Faunalia

I love Faunalia. Perhaps it’s because as a young girl, like most young girls, I completely gave my heart to Mr. Tumnus. The goat ears are truly the only reason I find James McAvoy attractive.

His sister-wife, Bona Dea, Fauna, the good Goddess, I came to love through the writings of Colleen McCullough. The image of the matrons of Rome preparing her ancient and secret rites captured my imagination. It is considered bad luck to mention her name aloud, at least for men to use her name, and she is referred to by her title alone.

Faunus and Fauna are very old Roman Gods. Although often identified as the Greek Pan and Maia, they are quite separate and their worship dates back beyond the beginning of Rome herself. They are the chief of the Fauni, the spirits of the forests, plains and fields, and fertility and abundance are their domain. Their rites were held in respectable, ancient temples, and in secret, private rites. The proper practices of agriculture, animal husbandry and raising families was in their domain, yet they also represented the very real act of sexual intercourse. Lupercalia, the sexually-charged fertility festival of “he who guards against the wolf” was also associated with Faunus.

The worship of Faunus extended as far as Britannia, and there’s evidence he was worshipped well into the 4th century. Roman God or deified Latin king, he was called upon for oracles and prophecy in his sacred places.

I have no “honey-pot” of “milk” with which to toast the Good Goddess today, and dancing around in goat skins or keeping sacred snakes as pets are also out of the question. I can feed goats, practice divination and make devotional offerings to these ancient Roman Gods.

May you be blessed with abundance in all you desire!

This song kept coming up today, so I think it belongs here. Enjoy!