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Mayan calendar and Mayan astrology September 19, 2008

Posted by egabriel in History of Astrology.
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Ancient astrology. It is an interesting subject. Call me superstitious, but where do we turn in the times of crisis? Recently I read curious stuff about Mayan astrology. It turns out that the distinctive Mayan calendar and Mayan astrology have been in use in Meso-America from at least the 6th Century BC. There were two main calendars, one plotting the solar year of 365 days, which governed the planting of crops and other domestic matters; the other called the Tzolkin of 260 days, which governed ritual use. Each was linked to an elaborate astrological system to cover every facet of life.

On the fifth day after the birth of a boy, the Mayan astrologer-priests would cast his horoscope to see what his profession was to be: soldier, priest, civil servant or sacrificial victim. A 584 day Venus cycle was also maintained, which tracked the appearance and conjunctions of Venus. Planet Venus was seen as a generally inauspicious and baleful influence, and Mayan rulers often planned the beginning of warfare to coincide with when Venus rose. There is evidence that the Maya also tracked the movements of Mercury, Mars and Jupiter, and possessed a zodiac of some kind. The Mayan name for the constellation Scorpio was also ’scorpion’, isn’t it something?

There is evidence for other constellations being named after various beasts, but it remains unclear. The most famous Mayan astrological observatory still intact is the Caracol observatory in the ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in modern day Mexico.

Rich and unusual myth system September 12, 2008

Posted by egabriel in Supernatural.
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According of the beliefs of the ancient Celts, October 31 is the last day of the bright half of the year. The next day also marked the beginning of winter, which the Celts often associated with death. The Celts believed that on October 31, the boundary separating the dead from the living. It needs to say, that Celts have a rich and unusual myth system. The spirit world, the residence of the dead, was accessible through burial mounds. These mounds were opened twice during the year, making the beginning and end of summer spiritually resonant.

Throughout the centuries, most Christians see Halloween as a harmless holiday in which some of the old traditions are celebrated by the mainstream culture, although in a different manner. They hold the view that the tradition is far from being “satanic” in origin or practice and that it holds no threat to the spiritual lives of children. It is, in fact, a valuable life lesson about death and mortality, and the ways of the Celtic ancestors.