He was also the God of ecstasy and ritual madness, and for a myriad of reasons (all of which are debated), was involved in the Mysteries of Eleusis. After a day of ritual, I thought a nod to him would be appropriate. I'll delve more into his lore at another time including his parentage, role in the Mysteries, as the origin of Jesus mythology, and the Bacchantes.
TO DIONYSOS (incense: storax)
I call upon loud-roaring and reveling Dionysos,
primeval, two-natured, thrice-born, Bacchic lord,
savage, ineffable, secretive, two-horned and two-shaped.
Ivy-covered, bull-faced, warlike, howling, pure,
you take raw flesh, you have triennial feasts, wrapt in foliage, decked
with grape clusters.
Resourceful Eubouleus, immortal god sired by Zeus
when he mated with Persephone in unspeakable union.
Hearken to my voice, O blessed one, and with your fair-girdled nurses
breathe on me in a spirit of perfect kindness.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Blo0o0o0o0o0o0o0od!!! Part 1
Thanks to Dusio for the inspiration for tonight's post. Maybe one day he'll post here too since this can be a "team blog." That enough of a hint? :-D I apologize in advance for the all over the map post. I'm very tired tonight after a long day and am having trouble organizing my thoughts. At least I refrained from posting the lyrics to "Bloodletting!"
A real, in-depth treatment about what blood meant in the ancient world is beyond the scope of a blog. I'd like to see a book dedicated to it. Are there any good resources on this topic? In the meanwhile, I'm going to throw a few ideas, facts, opinions and quotes out there regarding blood and it's awesome powerz:
Opinion: Blood is blood is blood. Menstrual blood isn't any more special than any other blood except that you don't have to cut yourself to get it. On what do I base this opinion? I have been on both sides of having menstruated and no longer menstruate. My blood is just as potent now as it was then. First-hand experience.
Facts: Blood sacrifice was practiced in the ancient world and is still practiced today, both literally and figuratively. Magic words are said to turn wine and bread into blood and flesh. Then they're eaten.
Gladiator tournaments were held to celebrate festivals and to appease deities with the blood sport.
Ideas:
From The Odyssey: "I made a drink-offering to all the dead, first with honey and milk, then with wine, and thirdly with water, and I sprinkled white barley meal over the whole, praying earnestly to the poor feckless ghosts, and promising them that when I got back to Ithaca I would sacrifice a barren heifer for them, the best I had, and would load the pyre with good things. I also particularly promised that Teiresias should have a black sheep to himself, the best in all my flocks.
When I had prayed sufficiently to the dead, I cut the throats of the two sheep and let the blood run into the trench, whereon the ghosts came trooping up from Erebus... they came from every quarter and flitted round the trench with a strange kind of screaming sound that made me turn pale with fear. When I saw them coming I told the men to be quick and flay the carcasses of the two dead sheep and make burnt offerings of them, and at the same time to repeat prayers to Hades and to Proserpine; but I sat where I was with my sword drawn and would not let the poor feckless ghosts come near the blood till Teiresias should have answered my questions."
"...I see my poor mother's ghost close by us; she is sitting by the blood without saying a word, and though I am her own son she does not remember me and speak to me; tell me, Sir, how I can make her know me.'
"'That,' said he, 'I can soon do Any ghost that you let taste of the blood will talk with you like a reasonable being, but if you do not let them have any blood they will go away again.'
"I sat still where I was until my mother came up and tasted the blood. Then she knew me at once and spoke fondly to me..."
Book 11 is my favorite. Perhaps because it talks about Proserpina as queen of the underworld and mentions Minos as a Magician and Diana killing another woman, Ariadne.
"Then I saw Phaedra, and Procris, and fair Ariadne daughter of the magician Minos, whom Theseus was carrying off from Crete to Athens, but he did not enjoy her, for before he could do so Diana killed her in the island of Dia on account of what Bacchus had said against her"
It's an excellent look at an ancient concept of life after death.
Moving away from The Odyssey... In Greek lore, there are the Empusae, the Mormo and the Lamia. They are said to drink blood, and are either daughters of, or companions to Hekate.
Back to more opinion again: It's the life-force, itself. To give your life for something, even if that life is easily renewed, is a huge gesture, an actual sacrifice. Back in the ancient day, no one knew about DNA or how much blood you had or where it came from. They knew that without it, you would cease to be. Speaking of DNA, I was asked about the importance of being "of the blood." Yes, it's important to a degree. At this point in history, most of us are pretty well mixed, if we know it or not. In addition to several different lines of Italians, I've traced my family to Greece, France, Africa, Russia and Poland. I'm a child of the world. I believe more of us are than not. So what's the big deal about DNA? It is an actual, literal connection with all of your predecessors and successors going back to the beginning of human-kind.
More fact: Girls are born with fully loaded ovaries. Therefore, my child has always been a part of me. I have always been a part of my mother. She has always been a part of her mother and so on back to the beginning. We have always existed, even if just in a microscopic way on a physical level.
What about adopted families? When you're adopted it's not just into a circle of people you live with, it's also into a lineage. Ancestors are conferred upon you. If you are made part of a family, you are part of that entire family, the ones who went before as well as the ones who are your immediate family. My biological Grandfather passed when my Mother was still a child. My Grandmother remarried a few years later. For all intents and purposes, he was my Grandfather. He made my mother, and me, part of his family. I loved who he loved, I venerated who he venerated.
Is there a difference when invoking one or the other? Kind of. It's more a matter of technique and level of relationship. Something things cannot be explained, only experienced.
Have you ever used your own blood in your work? If not: What do you think the effect would be? If yes, how have you done so? Did it help your work?
Part 2 of this (maybe in March?) will look more at specific uses of blood, and I don't just mean animal sacrifice, I mean personal blood letting to bind, seal, or amp up spells.
A real, in-depth treatment about what blood meant in the ancient world is beyond the scope of a blog. I'd like to see a book dedicated to it. Are there any good resources on this topic? In the meanwhile, I'm going to throw a few ideas, facts, opinions and quotes out there regarding blood and it's awesome powerz:
Opinion: Blood is blood is blood. Menstrual blood isn't any more special than any other blood except that you don't have to cut yourself to get it. On what do I base this opinion? I have been on both sides of having menstruated and no longer menstruate. My blood is just as potent now as it was then. First-hand experience.
Facts: Blood sacrifice was practiced in the ancient world and is still practiced today, both literally and figuratively. Magic words are said to turn wine and bread into blood and flesh. Then they're eaten.
Gladiator tournaments were held to celebrate festivals and to appease deities with the blood sport.
Ideas:
From The Odyssey: "I made a drink-offering to all the dead, first with honey and milk, then with wine, and thirdly with water, and I sprinkled white barley meal over the whole, praying earnestly to the poor feckless ghosts, and promising them that when I got back to Ithaca I would sacrifice a barren heifer for them, the best I had, and would load the pyre with good things. I also particularly promised that Teiresias should have a black sheep to himself, the best in all my flocks.
When I had prayed sufficiently to the dead, I cut the throats of the two sheep and let the blood run into the trench, whereon the ghosts came trooping up from Erebus... they came from every quarter and flitted round the trench with a strange kind of screaming sound that made me turn pale with fear. When I saw them coming I told the men to be quick and flay the carcasses of the two dead sheep and make burnt offerings of them, and at the same time to repeat prayers to Hades and to Proserpine; but I sat where I was with my sword drawn and would not let the poor feckless ghosts come near the blood till Teiresias should have answered my questions."
"...I see my poor mother's ghost close by us; she is sitting by the blood without saying a word, and though I am her own son she does not remember me and speak to me; tell me, Sir, how I can make her know me.'
"'That,' said he, 'I can soon do Any ghost that you let taste of the blood will talk with you like a reasonable being, but if you do not let them have any blood they will go away again.'
"I sat still where I was until my mother came up and tasted the blood. Then she knew me at once and spoke fondly to me..."
Book 11 is my favorite. Perhaps because it talks about Proserpina as queen of the underworld and mentions Minos as a Magician and Diana killing another woman, Ariadne.
"Then I saw Phaedra, and Procris, and fair Ariadne daughter of the magician Minos, whom Theseus was carrying off from Crete to Athens, but he did not enjoy her, for before he could do so Diana killed her in the island of Dia on account of what Bacchus had said against her"
It's an excellent look at an ancient concept of life after death.
Moving away from The Odyssey... In Greek lore, there are the Empusae, the Mormo and the Lamia. They are said to drink blood, and are either daughters of, or companions to Hekate.
Back to more opinion again: It's the life-force, itself. To give your life for something, even if that life is easily renewed, is a huge gesture, an actual sacrifice. Back in the ancient day, no one knew about DNA or how much blood you had or where it came from. They knew that without it, you would cease to be. Speaking of DNA, I was asked about the importance of being "of the blood." Yes, it's important to a degree. At this point in history, most of us are pretty well mixed, if we know it or not. In addition to several different lines of Italians, I've traced my family to Greece, France, Africa, Russia and Poland. I'm a child of the world. I believe more of us are than not. So what's the big deal about DNA? It is an actual, literal connection with all of your predecessors and successors going back to the beginning of human-kind.
More fact: Girls are born with fully loaded ovaries. Therefore, my child has always been a part of me. I have always been a part of my mother. She has always been a part of her mother and so on back to the beginning. We have always existed, even if just in a microscopic way on a physical level.
What about adopted families? When you're adopted it's not just into a circle of people you live with, it's also into a lineage. Ancestors are conferred upon you. If you are made part of a family, you are part of that entire family, the ones who went before as well as the ones who are your immediate family. My biological Grandfather passed when my Mother was still a child. My Grandmother remarried a few years later. For all intents and purposes, he was my Grandfather. He made my mother, and me, part of his family. I loved who he loved, I venerated who he venerated.
Is there a difference when invoking one or the other? Kind of. It's more a matter of technique and level of relationship. Something things cannot be explained, only experienced.
Have you ever used your own blood in your work? If not: What do you think the effect would be? If yes, how have you done so? Did it help your work?
Part 2 of this (maybe in March?) will look more at specific uses of blood, and I don't just mean animal sacrifice, I mean personal blood letting to bind, seal, or amp up spells.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Enjoy the Silence
Silence. Neutral Mind. Meditation. I try to practice this daily. Doesn't always work out. When I get to that place, where the mundane, daily "noise" is turned off, I find I can hear farther than before, and I don't mean the traffic on main street or the kids around the corner. I can hear what the Powers that Be are telling me. Sometimes I hear my own bs, but that's not the silent place, that's in the hallway leading to it. When you find the silence, it is truly a respite from the day/week/month. The more I practice, the faster I get there (and there have been times when it's taken weeks to get there).
I actually prefer to use mantras and chants in my meditative work: It's a way to drown out all the "noise" and bypass the mental chatter on the way to the silence. I feel like that's cheating. I don't like crutches, so I'll keep that in reserve for specific times and uses.
It's scary to confront yourself and all of the mental junk you have accumulated: Old fears and regrets hanging around, old victories or notions you manage to cling to, random thoughts jumping out, your stream of consciousness not so much a stream but a series of jump-cuts all over the place... Spring cleaning means inside as well as out. I plan to spend time every day, or every night as the case will likely be, to clean up my mental desktop.
I don't know if I will journal it, will likely do it before falling asleep and won't get to writing it down unless I'm particularly moved to do that. I won't post that kind of thing here.
So what do I chant? I have a few favorite mantras from my kundalini yoga practice, family "songs," and a few modern ones. My favorite kundalini mantra:
Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Say So Hung
"is the Siri Gaitri Mantra, and is chanted for healing. Ra is the sun, Ma is the Moon, Da is the earth, and Sa is Infinity. Say is the totality of Infinity, and So Hung is "I am Thou". "Ra Ma Da Sa" is the Earth Mantra. and "Sa Say So Hung" is the Ether Mantra.
Here is a list of mantras and a link to hear them chanted.
Do you meditate? Did you ever? Do you plan to?
I actually prefer to use mantras and chants in my meditative work: It's a way to drown out all the "noise" and bypass the mental chatter on the way to the silence. I feel like that's cheating. I don't like crutches, so I'll keep that in reserve for specific times and uses.
It's scary to confront yourself and all of the mental junk you have accumulated: Old fears and regrets hanging around, old victories or notions you manage to cling to, random thoughts jumping out, your stream of consciousness not so much a stream but a series of jump-cuts all over the place... Spring cleaning means inside as well as out. I plan to spend time every day, or every night as the case will likely be, to clean up my mental desktop.
I don't know if I will journal it, will likely do it before falling asleep and won't get to writing it down unless I'm particularly moved to do that. I won't post that kind of thing here.
So what do I chant? I have a few favorite mantras from my kundalini yoga practice, family "songs," and a few modern ones. My favorite kundalini mantra:
Ra Ma Da Sa, Sa Say So Hung
"is the Siri Gaitri Mantra, and is chanted for healing. Ra is the sun, Ma is the Moon, Da is the earth, and Sa is Infinity. Say is the totality of Infinity, and So Hung is "I am Thou". "Ra Ma Da Sa" is the Earth Mantra. and "Sa Say So Hung" is the Ether Mantra.
Here is a list of mantras and a link to hear them chanted.
Do you meditate? Did you ever? Do you plan to?
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Buying and Selling
A discussion came up on one of my yahoo groups. I won't post anything from the closed list, but I can share my own thoughts and response. The subject of buying and selling knowledge came up, as if sometimes does. It's just one of those topics which rears its ugly head every now and then. Since I've been given the go-ahead to bring others into The Family, the question has become personal. I've realized that there's never been a doubt about it in my mind:
There is a huge difference between reading cards for a client and offering initiation for money. Of course you should get something in return for your time and skill. You should not, however, sell the family recipe to strangers.
You should know who you're teaching. If you have established a relationship with someone, be it on line or in person (and I have made some wonderful friends thanks to the internet), then great, teach them. Perfect strangers? I totally disagree. When I was taught certain things, I was specifically told: "These are the Family's Trade Secrets." You don't teach them to just anyone, you teach them to Family. If that family is "adopted" that's fine, but it never goes outside of the Family. Would you charge family for your work other than the cost of materials? On the other side of the coin, family also takes care of each other.
Besides being a matter of trust, it's about respect for The Work, for The Magic. If you give it away to anyone who has a few dollars, or anyone who simply wants to learn it, you devalue what you have been given from previous generations. Literally, a sell-out.
I am taking a correspondence course and it's good. It's not about learning a "tradition" but instead how to incorporate various systems, styles and elements of magic into your current work to enhance it. The information is out there and available in the world, but I just don't have that kind of time to travel the world myself, so I've paid someone to do that for me and report back, so to speak. Also, I met him several times before signing up. It's one person's take on how to work the work, but it's has nothing to do with initiations or joining a tradition or exposing secrets. Selling initiation sight-unseen offends me.
There was a comment somewhere about how the Catholics charge money for children's training classes. So? They're trying to indoctrinate as many people as possible from as young an age as possible. Is that what we're trying to do as a Pagan community? Not so much. Besides, their teaching is done in person on a long term basis before the students are initiated. If you want to learn the "mysteries" of Catholicism, you have to become a nun or priest. You can't just pay to take a class on performing exorcism. You can't pay to become a nun without having to do the work involved. If someone is asking for money and no effort? They're selling you a bill of goods.
Writing a book is in a whole different category for the simple reason that reading about something and experiencing it are two different things. If we knew every detail of the Mysteries of Eleusis, it wouldn't really matter: You're not an initiate just from reading it, you have to live the experience. Even they had a few rules in place about who could and could not be an initiate.
/rant
Speaking of Eleusis, here's an excellent link detailing the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii and linking it to the Eleusinian Mysteries. It's worth the read. The first couple of paragraphs are long and detailed, but if you aren't familiar with Eleusis or Pompeii, it's a good start. Otherwise, scroll down to the first picture and enjoy!
There is a huge difference between reading cards for a client and offering initiation for money. Of course you should get something in return for your time and skill. You should not, however, sell the family recipe to strangers.
You should know who you're teaching. If you have established a relationship with someone, be it on line or in person (and I have made some wonderful friends thanks to the internet), then great, teach them. Perfect strangers? I totally disagree. When I was taught certain things, I was specifically told: "These are the Family's Trade Secrets." You don't teach them to just anyone, you teach them to Family. If that family is "adopted" that's fine, but it never goes outside of the Family. Would you charge family for your work other than the cost of materials? On the other side of the coin, family also takes care of each other.
Besides being a matter of trust, it's about respect for The Work, for The Magic. If you give it away to anyone who has a few dollars, or anyone who simply wants to learn it, you devalue what you have been given from previous generations. Literally, a sell-out.
I am taking a correspondence course and it's good. It's not about learning a "tradition" but instead how to incorporate various systems, styles and elements of magic into your current work to enhance it. The information is out there and available in the world, but I just don't have that kind of time to travel the world myself, so I've paid someone to do that for me and report back, so to speak. Also, I met him several times before signing up. It's one person's take on how to work the work, but it's has nothing to do with initiations or joining a tradition or exposing secrets. Selling initiation sight-unseen offends me.
There was a comment somewhere about how the Catholics charge money for children's training classes. So? They're trying to indoctrinate as many people as possible from as young an age as possible. Is that what we're trying to do as a Pagan community? Not so much. Besides, their teaching is done in person on a long term basis before the students are initiated. If you want to learn the "mysteries" of Catholicism, you have to become a nun or priest. You can't just pay to take a class on performing exorcism. You can't pay to become a nun without having to do the work involved. If someone is asking for money and no effort? They're selling you a bill of goods.
Writing a book is in a whole different category for the simple reason that reading about something and experiencing it are two different things. If we knew every detail of the Mysteries of Eleusis, it wouldn't really matter: You're not an initiate just from reading it, you have to live the experience. Even they had a few rules in place about who could and could not be an initiate.
/rant
Speaking of Eleusis, here's an excellent link detailing the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii and linking it to the Eleusinian Mysteries. It's worth the read. The first couple of paragraphs are long and detailed, but if you aren't familiar with Eleusis or Pompeii, it's a good start. Otherwise, scroll down to the first picture and enjoy!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The earth, the air, the fire, the water: Return, return, return, return...
A quickie post: Today has been one where tiny pieces have fallen into place making the entire picture that much clearer. It's been a day of epiphanies and gnosis. What else would you expect on the cross-quarter new moon Proserpinalia? \o/
I give a favorite image from the lesser Eleusinian Mysteries:
Mercury and Hekate and Ceres beginning Proserpina's return. Let's get on the road to Spring!
The day dawned dark and gray here, so I'm with the groundhog here in voting for Spring's immanent return! Maybe I'm just tired of the snow?
I give a favorite image from the lesser Eleusinian Mysteries:
Mercury and Hekate and Ceres beginning Proserpina's return. Let's get on the road to Spring!
The day dawned dark and gray here, so I'm with the groundhog here in voting for Spring's immanent return! Maybe I'm just tired of the snow?
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Nice timing...
It's the kalends, the cross-quarter and the new moon! Do I sense a theme here? A triplicity of beginnings! Tonight's post is a quickie so I can go prepare for tomorrow. It's a favorite little ditty of mine. It's not quite ancient, tho if you ask some kids, 30 might as well be 3,000 ;)
Hail Lupercus!
"Dark in the city night is a wire
Steam in the subway earth is afire
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
Woman you want me give me a sign
And catch my breathing even closer behind
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you.
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Stalked in the forest too close to hide
I'll be upon you by the moonlight side
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
High blood Drumming on your skin it's so tight
You feel my heat I'm just a moment behind
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Scent and a sound. I'm lost and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme
I howl and I whine I'm after you
Mouth is alive all running inside
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Burning the ground I break from the crowd
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
I smell like I sound. I'm lost and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf"
–Duran Duran
Hail Lupercus!
"Dark in the city night is a wire
Steam in the subway earth is afire
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
Woman you want me give me a sign
And catch my breathing even closer behind
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you.
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Stalked in the forest too close to hide
I'll be upon you by the moonlight side
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
High blood Drumming on your skin it's so tight
You feel my heat I'm just a moment behind
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Scent and a sound. I'm lost and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme
I howl and I whine I'm after you
Mouth is alive all running inside
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Hungry like the wolf
Burning the ground I break from the crowd
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
I smell like I sound. I'm lost and I'm found
And I'm hungry like the wolf
Strut on a line it's discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf"
–Duran Duran
February! (feb-ROO-ary, not feb-YOU-ary)
Happy February!
Named for Februus. Sabine or Etruscan in origin, this deity is said to have been both ruler of the underworld and God of Purification. Makes sense when you think about it. The Romans liked him so much, they named a month for him. We're almost at the halfway point of winter. Time to start cleaning for Spring, aka Spring Cleaning! It's also a time for weather divination. I've always love the following poem for "groundhog day" because it explains why there are 6 more weeks of winter if the groundhog sees it's shadow: "If the day dawns fair and bright, Winter still has one more fight. If the day dawns dark and gray, winter's fight has gone it's way." I'm rooting for craptastic weather on Wednesday morning ;)
In the meantime, here are a few favorite cleansing techniques I use. They're very basic, but sometimes we need a reminder:
Magickal shower: After washing, take some time to let the water rush down and imagine any negativity washing down the drain. Slowly turn counter-clockwise if it helps you to get into the spirit. Romans used to end a bath by plunging into cold water. I don't recommend doing that before bed lol
House cleansing: Seriously, get the dirt and dust out. You don't need a fancy powder or wash, first you need to work on the mundane level. If you're still up for it, use basic florida water. I like to mix it with a homemade tincture of Rue.
Burn your preferred cleansing or smudging herbs, like sage or frankincense. Once you've covered the whole house, open the windows and picture the smoke carrying out the old and letting in the new. If it's cold in your clime, don't leave the windows open too long! When those scents are gone, fill your home with your favorite smell, be it roses, lemons, fresh baked cookies, or your favorite childhood meal.
Here is a wonderful quote regarding this month:
"The conception of the Virgin Mary is represented on the same day (the 2nd of February) as that of the miraculous conception of Juno by the ancient Romans. This, says the author of the Perennial Calendar, is a remarkable coincidence. [...] It is also a remarkable coincidence that the Romans should have had their Prosipernalia, or Feast of Candles or Candlemass in February [...] Thus we see that the Roman Catholics have been in the habit of celebrating Christian festivals upon days which were held sacred by the heathens." W. Winwoode Read, The Veil of Isis; or, The Mysteries of the Druids, 1861, 5.I.
I find it interesting that this is the only reference to it being the Prosipernalia. There is another reference to reenacting Ceres looking for her Daughter through the night using candles to search the dark, but I can't find the exact source right now. Where was she taken? Even the Greeks say it was in Sicily. Who is the Goddess of Sicily? Proserpina. The timing doesn't jive with her abduction, but the timing is perfect to anticipate her return and to start looking for her. Haven't you already seen signs? Today it was sunny here and I could smell Spring in the air. Proserpina is returning, and this search is a joyous one– not fraught with worry, but filled with hope.
My family celebrated the impending return of Spring Herself by burning old candles , making recipes which needed time to cure, spring cleaning and stocking up and preparing the votive candles used daily. We didn't call it Prosipernalia, but we did raise a glass and light a candle to The Goddess of Sicily.
Was Februus an earlier or Sabine version of Pluto? He was alleged to be ruler of the underworld. If so, veneration of Proserpina fits perfectly here.
Here's hoping for an early return of Spring!
Named for Februus. Sabine or Etruscan in origin, this deity is said to have been both ruler of the underworld and God of Purification. Makes sense when you think about it. The Romans liked him so much, they named a month for him. We're almost at the halfway point of winter. Time to start cleaning for Spring, aka Spring Cleaning! It's also a time for weather divination. I've always love the following poem for "groundhog day" because it explains why there are 6 more weeks of winter if the groundhog sees it's shadow: "If the day dawns fair and bright, Winter still has one more fight. If the day dawns dark and gray, winter's fight has gone it's way." I'm rooting for craptastic weather on Wednesday morning ;)
In the meantime, here are a few favorite cleansing techniques I use. They're very basic, but sometimes we need a reminder:
Magickal shower: After washing, take some time to let the water rush down and imagine any negativity washing down the drain. Slowly turn counter-clockwise if it helps you to get into the spirit. Romans used to end a bath by plunging into cold water. I don't recommend doing that before bed lol
House cleansing: Seriously, get the dirt and dust out. You don't need a fancy powder or wash, first you need to work on the mundane level. If you're still up for it, use basic florida water. I like to mix it with a homemade tincture of Rue.
Burn your preferred cleansing or smudging herbs, like sage or frankincense. Once you've covered the whole house, open the windows and picture the smoke carrying out the old and letting in the new. If it's cold in your clime, don't leave the windows open too long! When those scents are gone, fill your home with your favorite smell, be it roses, lemons, fresh baked cookies, or your favorite childhood meal.
Here is a wonderful quote regarding this month:
"The conception of the Virgin Mary is represented on the same day (the 2nd of February) as that of the miraculous conception of Juno by the ancient Romans. This, says the author of the Perennial Calendar, is a remarkable coincidence. [...] It is also a remarkable coincidence that the Romans should have had their Prosipernalia, or Feast of Candles or Candlemass in February [...] Thus we see that the Roman Catholics have been in the habit of celebrating Christian festivals upon days which were held sacred by the heathens." W. Winwoode Read, The Veil of Isis; or, The Mysteries of the Druids, 1861, 5.I.
I find it interesting that this is the only reference to it being the Prosipernalia. There is another reference to reenacting Ceres looking for her Daughter through the night using candles to search the dark, but I can't find the exact source right now. Where was she taken? Even the Greeks say it was in Sicily. Who is the Goddess of Sicily? Proserpina. The timing doesn't jive with her abduction, but the timing is perfect to anticipate her return and to start looking for her. Haven't you already seen signs? Today it was sunny here and I could smell Spring in the air. Proserpina is returning, and this search is a joyous one– not fraught with worry, but filled with hope.
My family celebrated the impending return of Spring Herself by burning old candles , making recipes which needed time to cure, spring cleaning and stocking up and preparing the votive candles used daily. We didn't call it Prosipernalia, but we did raise a glass and light a candle to The Goddess of Sicily.
Was Februus an earlier or Sabine version of Pluto? He was alleged to be ruler of the underworld. If so, veneration of Proserpina fits perfectly here.
Here's hoping for an early return of Spring!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)