(^190) A Wiccan Bible
Martius 17 The Agonalia Martius—Honors Mars and Liber Pater. The name of this
holiday finds its root in the word agonium, meaning ‘sacrificial rites.’
This is one of four festivals by the same name December 11th honors
Sol, January 9th honors Janus, and May 21st honors Veiovis.
Martius 19–23 The Greater Quinquatrus—Honoring Mars. This was a working festival
at which the tools and weapons of war were made ready in preparation
of the combat that would come in the pending year. Remember, March
is the first month in the Roman calendar. The Lesser Quinquatrus is
Junius 13–15.
Martius 19 Festival day of Minerva—A day to celebrate crafts, artistry, doctors, and
other skilled trades.
Martius 23 The Tubilustrium—Honoring Mars and his wife Bellona. On this holi-
day, readiness was made for war. Weapons were cleaned as were the
trumpets used in public ritual. A modern interpretation of this day might
be that one should clean their ritual tools. After all, it is our ritual tools
with which we combat negative influences in our life by ritual. Also cel-
ebrated on the 23rd of Maius.
Martius 25 Observation of Spring Equinox, the actual day changes with the year.
Martius 30 Festival day of Janus and Concordia.
Martius 31 Festival day of Luna.
Aprilis—April—Sacred to the goddess Venus
Aprilis The Veneralia—Honoring Venus. In the ancient traditions, this was the
day when women were allowed into the men’s bathhouse. Held in honor
of Venus in her aspect as Verticordia, ‘the changer of hearts,’ today
this day is seen as a time to challenge gender roles in a Sadie Hawkins
capacity.
Aprilis 1 Sacred to Fortuna—This day is also sacred to Fortuna. To some degree,
on this day the upper class participated in the honoring of Venus at the
Veneralia, but the working class honored Fortuna.
Aprilis 4–10 The Megalensia—Honoring Cybele (Magna Mater). This week is a fes-
tival of games and theater, but before you rush forward to join in on the
procession leading to the festival, know that the cult of Cybele often
castrated themselves and beat themselves bloody during her procession
on this day. While this is not an absolute rule of all of her followers, it
certainly was for her priests, all of which were eunuchs. Others, the
Archigalii, sacrificed the genitals of bulls instead and did participate in the
procession. The remainder of the festival was open to the non-castrated
public as the priests of the cult of Cybele were performers, and the tides
given to her temple often came from non-initiates in exchange for per-
formance and entertainment.
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