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Almanac of the Ancients:
March 2008
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by Triple Moon Goddess |
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The ancients had some spring weather by this time, but depending on where they were exactly, it could still be very cold and icy, or warm with green popping up in different areas. Where I live the winters are not harsh (thank goodness), and the summers aren’t too bad either. I think the ancients would have liked it here. There were Native Americans living in this area, and probably enjoying this time of year.
This year March brings us Purim, Good Friday and Easter. But there was more to the ancient’s calendar. They were thanking the goddess for the sun that appeared in the sky for longer and longer periods. They were watching for a sprig of green as it poked its’ head through white ice and snow. Today we can see snowdrops and crocus from our heated homes through double paned windows. We are more than happy to see them poke up their little heads. Then the tulips, hyacinths, and then we know....no matter what the month says on the calendar, it is official. SPRING has sprung!
Take the happiness you feel when you see these harbingers of spring (the flowers, the birds, even the bugs), and multiply that happiness times ten to know how the ancients felt. It was time to plant. There would be fresh food soon!
It was and still is, a time for renewal. We seem to forget the rebirth of the earth each spring. We know it doesn’t come because the gods are pleased (thank goodness for that), but because the sun is again tilting on its’ axis, just as it has done for millions of years. It is hard to remember to start, reinvent, re-do, re-birth ourselves and our lives. The magic seems gone, but it is still there for the taking!
So let us look at the month of March, the reawakening of the earth , spring. Some may find it strange that the month of March is named after a god of war, Mars. The name was originally Maritus . The ancient gods many times had two or more aspects of human lives that they oversaw. I guess Mars needed something to do when there were no wars going on, so to keep him busy, he was in charge of making sure the land was fertile. Thus, Mars became the name of the first month of spring.
This is a great time to start affirmations for new things in your life. It is really a wonderful time to ask for something to leave your life. Now that may sound strange, but spells are cast, prayers recited and affirmations are stated at this time of year to end things. Endings always must bring a new beginning. You may ask to stop smoking for instance, by asking for a change to a “new cigarette free life”. It is a perfect time for this. Also ask for new beginnings that will help you and bring you forward in your life lessons. Remember to not ask for anything that takes away another’s free will. This is a HUGE “no-no”. You can ask for a new partner that will make you happy, but don’t ask for Joe Smith to leave his partner and come to you!
If you really want to walk a spiritual path, ask for the Universe to send you a new challenge, a new perspective, a new lesson. This isn’t for the faint hearted, but it really brings wonderful things to you , that in the beginning may not seem so wonderful.
The sun signs end and begin this month too. Pisces ends the wheel and Aries begins the wheel. This is not only the beginning of spring, but of the astrological year. The birth stones of March are bloodstone, and aquamarine, and the flowers to celebrate this month are jonquil and daffodil. The ancients believed that the color of the flowers was important. The yellow represented the sun, and to the Celts, the yoke of eggs, another birth symbol. Bring in some fresh flowers, and add crystals. The bloodstone is a deep green, like the forest, the aquamarine is like fresh water. The yellow flowers will make you smile even during spring rain days. Maybe add some amber (which is really hardened tree sap). It comes in many shades from a bright yellow to a light brown. It is a true piece of Gaia, just as the crystals are. Treat yourself to a piece of amber jewlery!
Since this is a time to start over, find something that you may have put aside and pick it up again. This was originally the beginning of the year. The first month. It makes much more sense to me than our current calender. March was originally the first month on the Roman calendar. January and February were not added until around 700 BC by King Numa Pompilius. In Great Britain, the year began on March 25 until 1752 when they adopted the Gregorian calendar.
The deities to honor this month include Eostre (some say her name is a version of the word Easter), the Green Goddess, the Lord of the Greenwood, Mars and Ostara (also said to be a name taken from Easter). The great solar wheel turns yet again, this time to the Vernal Equinox, one of the four lesser sabbats celebrated by Wiccans and modern witches throughout the world. Not to mention lovers and those of us with Spring Fever !
The vernal ( from the Latin vernare which means “to bloom”) equinox ( the word means “equal night”), will be on March 20 at 5:48 GMT. The earth tilts toward the sun and the daylight hours go from 12 hours to longer and longer periods, until June. Spring has arrived ! The next day, March 21 will be a full moon. What a powerful time for those spells and affirmations! Start as early as midnight on March 20 with requests for new beginnings and rebirths, then into things you want to bring to fullness or fruition! You can do energy work for 48 hours and make a powerful year for yourself!
I have picked out some celebrations for you. I won’t get into the Easter holiday, as we all know the Easter stories, and as the world goes, this is a “newer” celebration. I will go over how the church borrowed the renewal and rebirth theme of this time of year. Easter falls this year on March 23 , and is one of those moveable holidays, as is Passover (Purim) which occurs around the same time, which is March 21 this year (same day as Good Friday). Eostra was an Anglo Saxton goddess of dawn, a new day. The Pagans brought us Easter from this word. Their celebration had mostly to do with eggs. They were a food that they could have throughout the winter (as long as they could feed the chickens I suppose). The symbolism of the egg was very strong in that culture, and we still follow it today when we dye our Easter eggs.
Another symbol of Easter, the rabbit (or Mad March Hare), also came from Europe. These animals would hibernate for the winter and started hopping around at the beginning of March. We took that rabbit, gave his a basket and now he delivers not only eggs but candy. The hares come again at the end of the month, so keep them in your thoughts!
The Romans began the month celebrating Matronalia. In order to have birth, you need a mother. Roman women traveled to the temple of Juno Lucina to celebrate on March first. The same day the vestal virgins relit the temple fires in the temple of Vesta, another goddess who is associated with women and fertility. Men gave gifts to their wives and women actually waited on their female servants for the day.
The month is full of mother goddess celebrations and fertility celebrations including honoring the Triple Goddess. Three was a magical number (and still is). The third of March the Triple Goddess was honored and it was said to be a perfect day for healing. Maybe you should schedule a Reiki or Healing Touch session for today, or if you are a practitioner, give a free treatment to a female to honor the tradition that the wealthy Roman women began thousands of years ago.
During March in ancient Greece, Anthesteria was celebrated. This was a three day long ritual to honor the dead (the Keres). In Ireland and Wales, today is the Feast of Rhiannon, the Celtic Mother Goddess, originally known as Rigatona (“great Queen”), she is sometimes associated with the mare goddess Epona. In Japan on the first two Sundays in March, Hime-no-miya is celebrated. The mother goddess of Japan named Izanami is honored with rocks, clamshells, and any natural piece that resembles genitalia. These are left at her shrines after being paraded through the streets. Isis was honored on this date in North Africa, and still is to this day, her rituals also include dances and feasts.
In China it was Mother Earth day that was celebrated in March. This is an ancient celebration that honors the earth as mother goddess. Today there are parades, feasts, and firecrackers. People bury “birthday presents” in the ground to thank mother earth ! Plant something today to thank Gaia, or spread some organic fertilizer.
In ancient Rome, Isis was called upon to bless the fleet. This was the day that the waterways were officially reopened for navigation. The blessing was called Navigum Isidis (Blessing of the vessel of Isis). In ancient times the women wore flowers and sprinkled the streets with perfume, the priests walked with them pouring milk from breast shaped pitchers, many held up shiny surfaces so the goddess could see her reflection. The people carried lamps and candles and shouted, “Make way for the goddess !” , as they proceeded to the port. There was a boat built just for the celebration and the priests cut the lines to allow the boat to sail away on its’ own.
Mothers , female goddesses, fertility and rebirth was celebrated all around the world by many different cultures thousands of miles from each other. How did they all get the same message?
There is another ancient March festival that isn’t a “mother goddess festival”, but an interesting one none the less. The festival is still celebrated to this day in Tibet, and it is the Butter Lamp Festival. The monks in Tibetan Buddhist temples use this ritual to render the demons around them powerless and to secure blessings from the gods. Yak butter is used to make sculptures of Buddhist “heroes” and they are paraded through the streets while ancient chants are recited. When the parade ends, the sculptures are tossed into the river.
March 15- Beware the ides of March . The Romans were very aware of ides, and referred to them in every month We just know of it as the day Caeser was stabbed. In ancient Rome this day was celebrated to honor Attis and Cybele. It began with a parade of reed bearers to honor the finding of Attis in the reeds. (Sound familiar, as in “Moses” ?) There were picnics and singing. The next nine days were honored with and sexual abstinence . Attis and Cybele were featured in several celebrations during March. Later in the month Attis was again honored by uprooting pine trees that were then taken to the temple to mourn the demise of Attis. He was hunted down by Cybele and his genitalia were ripped off his body.
March 23 was the Day of Blood in Ancient Rome. Priests were ritually castrated, and the population would also cut themselves. The blood was spilled to honor Cybele who had castrated Attis. People spent the day in mourning and the night was spent holding a virgin over a tomb created for the celebration.
Getting back to the fertility side of things, the ancient Pagans celebrated Sheela-na-gig. She was a fertility goddess with oversized genitalia. She is carved on to many castles and churches in Ireland and other parts of Great Britain. The carvings are said to ward off death and evil. The Christians converted her to a consort of Saint Patrick. You can still find statues of Sheela in certain stores and of course in Ireland where she is still an important fertility goddess.
On a happier note, Hilaria (Joy Festival) of Ancient Rome, was held on March 24 to celebrate the triumph of night over day. The priests opened the tomb to show that the god (Attis) was not within, he was not dead (another tradition borrowed by the Christians?). There was then much rejoicing with feasts and merriment. After the celebration there were ritual “washings” to cleanse for the new beginning.
On March 29 another female goddess was celebrated. This was the Festival of Ishtar the Babylonia goddess of love, fertility, storms, childbirth and battle. As a triple goddess she also represents life, death and rebirth.
In ancient Mesopotamia, March 31 was set aside the thank the god and goddess for creating the earth. In ancient Rome it was a day to honor Salus, the goddess of health and cleanliness. She is usually pictured holding a snake.
The month closes with the Feast of Luna (ancient Rome) was celebrated at moonrise to honor the moon and lunar magic. An old ritual is to shout “Hares ! Hares !” before retiring for the evening and “Rabbits ! Rabbits !” when awakening the first of April. That Easter bunny keeps popping up, doesn’t he!
This is a wonderful time for new beginnings, new perspectives, new people, places and things. Take the time to celebrate. Go outdoors and soak up some of that extra sunshine, even if it is through several layers of clothing! Treat yourself to flowers (yellow ones preferably), and fresh food if you can find it where you are. Make some egg salad , and eat some chocolate! The ancients used chocolate for grounding, and with the heady scents and warmth of spring in the air, you may need it!
Plan your renewal and enjoy the sin’s return to the earth. Find a Pagan group that celebrates the equinox, go to Easter services and think of the roots that went back before Christianity and melded into our rituals today. Talk a walk, a hike, a boat trip. Play Tai chi outside in the fresh air. Dye eggs, plant flowers, stick your fingers in the warming earth. Honor the women around you, thank the animals for making your life richer, and take that first step towards those New Year’s resolutions that you forgot all about already!
Enjoy the warm air and sunshine! I know I will!
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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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