October in the past was characterized by many important festivities: first of all the Ludi Augustales (7 - 13) and the Ludi Capitolini (15). The former were related to the Emperor Augustus become "Divus" (in a next post I will analyze the concept of "Divus" distinct from the concept of "Deus").
Ludi Capitolini were related to the chasing away of the Gauls from the Capitol. It's important to note that these festivities were celebrated with Ludi or rituals linked to the Goddess Vittoria.
The complex ritual of the celebration of the October Equus cannot be described here.
On October 10th Meditrinalia were celebrated: Meditrinalia were "curative" rituals during which new wine was used during a libatio expressing the following formula: "novum vinum libo, novo veteri morbo medeor" (I make this libatio with new wine to cure old diseases with the "new")
On October 19th Armilustrium was celebrated: swords, shields and spears were purified and closed in the Temple of Mars after the end of the military year (which begins on march the 9th).
On October 28th Isia, festivity dedicated to Isis, were celebrated.
On October 12th the ancient festivity of Fontinalia is celebrated. This festivity is dedicated to Fons/Fontus (son of Janus) and it is linked to springs and wells where invisible waters become visible. Springs, fountains and wells are decorated with wreaths and flowers are put in the rivers.
It is important to note the use of flowers to celebrate the rituals of Fontinalia: the flower is the symbol of transient beauty and impermanence of the existence.
This festivity is however rather complex, with more profound meanings than one can expect. This festivity sacralizes a relevant aspect of water as fons et origo, or primordial element which embraces all the potential manifestations of the existence.
The most relevant aspect of Fontinalia (invisible/visible waters) is thus the sacralization of an element which precedes any form and any creation. This cycle "invisible/visible" corresponds to the relation immersion/emersion: emersion is the cosmogonical act of the manifestation while immersion is a dissolution. Thus water (a regeneration element) evidences the cycle life/death.
Moreover, water, preceding creation, has its own "aquatic" symbology (i.e. the shell). Water is linked to the Female Polarity, the Moon, the Matter, the Undifferentiated Life.
Water (and its primordial features) connotes any "humid" and indefferentiated principle: it's important to note the symbology of the "Flowing Waters" and the "Iced Waters", the symbology of the "Flow" and the "Descending Principle". The cycle and the "Becoming" described by the water are linked to the complex symbolgy of Janus.
All this is therefore what we must have in mind when celebrating the rites of Fontinalia.
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