March Lore and Legends
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March,
the third month of the current Gregorian calendar and the first month
of Spring, derives its name from the ancient Roman war-god Mars, who
also presided over the fertility of the land.
The
traditional birthstone of March are the aquamarine and the bloodstone;
and the daffodil and the jonquil are the month's traditional flowers.
March
is shared by the astrological signs of Pisces the Two Fishes and Aries
the Ram, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Eostre, the
Green Goddess, the Lord of the Greenwood, Mars, and Ostara.
During
the month of March, the Great Solar Wheel of the Year is turned to the
Vernal Equinox, on of the four Lesser Sabbats celebrated each year by
Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world.
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March 1
On
this date in the year 1888, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (an
influential Western occult order and secret society) was established.
It offered teaching on ceremonial magick, divination, Kabbalah, and
other occult-oriented sciences. Many of its rituals are still in use by
modern-day practitioners of High Magick. Aleister Crowley (one of the
Golden Dawn's most famous members) was initiated into the Order in the
year 1898 but was later expelled.
In
ancient Rome, the sacred fire in the Temple of Vesta was rekindled by
the Vestal Virgins on this day which, at one time, marked the beginning
of the Roman year.
The
first day of Marc is celebrated in Bulgaria as Granny March's Day.
(Granny-March is an old Witch-Goddess who presides over the month of
March). It is believed throughout the country that if any woman works
on this sacred day, Granny March becomes angry and uses her magickal
powers to destroy the crops with storms.
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March 2
In
various parts of Europe, women celebrate Mother March each year on this
date. The Mother-Goddess who presides over the third month of the year
is honored and a festive parade is held to commemorate all women who
have created life.
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March 3
The
number three is the most magickal of all numbers; therefore the third
day of the third month is believed to be a favorable time for Witches
and practitioners of magick throughout the world.
This
day is sacred to all Triple Goddesses and deities of the Moon (which
shows itself in three aspects: waxing, full, and waning). The magickal
and healing power of pyramids is said to be strongest on this day.
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March 4
On
this day in Ireland and Wales, the annual Feast of Thiannon is
celebrated by many Wiccans in honor of Rhiannon, the Celtic/Welsh
Mother-Goddess who was originally known as Rigatona (the Great Queen)
and identified with the Gaulish mare-goddess Epona.
On
this date in ancient Greece, an annual ritual called the Anthesteria
was held to honor the souls of the dead (the Keres). The ritual lasted
for three days.
On
this date in the year 1968, the Church of All Worlds (founded by Otter
Zell) was formally chartered, thus becoming the first federally
recognized church of Neo-Paganism.
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March 5
In
parts of North Africa, the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis is honored on
this date with an annual festival of music, dancing, and feasting. In
Rome, Isis's opening of the seas to navigation was commemorated on this
day with an annual ceremony called the Navigum Isidis (Blessing of the
Vessel of Isis).
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March 6
According
to an ancient book called Perillous Dayes of Every Month, the sixth and
seventh days of March "shall come to no good end, and the dayes be full
perillous for many things."
On
this date (approximately) in the year 1795, Count Alessandro Cagliostro
died in prison. He was renowned as an alchemist, healer, psychic, and
practitioner of wizardry before falling victim to the
Catholic Church's Inquisition.
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March 7
On
this day in the year 1890, the poet William Butler Yeats was initiated
into the Isis-Urania Temple of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
There, he studied the magickal arts and took the magickal name Daemon
est Deus Inversus (which translates into "The Devil is God Reversed").
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March 8
Mother
Earth Day, a festival which honors the birthday of the Earth as a
Mother Goddess, is celebrated annually on this day throughout China.
The festival consists of street parades, the lighting of firecrackers,
feasting and partying. "Birthday presents" (coins, flowers, incense,
paper dolls, etc.) are placed in small holes in the ground, blessed,
and then covered with soil.
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March 9
On
this date, the annual Butter Lamp Festival is held by Buddhist monks in
Tibet to render demons powerless and to secure the favor of the gods.
Yak-butter sculptures of Buddhist heroes are paraded through the
streets as sacred chants are recited. After the procession, the
sculptures are then cast into the waters of a river.
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March 10
On
this day in the year 1909, the famous Dutch clairvoyant and psychic
healer Gerard Croiset was born in the Netherlands. Using his
clairvoyant abilities, which manifested early in his childhood, Croiset
healed hundreds of patients daily at this clinic. He also worked with
various police departments as a psychic criminologist and solved crimes
in more than half a dozen countries. His death occurred on July 20,
1980.
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March 11
Jacques
de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Emplars,
was burned alive at the stake on this date in the year 1314. Shortly
before he died, he accurately predicted the death of King Philip IV of
France within the year and the death of Pope Clement within forty days.
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March 12Babylonian Feast of Marduk
On
this day in the year 1873, psychic researcher and occultists Stewart
Edward White was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He authored several
books containing material obtained through his wife's spirit-channeling
sessions, and he served as president of the American Society for
Psychical Research in San Francisco, California.
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March 13
The
thirteenth day of the third month is considered to be the luckiest day
of the year for all Witches (especially if it should happen to fall on
a Friday), as thirteen is the number associated with the traditional
Witches' coven and three is a powerful magickal number.
In
Luxemborg, a Pagan fire festival known as Burgsonndeg is celebrated
annually on this day with the lighting of great bonfires to welcome
Spring and the rebirth of the Sun.
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March 14
The
annual thirteen-day Ghanian New Year celebration begins on this date. A
series of special ritual dances are traditionally performed on the
first eleven days of the festival to dispel all evil spirits and honor
the souls of the departed. The shrines of the beneficial spirits are
ritually purified on the twelfth day, and a joyous celebration of the
new year takes place on the thirteenth day.
This day is sacred to Ua Zit, a serpent-goddess of the ancient Egyptian religion.
March 15
On
this date in ancient Rome, the annual Festival of Attis and Cybele
began with a procession of reed-bearers to commemorate the finding of
the infant Attis among the reeds. The festival was followed by nine
consecutive days of fasting and sexual abstinence.
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March 16
The
annual Hindu festival of Holi is held in India on this date to
celebrate Spring and to commemorate the burning death of the
child-eating, she-demon known as Holika.
On
this date in the year 1946, J.Z. Knight, the famous spirit channeler
for the ancient entity known as "Ramtha", was born in New Mexico.
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March 17 Saint Patrick's Day
On
this date in the year 1893, Eileen J. Garrett (a gifted medium,
psychic, and founder of the Parapsychology Foundation) was born in
Ireland. At a young age, she began experiencing visions of the dead.
She was granted United States citizenship in 1947 and she founded her
own publishing house (Creative Age Press) and magazine (Tomorrow, a
journal of paranormal phenomena). She established the Parapsychology
Foundation in 1951, and wrote numerous books under the pen name of Jean
Lyttle. She died in France on September 15, 1970.
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March 18
In
ancient times, the Pagan fertility-goddess known as Sheela-na-gig was
honored annually on this date in Ireland. With the advent of
Christianity, the identity of the goddess was altered from heathen
deity with oversized genitalia to the consort or mother of Saint
Patrick.
On
this day in the year 1877, psychic and "absent-healer" Edgar Cayce
(also known as the Sleeping Prophet) was born in Hopkinsville,
Kentucky. He was renowned for his psychic visions and miraculous
ability to accurately diagnose illnesses and prescribe remedies while
in a self-induced trance. He prophesied the Second coming of Christ in
the year 1998, followed by cataclysmic changes of the planet.
Edgar Cayce died on January 3, 1945.
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March 19
The
Akitu, an annual Babylonian New Year festival celebrating the marriage
of Heaven and Earth, begins on this date and lasts for ten consecutive
days.
In
ancient times, Greek theatrical performances known as the Uban Dionysia
began annually on this date in honor of the god Dionysus. They
continued for five consecutive days. Also, a festival called the Lesser
Panathenaea was held at this time. It was dedicated to the goddess
Athena.
Sitala, a goddess who reigns over smallpox and death, is honored on this day in India as part of the
Hindu New Year ritual.
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March 20Rosicrucian New Year
On
this day, an annual Spring Harvest Festival was celebrated in ancient
Egypt, along the banks of the River Nile, in honor of the
Mother-Goddess and the enchantress, Isis.
This day is sacred to the goddess Fortuna, the Morrigan, the Norns, the Three Fates, and the
Three Mothers (Lakshmi, Parvati, and Sarasvati).
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March 21
On
this date (approximately), the Sun enters the astrological sign of
Aries. Persons born under the sign of the Ram are said to be
courageous, intelligent, impulsive, and aggressive. Aries is a fire
sign and is ruled by the planet Mars.
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March 22
On
the first day of Spring (which normally occurs on or near this date)
the Spring, or Vernal, Equinox is celebrated by Wiccans and Witches
throughout the world. Spring Equinox (which is also known as Festival
of the Trees, Alban Eilir, Ostara, and the Rite of Eostre) is a
fertility rite celebrating the birth of Spring and the reawakening of
life from the Earth. On this sacred day, Witches light new fires at
sunrise, rejoice, ring bells, and decorate hard-boiled eggs--an ancient
Pagan custom associated with the Goddess of Fertility. The aspects of
the Goddess invoked at this Sabbat are Eostre (the Saxon goddess of
fertility) and Ostara (the German goddess of fertility); in some Wiccan
traditions, the Green Goddess and the Lord of the Greenwood are
worshipped on this day. Like most of the old Pagan festivals, Spring
Equinox was Christianized by the Church into the religious holiday of
Easter, which celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On
this date in ancient Rome, uprooted pine trees were curried through the
streets of the city by the devotees of the cult of Attis and taken to
his sacred temple as part of an annual ritual (Procession of the
Tree-Bearers) to mourn the god's demise.
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March 23
Dance
of the Salii. On this date in ancient Rome, the gods Mars and Saturn
were invoked each year by dancing priests brandishing spears and
clashing holy shields. The evil spirits of Winter were thus expelled
from the city, and the growth of crops and gardens was stimulated
through sympathetic magick.
In
the Polish countryside, an old Pagan festival of Spring called the
Marzenna is celebrated annually on this date with singing, dancing, and
the "sacrifices" of straw effigies.
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March 24
Day
of Blood. In ancient Rome this was a time of deep mourning. It was an
annual religious custom on this day for people to lacerate themselves
with knives and for new priests to castrate themselves and spill their
blood on the altar in the temple of the Mother-Goddess Cybele.
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March 25
The
Hilaria (Festival of Joy) was celebrated annually on this date in
ancient Rome. It was a joyous event which commemorated the triumph of
day over night after the Vernal Equinox. The festivities were brought
to a close with a "ceremony of washing" which was believed to promote
fertility.
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March 26
Solitude
Day. This is a time for Wiccans and Neo-Pagans to spend the day (or at
least part of it) by themselves, meditate in solitude, and reconnect
with their "inner-selves." Take a quiet walk in the woods or stroll
down a deserted beach and listen to the music of the sea. Explore an
old barn or write a Goddess-inspired poem.
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March 27
In
ancient Rome, the fertility and wine-god Liber Pater was honored
annually on this date (and sometimes on the seventeenth of March). His
festival, the Liberalia, was a time of feasting and drinking, and a day
when young males entered into their manhood.
Gauri,
the goddess of marriage and abundance, is honored on this date in India
with an annual women's festival and swinging ritual.
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March 28
The
Eka Dasa Rudra (an eleven-week-long Balinese festival consisting of
thirty ceremonies) is held on this date approximately once every one
hundred years to restore the balance between the forces of good and
evil. The festival, which is ancient in origin, reaches a climax when
thousands of pilgrims gather at the volcano temple to observe animal
sacrifices made to happease the god Rudra.
In Taiwan, the birthday of the goddess Kwan Yin is celebrated annually on this date.
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March 29
The
annual Festival of Ishtar is celebrated by many Wiccans on this day in
honor of the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of love, fertility, and
battle.
As a Triple Goddess, Ishtar represents birth, death, and rebirth.
On
this day, an annual masquerade ritual is held by the Bobo people of
Africa to restore the balance of Nature and to ward off evil spirits.
Special prayers and offerings are made to the gods of rain and the gods
of the harvest.
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March 30
The
annual Iranian New Year celebration begins on this date and continues
for thirteen days. Bonfires are lit and sacred rituals involving eggs
and mirrors are performed.
A
Pagan religious festival was held each year on this day in ancient
Mesopotamia to celebrate the sacred union of the God and Goddess, and
to give thanks for the creation of the human race.
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March 31
On
this date in ancient Rome, the annual Feast of Luna was celebrated at
moonrise in honor of the beautiful and powerful goddess of the Moon and
lunar magick.
On
this date in the year 1848, the famous Fox Sisters supposedly made
communication with the spirit world at Hydesville Cottage in upstate
New York. Their famous seances gave birth to the popular spiritualist
movement, which was all the rage in the United States and England from
the mid-1880's to the early twentieth century.
Legends and Lore for April
April,
the fourth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the second month
of Spring's rule, derives its name from Aprillis, the Latin name for
the ancient Roman love goddess Aphrodite. Other reference sources give
aperite, the Latin word meaning "to open," as the origination of the
month's name.
The traditional birthstone amulet of April is the diamond, and the daisy and the sweet pea are the month's traditional flowers.
April is shared by the astrological signs of Aries the Ram and Taurus the Bull, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities:
Aphrodite, Artemis, Astarte, Erzulie, Terra, Venus, and Ying-Hua.
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April 1
The
month of Venus begins with April Fool's Day (also known as All Fools'
Day), an occasion for playing practical jokes on friends, family, and
coworkers. This custom dates back to olden times, when inmates of
insane asylums were allowed out in the streets for one day each year
for the sadistic amusement of those who were (supposedly) normal.
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April 2
The
old Pagan custom of "carrying death away" is carried out in certain
regions of Germany on this day. In celebration of Winter's demise,
special straw dolls are burned in sacred bonfires or "drowned" in
sacred wells.
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April 3
In
Iran, on the thirteenth day of their New Year, special bowls containing
sprouted seeds are traditionally cast into the rivers as offerings in
the belief that the bad luck of the previous year will be carried away.
The goddess Persephone's annual return from the Underworld,
allowing the Earth to bloom again, was celebrated every year on this
date by the ancient Romans.
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April 4
The
annual festival of Cybele, the Megalesia, was celebrated on this date
in ancient Rome. She was a goddess of fertility whose cult originated
in Phrygia. Her male attendants were self-castrated priests and worship
of her
was wild and orgiastic.
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April 5
Festival
of Kuan Yin. Every year on this day, Kuan Yin (the powerful Chinese
goddess of healing, mercy, compassion, and forgiveness) is invoked for
protection, love, mercy, and wisdom. Offerings of incense and
violet-colored candles are placed on her altar, along with rolled-up
pieces of rice paper upon which various wishes have been written.
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April 6
In
France, a children's springtime festival takes place on this day.
Miniature pine boats, each holding a burning candle, are cast into the
estuaries of the Moselle River to symbolize the "sea of life" and the
happiness of sailing its sacred waves.
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April 7
The
Blajini (or "kindly ones") are celebrated annually on this day in
various parts of Rumania. This is a sacred day in which offerings are
made to the beneficial spirits of the water and the Underworld.
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April 8
On
this date in 1994, a group of Pagans carrying placards, banners,
balloons, and streamers paraded joyously in Gainesville, Florida. They
praised the Mother Goddess and invited all to celebrate the beauty of
life. The focus of this Freedom of Religion Parade (sponsored by the
Alachua Pagan Alliance) was to highlight the religious diversity of the
community and to help foster tolerance.
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April 9
Feast
of A-Ma. Once a year on this day, the ancient goddess A-Ma is honored
with a religious festival in the Portuguese territory of Macao. A-Ma is
the patroness of fisherman and all those who sail the sea.
This day is sacred to all Amazon goddesses.
In
England, the Hocktide Festival takes place on this date each year to
celebrate the triumph of the Saxon she-warriors who battled against
Danish invaders in the year A.D. 1002.
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April 10
According
to Celtic folklore, the Sun dances each year on this day. In many parts
of Ireland, people arise at the first light of dawn to watch the Sun
"dance" in a shimmering bowl of water.
Bau, the Goddess Mother of
Ea, was honored each year on this day in ancient Babylonia with a
sacred religious festival called the Day of Bau.
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April 11
On this day each year, cross-inscribed loaves of bread are traditionally baked in honor of the Roman goddess Diana.
In
Greece, branches of evergreen, myrtle, or bay were worn by children on
this day for protection against the venomous evil eye.
In Armenia,
the goddess Anahit is honored annually on this day with a sacred
festival. She is a deity of both love and lunar power who dwells within
the silver light of the Moon.
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April 12
The
Cerealia, an annual festival of the goddess Ceres, was celebrated by
the ancient Romans in order to secure the fertility of the crops. The
sacred rites of Ceres began on this date and were observed for eight
consecutive days.
In Taiwan, the goddess who presides over birth
(Chu-Si-Niu) is honored annually on this day with a religious festival.
Pregnant women go to temples dedicated to her in order to receive
blessings for their unborn children.
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April 13
On
this day, an annual festival of water is celebrated by Buddhists in
Thailand. Buddha statues are ritually bathed and the water is thrown on
the faithful to purify and "wash away" the evil spirits of the previous
year. The festival lasts for three consecutive days.
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April 14
According
to superstitious belief, the fourteenth day of April is a very unlucky
time for travel, especially by ship. (It was on this date in the year
1912 that the oceanliner Titanic collided with an iceberg and sank to
the bottom of the sea.) Whether the Titanic tragedy spawned the
superstition or merely served to reinforce it is unknown.
Maryamma
(or Mariamne), the Hindu goddess of the sea, is honored in India with a
sacred festival which begins annually on this day.
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April 15
In
ancient Rome, the earth-goddess Tellus (or Tellus Mater) was honored
annually on this day. A pregnant cow was traditionally sacrificed at
her sacred festival and the unborn calf burned in a bonfire to ensure
the fertility of the crops.
Also on this day, the Festival of the
Iron Phallus (Kanamara Matsuri) is celebrated annually in Kawasaki
City, Japan. The ancient Japanese deities associated with sexuality and
human reproduction give their sacred blessings and encouragement;
especially to couples who wed late in life or to men who suffer from
declining potency.
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April 16
Every
year on this day, the god Apollo was worshipped and supplicated by his
faithful cult in ancient Greece. An annual festival called the
Hiketeria was celebrated in his honor.
On this date in the year
1946, Pagan author Margot Adler was born in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her
Wiccan handfasting on June 19, 1988 was the first Neo-Pagan Wedding to
appear in the New York Times' society pages.
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April 17
In
the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, an annual religious event called the
Chariot Festival of the Rain God begins on this day. It is dedicated to
Machendrana, the ancient and powerful Indian god of rain. The festival
is celebrated for approximately eight consecutive weeks.
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April 18
The
Festival of Rama-Navami is celebrated every year on this date at sacred
shrines throughout India. It honors both the great Hindu god Rama (the
seventh incarnation of Vishnu) and the goddess Sita.
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April 19
On
this date in the year 1824, Lord Byron (whose real name was George
Gordon) died of a fever. The English poet, who was known for dabbling
in the occult arts, helped shape Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and gave
John Polidori the idea for this novel The Vampyre. Lord Byron's heart
was removed from his corpse and buried in Greece; the rest of his
remains were shipped back to England.
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April 20
On
this date (approximately) the Sun enters the astrological sign of
Taurus. Persons born under the sign of the Bull are said to be stable,
reliable, patient, and often stubborn. Taurus is an earth sign and is
ruled by the planet Venus.
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April 21
Birthday
of Rome. On this day, an annual festival called the Palilia (Feast of
Pales) was celebrated in ancient Rome to honor the pastoral goddess
Pales. In the country, special purification rites were performed to
keep the sheep disease-free. Shepherds, followed by their flock, would
traditionally leap through bonfires. In the city of Rome, the festival
was celebrated with wine and merriment.
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April 22
Earth
Day. This is a day dedicated to Mother Earth and a time for Witches
throughout the world to perform Gaia-healing rituals. The first Earth
Day took place in 1970 as a result of the Ecology Movement of that
time, and since then it has been held each year to help encourage
recycling programs and the use of solar energy, and to increase
community awareness of important environmental issues.
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April 23
The Vinalia, a joyous wine festival in honor of the god Jupiter, was held annually on this date in ancient Rome.
On
this date in the year 1934, actress Shirley MacLaine was born. Her
bestselling spirituality books have had a major influence on the
Neo-Pagan movement and have made her name synonymous with the New Age.
On
this date in the year 1976, the first national all-women conference on
women's spirituality was held in a rented church in Boston,
Massachusetts. Several hundred women attended the event. They
proclaimed "The Goddess is alive; magick is afoot!" and invoked Her by
dancing, clapping, and chanting. The conference lasted for three
consecutive days.
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April 24
Saint
Mark's Eve. According to folklore of the English countryside, the
ghosts of all men, women, and children destined to pass away in the
next year can be seen floating by on this night by any person brave
enough to spend the night awake on the front porch of a church.
However, if a person was unfortunate enough to fall asleep during the
vigil or if he failed to repeat it annually for the remainder of his
life, he would never wake up the next morning.
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April 25
On
this date in the year 1989, USA Today reported that Patricia Hutchins,
a military Wiccan stationed at an air force base in Texas, was granted
religious leave by the United States Military in order to observe the
eight Sabbats of the Wicca religion. Ms. Hutchins was the first Wiccan
in history to have her religious holidays granted by the U.S. Air Force.
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April 26
On
this New Year's Day in the African republic of Sierra Leone, an ancient
seed-sowing ceremony is performed in honor of, and to appease, the
powerful goddess of fertility who watches over the crops.
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April 27
A
mythical half-man, half-animal being called Tyi Wara is honored
annually on this date with songs and dance by farmers in the African
republic of Mali. It is believed among the Bambara tribe of that region
that Tyi Wara was sent down to Earth by the gods of nature in order to
teach human beings the necessary skills of farming.
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April 28
In
ancient Rome, the beautiful goddess Flora was honored annually on this
date. She was a fertility and vegetation goddess of Springtime and
flowering plants. Her three-day festival, the Floralia, marked the
beginning of the growing season.
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April 29
Pagan
Tree Day. On this day, plant a tree dedicated to your favorite Pagan
goddess or god. For instance: plant a myrtle tree in honor of Venus and
Aphrodite; and oak for Demeter, Diana, and Hera; a pine for Attis,
Cybele, and Pan; a rowan tree for all moon-goddesses; a sycamore for
all Egyptian gods and goddesses; a willow for Artemis, Brigid, and
Persephone; a yew for Hecate and Saturn; etc.
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April 30
In
Germany, Walpurgisnacht begins at sunrise on this date and ends at
sunrise on the first day of May (May Day). Birch boughs are placed on
all doors and windows to protect the home from evil spirits and
sorcery. Traditional bonfires and torches of rosemary and juniper are
lit, and according to legend, Witches can be seen riding across the sky
on broomsticks on this dark and magickal night.
On this date in
the year 1988, the English Witch Alexander Sanders (also known as King
of the Witches) died of lung cancer. He was gifted with psychic powers,
and was the founder of the Alexandrian tradition of Wicca.
Legends and Lore for
May
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May,
the fifth month of the current Gregorian calendar and the third month
of Spring's rule, derives its name from the Roman Springtime goddess
Maia, whose divine powers encouraged the growth of crops.
The
traditional birthstone amulets of May are the emerald and the agate;
and the hawthorne and lily are the month's traditional flowers.
May
is shared by the astrological signs of Taurus the Bull and Gemini the
Twins, and is sacred to the following Pagan deities: Artemis, Diana,
Faunus, Flora, Pan, and all gods and goddesses who preside over
fertility.
During the month of May, the Great Solar Wheel of the
Year is turned to Beltane, one of the four Grand Sabbats celebrated
each year by Wiccans and modern Witches throughout the world.
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May 1
The
Beltane Sabbat is celebrated by Wiccans and Witches throughout the
world annually on this date. Beltane (which is also known as May Day,
Rood Day, Rudemas, and Walpurgisnacht) is derived from an ancient Druid
fire festival celebrating the union of the Goddess and the Horned God.
It also celebrates the rebirth of the Sun, marking the "death" of
Winter and the "birth" of Spring. At dawn, morning dew is gathered from
grass and wildflowers to be used in mystical potions for good luck.
Throughout the day, Nature is celebrated by feasts, games, poetry
readings, and clockwise dancing around a brightly decorated Maypole.
In
ancient Rome, the deity worshipped on this day was the Spring goddess
Maia, whose divine powers encouraged the crops to grow. The month of
May is named after her.
On this date in the year 1776, the Order
of the Illuminati (an occult sect and secret order dedicated to the
study of forbidden books, Tantric mysticism, and ceremonial magick) was
founded in Bavaria by Adam Weishaupt.
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May 2
On
this date, an annual fertility festival featuring a man wearing the
costume of a hobbyhorse, a devilish mask, and a pointed hat is held in
England and throughout rural regions across Europe.
Ysahodhara,
the consort of the great god Buddha, is honored in India with a sacred
festival that takes place on this day each year.
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May 3
In
ancient Rome, an annual women's festival in honor of the earth goddess
Bona Dea took place on this date. Sacrifices of sows were made to her
in order to promote fertility in women, and the unveiling of sacred
objects for only women's eyes to see was included in the celebration of
her rites.
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May 4
Fairy
Day. According to Irish folklore, it is on this day that the
mischievous fairy folk emerge from their hiding places. To prevent
human children from being stolen by the fairies and replaced by
grotesque changelings, an offering of tea and bread must be left on the
doorstep for the little people. For protection against fairies while
traveling (especially through heavily wooded areas or open fields),
wear your coat inside out. This is said to cause them such great
confusion that they are unable to cause any trouble.
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May 5
On
this date in the year 2000, according to a group called the Lemurian
Fellowship, the legendary lost continent of Mu will rise up from the
Pacific Ocean.
In various parts of Mexico and Central America,
centuries-old rain ceremonies are performed every year on this day by
shamanic priests and priestesses of the Old Faith. The ancient
goddesses who preside over rain and fertility are honored and invoked
with prayers and offerings.
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May 6
On
this day in the year 1938, the Long Island Church of Aphrodite was
established in West Hempsted, New York, by the Reverend Gleb Botkin, a
Russian author and son the court physician to the last Czar of Russia.
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May 7
On
this date (approximately), a festival called the Thargelia was
celebrated by the ancient Greeks and Ionians in honor of Apollo, the
god of the sun, prophecy, music, medicine, and poetry. The festival was
held once a year on the sacred island of Delos, the traditional
birthplace of Apollo as well as the goddess Artemis.
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May 8
In
Cornwall, England, the annual Furry Dance is performed in the streets
of Helston on this day in honor of the old Celtic Horned God in the
guise of Robin Hood. The festival, which features street dancing and a
daylong procession throughout the town for good fortune, is one of the
oldest surviving Springtime ceremonies in the world.
Theosophists commemorate the death of Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky on this day, which they call White Lotus Day.
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May 9
An
annual rite called the Lemuria was performed on this date in ancient
Roman times to appease the restless spirits of the dead (Lemures), who
materialized on this day to haunt the homes where they had once lived.
The Lemuria was also held on the eleventh and thirteenth of May. As
part of the rite, black beans (symbolic of the Underworld) were tossed
as offerings to the ghosts and a powerful prayer was recited nine times.
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May 10
The
sacred marriage of the god Shiva to the goddess Meenakshi is celebrated
annually on this date by faithful followers in Madurai, India. Sacred
hymns are sung and offerings of incense and white flower petals are
made at all temples dedicated to Shiva.
Tin Hau, the Chinese goddess of the North Star, is honored annually on this day with a festival in Hong Kong.
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May 11
On
this date in the year 1659, the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay
Colony banned all celebrations of Christmas in the New World after
declaring the event to be a Pagan festival of superstition and "a great
dishonnor [sic] of God."
In England, Christmas festivities had
been banned by the Puritans seven years earlier. It wasn't until the
year 1660 when Charles II was restored to the throne that the law
banning the celebration of Christmas was repealed.
