For January we have chosen the Goddess Amaltheia. For much of this month
the sign of Capricorn rules.
January, the first month of the calendar, is named after Jana, a moon
Goddess, according to Patricia Telesco. This includes her husband Janus,
the Roman, double headed God of gateways, entrances and exits. Certainly,
New Years, as it is celebrated in over 150 countries, marks an ending and a
beginning of the 365 day cycle. Since we are culturally attuned to this
cycle, we take this opportunity to reflect on the past year and to plan new
actions for the coming year.
The symbol of Janus is a powerful one. The romans accepted him as the
bringer of agriculture and law. Very little information is given about his
wife.
Another Goddess of significance at this time of year is Hecate, the triple
Goddess who stands at the crossroads of life guiding lost travellers. All
of these Gods and Goddesses are wonderfully symbolic for the time of year
but Amaltheia holds our interest.
Some say that she was a wood nymph, and others say she was a she goat.
Everyone does agree that she provided a great service to Zeus, King of the
Gods and Goddesses. It is said that Amaltheia nourished him as an infant.
Until recently, wet nursing was a common practice. Unfortunately, in
society today, breastfeeding which has been out of favour for some time, is
just making a comeback as the primary source of infant nutrition. Many
women still do not prize and value breastfeeding enough to give this role
to another when circumstances make it impossible for the birth mother.
In addition, the rate of transferrable viral infections through body
fluids appear to make wet nursing high risk. But, in years gone by, it
was a common practice and still is in many cultures. In our high tech
society, the best we can hope to do is get mother's milk from a reputable
milk bank. Generally this is a last resort.
Traditionally, a wet nurse was highly regarded in the family and ate the
best foods. She was nurtured and pampered. In ancient times this role
usually fell to a woman who had lost her own child in birthing or shortly
after, so there was an element of sadness and grief as well as usefullness
in her task.
As for Amaltheia, Zeus was very grateful for her care and nurturing. He
rewarded her for her kindness and dilligence in two ways that will always
be remembered. As the she goat, one of her horns was removed. It became
known as the horn of plenty or cornucopia which is symbolic of abundance as
well as providing sustenance to all. Amaltheia was also transferred into
the heavens as capela (She-Goat), which became the sign of Capricorn.
Service and dilligence are words that remain associated with this earth
sign and its ruling planet Saturn. As we move into the new century during
this Millennium year, we should try to bridge the gap between the old and
new, working faithfull towards goals that will help us to achieve our best.
Let us also remember in our thoughts and prayers, those who are caregivers
to the less fortunate, or those without hope. Care givers are often
hardworking dedicated people in sad or stressful situations, very often
watching the decline of beloved family members.
Let us hope that like Amaltheia, their diligence and service will be
rewarded.
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