Mongolia | Zaisan Tolgoi | Balsamic Moon

The Balsamic Moon begins today, December 13. As you probably know, the Balsamic Moon is the Moon phase starting three, or sometimes four, days before a New Moon. The New Moon this month occurs on the 16th at 8:02 p.m. local time.

The Balsamic Moon is the perfect time to stir out uncertainty and confusion because it is the time for psychic clearing. Wishes are more readily fulfilled as the way is cleared to feeling core need. A wish made at the Balsamic Moon is more likely to come true because needs are felt more deeply now. The more deeply a need is felt, the more invocative energy goes into the Moon cycle and the more likely this need will be met. Fulfillment comes at Full Moon in response to what is seeded at the New. Seed intentions may be more consciously sown when the Crescent Moon appears to be beginning.

The Balsamic Moon Rises today at 5:18 a.m. local time (check for Moon Rise In Your Area), just at the time I am usually completing my morning orisons, which is especially auspicious.

As I predicted, the Last Moon Cycle Was A Dilly. This Moon Cycle, with the Full Moon falling, by coincidence, on January 1 this year, should be a Doozie, which is an upgrade from a Dilly. Expect a lot of weird stuff to happen on New Year’s Eve and the next day! (I mean, of course, weirder than usual for New Year’s Eve and Day.)

By the way, Orion, the Hunter, is currently presenting a spectacular sight in the evening sky to the southeast. Before slouching off into the drinking dens and Louche Coffee Houses where most of you (you know who you are, so it’s no use trying to deny it!) spend your evenings in dissipation take a moment to glance up and enjoy this awesome display.

Constellation of Orion

Mongolia | Ulaan Baatar | New Moon

The New Moon will occur in Ulaan Baatar on Sunday, the 18th, at 1:33 PM. Set your internal clocks according. Also see Moon Rising and Setting. Just to remind you, the Hunter’s Moon is coming up on November 3rd. Don’t miss this one!

The Hunter’s Moon, also known as the Blood Moon, often appears to be the largest moon of the year

Mongolia | Zaisan Tolgoi | Harvest Moon

Update: see Tang Dynasty Times for more on the Harvest Moon.

The Harvest Moon will grace the skies over Zaisan Tolgoi on October 4, rising at 5:58 pm and setting at 8:04 am on the 5th, This year I intend to view the entire transit of the Full Moon across the skies from my perch on the mountain in front of my hovel in Zaisan Tolgoi. Obviously this will require staying up all night. I will build a small fire, so if you night owls in Ulaan Baatar stumbling out of your lowly drinking dens see a glowing light on the top of the mountain behind Zaisan Tolgoi do not be alarmed. It is not the return of Baron Ungern-Sternberg.

My mountain, top center

As you probably already know the Harvest Moon is the Full Moon closest to the Autumn Equinox, which usually occurs around September 23th. Three years out of four, roughly speaking, the Harvest Moon will be in September, but this year it occurs in October, eleven days after the Autumn Equinox. The previous Full Moon was on September 5, 18 days before the Autumn Equinox.

The Harvest Moon was memorialized in the song “Shine On, Harvest Moon” by the immortal Ruth Etting, American’s Sweetheart of Song:

Shine on, shine on harvest moon up in the sky
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June, or July
Snow time ain't no time to sit outdoors and spoon
Shine on, shine on harvest moon for me 'n' my gal

C'mon, shine on harvest moon way up there in the sky. Don'tcha
know I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June, AND July? Now, looka
here—don't you know better than to set out there in the snow 'n' spoon?
C'mon, I don't want no half moon, I want a full moon.

Oh, won't you shine on, shine on harvest moon (shine on, shine on)
Up in the sky? (shine on)
I ain't had no lovin' since January, February, June, or July
(ah-ooba, ah-ooba, ah-ooba , ah-ooh)
Don't you know you're gonna freeze to death
Settin' out there in the snow tryin' to spoon?
So shine on, shine on harvest moon for me 'n' my gal

Ruthie, America’s Sweetheart, baring her gams, which was pretty daring back in 1935.

The Hunter’s Moon, defined simply as the next Full Moon after the Harvest Moon, is my personal favorite. This year it will occur on November 3. Mark your calendars now.

Mongolia | Zaisan Tolgoi | Birthday Bacchanalia

To celebrate my Birthday I recently held a Bacchanalia at my hovel in Zaisan Tolgoi. Present were Uyanga, Jaga, Tuul, Yooton, and Saraa.

Gorgeous Uyanga with an equally mouth-wateringly delectable Chicken

Tuul, Jaga, Yooton (a.k.a. Enkha) and Uyanga reveling at my Bacchanalia

Tuul

Yotoon, a.k.a. Enkha

Jaga (left) and Saraa, showing off her truly formidable biceps. In her senior year in High School she won First Prize in the Girls’ Arm Wrestling Competition.

Mongolia | Ulaan Baatar | Zaisan Tolgoi

It has occurred to me that while I have often mentioned Zaisan Tolgoi, the district where I live on the outskirts of Ulaan Baatar, I have never posted any photos of the Zaisan Tolgoi (tolgoi = head, or hill) itself. Since the temperatures recently soared into the mid-sixties Fº and Accounting Maven Saka had a day off work we decided that it was a good time to climb to the top of this well-known local landmark.

Approaching the summit of Zaisan Tolgoi

Saka taking a breather near the summit of Zaisan Tolgoi

The Ikh Burkhan (Big Buddha) and western Ulaan Baatar from the summit of Zaisan Tolgoi

Ikh Burkhan (Big Buddha)

Downtown Ulaan Baatar viewed from the summit

War Memorial at the summit of Zaisan Tolgoi

Mural on the inside of the War Memorial touting Mongolia-Soviet Union Friendship

More Mongolia-Soviet Union Friendship

Saka at the War Memorial

Ulaan Baatar from the War Memorial

Saka and still-frozen Tuul River beyond

Saka

New apartment complex just to the south of Zaisan Tolgoi, with Bogd Khan Mountain beyond

Mongolia | Töv Aimag | Baganuur Woman’s Day

From the Chingis Statue we wandered on out to Baganuur, about eighty-five miles east of Ulaan Baatar, where we popped in to see Zevgee and wish his wife Tümen-Ölzii a happy Women’s Day.

Saka, Tümen-Ölzii, Zevgee and Yooton

Saka and Tümen-Ölzii

Saka, Tümen-Ölzii, Zevgee, Günj, and I once did a Horse Trip Together to Khagiin Khar Nuur. Just last fall Yooton, Tümen-Ölzii, Zevgee, and I did a Horse Trip to Khökh Nuur and Baldan Bereeven Khiid. So we had a lot of reminiscing to do .

Yooton and Tümen-Ölzii

Saka and Yooton wishing Tümen-Ölzii a Happy Women’s Day

Mongolia | Shambhala Book | Roerich

Get a free excerpt from Nicholas Roerich’s book Shambhala! Also see Shambhala Wish-Prayer.

Shambhala (see Enlargement)

Mongolia | Zaisan Tolgoi | New Moon

The New Moon occurs today at 3:54 pm local time. The next New Moon will be Tsagaan Sar. Tonight will be a great night for viewing the Heavens, as there is no moonlight to dilute the view. Venus, of course, continues to present a fantastic spectacle in the southwest sky—clearly visible before any other heavenly bodies appear—and to the southwest Orion is putting on quite a show. Indeed the rest of the week is looking good, with the Waxing Crescent Moon swinging by Venus as the days progress. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to view the Heavens!

Map courtesy of Sky & Telescope

Mongolia | Zaisan Tolgoi | Venus-Jupiter | Monster Full Moon

Images have been pouring in from the Venus-Jupiter-Sickle Moon Alignment back on December 1.

View from India

View from USA

Our correspondent in New York City, Storied Adventuress-Temptress Gunj, who apparently spotted the alignment from her fabulous penthouse apartment near Union Square, also filed a report:

. . . up in the beautiful sky tonite: venus & jupiter and crescent moon-facing upwards—making a spectacular triangle . . . a fiesta to my eyes and my spirit, can't stop myself to send kisses to sky . . .

Forgive her if her emotions got the better of her grammar.

As if the Venus-Jupiter-Sickle Moon Alignments weren’t enough to palpitate the hearts of heaven gazers, on the night of December 12-13 we will be treated to yet another jaw-dropper. The Full Moon, which occurs at 12:37 am (Ulaan Baatar time) on the morning of the 13th will be the biggest and brightest Full Moon since 1993! There are several UB New Year’s office parties scheduled for that night. Katy bar the door!

Graphic courtesy of Sky&Telescope

Ulugh Beg must be spinning in his grave, to say nothing of Nasir al-Din Tusi.

Mongolia | Orionid Meteor Shower

I suspect that many of you, like me, will be up in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, the 21st, to witness the annual Orionid Meteor Shower. If you have not already made your viewing plans you should do so now. The shower will be at its peak between midnight and dawn. In some years—when there is a dark, moonless sky—you can see 20 or more Orionid meteors every hour. Unfortunately, this year a Waning Moon (53.867% illumination at 3:00 a.m. on the 21st) will wash out all but the brightest Orionids. Still, we should be able to spot about ten an hour. I will be watching the meteor shower from the rocky pinnacle behind my lair in Zaisin Tolgoi. This outlook, where I frequently go to view the Heavens, is just to the east of the Khiimoryn Ovoo. As you probably know, it was sky-gazer E. C. Herrick from Connecticut, in the USA, who first documented the Orionid Meteor Shower in 1839, so you might want to include a few kind words for him in your prayers Tuesday morning.

Daytime view from the Pinnacle behind my Lair. The hill in the center is Zaisan Tolgoi, with Ulaan Baatar beyond.

Mongolia | Töv Aimag | Horse and Camel Trips

Skipped out to Töv Aimag to meet up with Zevgee and his family. The general idea was to make an eight-day horse trip east into Khentii Aimag with stops at Khökh Nuur and Baltan Bereeven Khiid. This would be the 10th horse or camel trip I have done with Zevgee.

Let’s see: there was my first trip with Zevgee and his son Bayaraa in 1997, described in my Travels in Northern Mongolia. Then a 10-day 160-mile horse trip from Zevgee’s ger on Terelj Gol to the Minj River in the Khentii Mountains, just south of the Siberian border, retracing the route used by Temüjin, Chingis Khan, when he went to Siberia to capture his wife Börte back from the Merkits.

Looking north from the pass leading to the Minj River.

The extremely remote Minj River Valley near the Siberian border

Irises in bloom along the Minj River

Zevgee, momentarily befuddled, getting directions from Irina

On the way back from the Minj River we crossed Ongoljiin Davaa to the beginning of Ongoljiin Gol. This is the ultimate source of the 2,728 mile-long Ongoljiin-Onon-Shilka-Amur River System, according the National Geographic Altas of the World the 9th longest river system in the world.

Zevgee at the ultimate source of the Ongoljiin-Onon-Shilka-Amur River System

A year or two later Zegvee, his son Bayara, and I traveled to Bayankhongor Aimag, where Zevgee was born and where his brothers still live, and did a 124-mile camel trip from near the süm center of Shinejinst to the Sacred Mountain of Segs Tsagaan Bogd Uul near the Chinese border.

That was followed by a 109 mile horse trip Circumnavigating Burkhan Khaldun Uul, the mountain worshipped by Chingis Khan, with a stop at the Onon Hot Springs.

Then a 118 mile horse trip to Yestiin Rashaan the Hotsprings studied by Zanabazar, First Bogd Gegeen of Mongolia, with a stop at the ruins of Saridgiin Khiid, the monastery constructed by Zanabazar.

A year later we returned to Bayankhongor Aimag for a 272 mile camel trip following the Route of the 13th Dalai Lama from Shar Khuls Oasis to Amarbuyant Monastery.

Then back to Töv Aimag for a 168 mile horse trip to Asralt Khairkhan, the highest peak in the Khentii Range and after that yet another trip (my third) to the Summit of Burkhan Khaldun, the mountain worshipped by Chingis.

And just last year we did a Trip to Khargiin Khar Nuur with Gunj, the International Adventuress. I also visited Zevgee and Tümen Olzii for Tsagaan Sar Last Year in Baga Nuur.

Zevgee is a keen collector of photos for his family album so every year I take a family photo for him.

2008 Family Photo

Zevgee’s newest grandson, Kherlenbat

Then I bought a sheep and we prepared it for the upcoming horse trip. The first sheep I bought from Zevgee in 1997 cost $10. For this one I paid $55. And of course I did not claim the innards, the head, or the skin. The next morning we packed up our horses and left for Khökh Nuur.

Mongolia | Travels

Polar Star Books is happy to announce that the 3rd edition of Travels in Northern Mongolia is now available in Ulaan Baatar stores. One place you can pick it up is the Seven Summits Outdoor Equipment Store just across the street from the Central Post Office. Mongolia Adventure and Guide to Locales Connected with the Life of Zanabazar are also available at Seven Summits. The 3rd edition should be available on Amazon.com in a month or so. The 2nd Edition Is Still Available Online.

Mongolia | Mongolia Adventure

Mongolia Adventure should now be out in bookstores here in Ulaan Baatar.

See the Contents

Mongolia | Töv Aimag | Aryaval Temple

Knicked out to Aryaval Temple near Terelj with Ulaan Baatar fixture and savant Glenn Mullin, visiting Canadian Scholar of Tibetan art Jeff Watt and my Business Partner Saraa.

Glenn looking gnome-ish next to 6 foot 10 inch tall Jeff

Aryaval Temple, center

Crossing the bridge to Aryaval

Saraa spinning her wheels

Janraisig and Buddha statues in the main temple

Gallery on the first floor of the temple. Over 200 drawings depict various lessons from the Lam Rim teachings.

One of the over 200 drawings

For some reason the vegetation at Aryaval is much more further advanced than on Bogd Khan Uul near my hovel. Here is a visitor to Aryaval communicating with a wild flower. For more information see The Lost Language of Plants.

Looking down the valley from the front of Aryaval Temple. This photo was taken in mid-summer, last year.