Over the weekend, while I was sitting in the garden enjoying a beautifully hand rolled joint under the light of a brilliant full moon on the second night of Passover (or the eve of Easter, or just plain Saturday depending on your religious inclination, preference, persuasion, indoctrination, or lack thereof), I had an epiphany of sorts. Whether it was inspired by a recent conversation or a realization…or even a divine revelation…I can't really say but I am fairly certain that the weed did play a significant role.
The time surrounding the first full moon after the vernal equinox coincides with the transformational biblical events of Passover and Easter…what with the (alleged) plagues, avoidable infanticide, and subsequent release of an enslaved people from Egypt and the (alleged) not-to-be-outdone-since crucifixion/resurrection of the carpenter turned rebel rabbi many years later. The two events happening on the same weekend, years apart, not only make it a better story, but also reinforces the seasonal savior theme.
Having just celebrated a birthday, and being a dabbler into such things, I am also aware that the vernal equinox also marks the season of Aries, which (allegedly) brings out one’s inner trailblazer/warrior/destroyer. Being the first sign of the Zodiac, it signifies the transformation from the end of one cycle to the beginning of the next and, perhaps not incidentally, coincides with the beginning of Spring which is the season of transformation and new beginnings in nature.
Since the constellations (allegedly) predate humans, did the (alleged) Passover events happen because the sun was in Aries? I mean, could one have (allegedly) parted the Red Sea to free an enslaved people and destroy their captors at any other time of the year? And what about the other story, was the (alleged) crucifixion/resurrection event made possible by the sun being in Aries? Could one be (allegedly) resurrected at any other time of the year? Perhaps, but the fact that both stories from the same book of metaphors (albeit different chapters and authors; it’s more of an anthology, really) coincided with this particular full moon event during the season of Aries (as in, happend on the same weekend) does seem deliberate by it’s apparently astrologist writers even if it has become obscured by brightly colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, sugar coated marshmallow chicks, and jelly beans in the capitalist tradition.
Is there a moral to this story?
Old stories are great for inspiration when we’re feeling the angst and anxiety that accompanies an inner surge of energy from the season of new beginnings…especially considering most of us have become slaves to the modern corporate world which alone comes with a certain degree of angst and anxiety. While you could wait for someone to come along and channel the seasonal energy to release you from your self-created bondage, maybe the real takeaway from those stories is that the first full moon after the vernal equinox is a good time to channel your own inner warrior energy and make transformational changes in your life…you may even start a new religion.