Sauna Club: Sauna Sunday

Valentine's day is for wimps.
The Sauna Club celebrates Lupercalia

Festivities can get a bit out of hand!

For those who have not attended a Sauna Club Lupercalia event, it was a very ancient, Roman pastoral festival, observed on February 13 through February 15 to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. The Lupercalia was believed in antiquity to have some connection with the Ancient Greek festival of the Arcadian Lykaia (from Ancient Greek: λύκος — lykos, "wolf", Latin lupus) and the worship of Lycaean Pan, the Greek equivalent to Faunus.

Pan offers comfort

Lupercus is the god of shepherds. His festival, celebrated on the anniversary of the founding of his temple on February 15, was called the Lupercalia. His priests wore goatskins. The second-century Christian apologist Justin Martyr mentions an image of "the Lycaean god, whom the Greeks call Pan and the Romans Lupercus,"nude save for the girdle of goatskin, which stood in the Lupercal, the cave where Romulus and Remus were suckled by a she-wolf. There, on the Ides of February, a goat and a dog were sacrificed, and salt mealcakes prepared by the Vestal Virgins were burnt.

Plutarch described Lupercalia: "Lupercalia, of which many write that it was anciently celebrated by shepherds, and has also some connection with the Arcadian Lycaea. At this time many of the noble youths and of the magistrates run up and down through the city naked, for sport and laughter striking those they meet with shaggy thongs. And many women of rank also purposely get in their way, and like children at school present their hands to be struck, believing that the pregnant will thus be helped in delivery, and the barren to pregnancy."

The religious ceremonies were directed by the Luperci, the "brothers of the wolf (lupus)", a corporation of priests of Faunus, dressed only in a goatskin.

So... this Sunday being the final day of Lupercalia, we will have a traditional evening! (Goatskins and shaggy thongs optional)

Luperci & Vestal Virgins attending: Zany, Samir (birthday!!!!), Kali, Baggage, Mac nan Alba, Pop Kulture Tart, Trainee Princess...

Sacrifical goats, dogs and salt meat cakes: Baggage (Baggage will ceremonially prepare a suitable ovine sacrifice. Would someone like to offer meal cakes? Oatmeal cakes would go well with a smear of goats cheese and I can provide home made grape jelly to accompany. Dog's off - even hot variety, in buns.)

Herbacious Substances: Trainee Princess

Pan Pudding:

Wolfbane Wines and Ales: Kali & Mac nan Alba, respectively

Kitchen Subby: