Epona - Astronomy News

Blobrana

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Date: Apr 8 23:01 2012

Eastre	Permalink

Pagan roots of Easter The name "Easter" originated with the names of an ancient Goddess and God. The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similarly, the "Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [was] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos." Her name was derived from the ancient word for spring: "eastre." Similar Goddesses were known by other names in ancient cultures around the Mediterranean, and were celebrated in the springtime. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Date: Apr 7 07:02 2012

Easter	Permalink

How the Moon Affects the Date of Easter The first full moon of spring is usually designated as the Paschal Full Moon or the Paschal Term. Traditionally, Easter is observed on the Sunday after the Paschal Full Moon. If the Paschal Moon occurs on a Sunday, Easter is the following Sunday. Read more Alien (1979) Trailer __________________

Blobrana

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Date: Dec 20 05:01 2011

RE: Epona	Permalink

In Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, donkeys, and mules. Her feast day in the Roman calendar was December 18 as shown by a rustic calendar from Guidizzolo, Italy, although this may have been only a local celebration. She was incorporated into the Imperial cult by being invoked on behalf of the Emperor, as Epona Augusta or Epona Regina. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Apr 22 19:20 2011

Easter dates	Permalink

Early European astronomers determined Easter dates How do they know it's Easter? Ever wondered how the exact dates of the Easter break are chosen? Easter Sunday can fall anytime between 22 March and 25 April and, thanks to European observations of the Sun that go back many centuries, the exact date can be predicted as far ahead as 4099 AD. Back in 325 AD, it was declared that Easter should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full Moon following the vernal equinox (the Spring day in the northern hemisphere when the hours of daylight and darkness are equal). Over the next few centuries, theologians and scientists struggled with the problem of calculating these vital dates years in advance. Although they often studied the skies in some detail to help them work out future calendars, this was particularly difficult when working on the premise that the Sun moved around the Earth. Then, in 1651, Giovanni Cassini installed a pinhole camera in the roof of the San Petronio cathedral in Bologna in Italy. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Mar 8 14:43 2011

Easter	Permalink

You will have plenty of time to dye Easter eggs this year. Easter falls on April 24, the latest it has arrived in 68 years, according to the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington. Easter hasn't come this late since 1943 and won't be this late again until 2038. Read more __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Apr 4 08:45 2010

Ostara	Permalink

The German fertility Goddess was Ostara, who was associated with fertility of both humans and crops. Ostara mated with the solar god on the Spring Equinox and nine months later she gave birth to a child around the Winter Solstice at 21st/22nd of December. The Saxon name for the Germanic lunar goddess Ostara was Eostre. Her festival was held at the full moon after the Spring Equinox and the Catholics adopted this determination for their Easter. Read more Ed ~ Epona, the Celtic goddess of horses and fertility, was replaced by Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess. __________________

Blobrana

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Posts: 131433

Date: Apr 6 06:55 2007

Epona	Permalink

In Celtic mythology Epona, the Great Mare was a great goddess, who in Gallo-Roman religion became simply the protector of horses, donkeys, mules. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, and the presence of foals in some sculptures. Unusually for a Celtic deity, most of whom were associated with specific localities, the worship of Epona was widespread between the first and third centuries CE. (celtic goddess of horses and fertility, replaced by Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon Goddess Read more Eostre* ("Easter") and Ostara are the name of a putative Germanic goddess. The Venerable Bede described the worship of Eostre among the Anglo-Saxons as having died out by the time he began writing (in Latin) the first significant history of the Anglo-Saxons. Some historians have suggested that she may have been invented by Bede, as there are no known references to her preceding his work. Read more Hot Cross Buns Lent will soon be here and those tasty little buns with a cross on top will be for sale in supermarkets and bakeries. But do these buns really have any Christian significance? The answer is no, but there is a Greek connection. The Hot Cross Bun, which children relish and that in Britain, Canada, U.S.A. and other Western European countries is sold during Lent, although alluded to in the Bible has no direct connection with Christianity at all. In fact it is of pagan origin predating Christianity by almost 3,000 years. Read more __________________

* Astronomy