Lions and Lambs...

So it's February 28th. A strangely truncated month - I always bump into its ending like a glass door. Does February envy the months with 31 days?
Or does it think it's
"special?"

"Februa" is Latin word with several meanings including "pure" and "fever" as well as being the name for the sexual aspect of Jupiter's jealous and vengeful wife, Juno. In fact, February 15th was the Roman holiday set aside for purification. And being Romans, it quickly became a "spring fever" festival associated with fertility and lovemaking (could that be a Valentine's day tie-in?). For me, February has an association with pure hell. Colds, being cold, itchy clothes, dry skin, cracked lips, too much time indoors, ugly light, depression, and bad school memories. Better here in LA than NY, but still, let's get on with it.

March, or the month of Mars (Ares in Greek mythology), has more going for it. I've always loved that line "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." I am a big champion of anthropomorphization. Animals are obviously more than just animals - they are deeply symbolic animations of inexpressible human desires and questions about Nature. I believe the animals enjoy their unconscious sway over us and they expect us to humanize them in our efforts to understand their secrets. In a recent New Yorker "Talk of the Town" piece mas-macho actor, Tommy Lee Jones, expressed an opposite opinion. "We have a lot of animals [on our ranch], but there'’s no anthropomorphizing. We don'’t put little ballet dresses on the dogs or kiss them on the mouth. I respect animals. I don'’t insult them." I call bullshit on Tommy Lee Jones. I say a monkey without spats is like a fish without a bicycle. Do these dogs look like they are suffering? Would you deprive your cat of these hats Mr. Jones? Shame on you.

But back to March... Mars was the god of war. The rebellious son of Juno and Jupiter who spent as much time getting it on with Venus as he did on the battlefield. Their tryst pissed of Vulcan who had cherubs ensnare them in a net from which they could not escape. Speaking of war and being ensnared in nets you can't get out of, have you seen the news today. Oh boy...