The Eden Magazine

EDEN

March 2012 Volume 2 Issue 3

2 THEEDENMAGAZINE.COM • March 2012

Eden Magazine is an independent monthly online magazine. Our aim is to create a better environment where we live among other living being in peace and harmony. We support artists that their work match our criteria. If you would like to submit your artwork, article or/and your

Photography For our future issues please contact Maryam Morrison at;[email protected] or www.theedenmagazine.com

EditorMaryam Morrison

spreading compassion to all sentient beings and Living in healing and peaceful world

3 THEDENMAGAZINE.COM • March 2012

CONTENTS

4

Shakila

Owen Fox

8

Why Crystal have healing

16

18

Lily Auma

12

My first Rekei student

20

Snow Drop

Cheetahs

24

Spring equinox

26


A Persian singer with Golden voice


In her new song “Don’t cry” (Geryeh Nakon) Shakila with her soft voice create another master piece in her career, lyrics by Alireza Hosseini, arrangement by H. Fazel and Alireza Tavangar, and is directed by Alireza Tavangar.

Born in Iran, where music and art are deeply rich in their culture which illuminated her life when she was only nine years old.

With a magical voice that influenced many producers to promote her as a professional singer, which her family diagreed, because of her young age. But she continued to study and only to perfom to talent competitions and school contests. As she followed her heart at age fifteen, she studied traditional repertoire with Mahmood Karimi. At age eighteen she moved to United Stated and continues studying Classical Music.

In 1982 when Shakila moved to United State she followed her dream of becoming a proffessional singer. 1990 she became a singer that she always desired to be by releasing her first album “Kami Ba Man Modara Kon”.

While the love of her country remain in her heart, but as an artist she needed the freedom to send her message to all people around the world. So, to blossom she stayed in America and up to today her heavenly voice dazzling among her fans.

She delicatly choices her songs. Most of her songs comes from the great peot Rumi, who’s poem are works of mysticism, and they relfect her love for God. She beleives “Persian music has always been an art that has carred through differnet generations, and true art is invaluable and deserves to last.”

Her Twelve remarkable albums that she bestowed to Persian music, shows her talent in music world, but “ Mojdeye Azadi” is her favorite, since it gives hope and faith to her people back home.

In 2005, Shakila was awarded by Persian Academy Awards International for her modern Classical Performances.

Shakila currenly lives in San Diego.

http://shakila.com/


Septermber 17 Barclay concert

Pasadena Concert


chief Creator of hysterical happiness & exuberant excalmations


To know Owen, we need to read his book and to feel about his passion and love to humanitarian path. he is a chief Creator of hysterical happiness & exuberant exclamations. As he stated; “my goal is constant gratitude and enjoyment of life no matter what happens or what is happening, I am alive to experience it and that means a lot to me.”

Owen loves his planet Earth, and he shows through his words. He believes he can bring happiness and awareness to people the way he experienced it himself, what he means is the aware-ness of oneself and ones thoughts, emotions and conditioning. So, the freedom shines in each individual’s life, we live in the world of no conflicts, no war, and no hatred.

He trusts that we all can live in tranquility and gentleness where loving each other is the focus in our path. He refers it as “like a peaceful light warrior, standing up for good and people and plants and animals - for life, caring for everything.” One way to achieve this kind of living he suggested as “silent mind” where we live in present in now, there we discover happiness.

Although owen currently Lives in Dún Laoghaire, Dublin, Ireland, he spread his love and compassion all over the world.

chief Creator of hysterical happiness & exuberant excalmations


By Owen Fox

its ok to feel sad, happy, angry. Just be aware of it and be aware of where you are now in this moment. Be aware of more stuff than just your emotion that’s only PART of this moment, now. Enjoy, look around, breathe. Be aware of body, nature, air, sight, be very aware too of any thoughts and visuals in ur head that would make a story & GENERATE NEW hurt in you, other than that, feel the emotion.

EMBRACING EMOTIONSArt work by; Maryam Morrison


Its ok to feel sad, happy, angry.. just be aware of it and be aware of where you are now in this moment. Be aware of more stuff than just your emotion that’s only PART of this moment, now. Enjoy, look around, breathe. Be aware of body, nature, air, sight. Be very aware too of any thoughts and visuals in your head that would make a story & GENERATE NEW hurt in you. other than that. Feel the emotion. You are far bigger than it, then the emotion is small.

An emotion embraced and not resisted, but accepted, simply is felt and passes thru you. You are not the emotion, you “are” not sadness or anger.,nor fear, worry, frustration...Without your mind adding onto what is simply there, the emotion itself... There isn’t actual suffer-ing, there is only you experiencing and witnessing the emotion, nothing is added, nothing is taken away, all you are left with is this moment, and you the Awareness, aware of the emotion and anything else. no problem. just what is, and you can even enjoy it in a way, because its not who you are, you are beyond the experience, there’s a distance, a vantage point.

A knowing of what is there, hold this space of knowing what is so right now, and you will feel a peace or groundedness so to speak, as part of the experience. You will not get taken over by the emotion this way, or any thoughts, you will simply silently enough, know they are there and witness them, just because you happen to feel anger or sadness or any other emotion, doesnt mean you dont have to be able to enjoy life to some degree, right now. whilst holding the awareness, you have the control and can choose how you

wish to respond to the emotion, complete acceptance, being “ok” with it... and doing what you want to do.

Dont try run away from, suppress or deny any emotion. it will only fester and grow more pressurized beneath the surface of things, as you continually try distract yourself from feeling it, then it may show itself in a violent or dramatic release, as it “tries to escape from you”. So, called over-reactions take place due to sensi-tivities and unhealed parts, emotions that havent been allowed to release in thepast.

you get “triggered”. conflict and much drama and suffering ensue. healing is allowed when an emotion is allowed to be by you. It is allowed to be felt without fighting it. When you shine the light of your awareness on it without resisting it, by simply accepting it and seeing it and feeling it, knowing it is there, that’s enough in any moment to allow healing and transmutation of any emotion. What you are increasingly left with is peace, and lightness, and freedom from baggage of the past.

Acceptance and knowing is the key.

http://www.youtube.com/user/0wenfox#grid/user/8F65C88D09374617

http://www.facebook.com/messages/?action=read&tid=id.306562766047646#!/profile.php?id=752376297&sk=info


My First Reiki Student

My toy Jack Russell dog, named Patrick, taught me how to believe in myself and helped me become the Reiki Master Teacher I am today.

I felt a twinge of sorrow every time I reread my Reiki Master instructions on how to “Pass-on Reiki Attunements” to other people. My family declined to be attuned to Reiki after I received my Reiki Master training in 2008. I was counting on them in helping me become a competent and confident Reiki Master. I wanted to use them as my prac-tice people for my attunement training. I had to be able to believe in my own abilities before I felt I could teach this subject to new students. The instructions seemed a little overwhelming since the intentions of the Reiki Master was key for the attunement to be successfully passed along to the new student. I needed a way to prove to myself that these instructions do truly work, I was in need of a volunteer.

By; Michele Billman


My dog Patrick sat on the floor in front of me wagging his tail and looking deep within my soul with his eyes. I smiled and thanked him for volunteering but I told him no. My Reiki Master said no about attun-ing animals to Reiki, since it violated their free will. I prayed for a volunteer to come forward soon.

Patrick kept coming up to me and sniff-ing my Master Reiki Manual book while I read it in the following weeks. I switched from my novel and my Reiki book off and on and noticed Patrick only tried to get my attention while reading my master manual. One day while holding my manual Patrick pawed at me to get my attention. I asked him if he wanted to be attuned to Reiki, he wagged his tail at me with a smirky grin on his face. Patrick turned around twice with excitement and then sat down in a begging position. I was amazed he did a begging pose, I can never get him to do that even with his favorite doggy treat in my hand! I thought this is it, Patrick will be my first Reiki “student”, he willingly came forward to be attuned.

I waited the next day when I was home alone to attune Patrick to the healing energy. He intently stared at me as I got my attuning instructions out again. I briefly meditated to get my Reiki flowing through my hands, I called him to sit on my bed for his attunement. Patrick laid on my bed with his head between his paws while facing me looking right up into my eyes.

As soon as I reached over him to draw the sacred symbols over his head, Patrick sat up straight to meet my incoming hands. I didn’t expect Patrick to react to the

Reiki attunement since I wasn’t sure if I totally understood my instructions.

Patrick’s mouth gaped open silently as if he was about to bite something big while I drew the Reiki symbols over his head. His eyes and mouth got wider as he sat still when I went through the attunement procedure in my head. I put my hands together in prayer position in front of me and visualized the Reiki energy connect-ing to his main chakras in his body. Patrick started wildly rubbing the top of his head on the bed covers. He started sneezing and shaking his ears around as if invisible bubbles of energy were tickling him. He jumped off the bed like super dog before I could officially end his attunement. Patrick excitedly raced around the house as if he was struck by lightening, his tongue stuck out as he smiled from ear to ear. I took him outside to help him blow off his extra energy, when he came back inside he was his normal calm self.

After my family got back home we all sat in the living room discussing our day. My son, Jacob, complained that the dog was radiating so much heat it was making himsweat. He moved Patrick off his lap, that’s when I realized my Reiki attunementworked. I confessed to my family about attuning Patrick to Reiki, they just gave me a strange look and changed the subject real quick. The question is, would Patrick know when and how to use his newly acquired healing energy? I was worried I wouldn’t be able to live up to my obligation to him as his Reiki Master, especially since he is a dog and I am a person.


A few weeks later my son Jacob woke-up and complained of not feeling well beforeschool. Dark circles were forming under his eyes as he was getting ready so I knew it wasn’t the “Monday morning blues”. Jacob mentioned that his friends had been getting the flu recently and were missing about three to four days of school before feeling well enough to go back. Soon after the school bus passed our house Jacob crawled onto my bed while I was finishing folding towels. He complained that he was freezing and wanted to snuggle under the covers until I was done with the laundry.

As he laid there I thought I better check his temperature before he fell asleep, I was shocked when the thermometer said 103 degrees Fahrenheit. I immediately started my Reiki flowing to do an energy healing on him and to keep me from pan-icking about his high fever. I said a quick prayer and asked God to send me help for Jacob’s healing. I laid next to Jacob on my bed to start his healing session. I began breathing slowly in and out, I closed my eyes to visualize the Reiki symbols over Jacob’s body. I was about to place my hands over Jacob’s body when my dog Patrick comes running in from the living room and jumps onto the bed. He placed his both paws on Jacob’s hip and stomach area, he rested his head between his paws. I kept blinking my eyes think-ing my eyes were playing tricks on me. Patrick never looked at me, he just stared straight ahead looking very serious. I was alarmed on how serious he was, I thought maybe he knew something I didn’t. Drips of sweat were rolling down Jacob’s forehead as he slept and received our Reiki energy. He’s healing session lasted

about twenty minutes, I was surprised that my dog stayed in that same position the whole time with his eyes wide staring intently off into space.

Before Jacob ate his lunch I took his temperature again just to make sure he was getting better, to my pleasant surprise his temperature was almost normal. He was still feeling weak after eating lunch so I did another Reiki healing session on him while he read a book. This time Patrick laid between Jacob’s legs to keep both of them warm and comfortable. I was thankful that Jacob’s fever broke and never returned after his first healing session with Patrick and I. That was the first and last time my dog Patrick ever actively participated in a healing session. Now he will just lay down with the person not feeling well and project his healing energy while snuggling against them.

Jacob’s teachers were amazed to see him at school the next day, all the others kidswere absent for a much longer after contracting this flu. They were already in the process of preparing his lessons to be sent home for the rest of the week.

I guess Patrick had to prove his point that just because he is a dog that doesn’t mean he doesn’t spiritually understand what is going on with his family and what is needed from him. Patrick repaid back his “debt” of receiving a free Reiki I level attunement by healing his brother Jacob.

I will always be grateful to Patrick for giving me the confidence and faith in my ability to pass-on Reiki attunements to others.


Patrick inspired the rest of the family to receive their first Reiki attunement.

Now we all help each other with energy healing when we are not feeling our best. We can always count on Patrick to be snuggled next to us to help raise our spirits and our energy vibration for a quick recovery.

www.guidedseekscapes.com [email protected]

Michele is a Reiki Master Teacher, writer of children short stories, intuitive artist and photographer.

Reiki healing energy has enriched her personal and professional life. Michele allows her Reiki energy to be an inspirational tool for all her creative activities.

By entrusting the Reiki energy during the creative process she has produced stunning images with her trusty digital camera.

Trees and flowers are Michele’s main focus of her digital manipulated artwork. June of 2011, she debuted her “Magical Flower Garden” series in Chicago at the historic Fine Arts Building located on Michigan Avenue. Those same images of her flowers will be published soon in a coffee table book featuring unique flower art.

Michele is currently working on a new series showcasing her beloved trees, it’s called “Enchanted Trees”. To see her unique fine art of nature, go to her website:

she can be reached by email:

Michele Billman


Why Crystals Have Healing and Ascension Properties

This is the final chapter in a three part series featuring why Crytals have healing power.

By; Hibiscus Moon

Finally, one more way that I feel crystals could work to heal our bodies is through a yet unnamed modality I will call crystal photon therapy, which also works with light, but in a slightly different way. This therapy is still in its infancy but is very promising. It’s based off of a physics principle which states that as you approach the speed of light entropy in systems (such as the human body system) begins to slow down and gets closer to zero decay the closer you get to the speed of light (or zero disease).

This would mean disease reversing

itself. Scientists have noted that when we are emotionally or physically healthy our biophotons, which are units of elec-tromagnetic radiation in each of our cells and DNA, are high in number. When we are ill, these biophotons are low. When we work with crystals, we energize them (as they do us) bringing us closer to what some call “enlightenment”. As a side note, this marvel concurs with many sacred traditions which state that at the most advanced stage of “enlightenment” our body is transformed to light energy, E=mc2. Now this energizing “enlighten-ment” allows the crystals we’re work-ing with to emit photons of light which can vary in intensity.Scientists have also discovered that an increase in oxygen also increases our biophotons. These excited biophotons may be yet another explana-tion for a strong, healthy, bright aura.


Therefore, in my reasoning, working with oxygen based crystals, such as those in the quartz family, means we are surround-ing ourselves with photons of light encased in oxygen atoms thereby supporting cellu-lar repair and healing.

Scientists have found cells (including DNA) 99% destroyed by UV light can be almost entirely repaired just by illuminat-ing the cell with the same wavelength at a much weaker intensity. Therefore, if we increase the crystals in one’s EMF we will increase the amount of photons inducing this powerful healing effect on the body and mind. In fact, scientists have started using various light tools to communicate the nutrient and mineral information in the form of light into the body,

entraining it biochemically the same way as eating the nutrient or mineral would do, synchronizing with my earlier thoughts on working energetically with the elemental compounds within crystals. Once we understand how and why crystals work with our vibrational frequen-cies, we can clearly see that they can be used as very effective tools to help with healing and the ascension process. Through working with crystals and stonesn the way that resonates best with us individually in our own spiritual practices we may work on our consciousness and scension process. Remember, where thought goes, energy flows.

In summary, 5 Ways to Work with Crystals and Stones Healing Properties:

1. Turn to the ancients and their recorded

information. (ancient India, China, Egypt, Native American, Australian Aborigines) Laying on of Stones. To go along with this, there are a multitude of highly recommend-ed books written by respected authors on the subject.

2. One’s intention and intuition are the most powerful; meditate with a stone or crystal first and see what they pick up and relate with, cross reference the info. you receive

3. Research the mineral and elemental content of the stone or crystal. Bringing the stone into your electromagnetic field (EMF), which is strongest within a torus field (a 3D donut shape) of 4 feet, allowing the crystal or stone to act as an oscillator, in other words, a frequency stabilizer. Your body will respond biochemically.

4. Match up their color with their cor-responding chakra colors. Colors allow harmonizing photons of light to generate light color healing or therapy. This type of healing is achieved by introducing light of specific frequencies (colors) into some-one’s EMF which will in turn entrain their emotional and biochemical state. Color therapy (chromotherapy) also works by permeating a particular light frequency into one’s EMF and surrounding envi-ronment. By doing this, you can change one’s emotional and biochemical state in a powerful way.

5.Surround the body with quartz fam-ily crystals to increase biophotons and induce cellular and DNA repair and healing.


Tribute to Lily Auma By; Sandra Murphy

We are so sad to announce the expected, but nonetheless,

sad loss of our dear friend Lily Auma. She died at home

in her mud and grass thatched hut in Apala, Northern Uganda,

surrounded by her family on Thursday 9th February 2012.


Lily was only 23 but she had suffered a great deal in her short life. The loss of her father in a rebel attack on her village, being shot in her arm, the death of her soldier husband, the tragic loss of her young baby all came before she was 20. If that wasn’t enough to bear, Lily was diagnosed as HIV positive and her family, not understanding the disease sent her away to prevent it spreading.

Lily was alone with her memories and travelled to the nearest town of Lira where accommodation and work was hard to find. Lily was a survivor and trusted in her God. As she settled at night to sleep under the stars on a veranda or under a shop canopy she prayed to be saved from this existence. In the morning there was nowhere to wash and nothing to eat so she moved to a muddy corridor where she lowered her eyes and raised her hands to beg.

This was where the paths of Lily Auma and One Step at a Time (Osaat) crossed.Lily’s life was not an unusual one in Northern Uganda but we pay tribute to her strong will and determination which were evident as the illness developed over the next 18 months.

The story of Lily touched many people when it appeared in a previous edition of The Eden Magazine in April 2011. Her story in UK had exactly the same effect and several donors pledged love, support and finance to help her regain her real place in the world.

Lily stayed with Osaat for rehabilitation and counselling, A simple mat, bedsheet

and mosquito net put her in heaven and at night I was brought to tears as she sang her praises and thanks to God for bring-ing her love and safety. From then on she made rapid strides forward.

Osaat made visits to reintroduce Lily to her family and with HIV/AIDS education they began to understand the disease and methods of transference. Eventually she was able to return to her family and as time went on her relationship with relatives and neighbours developed. Her mum was her best friend and they were so happy to be back together. The local clinic refused to register her for medica-tion, the charity providing food for HIV sufferers ran out of supplies. The worst was when she was attacked and beat-en as she made her way home in the bush, Lily was devastated. She did not complain, she kept searching for the solutions, never forgetting those who had helped to get her home and those who continued to support her.

The illness began to take hold of her body and pains began, weight reduced. She was her own woman, in control, positive and an example to us all never to give up.

My memories of Lily will be ones that stay with me all my life, she taught me so many things about survival, belief, love and faith. It has been our honour and pleasure to have met and loved Lily Auma.

Thank you to the staff and trustees of Osaat, Lorna, Lianne, Linda and friends Lily died where she would have wanted to be, surrounded by the love of friends and family.

Lone flower, hemmed in with snows and white as theybut hardier far, once more I see thee bend

thy forehead, as if fearful to offend,like an unbidden guest. Though day by day,

storms, sallying from the mountain-tops, waylaythe rising sun, and on the plains descend;yet art thou welcome, welcome as a friend

whose zeal outruns his promise! Blue-eyed Mayshall soon behold this border thickly set

with bright jonquils, their odours lavishingon the soft west-wind and his frolic peers;

nor will I then thy modest grace forget,Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring,

and pensive monitor of fleeting yearsThe Snowdrop by William Wordsworth


The

By Sally Morningstar

Snowdrop


Photo - Snowdrop Valley, Wheddon Cross, West SomersetIn 1797 Romantic Poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy moved to West Somerset

for 2 years, in order to be near their friend and fellow poet, Coleridge. Wordsworth could well have walked in this valley and perhaps it was even the inspiration

for his snowdrop poem. It is certainly an enchanting valley in which to wander amongst these venturous harbingers of Spring!


The snowdrop (Galanthus – from the Greek gála “milk” ánthos “flower”) common across the European continent, blossoms in February. Throughout the ages it has been a symbol of hope. According to biblical legend, the snowdrop acquired this association after Adam and Eve were evicted from the Garden of Eden. It is said that when Eve was about to ‘give up all hope’ that the long, cold winter months would ever pass, that an angel transformed some of the snowflakes into snowdrops, thus giving Eve inspiration and hope for new growth and spring.

Snowdrops may have arrived in Britain with Benedictine Monks as early as the 11th century. They were introduced into West Somerset’s Snowdrop Valley in the 13th cen-tury by the monks of Dunster to represent Candlemas (2nd February) the feast of the purification of the Virgin Mary. The Festival gained its name because it was when the Church blessed all the candles. Another name for the snowdrop is in fact “Candlemas Bells”. In the Celtic tradition, which pre-dates the Church by a long way, the snowdrop is associated with Bridie, the maiden of spring and these flowers are said to be her footsteps. It is one of her sacred emblems, representing purity, consolation and, again, hope.

One superstition states it was bad luck to bring snowdrops into the house on Candlemas – originally the Festival of Bridie called Imbolc – due to fears that the snowdrop was an omen of death. This superstition is said to have arisen because these little flowers often grow in abundance in graveyards. However, snowdrops grow abundantly in many different places and so this superstition seems a little strange! It is probably far more likely that, as the Church imposed new beliefs and practices upon the pagan people, that to honour the older pagan traditions could have caused one a great deal of trouble and strife and so would very much have been an ominous act!

Sally Morningstar is a writer, nature photographer and natural living coach. She runs monthly Wild Walks in Somerset where participants can learn about the gifts of the natural world.

For more information please visitwww.wix.com/magicalnature/natural-living or email [email protected] more information on Wordsworth please visit www.wordsworth.org.ukFor further information about Snowdrop Valley please go tohttp://www.wheddoncross.org.uk/snowdropvalley.htmThe single snowdrop image is available as a high quality blank greetings card @ £1.50 each or with wording ofyour choice (10+ cards). Please contact me at the above email address if you would like to place an order.



Cheetahs

fastes land mammalThe world


The Cheetah’s name comes from the Sanskrit word “chita” meaning “spotted one”. Cheetahs are the fastest land ani-mal in the world, the cheetah is a marvel of evolution. The cheetah can reach speeds of 60 or perhaps even 70 miles (97 or 113 kilometers) an hour over short distances. It usually chases its prey at only about half that speed, however. The cheetah’s excel-lent eyesight helps it find prey during the day. Sometimes it perches on high places and watches for prey.

Cheetahs may be fast but the question that wildlife biologists ask is, are they fast enough to outrun extinction? Today cheetahs are an endangered species. Like all spotted and striped cats, cheetahs have long been under pressure by the fur trade.

The cheetah originated about 4 million years ago, long before other big cats and was once common throughout Europe, North America, Asia and Africa. They disappeared about 10,000 years ago from North America when major climatic changes took place. Fossil evidence has been found in what is now Texas, Nevada and Wyoming.

Cheetahs are easily tamed. Sumerians were the first people known to tame them and Egyptians deified Cheetahs. Through-out history they have been kept in captivity. They have been used by the Pharaohs, royalty and even by the emperor Char-lemagne for hunting and as symbols of nobility.

Cheetahs used to extend into most of Asia. There are a few cheetahs living in Iran and conservationists there are trying to ensure that the population does not be-come extinct. Besides those cheetahs in Iran (estimated at 50), all others are located in Africa. There are some uncon-firmed reports which indicate that there are cheetahs in India. Cheetahs love to live in semi-desert environments where there is thick brush and lots of open, flat land. However, cheetahs can live in a variety of different habitats. Cheetahs in Namibia live in grasslands, savannahs and on mountains.

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/cheetah.php ~ http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/cheetah-iran.html#cr ~ http://wanttoknowit.com/where-do-cheetahs-live/


Spring Equinox Celebrating has been recognized for a long time in many cultures. Traditions vary widely from one country to the next. They all welcome spring in there own way. In ancient Persia (Zoroastrian) around 3000 to 2000 BCE celebration of New Years was at the time of the spring equinox calls NoRuz meaning New Year. Zoroastrianism which was the religion of Ancient Persia before the Islam about 14 centuries ago.

Zoroastar’s people apprehended a cognitive spirit, in all things, tangible or intangible. This was the especial hope which they offered, the present struggle between good and evil on all planes, physical, moral and spiritual, will end in total victory for the good. it was created by Ahura Mazd¬¬ā. A traditional spring festival, ushering in the loveliest season of the year with joyous festivities, could thus, be renamed the “(festival of the) New Day” and celebrated with religious rites, be a recurrent reminder of the unique “New Day” which will eventually bring


everlasting bliss; and so this observance could aid faith and deepen understanding of doctrine. This is likely to have been a way of teaching to which Zoroaster naturally resorted, preaching as they did to an ancient, non-literate, pastoral people, who used no images to sustain belief, but venerated divinity in and through what they saw and expe-rienced in the world around them.

The Persian Nowruz begins on the first day of spring (usually the 21st of March). No Ruz continues to be celebrated in Albania, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, many countries in Central Asia, etc. as a secular holiday. It is held on the day of the equinox, or on the day before or after the equinox. It is also observed as a holy day for adherents of Sufism and the Bah’ai Faith.

Sufis celebrate Nawruz -- the traditional Iranian new year holiday -- as a holy day. Sufism is a mystical tradition with-in Islam. They believe that it is possible to become close to God while alive on Earth.

Ancient Mayan people in Central American have celebrat-ed a spring equinox festival for ten centuries. As the sun sets on the day of the equinox on the great ceremonial pyramid, El Castillo, Mexico, its “western face, is bathed in the late afternoon sunlight. The lengthening shadows appear to run from the top of the pyramid’s northern stair-case to the bottom, giving the illusion of a diamond-backed snake in descent.” This has been called “The Return of the

Sun Serpent” since ancient times.

Thousand of people gather to see the equinox phenomenon that occurs twice each year in spring and fall. At the castle that looms at the center of Chichen Itza and Pyramid of Kukulkan. As the equinox sun sets, a play of light and shadow creates the appearance of snake that gradually undulates down the stairway of the pyramid. This diamond backed snake is composed of seven or so triangular shadows, cast by the stepped terraces of the pyramid. The sinking sun seems to give life to the sinuous shadows, which make a decidedly snaky pattern on their way down the stairs. It is believed that the ancient Maya may have used this structure as, among other things, a calendar to signal appropriate times to plant, harvest, and perform ceremonies.

http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/ostarathespringequinox/p/SpringEqWorld.htm

In Memory of beloved Rosie

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