Infant's Moon

New Moon in sidereal Aries
Annular (ring of fire) solar eclipse

On the Infant's Moon, we begin things. That's what it's for. It is the Fool card of the Tarot deck, blithely stepping off the cliff with unquenchable faith in the Universe's benevolence...The Infant hasn't been hurt yet; he suckles needily trusting that it will be there again in an hour when he is hungry, and again, and again.We can't imagine that far back but we can imagine it. Or rather we need to be able to imagine it if only for a few minutes. - Moon Phase Astrology by Raven Kaldera.

The new moon is always for beginning things. I will begin posting on my blog more regularly and visiting the blogs that I'm subscribed to.

Did you set any goals this moonth?

1st Solar Month - Aries

Length: 31 days (Mar 20 - Apr 19)
Nominal: Arien
Symbol: Ram horns
Element: Fire
Quality: Cardinal
Rulers (Dignities): Pluto (day) & Mars (night)
Detriments: Venus (day) & Earth (night)

Tropical or solar zodiac is basically the same every year and is aligned to the seasons. Sidereal zodiac shifts and is how the stars appear in the sky at a given moment. Your true sign is the sidereal one and may or may not match the tropical zodiac.

Warrior's Moon

Sekmet's Day

Full moon in sidereal Aries

On the Warrior's Moon, we fight for what we believe in. This is a lone battle, and it is especially effective if we are fighting with no approval from others...[This] is also a time of...learning patience. - Moon Phase Astrology by Raven Kaldera.

How appropriate for today! Right now the East Coast is battling with Hurricane Sandy. Everything is just about closed. My electricity is still working for right now so I want to get this post in. I had 2 dreams last night where I was fighting. In the first one it was with my sister; in the second one it was with my mother. As you know, I haven't had any meaningful conversations with them in a long time. Still a struggle being pretty much an only child and orphan while family is still alive.

I believe in my spirituality. Health issues are keeping me from doing as much as I want to do. Absolutely positive that Christianity is not for me. I look forward to celebrating public and family holidays. Since most of the world is Christian, Paganism is a religion that lot of folks are "scared" of. They point to all the scriptures that denounce witches, demons, magic, and spiritistic practices. I don't proselytize but I'll gladly answer any questions related to my path or Paganism in general.

Now that I'm registered to vote, I believe in voting for the candidate that best aligns with your views. I believe in being educated as much as possible about the election process. Yes, there's almost no change of 3rd party candidate winning the presidential election due to the electoral college. True sports fans still cheer for their team even when odds are against them.

What are things that you believe in that go against societal norms?

1st Quarter Uposatha Dharma - Precepts

Some Buddhist traditions follow precepts during the festival days or Uposatha. As mentioned before, these days coincide more or less with the main phases of the moon and are sometimes referred to as the Buddhist sabbath. Laypersons take the opportunity to reinforce their beliefs.  The precepts as mentioned in Buddhism for Dummies are

• do not kill
• do not steal
• do not engage in sexual misconduct
• do not lie
• do not use intoxicants
• do not eat after midday
• do not engage in singing, dancing, music, or any other kind of entertainment
• do not use garlands, perfumes, or adornments
• do not sit on a luxurious seat or sleep on a luxurious bed
• do not accept or hold money

Laypersons should try to live by the first five on a daily basis; the remaining five are carried out on Uposatha days. Note that some of the precepts can be interpreted broadly. Others may need adjustment for today's society and for the specific lifestyle and tradition of the practitioner. Nowhere is it mentioned that there is a punishment for failing to follow them as it is with the 10 Commandments.  This site gives a modern take on the first five:


http://www.thebigview.com/buddhism/precepts.html


As far as I know, Nichiren Buddhism does not mention the precepts. However, following them would not detract from your practice.