On this Day:

In 1616 – William Shakespeare died age 52

Born 1869 Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz

In 1919 – the 1st Waldorf School opened in Stuttgart

Feast day of St. George – one of the ‘Fourteen Holy Helpers’ immortalized in the myth of Saint George & the Dragon. In the legend a dragon or crocodile makes its nest at the spring that provides water for the city of Lydda in the Holy Land. Consequently, the citizens have to dislodge the dragon from its nest to collect water. So, each day they offer the dragon at first a sheep, then a maiden. The victim is chosen by drawing lots. One day, this happens to be the princess. The monarch begs for her life to be spared, but to no avail. She is offered to the dragon, but then Saint George appears on his travels. He faces the dragon, protects himself with the sign of the Cross, slays the dragon, & rescues the princess. The citizens abandon their ancestral paganism & convert to Christianity.

The annual Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peaked today, but Lyrids will keep striking the sky in the following days. Unfortunately, the Full Moon will dampen the shower this year. The best views are just before morning twilight commences. The Moon then hangs low in the southwest & the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate, Lyra, lies nearly overhead. If you face away from our satellite, you should see at least a few shooting stars. The only good news to come from the Moon’s interference is that it will wane to its New phase in two weeks when the Eta Aquariid meteor shower reaches its peak.

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POD (Poem Of the Day)

~You were once that innocent

A babe shrugging off the sleep of the womb

Wailing for the moon

Reaching toward the light…

We veil ourselves in the world’s illusion,

We learn to forget…

But today – Remember –

~hag