An ancient festival held around February 15 that became popular among the ancient Roman and even earlier Greeks. Originally for the purpose of averting evil spirits and purifying cities, it became associated with fertility leading to some licentious rituals, often including flogging. Named after the Roman god Lupercus, who is associated with Faunus, the equivalent of the Greek Pan.
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...