Liberalia

Liberalia is traditionally a holiday to celebrate the first wine of the year and mark the passing of childhood for young Roman men. This ancient holiday involved wine libations to Liber Pater (Dionysus) and the destruction of bullae charms given to males upon birth to guard them from malice. The mother would collect this charm and set it on the household altar as an offering to the Lares Penates and Genius of the family. In addition games were held and upper class families would often return to the fields and work the land for a day. Another groups of citizens celebrated at this time were the bee keepers. There is a Roman myth about how Dionysus taught the satyr Silenus to use mud when gathering honey from hives. Because of this women would bake honey cakes and offer them to the God in His temples. 

Now I lack many of the things that the Romans had during this festival. To compensate for this I wrote my own schedule and rituals to guide me through the three day of the LIberalia. I celebrated Dionysus in His three form Phanes Zagreus and Dionysus.

On the first night I created an altar of white and black to symbolize Phanes and His wife Nyx who created the Cosmos. In the center of this altar I put a large white candle and then recited the story of creation.

"In the beginning there was but Chaos Time and Compulsion

However a spark was born a light to bring order and warmth

Phanes who's wings shone like the rising sun

Phanes who's words ordered the Heavens to be still

Phanes who's love brought forth life to a desolate place

In His loneliness He forged Himself a wife as black as night

Along with Nyx the Cosmic Egg was created and hatched

Male and female light and dark warmth and cold

Peace and love would not last for the Titans waged war

Patricide was on their minds and evil in their hearts

All seemed dark until Zeus sought recompense for His father's sins

Olympians and Titans fought all the while destroying the Cosmos

Through the blood and sweat the Olympians were victorious

Yet They were left to reign over an empty world

Zeus King of the Gods searched for a solution to this dilemma 

Phanes who's mercy recreated the world had the answer

He willingly sacrificed Himself to be a part of the new world

Zeus consumed the God and with Him His power"

On the second night I celebrated Zagreus in His raw primal power. I tossed pine ivy and dogwood flowers all across the room and altar. Around midnight I opened the first bottle of wine this year and poured a libation to Dionysus then the household gods. After that I drank some myself and dawned my vine wreath. About an hour later I began my ecstasia dancing. That combine with the chanting let me reach trance rather quickly. At about 3a.m. I began the Bloody Feast after reciting the story of Zagrus. (I'll spare you another long winded verse) From there I just continued celebrating and basking in Zagreus's greatness. 

The third and final night was in honor of Dionysus. I prayed to the God and offered libations of wine. This night was mostly full of contemplation and the such. I also recited some of my favorite lines from literary works. Needless to say a lot of Shakespeare and Oscar Wilde was quoted that night. 


Gods bless