Jacques Ellul comments that while Technique is able to liberate man from the constraints of time and space that can never engender freedom. Ellul seems to point out that Technique is not a simple phenomena which releases mankind from constraint. Rather he points out that what Technique does is replace older, natural constraints with new …
I think that the ancients realized this relationship through yoga and self study. By observing the body’s cycle superimposed over the calendar’s these sages and shamen made predictions based on their understanding of the celestial dynamics. As records and observations improved, the calendar has changed significantly and holidays moved to suit these observations. The heliocentric understanding of universe seemed …
The Balance of Nature Each kind of life is suited to the physical conditions of its habitat–the type of soil, the amount of moisture and light, the quality of air, the annual variations in temperature. Each survives because it can hold its own with its neighbors. However, the continued existence of the whole group, or …
We are all familiar with the idea of holiday stress. That feeling that time is going by faster and faster from the end of October until New Years. Usually this is attributed to the pressures of buying gifts, seeing family, obligatory festivities, etc. Holidays were intended to be joyous celebrations bringing together people in the …
The Season of Renewal and Suicide Plans are under way to install a suicide barrier on the Golden Gate Bridge, which has the highest number of suicides of any site worldwidePhoto by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images. The suicide rate does not peak during the holidays, and the media should stop saying it does, according to a report released Tuesday …
Seasonal effects on suicide rates Research on seasonal effects on suicide rates suggests that the prevalence of suicide is greatest during the late spring and early summermonths,[1] despite the common belief that suicide rates peak during the cold and dark months of the winter season.[2] General effects The Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Health Statistics report that suicide rates in the United States are lowest …
Earth at Perihelion On January 4, 2001, our planet made its annual closest approach to the Sun.Listen to this story (requires RealPlayer) January 4, 2001 — This morning at 5 o’clock Eastern Standard time (0900 UT) Earth made its annual closest approach to the Sun — an event astronomers call perihelion. Northerners shouldn’t expect any relief from the …
Abductive reasoning “Abductive” redirects here. For other uses, see Abduction (disambiguation). Abductive reasoning (also called abduction,[1] abductive inference[2] or retroduction[3]) is a form of logical inference which goes from an observation to a theory which accounts for the observation, ideally seeking to find the simplest and most likely explanation. In abductive reasoning, unlike in deductive reasoning, the premises do not guarantee the conclusion. One can understand abductive …
Winter Solstice — from Eric Weisstein’s World of Astronomy As the Earth travels around the Sun in its orbit, the north-south position of the Sun changes over the course of the year due to the changing orientation of the Earth’s tilted rotation axes with respect to the Sun. ThisQuickTime movie illustrates the tilt of the Earth’s equatorial plane …
Gnomon A gnomon ([ˈnoʊmɒn], from Greek γνώμων, gnōmōn, literally: “one that knows or examines”[1][2]) is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. The term has come to be used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields. History Anaximander (610–546 BC) is credited with introducing this Babylonianinstrument to the Greeks.[3] Oenopides used the phrase drawn gnomon-wise to describe a line drawn perpendicular to another.[4] Later, the term …
Gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow Read More »
Frequently Asked Questions about Calendars Version 2.8 Claus Tøndering 15 December 2005 URL: http://www.tondering.dk/claus/calendar.html Copyright and disclaimer This document is Copyright ⃝c 2005 by Claus Tøndering. E-mail: claus@tondering.dk. (Please include the word “calendar” in the subject line.) The document may be freely distributed, provided this copyright notice is included and no money is charged for …
Ancient Roman Holidays & Festivals Saturnalia December 17 At first lasting only one day, Saturnalia was the Roman midwinter celebration of the Solstice* and the greatest of all the Roman annual holidays. In the late Republic it was extended to two or three days, celebrated over three days in the Augustan Empire and in the reign of Caligula extended …
Kepler’s Law Question: The Earth is closer to the sun in the winter than in the summer, according to Kepler’s law. If this is the case, wouldn’t the winter be warmer than the summer? Answer: The reason for summer and winter is not because of the distance from the earth to the sun. It is …
Seasonal changes in 24-h patterns of suicide rates: a study on train suicides in The Netherlands. van Houwelingen CA, Beersma DG. Department of Psychiatry, Groningen University Hospital, Groningen, The Netherlands. cajvhou@knmg.nl BACKGROUND: Annual patterns in suicide rates, peaking near the summer solstice, are well documented. It has been suggested that day length or total hours …
Tables: Births and Deaths by Month, 1995-2002 Federal statistics show regular seasonal patterns for births and deaths in the United States: Births tend to peak in August and September, just as deaths hit their nadir. Experts who have studied the trends don’t agree on a cause for the fluctuating birth rate — but most suggest factors including …
The mystery of the most fatal week of the year More British people die during the first full week of the year than at any other time. But perhaps surprisingly, it’s not as simple as blaming the cold weather. The fact that more people die during the winter months probably won’t come as much of …
http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/countdowns.html http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/seasonal_cusps.mp4 Until 500 years ago most people other than a few far-sighted philosophical scientists imagined the sun, the planets and the stars all revolved around a stationary earth. After all, the same heavenly track made by the sun during the day is the planetary passageway at night. Eventually, the earth was shown …
Jan. 24 called worst day of the year LONDON — Is the midwinter weather wearing you down? Are you sinking in debt after the holidays? Angry with yourself for already breaking your New Year’s resolutions? Wish you could crawl back under the covers and not have to face another day of rain, sleet, snow and paperwork? Probably. After all, …
Kepler’s Law Question: According to Kepler’s law the Earth is closer to the sun in the summer winter than in the summer. If this is true would not it be warmer in the winter than in the summer? ———————————————— Answer: The reason for summer and winter is not because of the distance from the earth …
Saturnalia Winter Solstice in Pagan Rome by Selena Fox This was first published for a workshop at 1993 Circle Sanctuary Community Yule Festival. Timing of Saturnalia varied during the course of Roman history. began as feast days for Saturn (December 17) and Ops (December 19). with Julian calendar, Saturnalia on December 17 & 18; Opalia …