The Cycle of Birth and Death

A recent experience had me thinking about death, adulthood and birth. My friend’s father had died; in truth I had known him for over thirty years so he was also a friend. On the day my friend was cremated it was the 18^th birthday of my niece; I thought an adult is leaving this world and another one is joining the adult world in the U.K. (the age one does not need parental consent is 18 in England and Wales in Scotland it is 16).  

The “Smithy’s Anvil” in Gretna Green over the border from England into Scotland became famous, in the parents’ case infamous, for weddings of eloping loving couples escaping the English law and parental control. 

As my friends and I strolled down the drive in the Cemetery I noticed the Oak, Elm, Ash and other trees were turning from the green leaves of the summer to the gold, brown and yellow of the autumn indeed several had already lost many of their leaves and had a barren ghostly look in the fading autumn sun shown the thick nests of the Crows and Magpies high in the trees.  The leaves flicker and float to the ground letting the tree sleep during the cold long dark winter months just as many animals hibernate such as the bear, tortoise and the hedgehog do.

My thoughts wandered to the wonder of nature and how people today think recycling is a modern phenomenon when Mother Nature has been recycling and giving rebirth to fauna and flora since time immemorial. In the spring begins the rebirth and the birth of the new as the sun rises higher in the sky warming the earth as the days become longer the shoots of the rebirth begin. Buds appear on the barren skeletal arms of the trees, new shoots from bulbs begin to burst through the once frosted and snow covered turf. Birds begin to rebuild the old or build the new nests chirping happily and singing their songs of joy and love.

The Pagans celebrate the cycle of the year with Sabbats. The birth and re-birth of the earth is celebrated in March with the lesser sabbat, the festival of Ostara (circa March 21^st).

Many Christian festivals were “adopted”, (hijacked?), from the Pagan festivals. Look at the word Sabbat and think of a Christian day or the Christian Easter and the Pagan Ostara. 

The cycle of life continues, mostly ignored by us just as the process of breathing or the heart beating goes on without a conscious thought.

McTaggart