January
Hestia or Vesta, the goddess of hearth.
JANUARY 2024
Motto:
Vesta, daughter of Saturn, venerable dame,
the seat containing of unweary’d flame;
in sacred rites these ministers are thine,
mystics much-blessed, holy and divine.
- The Hymns of Orpheus
Phenomena
JANUARY
1 Venus square Saturn
4 Moon’s last quarter
9 Mercury square Neptune
10 Sun trine Uranus
11 New Moon
12 Mars trine Jupiter
18 Moon’s first quarter
19 Mercury trine Jupiter, Venus square Neptune
20 Sun conjunction Pluto
25 Full Moon
27 Sun square Jupiter, Mercury conjunction Mars
28 Mercury trine Uranus
29 Venus trine Jupiter, Mars square Uranus
Many Years Ago
January 1
- New Year's Day: The world's only truly global public holiday. The Romans dedicated New Year's Day to Janus, the god of gates, doors, and beginnings for whom the first month of the year (January) is also named.
- Greek Constitution: The Greek Constitution of 1822 was a document adopted by the First National Assembly of Epidaurus on January 1, 1822.
- Euro: This day in 1999 the Euro currency is introduced in 11 countries-members of the European Union.
- European Community: On this day in 1981 Greece is admitted into the European Community.
January 2
- Isaac Asimov: Isaak Yudovich Asimov, was an American author and professor of biochemistry. Isaac Asimov was born in Russia this day in 1920. Asimov was a popularizer of scientific ideas and a prolific writer of science fiction having written or edited more than 500 books.
- Vulcan: The discovery of the planet Vulcan is announced this day in 1860 at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France.
January 3
- Cicero: This day in 106 BC was born Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero was a Roman philosopher, orator and consul. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists. Cicero introduced the Romans to the chief schools of Greek philosophy and created a Latin philosophical vocabulary, distinguishing himself as a linguist, translator, and philosopher.
- Tolkien: John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, (3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion.
January 5
- Umberto Eco: A renowned novelist, semiotician and philosopher, Umberto Eco, born this day in 1932, is perhaps better known as the author of the best-selling murder mystery and fantasy novel The Name of the Rose (1981). His most recent novel Il cimitero di Praga (The Prague Cemetery), released in 2010, was a best-seller.
- Paramahansa Yogananda: Born Mukunda Lal Ghosh (January 5, 1893), was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced many westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book, Autobiography of a Yogi.
January 6
- Epiphany: Celebrated annually this day, Epiphany is a major feast that commemorates, for Western Christians, the coming of the Magi and, for Eastern Orthodox Christians, Jesus' birth, baptism by John, and first miracle.
- Schliemann: Heinrich Schliemann (1822–1890), born this day, was a German archaeological excavator of Troy, along with the sites Mycenae and Tiryns. His work lent weight to the idea that Homer's Iliad reflect actual historical events.
- Kahlil Gibran: Gibran Khalil Gibran (1883–1931) was a Lebanese-American artist, poet and philosopher. Born this day in the town of Bsharri, Lebanon, as a young man he immigrated with his family to the United States, where he studied art and began his literary career, writing in both English and Arabic. He is chiefly known for his 1923 book The Prophet, an early example of inspirational fiction. Gibran is the third best-selling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu.
- Adriano Celentano: Born 6 January 1938, is an Italian singer, actor and film director. He is the best-selling Italian singer, and the best-selling male artist of Italy. Adriano Celentano has been a vegetarian and defends animal rights.
January 7
- Galilean moons: The Galilean moons are the four moons of Jupiter discovered by Galileo Galilei in January 1610. They are the largest of the many moons of that planet and derive their names from the lovers of Zeus: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
January 12
Maharishi (1918-2008): Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was born this day in 1918. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Maharishi achieved fame as the guru to The Beatles and other celebrities. The Maharishi's Natural Law Party was founded in 1992, and ran campaigns in dozens of countries. In 2000, he created the Global Country of World Peace, a country without borders, and appointed its leaders.
- Vivekananda: Swami Vivekananda, born this day in 1863, was an Hindu monk. He was a key figure in the introduction of Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga to the western world and was credited with raising interfaith awareness, bringing Hinduism to the status of a major world religion in the late 19th century. He was the chief disciple of the 19th century saint Ramakrishna and the founder of Ramakrishna Mission. He is perhaps best known for his inspiring speech beginning with "Sisters and Brothers of America", through which he introduced Hinduism at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893.
January 13
- Palamas: Born this day in Patras, Kostis Palamas, was a Greek poet (1859–1943 ) who wrote the words to the Olympic Hymn. He was a central figure of the Greek literary generation of the 1880s and one of the con-founders of the so-called New Athenian School.
- Gurdjieff: George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, born this day in 1866, was an influential spiritual teacher of the early to mid-20th century. He claimed that the teachings he brought to the West from his own experiences and early travels expressed the truth found in ancient religions and wisdom teachings relating to self-awareness in people's daily lives and humanity's place in the universe. Gurdjieff taught that the vast majority of humanity lives their entire lives in a state of hypnotic "waking sleep," but that it was possible to transcend to a higher state of consciousness and achieve full human potential.
January 14
- Albert Schweitzer: Albert Schweitzer, the Alsatian German theologian, philosopher and mission doctor in Africa, was born this day in 1875 and received the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize for his works in behalf of the Brotherhood of Nations.
January 15
- Derveni papyrus: The Derveni papyrus is an ancient Greek papyrus roll that was found in Derveni, northern Greece this day in 1962. It is a philosophical treatise that is an allegorical commentary on an Orphic poem, a theogony, concerning the birth of the gods. It dates to around 340 BC, during the reign of Philip II of Macedon, making it Europe's oldest surviving manuscript.
January 17
- Hikmet: Nâzım Hikmet Ran commonly known as Nâzım Hikmet, was a Turkish poet, playwright and novelist (1902-1963). He was born this day in Salonica (present day Thessaloniki, Greece). Described as a "romantic revolutionary", he was repeatedly arrested for his political beliefs and spent much of his adult life in prison or in exile. His poetry has been translated into more than fifty languages.
- Stanislavski: Konstantin Sergeyevich Stanislavski (17 January 1863–7 August 1938) was a Russian actor and theater director. Stanislavski treated theater-making as a serious endeavor, requiring dedication, discipline and integrity. Throughout his life, he subjected his own acting to a process of rigorous artistic self-analysis and reflection.
- Robert Fludd: Also known as Robertus de Fluctibus, was a prominent English Paracelsian physician. He was born this day in 1574 at Milgate House, Kent. He is remembered as an astrologer, mathematician, and Rosicrucian. Fludd is best known for his compilations in occult philosophy. He had a celebrated exchange of views with Johannes Kepler concerning the scientific and hermetic approaches to knowledge.
January 19
- Edgar Poe: Edgar Allan Poe, an American short-story writer, poet, critic, and editor famous for his cultivation of mystery and the macabre, was born in Boston this day in 1809. Best known for his tales of mystery, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective fiction genre.
January 20
- Federico Fellini: Italian director Federico Fellini, born this day in 1920, was one of the most celebrated filmmakers in the post-World War II period. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century, and is widely revered. He won five Academy Awards, becoming the person who won the highest number of Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film in history.
January 21
- Placido Domingo: Placido Domingo, a Spanish operatic tenor whose voice, physical stature, good looks, and dramatic ability made him one of the most popular tenors of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, was born in Madrid this day in 1941.
January 22
- Lord Byron: Born this day in 1788, British Romantic poet and satirist Lord Byron captured the imagination of Europe with his personality and work, notably Don Juan and the renowned autobiographical poem Childe Harold's Pilgrimage. He is regarded as one of the greatest British poets and remains widely read and influential. He travelled to fight against the Ottoman Empire in the Greek War of Independence, for which Greeks revere him as a national hero. He died at 36 years of age from a fever contracted while in Messolonghi in Greece.
January 23
- Eisenstein: Born this day in 1898, Sergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein was a pioneering Russian film director and theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage". He is noted in particular for his silent films Battleship Potemkin (1925) and October (1927), as well as the historical epics Alexander Nevsky (1938) and Ivan Terrible (1944).
- Shaanxi Earthquake: The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake was a catastrophic earthquake and is also the deadliest earthquake on record, killing approximately 830,000 people. It occurred on the morning of 23 January 1556 in Shaanxi, during the Ming Dynasty.
- Kali Yuga: Kali yuga or Black Age is the last of the four stages the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures. The other ages are Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga and Dvapara Yuga. Kali Yuga began at midnight (00:00) on 23 January 3102 BCE. This date is also considered by many Hindus to be the day that Krishna left Earth. The Kali Yuga is thought to last 432,000 years.
January 24
- Hadrian: Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus Augustus, born this day in 76 AD, was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He is best known for building Hadrian’s Wall, which marked the northern limit of Roman Britain. In Rome, he re-built the Pantheon and constructed the Temple of Venus. An ardent admirer of Greece, he sought to make Athens the cultural capital of the Empire and ordered the construction of many opulent temples in the city.
January 27
- Mozart: Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who is widely recognized as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music and who excelled at all the musical genres of his era, was born this day in 1756. He produced operas in each of the prevailing styles: opera buffa, such as The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni; opera seria, such as Idomeneo; and Singspiel, of which Die Zauberflote is the most famous example by any composer.
January 29
- Chekhov: Chekhov: Anton Pavlovich Chekhov was born on 29 January 1860 in Taganrog, a port on the Sea of Azov in southern Russia. He was a physician, dramatist and author who is considered to be among the greatest writers of short stories in history. His career as a dramatist produced four classics and his best short stories are held in high esteem by writers and critics.
- Swedenborg: Emanuel Swedenborg, born this day in 1688, was a Swedish scientist, philosopher, and Christian mystic. He termed himself a "Servant of the Lord Jesus Christ" in True Christian Religion, a work he published himself. He is best known for his book on the afterlife, Heaven and Hell (1758). In 1741, at the age of 53, he entered into a spiritual phase in which he began to experience dreams and visions. This culminated in a 'spiritual awakening', in which he received revelation that he was appointed by the Lord to write a heavenly New Church Doctrine to reform Christianity. According to the New Church Doctrine the Lord had opened Swedenborg's spiritual eyes, so that from then on he could freely visit heaven and hell, and talk with angels, demons and other spirits.
- Franz Schubert: Austrian composer Franz Schubert was born near Vienna this day in 1797. In a short lifespan of less than 32 years, Schubert was a prolific composer, writing nine symphonies (including the famous "Unfinished Symphony"), liturgical music, operas, and a large body of chamber and solo piano music. Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Felix Mendelssohn discovered and championed his works in the 19th century. Today, Schubert is seen as one of the leading exponents of the early Romantic era in music and he remains one of the most frequently performed composers.
JANUARY
1. The first duty taught in Theosophy, is to do one's duty unflinchingly by every duty.
2. The heart, which follows the rambling senses, leads away his judgment as the wind leads a boat astray upon the waters.
3. He who casts off all desires, living free from attachments, and free from egoism, obtains bliss.
4. To every man that is born, an axe is born in his mouth, by which the fool cuts himself, when speaking bad language.
5. As all earthen vessels made by the potter end in being broken, so is the life of mortals.
6. Wise men are light-bringers.
7. A just life, a religious life, this is the best gem.
8. Having tasted the sweetness of illusion and tranquillity, one becomes free from fear, and free from sin, drinking in the sweetness of Dharma (law).
9. False friendship is like a parasitic plant, it kills the tree it embraces.
10. Cut out the love of self, like an autumn lotus, with thy hand! Cherish the road of peace.
11. Men who have not observed proper discipline, and have not gained treasure in their youth, perish like old herons in a lake without fish.
12. As the bee collects nectar, and departs without injuring the flower, or its color or scent, so let a Sage dwell in his village.
13. As rain does not break through a well-thatched house, passion will not break through a well-reflecting mind.
14. He who hath too many friends, hath as many candidates for enemies.
15. That man alone is wise, who keeps the mastery of himself.
16. Seek refuge in thy soul; have there thy Heaven! Scorn them that follow virtue for her gifts!
17. All our dignity consists in thought, therefore let us contrive to think well; for that is the principle of morals.
18. Flattery is a false coin which circulates only because of our vanity.
19. Narrowness of mind causes stubbornness; we do not easily believe what is beyond that which we see.
20. The soul ripens in tears.
21. This is truth the poet sings — That a sorrow's crown of sorrows / Is remembering happier things.
22. Musk is musk because of its own fragrance, and not from being called a perfume by the druggist.
23. Not every one ready for a dispute is as quick in transacting business.
24. It is not every graceful form that contains as graceful a disposition.
25. If every pebble became a priceless ruby, then pebble and ruby would become equal in value.
26. Every man thinks his own wisdom faultless, and every mother her own child beautiful.
27. If wisdom were to vanish suddenly from the universe, no one yet would suspect himself a fool.
28. A narrow stomach may be filled to its satisfaction, but a narrow mind will never be satisfied, not even with all the riches of the world.
29. He who neglects his duty to his conscience, will neglect to pay his debt to his neighbor.
30. Mite added to mite becomes a great heap; the heap in the barn consists of small grains.
31. He who tasteth not thy bread during thy lifetime, will not mention thy name when thou art dead.