* 10/1 eve to 10/2 eve: Simchat Torah/Rejoicing with the Torah--Jewish festival celebrating the Torah.* 10/1 to 10/7: World Wildlife Week--Time to celebrate wildlife in all its diversity.* 10/2: Feast of the Guardian Angels; day to honor one’s personal guardian and guide.
* 10/2: Birthday of Mahatma Mohandas Gandhi (1869), Hindu advocate for human rights and self-reliance, who practiced active non-violent resistance to injustice. Gandhi envisioned a world where women and untouchables would be empowered and respected, and where members of all faiths would live harmoniously together.* 10/4: Christian feast of St. Francis of Assisi (d. 1226), and Animal Blessing Day.* 10/4 to 10/7: Tewa Deer Dance--celebrating the cosmic duality of feminine and masculine. The Tewa recognize gender equality and honor both male and female ancestors.* 10/5: Day honoring Zen Buddhist philosopher Bodhidharma (470-543), who believed one could attain Buddhahood by realizing one’s own Buddha nature.* 10/6: Mindfulness Day--Zen Buddhist day for being mindful that fear and hatred of others results from ignorance of interconnectedness.* 10/6 eve to 10/7 eve: Old Greek festival honoring Gaia and the Nymphs (the male and female Spirits of Nature).* 10/8 (11:47 p.m. EDT): New Moon.
* 10/8 eve: Old European feast of the Triple Goddess (Goddess of the Moon and the Seasons), marking the transformation of the Mother into the Crone.* 10/8 to 10/11: Iroquois Squash Ceremony--in thanksgiving for the squash harvest.* 10/10 to 10/19: Navaratri/Durga Puja--Hindu festival of Great Goddess Maha Devi as Durga, Protector of the Powerless; celebrates Her destruction of evil and restoration of cosmic order.* 10/12 (Obs. 10/8): Columbus Day--Commemorates Europeans’ colonization of America (1492); day to mourn Native American victims of conquest and oppression (past and present), make peace, and celebrate empowerment of Native Americans.* 10/13: Final appearance of Our Lady of Fatima, Lady of Oracles and Miracles (Portugal 1917). * 10/14 eve to 10/15 eve: Proerosia--Old Greek festival in which fruits of all the harvest were offered to Goddess Demeter.
* 10/14 to 10/28 (I 10/27): Old Norse Winter Nights Feast--The ancestors were remembered and offerings were made to the Deities (particularly the Norns, Freyja, and the Disir) to survive the season.* 10/17: Old Egyptian feast of Neteret Hathor, Goddess of Fate.* 10/17: Shukaku Matsuri--Shinto rite offering thanks and first fruits of the rice harvest to the Kami.* 10/17: Day Tibetan Buddhists meditate on and emulate Bodhisattva Goddess Gold Tara’s conquest of desire for excessive wealth.* 10/18 eve to 10/26 eve (10/22 peak): Orionid Meteor Showers.* 10/19 eve to 10/22 eve: Thesmophoria--Old Greek festival commemorating Goddess Kore eloping to Elysium with God Dionysos, accompanied by Goddess Hekate and spirits of the dead.* 10/23: Beginning of Scorpio (the Scorpion).* 10/24 (12:45 p.m. EDT): Full Moon (Wolf/Hunting Moon).
* 10/24: Feast of Raphael, Angel of Healing.* 10/27: Chinese Buddhist festival of Goddess Kuan Yin; celebrates Her attainment of Bodhisattvahood.* 10/27 eve to 10/30 eve: Apaturia--Old Greek festival in which newcomers and children were welcomed into the community.* 10/28 to 11/3: Isia--Old Romano-Egyptian festival recalling Set (God of Destruction) killing God Osiris; Goddess Isis mourning Him, resurrecting Him, and conceiving God Horus with Him; and Osiris becoming Lord of Amenta, realm of the dead.* 10/31: Lha Bab Duchen--Day Tibetan Buddhists celebrate the Buddha’s descent from heaven after teaching the Dharma there.* 10/31: Day to mourn the women tortured and killed as “witches” because of their independence, wealth, wisdom, or religion.* 10/31 eve: Halloween--Night that the dead return to visit their families; celebrated by children, dressed as spirits, going door to door for treats.
* 10/31 eve to 11/2 eve: Samhain--Old Celtic/Welsh New Year and feast of Cerridwen (Goddess of Death) and Beli (the Holly King - God of the Waning Sun).* 10/31 eve to 11/7 eve: Mid-Autumn/Day of the Dead/Hallowmas--Festival marking the transformation of life to death - the end of the agricultural year, departure of migrating and hibernating animals, and decay and death of vegetal and animal life. Observed by remembering departed ancestors and contemplating one’s own mortality.Excerpted fromTHE MYSTIC'S WHEEL OF THE YEAR 2018A Multifaith Calendar Reflecting Eco-Egalitarian Spirituality© 2017 Marija Miovskiwww.WheeloftheYear.com
