Theronia is a modern festival celebrating Artemis Potnia Theron as the Mistress of Animals or Lady of Beasts on December 6th. It is celebrated at the Temple of Artemis at Cataleos in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The festival focuses on animal protection and honoring the “wild” aspect of ourselves. It originally first developed by Thista Minai to ask for Artemis’s protection for her reptiles surviving the winter [1].
Honoring the wild aspects of ourselves is influenced by the Spartan worship of Artemis Orthia. The Spartans performed dances mimicking animal movement called morphasmos [2].It was suggested that mask dances were also performed by young Spartan men in rites of passages [3]. These rites of passages involved masking themselves in different states to banish aspects that would inhibit them from becoming perfect citizens; it allowed them to experience their “wildness”. Warrior masks were also worn to reflect the ideal warrior they wanted to become [4].
Artemis the Lady of Beasts can teach us to embrace our wild selves and acknowledge our shadows rather than suppressing them [5]. Theronia can also be seen as a “Pet Day” to honor animals close to us and pray for their happiness, health, and protection.
Symbols: All animals, masks
A Thought for Theronia: How would you depict yourself as a beast?
Things to do for your Animal Companion:
Give them a gift. This can be a special meal, toys, etc.
Spend more time with them.
Make sure you are feeding them healthily. Cats, for example, should be on a high protein grain-free diet. The healthier they eat, the better their health. Good quality food will make them happy, so stay away from ingredients such as meat by-products, artificial and natural flavors, corn gluten meal, BHA, etc.
This may be surprising, but there is a chance you may not understand your animal companion as well as you thought. Get some books on animal behavior about your pet. Cats are understood through body language: tail, ears, eyes, position, etc. which may be tricky to understand.
For more information regarding ritual conduction, read Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis Through Celebration by Thista Minai.
End Notes
[1]. Minai, Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis Through Celebration, 79-81.
[2]. Chrimes, Ancient Sparta: A Re-Examination of the Evidence, 124, Vernant, Mortals and Immortals: Collected Essays, 227.
[3]. Vernant, Mortals and Immortals: Collected Essays, 226.
[4]. Vernant, Mortals and Immortals: Collected Essays, 243.
[5]. Minai, Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis Through Celebration, 81.
Bibliography
Chrimes, K M T. Ancient Sparta: A Re-Examination of the Evidence. 1949. Manchester, Great Britain: Manchester University Press, 1999.
Minai, Thista. Dancing in Moonlight: Understanding Artemis through Celebration. Hubbardston, MA: Asphodel, 2007.
Vernant, Jean-Pierre. Mortals and Immortals: Collected Essays. Ed. Froma I Zeitlin. 1991. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1992.
The Carving Witch 