June’s History
The Sixth Month of the Ancient Celtic and Roman Calendars
The ancient Roman goddess Juno gives her name to the month of June. Juno is the wife of the paramount of Roman gods, Jupiter. June ushers in the brilliance and full-blown beauty of summer. Like so many of the great female divinities, Juno presides over many aspects of personal and community life and of the nations who respect her and view her gifts as precious and worthy of profound regard.
In the personal life she was revered as the goddess of married love and during the marriage ceremony she was invoked as Interduca, “she who leads the bride into marriage”. And as Domiduca, “she who leads the bride to her new home” she was invited to join the bride’s parade to her new home and hearth. In ancient Rome marriages took place in Juno’s sacred month and today we still carry on this tradition although most people are not aware of the reason why. In her aspect as the fertility goddess Pomona, Juno also held a special place in the divine pantheon as the guardian of all aspects of womanhood particularly in the sexual and reproductive cycles of womanhood. And in her aspect as the goddess of childbirth Juno was also known as Lucina referring to her role as the divine midwife who “brings children into the light”. Every March women honored Juno in her revered position as mother, wife and protector of marriage and family in a thanksgiving and praising festival called the Matronalia. During this festival women would participate in rituals at the temple and celebrate themselves free from cultural and social constraints such as having to wear their hair tied up and tying up their robes to maintain a respectable level of coverage of their bodies. In the temple ceremonies and sacred groves of lotus trees where Juno was served by devoted vestal virgins, attending women would loosen their hair and undo their clothing revealing their bodies freely. At home, they were presented with gifts from their families and they were formally prayed for and blessed by their husbands and children. Finally, lambs and other cattle were sacrificed in Juno’s honor and a great sacred feast honoring the goddess of marriage, childbirth, and of all women was offered and enjoyed by all.
Juno was also the patron goddess of Rome and the spiritual protector and guide throughout the Roman Empire where temples to her were found. The ancient Romans called her Juno Regina or queen. She was the guardian of the Roman treasury and the finances of the Empire and in this capacity was known as Juno Moneta the “warner” or the “unique one.” This powerful divinity also has all the warrior attributes necessary to defend her role and responsibilities and she is often seen in her military image, fully armed and wearing the goatskin cloak that ancient Roman soldiers wore while out on military campaigns. Juno’s most powerful weapon is the lightning bolt.