Hoppy Solstice, Bunnies & Fuzzies!

We've moved this month's Bunny Full Moon Howling to tonight (Saturday the 21st) and merged it with the Bunny Summer Solstice Celebration! H. Bunny and I will be traveling a short distance to the nearby Bunny Meadow (a beautiful, natural place, a "green zone", where the wild Rabbits have been left to live their lives in peace with only a few joggers & children to contend with =:-) and will join the wild Rabbits in this year's party! A few other Fuzzies (church members) will be attending as well. I'm wearing a sparkly, elfish dress to stay in the spirit of the night, when Celtic Rabbits were said to commune with fairies! We will be dancing under the blessedly clear sky, howling at the moon with our Bunny ears on and nibbling on carrots with the Rabbits. (And maybe indulging in a little Mead with the other human participants.) We hope you all have a glorious weekend and and a magical solstice!

Bunny Bless,
D.B. Bunny

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The Blossom Ritual

At the beginning of Spring each year, Bunnies all over the world celebrate by decorating their warren with flowers and new tender grasses (where they're not covered by snow!) and celebrate the returning of the world to sunlight and growth. Even in cold climates there may be a few hyacinths just peeking out of the ground about now. Where there are none, the Rabbits cuddle together and share their favorite stories of Spring. When flowers are plentiful, they often celebrate with the Blossom Ritual.

For this, each Bunny hops out into the world to find the most beautiful flower possible. It's not easy this time of year in most places! Sometimes the flowers must come from early blooming cherry trees or shrubs. Each Bunny brings back their favorite blossom to the center area of the warren, where the flowers are collected.

They then proceed to feast on carrots and clover, cuddle, sing, laugh and dance until almost sunset. Often there are plays performed about Springtime and the young ones are given a special Equinox teaching, such as the history of Blossom Rituals in their warren or tales of fairies and other magical creatures that sometimes watch the festivities from the forest's edge.

This is the point they usually take a nap. Bunnies nap alot after singing and dancing, you see.

Upon awakening they gather together in a circle and look through the most-beautiful-flower candidates. It is usually agreed upon quite quickly which flower is the prettiest. This special flower is set upon a tree stump or mound nearby, as a sacred offering to the Cosmic Bunny. All the Bunnies bow their ears and collectively pray to the Cosmic Bunny, thanking It for all that grows and for the joy of their own Bunnyness.

All other flowers are promptly eaten as a scrumptious dessert, a special gift from the Cosmic Bunny, who provides all things.

The flower offering, the heart of the Blossom Ritual, is not to be disturbed, as it is not theirs to eat. However, each morning every Rabbit of the warren pays a visit to the Cosmic Bunny's altar and gently kisses or sniffs the flower. This is a daily reminder of the sanctity and preciousness of all life in the meadow and beyond. The flower remains in its place until the Cosmic Bunny chooses to allow it to be blown or carried away. All is in It's paws.

As human Fuzzies, we can take part in our own Blossom Ritual by picking or purchasing a bunch (or even one) of our favorite Spring flowers. Place them in a vase in a special place, such as a home altar, meditation corner or even desk or bookshelf. Make it a point to visit the flowers and say "thank you" to the Cosmic Bunny every morning while inhaling the scent of the blossoms for the next few days. Be thankful for the flowers, for the means to acquire them, for the Bunnies, for the coming of Spring and for your own Inner Bunny =:-) Take a walk if you can and notice the changes happening in your own neighborhood. Is anything poking through the cold ground? Are there buds on trees? Ponder this cycle that we take for granted each year and feel the Earth waking up from her slumber!

Hoppy Spring Equinox!

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Bunny Gnove Day is March 4th

Sometimes known by humans as "Bunny Valentine's Day", Bunny Gnove Day has been celebrated in March for centuries and focuses on the "gnove" (Bunnyish for "love", pronounced like "nyuv" or "nuv") between paired Lovebunnies. Most Rabbits in Europe called it "Humping Day" until the early 1980's. I bet you can guess why =;-) It presumably does not coincide with human Valentine's Day (Feb 14th) because it is not related to St. Valentine.

How do we celebrate Bunny Gnove Day? Rabbits cuddle and do, well, Bunny things, most of the day. Sometimes they bring each other early spring wildflowers to show their appreciation to the Bunny whose heart they wish to win. For humans it is similar to Valentine's Day. It is a perfect day to surprise the one you love (or wish to love =;-) with something special, like flowers, candy or a nice dinner.

For us, D.B. and H. Bunny, it holds a special place. It was on Bunny Gnove Day 2002 that we confessed our gnove to each other for the first time =:-)xx(-:=

What if you don't have a Lovebunny of your own? Not to worry. You just haven't found each other... yet. The Lovebunny Meditation can help speed it along, though!

We wish everybunny a very hoppy Bunny Gnove Day!
D.B. and H. Bunny

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Video: Full Moon Howling in Germany

H. Bunny and I are currently in Germany and had the wonderful opportunity to do a Full Moon Howling tonight with Cosmic Bunny followers here! Since it was a weeknight and many had to work in the morning, we decided to meet early at 8pm (20:00). We had our Bunny ears on, the moon was peeking through the foggy sky and the cold night air chilled our bunnynoses and it was great! The video below was shot with a digital photo camera, so we pointed a small flashlight around our ears or one wouldn't have been able to see much of anything. You can hear us all, though! I really hope this inspires others to really get out there and express yourself. Enjoy your Bunnyness! AhoOoOoOoOoooOo!

Bunny bless,
D.B. Bunny

P.S. Tonight is the total lunar eclipse, but that doesn't occur in Germany until about 4 in the morning. Those of you in the US can do your howlings under the eclipse! Wow!

Bunny Full Moon Howling from Germany!





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AhoOoOoO! Feb 20, 2008 Full Moon

The next Full Moon is tomorrow, February 20th! (An total lunar eclipse, too, very late at night!)

It is said that during the Time of Many Wolves, European Rabbits would gather outside the warren and howl together in an effort to scare the wolves away. Oftentimes they would howl into hollow fallen trees because the reverberation intensified the effect and made them sound more intimidating.

Did this really happen and do they continue to howl today? There is no verifiably authentic footage of wild Rabbits howling at the moon, and humans with "pet" Bunnies have not been able to verify this either. A few have reported strange noises in the wee hours of Full Moon mornings, but were not awake enough to know if it was indeed their Bunny howling or a sound from outdoors. A few videos purported to be taken many years ago in England have made their way around the web, but are obviously fake. One thing is certain, though: If Bunnies do still howl at the Full Moon, they do so in utter secrecy, indicating the practice may have evolved into a tightly-guarded religious ceremony.

You may wonder, if there are no documented accounts of Full Moon Howlings, how the story began at all. Researchers have traced the tales to humans who lived part time with the wild Rabbits near Avignon, France in the late 1500's. The act of putting on Bunny ear hats and masks and howling at the moon began at that time among Cosmic Bunny worshippers. They described it as an act of communion with their Bunny brethren and a exciting celebration of life.This was quite dangerous for humans at the time, as being caught would have surely meant death as a heretic by the Inquisition! "Forbidden" things are often wrapped in a veil of mystery and allure and perhaps this is why the practice was never entirely erradicated by anti-Bunny forces.

Today's Fuzzies (non-Rabbit followers of Bunny Religion) can personally choose to take part in Full Moon Howlings or not. Many members and clergy of the Church of the Cosmic Bunny participate, citing some of the following reasons:

• It's a tribute to the martyred/fallen Cosmic Bunny believers of history
  

• The power of the moon is at its peak and a celebration of Bunnyness during this time will be more powerfully transmitted across the world
  

• "It's really fun to put on Bunny ears and howl outside at night. People wonder what the heck you're doing, if you're crazy or drunk or what. Once you explain it, though, they usually think it's pretty cool and want to join up!"
  

• People who already celebrate the cycles of the moon by holding small rituals or joining in drumming or healing circles find it easy and enjoyable to include an element of Bunnyness
  

• "I just like going outside at night. I rarely ever do, you know, so it's cool to have almost like an 'excuse' to see the stars and the moon and hang in the dark for a change."
  

• "It makes me feel ALIVE! AhoOoOoOOoo!"

So, whatever your reason, go ahead and enjoy, everyone!
D.B. Bunny
=:-)

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Holidays of the Bunnies

Many of these dates are transcribed from ancient wild Rabbit calendars into our modern system. Most were from the nothern hemisphere, so may not align well with seasonal changes for some. In addition to these, many Fuzzies (non-Rabbit followers of the Cosmic Bunny) participate in local holiday celebrations, such as Halloween, New Year, etc.

Full Moon Howlings - (Also see "AhOoOoO!" for much more history!) It is not well known, but common for Bunnies to gather in forests and "howl" during full moons. This is believed to stem from the Time of Many Wolves, when Bunnies collectively howled into hollow tree stumps in an effort to scare the wolves away. Nowadays they mostly do it for fun. Fuzzies too, because it's enjoyable to be outside at night, expressing Bunnyness. You can see something similar to Bunny Full Moon Howling acted out in the movie "Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit".

March 4th, Bunny Gnove Day - (or "Bunny Valentine's Day"), when we pay extra special attention to our loved ones with lots of petting, special dinners and flower nibbling. First known as "Humping Day" (guess why =;-). The word "gnove" is a Bunnyish way to say "love", such as in "Gni gnove you".

Spring Equinox (March 20-22) - Bunnies celebrate the coming of spring with flower festivals. An old custom is the Blossom Ritual, during which the most beautiful flower is saved (rather than being eaten) and placed in the center of the grassy warren area and kissed daily by all Bunnies when they wake up. Welsh Bunnies actual ate the most beautiful flower, a petal apiece (or half a petal in large warrens), to ensure fertility and beauty for the new season.

Easter (late March to April) - On a magical day in early spring, it is said, the Cosmic Bunny first revealed Itself to the small colony of the first Bunnies on Earth. Some refer to it as "Bunny Revelation Day". It was celebrated as the high holiday, with rituals, flowers, feasts and good spirits. This was later adopted by the humans as a celebration of fertility, using symbols like the Rabbit, eggs and spring flowers. It was later taken by the Christians as a symbolic date for the conquering of death and promise of eternal life and forgiveness by Jesus (also a Master Bunny, and many Fuzzies celebrate Easter for this reason as well).

Summer Solstice (June 20-22) - In the British Isles it was "Commune with Fairies" night, during which pagan Bunnies stayed up all night, dancing and singing with the Fae. East Asian Bunnies decorated tiny flower lanterns that were set afloat at sunset as an offering to Hop-Chi, the Green Bunny Goddess of the Garden. Today it is mostly celebrated by enjoying the outdoors in the evening, by taking a walk at sunset and smelling the perfumed flowers. Many also take extra time gardening at the Solstice.

September 4, Creation Day - believed to be the approximate anniversary of the moment of creation by the Cosmic Bunny. Celebrated by a large vegetable feast, dancing, singing and the retelling of old bunnytales. North American and European Rabbits developed a custom of sending messages of greeting to Rabbits in other warrens, some as far away as other countries, to symbolize the harmony and oneness of all.

Autumn Equinox (Sep 20-22) - Coming so soon after Creation Day, this is not observed as commonly, but newly-transplanted Rabbits in Australia celebrated this as the beginning of Spring, bringing their customs with them from Europe. Even after the Great Rabbit Massacre, Australian Rabbits have continued this custom, coming out secretly late at night to celebrate. In other parts of the world this day is marked as Carrot Day, a day of feasting on late-season carrots and other root vegetables.

November 20, Bunny Day - The name is often confused with Easter, which humans commonly refer to as "Bunny Day". Bunny Day is a celebration of thankfulness (convenient for Americans, since it falls near or on Thanksgiving), for the first joining of male and female Bunnies in union, as Bunnymates. While March 4th is a day for possibly more frivolous flirting and fun, November 20th is more serious, in which Bunnies recognize the sacredness of their Bunnymate, the way humans may a wedding anniversary. Many Bunny and Fuzzy couples choose to get married on this date.

Winter Solstice (Dec 20-22) - The Winter Solstice, sometimes called "Yule", is often combined with Christmas festivities by Fuzzies (non-Rabbit members of Bunny Religion) due to the timing. When taken on its own, it is a grand celebration of the rebirth of the Sun Bunny. From the solstice onward the daylight will get longer and the world will inch closer and closer to returning to green. The ever-lengthening darkness is at an end and the Sun Bunny is returning! Bunnies celebrate by decorating with winter berries, pine cones and small evergreen branches. They dance in circles and tell stories, all cuddled together for warmth, of the Sun Bunny's journeys. Since Bunnies don't use fire, they have been known to instead collect icicles and set them up like prisms to collect and bend the light into the warren on the morning after the Solstice. (Ingenious, these wild Rabbits are!)

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