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Almanac of the Ancients:
January 2008
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by Triple Moon Goddess |
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Another new year ! This promises to be an energy shift year, a year of change, of moving to where we need to be, and that can be forwards, or unfortunately, backwards! Hopefully you are already walking your path and will not notice any major speed bumps in the road during 2008!
It will help us to remember our roots and our goals. The almanac will help you with your roots, it will help you to remember where your soul came from. Did your soul celebrate Bacchus with a jug of wine; honor the Norse gods with praise; dance around a Samhain bonfire in what is now Ireland, England, Scotland or Wales? Did you celebrate Bona Dea in ancient Rome or celebrate rituals in China, Mexico or Peru? Maybe all of the above! The magic is that you still can, and maybe reawaken some old life memories that can’t wait to dance, celebrate, drink, eat and worship.
We have already journeyed through the calendar once last year, and as time marches on , we continue to live, learn and celebrate together. Hopefully you are not all worn out from the many celebrations that were available to you last year! December is so full of celebrations, that January is almost a let down. The ancients however have already greeted the sun and celebrated its’ return during the winter solstice. To us today it may have looked like wishful thinking. There was much of the cold winter months left in the northern hemisphere. The ancients thrived on hope, faith, and belief that the sun would again warm their world. Today we take that for granted. We just KNOW that the sun will rise every morning, if we honor the sun gods or not. However, on the other hand, Gaia has had a hard time of things lately, and we haven’t exactly been kind to her, she may change her mind. Someday after we are all long gone, the sun will burn out and no longer be. Will there be humans left at that time to ask Spirit to reconsider? Maybe we should do all we can now to help our progeny who may still be living on earth at that time.
Let us begin the year with a promise to make life on this planet better for all, no matter how you wish to do that. Plant a tree, hold open a door, dance around a bonfire, practice positive thinking and words.....and most of all, laugh. Laughter raises the vibration of the planet! It IS the best medicine! Let’s see how we can laugh and celebrate this month, and start the new year off on a happy, healthy step to celebrating life!
January is the first month of the Georgian calendar, named after the Roman god Janus who could look in two directions at the same time. He saw the past and the future all at once. This is the first full month of winter, and yet our ever hopeful ancestors have already celebrated Winter solstice to welcome back the sun. I like that way of looking at things. It is time for the snowdrop, and I mean the flower, not the cold wet thing that falls from the heavens.....and one of my favorites, the Carnation. We also welcome goats and water bearers in the form of sun signs Capricorn and Aquarius. Bring the flowers into your home for the month, even if they are made of silk!
January was a month important to certain deities, they are : Antu, Bertha, Felicitas, Inanna, Irene, Janus, Parcae, Pax, Strenia, and Venus. Look at the gods and goddesses and see which one resonates with you, and then try to celebrate that god or goddess this month. For example, one depiction of Antu is as a Shaman, older women were the way shamans were depicted for a period of history. Maybe you would like to look into shamanistic practices of beliefs, each day looking at what Antu meant to her celebrants. You know Janus looked forward and backward at the same time, that can bring all kinds of interesting thoughts, ideas, and concepts to you. He is also the god of gates, passageways, and new beginnings. So pick a deity from the list above and see what you can use from their teachings. It may be that shamanism isn’t your thing, and that’s OK!
We shall start with New Years’ Day, the ancient Romans celebrated it on March 1, using the old style calendar, it even moved to March 25 at one point in 525 AD. I like the idea of beginning with Spring. Spring is about renewal and rebirth. Maybe we should all petition to change New Years’ Day back to March! The current date is said to have come from the church celebration the Feast of the Circumcision eight days after Christmas.
Let’s start with a superstition that I mentioned last year:
It is an old belief to never take anything out of your home on this date, at least not without bringing a new one of the same item in first. If you bring things out (including going out to spend money), those things will continue to flow out of your home all year long. So save your spring cleaning for spring.
Many Pagans today start the year off with a spell for a good year. It sure sounds better than a resolution to me. So maybe you want to write and state an affirmation of what kind of year you will have; cast a spell of good health, abundance, and laughter; say a special prayer for a wonderful year; put a written prayer in a prayer jar. It doesn’t matter how you do it, just make sure that you remember to do it. Did you get to the almanac too late? That’s OK, Janus will let you make it retroactive!
This day is usually considered a secular holiday, but there are religions that see it as a holy day. An example is the Eastern Orthodox churches. The day was celebrated for many years as a religious feast, and still is in some places. This probably doesn’t work well if your New Years’ resolution is to diet (remember I told you to laugh!).
During the seventh century the Pagans exchanged gifts on New Years’ Day. Maybe you can get a like minded celebrant to exchange a token gift with you. Maybe some of those silk snowdrops, real carnations, or if you have wealthy friends, the birth stone of the month, which is garnet. Now you are really laughing, aren’t you, well it doesn’t hurt to ask!
Many communities use this as a time to ritually cleanse, to get ready for the new year. Maybe you would like to sage your home, or burn a white candle in every room, then take a nice hot soak in the tub, and maybe even fast. The Native Americans call January the month of Cold Moon and they fast to purify body and spirit. This may not work well for some, but maybe treat it as Lent. What is a favorite food or drink that you know is not good for you. Maybe for January you can cut it out of your daily life only to notice that you didn’t really miss it and it never returns during the rest of the year!
The Native Americans called it the Cold Moon month and the Pagans (through Jan 20) called it the Birch Month. The reason is said to be that the birch trees are the first to reappear after a fire, so they are part of regeneration and rebirth. The 21st through the end of the month is the Rowan Moon. It lasts through February 17. During this time Brighid is honored on Feb 1. She is a goddess of protection, and the tree is one of her symbols.
Another tradition was to let in the new year, a door or window would be opened for a while to let in the sun and air of the new year. Hopefully it won’t be a blustery day where you are, and you can easily follow this simple and fun tradition! The ancients lived in a very odor filled world, it was a good excuse to open up the house and let some fresh air through, we may not need to clear the smell of a damp sheep out of our homes today, but a little fresh air is always a good thing!
The ancients didn’t believe the Underworld to be full of hellfire, that is a new thought thanks mostly to Christianity. They saw the underworld as cold, icy, frosty and devoid of life. They also however, saw it as a place of regeneration, rest and restoration. The goddess Persephone and her mother Demeter are a perfect example of this. The underworld wasn’t a necessary “last stop” to the ancients, just a time of regeneration. They looked at this time of year as a time when everything was being reborn. The winter was looked on as a time of getting ready for the warm days ahead and all the work that was to be done. It was more like their vacation time that we now generally save for the summer months.
The ancients in the British Isles would look to see what the first happening or event was for the year and project the rest of the year’s happenings from it. This developed into “first footing” where people would make sure that the first thing they did on New Years’ Day was something wonderful and positive. They went to family and neighbors to guarantee that the first person to step into the home brought love and good cheer. They were often rewarded with food and drink. I am sure that you can think of many things that you would want to do all year, and incorporate them into a New Years’ Celebration.
Another ancient tradition for the New Year is to take down the Christmas greenery (which may be getting a little brown), and put up laurel branches. These were sacred to the Roman goddess Strenia, and in souther Italy this tradition is still followed to this day! Some people also use palm or bay leaves. It is as simple as a trip to the spice aisle of the grocery store to celebrate this tradition!
The second of January was considered the birthday of the Sumarian goddess Inanna, a goddess of both love and war. The goddess Isis was also honored on this date in ancient Egypt. The day was known as the “Advent of Isis from Phonecia”, and the Egyptians honored her coming to their land.
The Japanese still celebrate an ancient tradition on the second called “first writing”. It is called Kakizome, and it to be the first time you have picked up your brush to write for the year. The “kanji” which are written , actually originated in China. It is said that the writing should be something that you want to bring into your whole year. Look up the Chinese symbols for “health”, “abundance” or any other symbol you may want to project into the year, and write it on a piece of paper to hang in your home all year long!
The evening of the fifth of January is Twelfth Night (Wassil Eve). This is a newer tradition in its’ current guise, but we have all learned by now that many of our current traditions are really quite old. In England it is the end of the Christmas season on this date. Christians believe it marks the coming of the Epiphany. The adoration of the Magi is marked by some with the exchange of gifts on this night. It is believed that you should have all your Christmas decorations removed by this time or it will bring bad luck into your home. This day does go back prior to the church. The winter celebration that Twelfth Night marks the end of, originally began on Saturnalia, a day of things being turned around, this winter celebration, the Pagans adopted into Samhain, and the ending was Twelfth Night on January 5th in the evening. Some cultures then begin Carnival, which culminates in Mardi Gras ( a moveable celebration that is Feb 5 this year).
Jan 8th is the New Moon at 6:37AM, this is another time for new beginnings, so if you missed out on the first of the month, here is another opportunity to do any of the rituals or celebrations listed above. It is also a good time to pray, cast spells, and say affirmations for a new beginning, they are especially powerful during the full moon! The full moon will be at 8:35 AM on the 22nd (eastern time).
On January 11, you get another chance to celebrate a Janus like way of looking at things (no pun intended). The Roman goddess Carmenta could also see into the future and past at the same time. She was an oracle with a temple on the Capitoline Hill. Today would also be a great day for a psychic reading or a regression to see your past lives! The moon enters that psychic sign of Pisces at 1:44PM, so schedule your psychic and regression appointments for after that time if you so choose. This Roman celebration was mostly honored by women, I suppose the men had Janus to look to!
Jan 14 is a centuries old (actually about 2000 years old), harvest festival for the Tamil of southern India called Pongol. In the north it is celebrated as Makar Sankranti. Pongol is celebrated in other areas of the world by the Tamil people, and it is a “thanksgiving”. The Pongol thank the sun, the rain, and the animals for the harvest, and is the first harvest of the year. The Makar Sankranti celebration includes food that will warm the body. In parts of India this festival lasts for three days. It is the beginning of the harvest season. The celebration has of course found its’ way to the US, and other countries where natives of India have migrated. Today would be a wonderful day to have a mini thanksgiving meal, and to thank not only the higher power in your life, but the sun, rain, and animals that make the harvest possible.
On January 18, Parayaya is celebrated this year (2008), it is not celebrated every year, but every other year. This is also a festival of India. This is a religious ritual where the administration of the Krishna Matha is handed over to a new swami. Each swami will get a chance. The swami who is being “sworn in” will start preparation the day prior with a ritual dip at a holy pond or lake. At 3 AM he will enter the city of Udupi. A parade of sorts takes him to the Krishna Matha, and the outgoing swami will greet him and hand over the administration through a ritual involving keys which are handed over to the new administering swami. The current way of handing over the administration goes back approximately 700 years, and has roots in prior rituals.
Jan 20 marks what is said to be the “wildest of Philippine festivals”, the Ati-Atihan. The festival was brought to the area ion the 13th century by a group of Malay datus fleeing Borneo. Celebrants paint themselves black as their ancestors did in order to honor their new friends the Ati. The festival is called the “mother of all festivals”, as six other festivals have developed from this one.
The festival includes painting oneself black, dancing, bright costumes, and parades. Many tourists visit the area to observe the celebration. This isn’t the oldest celebration of the almanac, but certainly may be the most fun one still celebrated today. It has become a festival that lasts two weeks and attracts people from all over the world.
Jan 24 was the ancient Roman festival of Sementivae. This festival honored Ceres (goddess of agriculture) and Tellus (Gaia, mother Earth). It is a festival to begin the sowing of the fields. Cakes were dedicated to the village hearths. Cakes of pork were offered to Tellus, and then Ceres on Feb 2. The villages were ritually purified, and prayers were sais for good weather and to keep away pests.
It may be hard for those of you in the northern hemisphere to think of sowing your crops, dancing in the streets, or any other “warm weather” type actions, but the ancients did it. They needed to “rush” the season so to speak. It could mean life or death to them.
I hope that you found some ways to celebrate the month , rather than just New Years’ Day. Don’t forget to select your deity to study and possibly learn from this month. Make sure that the Christmas decorations are down in time, and the bay leaves are up! Dance a little, it will warm you up! The ancients really did know what they were doing!
Thanks again for visiting with me and melding the past into today to continue the rites and rituals of those who walked before us!
Namaste!
Gina
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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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