New ‘Celestial’ Year
In the month of March, we embrace the spring equinox, marking the commencement of the celestial new year in alignment with ancient Greco-Roman calendars. Martius, designated as the first month, symbolizes the onset of a fresh cycle. This celestial new year is determined by the precise positions of the sun and moon amidst the fixed stars, influencing our seasons and imbuing them with significance. It represents a simultaneous renewal, both earthly and celestial. In contrast to the Gregorian calendar, which designates January 1 as the start of the New Year—a time nestled within the heart of winter—the lunisolar calendar synchronizes lunar months with the sun and moon's celestial positions, thereby ensuring harmony between seasons and celestial events. This system better reflects the natural order and holds significance across various cultures. Spring, a time of vitality and rebirth, welcomes new life, fresh beginnings, and transformative passages. By delving into the narrative woven by the stars and the ancient deities, we gain deeper insights into nature's rhythms and spiritual influences, enriching our understanding of the world around us.
Influence & Meaning of the Gods
Continuing our exploration, let's delve deeper into the realm of the gods and their influences to gain insight into the guiding consciousness shaping these cosmic and seasonal forces and how we can harmonize with them. Each deity embodies a unique nature, reflecting an evolutionary cycle within Greek cosmology, and their influence indicates the unfolding qualities within our earthly cycle. (i.e. the visible stars at the time These characteristics guide the progression of the next cycle, mirroring the phases they embody and the festivals that honor these transitions. With the coming of the spring equinox, marking the Earth's journey closer to the sun, we find Mars reigning over this first month of the celestial new year, lending its name to March, or Martius in the Greco-Roman systems. Mars, the Roman God of War, signifies new beginnings, transformative shifts, and the emergence of life. It embodies the energy and effort of life awakening from dormancy to activity, symbolizing the dawn of new light and the stirring of consciousness within all beings on Earth. Alongside Mars, Jupiter is worshiped during this month. His influence governs the wisdom guiding new forms, transformation. This wisdom is often depicted as the generational or paternal figure, intuitive and guidance for the journey ahead. In this aspect, Jupiter manifests as lightning—a sudden burst of new light or revelation, the spark for creation, igniting the path forward. Across diverse cultures, Jupiter's celestial influence at this juncture underscores its role in ushering in the wisdom necessary for navigating the new cycle and the development of a new beginning. The ruler of the month, Mars, sets the thematic tone and embodies qualities that stir within individuals and nature alike, propelling them forward with kinetic energy toward action and transformation. These divine forces symbolize the spark of new life, catalyzing action and change, marking not only the dawn of a new year but the dawn of a new self and forms both within humanity and the natural world. Together with the Jupiterian influence shown through the stars and from the traditional celebrations across the ancient world we understand that the first month- March/Martius will usher in a new beginning- a new cycle- and is thus, our new year.
Summary
In astronomical positions and symbolic language, we discover the keys to unlocking the deeper truths of our existence, forging a deeper connection with the universe and our place within it. Through awareness of the stars and the insights gleaned from the wisdom of these ancient gods and traditions, we find ourselves immersed in a profound dialogue with the cosmos. They serve as mirrors reflecting the qualities and energies that permeate our lives and reflect the intricate connection between our heavens and life on earth. As we honor the celestial new year, let us look deeper into the knowledge that resonates above us among the stars and the nature that awakens within us based on our position within the heavens. The celestial new year reveals the true nature of the year unfolding both within ourselves and in the natural world around us. It is the spark of new life and the dawn of a new self, propelling humanity and nature forward with kinetic energy toward action and transformation.
Key Dates & Significance
To Follow the Celestial influences, its best to use the LuniSolar Calendar
March 10: New Moon- New Year begins
March 25: Anna Perrenna celebration of a new cycle, the new annual year in full view, the day of the full moon.
March 27: Celebration of Mars (Agonalia) and the Liberalia festival-Give homage to your ancestors and what gives rise to new life- both past, and the lessons, this is a mark of freedom, and it was celebrated as a coming of age, the liberty/liberation of new form.