Planning and Purification

January is a time of reflection on what has passed and of contemplation about what is to come, hence its name, which comes from the Roman God Janus, he who looks back to the old year and forward to the new.
With the end of the month now in sight and plans made for the year ahead, it is time to sweep the decks clean. The forthcoming month of February, from the Latin 'februa' meaning purification, offers us just that opportunity.

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The Roman Festival of Lupercalia

The Romans saw the month of February as a month of cleansing, hence its name 'februa' meaning purification. The festival of Lupercalia, held on 15 February, saw the priests of Pan racing through the streets and whipping women with goat skin thongs as an act of purification and fertility.
This  is a great time of year to spring clean, whether it's your home, your body or your thoughts.

May Lupercalia bring you a whisper of spring.
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April Fools Day

The origins of April Fools day appear to be lost in the mists of time although suggested pre-cursors to this strange custom have similarities in the Roman festival of Hilaria where jokes and laughter seemed to be the order of the day.
In the UK, the first recorded mention of such a day appears during the 14 century in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
In the UK & many other European countries jokes should only be played up to 12 noon, afterwards the joke is on the person who instigates it, whilst in other countries jokes can be played all day.
In my youth I remember the day being divided into strict segments: Jokes up to 12 noon, tripping over up to 4pm after which you could kiss the person of your choice for the remainder of the day!
Have a jovial April Fools!

Saturnalia

The Roman festival of Saturnalia fell on the 17th December and was a time when shops and schools closed, gambling was allowed in the public domain and gifts of candles were exchanged as symbols of light.

Groups of male friends would draw lots to see who would be crowned 'king' and this person was then in charge of wild party games - this was definitely a time of misrule and lasted between 2-7 days after the religious ceremony on the 17th. No doubt we can reinstate this ancient festival as an excuse to begin the seasonal festivities early!

Read more in 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers'

The legend of the Violet

Today in the woods I saw the first violet of spring, truely a gift from the Gods.

This fragile flower comes into our awareness via the Roman God, Attis, a story with a familiar Christian theme, albeit it predates Christianity by several hundred years.

Attis was born of a human virgin called Nana and sacrificed his own life to save mankind. He was crucified on a pine tree and, where his blood fell to earth the first violets were said to have sprung.

These flowers are often seen as a symbol of both sacrifice and regeneration. They are said to protect against evil spirits, calm frayed nerves and encourage peaceful sleep. It is worth remembering however that they are a protected species in the UK and therefore best admired and left in the wild.

From 'Mrs Darley's Pagan Whispers' by Carole Carlton.

The Ides of March

Today is the 'Ides of March', the day upon which Julius Caesar was murdered in 44BC. Caesar was said to have visited fortune teller on his way to the theatre of Pompey and was told that harm would not come to him later than the Ides of March. Caesar laughed and said the Ides had already come, to which the seer replied that they may have come but they were not yet over. This was an occasion famously captured by Shakespeare in his play, where Caesar is told, 'Beware the Ides of March'.

In actual fact the Ides simply referred to a monthly date which was sacred to the Roman God of War, Mars upon which a military parade was held. The Ides fell on the 15th day of the months of March, May, July and October, whilst the remainder of the year's Ides fell on the 13th.

Holy Wells

The Bronze and Iron Age people saw water as having supernatural powers, whilst its mysterious, dark depths were seen as the entrance to the underworld. People felt compelled to make offerings to the Deities, which they believed inhabited these sacred places, a fact that has been evidenced by many archaeological finds. Items such as jewellery, plaques, coins and animal and human remains have all been discovered in these watery places where springs mysteriously burst forth from the land and were no doubt the wishing wells of early man.

Springs and wells were also seen as places of healing, of communing with the Gods, of worship, of purification and divination. There was however, a darker side to some requests thrown into the waters as findings from the Celtic/Roman shrine of Sulis Minerva in Bath show, for here lay plaques that not only had for healing but many were inscribed with curses and hexes.

Perhaps little changes within the human psyche over millennia after all?

A Heavenly Treat

Today sees the last day of the Roman festival of Kalendae, a time when gifts of sweet foods and coins were exchanged to bring luck for the following year, a good excuse no doubt for us to eat up all the sweet meats that are left over from the seasonal festivities.

In the heavens, the next few days are particularly exciting, with a spectacular meteor shower visible tonight and tomorrow in the area of the constellation of Bootes, although it will be best after midnight.

Tomorrow (4th) there will be a partial solar eclipse visible as the sun rises in Northern Europe, Asia and Africa and of course for this to happen it has to be a new moon, a time of new beginnings. Also tomorrow two of the largest moons of Jupiter are visible with a good pair of binoculars; namely Callisto and Ganymede.

What a heavenly treat! Make the most of it, enjoy the view and prepare for exciting times ahead.

June Marriages

The month of May has never boded well for marriages but where exactly did this superstition come from? In ancient times it was considered unlucky to marry in May, as this was the month of the Goddess and any man who married during this time would fall prey to the lust and power of a woman! For the Romans May saw the festival of Lemuralia at which sacrifices were made to purge the home of hostile spirits, hence marriages were not considered appropriate. With the arrival of Christianity May was seen as the month of the Virgin Mary, a time associated with chastity and purity, therefore again not approriate for marriage.

On the 1st June however all of May's restrictions were lifted and at one time this became the most popular month for weddings. The full moon in June (which falls on 26th this year) is usually rich in colour and was known as the 'honey moon', hence the term following a marriage became known as a honeymoon.

If you have a wedding or civil ceremony this month, may the Goddess bless your union.