Ante Diem III Kalendas January

Modern Date : December 30th

Ante Diem III Kalendas January
Third Day to the Kalends of January

This is one of the dies comitiales (C), when committees of citizens could vote on political or criminal matters.

In Egypt, this was celebrated as the Birthday of Isis, the Mother Goddess. Isis was widely worshipped in the Roman empire. Although a foreign deity, Isis was honored with a temple at Rome. Professional singers, musicians, and dancers, mostly female, would perform at the temple during this festival. The performance involved actors playing the parts of Isis and Nephthys in the mystery plays celebrating the death and resurrection of Osiris. These were perhaps the oldest mystery plays on earth, predating even those of Mesopotamia.

The ancient mesopotamians celebrated this day as the Birthday of Inanna, the queen of heaven and earth.

This day continues the Halcyon days, or the period of celebration and goodwill associated with the beginning of winter and the new solar year.

The emperor Titus was born Titus Flavianus Vespasianus this day in 39 AD at Rome, in comparatively menial conditions.

Decima, the middle Fate in charge of the present, presides over December, but the month may have received its name as the tenth month of the Roman calendar. Vesta, patroness of fire also laid claim to the month of December.


New Moon conjunct Sun in Capricorn
This is normally the most reflective and contemplative New Moon of the year, as both Sun and Moon are under restraint by the ruler of Capricorn: Saturn, teacher of the spiritual and karmic lessons that are deepest, and can be most painful when resisted. As the New Moon always favors beginnings, the New Moon in Capricorn is naturally a time for trying new approaches to old problems and weaknesses. Long before the Julian calendar made early January the beginning of the Year, the New Moon in Capricorn was the moment for "New Year's Resolutions". The alignment of other planets with this New Moon is significant and powerful. The Sun-Moon conjunction is trine (120° from) Mars in Taurus, sextile (60° from) Uranus in Pisces and square (90° from) the Moon's North Node in Aries -- suggesting that while we may well commit ourselves to new life intentions and directions, we shall not have the easiest possible time of getting others to align with and support what seems so worthy and necessary to us.

In the Beth-Luis-Nion Celtic tree calendar used by devotees of the faerie path, this New Moon following the Winter Solstice begins Beth, or birch month, the time of purification and preparation at the onset of winter.

This is the start of the twelfth Chinese lunation, the Winter Sacrifice Moon.