NUMINISM
Attuning with the Seasons
THE ROMAN CALENDAR
The early Romans used a calendar based on the Moon. At the New Moon, the dark point in the
lunar cycle, the Romans honored Janus, the Spirit of Beginnings, and Juno, the Female force and
Queen of Heaven. This day was called the Calends. On this day, the priests decreed the dates of
the other two guideposts of the month. At the Full Moon, the brightest point of the lunar cycle, the
Romans honored Jupiter, the Male force and the King of Heaven. This day was known as the
Ides and fell on either the 13th or 15th of the month. In between the Calends and the Ides, came the Nones. The exact day of the month varied
as the length of the month varied, but the Nones fell 8 days before the Ides. There were no names
for the period after the Full Moon when the moon was waning because this time was considered
unlucky. The Romans counted time from these 3 points of the month, naming a day by how many
days before or after the points it came. Predie Calends April would be March 31st, or one day
before the Calends of April. Modern Jewish tradition still uses a lunar calendar and many of their
traditions echo Roman tradition. Please visit this site to learn more about the Jewish calendar.
Among these traditions is the use of a horn to declare the first day of the month and the role of the
priests in determing the length of the month and placement of holy days within the month.
The early Romans counted a year of 10 lunar months (March, April, May, June, Quintile, Sextile,
September, October, November, December) and then lost track during the winter until the spring
equinox, which was the Calends of March or New Year's Day. Numa Pompilius, the organizer of
the Roman religion and second king of Rome, added two extra months (January and February) for
a total of twelve and an extra period of time (Mercendary) to make up some of the difference
between the lunar and solar year. This system worked better but slowly lost alignment with the
solar year so that Calends March no longer marked the Equinox. Julius Caesar had the calendar
revamped during his rule of Rome. He moved the New Year from Calends March to Calends
January. He dropped the pretense of reconciling lunar and solar years and opted for a completely
solar calendar, like the Egyptians had. He rearranged the number of days per month to pretty much
what we use today and changed the name of Quintile to July. His nephew Augustus removed one
day from February and placed it on Sextile and changed its name to August. And, except for one
correction added to the calendar by the Christian Pope Georgius, this is the calendar the Western
world follows today.Visit this site to learn more about the Roman calendar.
THE NUMINIST CALENDAR
Numinist tradition asks that we follow the following calendar system. Use the current solar
calendar, with the current month names. Honor the 3 monthly guideposts and the appropriate
Numina for each. You will note that after Caesar the monthly guideposts no longer reflect the lunar
phases. The New Year begins with Calends January. The date changes at midnight. Years are
numbered from 753 BCE, the year in which Rome was founded, abbreviated AUC (ab urbe condita). To compensate
for the loss of the lunar year, we overlap the zodiac and the Roman calendar naming the Full
Moons for the Zodiacal signs and calling the second Full Moon in a sign the Blue Moon. When
precision is required we express specific dates in zodiacal terms. Therefore, time is ruled by the
Heavenly Father and the absolute final word on time is the position of the Heavens. Please visit
this site to learn more about the Zodiac.
THE NUMINIST YEAR
Within this framework, Numinists will celebrate the turning of the wheel of the year (the Zodiac in
the Heavens). We celebrate the beginning of the New Year with a celebration in honor of Janus,
the Spirit of beginings and endings. We celebrate the Solsticies, the Equinoxes, and the points
between, aslo called crosses. We call these special days by the following names, in honor of
Roman festivals which fell near these days. Beginning with the winter solstice there is Brumalia, a
celebration of the rule of Saturn and the golden age of man. After Brumalia we concentrate on
inner work and in home activities until the winter cross at February 2 called Februa, a ritual for
purifaction and a celebration of innocence and young love. Afterwards we prepare for the spring
equinox, Liberalia, a celebration of the rebirth of life on earth and the return of Libera/ Proserpina
and Liber/ Bacchus from the Underworld. This is a time of attuning to Nature and centering
ourselves spiritually. Coming of age rites are held at this time also. Then, we honor the Spirit of
Fertilty and courtship culminating with the spring cross at May 1, Floralia, when we celebrate the
beauty of the buds and flowers which foretell the bounty of the land. From here we celebrate the
family and homelife until we rededicate ourselves and our homes to the Spirits of Family and the
Old Gods at the summer solstice, Vestalia. Then, we honor the Spirit of Strength and Courage
with physical activities and sports, games, and gardening. At the summer cross of August 1, called
Vertumnalia, we hold a thankgiving meal to give thanks for the first fruits of the years harvest.
Then, we celebrate the harvest time with festivals and fairs until the autumnal equinox, the
Bacchanalia, which honors the decline of life and departure of Proserpina and Bacchus. The
period from this point until the autumnal cross, Pomonalia, is a time to remember our past personal
and societal accomplishments and failures, to set new goals for future accomplishments and to ask
forgiveness for past failures. From this point on, we strive to remember our history from the
present backwards culminating with the rule of Saturn at Brumalia.
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