16 June 2021
The Times –
They Are A- Changin'
The order is rapidly fadin'
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'
– Bob Dylan –
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'
– Bob Dylan –
Our recent essays have been about Magic leading to a focus on Mothers and the wonders and magic they regularly perform. One repeated point which appears in the midst of those writings is how much mothers of the world do and how little honor they are accorded. Mothers Day is a compliment, but a modest and quick one.
From our standpoint, that holiday is just a starter. We haves concluded that the time is right to find more and wider ways to share praise for the Mothers of All Beings, most especially our own human ones. We have an idea how to make that happen. Over the next few paragraphs, we will lay that simple possibility before the reader.
You may be aware that ships – as well as other prized items – have long been named after women. All sorts of trophies and awards have taken women’s names.
Then, there have been hurricanes named exclusively for females from 1945 to 2000. Hardly a compliment. The times have changed enough to balance things by the World Meteorological Organization adding male names to identify cyclones and hurricanes.
Naming of storms is only one of many things in a similar vein which has changed over the generations and centuries. During their Revolution, the French found reason to change the names of the months of the year - from 1793 to 1805. They reinvented the calendar with these months: Autumn - Vendemiaire, Brumaire, Frimaire; Winter - Nivose, Pluviose, Ventose; Spring - Germinal, Floreal, Prairal; Summer - Messidor, Thermidor, Fructidor.
In the present day, there are a number of calendars around the world. But, the modern West uses the Gregorian instigated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. His calendar modified the Julian calendar of Julius Caesar, which itself had reformed the Roman calendar of prior times. The Gregorian calendar made the Julian more accurate by adding an extra day every four years to keep closer tab on the Earth’s rotation around the Sun.
The Gregorian calendar today is still supplemented by lunar cycles to determine religious festivals and national holidays like Easter. None of the calendars are perfect. There is room for improvement.
It seems to this writer that the French Revolutionaries had a worthy idea when changing the names for calendar months of January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Those names still seem lacking in substance and meaning. The latter four months names are based on numbers, others for Roman emperors, ancient gods, and some with undetermined origin. Maybe we can find more suitable names. What do you think?
The times in the West are a-changing with women beginning to finally be accorded publicly their rightful places. So, this writer thinks we ought to consider changing the names of the months in tandem; and thus give due to the women and especially to the mothers of the world.
MONTH: The word itself is derived, at least in the West, from the word Moon. And, women and mothers are quite connected with Mother Moon through obvious cycles and other links not quite so apparent.
Dare we give up our weakly-named months – January to December? How about changin’ them to names of women and mothers, Moon sisters in their place!
Comments always welcome at
theportableschool at gmail dot com.