Two of the more prominent festivals in Antinoan devotion are coming up quickly. The Festival of the Lion Hunt is Sunday, August 21st, and the Festival of the Red Lotus is on Monday, August 22nd. Together, these two festivals observe different aspects of the same event. The Festival of the Lion Hunt remembers a lion hunt that took place in the last year of Antinous’ life where he was wounded by the lion, and the Festival of the Red Lotus commemorates the red lotus flower that was said to bloom from the blood of the lion as Hadrian killed it. In modern Antinoan practice we use these two days to recognize our own failures and defeats, and then to recognize our achievements, and the ways that our failures can blossom and transform.
In anticipation of this, we have updated the page dedicated to these two festivals on our Calendar of Festivals. The page includes some background information, links to original sources, and two rituals for the festivals that were written by Erynn Rowan Laurie.
May your observances of these festivals be blessed!
Naos Antinoou: A Temple of Antinous 