Aquarius (Northern Hemisphere)
In the Northern Hemisphere, Aquarius is the fifth month of Our Zodiacal Hellenistic Mystery Calendar. In ancient Greece, this month was named according to the chart below.
| Athens | Delphi | Delos | Rhodes | Sparta |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anthesterion | Bysios | Hieros | Pedageitnyos | Eleusinios |
The fifth month is the second Stabilizing month, representing the natural law of Attraction under the rule of Hera. Hera, whose domain is marriage, seeks to unify the opposites present in all things. What Hephaestus has given Form is now imbued by Hera with a natural Attraction, further Stabilizing it. This month represents the sphere of Mars, the fifth level of ascension.
The Fifth Labor of Herakles is to clean the Augean Stables in a single day. This is, by all estimates, an impossible task: King Augeas housed over one thousand cattle in these stables, and he had neglected to shovel them out for over thirty years. The dung neglected by Augeas is a stand-in for the filth accumulated by the Soul in its mortal life. Herakles' act of diverting rivers to clean the stables instead of shoveling them is symbolic of the fact that, rather than chipping away at impossible solutions, one should be open to the flow of divine influence and confident in its all-powerful nature.
Festivals in Aquarius
| Day | City | Name | Deities Honored | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Delphi | Theophania | Apollo | Welcomes the return of Apollo at Delphi each year after He was away for the winter; Oracle open for business | Date uncertain, likely 7th |
| 9 | Delphi | Henatan | Dionysus | "The Ninth", commemorates Dionysus' return to Delphi after a year-long absence | Year-long absence suggests this may have been another festival alternating between birth and death each year |
| 11-13 | Athens | Anthesteria | Dionysus | "Festival of Flowers", celebrates the spring time | |
| 16 | Delphi | Eukleia | Artemis Eukleia | Celebrated with music and drama competitions | Date uncertain - see Pytho |
| 17 | Delphi | Artamitia | Artemis | Celebrated with music competitions | Date uncertain - see Pytho |
| 20-26 | Athens | Lesser Eleusinian Mysteries | Demeter, Persephone | Secret purifications and dramatizations; participation required for initiation into Eleusinian Mysteries. | |
| 23 | Athens | Diasia | Zeus Meilikhios | Solemn-but-joyful celebrations to welcome spring |