— SACRED TIME —

Lupercalia

February 15 · Religio Romana · Paganism of antiquity

Fixed date

Esoteric and historical meaning

Purification of the city (februare) and fertility: the luperci run naked around the Palatine Hill hitting passers-by with strips of goat skin, februa. Archaic rite of the wolf and the cave.

Operative mechanics — ritual acts

·Symbolic sacrifice in the Lupercal cave.
·Ritual run and light stroke with a leather strip to those seeking fertility.
·Purification of the house with salt and smoke.

Traditional foods

·Goat milk
·Spelt cake (mola salsa)

Offerings

·Milk, salt, roasted spelt to Faunus

Taboos to respect

·Do not celebrate weddings in February
·Do not interrupt the run of the luperci

Associated symbols

Goat skin · She-wolf · Cave · Salt