cultural Christian Sensibility

Organized religion seems to be obsolete in western culture. Schools, hospitals and government are mostly secular and here in the USA the separation of church and state has been the cornerstone law of this land for over two centuries.

It is not that God is dead in so much as ancient myths and logics are misunderstood and or incompatible with this modern age. In any case – God is God; man is religion.

I pray that all of Islam wakes up one day soon. I pray that it is able to think independently of the state and the evil fascist rulers controlling the local mosque. That awakening will be Islam’s Reformation and gift to the world. 

The harder the extremists of Islam and Christianity fight for a place at the table of a fascist rulers’ feast – the greater the awakening to moderates who do not want to be told what God wants. 

Who knows what God wants ? Only madmen!

The secular sunshine of tomorrow will shine on all cultures on all continents.

Other than that, my Cultural Christian Sensibility knows that in fifty years time – all of humanity will look at all things including God and religion as either “B.D” or “A.D.” – either “Before Darwin” or “After Darwin”. - - (April 29, 2009)

I have some New Year's Resolutions and will be devoting more time to some postponed projects.

Happy New Year.  Happy 155. 

Treasure (not bless) Darwin.

Samhain!

.

Halloween - Global Culture - Day of the Dead

There are traditions that transcend cultures. There are traditions that are adopted. There are traditions that get recycled through time.

The ancient Celtic New Year used to fall on November the first. There are ancient Celtic customs related to the harvest and coinciding with this date.

A Celtic celebration called Samhain used to center around the building of a bonfire on the Celtic New Year’s Eve on October 31. The people of a village would extinguish all fires in the village and take fire from the community bonfire to bring a new light from fire into the new year.

With the Celtic or Irish disaspora to America in the middle of the nineteenth century came the tradition of dressing up on Halloween first in religious costumes and later in monster chic.

The Brits, who have been greatly Americanized in these past decades, have found and adopted the “American” (Irish American) custom of Halloween and trick or treat. Many purists over there are disturbed that their traditional harvest festival bonfire thing on November 5 of Guy Fawkes Day has somehow been corrupted by yet another thing American.

Which came first? The religious holidays of All Saints day on November 1st and All Souls day on November 2 or the ancient pagan rituals associated with the Celtic New Year.

As in a grinding merger of cultures, it is hard to tell the truth of any given custom or tradition. In a way, globalization and driving toward a global culture have been ongoing for millennium.

I think we have the Celts first and then the Christian era trying to dominate and own dates on a calendar.

People of the Meso-American cultures of Mexico and Central America have their Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead customs around November 1 and 2. November 1 is for memory of babies and small children – angels – saints. November 2 is for memory of dead adult relatives - souls.

While the symbols of this holiday and its festivities are far from the Victorian or Puritanical customs of mourning, Meso-American culture treats respect and memory of the dead along with the needs and celebrations of the living. Families meet, clean up a relative’s gravesite, have a picnic there, tell family stories or even keep vigil through the night with candles and musica.

The human skull as symbol of death is not a feared symbol but a reminder of death which is part of a cycle of life perspective. The skull in Meso-American culture had been around for centuries before the Spanish and their imposed religion. In many ways I think that western culture and or Christian culture is a culture that greatly fears death and has great self-doubts about its mission statement. The conquered give lip service to their new masters and ancient customs such as Dia de los Muertos and Halloween go on and on.

I have spent the last thirty odd years practicing my own form of pagan respect, not ancestor worship. I light a candle before sunset on Halloween in honor of the Samhain custom and help the New Year in with new light. I also light a candle in my home on November 2 to remember long gone friends and relatives. I also in true Irish tradition and variation thereof have a shot or two of tequila in their honor.

(October 30, 2009)

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Happy Celtic New Year – Year 152 A.D. (After Darwin)

Happy New Year.  Happy Celtic New Year.  It was the global New Year long before they moved it to January 1.

The world seems to be changing very quickly.  Arab Spring. Occupy Everywhere.  Out of Iraq soon? I’ll believe that when I see it. The great non-Depression.  Etc.

It is the Celtic New Year.  The traditional New Year before the Church of Constantine hijacked the date and turned it into the Feast of the Circumcision.  (Boy, what's that all about?)

Anyway.  I am Areligionist, without religion and dogma.  It saves on the brain cells, avoiding too many brain games etc.

Of this, I am proud in my designating a proposed new global calendar system to reflect the reality of Darwin.  Even if On The Origins of the Species was first published on November 24, 1859, I am starting or setting in motion a Cultural Christian non-religious, non-dogmatic sacred tradition and merging Nov 24 with today Nov 1, a sacred day to me because I am a Celt, in this, the new New Year ‘s day of the year 152 A.D. (after Darwin).  Cute.

Cultural Christian Sensibility

Organized religion seems to be obsolete in western culture. Schools, hospitals and government are mostly secular and here in the USA the separation of church and state has been the cornerstone law of this land for over two centuries.

It is not that God is dead in so much as ancient myths and logics are misunderstood and or incompatible with this modern age. In any case – God is God; man is religion.

I pray that all of Islam wakes up one day soon. I pray that it is able to think independently of the state and the evil fascist rulers controlling the local mosque. That awakening will be Islam’s Reformation and gift to the world. 

The harder the extremists of Islam and Christianity fight for a place at the table of a fascist rulers’ feast – the greater the awakening to moderates who do not want to be told what God wants. 

Who knows what God wants ? Only madmen!

The secular sunshine of tomorrow will shine on all cultures on all continents.

Other than that, my Cultural Christian Sensibility knows that in fifty years time – all of humanity will look at all things including God and religion as either “B.D” or “A.D.” – either “Before Darwin” or “After Darwin”. - - (April 29, 2009)

I have some New Year's Resolutions and will be devoting more time to some postponed projects.  I do not anticipate being so active on this blog in the near future.

Happy New Year.  Happy 152. 

Treasure (not bless) Darwin.

Samhain!

+ 

Global Culture - Halloween - Day of the Dead

There are traditions that transcend cultures. There are traditions that are adopted. There are traditions that get recycled through time.

The ancient Celtic New Year used to fall on November the first. There are ancient Celtic customs related to the harvest and coinciding with this date.

A Celtic celebration called Samhain used to center around the building of a bonfire on the Celtic New Year’s Eve on October 31. The people of a village would extinguish all fires in the village and take fire from the community bonfire to bring a new light from fire into the new year.

With the Celtic or Irish disaspora to America in the middle of the nineteenth century came the tradition of dressing up on Halloween first in religious costumes and later in monster chic.

The Brits, who have been greatly Americanized in these past decades, have found and adopted the “American” (Irish American) custom of Halloween and trick or treat. Many purists over there are disturbed that their traditional harvest festival bonfire thing on November 5 of Guy Fawkes Day has somehow been corrupted by yet another thing American.

Which came first? The religious holidays of All Saints day on November 1st and All Souls day on November 2 or the ancient pagan rituals associated with the Celtic New Year.

As in a grinding merger of cultures, it is hard to tell the truth of any given custom or tradition. In a way, globalization and driving toward a global culture have been ongoing for millennium.

I think we have the Celts first and then the Christian era trying to dominate and own dates on a calendar.

People of the Meso-American cultures of Mexico and Central America have their Dia de los Muertos – Day of the Dead customs around November 1 and 2. November 1 is for memory of babies and small children – angels – saints. November 2 is for memory of dead adult relatives - souls.

While the symbols of this holiday and its festivities are far from the Victorian or Puritanical customs of mourning, Meso-American culture treats respect and memory of the dead along with the needs and celebrations of the living. Families meet, clean up a relative’s gravesite, have a picnic there, tell family stories or even keep vigil through the night with candles and musica.

The human skull as symbol of death is not a feared symbol but a reminder of death which is part of a cycle of life perspective. The skull in Meso-American culture had been around for centuries before the Spanish and their imposed religion. In many ways I think that western culture and or Christian culture is a culture that greatly fears death and has great self-doubts about its mission statement. The conquered give lip service to their new masters and ancient customs such as Dia de los Muertos and Halloween go on and on.

I have spent the last thirty odd years practicing my own form of pagan respect, not ancestor worship. I light a candle before sunset on Halloween in honor of the Samhain custom and help the New Year in with new light. I also light a candle in my home on November 2 to remember long gone friends and relatives. I also in true Irish tradition and variation thereof have a shot or two of tequila in their honor.