So much is lost. It's really amazing what survives in Buddhism. There is a living tradition that continues.
In the ancient pagan religions of Rome, the festival of Vestalia is June 7-15th. Vestalia is the goddess of home and hearth. Most people if they're not at work or school are at home. It's an important place.
Women would offer the sacrifices, the picture in the Wikipedia article has a woman putting up some ivy. Donkeys were adorned. Priapus almost rapes Vesta, but a donkey's bray scares him away. The 9th is a celebration of bakeries. (On the ides of June says another source)
I can't but help feel we have lost the sacred references for things that perhaps are considered mundane. Home is a place I need to clean up more. Bread is uniformly almost the same, we buy the same brand and type almost every time.
On the last day dung can removed. There was a ritual cleansing on the last day, refuse was pushed into the Tiber River.
The Vestal Virgins guarded the flame that was constantly burning. This was a kind of nunnery for women, open to the daughters of the wealthy. They would vow to be virgins for 30 years. I imagine if your flame went out, you could go there and relight something and restart your fires. A public service for your community. Matches and lighters have done away with this need, and we have lost a reverence for fire.
"Unlike many Roman deities, she was not typically portrayed in statuary. Instead, the flame of the hearth represented her at the family altar." (source)
A modern take away could be to clean. If one was inclined towards being a witch, you could make a special broome that you used for this time called a "besum". You could consider sweeping out negative energies in this cleaning. The struggle to think positively is ongoing for me.
One could attempt to make a special bread.
If you got married during this time, there could be a besom wedding. Instead of handfasting, you jump over a broom. This was used in the American south in slave culture.
Vesta was similar to the Greek Goddess Hestia. In those days keeping a flame was important. Being house-proud was associated with keeping this flame. She was also offered the first and last wine during feasts.
There is a temple to Vesta in Tivoli Italy.
In the ancient pagan religions of Rome, the festival of Vestalia is June 7-15th. Vestalia is the goddess of home and hearth. Most people if they're not at work or school are at home. It's an important place.
Women would offer the sacrifices, the picture in the Wikipedia article has a woman putting up some ivy. Donkeys were adorned. Priapus almost rapes Vesta, but a donkey's bray scares him away. The 9th is a celebration of bakeries. (On the ides of June says another source)
I can't but help feel we have lost the sacred references for things that perhaps are considered mundane. Home is a place I need to clean up more. Bread is uniformly almost the same, we buy the same brand and type almost every time.
On the last day dung can removed. There was a ritual cleansing on the last day, refuse was pushed into the Tiber River.
The Vestal Virgins guarded the flame that was constantly burning. This was a kind of nunnery for women, open to the daughters of the wealthy. They would vow to be virgins for 30 years. I imagine if your flame went out, you could go there and relight something and restart your fires. A public service for your community. Matches and lighters have done away with this need, and we have lost a reverence for fire.
"Unlike many Roman deities, she was not typically portrayed in statuary. Instead, the flame of the hearth represented her at the family altar." (source)
A modern take away could be to clean. If one was inclined towards being a witch, you could make a special broome that you used for this time called a "besum". You could consider sweeping out negative energies in this cleaning. The struggle to think positively is ongoing for me.
One could attempt to make a special bread.
If you got married during this time, there could be a besom wedding. Instead of handfasting, you jump over a broom. This was used in the American south in slave culture.
Vesta was similar to the Greek Goddess Hestia. In those days keeping a flame was important. Being house-proud was associated with keeping this flame. She was also offered the first and last wine during feasts.
There is a temple to Vesta in Tivoli Italy.
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