I awake in darkness, listening to the first birdsong. Soon the cockerels join the chorus. As soon as I've made the coffee, I am on the balcony. Contemplating the day ahead, I watch the dawn streak the sky with soft blues and pinks. At about 10 degrees it's hardly cold. Safe to say the winter is over and it's time to greet the Spring!
High above me you can still see the brilliant white moon, the last Supermoon of 2019. It rose 3 days ago, the same day as the Spring Equinox. The moon appears bigger and brighter for the whole of March, due to its proximity to Earth. It's called the Full Worm Moon. At the Vernal Equinox we have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of darkness. The ground is softening. Worms are moving. Birds are celebrating.
Time for me to be moving too. For there's much I would like to accomplish.Much that needs God's blessing.In past centuries this aid was invoked through various Spring rituals. People gave thanks for their land, performed dances and plays, offered sacrifices to the gods and sought the blessing of their ancestors.These magical rites were performed to regulate the seasons and bring luck to their new enterprises. In these uncertain times of global warming and climate change, maybe these are rituals we should all be performing? I, for one, am wasting no time. Time for me to to begin my Spring rounds
1. The First Rite: Celebrate The Land & Its Fertility
By late March it's not a difficult task. I cycle between fields of vibrant peach and plum trees, proudly displaying their powder pink and white bouquets. I capture their beauty and post on IG. Job done!
Maybe not quite? Just to be certain I decide a sampling of some local produce is required. I choose a suitably ancient place, the Mulino Vechio- or old mill- to perform this rite. Arriving there I am pleased to find that it is being guarded well.
It is not a ritual to be rushed so its quite dark when I finally depart. Under a mozzarella -sorry milk!- white moon I thank the sacred geese for allowing me entrance.
Indeed they guard Nectar and ambrosia. After imbibing, it is no easy task to cross the pond. A rite that perhaps should not be performed too often!
It is not a ritual to be rushed so its quite dark when I finally depart. Under a mozzarella -sorry milk!- white moon I thank the sacred geese for allowing me entrance.
Indeed they guard Nectar and ambrosia. After imbibing, it is no easy task to cross the pond. A rite that perhaps should not be performed too often!
2. The Second Rite: Attend Local Spring Plays
Spring is marching on and the days are lengthening so it's an ideal time to take in some evening theatre.There is two great plays to see. One: Madame Butterfly at the prestigious San Carlo Theatre in Naples, the oldest Opera House in the world built in 1737 for the Bourbon royal family. Two: Full 'E Fools at the Palazzo Fazio in Capua, an even older structure built as a family home to the warrior Fazio family in the 13th century, proudly displaying the Mohammedan half-moon in memory of their participation in the Crusades.
And, as luck would have it, two free tickets to Butterfly come into my possession via a friend who plays in the San Carlo orchestra. The reviews promise a great night:' an exciting work that penetrates the soul and movers viewers'There is even subtitles in English. Unmissable by all accounts!
Therefore I give the tickets to my sister Emma and her boyfriend Geoff who are making a brief visit . It makes their holiday! Instead it's a short walk to catch Full ' E Fools, a local play set in early 20th century Naples, in original Neapolitan dialect. Ok it's not the easy ride that I would have had at the San Carlo with the English subtitles!
Do I regret my choice? Not for a moment! From the moment the curtain opens I'm captivated.
No fancy stage set or costumes. In fact all the protagonists are beggars, down -and -outs and the action takes place around a discarded wooden box that serves a table.
After sharing what food they gained, they decide to play a sort of poker game. The booty will be all the beggars' prize possessions. This gives rise to animated and moving monologues delivered by each, explaining their choice of treasure. For example one chooses a broken piece of mirror, with which he has viewed himself in all of the scenes of his life. This is his aide-memoire to the sum total his life experiences; in fact his whole life. Although he had not been a beggar all his life, he had nevertheless led a humble existence. Notwithstanding his impoverished circumstance and lack of education, he had distilled much about the meaning of life from his adventures.
With one ritual to go, then, I have already gained much from my Spring rounds. I have renewed appreciation of the richness of the land I now inhabit. Furthermore, perhaps, I already hold all the flowers of experience to distill a perfume to scent the remainder of my life. And I have still one ritual to go!
Do I regret my choice? Not for a moment! From the moment the curtain opens I'm captivated.
No fancy stage set or costumes. In fact all the protagonists are beggars, down -and -outs and the action takes place around a discarded wooden box that serves a table.
After sharing what food they gained, they decide to play a sort of poker game. The booty will be all the beggars' prize possessions. This gives rise to animated and moving monologues delivered by each, explaining their choice of treasure. For example one chooses a broken piece of mirror, with which he has viewed himself in all of the scenes of his life. This is his aide-memoire to the sum total his life experiences; in fact his whole life. Although he had not been a beggar all his life, he had nevertheless led a humble existence. Notwithstanding his impoverished circumstance and lack of education, he had distilled much about the meaning of life from his adventures.With one ritual to go, then, I have already gained much from my Spring rounds. I have renewed appreciation of the richness of the land I now inhabit. Furthermore, perhaps, I already hold all the flowers of experience to distill a perfume to scent the remainder of my life. And I have still one ritual to go!3. The Third Rite: Invoke The Ancestors
This last rite luckily coincides with a planned trip to find the Casa Particchi, which may have been owned by one of my husband's forebearers.
This trip takes us deep into Samnite country, in South-Central Italy. The Samnites- probably an off-shoot of the Sabines and a confedretion of 4 tribes- were the most formidable of Rome's early adversaries. They spoke Oscan, which is similar in nature to the Latin spoken by the Romans. The latter were eventually forced to grant the Samnites the benefits of Roman citizenship to avoid further conflict.
Perhaps the most famous Samnite is Pontius Pilate, the fifth prefect of the Roman province of Judaea (26-36 AD)
{Interestingly a stone he dedicated to the emperor Tiberius was discovered in 1961 at Caeseraraea, the Roman capial of Israel.}
{Interestingly a stone he dedicated to the emperor Tiberius was discovered in 1961 at Caeseraraea, the Roman capial of Israel.}
On the way we stop briefly at Orvietto itself. Time to visit the cathedral and Samnite museum, but not to explore the labyrinth of the 1200 tunnels ( used by local nobles as escape passages) , nor indeed to taste the 2018 vintage.
After an extensive search and with the help of some knowledgeable locals we eventually arrive at said Casa Particci, situated near the village of Loro Ciuffena, 600 metres above sea level on the top of a wooded hill. After extensive ringing of her intercom we are finally met at the gate by a nervous owner, accompanied by a number of barking dogs. She is unable to answer our enquiries and we are obviously greatly disappointed. Before leaving we notice an interesting inscription on a boundary stone.
It reads: 'Hic Habet Digitus Dei, Le Sourire Est Deriguer'
'Here is the finger(power) of God, it is proper to smile'
We discover later that this comes from Exodus Ch8 V 5-7.
We spend the rest of the day searching through various archives to no avail. Having left no stone unturned, we are only with the stone.
So back to Capua and the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. April 19th and we are ready to celebrate Easter in two days time.Near our house I spot a huge fig tree for the first time. Remember my East Of Eden post and my quest for I fichi? I feel oddly at peace. God is still smiling in the garden. East of Eden.
I just need to open my eyes and look.
Tolstoy says 'Spring is a time for plans and projects'. Well I've planted my humble seeds. Hopefully I'll see the first green shoots.Now I've completed the Rites of Spring.
