This year, I’ve really kind of felt a pull away from Valentine’s Day and a draw to study Lupercalia. Given that I have a lot of Sicilian ancestry, it only seems appropriate. “Lupercalia was a very ancient, possibly pre-Roman pastoral festival, observed on February 13 through 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. Lupercalia subsumed Februa, an earlier-origin spring cleansing ritual held on the same date, which gives the month of February (Februarius) its name.
The name Lupercalia was believed in antiquity to evince some connection with the Ancient Greek festival of the Arcadian Lykaia and the worship of Lycaean Pan, assumed to be a Greek equivalent to Faunus, as instituted by Evander.
In Roman mythology, Lupercus is a god sometimes identified with the Roman god Faunus, who is the Roman equivalent of the Greek god Pan. Lupercus is the god of shepherds. His festival, celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of his temple on February 15, was called the Lupercalia. His priests wore goatskins. The historian Justin mentions an image of “the Lycaean god, whom the Greeks call Pan and the Romans Lupercus,” nude save for the girdle of goatskin, which stood in the Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf. There, on the Ides of February (in February the ides is the 13th), a goat and a dog were sacrificed, and salt mealcakes prepared by the Vestal Virgins were burnt.” [1]
“The Wolf With the Red Roses” by ~HeartRaped
The sacrifice of goats and dogs may be troubling for some (myself included) and may result in a knock on the door from your local police department and/or the ASPCA. I would like to believe that as our consciousness has grown and evolved, so has that of the gods’. I ran across a great piece entitled “Lupercalia – Adapting an Ancient Roman Festival for Modern Times“. In it, it gives some great alternatives to blood sacrifice and making it more symbolic, yet keeping the Spirit alive. Since the wolf is one of my favorite animals and is in one way or another a totem or guide for me, I really love and embrace the idea of doing something to help the wolf – whether donating money to a charitable organization that speaks up and tries to save the wolves and/or education and raising awareness about preserving the species. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP THE WOLVES.
As for personal workings, this really resonated with me: “Amulius deprived his nephews of their parents. The Gods stepped in and gave them wolf parents. Another aspect that could be reflected upon is the way in which the Gods provide alternatives when we suffer losses in our lives. Thanks might be offered to the benevolence of Providence, especially if those taking part have had just such experiences of the kindness of strangers.”
Also, from Patricia Telesco’s book, 365 Goddess:A Daily Guide to the Magic and Inspiration of the Goddess, she states in her February 14th entry on Venus and Lupercalia: “During Lupercalia, an ancient predecessor of Valentine’s Day, single girls put their names in a box and unmarried men drew lots to see with whom they would be paired off for the coming year. To be more modern-minded, try pinning five bay leaves to your pillow instead to dream of future loves. If you’re married or otherwise involved, steep the bay leaves in water and drink the resulting tea to strengthen the love in your relationship.
To encourage balance in a relationship, bind together Venus’s symbols, a pine cone and a flower, and put them somewhere in your home. Or, to spice up a passionate moment, feed fresh berries to each other and drink a berry beverage from one cup (symbolizing united goals and destinies).
In Roman tradition, anywhere there’s a large stone adjacent to a tall tree, Venus is also there. Should you know of such a place, go there today and commune with Her warm, lusty energy.”
Of course, there is the whole fertility aspect of this holiday as well. So, in the Spirit of the holiday, indulge in some strawberries, some chocolate, and other Foods of Love. Have a glass or two of red wine and embrace Love; which includes loving yourself! Have fun, keep it safe and get kinky wit’ it!
Divine advice from Stifyn Emrys
Sources:
Herne, Robin. Manygods.org.uk, “Lupercalia – Adapting an Ancient Roman Festival for Modern Times”
Wikipedia, “Lupercalia“.
Suggested Links:
About.com, “Lupercalia“.
Brinker, Wendy. Magickalwinds.com, “The True Origins of Saint Valentine’s Day“.
Ruickbie, Leo. Witchology.com, “St Valentine’s Day or Ancient Pagan Sex Rite?“.
Journeying to the Goddess 
The god of our coven is Faunus, and I did not realize his connection with Lupercalia, so thank you!
You’re so welcome! Happy Lupercalia! 🙂
The stories of Pausanius a carian ioannian greek, on the topic of the origins of the greeks/Hellens, revealed that Apollo a ball of light goes to Delphi and removes the matriarchs. Yet save one to keep the female aspect in this “oracle” a elderly women dress as a virgin girl. Pausanius writes Apollo came out of Hyperborea, (england) as a ball of light .(crop circles ) So in time the story goes when apollo leaves delphi periodically for three months of every year, he leaves Pan and his wife to rule. We may also see the worth in the gospels of thomas, that reveal “In this second coming, a conversation between isa jesus , mary mag, and Salome ,”Of the two who rule of the golden couch, will leave and one will stay to rule.
after much concideration i feel it is “Pan” who rules . In the asiatic sense Pan Chem was first conscious soul bearing man, a hermaphrodite, Adamos or Pan Chem. Eve born of Adam’s fifth rib. the fifth rib is formed when the the genitalia does. But then Adam’s first wife was lilith a shape shifter , and the snake , is a nagas entity. not a demon. An angel revealed to Adam , agriculture and how to make metals, a nagas. or nagini. perhaps So Adam was not the first being. But an experiment . It took the christians to make Pan a Demon.
In my heart of hearts, I do not believe that the god’s desire animal or humane sacrifice. I believe that animal & humane sacrifice was a tragic misinterpretation by some of our ancestors.
Hey Tina! I’ve been thinking about that a lot the past few days. I cannot imagine the conditions that our ancestors lived in, where everything they did was centered on survival and the future of the clan or tribe. Perhaps our ancestors thought that a gift begets a gift – that life is in the blood and in exchange for the life that they sacrificed, they are then gifted by the gods in return. Was it a tragic misinterpretation? It could be. I would imagine that in desperate times, people were driven by fear to sacrifice even the most precious of things – life – in order to live. Perhaps they thought that it would somehow balance things out.
To get real deep on you, perhaps the world in which they lived was brutal and raw, and thus they believed that’s what their gods wanted and found acceptable based on the theory that man creates the gods-forms based on man’s interpretation of the Essences of cosmic energy and gives the gods human characteristics…and that is how the gods evolve as we do…but that’s a whole other topic 😉
I would actually like to research and learn more about human and blood sacrifice as it happened (and is undoubtedly still happening today). I would like to know when it started in the different cultures across the world in which it appears and when it ended – to see if there was some sort of correlation or perhaps a universal type awakening as it were.
Reblogged this on The Wanton Witch.