Breszny is such a wisenheimer

Mabon and Rosh Hashannah fall at nearly the same part of the calendar year.  Mabon, the Wiccan sabbat of the autumnal equinox, is a day that I associate with balance.  Yule is the birth of the light (the sun) and Litha is the sun at the very peak of his power, but Ostara and Mabon are both balance times.  At Ostara, the balance tips to the light, but at Mabon it tips towards the darkness.  Mabon is when Fall starts taking itself seriously and you start to really remember that winter is, in fact, coming.

What's this to do with Rosh Hashannah, you ask?

Well, balance is a theme there too.  And so's the darkness.  Eating is a very important aspect of Jewish holidays and rituals (Seder at Passover, for instance).  At Rosh Hashannah, like at other times, the foods are meant to teach a lesson.  You're offered parsely with salt water and then apple with honey.  The thing is, if you eat the bitter before the sweet, it REALLY enhances the flavor of the apple and honey.  The difference is amazing.  And here's the lesson:  you can't have light without dark, good without evil.  When Adam and Eve took the first bite of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, duality entered into our world.  And here's the real kicker:  appreciation, knowledge and acceptance of what's bitter in the world makes the sweet that much sweeter.   

Ever since I took my 3rd at Mabon in 1998, I've celebrated the sabbat of the autumnal equinox by reminding myself of this lesson.  I eat the bitter herb, dipped into salty tears (this imagery is heavily utilized at Passover.  Seder is my *major* liturgical holiday so it means a lot to me), but I follow it with the sweetness of the apple dipped in honey.  I internalize the message.  To be really, and genuinely alive is to experience *all* that the world has to offer. 

So, what brought this on?  Rob Breszny's Real Astrology of course.

 
In many cultures, the dove has served as a symbol of divinity, purity, and peace. To Muslims and Christians, for instance, it represents the Holy Spirit. In contrast, the pigeon is often regarded as a nuisance whose prolific droppings are an eyesore and health hazard. And yet the terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used interchangeably for many species of birds; they're essentially the same. I mention this, Leo, because I think you'll have a dove-pigeon thing happening for you this week. A certain situation will have both a lyrical, harmonious side and a banal, bedraggled aspect. They go together; you can't have the dove without the pigeon.