amazingariadneisnotonfire
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The Morrígan
“Thou hast no power against me," said Cúchulainn. "I have power indeed," said the woman; "it is at the guarding of thy death that I am; and I shall be," said she. The Cattle-Raid of Regamna, from the Yellow Book of Lecan
The Morrígan is depicted in the Irish cycles as a member of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the wife* of the Dagda, and a goddess ruling over the spheres of fate, death, war, and land. She is often associated with ravens, crows, and heifers, whose forms she takes.
Name & Epithets: Morrígan, Morrígu, Mórrígan (Middle Irish— “Great Queen”), Mór-Ríoghain (Modern Irish)
Role as a Goddess of War
The Morrígan is seen in the Cycles as bringing victory in war, or foretelling death in battle. In the Cath Mage Tuired, which describes how the Tuatha Dé Danann overthrew the tyrannical Fomorians, she proclaims the victory of the gods over their enemy and foretells the end of the world. In the Ulster Cycle, she is the sometimes-patron, sometimes-enemy of the hero Cúchulainn, whose death she prophesies after he offends her, and then reminded of his fate by taking the form of an old woman washing his bloodied clothes in a creek.
Role as a Sovereignty Goddess
Sovereignty goddesses in Irish tradition represent the land itself, and thus marriage to one creates a legitimate rule or guardianship over that land. In Early Medieval Ireland (and perhaps before), a king’s coronation would include a symbolic marriage to the land, thereby granting himself power and legitimacy. The Morrígan is one such sovereignty goddess, or at least perceived as one by the 12th Century, as the Book of Invasions names her the sister of Ériu, Banba, and Fódla, personifications of Ireland married to each of her three kings.
Role as a Triplicate Goddess
The Morrígan is inconsistently referred to as one of three or a combination of three figures. In the Mythological cycle, she is named as the sister of Badb (’crow’), a war goddess, and Macha, a land goddess. Together, they are called the three Morrígna. Macha is also the name of several other figures, and Badb appears barely distinguishable from the Morrígan. Whatever the case, the names appear less like the archetypal ‘Maiden, Mother, Crone’, and more like simply different aspects of the goddess given different titles, as is common in Irish religion.
*Marriage with the Dagda
The fact of her “marriage” with the Dagda is contentious but well-supported by the texts we have access to. One of her best-known stories from the Cath Mage Tuired is the Dagda’s pact with her before the battle against the Formorians. This part of the text is often mistranslated as the Dagda meeting her [for the first time] at a certain point in the year, when really a perhaps more accurate translation would be “On this day [near Samhain] the Dagda met her yearly.” Additionally, the “union” described between her and the Dagda does not appear to be purely sexual. The word used, ‘oentaith’ is difficult to translate but probably also refers to a general agreement/pact [dil.ie/33541], not unlike a modern marriage. Additionally, as a king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, a ceremonial marriage to a sovereignty and agricultural goddess such as the Morrígan would be appropriate for the Dagda and make sense to an early Irish audience.
My UPG with the Morrígan
Recommended reading + Sources
Cath Mage Tuired [Translation] [Original]
Book of Invasions
The Cattle-Raid of Regamna
An easy spell for protection
Ingredients:
A black candle
A piece of paper
A pen
A protective herb, such as rosemary, basil, or lavender
Instructions:
Light the black candle.
Write your name on the piece of paper.
Fold the paper in half and place it under the candle.
Sprinkle the protective herb over the paper.
Close your eyes and visualize a protective shield surrounding you.
Say the following incantation:
“I am protected from all harm. No evil can touch me. I am safe and sound. I am surrounded by love and light.”
Open your eyes and let the candle burn out.
This spell can be used to protect yourself from negative energy, harm, and danger. It can also be used to protect your home, your loved ones, and your belongings.
Here are some additional tips for using this spell:
You can use any protective herb that you like.
You can say the incantation in your own words.
You can perform this spell at any time of day or night.
You can repeat this spell as often as you need to.
This spell is a simple and effective way to protect yourself from harm. By following these tips, you can make sure that the spell is as effective as possible.
Shield of Light: A Simple Protection Spell
Ingredients:
A white candle
A small piece of clear quartz or black tourmaline
A pinch of sea salt
A small bowl or dish
Instructions:
1. Preparation:
Find a quiet and comfortable space where you can focus without distractions.
Set up your altar or sacred space with your materials.
2. Grounding and Centering
Take a few deep breaths, grounding yourself in the present moment
Visualize roots growing from the soles of your feet, anchoring you to the Earth
Feel your energy centering and aligning with your intentions
3. Candle Preparation
Light the white candle
Hold the quartz or black tourmaline in your hand, infusing it with your intention of protection
4. Casting the Circle
Using the small bowl or dish, create a circle around the candle with a pinch of sea salt, moving clockwise.
As you sprinkle the salt, envision a shimmering barrier forming, shielding, and protecting you from all negativity.
5. Invocation
Call upon the divine or any deity or spirit guide you feel connected to for protection. You can use your own words or try the following: "I call upon the divine light and protection, Surround me with a shield, strong and true. Guard me against harm, negativity, and deception, May only love and light pass through.“
6. Charging the Crystal
Hold the crystal in your hands and visualize it filling with radiant, protective energy.
State your intention clearly, such as, "This crystal is charged to shield me from all harm and negativity.”
7. Activating the Shield
With the charged crystal in hand, pass it over the flame of the candle, visualizing the flame igniting a powerful, protective light.
As you do this, repeat your intention of protection, reinforcing the shield’s strength.
8. Closing the Ritual
Express gratitude to the divine or any entities you called upon for their protection and assistance.
Extinguish the candle, knowing that the shield of light remains active and present.
9. Maintenance
Keep the crystal with you, carrying it as a talisman or placing it in a safe and sacred space.
Repeat this spell as needed, especially during times when you feel particularly vulnerable or when facing challenging situations.
Remember, the most powerful protection comes from within. This spell serves as a tool to focus your intentions and amplify your energy, but it’s crucial to cultivate a mindset of self-awareness, discernment, and personal responsibility in maintaining your well-being and protection.
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✨❤️ Attracting Love Spell ❤️✨
Creating a love spell can be a powerful way to manifest your desires and attract your ideal partner.
Here are some steps to help you create your own love spell:
Ingredients:
🌹Rose petals
🌹Cinnamon
🌹Rose quartz crystal
🌹Red candle
🌹 Incense (jasmine, rose, or sandalwood)
Steps:
❤️ Begin by cleansing your space and yourself. You can use smudging herbs or burn the incense for this.
❤️ Set your intention: Before you begin any spell, it’s important to know exactly what you want to manifest. Take some time to think about the kind of relationship you want to have and what qualities you’d like your ideal partner to possess.
❤️ Light the red candle and the incense.
❤️ Hold the rose quartz crystal in your hand and focus on your intention for love and passion.
❤️ Sprinkle the rose petals and cinnamon around the candle, forming a circle.
❤️ Visualize the energy of love and passion flowing into the circle and charging the ingredients.
❤️ Let the candle burn down completely, and let the incense continue to burn for as long as you like.
❤️ Thank the universe, your tools, and any deities or spirits you called upon for their assistance.
❤️ Close your circle or protective space.
Remember, love spells should always be created with pure intentions and respect for free will. It’s important to never try to manipulate or control someone else’s feelings. Focus on manifesting love and happiness for yourself, and trust that the universe will guide you to the right partner.
With these steps, you can create a powerful and effective love spell that aligns with your personal intentions and desires. Best of luck in your magical endeavors!
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With love, from a Sappy Witch 🔮💕
Blessed be. 🕊✨
The Stele of Aphrodite : an Ancient Greek Love Charm ☆💗☆
Many love spells in the ancient world, particularly in the PGM are that of what are known as fetching charms, or binding spells: love spells targeting specific people. However, there are a number of more generalized love spells, ones with no particular target, such as the Stele of Aphrodite.
The Stele of Aphrodite is Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) spell number IV. 1265-74, and dates back to the late Hellenic period of ancient Greece. It was used primarily for love magic, specifically to invoke the favor and obsession of a desired individual, as well as for favor and success within friendship, popularity and beauty. The stele was believed to harness the power of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, to sway the emotions and actions of whoever sees you in favor of the practitioner.
Step by step instructions on how to create your own below ☆
Read the full article for free here
this is my world and all i can think about
𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑑𝑠 𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑒 … ✧˖ °🐚✩°｡⋆
Tide Pool (1980) by Jeremy Miranda
My soul is beneath the waves
The Only Tarot Spreads You Will Ever Need in Your Life
Learn these, and forget everything else.
1. The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread
Gives you a comprehensive answer to any question
2. The Soulmate Conversation
Tells you everything about your soulmate
3. The Three Wishes Tarot Spread
Tells you which of your wishes will come true
4. The Two Paths Tarot Spread
Guides you towards making the right decision
5. The True God Shuffle
Reveals which higher power you are connected to
6. The What If Tarot Spread
Shows you alternate realities
7. The True Colors Tarot Spread
Shows you a person's true colors
8. The General Prediction Shuffle
Tells you about your life in general
9. The Life Purpose Draw
Reveals your life purpose in this incarnation
10. The Major Arcana Grand Tableau
Shows you the full year ahead
11. Your True Passion Tarot Spread
Reveals your true passion and how to live it
12. The Life Advice Shuffle
Gives you advice about life's many departments
13. The Sex Life Draw
Reveals your sex life with a current or future partner
14. The Past Life Tarot Spread
Reveals the truth about your past life
15. Allies & Enemies Tarot Spread
Reveals who your allies and enemies are
16. Your Future Children Shuffle
Tells you about any future children of yours
17. Sports Match Prediction Method
Lets you win meaningful bets
18. Age at Death Prediction Method
Tells you how long you will live
19. The High Priestess Tarot Spread
Answers any question about the future
20. The Time Prediction Method
Reveals the timing of any event
The Only Tarot Spreads You Will Ever Need in Your Life
Learn these, and forget everything else.
1. The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread
Gives you a comprehensive answer to any question
2. The Soulmate Conversation
Tells you everything about your soulmate
3. The Three Wishes Tarot Spread
Tells you which of your wishes will come true
4. The Two Paths Tarot Spread
Guides you towards making the right decision
5. The True God Shuffle
Reveals which higher power you are connected to
6. The What If Tarot Spread
Shows you alternate realities
7. The True Colors Tarot Spread
Shows you a person's true colors
8. The General Prediction Shuffle
Tells you about your life in general
9. The Life Purpose Draw
Reveals your life purpose in this incarnation
10. The Major Arcana Grand Tableau
Shows you the full year ahead
11. Your True Passion Tarot Spread
Reveals your true passion and how to live it
12. The Life Advice Shuffle
Gives you advice about life's many departments
13. The Sex Life Draw
Reveals your sex life with a current or future partner
14. The Past Life Tarot Spread
Reveals the truth about your past life
15. Allies & Enemies Tarot Spread
Reveals who your allies and enemies are
16. Your Future Children Shuffle
Tells you about any future children of yours
17. Sports Match Prediction Method
Lets you win meaningful bets
18. Age at Death Prediction Method
Tells you how long you will live
19. The High Priestess Tarot Spread
Answers any question about the future
20. The Time Prediction Method
Reveals the timing of any event
This year's Saturnalia is in less than a week, meaning that the time of feasting and indulgence is not so far away either. Food was a very important part of the festivities in the Ancient Times because the entire holiday season in Ancient Rome was meant to give the people a chance of tasting delicious meals and otherwise indulging.
I am covering a few of the Roman Saturnalia recipes and, in order to give everyone a chance to celebrate, some modern recipes that match the theme and requirements of the holiday.
Some of the recipes included contain ingredients not everyone can eat, such as meats, nuts, or dairy. I will be offering substitutes for these ingredients. For cheeses, I'd like to suggest some recipes of dairy-free cheese substitutes you can make if you are allergic.
The first recipe I'd like to go over is Mustacei, or Roman Must Cakes. The first notion of it comes from Cato's De Agricultura where he says:
Mustaceos sic facito. Farinae siligineae modium unum musto conspargito. Anesum, cuminum, adipis, casei libram, et de virga lauri deradito, eodem addito, et ubi definxeris, lauri folia subtus addito, cum coques.
Translated, this recipe sounds like this:
This is how to make Mustaceos. Moisten 1 modius of wheat flour with must; add anise, cumin, 2 pounds of lard, 1 pound of cheese, and the bark of a laurel twig. When you have made them into cakes, put bay leaves under them, and bake.
While this recipe is relatively simple, the measurements is where difficulties arise since Cato uses Roman modius. There are many methods of making these cakes, here's the one I'd like to offer:
INGREDIENT LIST
400-500g plain flour (you can use gluten-free flour)
150-200ml of 2-3 day old grape juice (can be fresh)
1/2 tsp dried yeast (optional)
25-60g cheddar or pecorino cheese, grated (or vegan pecorino or cheddar)
2 tsp ground aniseed
2 tsp ground cumin
50-80g pastry lard or hard vegetable fat
olive oil
bay leaves (15 or 20)
DIRECTIONS
Prepare a bowl and add the grape juice in. Dissolve yeast in the juice. The yeast is optional, you can use just the must (grape juice).
Take a bowl, put in the flour, cumin, and aniseed. Mix. Add grated cheese into the flour mix.
Add lard or vegetable fat into the flour mix, mix until it comes together. Add the juice mix.
Knead until the dough is done. Roll the dough up and cover it with a towel. You can let it stay overnight.
Prepare and oil up your baking tray. Place bay leaves on it.
Roll the dough on a floured board until it's about 1 cm thick.
Use a pastry cutter to make individual cakes around 5 cm in diameter each.
Place the cakes on the bay leaves and bake for about 45 min at 180°C.
Serve warm.
The second meal idea follows another Ancient Roman cookbook, this time by Apicius, De Re Coquinaria. He says the following:
2Elixatas cucurbitas exprimis, sale asparges, in patina compones. Teres piper, cuminum, coriandri semen, mentam viridem, laseris radicem, suffundes acetum. Addicies cariotam, nucleum, teres melle, aceto, liquamine, defrito et oleo temperabis, et cucurbitas perfundes. Cum ferbuerint, piper asparges et inferes.
Which, if translated, sounds approximately like this:
Press the water out of the boiled pumpkin, place in a baking dish, sprinkle with salt, ground pepper, cumin, coriander seed, green mint and a little laser root; season with vinegar. Now add date wine and pignolia nuts ground with honey, vinegar and broth, measure out condensed wine and oil, pour this over the pumpkin and finish in this liquor and serve, sprinkle with pepper before serving.
Some people replace date wine with grated dates moistened with wine, some don't: that part is up to you. However, there are some general methods of cooking this recipe with modern measurements in mind:
INGREDIENT LIST
1 pumpkin, squash, or gourd
1 tsp peppercorns
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander seeds
3-4 mint leaves, shredded
1 garlic clove
3-4 tbsp vinegar
30-60 g dates, finely chopped
45-70 g blanched almonds, finely chopped
2 tbsp clear honey
4 tbsp Wine or Grape Juice
15-30 ml olive oil
Sea salt to taste
DIRECTIONS
Cut the squash or any alternative you're using. Place into a steamer or cook on the stove until done.
Remove the excess water. Transfer the pulp to a saucepan or skillet. Whilst the squash is cooking, grind the spices or prepare them if you're using grinded spices.
Add the mint and garlic, grind or mix together with spices. Add the mix to the squash.
Next add the oil, dates, almonds and the honey. Mix it all together.
Place the final mixture back on the heat and simmer for the flavours to combine.
Serve sprinkled with salt and black pepper.
The last recipe I'd like to describe is that of a beverage. You don't have to have any sort of alcohol to enjoy Saturnalia, this is completely optional. This is purely for educational purposes.
Disclaimer: Do not do this unless you are completely certain what you're of age, you're doing, and know how to properly store it.
In the original text by Apicius, or Apicio, the following is said:
Folias rosarum, albo sublato, lino inseris ut sutilis facias, et vino quam plurimas infundes, ut septem diebus in vino sint. Post septem dies rosam de vino tollis et alias sutiles recentes similiter mittis, ut per dies septem in vino requiescant, et rosam eximis. Similiter et tertio facies et rosam eximis et vinum colas et, cum ad bibendum voles uti, addito melle rosatum conficies, sane custodito ut rosam a rore siccam et optimam mittas. Similiter, ut supra, et de viola violacium facies, et eodem modo melle temperabis.
If we translate this passage, it becomes this:
Make rose wine in this manner: rose petals, the lower white part removed, sewed into a linen bag and immersed in wine for seven days. Thereupon add a sack of new petals which allow to draw for another seven days. Again remove the old petals and replace them by fresh ones for another week; then strain the wine through the colander. Before serving, add honey sweetening to taste. Take care that only the best petals free from dew be used for soaking.
INGREDIENT LIST
A bottle of dry white wine 1 1/2 cups of rose petals Honey, to taste
DIRECTIONS
Take a bottle of premade or store bought wine and pour into a large pitcher or jar.
Pluck the rose petals from the flowers and place them on a piece of cheesecloth. It's best to use freshly collected petals but you can use dry ones, too.
Tie the cheesecloth and submerge it in the wine, leaving to sit in the refrigerator for a few days up to week. After the time has passed, fish the sachet from the wine and replace with more fresh rose petals in new cheesecloth.
Repeat this twice, so the wine steeps for a total of three weeks.
Once it is done sitting, serve the wine with honey to taste (and optional rose petals for garnish).
Before we speak on modern dishes, I'd like to mark down a few honorary mentions of Roman foods that are taken from Ancient cookbooks and follow Ancient recipes but were not included in the list above to save space and time.
If you want to follow Ancient Roman recipes and have the ingredients to do so, you can make: Arrosto di maiale con salsa allo zafferano, Aliter Ius in Avibus, Dulcia Piperata, Chiacchiere, Globi Dolce, Prosciutto in crosta dell’antica Roma, and more. I will be linking all sources on these recipes as well as some cookbooks on my Navigation page.
I also want to recommend some wines as mulled wine was a very prominent part of the celebration. Here are some wine types, not brands, that I personally recommend for the Saturnalia: Chianti Riserva, Sangiovese, Primitivo, Nero d'Avola, Montepulciano, Pinot Grigio, Candoni Moscato. Only get those if you're an adult and know how to deal with alcohol.
These are modern recipes that fit the general theme of the Saturnalia. All of these recipes contain typical ingredients of the festive feast. You don't have to use meat, you can replace it with cauliflower, tofu, and any meat analogues you'd like. For sweets, you can replace eggs with yogurt or heavy cream whereas flour can be non-gluten. You absolutely can replace other gluten-containing ingredients with gluten-free alternatives, and replace nuts with crushed dried fruits or other ingredient with a similar texture.
Links to recipes will be in my Sources.
ANTIPASTO & MAIN COURSES
Rotolini di speck e fichi - Speck and fig rolls
Lonza di maiale in salsa di noci - Pork in walnut sauce Carré di maiale alle mele - Pork with apples Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin
DESSERTS & BREAD
Struffoli - Honey Balls Noci Dolci - Sweet filled walnuts Crostata di mele - Apple crust cake Buccellati - Sicilian sweet fig pastry
Lievito madre or pasta madre - Classic Italian sourdough Libum or Focaccia al Formaggio - Cheese focaccia Focaccia morbida - Soft focaccia
Sources are in my pinned.
Saturnalia is coming on soon, so I'd like to speak some more on this peculiar, interesting festive occasion.
It is an Ancient Roman holiday of abundance, feasting, and celebration of harvest, which was supposed to be over by the time the festivities began. After the farmers gathered the crops, they'd celebrate Saturn, God of seed and sowing, for His generosity and richness of the harvest.
The festival, known for its abundant feasts and the peculiar tradition of switching roles of masters and servants, has a complicated history. It laid basis for the modern-day celebration of Christmas with its fairs, markets, street festivities, and gift-giving.
The origins of Saturnalia are much of a mystery as the festival appears to be so Ancient that Roman sources mark it to be older than the city of Rome itself. Saturnalia existed in both Greek and Roman tradition, though it corresponded to the Greek Kronia, which was a similar, but not an identical festival.
Sources speak on different possible origins of the holiday: some mention the temple of Saturn, the largest of the recorded by the pontiffs, being erected in Rome, and thus starting the tradition; whereas others speak on the festival being brought from Greece. Either way, this Ancient tradition is associated with the liberation of the God of harvest.
Saturnalia was officially celebrated on December 17 and, in Cicero's ties, lasted for a week (inclusively), until December 23. The length of the celebration varied depending on the time period as Augustus shortened it to three days only for the sake of letting the civil courts stay closed for less, while Caligula extended the celebration to five days. The original festival, according to Macrobius, appeared to have lasted for only a day; fourteen days before the Kalends of January. The Julian reform shifted the date to the 17th, thus making it into sixteen days before the Kalends. Some believe that the timing for Saturnalia was symbolic, as next followed Winter Solstice, or symbolic Death of the Sun and Birth of the new one.
Regardless, even after the limiting of the festival, Saturnalia seemed to still be celebrated for a full week with the last day being dedicated to Sigillaria, named so after sigillaria, the small earthenware figurines sold in the cities on that day. The original day of celebration was in turn given to Ops, the consort of Saturn and the Deity of abundance and the fruits of the Earth. The celebration in Her honor was called Opalia, and two festivals tended to mix together with Ops' worshippers sitting down during prayer to touch Earth, mother of all.
Saturnalia involved various activities akin to feasts, parties, gift-giving, and ritual rites. The party traditionally started with the guests exclaiming, i Saturnalia, believed to be a shortening from ego tibi optimis Saturnalia auspico, or 'i wish you a happy Saturnalia'. It is believed to be one of the most delightful periods of the year and one of the most beloved Roman festivals. People went into the streets celebrating, marching, setting up shows and street markets. People of all backgrounds could participate in it.
Among the general aspects of Saturnalia were activities such as gift giving, as people exchanged things such as candles, walnuts, dates, and honey. Masters served slaves, whereas slaves became free men as in memory of Saturn's reign when slavery did not exist. Servants walked the streets masked, in Frigio hats, or hats of liberation. The Saturnals were also celebrated in the army; the party was called the Saturnalicium castrense, when the low-rank soldiers sat next to the generals as equals and toasted together. Dice games and public gambling were allowed, but became prohibited again once Saturnalia ended. Mourning was abolished, while courts and schools were closed; starting war or enforce capital punishment was strictly prohibited. The festivities took such a great degree of chaos that some authors of the time report moving to remote suburban houses for the week of the Saturnalia to avoid the noise.
Saturn was one of the few celebrated Deities, as, in Roman times, Dis Pater and Proserpina were also believed to join the festive processions in winter time. They were to be appeased by gifts, festivities, and food; which was believed to make Them return to the Underworld where, as the Gods of subsoil, They would protect the crops and make them sprout in spring.
The official part of the feast consisted of a solemn sacrifice in the temple attended with bare head and during which the wool bandages that wrapped the feet of Saturn's simulacrum melted. A public banquet followed where all the guests exchanged toasts and wishes.
Further celebratory activities were split into days, and precise rites were done on each day of the festival.
At the beginning of Saturnalia, a rite of lectisternium was held. During the ritual, statues of Jupiter and 12 Olympians were seated in a dining position upon a special bed, or couch, and offered food, prayers, and gifts. They were spoken to with due respect and asked for protection of Rome and its people as well as for help with current affairs. After the first step, a procession was sent off to the Temple of Saturn and animal sacrifices were made at the site. A banquet with cheeses, focaccia, olives, and wine was held, to which everyone was invited - all provided by the state.
Starting day one, no-work days began, and gifts as well as greeting cards were exchanged between the citizens. Myrtle, laurel, and ivy - symbolic elements of the Saturna - were given; the trees were respectively sacred to Venus, Apollo, and Bacchus. The first day was signified by banquets, during which the Princeps of Saturnalia, the ruler of the festivities, Princeps Saturnalicius, was elected. During the first day of the festival, people changed from togas to synthesis and pileus; a casual home robe and a cap like headdress.
On the second day of the festival, Rome was still abundant with noise and feasts, to which everyone invited everyone. Stalls and juggles were in the streets alongside dancers and musicians. Celebrations were accompanied by the feast in honor of Epona, Celtic Goddess of horses, much adorned by the equites, whose importance during Saturnalia was due to Her connection to fertility and richness of feasts. The second day of Saturnalia, the 18th of December, marked the beginning of the triad of days of Mercatus, much similar to today's city fairs.
The third day of Saturnalia was the initial day of the celebration (before the reform of the calendar) and was devoted to the Goddess Ops, Deity of Sabine origin introduced to Rome under Titus Tatius. She was praised as the Deity of abundance, protector of rich harvest, giver of fruits of the Earth, and respected consort of the God Saturn. Her Temple at the Capitol hill was erected on that day, and thus received attention and became a center of worship of the Goddess as it was the anniversary of its establishment. Ops was prayed to and asked for blessings of harvest.
The fourth day of the Saturnian festivals, December 20, was dedicated to gift-giving and worship of the Lares, house guardian Deities of Ancient Rome. Terracotta figurines, sigillaria, were made out of paste, wax, or terracotta. Bronze statues were a rarity as bronze was expensive, while sigillaria made out of sweet dough were meant for the children. These statuettes were exchanged as gifts between the citizens as well as given to Saturn as offerings. He was seen as the God of time, and, thus, Death, and the figurines were to be given to Him as ways to redirect Death from coming for the giver, instead letting the figurine take it.
On the fifth day, Rome was filled with visitors from all across the Empire who came to see the city at its peak, blooming with festivals and street activities such as shops, shows, and a multitude of banquet spots. Fod, souvenirs, sigillaria (sigillaria<sigillum<signum+illum), clothes, ornaments and jewels were sold on the street. Artisans from all over the Empire offered goods made of leather, wood, terracotta, bronze, brass, silver and a special alloy of gold and silver, electrum.
On day six of the festivities Rome welcomed dancers, singers, and other performers from across the Empire who came to join the celebration as the entirety of the Empire was involved in it. Gift-exchanging with the guests, also known as xenia, was performed. Marcus Valerius Martialis wrote Xenia and Apophoreta for the Saturnalia, both of which were published in December and intended to accompany the "guest gifts" that were given at that time of year.
On the seventh - and last - day of the celebrations the Gods were thanked for everything given. The streets were full of torches and braziers, and the day passed between banquets and the baths decorated with ribbons and garlands for the occasion. Aulus Gellius relates that he and his Roman compatriots would gather at the baths in Athens, where they were studying, and pose difficult questions to one another on the ancient poets, a crown of laurel being dedicated to Saturn if no-one could answer them.
Saturnalia ended at sunset.
Sources in pinned.
Larentalia of Ancient Rome was a day at the very end of the Saturnalia, around December 23, celebrated in honor of various Deities. Some attest it to the celebration of Acca Larentia, the mythical mother of Romulus and Remus equated with the great she-wolf Lupa, whereas some call it the day of the Lares, protective household Deities of the Roman era. Multiple Di Inferi such as the Lares, Di Manes, Di Penates, and such received due praise on Larentalia.
Known also as Parentalia, Larom, Lemuria, Mania, this sacred day has a long history and roots from the beliefs and customs that preceded the very formation of Rome.
Larentalia has a complicated history, much like most Roman holidays and festivals do. Some sources attest it to be the day when Acca Larentia was praised and worshipped, as she was believed to have raised Romulus and Remus as their adoptive mother. Some stories speak of Acca Larentia as a woman who happened to have a large fortune left after her wealthy Etruscan lover, Tarutilus, passed, and that she gave the money to the people of Rome. Some call her the wife of Faustulus, the shepherd who found Romulus and Remus in the she-wolf's burrow. Some call her a courtesan and the mistress of the great Hercules given to him in a game of dice.
The latter might be a contributing factor to why Acca Larentia got slowly merged with the imagery of a she-wolf Lupa who raised Romulus and Remus according to the old myth: the word for a courtesan (lupa) and the word for a she-wolf (lupa) are cognates. Her other name, Acca, might be compared to the Sanskrit "akka", which means "mother" and rightfully allows us to consider her Mater Larum, the Mother of the Lares whom Romulus and Remus became for Rome after their deaths. The festival to honor the Lares was called Larom and coincided with Larentalia. Some, like Ovid, also referred to it as Mania after a corresponding Sabine Goddess.
The name of Quirinus is tightly connected to the cult of the Lares. Initially, this is likely the name of an Ancient indigenous agricultural Deity of Roman and Etruscan peoples who later was merged with the deified Romulus to represent a giving, prosperous ruler of the Empire.
Quirinus is also one of the epithets of the God Mars, one of the most beloved and treasured among the Roman Gods. Mars Quirinus was the peaceful face of the God of War when He guarded the civillians. Maurus Servius Honoratus in his notes to the Aeneid wrote the following: Mars enim cum saevit Gradivus dicitur, cum tranquillus est Quirinus ("When He rampages, Mars is Gradivus, but when He is at peace, He is Quirinus"). Gods such as Janus and Jupiter were also given the epithet Quirinus. Thus, the very name, Quirinus, became strongly associated with the image of provision, protection, and stability, which explains why Romulus was attested this name as well.
Such a diverse variety of ways Quirinus can be interpreted is partially due to the variety of theories that were created at the time to explain Romulus' death. Some authors claimed him to have been taken by a thunderstorm, some that he was killed by the Senate in a manner much similar to the way Julius Caesar died. Some claim that Romulus and Quirinus are one and have been one. The pre-Romulean function of the Divinity remains much of a mystery, though some argue that He might have been a part of the triad alongside Jupiter and Mars, thus constituting the three most beloved Gods of the Roman Empire.
Quirinus thus has connection to three most important areas of the Roman life: agriculture, military, and the afterlife. This creates a very chthonic identity of the newly coined Divinity, which explains why Larentalia was the day of honoring the dead.
The cult of Quirinus has birthed the new religious rank within Rome, flamen Quirinalis, which coexisted with flamen Dialis and flamen Martialis and seemed to perform a major religious function within the cult and across the entirety of Rome.
Larentalia was celebrated at the place of the supposed tomb of Acca Larentia, the Velabrum located between the Capitoline Hill and the Palatine Hill, not a long way from the old city. There, pontiffs and flamen Quirinalis sacrificed to Di Manes. Di Manes were the souls of the deceased loved ones, connected to other indigenous Roman Deities such as Di Penates, Genii, and the Lares. The festival to honor the Manes and Acca Larentia included performance of parentatio, or funeral rites. The Latin name of the ritual is the reason why Larentalia is also sometimes called Parentalia.
As the Mother of Lares, Acca Larentia received offerings given to the guardian spirits under her protection. However, the holiday wasn't limited to just her and instead celebrated all the Lares.
The nature of the offerings varies depending on what time period and what author we refer to. For example, Macrobius says that at first, Di Manes, as they were among Di Inferi, received offerings in form of human sacrifice. However, according to him, this tradition did not last for long and, under Junius Brutus, was replaced. Starting from Brutus' times, human sacrifice was substituted with offerings of garlic and poppy. In the same book Macrobius also states that people would hang up woolen human-shaped figurines on the day of the Manes to ward off anything bad happening to the family. This, as well as the fact most rituals likely happened at night, points out that this day was devoted to the chthonic Deities.
Among other offerings during Larentalia were homemade cakes and pigs sacrificed for the Di Inferi. Some writers suggest that if during the Larentalia, any piece of food was to fall on the ground, from the moment of touching it the food became an offering to the Lares and was to be burned. A similar tradition is seen among the Greeks who also believed that food dropped on the ground belonged to the spirits dwelling in the house.
As a part of the Saturnalia, Larentalia was one of the holidays of passing when the old died out and allowed the coming of the new.
Note: Do not use the decor in this post. I made it myself, images not mine. Please, be respectful. This holiday mentions the souls of the dead.
Sources are in my pinned.
as much as I stand by the idea that the Deities appear and speak to us in a way that we need and can comprehend best, sometimes I feel as if people mistake Hermes’s wit with “silliness and goofiness” and forget that to be able to come up with a successful joke that can uplift one’s spirit, you need to be intelligent, charming, observant, confident as well as read the other’s emotions like an open book. And that, my friends, requires some serious skill.
Hermes Offerings and Devotions
Offerings
Keys
Dice
Playing cards
Coins
Rocks/pebbles
Playing jacks (UPG)
Bouncy balls (UPG)
Lucky charms (Cereal)
Rabbit's foot
Horse shoe
Magic 8 ball
Coffee
Energy drinks
Herms
Road trip snacks (I like Hostess donuts)
Airplanes/trains/cars imagery
Foreign/new foods
Trail mix
Peanut m&ms (UPG)
Turtles
Lyres/string instruments
Sandals/shoes/running shoes
Journals
Camping gear
Survival gear, like multitools, fire starters, first aid kits etc.
Pens/pencils
Small (stolen) trinkets
Language dictionaries
Work out gear
Panpipes
Postcards
Letters
Stamps
Envelopes
Zodiac signs
Sheep/goats
Car parts
Backpacks/drawstring bags/bags
Crocos
Sticks
Saffron
Sticks
Board games (UPG)
Dominos (UPG)
Pick up sticks (UPG)
Books
Cups
Scales
Dream journals
Graveyard dirt
Cookie fortunes
Foreign money
$2 Bills
Dollar coins
Marbles
Travel souvenirs
Bikes/skateboards/skate
Old licenses/IDs
Sport trophies/jerseys/jackets/gear
Wings/feathers
Letters/numbers
Video games
Magic kits
Oranges/Lemons (UPG)
Devotional Acts
Write letters
Go for walks
Run
Road trips
Learn about alchemy, astrology, lucid dreaming/astral travel, astronomy, etc.
Learn basic car maintenance (change a tire, jump a car, change air filter, check oil etc.)
Give money/socks/cigarettes/water/food to panhandlers
Go talk to a panhandler and keep them company for a bit. I usually smoke a cigarette with them (only time I smoke) and just chat.
Pranks
Public speaking
Tip well
Stargazing
Geocaching
Learn new language
Learn ASL
Work out
Drive safely and predictably
Use your blinker fools
Bike/skate
Clean your car
Make a travel altar
Get a passport
Travel
Practice keyboarding
Have a penpal
Train your voice
Magic tricks
Check your mail/email regularly
Low risk gambling, like lotto tickets
Riskier gambling if you're mindful of it
Make sigils
Have a race
Play a tag
Be nice to wait staff
Play sports
Make maps of trails near you
Make maps of whatever you want
Play uke/string instruments
Make herms
Carpool
Uphold confidentiality
Coin tricks
Be a reliable worker
Thrifting/yard saling
Dumpster diving
Making trades and barters
Help look for missing people/pets
"I don't have a religion therefore you can't either" isn't any less colonialist than "my religion is valid and yours is not", by the way, people.
Isn't it actually so beautiful that deities take the time to try and guide and teach us? How wonderful is it that they care for us so deeply that they'd share their wisdom, knowledge, and insight so freely? I think a deity's love is something to be cherished, and I cherish this. 🧡✨
Reblog if you think public libraries are important and should be maintained.
Dionysos Kolotes
Early in January, when I was in the deepest throes of my hyperfixation on researching everything about Dionysos, I found this post by @bacchant-of-dionysus with a nice, neat list of epithets of Dionysos, with their Greek spelling (much appreciated), meanings (even more appreciated), and small prayers you could say with the epithets (I was about to weep tears of joy). As I was reading through it, I saw the epithet of "Dionysos Kolotes", Kolotes meaning "spotted gecko", which gave me serious pause. It almost seemed comedical - where in Dionysos' mythology were geckoes of any kind even mentioned, especially spotted ones? And why the specification?
When I came back around to this epithet while working on my series of prayers, I decided to take to the internet to see if I could dig up any more information on why Kolotes was an epithet of Dionysos. After a few searches, I came across this page on Theoi.com about Asklabos, who had been turned into a spotted gecko. I'll copy it down below, it's not very long:
"Askalabos was the son of a peasant-woman named Mimse who the goddess Demeter visited upon first arriving in Attika during her long search for Persephone. The woman offered her a drink of barley-groats, and the goddess hurriedly quaffed it down to relieve her thirst. The boy rudely mocked her as a glutton and in her anger she cast the drink at him, transforming him into a spotted gecko."
This is interesting, because, while Dionysos was mentioned nowhere here, the story of Demeter looking for Persephone was in fact a part of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which He does have some connections to. But that still begs the question - why is it Dionysos who is given the epithet of Kolotes, rather than Demeter, who it would seemingly be more fitting to?
In my own opinion, this epithet is one that seems to connect to Dionysos' habit of being, in some ways, a God of hospitality. Frequently, when He appears in myths, He is seen judging people on their hospitality (usually lack of). For example, in the Bacchae, one of Pentheus' greatest evils was his lack of hospitality towards the maenads, and he was ripped apart. Lykurgous, too, attacked Dionysos and His maenads, and was punished with madness. And the Tyrrhenian pirates, who kidnapped Dionysos to sell him to slavery, found themselves turned into dolphins. In all of these examples, Dionysos is the one who carries out the punishment of those who have violated Xenia. The spotted gecko, meanwhile, was once a boy who mocked a Goddess as she quenched her thirst after frantically searched for Her missing daughter.
So in my opinion, Dionysos holds the epithet of Kolotes not because He is someone who would also mock Demeter on Her worst days, but because He reminds others not to do the same, as a God who seems to oversee Xenia. Just as we see dolphins not as an inspiration to go out and kidnap someone, but rather as a reminder to not take advantage of others, the spotted gecko is a reminder to always be courteous to other people, even when their actions seem strange or desperate to us. We do not know what they have undergone.
“After screaming, [Cassandra] calls out the name of Apollo sixth times, then again a seventh time, but the seventh time, by shifting the inflexion of the name slightly, she shows its etymology. Apollo’s name is cognate with the Greek verb apollesthai, “to destroy utterly, kill, slay, demolish, lay waste.” By crying out “Apollon emos”, Cassandra can designate the god as “my Apollo” and “my destroyer” at the same time in the same words.”
— Anne Carson, excerpt of Cassandra Float Can, from Float (via mythaelogy)
I was being cancelled because apparently it was classist to put feathers on dinosaurs.
Both dream me and irl me were very confused.
Just a quick reminder since I'm seeing a trend in my recent new followers -
If you are a radfem/gender critic/gender essentialist/TERF, don't support trans rights, think that "witch" is not a gender-neutral term, or believe that magic comes from the womb / only cis-women can be "real" witches, get the fuck off my blog.
Don't follow me, don't ask me questions, I don't care about your journey, I don't care about your reasoning, I'm not interesting in talking to you, I will block you on sight.
This is not a safe space for TERFs. There is nothing for you here.
This is from one of my textbooks* and I think it's super cool. I hope the Apollo worshippers out there like this!
* "An Introduction to Ancient Greek: A Literary Approach, Second Edition" revised by C.A.E. Luschnig and Deborah Mitchell
forget about touching grass, i need to touch THE SEA I NEED TO GO INTO THE WATER I NEED TO DIVE INTO THE SEA!!!!!!!!!!!!