Light/Breezes

Light/Breezes
SUNRISE AT DEATH VALLEY-Photo by Tom Cochrun
Showing posts with label Passover. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Passover. Show all posts

Sunday, March 21, 2021

Resurrection Turtles

 

    Rainbows are one of those natural prompts that seem to always lift our spirits. We captured this one during a recent storm.

            
    Another natural phenomena that prompts human behavior is the calendar of our revolution and rotation in the solar system. 


        For as long as there is a human history, solstice and equinoxes has prompted response. Do you wonder when and how humankind first calculated a solstice or equinox. How did those ancestors harness observation and calculation? How was the knowledge, the "science," shared?


   It didn't take long for humans to turn the Spring change into ritual and events.

    Some regard spring as the new year, others call it a resurrection of the sun. Egyptians, Persians, and Chinese  advanced celebrations with eggs. Anglo Saxons celebrated fertility and the "moon goddess." Druids too celebrated a goddess of fertility, known as a Flower Woman.

    The Dionysian Mysteries were one of the Greek's mystery cults observing spring rites. They essentially drank or drugged themselves to the point of "loosing control," so the power of their gods or the universe could enter them. 

    There were elaborate observations of the solstice at ancient stones and archeological mystery sites. Some dug up decayed pigs. Cultures picked flowers and danced around around poles. 

    Islam celebrates Ramadan. Jews observe the feast of the Passover. Christian's observe the passion of the Christ. Holy week features Palm Sunday, a triumphant entry, marred by Maundy Thursday a betrayal and arrest, Good Friday when Jesus is executed on a cross, Easter Sunday when Christians celebrate the resurrection of the Son.

    It seems we cannot see the greening of the season, blooming of trees and flowers, the warming of the sun and not think of life, maybe new life from the dead of winter or more.



    Well, here's a little anthropological story. I call it 

THE RESURRECTION TURTLES

    My brother John and I somehow won a couple of little turtles at an elementary school Ice Cream Social. It might have been one of those fishing games, or musical chairs, I can't recall. We went home with two turtles, in little boxes along with turtle food. 

    We acquired an old fish tank, and built our turtle "biome" with clumps of dirt, grass, twigs and leaves. The turtles flourished and we lavished them with attention. They were our first pets and we loved them.

    As fall came on we noticed they were getting sluggish, not eating all of their food and we worried. One morning we discovered the turtles had crawled under some of the dirt clods and were not moving. Mom said they must have gotten old and died. She promised to bury them near the back stoop and put a rock on the ground so we could remember them. We got on and eventually the loss had less sting.

    Spring came and one day my younger brother John, a bit of a rascal, even at that age, suggested we dig up the turtles so we could have turtle skeletons. Sounded interesting to me so we proceeded. We moved the rock and began to dig. Instead of finding skeletons, we found a turtle, fully intact and it seemed to be alive. It turned its curious head our way. We dug on and found the second turtle, not as animated, but clearly not a dead skeleton.

    We called them our Resurrection Turtles and went about the neighborhood telling about it. Our turtles were Resurrection Turtles.

     Mom, somewhat amazed and somewhat embarrassed soon realized the turtles had been merely hibernating. She did a good thing in burying them by the back stoop. 

    Soon she and dad began to explain to us, the difference between death and hibernation and advised us the turtles were not really resurrected. But still, after all these years, I can remember the surprise, the elation, the wonder and the chuckles about our "resurrected" turtles.

    To this day the grass still seems greener, the flowers more beautiful, the world a little brighter and more joyful at Easter. However you observe or reflect at this time of year, I hope it brings a sense of renewal, energy, cheer and warmth.

       Our celebratory inclination is as old as the first human spring.


     See you down the trail.

Friday, April 6, 2012

THE WEEKENDER :) REBIRTH & RENEWAL

IS IT THE AIR AND THE LIGHT?
      You know how you get one of those "ah hah" brain bumps
when you see or hear something that brings you to a recognition of a new thought or insight?  I think I did it to an artist who had studied neurochemistry and photography.  His paintings were extraordinary displays of light. I asked him        "Do you think the renaissance could have occurred further north where there was less light and Mediterranean climate?"
       His eyes and crinkling smile indicated he was genuinely delighted by the question. "That is a good question.  That is a  very good question?"  
       Being a professor, I sensed, he was going to give it some thought.
       Well, this non professor has given it much thought since something theatre professor Gilbert Bloom said, in passing, years ago.  He noted the Greek Festival of Dionysus probably
wouldn't have happened in something other than a warm spring or summer climate. That was probably the ah hah bump that put me on a bridge to the idea that great creative efforts can often be charted to places where the light is good, the sun abounds and where in the spring there is a festive spirit of rebirth.
       Paganism of several variety, certainly partied hearty in the spring. It is also the time of Passover and Easter, both of which derive from sunny climes. 
       Who doesn't feel a bit of a charge when a warm sun sweeps across spring blooms? Renewal is spoken.
WHERE THERE IS A COAST 
THERE ARE WAVES
     Local experts say this past week brought the biggest waves to the Central Coast in a few years-up to 16 feet with
an 18 second period. There were some big walls of water, hanging up there for long moments.  It is thrilling to watch
the planet forces at work in the Pacific.


SPECIAL VIEWING
THE WEEKENDER's :) featured video this 
weekend has been around a bit, but I thought
it would be a good fit for this weekend
when Jewish people observe Passover and 
Christian's celebrate the resurrection.
For that matter it's perfect if you are neither
and just simply a living biped.
This is a 3 minute film that no less than Ridley Scott celebrated. It is very good.
And then, a less celebrated film,
but a little Central Coast tribute to the 
weekend.  Music by Ma Muse from Chico.
Enjoy.  Peace.
See you down the trail.