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Episode 166: Sabbats of Ancient Civilization pt. 3
272 Plays10 hours ago
Welcome back, Witches! This week, we’re heading to Ancient Rome for Part 3 of our Sabbats of Ancient Civilizations series! 🏛️✨ We’re diving into Lupercalia, Parentalia, and Feralia—festivals of purification, passion, and honoring the dead. 🐺🩸🕯️
From wild rites to ancestral reverence, we’ll explore the roots and magic of these Roman holidays—and how their themes still echo in modern practice.
So get in, Loser—we’re summoning wolves and paying respects in true Roman fashion. 🌹⚰️
We would be forever thankful if you left our podcast a 5-Star review. If you really loved the show and want more Get in Loser content, check out our Supercast & Buy Me a Coffee links below. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @GetinWitches, on TikTok @weredoingwitchcraft, or email us at weredoingwitchcraft@gmail.com. You can support our show through our links below.
Supercast: https://getinloserweredoingwitchcraft.supercast.com
Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/getinwitches
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio- The Witch
References:
- Natasha Sheldon (2019). Appeasing the Ancestors: The Parentalia and Feralia. History and Archaeology Online. https://historyandarchaeologyonline.com/appeasing-the-ancestors-the-parentalia-and-feralia/
- Patti Wigington (2019). The Parentalia Festival. Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/the-roman-parentalia-festival-2562141
- Camilla Laurentine (2014). February Rites: Parentalia, Feralia and Caristia. Foxglove & Firmitas. https://camillalaurentine.com/2014/02/07/february-rites-parentalia-feralia-and-caristia/
- Nellist, Helen Charlie. Lupercalia and its Relationship to Valentine’s Day. https://www.vindolanda.com/blog/lupercalia
- Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Lupercalia. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lupercalia
- Arya, Darius. The American institute for Roman Culture, Lupercalia “Ancient Rome Live. (2024) https://ancientromelive.org/lupercalia/
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Witchcraft and Today's Episode
00:00:00
Speaker
Do you feel drawn to learn more about witchcraft and the occult, but feel lost on where to start? Then welcome to Get In Loser, Where You're Doing Witchcraft, a podcast all about what it means to be a witch and where to get started on your journey.
00:00:11
Speaker
Join us as we navigate through various witchy topics and share what we've learned about the craft. So get in witches as we travel back to ancient Rome for our third installment of our Sabbaths of Ancient Civilizations series.
00:00:23
Speaker
This time we're learning about Lupercalia, Parentalia, and Phrylia.
Listener Interaction and Feedback Request
00:00:48
Speaker
I guess we're going to start off this episode a little bit differently than how we usually start off episodes. But, you know, we just wanted to put this out there. We're going to be posting about this as well on our socials just to get some feedback from all of you as listeners. So not just our Supercast subscribers, but from all of the listeners who check out our podcast on a regular basis. If you would, please, please interact with the message we post on Facebook and Instagram.
00:01:18
Speaker
Yeah. We know you guys are listening because we can see how many downloads this podcast has. yeah We have zero interaction. Well, not zero. I won't say zero. We do have a few people that do interact. But for the amount of people that listen to the podcast, we have very little interaction.
00:01:36
Speaker
Yes. so Yeah. So if you would please, whenever this episode is released, go over to Facebook and Instagram and take a look at the poll that we put up because, you know, we've recently received some feedback that, you know, maybe um what we offer on Supercast isn't worth it.
00:01:58
Speaker
So we would like to know from you all, whether you're a Supercast subscriber or not, whether what you would like to see, what would entice you, say, if you would be on the fence to um subscribe to a podcast, what would entice you to actually do it? What would make the juice worth the squeeze essentially? Because yeah um we are open to suggestions. If we're you know doing something that say um and we're putting a lot of work and effort into specific things that we think you want to have and it's not worth it to you, let us know because honestly, that makes it easier for us. or like you know if
00:02:43
Speaker
If, for instance, like specifically just saying the newsletter, for those of you who do receive the newsletter, um we can see the opening rates on how often the newsletter is opened. Yeah.
00:02:56
Speaker
not being opened at the rate that I would expect it to. So with that in mind, if you would like something else besides a newsletter, let me know because then I could put all my efforts into something else that is not the newsletter.
00:03:10
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And especially if it's something that you would be interested in, like that, that would make me more happy. Like focusing on something that our listeners want to see and adds value. Because at the end of the day, like the whole point of Supercast is to provide additional content and additional um like bonus material and stuff that makes your lives better.
00:03:37
Speaker
That's the whole point.
Effort and Value of Podcast Content
00:03:38
Speaker
Yeah. Well, and like like Sam said, if like, you know, you subscribe to Supercast and you log in and, you know, you're not interested in shadow work pages or, you know, the grimoire pages just aren't something that you want, like maybe you do your own grimoire and you don't care about having something printable like that, let us know because that takes a lot of time to put it together and make sure that they're scheduled every month. Like, you know, we're having to like – make these, we're doing shadow work pages twice a month. So, you know, that's 24 pages a year that we're making. And while that doesn't sound like a lot, Sam and I both have full-time jobs.
00:04:18
Speaker
So like, it's ah it's a lot of work outside of already working. And if it's not something that's working for you, let us know. We're interested in knowing what you want, what is something that you find valuable to you.
00:04:33
Speaker
and if it's not what we're doing, like we can definitely pivot and do something else. Like we have no problem with that. We just, at this point, we're trying to like make sure that we're giving you guys something without, you know, knowing what i guess is wanted or needed.
00:04:50
Speaker
And so this is what we've come up with, but if it's not what you want, it'd be nice to know. Yes, exactly. Yeah. We, you know, like as working, we work full-time. This isn't, the podcast isn't our full-time job as you all know. And we live in, you know, very different parts of the world. So it's them even just finding the time to record sometimes on the weekends is difficult. So let us know what is working, what is not working and what you would like to see because the whole, you know, we, we,
00:05:27
Speaker
This podcast is a labor of love for us, but we want it to continue to be a labor a labor of love. So if it's like, you know I'm creating this XYZ for...
00:05:41
Speaker
ah you know as bonus material, but you don't want it that is totally fine. Tell us what you want. We're not going to be offended. We want to make sure that what we're offering is something that is needed and wanted and is going to be used.
00:05:54
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Yeah. Because we do a lot of work and if it's not what you want, that's a lot of work for nothing. ah There it is. It really is. Yeah. So go over to our social media and Take a look at the poll.
00:06:11
Speaker
Provide us some feedback. You could send us a message if you'd like. I was going to say, just shoot us. and like If you have an idea that you're like, if i was to subscribe, at and what are our I don't even know what our tiers are. They're like three, six, and nine, i think. Yes.
00:06:28
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Yeah. If i was to pay $9 a month, this is what I would expect. like Send us an email because we're literally just trying to figure out what to do without knowing what to do essentially in that, like, because we don't know what other people want.
00:06:44
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So we're just doing things where where we're like, well, this would be kind of cool to do. yeah but This is what I would pay $9 for. I would pay $6 for this is what I would pay $3 for. So, but, and we're not the ones paying for it. So it like, if you're paying for it, let us know what you want.
00:07:02
Speaker
Yes. So,
00:07:06
Speaker
No, that's out of the way. yeah hope We're not not talking about bonus content.
Ancient Roman Festivals: Lupercalia
00:07:13
Speaker
we are not talking about that today. are we talking about?
00:07:17
Speaker
We are going back in time some more Sabbaths of ancient civilizations. i just have to say, i really like these episodes.
00:07:28
Speaker
Me too. I have so much fun like... doing this research and just learning all of these things and like seeing things like the one that I'm covering today, ah holiday that is like still celebrated like widely all around the world stemmed from this.
00:07:48
Speaker
And so it's just interesting to see these ties. Yeah. And what's what's wild is too is like, obviously we didn't know what the other one was doing, but we both did ancient Sabbaths that were in Rome. And then also with mine, i did not realize it as well until was researching it that people have like still practice it today yeah So I'm like, there's there's both of those little crossovers there, which is interesting.
00:08:15
Speaker
Well, and not only that, but I think we also picked ancient Sabbaths in the same month in Rome. Of course we did. I'm pretty sure yours is in February, right? Yeah, it sure Okay. Yeah. Yeah.
00:08:28
Speaker
but So with all of that, I'm going to be covering Lubricalia. So Lubricalia was an ancient Roman pastoral festival held each year on February 15th, and it focused on fertility, purification, and and the transition from winter to spring.
00:08:48
Speaker
The name comes from the she-wolf Lupa, who according to Roman mythology, nursed Romulus and Remus, who were the legendary founders of Rome. There's even a bronze sculpture of Lupa that shows the two young human boys suckling her for milk.
00:09:05
Speaker
The sculpture is called the Capitoline Wolf or Lupa Capitolina. And this sculpture is a prominent symbol in Rome. And something that made me laugh about this is during the height of COVID, me and a bunch of our friends were playing Animal Crossing. And this is one of the sculptures that you can get from the shady fox named Red off his steamboat when he pulls up in like the back alley of the island.
00:09:31
Speaker
You can get one of these sculptures. Because I had it in my museum and I just remember thinking that it was like the coolest little sculpture with this like sweet mama wolf just like nursing these two little babies.
00:09:44
Speaker
Yeah. Aww. Yeah. um The celebration took place near the Looper Cal and I'm just going to let you guys know I'm going to be saying Looper basically half of this episode. Like everything around this, everything surrounding Looper Calia starts with Looper. So it took place near the Lupercal, which was said to be the cave where the twins were raised.
00:10:08
Speaker
The festival was associated with Phonis, who is a Roman god of the forest, herds, and fertility. He's very similar to the Greek god Pan. And with Lupercus, who was the protector of flocks and fertility.
00:10:25
Speaker
There were a lot of just random things that went into this celebration. that were part of the ritual practices. So the day of Lupercalia festivities began with a sacrifice at the Lupercal cave that consisted of two male goats and a dog.
00:10:43
Speaker
The sacrifices were carried out by a group of priests that were called the Lupercai. And the goats were said to symbolize virility and vitality. And the dog, while there's not like a definitive purpose,
00:10:57
Speaker
like solid explanation. They believed that the dog likely represented purification or protection, possibly because of its connections to guarding the home and flocks.
00:11:10
Speaker
After the sacrifice, the Luper Kai would smear blood from the goats onto each other's foreheads. And then the blood would be wiped clean using wool that had been soaked in milk, symbolizing purification and renewal.
00:11:25
Speaker
And all I could think of was the smell. Yeah. Like the smell of hot milk. It sounds awful. Mixed with the smell of blood. yeah So I was very grossed out reading that. Mm-hmm.
00:11:38
Speaker
Next, the priests would cut the goat skins into thin strips that they called februa, and this is the word that is actually the root of the month named February, which was seen as a time for cleansing.
00:11:52
Speaker
Once all of this was finished, the most well-known part of the celebration followed, which was the running of the luprici. So basically at this point, the priest were often nearly naked or just wearing a loincloth and they would run around Palatine Hill striking people with the goat hide strips that they made. And women in particular would welcome the lashings because they were believed to promote fertility, to ease childbirth, and to bring general good fortune overall.
00:12:22
Speaker
This ritual was not seen as a punishment, but it was more like symbolic blessings. When we look at like the symbolism and the meanings in Lupercalia, it was rooted in seasonal purification. its festivities and rituals were believed to help cleanse the city and its people as they moved towards spring and planting.
00:12:42
Speaker
There were strong elements of fertility magic, not just in terms of human reproduction, but also in also in encouraging a fruitful agriculture season.
00:12:54
Speaker
The combination of blood, milk, the goat energy, and ritual action all contributed to an atmosphere of raw life force and sacred transition.
00:13:05
Speaker
The connection to wolves and the founding myth of Rome also gave the festival a sense of culture, identity, and power. Rome was literally built on wildness and survival and divine nourishment from the she-wolf.
00:13:19
Speaker
And this was a time of year to reconnect with nature's rhythms and reaffirm community vitality. I also think that it's very important to discuss how Lupercalia's celebrations and practices changed under Christianity.
00:13:34
Speaker
Because as we all know, Puritan and Christian beliefs came into every other belief system and took what they liked while demonizing the rest. So as Christianity became more dominant in the Roman Empire, many pagan festivals, as we know, were either transformed or suppressed.
00:13:53
Speaker
In 494 CE, Pope Galatius I officially banned Lupercalia. He condemned the festival as pagan and inappropriate for Christian society.
00:14:06
Speaker
Around the same time, the church began to promote the Feast of St. Valentine, which falls on February 14th, so just one day before Lupercalia. Over time, this feast day merged with various folk traditions and medieval romantic ideals, and it eventually became what we now recognize as Valentine's Day.
Modern Celebrations of Lupercalia
00:14:26
Speaker
There's no like direct proof that Valentine's Day was created specifically to replace Lupercalia, but the timing and themes of love, and fertility make it likely for some of the energy from the old festival to have carried over.
00:14:41
Speaker
By the Middle Ages, writers like Chaucer had started connecting Valentine's Day with things like courtship, birds choosing mates, and romantic gestures. So there was a lot of like similarities that carried over whether they want to like recognize that they pulled from them or not.
00:14:59
Speaker
Some neo-pagans, witches, and even just Roman history enthusiasts are reviving or reimagining Lupercalia in creative ways. So in modern rituals, participants might do symbolic lashings using ribbons or red cords, focusing on consent, empowerment, and intention.
00:15:20
Speaker
which I loved, and then others view it as a chance to celebrate the fertile, the wild, and the untamed aspects of life. And if it's something that calls to you to practice, just know that you don't need to reenact ancient Roman practices to really connect with the spirit of the festival.
00:15:39
Speaker
Nobody's going to ask you to go out there and sacrifice two goats and a dog and cover yourself in their blood and cleanse yourself with a milky wool cloth and then run through the streets naked like lashing people.
00:15:52
Speaker
Some modern ways that you can honor the season's themes include purification rituals. So you could do a home cleansing with herbal smoke or even salt water. Simmer rosemary and basil on the stove to release their aroma and to cleanse your home.
00:16:06
Speaker
Add rose petals for a touch of softness and warmth. Declutter your space. So think of it as a spiritual spring cleaning for ties to like fertility and creativity. set intentions for creative projects or...
00:16:19
Speaker
Plant actual seeds during this time. Light a red candle and write down what you want to grow, whether it's a relationship, an idea, or a new habit. To fully encompass lubricalia, you need to be able to embrace your wild side.
00:16:35
Speaker
So maybe like go for a walk in nature, dance barefoot, or do something spontaneous that connects you to your body and your instincts. Consider journaling on what wildness means to you and where you might be suppressing it in your life.
00:16:50
Speaker
You could do tea ritual pairings. So brew tea with warming or invigorating herbs like peppermint, fennel, and cinnamon, and then sip on your tea while reflecting on the balance between order and instinct, purity, and primality.
00:17:05
Speaker
You could do a ritual bath. So combine dried or fresh rosemary, basil, and rose petals, with Epsom salt for a cleansing bath that's charged with self-love.
00:17:16
Speaker
Add a bit of honey or milk to symbolize sweetness and fertility. You can do a candle ritual. So you could dress a red or a pink candle with rose petals, crushed basil, and a sprig of rosemary to represent a balance of passion, protection, and purification.
00:17:32
Speaker
And then just herbs in general that could be used for lubricalia celebrations should be centered around purification and passion. So think things like sage for deep cleansing and boundary setting.
00:17:45
Speaker
um Common garden sage and white sage have a long reputation for energetic purification. Burning a small bundle or gently wafting the smoke can symbolize pushing out stagnant winter energy before new growth.
00:18:00
Speaker
Sage is also associated with wisdom and clear judgment, helping you to decide which seeds, literal or metaphorical, are worth planting for this season. And then lighting either just a single dried leaf or just a very small bundle and walking clockwise through your space.
00:18:16
Speaker
um Spend time focusing on doorways and corners. And then you could steep fresh or dried sage in hot water. Once it's cooled, use it as a surface spray or floor wash for an herbal like reset.
00:18:30
Speaker
Or you could add a pinch to a purification bath. Pairing it with sea salt for extra boundary clearing power You could do rosemary for purification and clarity. it is one of the most common herbs used for cleansing and purification, both spiritually and physically.
00:18:48
Speaker
in folk traditions, it was often burned to purify space or placed under pillows to ward off nightmares and negative energy. Rosemary-infused bath or tea could be used to clear mental fog, boost focus, and prepare for new beginnings.
00:19:02
Speaker
It's also a great herb for a ritual floor wash or smoke cleansing, especially when you're doing a seasonal reset. um Basil was mentioned multiple times in this portion, so you could use that for fertility, prosperity, and protection.
00:19:20
Speaker
It has ah deep, magical, and folkloric ties to both protection and abundance. In many traditions, it's associated with fertility and passion, making it a perfect herb for lubricalia themes.
00:19:33
Speaker
You can use basil in a kitchen ritual, like making a love focused meal or place fresh basil in water near your altar to invite creativity and vitality.
00:19:44
Speaker
And then a tea with basil and rose can blend the energies of passion and heart centered intention. And then lastly, Rose can be used for love, passion, and self-devotion.
00:19:57
Speaker
Rose is a classic herb of love, beauty, and sensuality. Beyond romantic associations, it's also powerful in rituals of self-love, healing, and emotional openness.
00:20:09
Speaker
A rose petal bath or tea can serve as a ritual for devotion to a partner, project, or to yourself. And it's also just beautiful on your altar as an offering for dressing candles or using in a heart opening meditation.
Parentalia and Feralia: Honoring the Dead
00:20:25
Speaker
Wow. So that's how you could celebrate Lubricalia today if you wanted to. You don't have to sacrifice anything. Right. Yeah. Yeah, please don't. But, you know, any of those other things would be great.
00:20:38
Speaker
i was like, how do we celebrate? Let's talk about all those things. Yeah. Yeah. So moving on a little bit to Parentalia and Feralia, as far as background in history, these were both practiced in ancient Rome as a way to honor the dead.
00:20:58
Speaker
In ancient Rome, ancestors were honored and it was believed that they should never be forgotten. Ancient Romans would visit their relatives' graves on the deceased's birthday or even to just celebrate or remember the life of their loved one.
00:21:12
Speaker
But there were two specific periods throughout the year where ancient Romans would honor their dead as a society. The first being Lemuria, which was celebrated in May, and Tiffany covered in our last Ancient Sabbaths episode, which was episode 156. So that's weird that we're doing this again, episode 166. 166, that's hilarious.
00:21:33
Speaker
Yeah. and Lemuria was about exercising and appeasing malevolent spirits. prior ah Parentalia, however, was also celebrate or was celebrated in February and was about familial respect and remembrance.
00:21:50
Speaker
So a bit about February here, Parentalia and Feralia were part of a few February festivals that focused on purification and boundary crossing. And February itself gets its name from Februum, which means purification.
00:22:05
Speaker
So very interesting. Yeah. and really interesting that we both chose ah celebrations in February. but And purification celebrations as well.
00:22:18
Speaker
Very crazy. So Parentalia was an eight-day festival dedicated to the family dead or De Parentes or Dies Parentalis. And I'm sure I'm probably butchering that, but you know what?
00:22:34
Speaker
Try your best here. I'm not from ancient Rome.
00:22:39
Speaker
The festival was closed by a one-day festival known as Vorelia, where life essentially paused to allow for families to observe rites to remember their ancestors. Every Roman citizen would celebrate Parentalia.
00:22:52
Speaker
However, each celebration was unique to the different families, and they were often held in private. So during the Sabbath, no incense was lit at the altars, no fires were started in hearths,
00:23:04
Speaker
There were no marriages performed. Priests barred the doors of temples and the courts would also close during this time. And I was reading that the magistrates would remove their like ceremonial togas during this week, which i just know I guess I didn't know that much about like ancient Rome like political life to know that like yeah that that was a marker of their political system.
00:23:27
Speaker
But you know we learn something new every day, right? Yeah. So while ancient Romans revered their dead, there was this contradiction regarding death during this time. Romans believed that death polluted, and so the rites and rituals surrounding the departed weren't to help their ancestors find their way to the afterlife, but rather to keep them away from the land of the living.
00:23:49
Speaker
and The dead were also buried outside of city walls in their own cities of death, and families would be considered impure after a family member died until they had ritually cleansed themselves in their homes.
00:24:03
Speaker
But even with that, they still believe that their ancestors should be honored and that they not be forgotten. So looking at the ritual practices and rites, Parentalia began on the 13th of February every year.
00:24:17
Speaker
So to mark the beginning of Parentalia, a Vestal Virgin would perform the opening rituals for the dead called the Virgo Vesta Parentat. Ancient Romans believed that during Parentalia, the dead would rise to wonder among the living.
00:24:33
Speaker
However, they would need sustenance, so families would leave food as gifts for their ancestors' spirits, either on a shard or like a broken piece of pottery or something in the middle of the street or at the tombs of their deceased loved ones.
00:24:48
Speaker
And there's also historical evidence in Pompeii that show that many tombs in their graveyards also had seating areas for visitors that were set in gardens. And some of the more elaborate tombs had dining spaces and even cooking facilities.
00:25:02
Speaker
So families didn't just go leave an offering and some flowers and like move on They stayed and prepared food, often at the site, and they would stay and eat with their ancestors. And even the poorest Romans would participate, and they would often just pack a picnic-style meal instead because you know their tomb may not have had like a kitchen prepare a meal in. This really precious, though.
00:25:28
Speaker
Isn't it? Yeah. like Could you imagine being able to go to like your dad's grave and like cook a meal and eat a meal with him? Yeah. It's just beautiful. It is. I love it.
00:25:40
Speaker
I wish we still did stuff like this to honor our dad. Yeah. so ancient Romans did this practice to connect with their ancestors and to make sure that they remembered their ancestors like throughout time.
00:25:56
Speaker
they would ensure that they weren't forgotten and that they were honored. This also ensured that their ancestors would continue to watch over the families and help them if they needed it. So the Feralia was traditionally held on the 21st of February to close out the Parentalia week.
00:26:13
Speaker
Unfortunately, there are not really any accounts remaining of the public rights of Feralia. However, it was listed on public calendars as a major event, so it was clear that it was practiced along with this entire week of Parentalia.
00:26:30
Speaker
The only thing that we do know is that it appears that Feralia most likely was a ritual to help guide the dead back to their proper place and see to it that they remained there. And they most likely used it invoking the goddess Tacita.
00:26:45
Speaker
And Tacita was associated as well with the underworld and binding magic. um And she was known as like the silent goddess. Some sources have her also connected with Lorunda,
00:26:57
Speaker
and I could be saying that wrong, and I apologize if I am, who was a nymph and who had her tongue cut out for speaking the secrets of the gods. And that's kind of like why she's listed as like the silent goddess, I guess.
00:27:11
Speaker
So there is some information about forgetting the dead. So the poet Ovid warned about for forgetting the dead and tied it back to the reason for parentalia.
00:27:23
Speaker
So he wrote that one time during a war, the dead were forgotten and their spirits slash like shades is kind of what they refer them to as they left their tombs at night and wailed throughout the city streets, which sounds fucking awful.
00:27:39
Speaker
I also love that Ovid is like, it's always just like the poet Ovid. And I know because I also mentioned Ovid. like things that he mentioned about um the other one area lu areaia yeah as well it was like ovid had all these ties to right where are you getting your history yeah'm sorry like yeah well because it was like to like a lot of the research that i did on that episode it was like we're not 100 sure but ovid said i'm like great great great love that i love that yeah
00:28:15
Speaker
But clearly, because, you know, um artists and poets and writers, they take a lot of inspiration from stuff that is happening yeah in the world around them. So it's clear that this week was very important and these, you know, these rituals were very important.
00:28:31
Speaker
Yeah. But I just cannot imagine, like having just the dead walk the street in the dead of night. wa That sounds terrible.
00:28:43
Speaker
um So apparently too, like he says that once the living members of Rome essentially realized that they had forgotten, they quickly, you know, and honored their ancestors to get them to go back to the rest of the space. Go back to your space, please.
00:29:01
Speaker
ah So um as far as celebrating today, there are some who celebrate Parentalia. And although the practice is a bit different than like the ancient practices, of course.
00:29:12
Speaker
So camilla oh lo laurentine Camilla Laurentine of Foxglove Fermatas outlined what she does to celebrate Parentalia to honor her own ancestors.
00:29:24
Speaker
And I have this linked in our show notes if you want to go back and read her blog in its entirety. But I mean, because it is a very fascinating read and I love how she interprets this ancient Sabbath into her practice today.
00:29:37
Speaker
But she starts with getting the dining area of her home clean and organized for the festival in preparation of um you know these honored guests that she's inviting over. And she then decorates her table and uses her table as her offering space for every meal during this week.
00:29:57
Speaker
And she makes flower garlands as well and just places them around. And I just thought, I bet her tablescape is like gorgeous. Yeah. Yeah. So on February 13th, she uses pure water from snow or from collected rainwater, and she asks for divine witnesses to attend as she walks around the table three times giving offerings to her female ancestors.
00:30:21
Speaker
She also invokes Vesta and her Vestals with offerings of milk, red flowers, and honey, since of course she doesn't have access to like a Vestal Virgin to do the opening right for her.
00:30:33
Speaker
Then she sits down to eat breakfast with her ancestors and allows them to come and go as they please. So she kind of she mentions that she has this like open door policy with the spirits during this week where they're allowed to come and go as they please.
00:30:46
Speaker
um And she keeps candles lit for them to guide them not only to her home, but also back to their home on the other side as well. And then from February 14th through the 20th, she doesn't perform any major rites. However, at each mill, she provides an offering, whether that be wine, cake or salt.
00:31:05
Speaker
And the table during this entire week is still decorated with flowers and wreaths and other things to honor her ancestors. And then on the 21st on Feralia, she creates another meal for the dead, but this is not a meal for her family or her ancestors. It's for the mains or the quote unquote wandering dead.
00:31:26
Speaker
Manes are spirits of the dead, and sometimes they could be equated with malevolent spirits if they're not properly honored. So what she does is she doesn't necessarily perform any rites to any any deities on this day.
00:31:40
Speaker
What she does is she presents a meal on broken pottery outside near the street for any manes that just happen to be passing through, which I thought was really sweet. That is really sweet. Like everything about her whole thing – Like having the candles to guide them there and back and like this open door policy. And that's all really cute.
Honoring Ancestors Across Cultures
00:32:04
Speaker
ah Yeah. And I just, I, you know, going back to, you know, something that we just mentioned, like on the podcast, like you brought it up whenever I was talking about like having like,
00:32:14
Speaker
that space at like a tomb where you can go in and cook and you can sit and like talk with your ancestors and stuff. Like we really do not take the same amount of pride in honoring your ancestors.
00:32:28
Speaker
And you see this a lot in different cultures as well. So like, it's not just like ancient Roman cultures, but like you see this in um like Diasa, De las Muertes.
00:32:40
Speaker
and um And also like in the Philippines as well, I am excited to go visit my husband's family whenever we go later this year, but they have like this, their graveyards are beautiful and they're kind of like tourist attractions where like you can go as well. Like they will go and celebrate birthdays at the the fucking cemetery and it's so beautiful and they'll go and they'll like take pictures and do celebrations there and stuff and that's kind of what this reminded me of and I'm just like you really need to get back to that and honoring our ancestors and it doesn't necessarily have to be at a graveyard it could be how you know she does it where she's creating this whole ritual in her home to honor her ancestors and giving like space for them to come and go I think yeah
00:33:31
Speaker
I never gave Benjamin this space, but he just showed up.
Ghost Stories and Spiritual Beliefs
00:33:36
Speaker
Maybe he's just like, okay, when February comes around, I'm going to need you to honor me so Well, he better get his attitude right. And for those that don't know, i have a ghost who – According to this app that I use, he says that his name is Benjamin. He has said it multiple times.
00:33:57
Speaker
Yeah. and he alluded to being a priest and has called me ungodly multiple times. So he's a turd. Just going to have to get used to it because honestly, A, you're not going anywhere. B, you're not changing your, like, what if he was like, you know, those like in Germany, like the beginning of like, was the Lutheran religion or something like that.
00:34:21
Speaker
were they were kind of crazy? ah knows? Like, what if he's one of those? I think I just have my own, like, Jehovah's Witness just living in my house. You know, Secret Lives of Mormon's Wife. I've been watching season two, finally.
00:34:36
Speaker
and Oh, my God. Well, we will have to talk about that offline. But anyway, that is it. yeah That is our Roman February festivities.
00:34:48
Speaker
ah and go right now that you are done listening this episode to our Instagram and our Facebook page and give us some feedback. And if we are dum-dums, because as you all know, we record these in advance and we forget to post it, be like, bitches, what the hell? I came here to give you feedback and there is nothing to give you feedback on because ADD gets the best of me sometimes. Right. Exactly. We're recording this a month from whenever this is releasing. Yeah. Yeah. So. Yeah.
00:35:26
Speaker
That's a wrap on this episode Get In Loser We're Doing Witchcraft. We hope you had as much fun as we did. If you loved this episode, we'd be eternally grateful if you left us a five-star review wherever you listen to podcasts.
00:35:38
Speaker
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00:35:56
Speaker
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00:36:08
Speaker
Join us next week as we get plenty and explore ancient practices, sacred cycles, and the power that flows through them with menstrual magic. Until next time, stay magical, stay curious, and as always, blessed be witches.