Diwali - Just another celebration of the Human place in the Solar System. Light, Darkness, Seasons.

 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 fictional battle between 'good' and 'evil'. The victory of light over darkness. A new moon after the autumn equinox. The darkest night. Fire, lights, gifts, good wishes, 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

Diwali - Just another celebration of the Human place in the Solar System. Light, Darkness, Seasons.

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 fictional battle between 'good' and 'evil'. The victory of light over darkness. A new moon after the autumn equinox. The darkest night. Fire, lights, gifts, good wishes, 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

Diwali - another celebration of place in the solar system.

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 fictional battle between 'good' and 'evil'. The victory of light over darkness. A new moon after the autumn equinox. The darkest night. Fire, lights, gifts, good wishes, 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

'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.

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

Samhain - 'Halloween' - Day of the Dead - Seasonal changes.

So here we are again. Halloween. Treats, costumes, lanterns, spiders, bats, blood, horror, death, ghosts.

It has its origins in the ancient, pagan, pre-Christian, Celtic festival known as Samhain ("sah-win"). The Feast of the Dead. A time when humans had much less knowledge of the world around them. Later, hijacked and assimilated by the religious ceremony of All Hallows Eve & All Saints Day. A day for the dead. Look it up. It is a celebration of the end of the harvest season, a recognition of the lengthening nights, worsening weather and the harsh winter season running up to the winter solstice ( Dec 21st aka Christmas. Here ). It represents the point in the calendar when livestock were moved to lower level farmland from the higher, summer feeding grounds and when animals were slaughtered for the winter larders.  In the northern hemisphere, the reduced daylight, winter temperatures and sparse food supply meant that our ancient, pagan ancestors felt the icy grip of winter tightening and closer to their (made up) spirit world, disease and death. The coming of the Light. Humans have always feared the things that they hadn't worked out.

Ramadan. Moon. Pagan.

Ramadan. Another ancient, pagan celebration based on the phases of the moon. Invented in, what would now be, India. Inspired, invented and re-invented by poorly educated, scientifically illiterate, pagan nomads. These early-culture humans failed to understand their world and worshipped multiple 'idols' within nature to convince themselves that the sun & moon would return and life could continue. From one crescent phase of the moon to another. A lunar month that moves year to year within the standard calendar. Fasting and feasting. Observed through time by people who blindly followed because their families did the same within living memory and that must make it ok, right? Highjacked by another man-made, Abrahamic religion that steals it's lead from the basic worship of nature and the passing of solar system realities. Pre-Islamic, pre-Christian, pre-organised religion.

Festivals of light, harvest, rebirth and solar reality. Diwali for example.

Diwali. Another part of the global acknowledgment of our place in the solar system. 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 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 Diwali, Halloween, American 'Thanksgiving' festive lights and Samhain, all of which are connected to the seasonal changes, harvest and winter