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Chapter One

Ancient Roman farmers were advised to refrain from working the soil until mid-month except on January 1, when they were to make a symbolic beginning of work of every type to ensure good luck!

This was a period for cleaning up, repairing tools, and planning for the upcoming year. jobs that were appropriate for the second half of January included sharpening stakes, cutting reeds and willows, and sacrificing to the Dei Penates, the spirits of the pantry. (Menologia)

The sun and the year start from the same point. (Ovid Fasti 1.164)

So should we! It is time to begin. January is the month for initiation and for New Year's resolutions. We take stock of the emotional tools we will need, set goals, and plan for new growth. It is the month to make choices and to get going. It is the month to open new doors, to begin.

Beginning something new, whether it is the new year, a different job, a new relationship, or a journey, means transcending a boundary and moving from what is old and familiar to what is new and unknown. These points of new beginning in our lives may reflect the passage of time from one year to the next or involve lifestyle changes. These transitions were sacred moments to the ancient Romans and called for offering and prayer to Janus. It was he who oversaw all beginnings and assured prosperity and success for all new endeavors.

What an amazing sight Janus is with two faces and keys jangling from his belt. The namesake of this first month was a most ancient and complex deity whose origin harkened back to a primordial time—a time before the divine spirits hadhuman form. Janus is all-powerful. He sees our past and looks into our future. No one escapes the piercing vision of the god Janus, as the nymph Cranae learned too well. Here is her story.

Janus and Cranae

There once was a nymph called Cranae who lived in an ancient grove oftrees near the Tiber River. She roamed the countryside and chased wildanimals with her spear; she set up her rope nets across entire valleys. She was a wild woman, beautiful and free; some even called her Diana, but she wasn't. Whenever a young man approached her with seductive words, seeking to lie down with her in the warm green meadow, Cranae would always respond with the same words.

"I am too embarrassed, people could see us making love, the light is too bright. Lead me to a cave and I will follow." How easy it is to fool men, she thought, as she hid in some bushes, not to be found.

One day two-faced Janus saw Cranae roaming the hills, and his passion was aroused for this wandering nymph. He used gentle words, trying his best to seduce her. As usual, the nymph told Janus to go ahead and find a secluded cave where the two could meet for lovemaking. He believed her and went on ahead. Pretending to follow, Cranae sought a hiding place. Foolish girl!

Janus can see what happens behind his back, and he knows where people hide. He is not a god to be taken lightly He got what he wanted from Cranae and in return made her the Goddess of Door Hinges. He gave her a white thorn branch, a magical charm she uses to keep all harm and evil spirits from doorways.

January is a month for honest endeavor, serious planning, and forethought. It is not the time for deception or games, which have severe consequences, as the nymph Cranae discovered. She foolishly tried to deceive Janus, the God of Beginnings

In this myth, the nymph Cranae teaches us from her mistake just how valuable a knowledge of the past is. She thought by tricking all the men who sought her that she was in charge and had power over the situation. And she did, until she met Janus. Cranae underestimated Janus's insightfulness and his ability to look backward.

In this myth, two-faced Janus challenges us to seriously think about time and change, and the complex and risky process of making a deliberate decision to strike out in a new direction. We learn from the God of Beginnings and Thresholds that change is not something we should rush into without reflecting upon where we have been. It is essential that we draw upon our awareness of the past and expectations for the future. This is a critical time when we must be conscious of the past and where we have been, those things we have done or thought, the experiences that are over-lessons learned.

Janus embodies a balanced perspective, something Cranae lacked and for which she paid a price. So, we can learn from the story of Cranae not to rush into a new situation, but to move forward deliberately Most important, we must not close our eyes to the lessons of the past as we plan for the future.

To make a good decision for the future, we need to draw upon all six senses and sift through past experiences. We must research and learn more, but also trust in intuition and hunches. Although this was an easy task for Janus, who can at see two ways at once, it is a bit trickier for us. Awareness is critical to prevent injury and harm in our future. Nature encourages this thoughtful, contemplative process as well. January is the month to think of beginnings, to plan and prepare.