Camonica Club of North America: Ostara 2020

Mardi Gras - Tuesday, February 25, 2020

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'The Pagan Roots of Mardi Gras'

⚲★Phoenix🖤⛤ - Pagans & Witches (aminoapps.com) - February 25, 2019

Warning: there may be some content on this page that, while not explicitly violating guidelines, may be a bit mature for children. themes involve the culture and history of mardi gras and saturnalia.

Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, is the last day of the season of Carnival which traditionally kicks off on Epiphany (January 6). It's celebrated mainly in Catholic-predominant countries and communities as a period of debauchery, gluttony, excess, and subversion of social norms before the austere fasting of Lent, which starts on Ash Wednesday- the first week of March . Christian lore considers the origins of this holiday period an attempt by church reformers to help congregations purge their sinful urges so they can maintain abstinence of prohibited activities and substances during Lent. While this is partly true, a little digging reveals the season of festivities actually has pagan origins.

Before there was Carnival (latin etymology meaning farewell to flesh"- signifying the practice of abstaining from meat during lent), there was Saturnalia. Celebrated in December, this Roman festival was like a cross between christmas and carnival, and touted a lot of the traditions we currently associate with carnival and mardi gras: gaudy and often obscene costumes and masks, chaotic street revelry, music, images of "fools" and gesters, the electing of a "king of chaos" (king cakes and the lord of misrule custom), feasts and rich foods, and wanton sexuality(we may no longer be allowed to have sex in the streets, but i've seen my share of boobs-for-beads). The purpose of this festival was to celebrate the return of light - marked by the winter solstice- and to give a legally sanctioned time for people- especially the underclasses - to release their pent up frustrations and have merrymaking before the hardships of winter could really be felt.

These festivities were done away with officially in the 4th century thanks to Emperor constantine and the councils of nicea. saturnalia was replaced with christmas, but Roman officials were so concerned about what would happen if society did away with the yearly blow-off-steam parties, they decided to absorb them and move the peak of debauchery to just before Lent.

For contemporary pagans and witches, Mardi Gras may be divorced from its religious roman origins. But for those of us who feel swayed by its licentious charms, is there a way to connect to the holiday beyond parties and paczkis? Is carnival really just a church approved tool of social control, or does it have magickal and subversive potential?

I think it's not only relevant, but powerful. Mardi gras/ carnival is dark and dangerous. Its the time when the lord if misrule holds sway, and our deepest, darkest desires bubble to the surface. Like the liminal time of Halloween, which marks the beginning of winter, its a chance for us to wear a mask and transform into the stuff of fantasy. Mardi gras is our "last chance" moment to explore the dark and cthonic energies of the season before spring's light and warmth take over. It is, in short, a great time to get to know your shadow self so that your shadows do not rule you... or to surface a part of yourself that has been shamed and needs to heal and be proud. And what, dear p&ws, is more subversive that a self empowered, self-mastered individual?

Some ideas for celebrating Mardi Gras that dont (necessarily) involve bead throwing, boobs, and beer:

Some ideas for celebrating Mardi Gras that dont (necessarily) involve bead throwing, boobs, and beer:

* Shadow self meditations and shadow work

* Journal about fear and desire

* Make art, music, poetry etc that is cathartic

* Purge what is no longer useful

* Make a mask that represents a hidden part of your personality, or the real you thats hidden and needs some light and love.

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Mardi Gras

Carnival

Saturnalia

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Prime Anne Gwynne

One of the original "scream queens"

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The Legend Returns - Forensic Files II

The pioneering TV forensic crime documentary 'Forensic Files' ran from 1996 to 2011, and has been in syndication repeatedly ever since, including being aired for hours every evening on HLN for the last several years. Now, finally, it's back. 'Forensic Files II' premiers tonight on HLN.

Other interesting programs, which are all either starting new seasons or premiering soon, include 'Ancient Aliens' (History), 'The Dead Files' (Travel), 'The Unexplained' (History), 'Better Call Saul' (AMC), 'Dispatches from Elsewhere' (AMC), and 'These Woods Are Haunted' (Travel).

The Travel channel has so many interesting programs that I check the listings daily. 'These Woods Are Haunted' is a particularly eerie account of strange happenings in the remote wilderness. Anyone who hikes knows that very strange things happen from time to time. New programs are airing on Sunday evenings.

Some months ago I participated in the Nielson Media Research in the form of a simple phone call, at which time I informed them that I had watched the Travel channel the previous evening. I received about $3 in cash from Nielsen.

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