Ever wondered what is the true calendar, or

• How is the calendar measured?
• and why do we use one set of a calendar(s) that is not universally relative?

To be honest, today we measure the progression of a year, months, and days by referring to our calendars at home or offices, on electronic devices, books, etc. We have accepted this as a true calendar(s) of lives. But there is more to this surface observation. All these points of direction are influenced by the movement of the trinity of the sun, the moon, and the stars i.e. astrological calendar. The true calendar is measured by consistent patterns of seasonal movements and astrological events.

How so?

Remember that the earth is divided by the invisible equatorial line called the equator. This line divides the earth into two equal parts called the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.  These hemispheres are like twins, opposite but complementing each other. Let’s observe their complementing differences.

Northern Hemisphere vs Southern Hemisphere.

Most parts of the world use the Gregorian calendar (Western Calendar) which was influenced by the Roman Empire. The Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian calendar. The Gregorian calendar starts the year on 1st January each year and ends on 31st Dec each year i.e. after 365/366 days (12 months) have passed. The ancient Roman calendar used to have 10 months starting in March and ending in December

To date, there are countries/nations that follow calendars that differ from the Gregorian calendar, e.g. inter alia the Ethiopian calendar which is 7 years behind the Gregorian calendar, the Hindu calendar, and the Chinese calendar. For this teaching, I will focus on the Gregorian calendar.

When we observe the calendar and the characteristics of the Seasons of the year, we can notice some contrast. Remember nature is absolute and as opposed to man-made events. When thing falls apart, always observe nature for guidance.  Having mentioned that, let us observe seasons in the respective Hemispheres.

All regions above the equator experience the same   Seasons. The earth moves about 360 degrees across ( some prefer saying around) the sun, to make a full cycle (circle) and to complete 4 seasonal cycles. Thus we know that of the seasons:

Below are the different but complementing dates of the seasons. These days may vary from year to year due to astrological events.

Spring

 In some traditions and cultures, rituals/prayers are performed to usher in the year around this period e.g. Easter, Passover, Good Friday holidays, and Songkran celebrations, in celebration of the equinox. Ask your elders what your or how your family celebrate around this time. Spring is the season of new beginnings/restart/refresh as multitudes celebrate the equinox – when the sun crosses the celestial equator. It is the time when daytime and night day are equal. Plants and trees start to blossom, rivers start to flow, and some animals start to breed. It is the season to start planting/plowing because the season’s first heavy rains prepare the soil and remove winter dirt. This is the month when the sun returns from the other hemisphere about to start its 1 (181) degrees.

Summer 

Now that spring rain has fallen and seeds are planted in the ground, the sun will start pumping hydrogen into the ground to fertile the soil and the seeds underneath. Vegetables and fruits are ripping. The landscape is green and lush. Many cultures celebrate festivals and rituals during this period.

The season is welcomed by the summer solstice when the sun crosses and/or reaches its most northerly or southerly excursion. (i.e. when the sun crosses the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn on or about the 21 June and 21 December respectively, relative to the celestial equator on the celestial sphere. It is the period when the day is long and the night is shorter because the sun is at its peak period.

Autumn

Six months have passed I.e. 180 have passed since spring. This is the period of harvesting what was planted in Spring before winter arrives.  It is Equinox in the South Hemisphere marking the return of the sun to the Southern Hemisphere. I.e. the sun has spent 180 days in the North and it now returning to the south, about to leave darkness in the north.

Winter

Cold weather ushers in, and some animals and plants hibernate. Winter rituals and celebrations are performed before or after the first full month of the solstice. In winter, The Winter solstice marks the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun; the night is long and the day is short because the sun is no longer in the respective hemisphere.

Conclusion

We can say that if we had to use natural cyclical events, we can surely say that:

the true calendar lies in studying astrological events in the two hemispheres.

• Each Hemisphere experiences the contrast of one another. Thus each experience must be true to that hemisphere. e.g. The South does not experience Snow during the Summer Solstice in Dec in celebration of “Christmas” as depicted in media platforms or commercial ads. These experiences will resonate with the North because, by contrast, they are experiencing Winter.

In Southern Hemisphere, the year starts in the spring of 21 Sept as the 1st  month of the year. 21 Dec is the solstice – when the sun reaches the Tropic of Capricorn. This is one of many examples that require alignment of harmony with nature in the respective hemispheres.