Life-Giving Calendars

Quote of the day:
“We used to be a nation of bakers and candlestick makers. Now we're a nation of hedge fund managers and croupiers raking poker chips.”
--William Baldwin in the December 10th “Forbes.”

Say what you will about religion, it has given us some very good calendars.

Our 12-month calendar is surpassingly boring. It’s mechanical--just an extension of the clock.

By the way, if your goal in life is to live completely without irrational religious superstition, it’d be a good idea to shred all the calendars in your house. They are based on ancient numerology, which revered the numbers 7 and 12. (4 represented the earth, 3 was the heavens; 4+3 and 4x3 were therefore considered “complete” or “perfect” numbers.)

We have become accustomed to the artificial rhythms of the 12-month calendar. But virtually all the religious calendars support the natural rhythm of life.

This time of year the natural cycle is cold, dormancy and darkness, followed by increasing light, warmth and new life. All these things have symbols or celebrations in the Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Wiccan, Buddhist and Hindu calendars.

Remembering that our lives exist among these cycles--that we are part of them--is a comforting, renewing and fulfilling exercise.

On the Christian calendar we have just begun a new year in darkness, moving to anticipation. It’s the season of Advent.

This is the season of declining light (in the Northern Hemisphere), ending with the winter solstice on December 20th. Then begins the journey back to light, warmth and new life.