Neptunalia and the Strega

"O God, who with a nod can stir the ocean foam, You Neptunus, who with Your Salacia encompass the lands of the earth, hear my prayer and grant me Your indulgence." ~ Valerius Flaccus Argo. I.194-6

On July 23rd we mark the annual festival of the Neptunalia in honor of, you guessed it, Neptunus Pater, a.k.a Father Neptune or Padre Nettuno in Stregheria. This ancient festival has been observed since anyone can remember, even the Romans. Today we streghe continue this ancient observation in honor of the great god, Neptune, but not in the city wide splendor once seen in Rome. Nowadays, once a year, Clarians make a pilgrimage to a body of water in order to perform our rites. Of course we are not limited to visiting bodies of water once a year, but we do take the time out during the window of this festival in order to commune with our beloved Neptune, who provides us with the secrets of the sea and the magical mysteries of water.

Sometimes we will travel out to the Jersey Shore, but staying there is quite expensive. I'd love to go to Lake Champlain again, as I felt His presence there very strongly during my last visit. We stayed at a wonderful bed & breakfast on the lake, and it was just amazing. What a powerful and sacred place.

This year in light of gas prices and the expense of the shore, we opted to visit Lake Jean in Central Pennsylvania. It's a beautiful spot in a state park surrounded by extensive trails jeweled with pristine waterfalls. We stayed at a fabulous bed and breakfast, which I highly recommend, and enjoyed a side trip to Knoebels, an incredibly fun (and cheap) amusement park set within a cool and comforting grove of hardwoods. We all appreciated that, and Sophia enjoyed the children's rides as well as the lake and waterfalls. She's still talking about it.

Bee Balm we discovered on our hike

Neptune is often equated with Poseidon, and though They share many attributes, Poseidon was much more bound to the Sea than Neptune. Neptune is the God of All Waters. He is the God of the oceans, seas, rivers, lakes and streams. He is present through his sons, who guard each body of water independently. Of course each body of water is also blessed with the presence of water sprites who love to play and long-haired nymphs whose beauty is embodied by the waters. When you look out upon a breath-taking view of a watery scene, that feeling of awe and wonder is a gift to you from the nymphs who give life to it.


Padre Nettuno, Neptunus Pater, God of the oceans, seas, rivers and streams. God of lakes and earthquakes. Earth-shaker, Earth-holder, Preventer of Slips, Raiser of Plants, Lord of Horses. May your essence be with us today and every day, Your strength, healing, understanding, compassion, prophecy, inspiration and metamorphoses. May all we do today bring honor You, and may all of our successes be Your offerings, for we adore You!