Seasons of the Witch
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Great Feast in Heaven:
Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) holy day. The enemies are struck. There is a great feast in Heaven. Very favorable.
Arianrhod steps over the magical wand of Math:Celtic holy day. Arianrhod steps over the magical wand of Math, which manifests truth, to prove her virginity. The wand causes the seed of her lover, which is in her womb, to ripen, grow and give forth in an instant, giving birth to Dylan Ail Ton, whose name means “Sea, son of Wave”. Dylan makes straight for the sea, and is accidentally slain by his uncle Gofannon. Her brother, Gwyddion, snatches up the after-birth to incubate Llew Llaw Gyffes, the great archer. — Celtic information provided by Shelley M. Greer ©1997.
Parentalia:Roman holy day. Parentalia and Feralia (Feb. 13-18), a purification festival of peace and love devoted to ancestors and to Goddesses Mania and Vesta.
Festival of Love:Greek holy day. Festival of Love, honoring Aphrodite (Feb. 14-21).
Lupercal:Roman holy day. Lupercal (also called Lupercalia), the second day of Parentalia (Feb. 13-18), a day of fertility dedicated to Juno-Lupa, the she-wolf. Women’s pleas for children are granted. Origin of Valentine’s Day.
St. Valentine’s Day:There is no connection between either of the two St Valentines (a Roman priest martyred in the third century and a martyred bishop) who share this feast day with our contemporary courtship rituals. Most likely the coupling aspects of the holiday are remnants of a full-moon festival in honor of Juno Februata.
The custom of sending valentines may derive from the custom of drawing lots (names of partners) at the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia (see Feb 15) or with the worship of Juno Februata in whose honor on the eve of her feastday (Feb 15), according to my Lives of the Saints, boys drew names of girls. St Francis de Sales trying to abolish this heathen practice in the mid-sixteenth century suggested drawing the names of the saints (with boys drawing the names of female saints, and vice versa). This does not seem to have caught on. According to Hutton, the custom of sending valentines began in England in the 15th century, and was more popular at first among the middle classes, who sent signed valentines (not anonymous ones). In Japan it is now the custom for women to give chocolates to men on this day, particularly their superiors at work.
In the Middle Ages, people believed that birds chose their mates on this day. This was the time of year when the courtship flights of birds, particularly of members of the crow family, were visible. In honor of the marriage of the birds, Mrs. Sharp (an alter ego of Sarah Ban Breathnach), sets out treats for the birds on this day: peanut butter balls rolled in bird seed, raisins and chopped nuts, chilled in the freezer and hung in a netted produce bag.
Kemetic (ancient Egyptian) holy day. The enemies are struck. There is a great feast in Heaven. Very favorable.Celtic holy day. Arianrhod steps over the magical wand of Math, which manifests truth, to prove her virginity. The wand causes the seed of her lover, which is in her womb, to ripen, grow and give forth in an instant, giving birth to Dylan Ail Ton, whose name means “Sea, son of Wave”. Dylan makes straight for the sea, and is accidentally slain by his uncle Gofannon. Her brother, Gwyddion, snatches up the after-birth to incubate Llew Llaw Gyffes, the great archer. — Celtic information provided by Shelley M. Greer ©1997.Roman holy day. Parentalia and Feralia (Feb. 13-18), a purification festival of peace and love devoted to ancestors and to Goddesses Mania and Vesta.Greek holy day. Festival of Love, honoring Aphrodite (Feb. 14-21).Roman holy day. Lupercal (also called Lupercalia), the second day of Parentalia (Feb. 13-18), a day of fertility dedicated to Juno-Lupa, the she-wolf. Women’s pleas for children are granted. Origin of Valentine’s Day.There is no connection between either of the two St Valentines (a Roman priest martyred in the third century and a martyred bishop) who share this feast day with our contemporary courtship rituals. Most likely the coupling aspects of the holiday are remnants of a full-moon festival in honor of Juno Februata.
The custom of sending valentines may derive from the custom of drawing lots (names of partners) at the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia (see Feb 15) or with the worship of Juno Februata in whose honor on the eve of her feastday (Feb 15), according to my Lives of the Saints, boys drew names of girls. St Francis de Sales trying to abolish this heathen practice in the mid-sixteenth century suggested drawing the names of the saints (with boys drawing the names of female saints, and vice versa). This does not seem to have caught on. According to Hutton, the custom of sending valentines began in England in the 15th century, and was more popular at first among the middle classes, who sent signed valentines (not anonymous ones). In Japan it is now the custom for women to give chocolates to men on this day, particularly their superiors at work.
In the Middle Ages, people believed that birds chose their mates on this day. This was the time of year when the courtship flights of birds, particularly of members of the crow family, were visible. In honor of the marriage of the birds, Mrs. Sharp (an alter ego of Sarah Ban Breathnach), sets out treats for the birds on this day: peanut butter balls rolled in bird seed, raisins and chopped nuts, chilled in the freezer and hung in a netted produce bag.
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