Posts Tagged ‘calendar’
Blood and Islam: Between Eid and Ashura
October 26th, 2014, posted in DAtEs iN a YeAR, MESSAGEs, Muharram, Sufism
At this moment in the Islamic calendar, we stand between two holidays in which truth is performed with the spilling of blood: Eid al-Adha, which was celebrated this past week, and Ashura, which will take place in November. In both cases, the annual observations are accompanied by debate over the meaning of this blood and how “religion” is supposed to look.
Last week, Muslims around the world observed Eid al-Adha, which marks the completion of the hajj. The central character in the story of hajj is not Muhammad, but Abraham, whose willingness to sacrifice what he loved most in the world—his own son—is imitated when pilgrims throw stones at walls representing the devil. In honor of Abraham’s absolute submission to God, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha with the slaughter of a goat or lamb.
Towards the start of November, Shi’a Muslims will commemorate another sacrifice: the martyrdom of Husayn, Muhammad’s grandson, on the day of Ashura. Husayn gave his life in an impossible war against the unjust powers of his time. In a controversial practice, many observers of Ashura will mark their love for Husayn on their own bodies, whipping their backs with blades or lacerating their heads. Even within Shi’a communities, the practice’s Islamic appropriateness is debated. The image of men parading through the streets, drenched in their own blood, has become ammunition for more than one polemical agenda: Sunnis might use the practice to say that Shi’as are not legitimate Muslims, and Islamophobes look at the scene as evidence that Islam at large is fanatical and violent.
In the cases of both Eid al-Adha and Ashura, there are Muslims who seek to reform these practices to match their own ideas of what it means to be modern, rational, and humane. In alternative visions of Eid al-Adha, the slaughter of an animal and the distribution of its meat among the needy can be replaced by other forms of charity. In commemoration of Husayn’s willingness to be slaughtered on Ashura, many Muslims choose to donate their blood, either as an alternative or complement to self-injury. On the day of Ashura in Shi’a-majority Iran, blood banks collect nearly four times their daily average.
I can appreciate efforts to read these stories of Abraham and Husayn as calls to ethical action in the world; Muslims have been doing this throughout their history. Muslims who refrain from slaughtering animals on Eid do so with belief that Islam privileges compassion and mercy over ritual demands. Muslims who donate to blood banks on Ashura are following the supreme example of Husayn, who gave his blood in a much more drastic fashion. While innovating in their practice, these Muslims remain invested in their tradition, seeking to uphold its power and meaning in new contexts.
Unfortunately, some Muslims who call for such reforms can sound like vehement Islamophobes, charging their brothers and sisters with “blind” adherence to “senseless” or “barbaric” rituals. Following certain assumptions about what makes good religion—namely, a location of meaning only in the soul, never on the body—they insist that there can be nothing spiritual about spilling blood.
If someone has an objection to eating animals, I can understand the refusal to slaughter for Eid. However, I am a meat eater, and I do not raise or hunt my own meat. I benefit from the destruction of animals without ever having to think about it. The Eid slaughter, if we perform it with mindfulness, forces a confrontation with the unpleasant reality that sustains us. At least it’s better than buying meat at the store and then pretending to be detached from the process.
It’s hard to find mosques in the United States where I can cut myself for Husayn, but at the very least I will join a community in matam and participate in ritual chest-slapping, until my pecs turn bright red. Husayn left Mecca for Karbala with a promise that he would complete the rites of hajj by sacrificing not a goat, but his own life; like the slaughtered goat, the death of innocent Husayn became a source of sustenance for others. We will cry for Husayn and his camp of maybe one hundred supporters who stood against an army of thousands, and our own guilty status as the beneficiaries of Husayn’s sacrifice, and we will write our love, grief, and guilt on our bodies. With each sting of my hand on my chest, I will consider how much worse Ashura must have been for Husayn. Every day is Ashura, said one of Husayn’s descendants; every land is Karbala. The tragic slaughter of Husayn by a tyrant’s order represents the injustice and suffering that continues in our own time. However, as the world is filled with oppression and undeserved privileges of various forms, I know that I occupy the role of Husayn’s killers much more than that of Husayn’s supporters.
Many people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, would say that spilling blood is disgusting and pain has no place in spirituality. Of course, these practices don’t necessarily leave us feeling good. Putting a knife into an animal is not fun, either. But between these two holy days, Eid al-Adha and Ashura, we remind ourselves of the violence of our own lives—a violence that continues to feed us—and our roles within that violence. It’s sad and heavy. Some folks want no sadness or heaviness in their religion, which is fine; but for me, it’s kind of the point.
Something I found on internet
LEO ; D
August 1st, 2010, posted in AStROLOGYThe Lion
July 23 to August 22
Traditional Leo Traits..
- Generous and warmhearted
- Creative and enthusiastic
- Broad-minded and expansive
- Faithful and loving
On the dark side….
- Pompous and patronizing
- Bossy and interfering
- Dogmatic and intolerant
LEo…
About The Sign…
The Sun is your ruling planet Leo. Of course the Sun is not really a planet; it is the center of our solar system. And, as above, so below! You shine as brightly as the Golden globe because you reflect the characteristics of the heavenly body that rules your star sign!
You too are a ball of dynamic energy. You are warm, bright and self-motivated, and you want to make an impression in everything you do your work, your love life and your social life.
Because you are extremely generous, you expect others to be just as big-hearted. So when you see others holding back, you find it hard to not jump in and try to change that. You want to see everyone giving to the best of their ability. To other people, you can look like a bit of a tyrant, asking for more than they can give.
When you are feeling upbeat, you carry people away with your energy, and they love you for it. You love sharing your joys and successes with the people you love, and when you do, you are magnanimous you never give a thought to getting anything in return. There are few star signs who really understand the nature of giving, but Leo seems to have perfected the art.
You also have a great sense of timing. When you offer a friendly word or gesture of encouragement, you pick the exact moment when it will have greatest impact. You always seem to be in the right place at the right time. You’re lucky this way.
Try to remember that your strong sense of self can be misinterpreted by others understatement could sometimes be a more effective way for you to show your loyalty and express your generosity.
Some people think you are a show-off, but this too is a mistake. Your dramatic flair is part and parcel of your zest for life, your love of people and your optimism. For you, life is a stage on which you can perform and express your talents.
You may not be a performer on the entertainment stage, but Mick Jagger, a Leo, is, and he is a very good example of the strutting, egotistical nature of Leo. Mick exudes charisma, creativity and a personal style all his own. Not only that, but he has embedded his brand name as No. 1 in the rock industry, decade after decade. On the stage of life, you too will want to be No. 1, and to present yourself as someone special, with unique talents.
Loyalty is your trademark. People know you are a genuine friend who is always ready to lend a hand. Even if you cant help someone with their specific problem, you still manage to send out a warm and reassuring vibration that makes them feel better.
On the other hand, you also have a need to one-up others. A little more humility wouldnt hurt. You will get plenty of praise and recognition for your energy and your self-motivation you dont need to big-note yourself. People will instantly recognize your abilities, and many will look up to you. Try not to let this go to your head; remind yourself occasionally to get off your high horse.
Leos totem is the lion, lord of the jungle full of muscularity, grace and ferocity. This means that your physical appetites and general level of energy are extraordinarily high. You need to be physically mobile and fully engaged in meaningful work and social activities to feel good.
You are a born leader: people naturally gravitate to you, and look to you for guidance and security. This is especially true if you are born in the very first part of Leo – that is you’re born between 24th July and 3rd August. At times you can seem a hard taskmaster, demanding excellence from them this is just a reflection of your own actions, your own approach, but keep an eye out for it, and keep it under control.
For Leos born between the 4th and 14th of August, Jupiter and Sagittarius have a strong sway over your life. You are adventurous and love to travel, learn about new cultures and explores the world and people. Mostly easygoing you attract many friends and seem to be in the right place at the right time. You’re one of the lucky Leos.
Are you a Leo born between the 15th and 23rd August? Then your fighting spirit is second to none! Nothing gets in the road of your ambitions so its quite clear that you will achieve what you set your heart upon. My only comment is that you should never tread on anyone’s toes on the way up the ladder of success. You might just have to deal with them on the way down!
Generally you have a pioneering spirit; this is connected to your desire to be the best. So while you could be quite happy with a life where you follow other peoples rules and regulations, mostly you ‘ll much prefer to blaze your own trail.
This means you will carve out your own niche and make a name for yourself. You’ll shine in almost everything you do, and will without a doubt make your mark in the world you can reach the top of the ladder, no matter what field you choose.
The Leo type is the most dominant, spontaneously creative and extrovert of all the zodiacal characters. In grandeur of manner, splendor of bearing and magnanimity of personality, they are the monarch’s among humans as the lion is king of beasts. They are ambitious, courageous, dominant, strong willed, positive, independent, self-confident there is no such a word as doubt in their vocabularies, and they are self-controlled. Born leaders, either in support of, or in revolt against, the status quo. They are at their most effective when in a position of command, their personal magnetism and innate courtesy of mind bringing out the best of loyalty from subordinates. They are uncomplicated, knowing exactly what they want and using all their energies, creativeness and resolution to get it, as well as being certain that they will get whatever they are after. Their followers know where they are with Leonians. Leonians think and act bigger than others would normally dare; the ambitiousness of their schemes and idealism sometimes daunt their followers, their practical hardheadedness and ability to go straight to the heart of any problem reassures those who depend on them. If Leonians meet with setbacks they thrive on the adversity.
On the whole they are powers for good, for they are strongly idealistic, humane, and beneficent. They have powerful intelligence and are of a broad philosophical, sometimes religious, turn of mind. Those who are devout may become very obstinate in upholding traditional beliefs and will cling tenaciously, but with complete sincerity, to practices and doctrines which liberal thinkers regard as absurdly out-of-date. These will be found as the ‘lions’ of industries, and in the forefront of the cutting edge of technologies.
Their faults can be as large in scale as their virtues, and an excessively negative Leonian can be one of the most unpleasant human beings imaginable, displaying extreme arrogance, autocratic pride, haughtiness, and excessive hastiness of temper. If jealously suspicious of rivals, they will not hesitate to use cunning, lies and trickery to discredit them. Self-centeredness, greed for flattery, boastfulness, and bombast, pomposity, snobbish superiority, and overbearing, and intolerant disdain of underlings; to whom they will nevertheless delegate the carrying out of minor details in their grandiose schemes, and from whom they are not above borrowing immoderately if an occasion necessitates it. Any of these can be characteristic of Leo.
Add to them a passion for luxury, a lust for power, unlimited sexual lust, and emotional indulgence, and a character emerges that no one would want to know either in public life or private. But their pride may go before a fall, as uncontrolled impetuosity is likely to bring them low. Fortunately it is rare that a Leo is so undisciplined as to give way thoroughly to this list of vices, and their tendencies to them are usually balanced by an innate wisdom. Those who are afflicted with them also have the intelligence it takes to consciously and actively overcome them.
In professional life they do well at any vocation at which there is room at the top. As politicians they are content with nothing less than a powerful position in government. In business they may be the chairman of their company’s board, or at least directors or managers. They are excellent organizers and overseers, often laying the groundwork for new projects. If from the artisan ranks of society they will aspire to become the boss, partly because they are ambitious by nature, partly because they dislike manual labor, preferring to take charge of others doing it. If artistic, Leos can become stars of stage or screen (their bent is serious rather than light drama), maestros as musicians where they will gravitate toward the grand instruments or activities, such as the organ or conducting of orchestras and as painters; anything grand in conception and scale appeals to them. Leo women make exceptionally good welfare workers.
In his or her relations with others the Leo type is open, sincere, genuine and trusting. Outgoing, spontaneously warm hearted and plain spoken, though never lacking in kindliness, Leos are more disillusioned than the average if let down by those they trust. They are not good judges of character and are inclined to favoritism and an exaggerated faith in their followers which too often ends in disappointment. Thy hv a strong SEX drive and are so attracted to the opposite sex that they find it hard to be constant; they can be so intensely sexual as to become dissolute. They may have numerous love affairs for their love of pleasure and beauty is liable to drive them from one attractive partner to another. They are very much inclined to deceive. Their marriages may fail for the same reason, yet they are sincere and generous to their lovers while love lasts, and will remain attached to their homes so long as it is run for their benefit. They demand service but are incapable of giving it.
Possible Health Concerns…
Physiologically..Leo governs the , per back, forearms, wrist, spine and heart. Its natives are subject to a number of ailments: pain in the back and lungs, spinal complaints, diseases of the heart and blood, sickness in ribs and sides, convulsions, pleasantries, violent burning fevers including, in former days, when they were prevalent, plague, pestilence, jaundice, and some afflictions of the eyes…
LIKES :
- Speculative ventures
- Lavish Living
- Pageantry and Grandeur
- Children
- Drama
DISLIKES :
- Doing things safely
- Ordinary,Day to day living
- Small minded people
- Penny pinching
- Mean spiritedness
PROBLEMS THAT MAY ARISE FOR YOU, AND THEIR SOLUTIONS
As with all sun signs, we all have unique traits to our personalities. When these traits are suppressed, or unrealized, problems will arise. However, with astrology we can examine the problem and assess the proper solution based on the sun sign characteristics. As a Leo you may see things below that really strike home. Try the solution, you most likely will be amazed at the results. If you find yourself on the receiving end of the negatives below, it is because you are failing to express the positive.
Problem: Getting all upset and angry with others when things do not go the way you fully expected them too. This kind of reaction to a problem is what causes a lot of marital discord and unhappiness.
Solution: You should never base all of your expectations on what you should get, but rather base them on what you can give to, or do, for those who are in your sphere of influence. You will find you have a more peaceful and happy home if you do this.
Problem: You are sometimes your own worst enemy, especially so when you are striving for attention in such obvious ways that you turn off the very people you sought to impress.
Solution: The first place to start is to stop trying to gain attention; give people the chance to notice the real you. Decide what it is that impresses you and you will then know what to do to impress others.
Problem: Egotism, to the extent that you may be the Leo who thinks no one is quite as good at things as you are and the people around you are made to feel small through your habit of comparison.
Solution: What the higher minded Leo has is a sense of self worth and of greatness, this is corrupted when you let the ego get out of hand so you should learn to walk tall by looking up to those that are ‘taller’ than you are.
Problem: Losses in income from unwisely speculating which leads to financial ruin, as well as possible personal losses of family and friends due to a lack of concern for their financial welfare.
Solution: You should always investigate all investments well before they are made, then talk it over with your spouse as to how hard the budget can be hit, before you spend the first dime.
