But there was something oddly appealing to not just one, but three, calls last week to celebrate the vernal equinox, that cosmic balancing point between equal parts night and day that cultures, even ancient rat cultures, have celebrated as long as humans have recorded their history.
As a bow to those ancient cultures, Rat trekked to the Wisconsin River valley on March 21 at the invitation of Frank Schadewald, a retired Richland County farmer and proud curator of Frank's Hill, sit
e of well preserved effigy mounds, including what appears to be a cosmic calendar of twelve mounds assembled in a gentle curve that seems to follow the annual arc of the sun.What better place to commune with the ancient spirits? Rat also mingled with 25 middle aged and beyond good spirits, for whom the trek to the top of Frank's Hill was a good test of lungs and well worked knees.
No one was compelled to call upon ancient spirits, burn incense, or invoke mysterious cosmic forces that morning. The mood was jovial; people treasured the calm morning and the pinkish-orange haze hanging over the river valley far below.
Perhaps in these times of social and economic upheaval, there is comfort and reassurance in observing a moment in time that has no beginning and end, as reliable and timeless as, well, the sun coming up in the morning.
No comments:
Post a Comment