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cosmology, consciousness, contrarinessgoddess religion: pagan blog
www.goddessmystic.com
goddess religion: pagan blog
www.goddessmystic.com
Lara, Larvae, Lemuria
In the Julian calendar, the nights of May 9, 11, and 13, were known as the Lemuralia, or Lemuria (the Feast of the Lemures). On these nights, rituals were enacted to make peace with the souls of the "restless" dead (the lemures or larvae).
At midnight, the head of the household walked barefoot around the house, throwing black beans over her/his shoulder nine times while speaking words of power (aka a spell or incantation): "With these beans I redeem me and mine." This nocturnal ritual was finished when all members of the household struck bronze pots together to scare off the spirits with the clanging noise, saying nine time: "Ghosts of my fathers and ancestors, be gone!" (Ovid's Fasti)
In Roman mythology, the lemures (or larvae) were ghosts — spirits of the dead. Some Roman writers described the larvae/lemures as restless and malignant spirits of wicked men, as opposed to the lares — benevolent souls of the family who haunted and guarded the household. The more common belief, however, was that all souls of the departed were the same.
The lares, guardian spirits/household deities, were venerated by ancient Romans as children of the goddess Lara ("mother of the dead"). Embodied in small statues and placed in the high parts of the house and at the table during meals, they were later said to be fathered by Hermes and became conflated with other Roman gods/spirits of place. Over time, the scope of their powers expanded beyond the household.
At midnight, the head of the household walked barefoot around the house, throwing black beans over her/his shoulder nine times while speaking words of power (aka a spell or incantation): "With these beans I redeem me and mine." This nocturnal ritual was finished when all members of the household struck bronze pots together to scare off the spirits with the clanging noise, saying nine time: "Ghosts of my fathers and ancestors, be gone!" (Ovid's Fasti)
Because of this annual exorcism of the restless malevolent spirits of the dead [the Lemuralia], the whole month of May was rendered unlucky for marriages, whence the proverb Mense Maio malae nubent ('They wed ill who wed in May'), and thus the rush of June weddings "because the weather is so nice" in our own day. (Feast of the Lemures)
In Roman mythology, the lemures (or larvae) were ghosts — spirits of the dead. Some Roman writers described the larvae/lemures as restless and malignant spirits of wicked men, as opposed to the lares — benevolent souls of the family who haunted and guarded the household. The more common belief, however, was that all souls of the departed were the same.
The lares, guardian spirits/household deities, were venerated by ancient Romans as children of the goddess Lara ("mother of the dead"). Embodied in small statues and placed in the high parts of the house and at the table during meals, they were later said to be fathered by Hermes and became conflated with other Roman gods/spirits of place. Over time, the scope of their powers expanded beyond the household.
Technorati Tags pagan ritual, Roman gods, lares, goddess Lara, All Saint's Day, June weddings, household gods, guardian spirits, black beans, spell, incantation
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