Announcement: Roma February 2019 Lupercalia and Equirria Festival

Saturday, 23rd February

10am - Lupercalia Ritual and The Running of the Luperci
In celebration of this most ancient of festivals we will be performing a Roman ritual for Faunus Lupercus, the God of Wild Things and Lupa, the shewolf who nourished the founding fathers Romulus and Remus. After the rite, we will have the Running of The Luperci - half-naked youths who bless the young ladies of the city. The women will run ahead of the Luperci, who will lightly flog them with the goatskin floggers in hopes of fertility (both of mind and body). Following the ritual, we will have our traditional Lupercalia dancing in the garden - and clothing is optional!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ROMA/180/131/42
Luper Cave


11am - Venus' Truth
A variation on our popular Ask Venus event -- this time, Venus would love to hear your poems of love and romance. Come join our beautiful Goddess in the Baths of Caracalla, to lounge, swim, and share the prose and poetry of love!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ROMA/147/35/23
Baths of Caracalla

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Sunday, 24th February

10am - Equirria Legion Blessing Ritual & ROMA Chariot Races
The Legio, in a time honored military display, will present arms and come to be blessed for the new year. After the blessing, we will have chariot races in honour of Mars - all are welcome to try their luck at racing a chariot and a grand prize will be awarded to the victor!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ROMA/213/140/40
Hippodrome Circus Seating


12pm - Lupercalia Grand Feast
Join us for an evening of feasting, dancing, and good company, as well as Live Music by Sassy Nitely! You may opt to wear barbarian/wild outfits in honour of the Lupercalia if you wish.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/239/225/25
Roma Concert


1pm - Legio Half-naked Harpastum
A standard harpastum (Roman football/soccer) game with a Lupercalia twist! Participants may be topless for this event!

Be careful out there - don't let the other players distract you with their charms!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ROMA%20Transtiberim/82/233/42
Legio XIII Fort/Harpastum

The Venus Transit Seen in Second Life

On Tuesday June 5th was a rare occurrence in space. For a brief time, Venus' orbit took it between the Earth and the Sun in what is called a Venus Transit. From Earth, it appeared to be a black spot against the Sun. For those whom couldn't see it in real life due to thick clouds or a lack of safe equipment, they could see live footage in some places in Second Life, such as the University of Hawaii.


For some hours, there was footage of the planet's shadow causing a black dot in the image from the sun. Not everyone saw it from screens inworld, as there were also websites with live footage that were shared through instant messages and group chats.

Interest in science was alive and well that night.

Astronomy Events at the University of Hawaii

"Searching for Earths" Univ Hawaii Astronomy Talk Series

"Seventeen years ago, astronomers wondered whether planets orbited other stars, perhaps inhabited by beings that were peering back at us. Now we know that exoplanets abound – but what are these other worlds like, and how does our own solar system stack up? Are there good prospects for finding habitable worlds?"

By: Dr. Debra Fischer
When: Monday, June 4 at 9:30 PM PDT
Where: UH Aquaculture Program (45, 83, 27)

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"Watch the Venus Transit Live (from Haleakala, Maui) June 5th, 2012, From 12 noon until 6:30 HST."
web: http://kopiko.ifa.hawaii.edu/videos/livestream.html
SecondLife: IFA Ampatheater, UH Aquaculture Program (45, 82, 25)