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Almanac of the Ancients:
February 2007
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by Triple Moon Goddess |
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Well we made it through the first month of 2007. Imagine the ancients at this time of year. The knew that the sun was on a comeback trail, but yet the days were still cold and miserable. The food supply was probably getting low, the fuel supply was too, whether it was peat or wood. They were hoping thta they would make it for just a little longer until spring arrived. Today we all look forward to spring, imagine how badly our ancestors wished its’ return!
Hopefully some of you found a way to turn an old ancient ritual into a new one, or to celebrate a forgotten festival in your own home. I wonder how many celebrated Christmas for twelve days this year, or took down Christmas decorations and put up more greens instead of rushing the Valentine’s Day decorations. There were so many old rituals, festivals, feasts, and such to celebrate. The ancients asked the Universe every day to help them. They sent praise on a consistent basis too. Now you have the knowledge to do likewise, you can make many days “special”. Let’s celebrate and raise the vibration of the planet, with love, food, songs, bonfires, and most of all laughter !
Please remember to feel free to email me (triplemoongoddessgina@hotmail.com),if you have any questions or comments . I have more information on some of the items listed here and will be happy to share with you. Let’s now tackle the last full winter month. The month that was named for “Februa”, the ritual of Roman purification held every February 15.
This is the third month of winter, and the great solar wheel turns to Candlemas. This is one of the four great sabbats celebrated still by Wiccans all over the world. The traditional flowers of February are the shy violet and the primrose. We most probably won’t see any flowers yet, unless they are snowdrops or crocus, but we can start to dream ! Those born this month are Aquarius (air sign),or Pisces (a water sign), and have the healing stone amethyst for their birth stone. For those of you that have birthdays this month, ask for a piece of amethyst, it is a powerful healer. It doesn’t have to be an expensive cut gem, to have the power to heal!
Many deities were honored this month. They include the triple goddess in her form of the Maiden, Aradia, Brigid, and Juno Februa.
It is time to join the ancients in a celebration or two and to try to hurry along the spring season. Let’s take a look and see what the ancients were up to during the short month of February. Just to keep things at a nice length, I do not go deeply into each day. If there is a special interst in any of them, check with me or check the internet for more information. I will be happy to assist you in your search and journey !
Feb 1- Candlemas Eve- This is the day to take down any greens associated with the Christmas holiday or any decorating that occurred with greens after that.
Imbolc- Still celebrated today by many, it is considered to be the start of spring (I call this wishful thinking ! ).This celebration is tied to Saint Brigid, and is one of the four major celebrations of the people of Ireland. The Irish call the festival La Fheile Bride .
Brigid , who was the goddess of fire and the Celts’ Earth Mother is honored on this day.She uses her fire to purify for the coming spring season. There are sacred wells dedicated to her in Ireland, and yellow flowers are tossed in to honor her. She watches over the change from winter to spring and any transformation, to see that it goes smoothly. She started her career as a Pagan goddess and ended up a Christian Saint ! Now that is a transformation ! It is such fun to follow the lines of the gods, goddesses and rituals isn’t it ! Maybe today would be a good day to toss some yellow flowers into a stream to honor her !
The Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries began on this day each year in ancient Greece. This honored Ceres, Demeter, Perophene and Proserpine. Those who planned to participate had to let their intentions be known by rubbing ashes on their bodies, jumping into the ocean, donning new clothes, and asking the goddess for guidance.
In ancient Rome it was Juno Sospita. Girls would bake barley cakes and bring them to a sacred snake in the grove outside Rome, if it was accepted, then their virginity was proven and fertility would come with the spring.
Feb 2- Candlemas- This is a Christian feast that celebrates Mary’s purification and presentation of Jesus in the temple. This Christian feast comes from a Jewish tradition (it all comes from the same place doesn’t it ! ). Jewish women would go to the temple 40 days after they gave birth, so Mary would have gone to the temple on this day after Jesus’ birth. This was originally celebrated on February 14, but then so was the Roman festival called Lupercalia, so the Candlemas celebration was moved. Candlemas was first celebrated in 350 AD in Jerusalem
The word “candlemas” comes frm the fact that candles were always blessed on this day to be used during the year. It was considered that spring was starting and thus a “new year”.Can we see how the ancient goddess Brigid, goddess of fire ties in with blessing candles on her day? In Armenia there was a fire festival on February 2, where fires were lit in the church courtyard. The Pagans celebrated Mihr with fire on the second, and also heralded the coming of spring. It is so much fun to play detective, let’s see what else we can find!
Let’s talk about Groundhog Day. Where did that one come from? The Celts believed that animals held supernatural powers as far back as 600 AD. Being that this day was believed to be at a time of changing seasons, they believed the animals had a foot in both worlds and could do special things. In ancient times one of the most important things to keep an eye on, and pray for was good weather. The animals on this day should be able to predict the weather, however, it wasn’t a groundhog at that time ! In Germany and France it was a marmot, and in ancient Rome it was a hedgehog!
Feb 3- Setsuban in Japan. Setsuban literally is said to mean division of season. The Japanese , like the other cultures we have just discussed brought in spring earlier than March. This festival is still celebrated to day. The head of the household will throw a pan of heated soybeans out of the front door and shout “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” This is translated as”Watch out for hot beans!”. Well, OK, it actually means, “Demons out! Luck in!”. This tradition goes back to Buddhist temples. This tradition is similar to the Feast of the Lemures, or Lupercalia that I mentioned earlier.
Feb 5- Festival of the Trees or Tu B’Shvat- A Jewish celebration, it is a full moon festival. There is disagreement on the origin of the “holiday”. It is said to coincide with the end of the fruit bearing season. The mystics of Safed the fruit year with the Kabalistic Tree of Life. Eating fruit on this day is said to restart the flow through the Tree of Life to the Universe.
Feb 8-Needle Memorial in Japan. This dates back about 1500 years. Women bring the sewing needles that have broken during the year to a special altar at a Buddhist shrine. They wear kimonos to the ceremony. There is fruit and sewing implements on the top and bottom shelves of the altar. The middle shelf holds a block of tofu into which the broken needles are inserted. So thank an inanimate object today for its’ service to you!
Feb 9- Narvik Sun Pageant (Norway). The ancient Pagan goddesses who rule over the sun are honored. The festival lasts all during the day light hours.
Feb 10-The Kebbawa tribe of Nigeria celebrate the beginning of the fishing season each year on this day. The ancient gods are invoked and honored, along with divinations being carried out with the help of the fish.
Feb11- Annual pilgrimage to Our Lady of Lourdes in France where the water is said to be curative during this time of year.
Feb 13- Paternalia- An ancient Roman festival to honor loved ones who have passed. The festival lasted until Feb 21. During this time no weddings were performed, and ancestral tombs were visited with wine and flowers.
Feb 14- Valentine’s Day- There were actually two Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the Middle Ages (around 1382). Both men who were saints (and interestingly enough another Valentine from Africa who was not a saint) died on this day. It was a day originally on the church calendar and has become a day for flowers, candy and cards. The middle of February to the ancients was filled with fertility rituals, spring was coming after all! Lupercalia was celebrated on the 15th of February, and during this festival lots were pulled with names of sexual partners on them, this may have become associated with Valentine’s Day in the later centuries.
Feb 15- Lupercalia- This festival may date prior to the Romans to pastoral Europe. It celebrates the god of fertility Faunus who was a pagan god, and later Juno who was Roman. The legend of Romulus was later attached to Lupercalia, but Lupercalia’s roots were even older that Romulus. The Romans used the day to purify their world in order to welcome spring and its’ fertility and prosperity. The festival began with the sacrifice of two goats and a dog. There were priests dressed in goat skins, feasting and dancing. In 496 the Pope changed it to the feast day of the Valentine martyrs. The two days, the 14th and 15th became intertwined.
Feb 17- Birthday of the Hindu goddess Kali. Kali heralded in the Kali Yuga or “evil age”. Kali is the destroyer goddess. She has a black face, four arms and an ugly expression on her face. In ancient times human sacrifices were made to her.
Feb 18- Ancient fertility rites were held in Persia (modern Iran) to honor the goddess Spandarmat, the rites were called Spenta Armaiti.
Feb 20-Mardi Gras, literally translated to “Fat Tuesday”. Mardi Gras is still a huge celebration in New Orleans and other cities around the world. It is a time of fun, food, and drink before lent. It always occurs on the day before Ash Wednesday. Needless to say it came here from France! This certainly isn’t ancient, but it is an important part of February (sometimes March).
On this day in 1882 the Society for Psychical Research was founded in London England. It became the leading organization for investigating the paranormal.
Feb 21- The close of the Parentalia festival, All Soul’s Day , known as Feralia. Family reunions were held and Lares, the guardian of ancestral spirits was honored with prayers and offerings.
Feb 23- Terminalia- This was a day that the Romans honored the god of boundaries, Terminus. Neighbors met at property limits. The women held a burning torch, the children held baskets of produce, and the daughters held honey cakes. The two families slaughtered a pig, and let the blood drip on the boundary stones. They then feasted and drank wine together. This is a good day to celebrate with a neighbor or to set a boundary that is more personal that you will honor!
Feb 28- Sabbatu a Chaldean Sabbat was celebrated each year on this date. Sacrafices were made to Zamyaz.
The earth goddesses are also honored on this date , they include Ceres, Demeter, Gaia, Ge and Mauri.
The month of February was very important to fertility and sun welcoming rituals. Enjoy the month and don’t eat too much chocolate (is that even possible?).
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Triple Moon Goddess,
Psychic Tarot Consultant
& Author
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Triple Moon Goddess has been psychic all her life, receiving her first deck of cards, 36 years ago, at age ten.
As a Psychic, she is currently reading on KEEN, Kasamba, and in person, most recently, in Evansville, IN.
In addition to a BA in psychology from Montclair State in NJ., She has studied Mediumship with Denise Ilwaine, and currently studing Reiki.
She is a student who "plays Tai Chi", and enjoys playing with energy.
Triple Moon Goddess also teaches monthly metaphysical classes at the Bead Angel, in Evansville, covering different topics each month. She has also taught Tarot classes and psychic development classes; led "ghost hunts", and "seances".
She has attended many metaphysical classes, both in person and correspondance (before the internet!). She also teaches quilting!
As an avid reader, she loves to pass on everything she can to others.
She was the editor on "C.R.U.M.B.S.," a New Age self help book., and currently writing a book on tarotand readings.
She is the mother of two children, one of which is autistic, and teaches her a great deal about viewing the world through different eyes.
Email:
triplemoongoddessgina
@hotmail.com
Web:
www.Keen.com/
Triplemoongoddess
URL
www.myspace.com
/triplemoongoddessgina
Blog URL
http://blog.myspace.
com/
triplemoongoddessgina
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