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April APRILIS (sacred to Venus) |
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All Fools' Day, Slavic feast of Lada and Lado, protectors of lovers and youth. Iroquois Thunder Ceremony-in thanksgiving for the rains. Iroquois believe Awenhai/Sky Woman descended from the Sky and created Earth. Veneralia- the festival of Venus(Goddess of Peace-she nurtures peace, friendship, and love; and punishes war-mongers, hate-mongers, and false friends and lovers) vanquishing Mars (God of War) with love. In the public baths of Roma, women bathe in the men's baths wearing wreaths of myrtle. Especially honored is the aspect of Venus named Venus Verticordia, "The Changer of Hearts." It is, in general, a day for women to seek divine support and aid in their love lives. Fortuna Virilis, Roman Woman's festival seeking Good Relations with Men (who is somehow, but unclearly, connected with Venus); the jewelry is removed from her statue and ritually washed, and then she is offered sacrifices of flowers. Incense is also offered to the Goddess this day, in order for physical imperfections of women to be hidden from view in the baths. Festival of Kali, Day of Hathor, Birth of Venus, Loki-a day of tricks and practical jokes, ruled over by the Norse god. |
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Feast of Greek Goddess Hekate, who guides all through transitions
and crisis |
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Mounikhion Noumenia- Greek festival honoring all the Gods and Goddesses Persephones return from the Underworld |
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Megalesia- first festival day of Magna Mater, or Cybele,
the great mother, founder of cities and guardian of civilization, whose
sacred black stone brought to Roma from Phrygia on the fourth day of April.
It is celebrated by games and theatrical performances. The celebration lasts
for seven days total, but sumptuous feasts are held on the first day.
4/4-4/10 |
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Fortuna- Roman festival for good luck. The luck of the people. Festival of Kuan Yin (Chinese-Japanese) Feast of the Charites- Day to honor the Old Greek Goddesses of beneficence Ching Ming |
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Feast of Greek Goddess Aphrodite- Day to honor peace and compassion |
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World Health Day-Day to pray for healing of all those chronically and
seriously ill; day to advocate for adequate health care for all. The Blajini(Rumanian Spirit-Gods of both Water and the Underworld) Hana Matsuri |
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Feast of Greek Goddess Artemis ( Roman Diana/Slavic Diwitsa),
who represents the feminine in Nature and protects women throughout their
lives. |
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Festival of Ishtar (Babylonian) A-Ma(Portuguese Patroness of Fisherman), All Amazon Goddesses |
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Bau(Babylonian Goddess), Sun Dance |
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Cerealia- the Roman festival of Ceres, the goddess of grain,
cereal crops, growing plants and the love of a
mother for her child. 4/11-4/19 Ceres is notoriously a peaceful goddess and
most often accepts offerings of spelt cakes and salt, as well as incense
(on old hearths; in veteres focos). In the countryside, people offer milk,
honey, and wine on the Cerialia (particularly the final day), after bearing
them thrice around the fields. Eostre or Ostara- Easter is the festival of the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring. Eostra is the protector of fertility and friend to children. Legend has it that to amuse some children once she changed a bird into a rabbit, which set about laying eggs for them to find. Day of Anahit(Armenian Goddess of Love) |
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Ceres, Chu-Si-Niu(Taiwanese Goddess who Presides over the Birth of Mortals) |
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Libertas, spring festival of the Roman goddess of liberty. Ides Aprilis- sacred to Jupiter Songkran |
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Runic half-month of Man- The The Runic half-month of Man is a time
to meditate of the human condition. Maryamma(Mariamne, All Hindu Sea-Gods Sommarsblót, Norse festival of Sommarsblót welcomes the summer. St. Tibertius |
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Festival of Bast Tellus Mater, The Roman festival of the mother of earth, is devoted to prayer for the Continued health of the earth. Celtic tree month of Saille begins Venus Fordicalia |
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Apollo, Hiketeria St. Padarn |
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Machendrana(Himalayan Rain-God) |
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the godddess month of Maia begins- Maia is a Greek earth
goddess, the daughter of Atlas and Pleione. Rama (Hindu God), Sita Mounikhia- Festival of Old Greek Goddess Artemis (Roman Diana/Slavic Diwitsa), honoring Her as the Moon |
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All Bull Gods |
| 21 Parilia- Roman festival of Pales, a pastoral god... or possibly a pastoral goddess that is guardian of flocks. It is an ancient agricultural festival and the birthday of Eternal Roma Herself. |
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Earth Day- Day to honor the Earth and to meditate on Deity manifesting
as Mother Earth This day the world's nations guaranteed asylum to those persecuted in their homelands on account of their ethnicity, religion, or political opinion (1954). Festival of Ishtar Gaia |
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Jupiter and Venus, the Roman festival for fertility, Astarte, Aphrodite, Vinalia Prioria The first of two Festivals of Wine (the other being the Vinalia Rustica), this holiday is sacred to both Jupiter and Venus. On this day the first jars of the wine from the previous year were offered to Jupiter; only then could they be sampled by men. Festival of the Green Man |
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Luna Regia (Gnostic Lunar-Goddess), St. Mark's Eve |
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Robigalia- to avert mildew on crops. Cuckoo's Day- which heralds the return of birds. St. Mark |
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Mayan Rain Festival--honoring Rain God Chac and His attendant
Chacmool, and welcoming the fructifying rains. Tien Ha |
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Floralia is the festival of the Goddess Flora, patron
of flowers and spring and the pleasures of youth. Today is traditionally
a day of sexual license and experimentation. It begins with
theatrical performances and climaxes with full-blown Games. The Floralia
lasts for six days. In later days prostitutes claimed the Goddess Flora
as their patron and celebrated the Floralia with gusto. Hares and goats
are let loose in the Circus prior to the games (both notorious symbols
of fertility, and especially associated with cultivated vegetation, as
opposed to wild woodlands). Beans and lupins were thrown to the crowds
at the Floralia, again symbols of fertility, and clothing of wild colors
was worn. 4/27- 5/2 Tyi Wara(African God of Agriculture |
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Floralia(through the 30th), Venus |
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Runic half-month of Lagu begins- The rune Lagu represents the
power of water. Pagan Tree Day |
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Mid-Spring/May Day/Walpurgis- Celebrates sacred love and the flowering
vegetation by gathering flowers and dancing around a Maypole. 4/30-5/2 Beltaine- Old Celtic/Welsh feast of Blodeuwedd (Goddess of Flowers) and Llew (the Oak King - God of the waxing Sun). Salus Yakima Tribe Root Festival |