Although the modern Earth Day was first celebrated 30 years ago, it has ancient roots in multitudinous spring feriae dedicated to the earth. Just a few of the major European feasts:
xo
Three days before and four after the Ides Aprilis, Romans celebrated the Cerealia, offering to the earth goddess spelt, salt and grains of incense, nothing more, for "Good Ceres is content with little, if that little be but pure" (Ovid). Farmers walked around their fields with torches, and "leap(ed) the stag leap in merry ballate" in the newly planted grain, the height of their leaping showing the crops how high they wanted them to grow. Wearing white, Ceres' proper colour, people prayed for peace, good government, and an abundant harvest.
xo
This feria commenced a week of Ludi (games) held in her honour. These were also cognate the Ludi Pomona, games and picnics in honour of the goddess of blossoming fruit trees.
xo
According to Virgil, Ceres' name comes from creare, "to create". Obviously our modern breakfast grains were named for her. Although she demanded very little, the Romans had a common expression "fit for Ceres," which meant splendid.
xo
Tellus Mater (Mother Earth), goddess of fertility, pregnancy and motherhood, was also celebrated at this month's Ides as Feria Fordicia, under the management of the pontifices and the Vestal Virgins, and its purpose was to ensure prosperity during the year. Tellus Mater is depicted with a tympani to symbolize the orb of the earth. Her images are also said to resemble the tarot card Strength. Here she is standing beside an unbound and docile lion, surely she is Empress of wild nature.
to be continued...
Tarot of the week: 8 wands (shown above from Ciro Marchetti"s Gilded Tarot), shows a love of the countryside, archery and other outdoor sports. Such lovely weather for it too, I am greatly enjoying the outings. This card indicates that the pace of life will pick up, possible travel by air. Maybe it's telling me that, despite the impracticality of it at this time, I should return to Italy after all ;) Whether physically or in astral travel or in reverie of imagination, I will surely go.
xo
This card has a modern significance that a computer upgrade is advisable. Mine is so slow and does such weird things sometimes, no doubt it has a virus. Got another strange email yesterday from "myself" that I didn't send, and it's probably time to change my email address. But I can still blog and email and listen to the radio while surfing, so unless I suddenly get in the mood to computer shop, I'll probably keep this one until it goes completely kaput.
xo
Ciro's wands look like pens. Sometimes snail mail gets me better results than email, as counterintuitive as this may sound. I'm all for reviving the lost art of writing to a friend. Grazie e ti scritto tosto.
xo
Anyway, the 8 wands is an awesome card to come up for Earth Day!
