Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Happy Chinese New Year! Standard greetings on the turn of the lunar calendar to the Year of the Dog in Chinese Astrology extend wishes for increased wealth, good health and good luck. I take a lesson from the different markings of when the new year turns. Christian cultures have tied their calendar to the Gregorian calendar, contrived to ignore the turnings of the planet in favor of numeric symmetry. This is indeed quite Christian, it seems to me. After all, Christianity took foothold in the land of the Druids by convincing the superstitious and easily manipulated natives of those lands to turn on their native religious traditions, which were nature-based. The Jewish, Muslim and Asian traditions still mark lunar-based passing of the years. Each of these traditions has its own particular celebration of the turn of the year. The lesson I take is simply the appreciation of the difference between man's imposed counting systems and the reality of this planet's rotation around its sun. It is necessary for me to attend to the Christian calendar for the basic business of life, but it is also necessary to my practice to be equally attentive to the changes that come with the seasons and each successive quartet of seasons. Being aware of this helps me to be a more appreciative inhabitant of this wonderful planet.