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Almanac of the Ancients:
May 2007
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by Triple Moon Goddess |
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Well, the warm air should have reached most of you in the Northern hemisphere by now! The ancients were certainly feeling that all is well by this time, and that they will soon eat fresh, good food again! The sun is shining, the air is warmer, and the world is new and fresh again. Gaia has renewed herself yet another time to help man survive. Time to dance around the maypole and celebrate the beautiful warm mother that is Gaia! The great solar wheel turns to Beltane, one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated by the ancients , and still celebrated today by Wiccans all over the world.
Spring is now in full swing and it is time to enjoy the outdoors. This is the third month of spring’s rule. May honors the springtime goddess Maia, who used her powers to make the crops grow. Emerald and agate are the stones for this month, and hawthorn and lily are the flowers. Bring them into your hoe to help you honor the month. The astrological signs of May are Taurus the Bull (an earth sign ), and Gemini the Twins (an air sign).Maybe give a friend a nice agate necklace that you made yourself for their birthday!
The Pagan deities that were worshiped this month are Artemis, Diana, Faunus, Flora, Pan and all the fertility gods and goddesses. Pick a favorite and celebrate their day with flowers, song, and fresh foods.
This year Beltane is on May first, which is also May Day. The Beltane celebrations originated in Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man. The Celts in Wales, Brittany and Cornwall had similar celebrations at this time. The Celts would drive the herds to the summer pastures on Beltane.. In Ireland, bonfires were lit on the hilltops, with the main fire in County Westmeath. The tradition is still carried out today in County Limerick, Ireland. Mountain ash and hawthorn were hung on windows and doorways. Interestingly enough, eggs were colored and for decorating and to welcome fertility. Like Easter and Passover, the Beltane date changes from year to year.
Modern Wiccans may still use the bonfire in their celebration, but their customs follow the German May Day more closely than the Celts traditions. The Lord and Lady are reunited, there is dancing and fertility rituals. This is a cross quarter day in their celebratory calendar, and is an important mark on that calendar.
In some parts of the US, “May Day” refers more to political movement than to the happy fertility festivals of the ancients, but let us talk about the older days, not that the political references are not important, but not they are for this almanac’s theme. This is a Germanic based day. There was a crowning of the May Queen (who represents the Earth Goddess),and a Morris dance around a gaily colored and be-ribboned May Pole. The Green Man was welcomed, along with other fertility gods and goddesses. May wine is sipped in Germany, which is flavored with sweet woodruff. May Day marks the end of the winter “half” of the year, and welcomes the summer “half”. Animals were moved , (as I have stated), and doors and windows thrown open!
So for the first, sip some sweet wine, dance in the grass, and revel in the “summer” season!
May2- First full moon for May! There will be a Blue Moon on May 31!
Ysahodhara, the consort of Buddah, is honored every year on this date from ancient times. Her celebrations mostly occur in India.
May 3- Holy Cross Day / Holy Rood Day-A day to worship trees, as trees were the root of the holy cross. This holiday is still honored in parts of the world, mot notably England and Mexico, where wood has been gathered since February, and placed on hills to be made into crosses decorated with fabrics, ribbons and clothing. Some churches even have a ritual where celebrants dance around the pews three times in one direction, and then three times in the other. It is said to be a good day to mate bulls. Today plant a tree!
Lag B’Omer- Thirty Three days after the start of Passover, it is another celebration that involves just enjoying the outdoors. The Kabbalists celebrate the marriage of heaven and hell by lighting bonfires. Weddings are again celebrated along with concerts and other fun and celebratory activities.
May 4- Bona Dea- An ancient Roman holiday, of which we know there are many. The Bona Dea is “good goddess”. The cult of the Bona Dea actually pre-dates the Romans, but they brought her festival back to life. She is said to be the wife of Faunus, and is a goddess of fertility and healing. Her celebration rites were for women only.
The Vulcan priests also sacrificed a pig to Maia on this day.
The Irish believe that on this day the fairy folk are able to abduct human children, as the fairies come out of their hiding places. Leave tea and bread on your doorstep to keep the little people from making off with your children! The Irish also believe that if you need to travel on this day you should wear your coat inside out for protection.
May 5- Cinco de Mayo (Mexican), not an ancient holiday (1862), but a huge celebration today. It is Mexico’s Independence Day!
Day of swings-Korea. This is a day when everyone participates in outdoor activities for the day, and ancient celebration that continues to this day.Enjoy the outdoors, swing on a swing and take in the fresh air and sunshine!
May 6- St. George’s Day- This is the “new” name for this day, however Bulgarians have been performing rituals before the saint was a saint. Doorjambs are marked with lamb’s blood (sound familiar?). This is to thank the gods for the abundance to ask for an even bigger lamb . The custom goes way back and has adapted itself into St. George’s Day. The original name, if there was one, is lost.
May 8- The Furry Dance- There are different opinions as to where the name Furry derives itself. Some believe that it is from the Roman goddess Flora, others say it comes from the word feria, meaning “fair”. It is another day of decorating with greenery, dancing, and celebrating much like May Day. It is a very structured day. The first dance begins at 7 AM sharp. Certainly a good way to wake up and get your blood flowing! The dancers all wear lily of the valley, and are usually younger folk. Men dressed as the Green Man, Robin Hood or St. George help gather wood and lead a procession through the streets. Songs are sung to welcome summer to the earth once again. At 10Am , children dressed in white, and again wearing the lily of the valley will dance. Then at noon, the mayor will dance, followed by adults dressed in finery. They dance in the streets, shops, homes, parks...everywhere! At 5PM, everyone dances, and the dancing continues into the night. If you are caught NOT dancing. You must pay a fine or attempt to leap across the river. Many times strangers entering towns were charged a toll. It all goes back to dancing to welcome the summer half to the earth! The dance is most popular in Cornwall , England where it is still celebrated today. It is said to be the oldest springtime celebration still carried on to date. So today...DANCE!
May 9- Lemuria- Lemures were ghosts of one’s ancestors. The Ancient Romans set aside a week to honor the lemures, and this was the first day of that event. Prayers were recited nine times and black beans were thrown in the direction of where one believed a ghost to be present. The event began at midnight when the head of the household washed his hands, called the ghosts forward, and tossed black beans, one for each member of the household. Maybe today is a good day to gather friends for a seance! Don’t forget the black beans!
May 10-Tin Hau the Chinese goddess of the North Star is honored on this date in Hong Kong. In India, the sacred marriage fo the god Shiva to Meenakski is celebrated with hymns, incense and flowers.
May 12-Twilight Time:
‘Tis said that from the twelfth of May
to the twelfth of July all is day.
From the twelfth day of May
To the twelfth of July
Adieu to starlight
For all is twilight.
Blackburn, Bonnie and Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Oxford Companion to the Year, Oxford University Press 1999
In India Aranya Sashti , who is a god of the woodlands , is honored, he is said to be the same as the Pagan god Pan or Cernunnos.
May 13- Mother’s Day- Certainly NOT ancient (1915), but a day to remember!
May 14- The festival of the Midnight sun is celebrated by Pagans in northern Norway. This celebration marks 10 weeks without darkness of night.
Argei-The ancient Romans honored Mars Invictus on this date. Rushes called Argi were used to make effigies were thrown into the Tiber River. Much information is lost about this day, but it is known to be a purification ceremony. Mars was an agricultural god , and this may have been an agricultural offering to him.
May 15-Mercuralia-An ancient festival that honored Mercury. Merchants would take water from the well at Porta Capina, and sprinkle the water on themselves, their ships and their merchandise. This ensured a profitable and safe year.
May 16-Bendidia-This day is to honor an ancient Thracian goddess, there is some confusion about what she actually represented and the day of her celebrations. The goddess Benis is usually dressed as a huntress, and women offered her wheat. She was at one time seen as being equal to Gaia.
May 18- Faunus was honored in ancient Rome on this date and Pan in ancient Greece. Faunus is one of the oldest Roman deities. He was a good god, and watched over the fields, woods, and animals. He was known also by the name Inuus when he made cattle fertile. He was a god of prophecy, and oracle. Pan is the god of nature, and is part man, and part goat. Pan inspired sudden fear (panic).
The Yoruba tribe in Nigeria honor twins on this day (funny that we are moving into the sign of Gemini). This is an ancient festival that honored twins as they are believed to have supernatural powers.
May 20- Kellynteria-The ancient Greeks celebrated Athena on this date. Neo-Pagans have picked up the tradition and are still honoring the goddess of wisdom and battle. She was of course the patroness of Athens , and the sea surrounding it. The oil lamps in her shrine were re-lit. Her statue was cleansed in ancient Greece on this day, followed by prayers and feasting at the Parthenon.
May 21- Sun enters Gemini at 6:12 AM
May 22-Bear walking Day- Norwegians believe this is the day that bears come out of hibernation.
May 23-Shavout-This is the day that the Jews believe Moses was handed the Ten Commandments. The word shavout means “seven weeks”. Greenery is used to decorate homes and the workplace.
Rosalia- An ancient Roman rose festival honoring the goddess Flora. Decorate your home with roses today, bring the wonderful smell inside!
Tubilistrum- The ancient Romans held a festival on this day also to purify trumpets (they had a holiday for everything!).According to Ovid, the day honored Vulcan who was the fire god who forged the first trumpet.
May 24- Birthday of Artemis, the Greek goddess of the Moon. She presides over hunting and wild animals, she is the Greek version of the Roman goddess Diana. Spend some time in the moonlight tonight!
This is also the day of the Feast of the Three Maries (of the sea), and was probably adapted from an ancient Pagan worship of the Triple Goddess.
May 25- Birthday of Apollo, god of music, medicine, death and archery. He is also the leader of the Muses, and said to be the source of the information from the oracle at Delphi.
Weather oracle for today:
If it rain on the 25th, wind shall do much hurt that year;
If the sun shine, the contrary.
May 26- Sacred Well Day-Pagans still celebrate this day in the United Kingdom. Sacred wells are decorated with wreathes and flowers, the spirits of the well are thanked with flower petals. The custom goes back to the ancient Romans who honored the water gods and wells on this day in a celebration called Fortinalia.
May 27-Centennial Games (Ancient Rome)- Diana, Prosperina and the Three Fates were honored. Ceremonies included healing rituals.
May 28-Pythian Games- These games honored the slain goddess Python, and was celebrated I Delphi every four years.
May 29-Ambarvalia- Mars was honored in ancient Rome by having a day when no work was done. Farmers would walk around their fields three times (like the church pews?), taking a bull, a sheep and a pig along for the walk. The animals were then sacrificed to Mars, along with an invocation. Then drinks were poured to honor Jupiter and Janus. Ceres and Bacchus were also honored with singing, dancing and feasting.
May 31- Triple Blessing of the Buddah. Celebrates the birth of Buddah by Theravada Buddhists, his enlightenment and his passage into Nirvana. Shrines and houses are decorated with flowers, and prayer flags. Offerings of flowers and rice are made, and the ritual usually lasts for three days depending what culture is celebrating.
Blue Moon, the second full moon of the month!
Much of this month involved going outdoors, celebrating the fertility gods and goddesses, flowers and greenery. Bonfires are also a big theme this month if you do light a bonfire, please be very careful! Pick a day or several and have your own small celebration as the ancients did! Enjoy the month of Merry May! If you have any questions or comments, please email me at triplemoongoddessgina@hotmail.com.
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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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