Ceres, october, the first corn harvest Options

down the road they just harvested the field corn

time to throw a tea party for ceres, the goddess of the first grain harvest, at the magician's card - everybody is invited

from wiki:ceres:

The Romans adopted Ceres in 496 BC during a devastating famine, when the Sibylline books advised the adoption of her Greek equivalent Demeter, along with Kore (Persephone) and Iacchus (possibly Dionysus). Ceres was personified and celebrated by women in secret rituals at the festival of Ambarvalia, held during May. There was a temple to Ceres on the Aventine Hill in Rome and her official priest was called a flamen. Her primary festival was the Cerealia or Ludi Ceriales ("games of Ceres"), instituted in the 3rd century BC and held annually on April 12 to April 19. The worship of Ceres became particularly associated with the plebeian classes, who dominated the grain trade.

There was also an October festival dedicated to her when women fasted and offered her the first grain of the harvest

buy or make a popcorn ball for birds - peanut butter or beef suet, mixed with birdseed and let dry, then hang outside

its her grain, so no need to give it to her like a tithe (tax), but it would be cool to feast with her on it (the original idea of a feast) - maybe eat a bowl of cereal with her while staring at her picture?

sounds perfect, unless ceres/demeter is an ancient enemy of your pantheon, etc, so check first

This post has been edited by esoterica: Oct 24 2009, 10:18 AM

I don't know any Ceres or anything about corn worshipping and popcorn feeding to the birds but we had Winter Nights a week or so ago. The first fall storm hit us and everything was blustery, cold and going yellow so I figured it was time.

QUOTE: "In pre-Christian Scandinavia, Veturnætur, Winternights, was a period of two days around the middle of October which marked the beginning of the winter half of the year. At this time the cattle would be brought in from the pastures and, as there was only fodder enough to see the breeding stock through the cold season, the remainder would be slaughtered and the meat preserved to provide food for the farmers throughout the harsh winters. This necessary yearly cull provided an excellent excuse for a big sacrificial feast at which gods, elves and/or ancestors were welcomed. Friends, relatives and honoured guests would gather at farmstead feast halls decorated with festive tapestries. Descriptions in the Icelandic Sagas suggest that they would play ball games on the frozen lakes during the day and eat and drink to excess during the night."
http://www.wyrdwords.vispa.com/heathenry/winternights.html

(IMG:http://forums.saber-scorpion.com/style_emoticons/default/viking.gif)

nice winternight!!! - hie vinter!!!

and i was summarily informed by ceres that beer would be far better than tea! -lol, duh, my bad!

and none of the american rice or maize beer, but only good old barley malts and amber wheats

odd how she didn't seem to think of rice as an appropriate cereal crop - was there no rice in ancient rome?