Ukraine starts March inspired by Mars
The Roman god of war as a source of glory
A new month is starting and superstitious people, like many of us Ukrainians, always try to relate some trivial acknowledgments to some supernatural forces or notions about luck, lack of luck, fate or just associating something to some mysterious meaning.
It maybe seems to be a small thing, but it certainly raises a colossal load of thoughts on many people, including me, for sure. Is this month carrying some sign of good fortune for this so badly needed and wounded nation? Let’s consider the name of the month itself.
The word March has its origins on the Ancient Rome, when this was the first month of the year and it was called 'Martius', from 'Mars', the Roman god of war.
The calendar was modified by the second Roman emperor, Numa Pompilius (700 AD. C - 673 BC), who added two months (January and February).
March marked the beginning of spring, a logical event to start a new year, as well as the military campaign season.
With the inspiration on Mars and everything it represents, we Ukrainians will certainly start this month confident in our full strength and determination. This is a prediction that our victory is on the sight.
The god Mars, symbolically, is associated to the force and the bravery that creates the formless void (chaos) before the manifestation of the Universe. Following that first impulse comes Venus to take shape of matter. Therefore, according to the mythology, men is bound to boldness and women to harmony.
These are fundamental virtues for the battles we wage in our everyday life, not against an external enemy such as the case of my Ukraine. Boldness and harmony are critical to control the impulses that lie within us, as obstacles to living our human nature.
Everything said, there’s no reason to believe this is only another superstition: these are more than enough indications that this month of March will bring glory to Ukrainians and all those who stand for justice and democracy in the world.