Celebrating Other Spirituality 365 Days A Year – Tellus Mater

  

The Italian Deity Tellus Mater–mother of the earth–was honored on this day. She was a very early fertility deity (later associated with Jupiter) who watched over marriage, the procreation of children and the fruitfulness of the soil. Her festival was managed by the pontifices and the Vestal Virgins, at which a pregnant cow was sacrificed to ensure plenty throughout the year. In more modern times, this day is traditionally devoted to prayer for the continued health of our environment.