Tuesday, July 05, 2011

What to Do on Your Birthday

It's that birthday time of year, at least in my circle of friends and family. In the last 10 days, both my husband and I have had birthdays, along with 6 friends and family members, and a number of acquaintances so big I've lost count.

My family never made a huge deal of birthdays. One year, when I was around 10, my mom got a supermarket apple pie, stuck a candle in it and told me it was my birthday cake. (To her credit, I was so upset she never did that again.)

But I always kind of thought they should be a big deal -- without having a good reason for thinking it. I mean, really, it just marks another trip around the sun for your physical body. So of course I asked my guides, "What is there to celebrate on a birthday?" What they said kind of suprised me:

Birthdays are supposed to be celebrations of incarnation. They are a time to enjoy all the pleasures of the physical world, and to indulge the body: the beauty of nature, good food, good sex, a massage or something else to pamper your body.

For some reason I don't quite get, it's important to do this while the earth is in the same position in relation to the sun that it was in when you were born. The more planets that are in the same relation the better.

And all those wishes of "Happy Birthday"? Those are supposed not only to gladden the day, to help you celebrate incarnation more, but also to impel you to make that next trip around the sun, to give you some extra oomph to do it.

What does Happy Birthday mean to you?

1 comment:

Kathie said...

When I studied tai ji, I was told that the Chinese always give thanks to their mother ( and father?) on their birthdays - for bringing them into the world. Was always brought up that one's birthday is a very special time and should be celebrated, no matter what. That included getting my wishes, as long as they weren't too extravagant. ( I used to want to have my fingernails painted when I was five and six.) I still feel that it is a very special, blessed day, and that we all deserve to be treated with extra loving care for those 24 hours - in fact, I think we should celebrate for at least the whole month!