Hard to believe that we are already in January 2021, but here we are. The Goddess that we have chosen to represent January is Amaltheia. One of her symbols is the goat, and here in January, Capricorn rules. Amaltheia was seen as a wood nymph by some and yet others saw her as a 'she goat'. However, she was seen, she was a great asset to Zeus, King of the Gods and Goddesses. History tells us that she nourished Zeus as an infant.
A wet nurse was very well thought of in the family. She was treated very well with being given to eat the very best foods to keep her well-nourished. She was quite pampered and well spoiled some would say. Zeus's life was enriched because of Amaltheia's care, and in turn he gifted her in two ways that will be remembered forever. Remember she was a she-goat with horns, so he decided to remove one of her horns. This horn was then known as “the horn of plenty” or the “cornucopia” which symbolizes abundance for all earth's creatures. At this time Zeus transferred Amaltheia up into the heavens to be known as Capel (she-goat), which also became as we know it, the sign of Capricorn. The Capricorn sign begins on the lst day of Winter with the power of logic and reason to guide action, balanced by a keen sense of humor when the going gets tough. Activity – To improve your personal “tenacity”, make up a paper horn filled with fruit. From now until the end of the month eat a piece of fruit each day and ask Amaltheia to aid you in any area where you need diligence. Take that energy with you each day so that by the end of the month you will achieve success. Another way of honoring Amaltheia is to keep an image of a goat, either a picture of one or one that you possibly make out of clay. Place it on your altar or in some other place of honor along with ginger root and carnation. Sources: Patricia Telesco “Journey of the Goddess” Discover the Path
The God of January that we thought would be interesting is Janus Bifrons. Janus was the Pagan Roman god of beginnings and endings, and of gates and doors. He was seen as having two faces. One pointing ahead of where he was going, and the other face was always looking behind him. The reasoning behind the symbolism of the two faces is that both gates and doors have two sides. Ending something so you can start a new beginning one must pass through the one side or the other so as not to remain stuck in the middle. The word January comes from the word Januarius, translating to Janus. He was worshipped prior to the founding of Rome as a city and Janus came to be extremely important as a God to the Romans. Many Roman Gods can associate their roots to the Greek pantheon, but Janus had no Greek counterpart. He was named as the Guardian of Exits and Entrances and he was set to guard at the temple Ianus Geminus. It was a double gated structure, with of course two doors. One facing the rising sun and the other, the setting sun. When the doors of the temple were closed it meant there was peace within the Roman Empire, but when they were open, that meant that Rome was a war. Between the reigns of Numa and Augustus, the gates were only shut once! Janus was very popular and was also seen on Roman coins. The earlier coins showed an older bearded face looking behind, with a younger clean-shaven face looking forward. Years went by and the growth of the Roman Empire both faces of Janus were shown clean shaven. The final design of the coins were showing Janus as bearded and holding a key in his right hand. Activity – One that I made was a piece of cardboard and I sketched on each side a door. Each side was named Open - showing a door opened and the other Closed with of course, the door shut. I used it as a symbol when I was working on a project or idea, putting it the direction that my thoughts of said project were going. As the project was completed, I showed the door closed, another accomplishment! Resources: “Life in Italy” “Mystic Elements” “Pinterest”
