In early times the followers of The Old Religion were farmers and craftsmen. Their lives were largely spent in toil. Their Religion provided times in which they could set aside their work, and enjoy a social and spiritual celebration. These Festivals were indeed "respit- es" or "periods of rest occurring in regular cycles".
In The Aridian Tradition there are 8 Treguendas, four major and four minor. The major rites occur in October, February, May and Augus- These are the Spiritual Festivals which are considered of greater importance. The minor festivals occur on the Spring & Autumn Equinox, and on the Summer & Winter Solstice. These are the Earth Festivals, and are seasonal/agricultural in nature. The Mythos of the Old Religi- on runs through each of these Celebrations. They are named as follows:
Shadowfest (La Festa dell' Ombra)
Winter Solstice (La Festa dell' Inverno)
Lupercus (Festa di Lupercus)
Spring Equinox (Equinozio della Primavera)
Tana's Day (La giornata di Tana)
Summer Solstice (La Festa dell' Estate)
Cornucopia (La Festa di Cornucopia)
Autumn Equinox (Equinozio di Autunno)
A common term for the 8 rites is the "Wheel". It is thought of as a Spinning-wheel, turning and weaving the patterns of Life. On the physical level it is symbolic of the changing seasons. On the spiritu- al level it is symbolic of the "seasons of the soul". The Mythos which is an integral part of each rite, symbolizes the Journey of the Soul through a variety of Existences.
In the Mystery Teachings of the Wheel, we discover that we are the characters in the Myth. Everything is symbolic within each myth, and represents various aspects of the encounters facing a soul as it passes from life to life. Through a study of the Mythos, and routine participation in each Treguenda, one can gain spiritual enlightenment.
The mythos within the Full Moon Ceremony, weaves its way through each Treguenda, and completes the spiritual vision. It is interesting to note that the ancient teachings connect the light of the Moon, to passages and reincarnations of the Soul.
The Aridian Year begins on October 31st and is marked by the Treguenda (Sabbat) known as Shadowfest. In our Mythos this is the time of Shadows, the time of pro-Creation. Hidden within the mists of the Realm of Shadows are the God & Goddess, joining together in a Divine act of pro-Creation, through which All Things shall come to be. From this Season forward until Spring, the God rules the Year. As his representative, the High Priest is given charge and bears the respon- sibility for organizing the rituals and overseeing the training of new Initiates. During this Season all Initiates are robed within the ritual circle, as a symbol of the time of Shadows. On May 1st (Tana's Day) the rule of the Year is passed to the Goddess, through her repre- sentative the High Priestess. She will then be given charge over the Year, until Shadowfest, when the reign is passed once again. During Her Season all Initiates are nude within the ritual circle. This is a symbol of their Freedom from Slavery, and of the openness of this time of the year. All things are springing forth in Nature, and revealing their natural beauty. Slavery can come in many forms. Some people are slaves to Judaic-Christian morality, and though professing to be Pagan, still hold to the morality of Christianity, and to their in- hibitions which rob them of personal empowerment.
Following Shadowfest, the year turns to the rite of the Winter Solstice. Here the Goddess gives birth to that which issues forth from the Union of the God & Goddess in the time of Shadows. A new light is born on the Winter Solstice, which will save the World from what seems to be an ever encroaching Darkness (Winter).
The next rite is called Lupercus, and in our Mythos this is the time of puberty for the newborn God. It is a time of purification, and is associated with bonfires and torches. Remnants of the ancient Roman Lupercalia can still be seen in this Rite today.
Following Lupercus is the Spring Equinox. This is the time when the Goddess journeys from the Realm of Shadows into the World of Light. The Legend of the Ascent is read and a Mystery Play is per- formed during the reading. The seeds which will be planted are bles- sed, as is the earth itself.
Next in order is Tana's Day, which is observed on May 1st. This ritual marks the Courtship of the Goddess and the God. Here the God passes his Reign to the Goddess, in a Drama enacted by the High Pries- tess & High Priest. It is a ritual of the Celebration of Life and Fertility. Tana's Day is followed by the Summer Solstice, which is a time of magic and renewal. Energy is raised to cleanse and renew the Earth, and to banish evil and negativity from the Community (and the World). After the Summer Solstice comes Cornucopia, which is a Celebr- ation of the coming Harvest, and a time of Plenty.
Following the Rite of Cornucopia, comes the Autumn Equinox. This is the time in which the God is slain, and enters into the Afterworld. The Goddess journeys there also to find her lost love, and this is enacted in a Drama Play held during the ritual, in which the Legend of the Descent is read (just as was done with the Legend of the Ascent in the Spring Equinox). The wheel of the year has then turned completely, as the Season then leads back into Shadowfest, on October 31st. Here the God and Goddess unite once again, and the Cycle begins anew.
The year is also divided up into the times of Waxing and Waning. The Waxing Year is associated with the Stag God, and the Waning Year is associated with the Wolf God. The common image of the Goat God, is merely a domesticated version of the Stag God of the Forest. As Human- kind began farming, the domesticated animals became more important than the once hunted animals, and the symbolism began to change. Pan (or Faunus) is simply the Stag God as seen by an Agricultural Community which valued domesticated animals more than wild animals of the Forest.
The Winter months brought on the wolves who preyed upon both domesticated and wild animals. They were seen as symbols of the power of Winter. Their connection with the Stag God of the Forest (the Hunted & the Hunter) lay deep in the memories of early Humankind. Thus the Wolf God came to symbolize the Waning Year and the Stag God came to symbolize the Waxing Year. This is symbolized by the phenomenon of the cycle of regeneration and growth of the stag's antlers.
The Stag and the Wolf (as deities) go back to the days of Anti- quity, in Witchcraft. An early Etruscan painting, found upon a vase, depicts a Goddess holding up a Stag and a Wolf, one in each hand. This is no surprise, for Italian Witchcraft originates from Tuscany which is where the Etruscan Civilization once stood.
Under ideal circumstances we Celebrate the Equinoxes and Solstic- es on the exact days on which they occur. Then we calculate the mid-p- oint dates between the Equinoxes and Solstices, and establish the dates for the other 4 Celebrations accordingly. When these times do not work out then we may elect to Celebrate on the popular Wiccan dates, if those times fall better in the week. Again, this becomes a practical adaptation for our modern Lifestyle. Our goal, of course, is to adhere to the Old Ways whenever possible.