 The Month of January (Eanáir)
—by Míchealín Daugherty January is sacred to the Roman God, Janus, the two-faced deity of endings and beginnings, Janus is the male equivalent of on of the versions of the Goddess Juno/Janus. Their two-faced aspects look simultaneously forward and backward. January contains marks of a beginning yet at the same time, it retains elements of what went before. A
summerish January, This old rhyme speaks of January's sometimes false starts. Perhaps this is the reason, New Year's resolutions often get off to a good start but then lose their momentum. Prayer to Janus for the New Year (use a cranberry-scented candle, add rose petals or rose buds to the wax):1 God
of beginnings January's sacred colour, dedicated to Mórrígan, is grey and the sacred stone for those born in January is the garnet. By
her in whom this month was born 1 January — 31 December is New Year's Eve; and 1 January is celebrated by most as New Year's Day. January 1, as New Year's Day is sacred to Greek divine par: Zeus and Hera, the Roman Jupiter and Juno. And, it is also a day to make offerings to the Goddess, Fortuna. 31 December is the Scottish New Year festival of Hogmanay. Its name commemorates the solar divinity Hogmagog. As Gogmagog, this solar giant was formerly a chalk-cut hill figure in Wandlebury, close to Cambridge, while, divided into two giants, Gog and Magog, he is the spiritual guardian of the city of London. Ring
out the Old, For the Celts, however, January is not the New Year. The Celtic New Year is celebrated on Samhain (celebrated 31 October with the New Year being November 1), and most Wiccans celebrate the New Year at this time as well. 2 January — This is the feast of the Sumerian Goddess, Inanna, who is princess of the Earth, and Queen of Heaven. Inanna presided over fertility, love and war. [See War Goddesses]. she is depicted on works of art as a winged warrior, wearing a horned headdress and tiered skirt. Offerings should be made to her at sundown. 6 January — In Tudor England, 6 January was "Twelfth Night," marked the end of a winter festival that started on All Hallows Eve, or the Celtic New Year, Samhain. A King or Lord of Misrule would be appointed to run the festivities, and the Twelfth Night was the end of his period of rule. The Lord of Misrule, known in Scotland as the Abbot of Unreason and in France as the Prince des Sots, was an officer appointed by lot at Yuletide to preside over the Feast of Fools. The Lord of Misrule's charge usually included drunkenness and wild partying, in the pagan tradition of Saturnalia. The common theme was that the normal order of things was reversed. 11 January — This is the festival of the Carmentalis, celebrating the nymph's of prophecy known as Camenae, who are identified with the Nine Muses, the Chief of whom was Caementis, the Goddess of prophecy, who also protected women during childbirth. According to Graves, she is also the inventor of the Roman alphabet, and her son, Evander, is the inventor of vowels. The Nine Muses were Greek goddesses who ruled over the arts and sciences and offered inspiration in those subjects. They were the daughters of Zeus, lord of all gods, and Mnemosyne, who represented memory.
Also on this day, 11 January, Juturna, divinity of fountains and prophetic waters and patroness of all who work with water, was worshipped in ancient Rome. Additionally, Juturna presided of healing wells; and, she also was known as a protector against fire. 12 January — This was the Roman festival of Compitalia, which celebrates the household gods, the Lares. Christianity would later change this day to St. Distaff's Day. On 12 Jan., 2006, was the Wolf Moon. This January moon is named for the wolf for two reasons: it occurs during the time of the year when food is scarce thus bringing the wolves into the villages in search for food, and the wolf pack is representative of the family. Wolves keep the same families for life. 13 January — In some places, New Year's observances, such as, Wassailing (that is, paying homage to apple trees) are performed on this day. This was also the Norse day of Midvintersblöt, or Midwinter's Offering, called Tuugund Day in England. 16 January — On this day, the goddess of harmonious relations, Concordia is honoured. She is a Roman Goddess, whose symbols are the herald's staff entwined by serpents and two clasped hands. In works of art, she is depicted as a matronly woman holding an olive branch in her right hand and the cornucopia in her left. 17 January — Sacred to the Goddess Felicitas, a minor Roman Goddess of Good Luck. 20 January — Although this is a Christian holiday, it has many pagan undertones, so it may have (as are most Christian holidays and saints' days) originally been a pagan celebration. To the Christians, 20 January is St. Agnes's Day. However, it is celebrated with a midnight fire ritual. According to West, other traditions associated with this night all relate to inducing dreams of one's future husband. These include:
Making
a Dumb Cake 25 January — Feast of Disir aka Burns' Night 29 January — Chinese New Year. 30 January — Festival of Peace. dedicated to the Roman Goddess, Pax. Notes: Sources:
Page last updated: 25
Jan 2009
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