Oestrus notes (OT)

I've never taken much notice of Easter, but there's been a special tinge of suffering this season: the ill Pope having heroic medical measures taken and the exquisite timing of Schiavo's sad case. Terri S is reportedly fading now, and if the timing of her death has any meaning for her, may the god within her help her on her way gently. Churches veil their icons and shrines during this season, and you can't light candles till Christ rises again.

Miss Dickie, my prunelike primary 5 teacher, failed me (or I her) in that the daily 2 hrs of scripture studies she imposed on her class (and in a non-denominational school) never stuck with me. My knowledge of the Easter story is a vague jumble of palms, donkeys, pancakes, stations of the cross, a couple of Marys and one assumption, and stones being rolled away from the tomb. Right?

There was always a resistance against Easter while I was growing up, coming from Dad's atheistic jewishness. My shiksa mum provided fuzzy chicks and chocolate eggs, but there was no religion attached. Some years we'd have a seder instead, especially when my sister was old enough. This also mystifies me almost as much as Easter, with bitter herbs, eggs and lamb bones etc...

The cars are lined up outside the churches this morning, with attendees displaying special virtue since the clocks went back last night. I notice that this Easter weekend coincided with a full moon. The fulling moon was definitely another contributant to my recent conference madness. It allowed us to sit outside late on a preternaturally lit and still spring night. Does Easter always fall on a full moon weekend, or just a coincidence this year?

Addendum-
I knew the military were useful for something. Easter is tuned to be close to a full moon, with modifications by the Council of Nicaea and splits between eastern and western churches, so that ecclesiatical and astronomical moons can differ. Glad that's clear, then.


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This post was brought to you by Britney Spears' new perfume 'Curious', which sadly I was. Boots the Chemist has a big display on this product and a giant pale-blue, pretty-pretty, Barbie-meets-I Dream of Jeannie-meets-Disney's Aladdin bottle. My 8 yr-old daughter Nini (to whom this product is marketed) wisely declined to test it, but persuaded me to take the carrot. Don't make the same mistake- it's exactly the teenage whore scent you'd expect.