Thanksgiving - praise be to nature. That is all.

The fourth Thursday of November in the USA is 'Thanksgiving', their fixed celebration of seasons, harvest and plenty. Based on ancient, pagan, seasonal celebrations, now, high-jacked for religious / political gains, it wasn't always a fixed date. For millennia, early peoples would have been aware that the summer growing season was over and their journey in to winter was beginning and food stores would have to last

It is that time of year again. The sickly, plastic consumer adverts have begun. Winter

It is that time of year again. The sickly, manipulative adverts have begun. People are gearing themselves up to spend too much money on a bunch of made up, zombie nonsense. Eating, drinking and buying too much plastic tat that makes them feel like they are part of something. Walking mindlessly through the shopping and eating 'traditions' like something undead.

I am talking, of course, about 'Christmas' and 'New Year'. At the risk of being called 'a humbug' or a 'party-pooper,' it really is the worst time of year. The depths of a Northern Hemisphere winter spoilt by overly commercialised, overly religious festivals that nobody thinks about and that should have limited place in a modern society. Think about it. Creationism, prophecies, virgin births, angels, wise men, magical moving stars, stables, donkeys, trees, turkeys, crackers, reindeer, chimneys and gifts. Really? What a load of absolute hokum. Nothing more than a mixed up, patchwork quilt of Pagan,

'Perigee' or 'Supermoon' or 'Beaver Moon' - Don't expect too much.

TODAY

Monday, 14 November 2016.  From Apprx 5pm. (GMT)

The moon will be the brightest and biggest it has been for over 60 years. If you are lucky enough to have clear skies, it could be a great opportunity to get some lunar photos. The 'supermoon', AKA 'perigee full moon' will be slightly larger than normal. (Also called the 'Beaver Moon' as ancient hunters would lay traps in November in Northern areas before snows and freezing). Don't be fooled by reports of the "Huge moon" or "filling the sky", chances are you won't see much difference. Don't expect too much and you will just enjoy the experience.

Bonfire Night Guy Fawkes Burning Popes & Diwali. The links.

Bonfire Night. Burning Popes, religions, cats and traditions.

Another crazed, religiously inspired, leftover celebration. Guy Fawkes was a Catholic man who wanted to over-throw the King. The King was a Protestant who knew the importance of instilling religious fear in his servants . As the King survived an attempt on his life in the 1605 plot, it was thought that the Protestant version of 'god' was good and puritanical ministers in government effectively made it a day of compulsory worship. There is even the possibility that the whole 'plot' was an exercise in spin, designed to inflame anti-Catholic feelings. ( here ) In 1606, to avoid being hung, drawn and publicly disemboweled for his 'crime', Guy Fawkes jumped from

Diwali - another marker of season change. Light & Dark. 'Good' & 'Evil'.

Diwali. Another part of the global acknowledgment of our place in the solar system. You can tack on any religious nonsense you want to the event but it is essentially a seasonal shift marker. The battle between 'good' and 'evil'. The victory of light over darkness. A new moon after the autumn equinox. Fire, lights, celebrations of life and yearning for springtime and harvest. Our Northern Hemishere ancestors would have been acutely aware of exactly what advancing darkness and longer nights meant to their everyday lives and their geographical position. Preparing for longer, colder nights and celebrating with festivals such as Bonfire Night, Halloween, American 'Thanksgiving' festive lights and Samhain, all of which are connected to the seasonal changes, harvest and winter