Manipulating the calendar

We can't turn back time, but we can manipulate the calendar to make our lives a little easier.

There are two recent cases of what I call "calendar manipulation".

The first is this whole issue of the new astrological calendar, and the fact that some people aren't the sign of the zodiac that they used to be.

In my case, according to the new calendar order, I'm no longer a Gemini.

The astronomers from the Minnesota Planetarium Society argue a slight new tilt of the earth's axis means the alignment of the stars was pushed by about a month.

The result, they say, is a zodiac calendar alignment that gives a lot of people a whole new outlook on how the moon, the stars and the sun influence their lives.

The new alignment looks like this:

• Capricorn: Jan. 20-Feb. 16.
• Aquarius: Feb. 16-March 11.
• Pisces: March 11-April 18.
• Aries: April 18-May 13.
• Taurus: May 13-June 21.
• Gemini: June 21-July 20.
• Cancer: July 20-Aug. 10.
• Leo: Aug. 10-Sept. 16.
• Virgo: Sept. 16-Oct. 30.
• Libra: Oct. 30-Nov. 23.
• Scorpio: Nov. 23-29.
• Ophiuchus: Nov. 29-Dec. 17.
• Sagittarius: Dec. 17-Jan. 20.

The fact is that this calendar isn't new at all. The ancient Babylonians had 13 constellations that included Ophuchicus, the snake holder. But they ultimately voted him off the island. Libra didn't even enter the picture until the era of Julius Caesar.

Some people might find the new zodiac make-up more to their liking. They'll accept the calendar to find a better fit for who they think they are ... ir who they think they want to be.

I'm perfectly happy with the somewhat schizoid personality of the twins. So I think this particular calendar manipulation is totally bull, so to speak.

To borrow the comment from a friend, I'll change my birthday before I become anything but a Gemini, especially a Taurus.

There is a manipulation I freely admit to.

I use the so-called meteorological calendar to measure the seasons.

For me:

Summer = June, July, August

Fall = September, October, November

Winter = December, January, February

Spring = March, April, May

I like the ease of it ... no having to remember whether summer starts on the 21st of June or the 20th or the 19th or whenever the solstice takes place during that particular month.

My summer starts on June 1. Yours?

The fact that winter ends at the end of February, helps me get through the winter a little more easily, especially this particular winter..

For me, there's only about six weeks of winter left.

For the rest of you, there's about eight weeks.

I like my calculation better.