The sun and the moon - the most important celestial bodies

 The sun and the moon, as the two most powerful celestial bodies that influence our existence, have always fascinated man. When he reached a certain level of mental development, this fascination took on an artistic and, at a much later stage, also an abstract and theoretical form. Astrological reflections on the influence of the Sun on the fate of boys who have just been born and of the Moon on the fate of girls probably fall into this category.

It turns out, however, that these two celestial bodies may have inspired the creation of several huge prehistoric buildings, scattered over different regions of Europe. Some of these structures served spiritual purposes in times even more ancient than those remembered by the Egyptian pyramids.

According to the opinion of researchers involved in the history of these sites and the analysis of the development of human societies, the prehistoric works of human hands left behind testify to major social and civilisational changes. A careful analysis of the climatic data suggests that these changes of a social nature, lasting from our perspective for a very long time, several centuries, were associated with the end of the last ice age. The extinction of large animals - a constant source of food - forced the people of the time to make a gradual transition from a hunter's lifestyle to a sedentary existence and learning to farm. This change in civilisation and society did not happen overnight, but was a long-term process spanning millennia. When people finally decided to stay with farming, they felt this change not only on a non-physical level, but also on a mental level. What does this actually mean? Agriculture forced a more monotonous, not to say boring, lifestyle. Our ancestors longed for the mobility and adrenaline provided by hunting really big game, such as mammoths. This was the only life they knew; they had functioned in this way for millennia. The change in their way of life, forced by circumstances, turned their earlier nomadic life into a memory, then into a legend, and finally into the basis of their beliefs. At the same time, it is most likely that they associated their former and forever lost way of life with the influence of the Moon. This is suggested by research on the untouched by modern civilisation Bushmen tribes of the Kalahari Desert. In their stories, myths and beliefs there is a constant theme of great hunting and references to the lunar calendar and a lifestyle centred around it. In the Bushmen tribes, who can be seen as the last living examples of an ancient way of life, there is equality, with a subtle indication of the importance of the role of women. This leads one to conclude that constantly moving communities living from hunting also linked women with lunar influences. The shift to a sedentary life dependent on farming caused a shift in emphasis. The sun with its life-giving energy and the strength of the male element became more important, simply the male physical prowess required for the hard work of harvesting.

The seasonality of agricultural work meant that when the land rested, people did not really see how to channel their excess energy. Simply put - they had no work for themselves. This made them yearn all the more for the more varied, exciting lifestyle of their ancestors, which had meanwhile become the basis of their beliefs. So it was decided that this former nomadic mode should somehow be immortalised, commemorated. Various communities have, indeed, with a great deal of time and effort, constructed remarkable burial sites for their loved ones, which were later an inspiration for Celtic culture. These include Newgrange, 'irl. Dún Fhearghusa - one of the largest corridor tombs erected by man (...) Even more surprising and astonishing are the megalithic cult sites of the old and new order. The best known, though not the only site of its kind, is Stonehenge (few know that it is 'younger' than the Newgrange structure by some 700 years). The generally known thesis is that Stonehenge was intended to be a site to specifically celebrate the summer solstice, with the winter solstice a close second.

Meanwhile, new theories suggest that this mysterious monument from the ancient past may have had a dual role as a place of worship of both the Sun and the Moon. The Sun symbolised a new era (a new way of life), while the Moon symbolised a memory of old times. People were attached to this memory the more they realised that the past was gone forever. The clever positioning of the huge stone blocks used to build Stonehenge had a significant, spectacular effect. During the winter solstice, the Moon would appear to those gathered in such a way that it was in a "window" of stone blocks just above the space occupied by the Sun. For those gathered, this was a symbolic sign that the Moon was towering over the Sun - if only for a moment. It meant that despite the dramatic changes they had experienced, 'their' beliefs had not lost their power. This provided a sense of security and reassurance for the future.

What is destiny?

 What is it? Can it be influenced? Can it be changed?
These are questions that various eminent intellectuals - philosophers, theologians, writers - have asked themselves over the centuries. The question of destiny is present in the fates of many personalities, both historical and fictional. The mythical Achilles, the figure of King Oedipus, the story of Romeo and Juliet, they are all linked by the recurring theme of fate. All those mentioned could not escape their fate, which had a tragic ending. Achilles - his mother tried to cheat fate by bathing him at birth in the waters of the Styx. This was to give him physical invulnerability, immunity from injury. The only place that remained vulnerable and susceptible to the blow of any weapon was the heel - it was by the heel that his mother held little Achilles. He grew up, but died in battle, hit precisely in his most vulnerable spot.

Another character who was not destined to escape his (tragic) fate is Sophocles' well-known writing, King Oedipus, father of the eponymous Antigone. A grim doom hung over Oedipus from the moment of his birth, foretelling that the child would kill his father, after which he would marry his mother. The terrified ruler ordered his son to be put to death. His order was not carried out. This set in motion a chain of events that led years later to the fulfilment of the fateful prophecy. Oedipus was unaware of his origins and the tragic role he had come to fulfil.

The case of death from grief after the loss of a loved one, so evocatively portrayed in Romeo and Juliet, also prompts reflections on fate. From the purely theoretical - what would have happened if one of them had acted differently, or waited - to musings on what makes life worth living. For this couple, made eternal in the pages of literature, and many other separated lovers we will not hear from again, one thing was certain. Without the other person, they saw no point in continuing to live. Sublime, beautiful, sad. Someone would perhaps add - immature. But judgement is a highly subjective thing.Let's look at the various cases of so-called "fate" in reality. They can be positive or negative. If, as a result of a coincidence and brave decisions, someone saves another person's life, this too can be called destiny, with a positive ending and a good role model. Such people have recently been showcased through successive editions of the 'Become a Positive Hero' programme. Heroism, honesty and altruism deserve to be shown, and positive behaviour to be promoted as much as possible.
Yet another facet of fatality is when someone miraculously avoids being littered or injured in an accident, then dies tragically in a not-too-long interval. It is then said that he or she cheated death once, but a long life was not meant for that person. This was also the case with Agnieszka Kotlarska, Miss Polonia from the early 1990s. True, she missed a business flight that ended tragically for everyone on board, but she died a few weeks later outside her own home in front of her family at the hands of a psychopathic fan.

Similar associations of unfortunate fate come to mind when one thinks of the Kennedy family. There, tragically and relatively young, both father and son died in two generations. Admittedly, the circumstances were diametrically opposed (assassination of the head of state and avionic plane crash). Nevertheless, both of them could still have done a lot (especially the father, the US president) - and they did not.

An example of overcoming fate may have been the fact that John Paul II survived the assassination attempt, although this was by no means certain from a medical point of view. He himself attributed his salvation to the miraculous intervention of the Mother of God: "Someone's hand fired, another hand guided the bullets" . The bullet that nearly took his life was left by the Pope as a votive offering at the Shrine of Fatima.
In conclusion, the motif of destiny runs through various fields from the humanities to cinema (the series "Deceive Destiny"), ponders, fascinates and inspires....