Spring is now officially upon us and the tree nymphs have returned. After a long winter’s slumber, these delightful but dangerous creatures are now emerging among us. This is part of the beauty of spring, the renewal of the natural world, and the mysteries of life. Do not doubt their existence. They are out there. If you happen to be wandering alone in the woods, you may see one or two flitting about, but your vision will be fleeting, as they are extremely shy and wary of human contact. Still, in one of those rare occasions where you may espy one, you must be careful, for although they are quite lovely and alluring, they are also quite dangerous. We only have to look back to antiquity, the the myths of ancient Greece, to find abundant stories of men who have fallen under the spell of different types of nymphs only to be ruined and utterly destroyed in the process. This is the price one pays for flirting too closely with the mysterious world of forbidden deities, especially those that are quite lovely and enchanting.

March, and spring mean the return of such beauties as this, a lovely forest nymph.

Now that a most brutal February has finally passed, we can welcome March into the year of 2015. Although March can be cruel–snow and cold are not uncommon in the first two weeks of March–by the end of the month, with the lengthening days and more abundant light, we can begin to enjoy burgeoning spring. Yes, we being to feel light and warmth, the lovely wonders of spring.

March is the month that spring begins, and spring is the time when those lovely and mysterious forest nymphs, sorely absent during the cruelty of winter, return to our world. I can hardly wait. My soul longs for such visions of beauty.

Mars is also named after the Roman god of warfare, Mars. It is named so because March was the month in the calender year that men could, after the cold of winter, once again resume the ancient habit of warfare. One of the great stories in the mythology is the union of Venus and Mars, the goddess of love and the god of warfare, both of whom represent the deeper and often more destructive passions of man. Poets and artists throughout the ages have enjoying depicting the two together, often in the few moments after they have had sex. One of my favorite depictions is that by the great Italian artist Botticelli, a man who knew how to paint beautiful women with a sensuality like few others have.

Venus and Mars, by Botticelli, ca. 1483.

I am sure most women would find the image of the virulent but now sleeping Mars after his sexual liaison with Venus rather amusing. Even gods have their weaknesses.