<i>Dies Natalis Vestae Naukrateis</i>; <i>Dies Mortis Sancti</i>; and Shinto

Today marks three occasions: two fairly particular to the Ekklesía Antínoou, and another from the version of Shinto practice done at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America, but often done a week or three later than this in other shrines.

First, today is the Dies Natalis Vestae, as celebrated in Naukratis in Egypt. The same cult calendar that gives us this date also gives several dates in relation to Hadrian’s visits to Tebtynis and Oxyrhynchus, as recently celebrated at the end of last month and beginning of this month. Vesta has several festivals celebrated in Rome specifically in her honor, including the Vestalia on June 9th, and the Vestal Virgins were involved in other festivals on March 1 and May 14; the Vestalia itself, however, is not said to be her dies natalis, and no records of such a festival survive in relation to Rome itself. However, this Egyptian calendar does record it for the city of Naukratis, which was the city upon whose model Antinoöpolis was built. Further, there is a deme in Antinoöpolis, in the phyla named for Divus Nerva, named Hestieus, thus being sacred to Hestia (the Greek equivalent of Vesta). Therefore, due to the Egyptian and Hadrianic connections of the documents relating this festival, it is thus of significance to the Ekklesía Antínoou. Thank Vesta today for all of the gifts of fire–particularly heat, in whatever form it may come, for your homes in this cold season (if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere!); and, if you can manage to give to charities, you might consider donating to the Warm for Winter campaign through T. Thorn Coyle (and co.’s) Solar Cross Temple.

Ave Vesta Mater Ignis! Khaire Khaire Hestia!

Today was also the dies mortis of Sanctus Alessandro Albani, who died in 1779. We just celebrated the birth of Winckelmann, who was patronized by Albani for much of his working life, and Albani had an essential role to play in Winckelmann’s access to several works related to Antinous, since he owned many of them. He was a great lover of classical arts and patron of various artists and scholars, and we owe him a great deal in terms of keeping Antinous’ memory alive in the 18th century and beyond.

So, sing Ignis Corporis Infirmat, Ignis sed Animae Perstat today for Sanctus Albani, patron of artists, scholars, and of Antinous himself!

Finally, today was also the Oharahi Shiki Taisai, the end-of-year purification ceremony, at the Tsubaki Grand Shrine of America. (The photos given for this event here were not this year’s, as those newer photos have not been posted yet.) This ceremony takes place often on the last day of the year, but the local shrine here in the U.S. always has it a few weeks before, as the New Year/Hatsumoude ceremonies take a great deal of preparation, and go for a three-day period almost continuously. With only one Shrine priest, a few Shrine assistants, and a small staff of Shrine volunteers, this is a huge undertaking, so it’s very understandable why the ceremony takes place when it does here.

Before the ceremony began, we were each given a jibarai-no-gohei, a small purification instrument, and used it like the priest uses the haraegushi in purification ceremonies, swinging it to the left, then right, then left over our shoulders. Each family/household was given one such jibarai-no-gohei for this purpose; Shrine members received theirs in the mail, while non-members were given them at the beginning of the ceremony to purify themselves in this manner. While the haraegushi is something like a “liturgical feather-duster/broom,” and the jibarai-no-gohei is similar, it’s also sort of a “liturgical axe,” as it not only disperses impurities like the other instrument, but cuts away impurities that have clung to one over the last year.

The Oharahi-no-Kotoba, the “Great Words of Purification,” are also prayed toward the gathered Sanpaisya on this occasion (and at the mid-year purification), and when this was done, that cold white “Shinto energy” that I have come to know over the last few years could be felt at various points washing over the crowd, at least from my viewpoint. This prayer has a great deal of elements to it like voces magicae in Graeco-Egyptian practice–it is a syllabic recitation that can’t really be translated. In thinking about all of this in terms of physics (because why shouldn’t one?), we know that the universe used to be much smaller and hotter, and probably filled with more light than it is now as a result, when all potentialities were erupting forth for the first time into ever-expanding space. I don’t quite perceive Shinto energy like that, though–even though it is an energy of potentiality, I think the coldness of it suggests that it isn’t limitless potential, but instead it is potential about to come into being, into solid form, into manifestation…it’s not “raw material” so much as “nearly finished,” I think. (And, I suspect this is one of the reasons that I’d have to interpret Shinto as polytheistic rather than monistic, as some people interpret it, because polytheism always revels in specificity rather than in generality; so much in Shinto ends up being focused on where people are at very specifically–geographically, if nothing else–rather than in just assuming that everyone will receive the energy and blessings of the rituals in a kind of general fashion.)

Part of this ceremony also involves Omochitsuki, mochi-making, which is a lot of fun to watch. (Again, the above photo is not from this year–there was no snow on the ground this year when it happened, thankfully!) I spoke with a couple–the husband was American, the wife Japanese–who were up from Portland, and we had a nice chat about some of the things that make Shinto interesting and helpful, and I advised them on some relations that this Shrine has with Sake One down in Forest Grove, OR (near Portland), as well as the Inari shrine at this Shrine and how to find it. The mochi-making was a lot of fun to watch this year, and at one point, two of the mallet-pounders collided with their mallets, but neither seemed to be injured or disturbed too much by doing so. After we had left and were going up the hill, however, we heard a loud “Ooooh!” from the gathered crowd…I hope that the mochi master didn’t get hit in the head or get his hands smacked with the mallet, which is always a danger in this!

As I was going to the Inari shrine, there was another older American gentleman ahead of me, and I asked him if he was going to the Inari shrine, and he said “No kami-fearing Onmyoji would miss it!” So, that was interesting…someone who actually practices Onmyodo these days must be relatively rare outside of certain circles in Japan!

So, it was an enjoyable occasion, and I’m glad to have completed another year, officially, of Shinto festivals.