Juno februata biography
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However, in 496 AD, Pope Gelasius I banned the festival. It honoured the sacredness of fertility, the changing of the seasons, and the untamed spirit that resides in all of us.
Though often overshadowed by its later Christian counterpart, Valentine’s Day, Lupercalia was far more than a celebration of romance—it was a festival of divine union, vitality, and the turning of the wheel of the year.
She is a goddess of purification, magic, and initiation, making her an ideal deity to invoke when releasing the old and stepping into a new phase of passion and power.
The She-Wolf (Lupa) – Mother of Rome
The She-Wolf, or Lupa, who nursed Romulus and Remus, is deeply tied to instinct, intuition, and fierce devotion.
Next came a huge feast. If you don’t go out in the woods, nothing will ever happen and your life will never begin.” – Clarissa Pinkola Estés (Women Who Run with the Wolves.)
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Mystic Sariel
Tarot and Oracle Card Reader, Spiritual Teacher and Reiki Master.
Categories: Blog, divine-feminine, Fertility, Goddesses, Love, Lupercalia, Spirituality
Tags: Blog, Goddess, History, Love, Lupercalia, Romance, She-Wolf, Spirituality, valentines, Valentines Day
Februus
An ancient Italian divinity, to whom the month of February was sacred, for in the latter half of that month great and general purifications and lustrations were celebrated, which were at the same time considered to produce fertility among men as well as beasts.
It reminds us that love is not just about romance—it is about connection, passion, protection, and wild freedom.
By honouring this festival today, we reclaim something deeply ancient and powerful—our connection to nature, to our instincts, and to the untamed spirit of love itself.
So on this Lupercalia, light a candle, dance in the wild, and whisper to the She-Wolf within:
“I remember you.
Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. They were allowed freedom to do whatever they wanted with each other.
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Male goats and a dog, representing sexuality, were sacrificed. Origines iv, 33.It also shares deep spiritual connections with Beltane, the fire festival of fertility celebrated in May.
If you’ve ever felt the call to honour love in its rawest form, to celebrate the divine within yourself and the world around you, or to awaken something powerful within, Lupercalia holds deep spiritual meaning. The word “February” comes from februare, meaning “to purify,” and Juno was the sacred embodiment of this cleansing, fiery energy.
Artemis or Diana – The Wild Huntress and Guardian of Women
Artemis or Diana embody the fierce independence and raw power that Lupercalia celebrates.
Men chased woman around lashing them with the strips. 618.
Sources
- Isodorus. The brothers were found at the base of Palatine Hill, where Rome was founded. Ioannes Lydus. It reminded people that love, fertility, and desire were sacred forces—not things to be tamed, but to be celebrated and honoured.
From Lupercalia to Valentine’s Day: The Shift from Wild to Tame
Lupercalia was celebrated for centuries, even after the rise of Christianity.
Women purposely let themselves be whipped to insure fertility.
In the name of Februata Juno (also known as Lupercus), the goddess of fertility, men pulled names from a jar then spent the day with the woman whose name they pulled. They are protectors of the wild, goddesses of the hunt, and guardians of women, particularly maidens.
Aphrodite or Venus – Goddess of Passion, Desire, and Sacred Love
Aphrodite or Venus’ energy is present in Lupercalia, reminding us that love is divine, sensual, and deeply sacred.
Often the couple stayed together until the next year’s festival. I set you free.”
Remember your wild nature, for your were never meant to be tamed!
“Go out in the woods, go out. Hence the month of February was also sacred to Juno, the goddess of marriage, and she was therefore surnamed Februata or Februtis.1 The name Februus is connected with februare (to purify), and februae (purifications).2
Another feature in the character of this god, which is however intimately connected with the idea of purification, is, that he was also regarded as a god of the lower world, for the festival of the dead (Feralia) was likewise celebrated in February;3 and Anysius4 states, that Februus in Etruscan signified the god of the lower world (κααταχθόνιος).
Hence Februus was identified with Pluto. Both festivals honour passion, fertility, and the sacred dance of masculine and feminine energies.
One of Beltane’s most iconic traditions is the Maypole dance, where ribbons are woven around a central pole in a spiral pattern, representing the union of feminine (white – the Goddess, milk, purity) and masculine (red – the God, blood, passion).