Buono Capodanno!

The Kalends of March was the Roman New Year.  March, Marzo. Of course. Ringing in the new year in honour of the god of war.  Oh, those warlike Romans!
3133

Yet...before Mars was the god of war, he was Mars Silvanus, aka Mavors, one of the phallic gods of agriculture, along with, among others, Picus and Lupus, with whom he shares the totem animals wolf and wood-pecker.  His sexual energy and fertilizing power is called forth now, in early spring, to bless, seminate, and protect the fields.
3133
Mars is celebrated throughout the month with street parades led by the Salii ("leapers, dancers"), 12 (some say 24) young patrician priests of Mars.  Originally this was a magical rite of agriculture, the height of the leaping indicating the height of the crops to come.  The raucous dancing was also to scare away any evil spirits who would hinder fertility.  These processions were considered so powerful that any Salian who didn't participate was denied mobility of travel for the entire year.
3133
Later on, the Roman Empire acquired military associations, and the addition of bronze breastplates, staffs, spears, helmets and clashing shields, conjure up images of leaping, head-butting rams (or mosh pits - remember those?).  Even so, they continued the tradition of stopping at certain places to sing hymns to Mavors, the lyrics extolling praises of the god's fertilizing powers.
3133
In the evening the young priests would retire at a building in the Forum called the Regia, where their sacred shields* were stored.  There they dined in such luxury that the Emperor Claudius himself at least once left his own banquet to join theirs.
***
On the 2nd day, a new community fire is lit by the Vestal Virgins, and the 3rd day is the Matronalia, celebrated in honour of Juno Lucina mother of Mars, and of mothers everywhere.
Any coincidence that Mothering Sunday in England is the first Sunday in March?
3133
* These shields were similar to the Mycenaean shields, shaped like the figure 8, like a lemniscate, which is featured in the Magician, Strength, World and 2 Pentacles cards in the Tarot.
Yesterday I leafed through the latest Avon catalog, and found the lemniscate even there!  Which reminds us that March is Womens History/Gender Equality Month. We women are happy to celebrate Mars in his kinder, gentler (and sexier!) aspect as Mars Silvanus, and his archetypal energy is manifest, coming to us in the human forms of beloved consorts.
Last week's tarot of the week featured the lemniscate in Strength, this week's card is Temperance.

In Temperance the lemniscate has unfolded so that the opposites are now separated and clearly defined as two vases...from Jung and Tarot   

I've purified myself in the februa, refreshed and renewed for the New Year, and I'm seeing the lemniscate everywhere.