Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year! Auguri di Buon Anno!


(Venice, Italy) Cat wishes you all a safe, joyous and productive 2010!

Ciao from Venice,
Cat
http://venetiancat.blogspot.com

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

The Madonna of the Sun


THE MADONNA OF THE SUN

(from 8 dicembre 2006)


Today, December 8th, is the birthday of my protagonist, Harley Columba. It is also the day that John Lennon was assassinated. When I was creating Harley, I wanted her to have a deep connection to John Lennon, so she was born in the same hospital where John Lennon died.

December 8th is also a holiday here in Italy, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This is the day Mary, the mother of Jesus, was conceived.




One wonders how that came about... since most Christian holidays turn out to have more ancient meanings.

It turns out that December 8th is also Bodhi Day, the day the Buddha became enlightened.




It is the Festival of Neith, the Egyptian goddess who gave birth to Ra, the Sun god; it is celebrated by the Feast of Lamps. Neith, in turn, transforms into Isis, the "woman clothed with the sun," wife and sister of Osiris and mother of Horus.



It is the day that Amaterasu, the Japanese Goddess of the Sun, was born.




On December 8, 1941, the United States declared war on Japan. The Japanese royal family is descended from the Sun Goddess.



***

On December 8, 2009, Cat Bauer woke up inside her apartment on the Grand Canal. 

Ciao from Venice,
Cat

Venetian Cat - The Venice Blog