Esoteric Astrology as news for February 23 - 29, 2012

Pure Monday 
Ceremony of Mutual Forgiveness
Leap Year

This last week of February has an added day. It’s leap year. Thursday, Mercury joins the Mars retrograde. We ponder upon many things but cannot act on them until after April 13th (Mars turns direct. Mars retro restrains us in order that we reassess, reorder and review. Friday is the feast day of St. Matthias replacing the disciple Judas after his betrayal of Christ (a developmental stage).

Sunday is the 1st Sunday in Lent - 40 days and nights preparing for the Three Spring Festivals; Resurrection, Wesak & the Festival of Humanity.

In Greece, Cyprus and the Eastern Orthodox Church, Monday is a celebratory festival (akin to Mardi Gras), called Clean, Ash, Pure or Green (in Cyprus) Monday that begins their season of Lent. The words, “clean, pure, green,” refer to fasting during Lent, purifying one’s life, leaving behind all obstacles to health and goodness.

Celebrations begin Sunday night at Vespers (evening prayers) with prayers of Forgiveness ending in a Ceremony of Mutual Forgiveness. All present bow to each other asking forgiveness, understanding and love. Forgiveness is always given. Thus Lent begins with a clear (clean, pure) conscience and loving heart. An outer appearance of this is homes are cleaned the first week of Lent. Reference to Clean Monday is in the Old Testament,Isaiah 1:1-20, read at the Sixth Hour (morningtime).

Purification and cleansing through fasting is an ancient religious discipline. Isaiah (58:8-9) describes a fast and its heath effects: “Then your light breaks forth like morning, healing (restoration, new life), goodness, peace and prosperity spring forth, and Glory protects you. And when you call out, the Lord answers, “Here I am”. Let us, as we fast (from unkindness, criticism, too much of anything), also forgive. Forgiveness releases and liberates. Forgiveness, held before humanity as an ultimate ideal, is an aspect of the will nature of Deity, the “very breath of life itself.” Let forgiveness be given.

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