Tag: Quirinus

Celebrating Spirituality 365 Days A Year – Quirinalia and The Feast of Fools

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February 17th

Quirinalia and The Feast of Fools

Quirinalia was a first fruits festival that honored Quirinus, the name given by the Romans to the deified Romulus. As a divinity, Quirinus ranked as one of Rome’s most important patrons, along with Mars, Jupiter and Juno.

Early Rome was divided into 30 curiae, each of which had its own day in February for the performing of the Fornacalia, or first-fruits offering to Ceres of toasted emmer-wheat. As the city expanded, the curiae were displaced by the new divisions known as “tibus.” As a result, many people did not know which curiae they belonged to. Because of the confusion they were allowed to make the sacrifice on the Quirinalia, which came to be called “The Feast of Fools.”

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The Wicca Book of Days for August 21 – Guaranteeing Grain

The Wicca Book of Days for August 21

Guaranteeing Grain

The Consualia, a festival dedicated to the Roman granary God Consus, was celebrated on August 21 in ancient times, in the hope of securing divine protection for the just-threshed harvest. On the Consualia, sacrifices made by the flamen Quirinalis (priest of Quirinus) were offered to Consus at his Maximus, where an underground altar was dedicated to him. Above ground, races were held, while some equines were garlanded and given the day off, for Consus was furthermore equated with Neptune Equester (“Equestrian Neptune”).

A Historical Healer

The Persian physician and philosopher Ibn Sina (980 – 1037), or Avicenna, is said to have been born on this day in Uzbekistan. Avicenna’s The Canon of Medicine was an important reference work for European healers. Read more about this great man’s theories today.