After having celebrated the
Februalia as final rite of purification during the last day of February, on March the 1st the
Sacred Year begins.
March is thus a very important month characterized by many celebrations.
March is enterely dedicated to Life and Nature re-birth in all their expressions. This month is dedicated to generating forces converging into two polatiries:
Mars (Male Polarity) and
Cybele (Female Polarity)
Mars - usually wrongly associated to the God of War - is the "He-generating". he is symbolically Romolus and Remus father being in this way Father of the Roman People. Mars is the Fecundating Male Energy: Earth, Plants, Flowers, Fields, etc. He is defined as
Marmor (shining, gleaming) but more frequently as
Marmar (Reproductive Force of the Nature) or
Gradivus (Fecundating Vegetation).
Sacred plants for Mars are: figtree and oak. Sacred animals are: wolf, horse and woodpecker.
If Janus is the sacralization of the "beginnings", Mars is the sacralization of the "activity" and "things' blossoming". To Mars are dedicated the "Sacred Pimavere" of youth who entered the adult life as foundators and fecundators.
His sacred symbol is a Lance.
Cybele is the female polarity of fecundity (She-Fecundating). Cybele is by definition the
Great Mather embracing all the Goddess having specific characters. In the same time she is associated to the main Goddess: Iuno, Vesta, Tellus, Bona Dea, Maia, Gaia, Flora, Ceres, Pomona, etc.
Cybele is the perennial energy of the Nature renewal. She is the
Lady of the Plants: pine, boxtree and oak are sacred plants to Cybele. She is also the
Lady of the Animals. Humans have learnt from her how to cultivate corn and cereals.
Cybele's sacred symbols are: the Tower and the Lion.
- 1 - 6 march: Matronalia, Fire of Vesta
- 4 - 10 march: Ludi Megalesi
- 7 march: Mars' Agonalia, Iunonalia
- 9 march: Mars' Weapons
- 14 march: Equiria, Mamuralia
- 15 - 27 march: Megalesia, Anna Perenna
- 17 march: Liberalia
- 19 march: Mars' Weapons, Great Quinquatria (by 21st march)
- 23 march: Tubilustrium