JANUARY, 2008

January 23 - 31:

First day of the Goddess month of Bridhe, sacred to the Celtic and Britannic Goddess variously called Brigit, Bridhe, Brigantia and later, St. Bridget. As shown here, she is also called the Triple Brighids, and is one of the most widely-revered manifestations of the Triple Goddess. She is the protector of the eternal creative flame that maintains the vitality of the natural world, and is the patron of warriors and of all practitioners of feminine arts and crafts, most notably the occult disciplines of divination, witchcraft, herb and star lore, and prophecy. She is also represented by the spirals that appear constantly in Celtic art. Her totemic animals are the ram and the ox, her sacred plant the blackberry. For devotees of the goddess, there is a superb synchronicity on this day, as the next entry shows.

In the Khemitian calendar, this day is sacred to the primordial creator Amun, called "the Hidden One" because his power is in operation even before it manifests in the Sun and the visible world. Facing him at the right of the image shown here is the figure representing Aquarius in the Egyptian zodiac, pouring a double stream of sacred water to bless the realm. Amun's power to bring latent forces into manifestation survives in Christian traditions as the word Amen ("Let it be") that ends the prayer, and activates it.

The Romans celebrate on these days the festival of Sementivae, so called because it honors the feminine nurturing power that receives the seed and protects it until its latent life force is ready to sprout. This is one of the mid-winter festivals that begin early now, culminating in the Imbolc, Candlemas, Setsubun, St. Brigid's day and other festivals of early February.

1/24 - 27 (4 days):

In the ancient Khemitian solar calendar, this is a major four-day festival honoring Djehuti ("Thoth"), the lunar neter of wisdom and learning. The rites begin with a celebration of Djehuti's arrival in the physical realm; honor his gifts of mathematics, geometry, literature and magic; and culminate in the ceremony of gratitude for the most profound of all Djehuti's secrets: the khu, or light body, which the devoted adept generates through continued spiritual practice. (Month of Pamenot, days 10 - 13).

In Christian calendars, Jan. 24 is St. Paul's Day, commemorating the dramatic Conversion of St. Paul, who gave up being Saul, scourge of Christians, when he was knocked off his horse by a bolt of light that hit him right in the third eye -- this may help explain the frontal baldness with which he is almost always depicted. Jan. 25 is not the saint's actual feast day, which is celebrated on June 30, in honor of Paul as the prolific writer and marketing genius of early Christianity. In Britain this day is a notable weather marker, as it is said that rain on St. Paul's Day is a sign of a poor harvest to come in the autumn.

In the ancient Britannic calendar, this is one of the year's most solemn festivals of initiation. It is sacred to Cerunnos, the deer- horned God who is considered the master of all communications with animals, and the threshold keeper who tests the worthiness of all who seek knowledge of the secrets of nature.

In the Roman Catholic calendar, this is the feast of St. Francois de Sales, who gave up the promise of a spectacular career in the King's service to dedicate himself to missionary work, and went to Geneva in the late 16th century to convert Calvinists, a task at which he is said to have achieved the huge success of bringing some 72,000 of Europe's most dismal Protestants back to the fold, largely through methods that were mild and joyous rather than stern. He reportedly coined the saying that "You can catch more flies with a spoonful of honey than with a barrel of vinegar."

Birthday, in 1756, of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He had this to say on the topic of universal genius:

"Neither a lofty degree of intelligence
 nor imagination
 nor both together
 make genius.
 Love, love, love,
 that is the soul of genius."

1/28 (Mon):

Mercury goes retrograde, bringing confusion and human bozosis in the areas of transportation, communications and commerce that he rules, and accentuating the ditsiest traits of Aquarius, until Feb. 19.

1/30 - 2/1 (3 days):

In the Greco-Roman calendar, these days are sacred to Artemis/ Diana in her guardian role as midwife and protector of children.

For Christians, Carnival! begins today.This one-week festival offers a last chance to feast and party -- Carne Vale means "so long, meat!" -- before the penitential season of Lent begins. Carnival culminates on Shrove Tuesday, the famous Mardi Gras (Feb. 5), when since the old days it is still customary to eat pancakes filled with sacred and medicinal herbs. The cakes are said to protect the believer against shortages of food and money during the coming year, provided they are eaten before 8:00pm. It is said that, festivals being what they are, the cakes are often washed down with beer, or wine, even both.

1/31 (Thu):

  On this day, just before the annual Midwinter Festival (2/1 - 3), peoples all over the ancient world pray and sacrifice to Hecate, the Goddess of the Moon in her darkest and most formidable aspect. She is also Kali, and embodies as well the fiercest energies of Scorpio. Like her opposite number Shiva, she destroys in order to create anew. She is linked to Sekhmet, Inanna, Pele and other goddesses who purify through the fire of love.

Also the birthday (1915) of Father Thomas Merton, the Catholic mystical poet who sought God above all in concentrated silence.

  Copyright 2007 Dan Furst. All Rights Reserved.