29-31 May: Ambarvalia

In the past, these days was dedicated to an important rural procession, Ambarvalia  (Ambarvalia means "country walk") to honour all the agricultural and rural Gods/Goddesses. During the Roman Ambarvalia the suovetaurilia sacrifice was made: it was the sacrifice of a pig, a bull and a ram for the land's purification. After that in every farm and village country parties were held.

The sacred ministers who made this sacrifice were the Arvales: they called themselves Fratres (Brothers). These sacred ministers were devoted to Earth's cult with secret rites held in a sacred wood dedicated to the Dea Dia thorugh an arcaic Latin language. Their symbol was a spike.

Today we dedicate these days to Mother Earth: it may be useful to go to the countryside to make frugal meals with friends and relatives to give thanks to Mother Earth for her fruits, to dedicate our thoughts to rural works and activitiies and to those animals which with their death give us life. In particular the Simples must be present.

Dea sancta Tellus, rerum naturae parens,
quae cuncta generas et regeneras indidem,
quod sola praestas gentibus vitalia,
caeli ac maris diva arbitra rerumque omnium,
per quam silet natura et somnos concipit,
itemque lucem reparas et noctem fugas:
tu Ditis umbras tegis et immensum chaos
ventosque et imbres tempestatesque attines
et, cum libet, dimittis et misces freta
fugasque soles et procellas concitas,
itemque, cum vis, hilarem promittis diem.
tu alimenta vitae tribuis perpetua fide,
et, cum recesserit anima, in tete refugimus:
ita, quicquid tribuis, in te cuncta recidunt.
merito vocaris Magna tu Mater deum,
pietate quia vicisti divom numina;
tuque illa vera es gentium et divom parens,
sine qua nil maturatur nec nasci potest:
tu es Magna tuque divom regina es, dea.
te, diva, adoro tuumque ego numen invoco,
facilisque praestes hoc mihi quod te rogo;
referamque grates, diva, tibi merita fide.
exaudi me, quaeso, et fave coeptis meis;
hoc quod peto a te, diva, mihi praesta volens.
herbas, quascumque generat maiestas tua,
salutis causa tribuis cunctis gentibus:
hanc nunc mihi permittas medicinam tuam.
veniat medicina cum tuis virtutibus:
quidque ex his fecero, habeat eventum bonum,
cuique easdem dedero quique easdem a me acceperint,
sanos eos praestes. denique nunc, diva, hoc mihi
maiestas praestet tua, quod te supplex rogo.

Goddess revered, O Earth, of all nature Mother, 
engendering all things and re-engendering them from the same womb, 
because thou only dost supply each species with living force, 
thou divine controller of sky and sea and of all things, 
through thee is nature hushed and lays hold on sleep, 
and thou likewise renewest the day and dost banish night. 
Thou coverest Pluto's shades and chaos immeasurable: winds, rains and tempests 
thou dost detain, and, at thy will, let loose, and so convulse the sea, 
banishing sunshine, stirring gales to fury, 
and likewise, when thou wilt, thou speedest forth the joyous day. 
Thou dost bestow life's nourishment with never-failing faithfulness, 
and, when our breath has gone, in thee we find our refuge: 
so, whatsoe'er thou bestowest, all falls back to thee. 
Deservedly art thou called Mighty Mother of Gods, 
since in duteous service thou hast surpassed the divinities of heaven, 
 and thou art that true parent of living species and of gods, 
without which nothing is ripened or can be born. 
Thou art the Mighty Being and thou art queen of divinities, O Goddess. 
Thee, divine one, I adore and thy godhead I invoke: 
graciously vouchsafe me this which I ask of thee: 
and with due fealty, Goddess, I will repay thee thanks. 
Give ear to me, I pray, and favour my undertakings: 
this which I seek of thee, Goddess, vouchsafe to me willingly. 
All herbs soever which thy majesty engendereth, for health's sake 
thou bestowest upon every race: 
entrust to me now this healing virtue of thine: 
let healing come with thy powers: 
whate'er I do in consonance therewith, let it have favourable issue:
to whomso I give those same powers or whoso shall receive the same from me, 
all such do thou make whole. 
Finally now, O Goddess, let thy majesty vouchsafe to me what I ask of thee in prayer.