Opinion: Glorious October
The month of October 2020 has some very auspicious aspects to it.
The month began with a full Harvest Moon at 5:06 p.m. on Oct. 1. At 3:31 p.m. on Oct. 16, my birthday, the New Moon, will begin its ascentation. Then at 10:51 on Oct. 31, on Halloween, the full Hunter’s Moon puts in its appearance. In the thick of October’s various cosmic anomalies, Planet Mercury is in retrograde from Oct. 13 to Nov. 3, which is, of course, Election Day.
Those with knowledge of these phenomena may find these periods significant and may also attribute to them alarming implications.
Mercury in Retrograde is a period of time known to make it appear the planet Mercury is traveling in a reverse direction from its assigned path. Full Moons have the reputation of creating unsettling feelings even in those who don’t follow the patterns of the moon and its perhaps sinister effects.
Other events commemorated during October include Breast Cancer awareness and the celebration of its survivors.
The Madera County Sheriff’s office, under the direction of Sheriff Tyson Pogue, is providing a variety of reasonably priced commemorative items in the pink color used to raise awareness of this disease.
From off-the-record conversations with law enforcement and medical professionals, I have learned that during periods surrounding a full moon, activities and calls to render service increase, at times, dramatically.
During this period of the COVID-19 Pandemic, many of the fall activities normally held in October have been curtailed and, in many cases, canceled.
One can’t help but ponder the cancellation of Halloween as the precursor to the elimination of many American faith-based holidays such as Thanksgiving and even Christmas.
Regarding the retail climate, one still in dire need of recovery, the purchases made during the holiday season rely upon to ensure the health of businesses.
Small businesses are some of the hardest-hit considering the aforementioned pandemic, the ongoing wildfires, and the general feeling of unease created by our exceptionally contentious Presidential Election.
Early voting for this election has begun in Madera County and a new Mobile Vote Center was introduced by County Registrar of Voters Becky Martinez.
She and her staff conscientiously commit hours of each workday to this and every election held in Madera County.
Our county is of a size that enables the county staff to closely monitor the election. They hire a temporary workforce to help administrate the interaction between voters and the balloting process. I didn’t intend to create a column where my readers are to think, “Gee someone gave Tami Jo a Thesaurus, but isn’t improving one’s vocabulary always an admirable goal.”
Long days and pleasant nights, have a great weekend.
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Readers may contact Tami Jo Nix by emailing tamijonix@gmail.com or following @TamiJoNix on Twitter.
