Spring is finally here!!! NOWruz officially kicked off on the vernal equinox of March 20th, ushering in a 13 day period of new year festivities celebrated by those of Persian descent all over the world.

Nowruz or “New Day” is THE original new year as it signaled the rebirth of the earth after the death of winter. The origins of Nowruz predate all major religions and have its roots in Zoroastrianism, the worlds oldest religion.

Today is also the Feast of Annunciation which falls each year on my birthday. In Christianity, the Annunciation is the revelation to Mary by the angel Gabriel that she would conceive a child to be born the Son of God. The Son or S-U-N of God is another Christian tradition that has roots in Paganism. Those who are savvy in religious studies are aware that Emperor Constantine combined elements from both the Christian religion and the Pagan beliefs of the time to unite the people in a strategic political move.

We have all heard the story that after Jesus was crucified and dead in the tomb for three days, he arose anew. This is marked by the Sun’s “birthday” on Dec 25th after its lowest point in the sky where it was considered “dead” by the ancient sun worshipers. Therefore the Annunciation is really the announcement of the rebirth of the Sun.

Now the connection becomes clear between the Winter Solstice (birth of the Sun as it begins to grow in light) and the Annunciation on March 25, as it is exactly nine months earlier, nine months being the natural period of gestation of the baby in the womb. So hidden beneath the shroud of Catholicism is an event that actually celebrates the Vernal Equinox, when the buds of spring burst into bloom, just as Christmas is a celebration of the Winter Solstice, when the Sun ascends from darkness. This gnostic knowledge is the astrological key that opens the mind to a deeper understanding of the nature of religion and the religion of nature.

Today is the beginning of our salvation,
And the revelation of the eternal mystery!
The Son of God becomes the Son of the Virgin
As Gabriel announces the coming of Grace.
Together with him let us cry to the Theotokos:
“Rejoice, O Full of Grace, The Lord is with You!”

Also, I’ve just recently discovered the world of Sabian symbols for astrology, which has a unique symbol for every degree of each astrological sign. On a more personal note, an interesting synchronicity I’ve found is that my rising sign and birthday which is March 25th synchronizes perfectly with the image of the dove in the Annunciation paintings. Sweet!

If you’d like to find your own Sabian symbols, you can look in your astrological chart and note the degrees of your sign in the major aspects of Sun, Moon and Ascendant. Remember to add one degree when looking up the Sabian symbol. So for example, if your Sun is at Aquarius 23 13′ then you would look at the Sabian symbol for 24. Here are mine:

Sun in Aries 5: A White Triangle is seen; it has Golden Wings.
Ascendant in Leo 22: A carrier pigeon fulfilling its mission.
Moon in Aquarius 12: A magnificent allegorical painting of life as a broad stairway with the landings various grades of life…

If you don’t have a chart, you can get a free one here:

Now, tomorrow is also a powerful new moon in Aries, a time for new beginnings! If you’ve been meaning to let go of anything from the past and embrace new changes, NOW is THE time to do it! Create a ritual, join the gym, improve your diet, start a new project, whatever it is you do will have the super charged Aries energy behind it so go on, JUST DO IT!

Every end is a new beginning,

Sibyl