Pneumatised!

“Better late than never”… I was working on this blog when the “k” button on my laptop decided it would die for sure this time (it’s been buggy for a little while). I was going to wait until September to buy a new laptop (my old one just couldn’t handle the internet anymore and was actually slow even in WordPress), but it seemed fate was sending me a message. As it turned out there were some nice sales on laptops this month (likely in time for “back to school”) and I bought a laptop (an HP) and a netbook (Acer Aspire One) for a total of $1000 and change. 😀 So, finally back to this blog.

August 7th began the 7th solar month in the Chinese calendar, Start of Autumn segment. This was also the date for Lughnasadh this year according to astronomical observances as the sun reaches 135 degrees (Leo 15 degrees) in the sky. It seems fitting to me that the Chinese 7th solar month, Start of Autumn, would relate to Lughnasadh as Lughnasadh is considered to be the second of three sabbats relating to the harvest time. Relating to harvesting, August 11th started Hunter’s month in the Lakota calendar.

Today, August 20 – new moon at 6:01 a.m. EDT; start of the 7th lunar month in the Chinese calendar, known as the Monkey month in Chinese astrology

Upcoming calendar dates:

August 23 – Still Hot segment in the Chinese calendar (occurs when the Sun enters Virgo which according to EDT occurs August 22 at 7:38 p.m. or August 23 at 7:38 a.m. Chinese ST)
September 1 – Vine month in Graves’ calendar
September 2 – Hill of Bards month in Kondratiev’s calendar
September 4 – full moon at 12:02 p.m. EDT; Harvest Moon (folk name for the full moon)
September 7 – 8th solar month in the Chinese calendar, White Dew segment
September 11 – Ripening month in the Lakota calendar
September 18 – new moon at 2:44 p.m. EDT
September 19 – start of the 8th lunar month in the Chinese calendar, known as the Rooster month in Chinese astrology

The next sabbat is on September 22 – the autumn equinox aka Harvestide, which occurs when the Sun enters Libra. It also noted as a solar segment in the Chinese calendar (this year on September 23).

Harvestide is the second of the three harvest sabbats, starting with Lughnasadh. Samhain aka All Hallows’ Eve aka Hallowe’en is the final harvest sabbat before the witches’ new year. If you research traditions associated with these sabbats you will note the progression from the first harvest to the last. The first harvest is consists of fruits and some plants (some plants are harvested closer to the autumn). The second harvest consists of grains such as corn. The third harvest consists of nuts and meats. Traditionally, livestock is reviewed and that which will not live through to the spring is killed for the meat it can provide before it dies of some winter sickness. In this way, nothing is wasted.

The next calendar update will be around Harvestide. Until then, blessings for a bountiful harvest!

~~~C