Magpie Monday -Seventh Sevens

(I wrote this way way back on May 16th... planning to post it sometime before August 16th... well, I am forever aware of dates, special events and just momentos along this journey. And so just like many many days over the last few months with meaning, this one is most definitely not lost on me. I've decided to share this post, for whatever meaning it had to me then and for what it may mean to me now. It's part of my story and always will be. Happy Seventh Sevens and Happy Birthday.)


Some may remember I selected Magpie's nickname when I read about the Chinese festival Seventh Sevens, essentially the Chinese Valentines Day.

I really enjoy Native American folklore and beliefs as much as I've enjoyed learning about Chinese ones too. Early on (like 4 years ago) I jumped head first into the world of China.. learned geography, culture aspects (as much as a white kid from New England can), festivals, traditions, etc. That's where I first heard of the Seventh Sevens (if you want a more traditional version, head into my archives about 4 years. This version is much 'lighter').

Essentially, the seventh daughter of the Gods was a Weaving Maiden. Not just any God kind of dude, nope, her dad was the Emperor of the Heavens, I imagine that's a fairly hoity toity position. In the Seventh Lunar month, she and her sisters got bored one day and descended from Heaven and went swimming in a pond on Earth. Of course, they went skinny dipping, cause that's what Weaving Maidens do.

A cowherder and an Ox watching them from the bushes just happened upon them by accident. And as boys will be boys, and Oxen will be Oxen, one challenged the other to hide all their clothes. And of course, girls being girls, all the older sisters made the youngest sister, Seventh Daughter, go get their clothes. Well they fell in love of course. And when I say love, well, you know, he was likely struck by her naked ta tas beauty and she by his devilish side kindness in helping her find her clothes.

As you can imagine, mom, Empress of the Heavens (I guess that's her title, maybe she was just "First Wife", pun anyone?) was a bit irate and pissed as hell disappointed in her daughters choice of husbands and banished her to the Heavens while the cowherder and their 2 children were left behind. So the herder lived a lonely solitary life on earth while Seventh daughter hung out in her jail in Heaven.

So as to make sure bad daughter couldn't sneak out the back door and come back to earth, Mother Meanie created a River of Stars (Milky Way as we call it) to separate them.

Once a year she takes pity on them (one version says Emperor of the Heavens actually does this part) and allows the Magpies to fly together to create a bridge over the river of stars. Where they proceed to spend 24 hours fooling around holding hands and strolling through the grass.

I loved the vision of the Magpies in this story and so she became Magpie to me. (and when I say vision in this story, I don't mean my version of it!)

This legend  has been handed down for nearly 2 Millennias. Legend has it that the weaving maiden and the cowherder are the brightest stars in the sky. She, Zhi Nu is the star Vega and he, Niu Lang is Altair.

Seventh Sevens is also known as Qixi, Festival of the Magpies.

(鵲橋, "the bridge of magpies", Que Qiao)

This year it takes place on August 16th.

Yes, I did just say, August 16th. Ring a bell?

ps - I'm still betting on 7/5/10