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Monday 14 February 2011

Wolf Goddess - Luperca


 The Goddess Lupa or Luperca is an Etruscan goddess.
She is depicted in wolf form but also appears as a lady.
She is also called Luperca and Acca Larentia. 
Acca Larentia was the wife of Faustulus.
Some stories suggest that Lupa is Artemis in wolf shape. 
The story goes that Goddess Lupa is the wolf mother who adopted and nursed two baby boys, Romulus (the founder of Rome) and Remus. 
Lupa or Lupea is a Latin name for "She Wolf" but interestingly it's also a title of a common prostitute in ancient Rome.
The celebration of Lupercalia Day is a Roman festival to honour the goddess wolf mother.
Lupercalia Day was held on the 15th February but it's the origin of modern Valentine's Day, held on the 14th February. 

Links:
Acca Larentia
Romulus and Remus
Roman Prostitutes
Inner Goddess - Lupa/Acca Larentia
Lupa
The Mysterious Etruscans
Lupercalia

Monday 7 February 2011

Yeti

There are few accounts of these entities, or rather, legendary monsters seen in the snowy drifts of the mountains of Tibet and Nepal.

They go by many names famously called "Yeti" and "Abominable Snowman". They are a form of cryptid, a mythical and maybe a fantastic creature not known or possibly imaginative. It is said these beasts are half men and half bears although some consider them to be apelike. They are usually large and white but some have written about these unsual beings brown in appearance. Strange footpints have been found in snow by teams of explorers.

Whatever these creatures are, they have many names and have many sightings all around the world.

The snow beast has been sighted from across the globe in areas of Asia, the Americas, Europe (even in Scotland) and Australia. Some have explained them off as being animals such as a blue bear.

Sources:
Yeti Wikipedia
Archive for Abominable Snowman
Yeti - with photos of footprints
The Cryptid Zoo
The Museum of Unnatural History

The world is full of stories about such large, ferocious beasts. They manifest in human works of fiction, especially in cinema and gaming. For example, the Yetilike creature appears in "Beast Quest," "Final Fantasy", "Quake" and "Rune".The Yeti has appeared in many films including "Yeti (2009)", "The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor" and "Monsters Inc".

Apart from this, many people have fears of the snow, and they imagine seeing monstrous shapes, hearing noises and even visualising horror. Every Winter when there is a heavy snowfall, children like to build snowmen. It is often considered an act of artistry and skill, especially if you build a large snowman. Some children may even fear their own snowmen, at night when these white figures are outside looking like spectres. People have been building snowmen since the Middle Ages. Some may even find that snowmen are often "creepy" in appearance, and reminds others of horror films and nightmares.

Video of a mysterious creature

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Amethyst - Wolf of February


The birthstone of the month is Amethyst.

For those who were born in the month of February the Amethyst is the traditional birthstone. The February birthstone poem reflects some of the properties with which the Amethyst is associated - stability, peace, balance, courage, inner strength, sincerity and a calm disposition. The healing properties of the February birthstone are reputed to be effective for health problems relating to the withdrawal symptoms of any sort of addiction,  headaches, insomnia, arthritis, pain relief, circulatory system issues and general healing. The Amethyst is also referred to as the the "sobriety stone" as it was once believed to prevent drunkenness and used to treat alcoholism and other types of addictions. 

 This is taken from Here

For those born in February, it is often considered a lucky charm if wearing Amethyst to represent their birth month. Some would consider that the birthstone doesn't fall into place with the zodiac. The birthstone is a seperate element and has different meanings, while the zodiac is shaped by the stars.

The "Amethyst Wolf" is a birth totem for people who were born in the month of February, whether they are Aquarius (January 20 - February 18) or Pisces (February 19 - March 20).

February born Aquarius people are glittering but stormy.
February born Pisces people are colourful but moody.

February is part of the winter season, but it is a time of fading winter and gathering light. It's also the season of romantic love and fertility or as in it's earlier traditional form, a banishing of evil spirits.

Valentine's Day is a big season of the month and it has origins linked to an ancient tradition called Lupercalia. This was a Roman festival that celebrated the wolf mother goddess, who fostered children.

This month could also be considered the "month of the wolf", called Faoilleach

The February Wolf is about love and fertility, mating rituals and companionships.

February is considered the time of Imbolc, the Celtic festival as part of the Wheel of the Year, to honour the goddess Brigid, bright goddess of flames. February is when the time of Winter fades and Spring is born.

More links about Amethysts:

February Birthstone
Meanings of stones - Amethyst

About the February traditions:

Lupercalia
Lupa or Acca Larentia
Pagan Origins of Valentine's Day
Imbolc
Brgid's Cross