If You Were Born Today, April 2

 

If You Were Born Today, April 2

Security and stability are exceptionally important to you, but that doesn’t mean you don’t take any risks–they are simply calculated ones. You are highly intuitive and positive and can articulate yourself well. Often, partnerships bring the most success into your life. However, you often take on more responsibility than others. You are never pretentious, answering to your own inner voice and inspiration. Famous people born today: Hans Christian Anderson, Marvin Gaye, Emmylou Harris, Michael Fassbender.

Your Birthday Year Forecast:

Your birthday falls shortly after a Full Moon this year, suggesting a period ahead of communication and teaching. You may be turned to for advice more frequently, and you are very willing to offer your help. This is a strong year for publicity and any other endeavors that involve spreading the word. As well, your ability to be objective–or to see the “big picture”–can be especially pronounced and rewarding this year.

Connecting with like-minded people is likely but also with people who have new perspectives to share during the period ahead. It’s a particularly powerful year for friendships that are often sudden or exciting, social affairs, and artistic work. Whirlwind changes in your love life and/or financial state are possible. It may be that you experience sudden changes or breakups with a friend or lover. However, the chance of a sudden new friendship is just as likely. At the root of this is a stronger taste for the unusual. What is familiar is less exciting to you than what is new and different. If a relationship seems to threaten your sense of freedom, you may have an easy time separating from it. Some fireworks in both your social and financial lives are expected.

Saturn transits square to your Sun in January, and this can encourage you to straighten out neglected areas of your life, however. You’ll be working hard at disciplining yourself. You are likely to have new or increased responsibilities, and it might take some time to get adjusted to them. The need to re-structure and re-organize your life will be apparent at some point during this period. Much can be accomplished. Although you may not always see immediate results for your efforts, important groundwork can be laid for the future.

The year ahead can be an ambitious time and a supportive period for reaching your goals. You might solve a long-standing problem, or capitalize upon a resource that was previously hidden.

This is an excellent year in which to advance projects revolving around communications – writing, speaking, selling, and so forth. Your reputation may be enhanced through word of mouth. Making new contacts through learning and mental pursuits figures strongly as well.

With Mars conjunct Saturn in your Solar Return chart, you are more determined and hard-working than usual. This is an excellent time to get organized and to stick with projects through to the end. When you face obstacles to your goals, which is a likely scenario this year, you are likely to just keep on pushing. Progress may be slow, but it’s steady and solid. What you accomplish now will benefit you for years to come. You may be called to task for a responsibility that you’ve avoided in the past.

Jupiter forms a trine to your Sun, and you have a stronger than usual desire to improve, grow, and learn. This is a fortunate aspect that helps boost optimism and confidence, and you are able to attract fortunate circumstances into your life as a result. Problems are easier to resolve. Matters related to universities, higher education, religion, publishing, legal affairs, and/or foreign interests can be especially strong. It’s an excellent time to further your education. You are likely to enjoy a larger perspective on matters that keeps you from getting lost in details or overly frustrated by everyday stresses during the course of the month.

Relationships are in strong focus this year, and you could find yourself in big demand. This is a year for solving problems and getting your life in order in significant ways. You receive plenty of cosmic support for making big improvements or lifestyle changes, although hard work is necessary. This can be a wonderful time for meeting new people or more thoroughly enjoying your current friendships.

2018 is a Number Eight year for you. Ruled by Saturn. This is a year of power and accomplishment. Actively seeking to expand, taking educated risks, and moving forward are highlighted. This is a year of opportunity, particularly in the material and business world, and opportunities need to be seized. It’s generally not a year to find a new love partner, simply because the focus is on the material world and your place in the world. This is a problem-solving year in which you can expect real, tangible results. Advice – take action, plan ahead, seize opportunities.

2019 will be a Number Nine year for you. Ruled by Mars. This is a year of completion and transition. It is a time when we need to let go of things that no longer serve their purpose, and hold on to things that have a future. It is a time of cleaning out dead wood, not necessarily for new beginnings. It can be a time when a burden has been taken off your shoulders, and it can be a year of giving of yourself. Advice – let go of things that are holding you back, give of yourself and express your sympathetic, compassionate side.

 

Cafe Astrology

The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

The 13 Principles of Wiccan Belief

1. We practice rites to attune ourselves with the natural rhythm of life forces marked by the phases of the Moon and the seasonal Quarters and Cross Quarters.

2. We recognize that our intelligence gives us a unique responsibility toward our environment. We seek to live in harmony with nature in ecological balance offering fulfillment to life and consciousness within an evolutionary concept.

3. We acknowledge a depth of power far greater than that apparent to the average person. Because it is far greater than ordinary it is sometimes called ‘supernatural’, but we see it as lying within that which is naturally potential to all.

4. We conceive of the Creative Power in the universe as manifesting through polarity – as masculine and feminine – and that this same Creative Power lies in all people and functions through the interaction of the masculine and the feminine. We value neither above the other knowing each to be supportive of the other. We value sex as pleasure as the symbol and embodiment of life, and as one of the sources of energy used in magical practice and religious worship.

5. We recognize both outer worlds and inner, or psychological worlds sometimes known as the Spiritual World, the Collective Unconsciousness, the Inner Planes etc. – and we see in the interaction of these two dimensions the basis for paranormal phenomena and magical exercises. We neglect neither dimension for the other, seeing both as necessary for our fulfillment.

6. We do not recognize any authoritarian hierarchy, but do honor those who teach, respect those who share their greater knowledge and wisdom, and acknowledge those who have courageously given of themselves in leadership.

7. We see religion, magick and wisdom in living as being united in the way one views the world and lives within it – a world view and philosophy of life which we identify as Witchcraft – the Wiccan Way.

8. Calling oneself ‘Witch’ does not make a Witch – but neither does heredity itself, nor the collecting of titles, degrees and initiations. A Witch seek to control the forces within her/ himself that make life possible in order to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature.

9. We believe in the affirmation and fulfillment of life in a continuation of evolution and development of consciousness giving meaning to the Universe we know and our personal role within it.

10. Our only animosity towards Christianity, or towards any other religion or philosophy of life, is to the extent that its institutions have claimed to be ‘the only way’ and have sought to deny freedom to others and to suppress other ways of religious practice and belief.

11. As American Witches, we are not threatened by debates on the history of the craft, the origins of various terms, the legitimacy of various aspects of different traditions. We are concerned with our present and our future.

12. We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil’ as defined by Christian tradition. We do not seek power through the suffering of others, nor accept that personal benefit can be derived only by denial to another.

13. We believe that we should seek within Nature that which is contributory to our health and well-being.

 

Source

Practical Magick for the Penny Pinching Witch
Carol Moyer

The Witches Guide To Mondays

SPRING FANTASY
The Witches Guide To Mondays

The Affirmation of Acknowledgment

 

I acknowledge the presence of other faiths on my planet, indeed, right here in my city/town/village. I acknowledge that the followers of these faiths feel as strongly, maybe more so, than I do about mine.

I forgive the other faiths and wipe clean the slate between us. I cannot hold a person responsible for the acts of their faith, I cannot hold a faith at fault for individual practitioners. It is not my place to convert, or otherwise alter a person’s religion. I invite discussion of beliefs without judgment of those holding them.

I acknowledge that I may be wrong, and I have found comfort in the fact that I may be right.

Source

Wicca Chat

Monday is the sacred day of the Moon, personified as the Goddesses Selene, Luna, and Mani. The Moon is rule of flow, affecting the changeable and impressionable aspect of people. If a Full Moon falls on a Monday, then the powers of the Moon are at their most potent.

Monday’s Influences

Deity: Mani
Planet: Moon
Tree: willow
Herb Chickweed
Element: Water
Number: 5
Rune: Lagu (L)

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

Ritual Work Associated with Monday The Day of the Moon

 

Perfume: White Poppy, White Rose, Wallflower

Incense: Myrtle

Wood: Willow

Color: Silver, Grey-white

Influences: Agriculture, Domestic, Longlife, Medicine, Travels, Visions, Theft (new moon)

Reference:

A Book of Pagan Rituals
Herman Slater

Monday

Monday: Is associated with the Moon and the colors of – White, Silver, Grey and Pearl

Monday is the best time to deal with such matters as: Antiques, Archetypes, Astral Travel, Astrology, Bodies of Water, Children, Domestic Concerns, Dreams, Emotions, Fluids, Full moon magic, Household Activities, Imagination, Initiation, Justice, Magick, Meditation, New-Age Pursuits, Nursing, Peace, Protection, Psychic Pursuits, Psychology, Public, Purity, Reincarnation, Religious Experiences, Shape-shifting, Short Trips, Sincerity, Spirituality, Totem Animals, Trip Planning, Truth, Warding off Doubts and Fears, Water, Women, Women’s Mysteries

Source

Practical Magick for the Penny Pinching Witch
Carol Moyer

The Magickal Day of the Week – Monday

Monday is the day of the moon itself, and it’s a day that’s connected to lunar colors like silver, white, or even a pale blue. Metals and gemstones like silver, pearl, opal and moonstone all come into play today.

There are plenty of deities associated with the moon – Thoth and Diana for instance – and herbal correspondences include many members of the mint family. Utilize wintergreen or peppermint, as well as catnip, comfrey, sage and chamomile in your workings.

When it comes to Monday magic, because of that lunar connection, it’s a good time to focus on workings related to childbearing and family life, purity and virginity, healing, wisdom, and intuition. Do a little bit of self exploration and work on developing your intuition – learn to trust your gut. Celebrate birth and life, and make some magic to fix what is broken.

Author

Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article published on & owned by ThoughtCo

Today is Monday, April 2nd

Monday is the sacred day of the moon, personified as the goddesses Selene, Luna, and Mani. The moon is ruler of flow, affecting the changeable and impressionable aspects of people. If a full moon falls on a Monday, then the powers of the moon are at their most potent.

Deity: Mani

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Planet: Moon

Tree: Willow

Herb: Chickweed

Stone: Agate

Animal: Crab

Element: Water

Color: Green

Rune: Lagu (L)

 

The Celtic Tree Month of Fearn(Alder)(March 18 – April 14)

Runic Half Month of Ehwaz(horse) (March 30 – April 13)

Goddess of the Month of Columbina (March 20 – April 17)

 

Source

The Pagan Book of Days
Nigel Pennick

The Goddess Book of Days for Monday, April 2nd

Feast of A-Ma, Portu- guese Goddess and Patroness of Fisherfolk. Other Serpent and Sea Goddesses are: Tiamat, Atargatis, Kwan Yin, Stella Maris, Yemaya, Marl, Kwannon, Nu Kwa, Isis, Thetis, Sedna, Nina, Nammu, Aida Wedo, Aphrodite, and Ata Bey.

Source

The Goddess Book of Days
Diane Stein

On Monday, April 2nd, We Celebrate…..

Rejoicing Day (Germany)
RINDA

Themes: Spring; Overcoming; Protection; Fire; Spirituality; Change

Themes: Fire, Solar Images; Gold and Yellow

About Rinda: In Scandinavia, Rinda represents winter struggling to retain control, even as people sometimes fight positive change because they find the process uncomfortable. Eventually, Rinda succumbs to Odin’s advances, which warm and gertilize her, bringing spring. Rinda teaches us to likewise accept personal transformations gracefully.

To Do Today: Sometime around the fourth Sunday after Lent, many German villages stage a battle between the forces of winter and spring (of course, spring always wins). This might equate to ritual tug-of-war game in which the winter puts up a good battle, but loses. Have people focus on something they similarly want to lose in their lives (like a negative characteristic).

To clear away the cold and old ways, follow the German custom of creating an effigy of winter out of straw and burning it in the fire of spring. Just gather a few strands of straw from the kitchen broom. Tie them together with a white string (for protection), visualizing whatever situation you want “warmed up” or the habits/ideas you want “burned away.” Ignite this is a fire-safe container, saying,

As Rinda accepts Odin, I now accept change.

Let the straw burn to ash, then scatter it to disperse the energy.

Source

365 Goddess: A Daily Guide To the Magic and Inspiration of the goddess
Patricia Telesco


Monday–The Day of the Moon

The moon, like the sun, was an object of wonder in the days of old, and was worshiped almost everywhere in some form or other, but it does not play quite so important a part in story as the sun. Since the moon is paler than the sun and its light soft and gentle, it was often regarded as being a chariot driven by a woman, but the course of the moon-goddess across the sky was similar to that of the sun-god.

Diana, the moon-goddess of the Greeks and Romans, known also as Cynthia, Phoebe, and Arterms, was the twin-sister of Apollo, and drove a golden chariot drawn by milk-white horses. Diana and Apollo were children of Jupiter, and were born in the Island of Delos, where a temple to Apollo was afterwards built. Another of the Seven Wonders of the World was the temple to Diana at Ephesus, on the west coast of Asia Minor. The worship of Diana at Ephesus is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles: “And when the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he saith, ‘Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there who knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is temple-keeper of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?’” The temple was destroyed in the year A.D. 263, but remains of it may still be seen.

Diana was also the Goddess of Hunting; she was a skilled archer, and spent the day in huuting, as we have seen in the story of Orion.

The most famous story of Diana is that of her love for Endymion, a young shepherd–a story which has been told by the poets many times. One evening as the moon-goddess was driving silently across the sky, she saw sleeping on a hillside a handsome youth, his resting flock scattered over the gentle slope. Attracted by his beauty, Diana stepped from her chariot and gazed long at his face; then softly stooping, she kissed him lightly on the lips. Endymion, half wakened by her touch, caught a fleeting vision of the fair goddess as she hastened to her chariot. Filled with wonder at the sight, he rose quickly and rubbed his eyes, but all he saw was the bright moon floating across the dark sky, and he thought that he had been dreaming. The next night the goddess came to him again, and again he saw her with his half closed eyes. Each night when the bright rays of the moon fell on his upturned face he dreamed this wonderful dream, but he was always sleeping when the goddess came, and nevr saw her in her full and dazzling beauty. The days now seemed long and dreary to Endymion, and he waited anxiously for the night that he might see again the glorious vision.

Diana was filled with dread at the thought that the beautiful youth would lose his beauty as the years went by, and at last she cast a spell over him while he slept, so that he should never wake again, and carried him away to a cave in a mountain-side known only to herself. There the loving Diana paused each night in her journey across the sky, and gazed on the face of the fair Endymion.

Diana, when hunting in the forest, was attended by a band of wood-nymphs who were her faithful followers. One of these nymphs, Arethusa, was one day cooling herself after the chase on the banks of the River Alpheus, when suddenly the God of the River appeared. The startled nymph ran quickly into the woods, but the god Alpheus pursued her, telling her that he loved her and that she need fear no harm. Arethusa was too frightened to listen to the god, and ran on, till at last, worn out, she prayed to Diana for help. The moon-goddess was ever ready to help her faithful nymphs, and in answer to the prayer transformed the girl into a fountain, which she hid in a thick mist. Alpheus, suddenly losing sight of the nymph, wandered sorrowfully about, calling out her name in his distress. Arethusa now thought that she was safe, but the wind-god, Zephyrus, blew aside the mist, and Alpheus saw a fountain where there had not been one before, and guessed what had happened. He quickly changed himself into a river and rushed towards the fountain, but Arethusa sprang from the rocks and hastened away over the stones and grass. Diana now saw her fresh danger, and made an opening in the ground, through which Arethusa slipped, to find herself in the kingdom of Pluto, the God of the Underworld. Here she wandered until she found another opening, by which she escaped once again into the sunshine on the plain of Sicily. Alpheus, however, at last made his way across the sea to Sicily, where he found Arethusa and won her love. The Greeks believed that flowers cast into the River Alpheus in Greece were carried by the river as gifts to his lover, and appeared later in the fountain of Arethusa in Sicily!

Among the Egyptians the moon was regarded as a god, who was named Thoth (The Measurer). He was also the God of Wisdom, Invention, Writing, and Magic. He was one of the earliest of the Egyptian gods, having come into being at the same time as Ra, the sun-god, and it was he who was said to have created the world. The Romans compared him with Mercury because, like Mercury, he invented writing. As the God of the Moon, he was represented as wearing a crescent moon on his head, and holding in his hand a stylus, a pointed instrument used by the Egyptians for writing on their wax tablets.

The Babylonian moon-god was Sin, the Lord of Wisdom. He was the father of the sun-god, and was one of the greatest of the gods, owing to the fact that the Babylonians regulated their calendar by the moon.

The Angles and Saxons believed that the moon was driven across the sky by Mani, the son of a giant, in a golden chariot drawn by a horse named the All Swift. As in the case of the sun, our ancestors had no distinct goddess of the moon.

The Witches Guide to Monday

In the word Monday, we can see part of the word Moon. In the romance languages such as Italian or Spanish, this day of the week is called Lunes and clearly relates to the word lunar. On Mondays, a variety of magick may be worked. Because Monday centers on the energies of the Moon, things like dreams, feminine energy, health, success in spiritual pursuits, domestic matters, and things of family origin are especially important this day.

Mondays are best for love magick and anything concerning home or family, thus old saying, Mondays child is fair of face, which seems clearly to relate to the themes of love and health.

Angels of Monday are Gabriel, Arcan, Missabu, and Abuzaha. Arcan is known as the king of the angels of air and the “ruler” of Monday. Abuzaha (Abuzohar) serves Monday, and is very responsive to invocations and ritual magick. Missabu is a ministering angel of Arcan.

Check whether the moon is waning or waxing to determine what your spell will be. During waning moons, do spells to rid yourself of obstacles or for wisdom and protection. During waxing moons do magic for increase of any kind or to draw something into your life.

On Mondays, the best hour to work is moonrise. Get this information from your local newspaper, astrological calendar, or almanac.

Source

Gypsy Magic

Monday’s Witchery, Magick and Enchantment

 

Think for a moment on all of the witchery, magick and enchantments that you have discovered. Don’t be afraid to adjust spells to suit your own specific needs. Any gentle, illusory, and dreamy charms and spells can be enhanced when you work on the day of the week that is dedicated to the moon. Mondays are a fantastic day to boost your psychic abilities and to tune in to your intuition and empathy. It also gives you the opportunity to work with a different lunar phase each and every Monday, which means in one month you could work four different types of moon magicks on Mondays. How’s that for adding to your repertoire? You are going to have mad skills in no time at all.

So light up those lunar scented candles and add a little mystique to your outfit by wearing an enchanting lunar color. Wear your sparkling silver jewelry and maybe add a pair of dangling silver earrings or a pendant shaped like a crescent moon. Create lunar potions and philters; make a dream catcher and give it as a gift to someone you love. Burn some sandalwood or jasmine-scented incense today to inspire the glamour and magick of the moon. Slice up a favorite variety of fruit that is in season for a snack or share it with your love and enjoy his or her lunar and romantic qualities. Brew up a cup of chamomile tea, enchant it with a little moon magick, and relax and get a good night’s sleep.

Most importantly, get outside tonight and watch the moon for a while. What phase is she in? What color was the moon as she rose? Why not start a journal and write down at what location the moon rises and sets for a few seasons? This is a great way to teach you to tune in and to become more aware of the moon and the influence that she pulls into our lives. Try calling on Selene for her magickal assistance, and call Thoth for wisdom and strength. Get to know the Norse Mani and the Latvian Meness. These gods of the moon have plenty to teach, and if you allow their influence to cycle through your life, you’ll receive many blessings. Be imaginative, and create your own personal lunar magick and witchery. Go on….the moonlight becomes you.

Source

Book of Witchery: Spells, Charms & Correspondences for Every Day of the Week
Ellen Dugan

The Witches Almanac for Monday, April 2nd

The Battle of Flowers (French)

Waning Moon

Moon phase: Third Quarter

Moon Sign: Scorpio

Incense: Rosemary

Color: Ivory

Correspondences for Monday, April 2nd

 

Magickal Intentions: Psychic Sensitivity, Women’s Mysteries, Tides, Waters, Emotional Issues, Agriculture, Animals, Female Fertility, Messages, Theft, Reconciliations, Voyages, Dreams and Merchandise

Incense: African violet, Honeysuckle, Myrtle, Willow, Wormwood

Planet: Moon

Sign: Cancer

Angel: Gabriel

Colors: Silver, White and Gray

Herbs/Plants: Night Flowers, Willow Root, Orris Root, Birch, Motherwort, Vervain, White Rose and White Iris

Stones: Carnelian, Moonstone, Aquamarine, Pearl, Clear Quartz, Fluorite, Geodes

Oil: (Moon) Jasmine, Lemon, Sandalwood

Monday belongs to the Moon. Monday’s energy best aligns itself with efforts that deal with women, home and hearth, the family, the garden, travel, and medicine. It also boosts rituals involving psychic development and prophetic dreaming.

Monday Is Ruled By the Moon

This day of the week is dedicated to the moon and all of her magic and mystery. Mondays are for women’s mysteries, illusion, prophetic dreaming, emotions, travel, and fertility.

Some suggestions for Monday enchantments would include:

*Getting outside and looking for the moon in the heavens. Sit under her light and absorb a little glamour. Call on the moon goddess Selene for practical help in magical issues.

*Invoking the god Thoth for wisdom and insight

*Empowering your silver jewelry under the light of the moon. Wear moonstone or pearl jewelry today to add a lunar and magical shimmer to your outfit.

*Be mysterious and subtle and wear moon-associated colors such as white, silver, and blue.

*Working spells for safe travel with a simple moonstone

*Gathering bluebells, jasmine, gardenias, or white roses to create a little garden witchery with the flowers that are associated with the moon

*Setting up a lunar Tarot spell today to increase your psychic powers

*Eating a lunar fruit such as a melon to be healthy, serene, and at peace

*Brewing up a cup of chamomile or mint tea and enchanting it for sweet dreams and restful sleep

The Energy of the Moon

Planet: Moon

Day: Monday

Color: Silver, white, light blue, purple

Metal: Silver

Associations: Childbearing and family life, purity and virginity, healing, wisdom, intuition

The Witches Spell for Monday, April 2nd

To Break the Powers of a Spell (against you)

Items that you will need in order to perform this spell:

1 large black candle
Cauldron or large black bowl

Ritual: Place the candle in the large black bowl or cauldron, affixing it with droppings ofanother black candle. The candle should be tall enough to extend a few inches above the rim.

Fill the cauldron to the rim with fresh water, without welling the candle’s wick. Deep breathe meditate, clear your mind and light the candle. Visualize the suspected spell’s power as residing within the candles flame. Sit in quiet contemplation of the candle and visualize the power flowing and growing within the candle’s flame. As the candle burns down, its flame will eventually sputter and go out as it contacts the water. As soon as the water has extinguished the flame, the spell will be dispersed. See the spell power explode into dust. Pour water in a hole in the ground and bury the candle.

Source

The Modern Day Spellbook: A Collection of Spells for the Modern Day Witch
R. Marten

Home & Hearth Magick for Monday

On Monday, casts for matters concerning the home, emotions and nurturing.

Planetary Influence: The Moon

Household Symbols: Silver platters and bowls, moon shapes

Color: White and Silver

Kitchen Spices: Lemon rind and wintergreen.

Source

Cottage Witchery
Natural Magick for Hearth and Home
Ellen Dugan

Celebrating Legends, Folklore & Spirituality 365 Days a Year for April 2 – Boat Day/Tater Day

 

April 2nd

Boat Day/Tater Day

The annual boat festival held in France celebrates the return of springtime. Children make miniature boats with candles in them that symbolize the joy of sailing on the “seas of life.” At the end of the day, a great procession ends at the Rhine, where the boats are cast onto the coming Summer months.
Batats(sweet potatoes), brought to the New World by Christopher Columbus, became a dietary staple and one of the primary crops grown in the southern United States, where they are as rampant as the kudzu vine. The small tuber is rich in vitamin A and mainly grown for human consumption in the form of alcohol, flour, and starch.

Originally a market where potato slips for Spring planting were sold, Tater Day has been revived as a country fair. In Benton, Kentucky, Sweet Potato Day comes complete with a beauty pageant, horse races, carnival games, rides for the kids and several flea markets. Celebrated since 1843, Tater Day is one of the oldest trade days in the United States.

*It should be noted that Tater Day is held on the first Monday in April. This year’s Tater Day has already occurred on April 4. Benton, Kentucky is about 100 miles from us. It is a quaint little town and if you have a chance, stop in for a visit. You will find it full of good old Southern charm.

Ancient Folklore for Monday: Keep the moon safe from the wolf

Easy to remember – Monday is the Moon Day. The word moon is associated with the Norse god Mona (Máni). He was pulling the moon accross the sky, trying to escape and save it from a mythological wolf. At the end of the world, the wolf will catch them and tear the moon into pieces. This apocalyptic period of the world is called Ragnarok in Norse mythology.

In Romance languages, Monday is also the Moon Day (lunes in Spanish, lundi in French, lunedi in Italian: coming from Latin Dies Lunae).

 

The Witches Astronomy Journal for Monday, April 2nd

SPRING FANTASY
The Witches Astronomy Journal for Monday, April 2nd

Great Goddess, bless each and everyone of us
Shine your loving light down upon us
And help us to improve our daily lives

 

May we grow and blossom
May we be surrounded by love and friendship
May we be gift with good fortune
May we do our best for ourselves and others
May we appreciate what we have
And may we make the most of any opportunities
That you may send our way.

 

Great Goddess, Mother of us all,
Bless us
Shine your loving light down upon us all
And help us to improve our daily lives

 

So Mote it Be

 

–Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook: Wonderfully Witchy Blessings, Charms & Spells
Deborah Blake

Your Daily Sun & Moon Data for Monday, April 2

The Sun
Sun Direction: ↑ 97.59° E
Sun Altitude: 18.19°
Sun Distance: 92.915 million mi
Next Solstice: Jun 21, 2018 5:07 am (Summer)
Sunrise Today: 6:38 am↑ 83° East
Sunset Today: 7:17 pm↑ 277° West
Length of Daylight: 12 hours, 39 minutes

 

The Moon
Moon Direction: ↑ 258.91° W
Moon Altitude: -0.96°
Moon Distance: 240668 mi
Next New Moon: Apr 15, 20188:57 pm
Next Full Moon: Apr 29, 20187:58 pm
Next Moonrise: Today9:41 pm
Current Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 95.1%

Source

timeanddate.com


Astrology of Today – Monday, April 2, 2018

The Moon is in Scorpio.
The Moon is waning and in its Full Moon phase.
The Full Moon occurred on March 31st in the sign of Libra. The Last Quarter Moon will occur on April 8th.
Mercury is retrograde (Mercury is retrograde from March 22nd to April 15th).

Moon in Scorpio

Intensity is what the Moon in Scorpio is all about. Whether it’s passion, elation, sorrow, or desire, emotions are felt on a deeply personal level. We are motivated by the desire to get to the bottom of things, and we instinctively read between the lines. Superficiality won’t work for us now. The Moon in Scorpio urges us to uncover our own power, and it’s an excellent time to rid ourselves of old fears and limiting habits. It can be an intimate and passionate time. Avoid manipulative tactics, brooding, and suspicion.

The Moon in Scorpio generally favors the following activities: Taxes, accounting, intimacy issues, psychological examinations, research, self-examination, getting rid of old things

.

Daily Overview Of The Stars & Skies for Monday, April 2, 2018

Mars aligns with Saturn in the sign of Capricorn today, and the Moon in Scorpio forms a sextile to both. There can be a reality check of sorts now, as realism now tempers our enthusiasm. However, a stronger sense of responsibility, purpose, and direction can come to us now. We might exercise better judgment as a result of circumstances happening now. Traditional methods work better than less conventional ones right now, and thoroughness brings rewards. Pushing ahead, however, can be costly or could result in frustration, as “slow and steady” is the only way to go just for now. This can be a time when a goal is realized or is close at hand, but we may have some second thoughts, or we recognize some of the practical details or consequences that we hadn’t considered in the past.

The Moon spends the day in Scorpio, and we’re drawn to experiences that change or heal us.

The sky this week for April 2 to April 8

The Full Moon returns, Mercury reaches inferior conjunction, and Mars and Saturn rise together, all in the sky this week.
By Richard Talcott

Monday, April 2

Mars and Saturn rise together a little before 2:30 a.m. local daylight time and climb some 20° high in the southeast by 5 a.m. The two planets pass within 1.3° of each other this morning, their closest approach since July 2008. Mars appears a bit brighter than its neighbor, but stands out more for its distinctive orange-red color. The pair appears against the stunning backdrop of northern Sagittarius, with the 5th-magnitude globular star cluster M22 just 0.4° southwest of Mars. When viewed through a telescope, Saturn shows a 17″-diameter disk surrounded by a stunning ring system that spans 38″ and tilts 26° to our line of sight. Mars looks bland in comparison, with a few subtle details displayed on a disk 9″ across.

Tuesday, April 3

The waning gibbous Moon points the way to Jupiter this morning. They actually rose before 11 p.m. yesterday evening, but they appear more prominent as they climb higher and edge closer after midnight. By the start of morning twilight, less than 5° separate the two. Of course, Jupiter is easy to find all week because it shines so brightly, at magnitude –2.4, against the faint backdrop of Libra. A telescope reveals the planet’s 43″-diameter disk and four bright moons.

Wednesday, April 4

Although the calendar may say it is spring, the so-called Winter Hexagon remains prominent on April evenings. One of the sky’s largest asterisms — a recognizable pattern of stars separate from a constellation’s form — the hexagon stands out in the western sky after darkness falls. To trace the asterism, start with southern Orion’s luminary, Rigel. From there, the hexagon makes a clockwise loop. The second stop is brilliant Sirius in Canis Major. Next, pick up Procyon in the faint constellation Canis Minor, then the twins Castor and Pollux in Gemini, followed by Capella in Auriga, Aldebaran in Taurus, and finally back to Rigel.

Thursday, April 5

Brilliant Venus appears low in evening twilight all week. Look for the blazing point of light about 10° above the western horizon 45 minutes after sunset. The planet shines at magnitude –3.9 and is by far the brightest object in the night sky after the Moon. A look at Venus through a telescope shows an almost fully illuminated disk that spans 11″.

Friday, April 6

One of the spring sky’s finest deep-sky objects, the Beehive star cluster (M44) in the constellation Cancer the Crab, lies high in the south after darkness falls. With naked eyes under a dark sky, you should be able to spot this star group as a faint cloud. But the Beehive explodes into dozens of stars through binoculars or a small telescope.

 

Saturday, April 7

The waning gibbous Moon joins forces with Mars and Saturn this morning. From mid-northern latitudes, the Moon rises first, at around 1:40 a.m. local daylight time. Saturn follows about 15 minutes behind Luna and Mars 15 minutes after the ringed planet. All three lie against the backdrop of northern Sagittarius, though the Moon’s bright light drowns out most of the constellation’s deep-sky wonders. Notice how the gap between the two planets has grown in the five days since their conjunction. This morning, Mars lies 3° east of Saturn.

Sunday, April 8

Last Quarter Moon occurs at 3:18 a.m. EDT. You can find the half-lit orb rising in the east with the background stars of northeastern Sagittarius around 2:30 a.m. local daylight time; it hangs relatively low in the southeast as twilight begins. The Moon also reaches apogee today, at 1:31 a.m. EDT, when its orbit carries it farthest from Earth for the month. It then lies 251,123 miles (404,144 kilometers) from us.

Source

The Astronomy Magazine


In the Sky This Month

April 2: Moon and Jupiter
Jupiter, the solar system’s largest planet, is putting in a good appearance tonight. It rises below the Moon before midnight, and looks like a brilliant star.

April 3: Streamers
Under an especially dark night sky, away from city lights, you might see a few thousand stars. All of them belong to our home galaxy, the Milky Way. It’s likely that some of them were born elsewhere, but the Milky Way swallowed their home galaxies.

April 4: The Hyades
The V-shaped face of the bull stands about a third of the way up the western sky at nightfall. Bright Aldebaran marks the bull’s eye. But the rest of the face is outlined by the Hyades, which is closer than any other star cluster, at about 150 light-years.

April 5: Evening Milky Way
The subtle band of the Milky Way arcs low across the west this evening. It sweeps from Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, in the southwest, through Orion, and over to W-shaped Cassiopeia low in the northwest.

April 6: Moon and Planets
The night will get brighter after about 2 or 3 a.m. tomorrow, as the gibbous Moon climbs into view. Saturn, the second-largest planet in the solar system, stands just below the Moon as they rise, with slightly brighter Mars farther along the same line.

April 7: Moon and Mars
The planet Mars is easy to find early tomorrow. It stands to the right of the Moon at first light, and looks like a bright orange star. The planet Saturn is close to the upper right of Mars, completing a beautiful display in the dawn sky.

April 8: Camelopardalis
Camelopardalis, which represents a camel with the spots of a leopard, stands above W-shaped Cassiopeia in the northern sky at nightfall. You need skies that are dark enough to see the Milky Way to pick out the stick figure outlined by the camel’s stars.

Source

StarDate


Cosmic Calendar for Monday, April 2nd

Keep sending out your healing thoughts and prayers to a struggling humanity following Saturday’s full moon.

Being an ambassador of goodwill can make a great difference in the lives of millions of souls especially as Mars unites with Saturn at 9 degrees of Capricorn (8:45am).

Even though many astrologers will look at this conjunction with concern and worry, Mars is said to be exalted in this tenth sign of the zodiac and Saturn is Capricorn’s ruling planet. Anything you can do to advance career aims leads upward to residency in the executive penthouse of your most fervent ideals. However, heeding cautionary and conservative attitudes makes practical sense with these two celestial orbs energizing only one degree out of the 360 degrees in the zodiacal circle. Pressing a panic button or going on an egocentric power trip for any reason is not advised.

Keep a notebook by your bed overnight to record vivid dreams or out-of-the-body excursions while the moon in Scorpio trines imagination-boosting Neptune in Pisces (7:35pm).

[Note to readers: All times are now calculated for Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure to adjust all times according to your own local time so the alignments noted above will be exact for your location.]

Source

Astrology.com

Cosmic Weather Horoscope for April 2018

Jane Lyle, Astrologer
From The Astrology Room

Welcome to April, 2018. April’s big astrology theme focuses on power, recycling, and regeneration on many levels – from spiritual development to plutocrats and global scientific projects, megawatt business ventures, and cultural projects.

This is thanks to a second meeting between two powerful planets, giant Jupiter and underworld Pluto. It locks into place on the 14th April, but is active all month long. It can be a very positive time to explore, learn, and expand. With Jupiter and Pluto in the financial signs of Scorpio and Capricorn, finances can benefit of course. But it would be a pity if that’s the only manifestation, since there’s rich potential for something deeper and more imaginative too.

Jupiter loves to travel and learn, and in Scorpio that could invite us to delve into the unknown, mysterious, occult or paranormal.

Pluto is very much a banker in Capricorn, but rules Scorpio and is right at home in the subterranean worlds of our imaginations too. Pluto’s forensic detective skills are intrigued by what lies beneath – whether that’s in the mind, the cosmos, or the earth itself. Pluto’s realms include buried treasure of many varieties.

So what might this potent April astrology uncover? Ancient sacred sites, amazing archaeological discoveries, and cash-in-the-attic are all in focus. And it’s worthwhile looking back over recent dreams, thoughts, and projects too. Jupiter is backtracking now, until July, so digging up something you’d overlooked or set aside in the last six months or so could bring pleasing results. Projects that started last autumn could benefit from a re-think now as well.

April’s exact sextile between Jupiter and Pluto is at 21 degrees of Scorpio and Capricorn, although they are working together all month. Their final meeting is in September, at 18 degrees. If you’ve got planets around these degrees in your own natal chart, especially in Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn or Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, then here’s a fertile opportunity that encourages expanding and refreshing some area of your life over the coming months.

Thought for April:
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.”
– Stephen Hawking, physicist, legend, inspiration, Capricorn 8th January 1942-14th March 2018

Enchanted April: Enjoying Venus in Taurus

Venus, goddess of love, art, money and pleasure, is earthy and sensuous in her home sign, Taurus, until 24th April. And while there’s plenty to concern us this month, the April journey of Venus in Taurus brings us all some beautiful opportunities for enjoying passion, indulgence, art, food, music and nature.

During April, Venus makes some luscious astrological aspects. These phases favour doing something lovely, seeing friends, and above all tuning in to ideals of universal love, and beauty in the natural world. Yes, Venus in Taurus can be extravagant, greedy, or rather too fond of money. Yet there’s a wonderful spring-time life force here, and awareness of this – and all the shimmering goddesses that embody it – is free.

Here are three special times to celebrate the many pleasures of Venus this April:

Monday 9th April – Thursday 12th April:

1: Yin and yang are in harmony, as active and receptive energies dance together. They create an affectionate, graceful, sensuous atmosphere in one corner of the cosmos. This easy, flowing moment will be exact at 14 degrees on Wednesday 11th April. Could be a beautiful moment for indulging in love, friendship, and cake, obviously.

The aspect is: Venus in Taurus trine Mars in Capricorn, 14 degrees.

2: On Thursday, 12th April, Venus works with dreamy Neptune in Pisces, emphasising music, movies, fantastical fashion design, and the beauty of water. Hearts open, dreams are vivid. It can be bewitchingly romantic. A symbolic setting for this beguiling pair could be found in a dream-like garden beside a lake, or a grove of trees growing close to the sea.

Your creativity and imagination are enhanced if you have planets or points at around 14 – 16 degrees in your own natal horoscope, particularly in Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn or Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces. A sextile aspect is very productive and dynamic if we choose to work with it.

The aspect is: Venus in Taurus sextile Neptune in Pisces, 15 degrees.

Tuesday 17th April:

3: It’s a steamy moment. On one level it symbolises deep passion, desire, and even obsessions about sex, art, or music. On another astrological level there’s money, and our relationship with it. Magnetic Venus nudges the oligarchs and power brokers – Jupiter and Pluto – wealth, mergers, and acquisitions are highlighted in the news. Powerful women are in focus too.

This aspect is exact today at 21 degrees of Taurus, Scorpio and Capricorn, but begins building on Saturday, 14th April. Taurus, Scorpio, and Capricorn are all connected with banking, money, security, assets and wealth in astrology.

The aspect is: Venus in Taurus opposition Jupiter in Scorpio, trine Pluto in Capricorn. 21 degrees.

Sunday 15th April – Tuesday 17th April:

Back to the Future: Mercury turns direct, a buzzy New Moon rises, and Chiron dips into Aries

These April days could be a bit of a fight club, with the pioneering and adventurous sign, Aries, emphasised by three astrological events. These are days when we think actions speak louder than words. But we’re not always right about that.

1: Some sparky moments lie ahead, as media Mercury turns forward in eager, confrontational Aries on 15th April. Mercury battles on through Aries until 15th May. People want to tell it like it is, and hang the consequences. Yet there will be consequences, inevitably.

2: Then a tingly new Moon rises at 26 degrees of Aries on 16th April. It’s aligned with unconventional Uranus in Aries, ready to spark off a few lightning bolts, eureka moments, and original plots and plans now and in the month ahead.

3: Our third Aries event begins on 17th April, when Chiron enters Aries for the summer, leaving again on 25th September. The strange comet asteroid body returns to Aries in February 2019, staying there until 2027.

This summer gives us a hint of what’s in store. Since Chiron represents life lessons, and generally teaches us something, those lessons or pivotal moments will be filtered through sport, battles, fighting for our rights, and highlighting situations where we must ask questions about identity, ego, and what our mission might be.

These situations or motifs surface when Chiron activates another planet or planets in our own charts, or more collectively when Chiron aligns with other planets’ current orbits. I suspect that Chiron in Aries understands martial arts very well – and that the lessons of what happens when strength is pitted against balance, focus, and strategy will be highly visible this summer, and during the years ahead.

Rocky Road: April Astrology’s Mountain Trail

April astrology’s rocky mountain trail requires stout boots, stamina, and caution. Spring is here, yet the serious, dynamic, and wintry sign, Capricorn, has still got a lot to say. Mars, Saturn, and Pluto are all traveling through Capricorn – action, karma, and powerful forces are at work, challenged and set off by planets in hasty Aries.

The feeling that ‘enough is enough’ is carried through from struggles and clashes in March, with much chewing over the ‘facts’ as we perceive them. It’s certainly argumentative. The Sun and Mercury in Aries can be impatient and hot-headed, but action plans tend to be frustrated by risk-averse Saturn and Mars in Capricorn early this month.

Situations involving sport, military plans, media campaigns and sabre-rattling exercises are looking very tense. But projects needing hard work and patience can succeed, and eventually have enduring value. However, we can’t expect anything to be achieved in a hurry, and Saturn’s restrictions or limitations can seem immovable, much like a wall of rock. Some of these disagreements are still causing exasperation at the end of April, so it’s worth seeking ways to mediate certain situations this month, or maybe decide to just back off for a while.

We can expect high levels of ongoing global tension, civil unrest and probably mad weather in various locations including the UK, Australia, Haiti, and much of the EU. We’ll need to cultivate patience in our personal lives, or at work. Take extra care, this can be an accident-prone phase.

Tremendous energy wells up during April’s final week. By then, warrior planet Mars will be working with expansive Jupiter and brooding Pluto.

Watch out for some dramatic – possibly military or sporting – developments, secret negotiations, and a deep desire to regenerate, or flush out toxic elements in both society and from the polluted Earth itself. And although they are rarely out of the news, we’ll see some notable news or developments from Russia, China, and Germany at this time.

Monday 30th April:

Walpurgis Night and a Full Moon in Scorpio

So just how witchy do you want it to be? Walpurgis Night is May Eve, a traditional night for spirits and sorcery. It’s just like Halloween, but juicier. A full Moon in psychic Scorpio (9 degrees) is practically perfect.

A season of magic and mystery is about to entrance many of us between now and August. Jupiter in Scorpio and Neptune in Pisces are working together in subtle, yet spellbinding, ways during these months. They’ll connect exactly in May at 16 degrees, and again in August at 15 degrees. There’s some beautiful creative and intuitive potential here, if we care to tune into it.

So – to celebrate this uncanny moment – here’s the stunning, and darkly dramatic Walpurgis Night sequence from Disney’s ‘Fantasia’ (1940). The music – ‘Night on Bare Mountain’, by Rimsky-Korsakov.

The Current Witches Moon Phase for April 2nd

Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 95%

TODAY – MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018
The Moon today is in a Waning Gibbous Phase. This is the first phase after the Full Moon occurs. It lasts roughly 7 days with the Moon’s illumination growing smaller each day until the Moon becomes a Last Quarter Moon with a illumination of 50%. The average Moon rise for this phase is between 9am and Midnight depending on the age of the phase. The moon rises later and later each night setting after sunrise in the morning. During this phase the Moon can also be seen in the early morning daylight hours on the western horizon.

PHASE DETAILS FOR – MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018
Phase: Waning Gibbous
Illumination: 95%
Moon Age: 16.78 days
Moon Angle: 0.51
Moon Distance: 390,776.26 km
Sun Angle: 0.53
Sun Distance: 149,561,496.70 km

Source

MoonGiant.com

A Did You Know for the Month of April

April gets its name from the goddess Aprilis, who is the Romans’ version of Aphrodite. Her name means “to open,” which is exactly what Aprilis does….she opens the path to playfulness and the way to personal enrichment.

We all know the rhyme “April showers bring May flowers.” So consider what energies you want Aprilis to sprinkle on you this month for personal flowering. Overall, any magickal efforts aimed toward growth, love, pleasure, improvements, and developing one’s inner child will benefit from working during this month.

A Very Good Monday Morning To All My Dear, Precious Family! May The Goddess Bless You & Yours this Day!

Thank You
I just wanted to drop you a quick note and say Thank You! Thank you to all of you who have either made a purchase from Magickal Necessities or made a donation to helping save my property. I wanted to let you know that I guess I am the only witch in the world that believes in miracles now. Miracles from our Divine Mother and Goddess. I went to bed last night with one thing on my mind, asking the Goddess for Her help. I remember going to sleep and telling her, “I needed Her now more than ever. Please, Please, help me!” She does answer prayers. I woke up this morning and checked our PayPal account and we are only $200.00 away from being able to pay the taxes on the two properties. Yesterday it was $1215.00, today it is only $200.00 from being able to be paid. If that ain’t an answer to a prayer, I don’t know what is.

I can never, ever express my gratitude to each of you. You have always been there when I have needed you and I am so very grateful for that. I wrote a thank you note yesterday to an individual who had contributed. In that thank you note, I told him after Mystie had passed everything had went down hill. I lost my best friend and sister, I lost my home, I almost lost my life, I have a dog now that suffers from the smoke inhalation and now the possibility of losing the office and my property where my home was to be rebuilt. It was a lot to bear and it is still a lot to bear. I told him I had asked the Goddess why all of this had happened to me. What had I done all so wrong? I got my answer, it was to make me stronger. But even the strongest people in the world need a support system. It is very difficult to feel strong when you feel like you are the only person in the world, all by yourself and carrying the burden of everything on your shoulders.

I found out I wasn’t alone. That is thanks to all of you. I have people who are worried about me. They are wondering if I am alright, is there something wrong. They don’t know the things I have kept bottled up. One of the biggest was the possibility of losing our property. I know deep down I have changed, perhaps I am growing stronger and learning humility at the same time. I know my strength comes from each of you. Without your love, support and caring, I don’t know what I would do. You will never know how much I depend on you and how much I love you. It means the world to me to know that you do care about me and love me. I draw my strength from you. You are my rock. My head hasn’t been screwed on right since the fire. It is something to think someone wanted to kill you. I hope you never have to experience that. But I am coming to terms with that, if you ever can. I believe the fog is starting to lift and I am slowly getting back to normal or whatever normal is for me.

I always want to make my personal postings to you, short and sweet but……when I get started, I don’t know when to stop. So I will stop for now. I wanted to thank each of you for your love and support. Let you know how much it means to me. The merchandise in the store is going fast, very fast. If you would like to make a purchase, please do so. If you would like to make a donation, it would be greatly appreciated. Either way, in this situation, your help is great appreciate because you are saving my rump. Thinking about losing the property that my home was going to be rebuilt on was killing me. I miss that place so bad. The house might be gone but the memories will always be there. That piece of earth holds a lot of good memories for me, especially the ones of Mystie. I can’t wait till the day they tell me the house is rebuilt and I can go home again. I believe I will kiss the ground when that day comes. I thought there for a bit I was going to lose that dream like so many things I have lost in the past few months. Now I see there is hope and a light at the end of the tunnel. That is thanks to everyone of you. Without you, my dream of ever returning home would not have happened. So you talking about one grateful witch, I am that indeed. They say there is no place like home and they are right. All I know is I want to go home and start living again.

 

Ok, enough with that, I am starting to cry, just thinking about the day I do get to go home. So let’s get this show on the road, what’cha say?

I Love you and thank you,

Lady of the Abyss

 

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Good Sunday Morning, It is April 1st, April Fool’s Day! Happy April Fool’s Day! I need to make a few clarifications…..

Good Morning Fairy
I would like to make a few clarifications, if you have a moment. First off, I have caught hell for deciding to close Magickal Necessities. I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but we quit advertising it in our daily posts sometime ago. I believe in the last two months, the store has average perhaps four sales if that many. Four sales does not even pay for the store itself. When something quit making a profit, it is time for it to go. It is only good business sense to do so. I was hoping that when Spring hit, sales would go up, but they didn’t. Now I found myself in a sticky wicket. What do I mean by that, simple…..I have two tax bills due and also rent on the house I am currently living in. The tax bills are for the office property and my old cabin’s property and the rent of course is to keep me in the house, I am in till my cabin is finished. Building on it has already started and I have no intentions of losing my home or our office property because of a dead store we have on the internet.

 

I have worked my rump off for two months, trying to provide new merchandise for all of you. Nothing seamed to interest any of you, no sales equal no store. I hate to do it but I am not losing my property because of money thrown at a wasted cause. We now find ourselves needing every penny we can get to pay our taxes. The rent comes first because sleeping out on the street with a full leg cast just doesn’t seem possible at the time. The amount of taxes we owe is currently at $1215.00. In our closing out sale, we have made $75.00. Long way from that $1215.00 we owe. You might think when you open a store, you make a killing, that is the furthest thing from the truth. You have your mark up and if you mark up is too high, then nothing sells. We probably average making $5.00 off of every item we sale. So you can see we aren’t getting rich.

 

I was happy when the site could support itself because I wanted to provide you with the best quality merchandise at affordable prices. Come to find out, that killed us. The store will close on April 27th. Whether we meet our taxes or not, is another question. But you now know why I am closing the store. The store’s closing does not effect the WOTC in anyway. This site pays for itself. So the WOTC will remain in operation and with the store gone it will give us more time to devote to this site. I know there are days we spent putting merchandise on the store when we should have been here. That will change once the store is gone.

 

I swore up and down I would never ask any of you for anything else. I am breaking that promise, I do not want to lose my property to my home. Due to that fact, I would ask that you make a purchase or if you feel it in your heart to make a donation, that would be deeply appreciated.

 

Today the site will be down because I am planning on up-dating it and a few other of our sites. We will back tomorrow in full force. Oh, I should add once the merchandise in the store is gone, it is gone. We will not be restocking it, it would be a waste of time.

 

I broke down the other night, I guess I was disappointed and hurt. I prayed and meditated and ask the Goddess to show me my true Path now. All the dreams, I have had, have gone up in smoke. I wanted the store to be the biggest and best Pagan site on the internet. That’s gone. I asked Her to show me my Path and give me hope for the future. When you see your dreams come crashing down right in front of you, it does something to you. You begin to wonder if what you have ever done has meant anything. Sometimes I wonder if I have been a fool or perhaps I dream to big. Whatever I do I want it to the best, I don’t believe that is too much to ask. I remember spending sleepless nights working on the store, I couldn’t wait to it opened for all of you. Now, that is another dream shot down. I don’t know why I should expect any different though. I lost my home, I almost lost my life, I have a pup that will never get over the smoke inhalation from that fire, my body is broken and now the store. I won’t say what next because there will always be something, I am sure of that. But enough with my self pity trip. If you would like to make a purchase for the store, please feel free to do so. If you would like to make a donation, it would be deeply appreciated.

 

I am off to up-date the site and we will see you tomorrow……

 

Till then,

Lady of the Abyss

 

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The Calydonian Hunt: Diana

THE COMMENTARY GAZETTE

In that day of the chase, there was one enterprise renowned above all others, the great hunt of Calydon. Thither, in search of high adventure, went all the heroes of Greece, just as they joined the quest of the Golden Fleece, and, in a later day, went to the rescue of Fair Helen in the Trojan War.

For Oeneus, king of Calydon, had neglected the temples of Diana, and she had sent a monstrous boar to lay waste all the fields and farms in the country. The people had never seen so terrible a beast, and they soon wished that they had never offended the goddess who keeps the woods clear of such monsters. No mortal device availed against it, and, after a hundred disasters, Prince Meleager, the son of Oeneus, summoned the heroes to join him in this perilous hunt.

The prince had a strange story. Soon after his birth, Althea, the queen, had seen in a vision the three Fates spinning the thread of life and crooning over their work. For Clotho spins the thread, Lachesis draws it out, and Atropos waits to cut it off with her glittering shears. So the queen beheld them, and heard them foretell that her baby should live no longer than a brand that was then burning on the hearth. Horror inspired the mother. Quick as a thought she seized the brand, put out the flame, and laid it by in some safe and secret place where no harm could touch it. So the child gathered strength and grew up to manhood.

He was a mighty hunter, and the other heroes came gladly to bear him company. Many of the Argonauts were there, Jason, Theseus, Nestor, even Atalanta, that valorous maiden who had joined the rowers of the Argo, a beloved charge of Diana. Boyish in her boldness for wild sports, she was fleet of foot and very lovely to behold, altogether a bride for a princely hunter. So Meleager thought, the moment that he saw her face.

Together they all set out for the lair of the boar, the heroes and the men of Calydon,–Meleager and his two uncles. Phlexippus and Toxeus, brothers of Queen Althea…..Read More

 

Druids: C. Julius Caesars perspective

THE COMMENTARY GAZETTE

 

During Caesars’ fight for the control of Gaul he finally came to the understanding, that the one unifying force of the Celts was their religion. The Druid held a promenade place in Celtic society, they administered as judges and advisors amongst other duties. The following are exerts from his communiqués to Rome concerning the progress and his perspective on the war. Caesar acknowledged their power and authority and decided to discredit and destroy the Druids, in an effort to complete his conquest of Gaul.

Book VI (53BCE) Customs of the Gauls:

Chapter 13

“The two privileged classes are the Druids and the knights. The Druids are in charge of Religion. They have control over public and private sacrifices, and give rulings on all religious questions. Large numbers of young men go to them for instruction, and they are greatly honoured by the people.

In almost all disputes, between communities or between individuals, the Druids act as judges. If a crime is committed, if there is a murder, or if there is dispute about an inheritance or a boundary, they are the ones who give a verdict and decide on the punishment or compensation appropriate in each case. Any individual or community not abiding by their verdict is banned from the sacrifices, and this is regarded among the Gaul’s as the most severe punishment. Those who are banned in this way are reckoned as sacrilegious criminals. Every one shuns them: no one will go near or speak to them for fear of being contaminated in some way by contact with them. If they make any petitions there is no justice for them, and they are excluded from any position of importance.

There is one Druid who is above all the rest, with supreme authority over them. When he dies, he is succeeded by whichever of the others is most distinguished. If there are several of equal distinction, the Druids decide by vote, though sometimes they even fight to decide who will be their leader.

On a fixed date each year they assemble in a consecrated place in the territory of the Carnutes: that area is supposed to be the center of the whole country of the Gaul. People who have disputes to settle assemble there from all over the country and accept the judgements of the Druids…..Read More

The Hidden Golden Chair

THE COMMENTARY GAZETTE

 

It is a good many years since Mrs. Mary Jones, Corlanau, Llandinorwig, Carnarvonshire, told me the following tale.  The scene of the story is the unenclosed mountain between Corlanau, a small farm, and the hamlet, Rhiwlas.  There is still current in those parts a tale of a hidden golden chair, and Mrs. Jones said that it had once been seen by a young girl, who might have taken possession of it, but unfortunately she did not do so, and from that day to this it has not been discovered. The tale is this:

There was once a beautiful girl, the daughter of poor hardworking parents, who held a farm on the side of the hill, and their handsome industrious daughter took care of the sheep.  At certain times of the year she visited the sheep-walk daily, but she never went to the mountain without her knitting needles, and when looking after the sheep she was always knitting stockings, and she was so clever with her needles that she could knit as she walked along.  The Fairies who lived in those mountains noticed this young woman’s good qualities.  One day, when she was far from home, watching her father’s sheep, she saw before her a most beautiful golden chair. She went up to it and found that it was so massive that she could not move it.  She knew the Fairy-lore of her neighbor-hood, and she understood that the Fairies had, by revealing the chair, intended it for her, but there she was on the wild mountain, far away from home, without anyone near to assist her in carrying it away.

And often had she heard that such treasures were to be taken possession of at once, or they would disappear forever.  She did not know what to do, but all at once she thought, if she could by attaching the yarn in her hand to the chair connect it thus with her home, the chair would be hers’ forever.  Acting upon this suggestion she forthwith tied the yarn to the foot of the chair, and commenced unrolling the ball, walking the while homewards. But long before she could reach her home the yarn in the ball was exhausted; she, however, tied it to the yarn in the stocking which she had been knitting, and again started towards her home, hoping to reach it before the yarn in the stocking would be finished, but she was doomed to disappointment, for that gave out before she could arrive at her father’s house.  She had nothing else with her to attach to the yarn. She, however, could now see her home, and she began to shout, hoping to gain the ear of her parents, but no one appeared. In her distress she fastened the end of the yarn to a large stone, and ran home as fast as she could.  She told her parents what she had done, and all three proceeded immediately towards the stone to which the yarn had been tied, but they failed to discover it. The yarn, too, had disappeared…..Read More

Fairy Rewards (Welsh)

THE COMMENTARY GAZETTE

Fairy treasures seen by a Man near Ogwen Lake

Another tale, similar to the preceding one, is told by my friend, Mr. Hugh Derfel Hughes, in his Hynafiaethau Llandegai a Llanllechid, pp. 35, 36.  The following is a translation of Mr. Hughes’s story:-

It is said that a servant man penetrated into the recesses of the mountains in the neighbourhood of Ogwen Lake, and that he there discovered a cave within which there was a large quantity of brazen vessels of every shape and description.  In the joy of his heart at his good fortune, he seized one of the vessels, with the intention of carrying it away with him, as an earnest that the rest likewise were his.

But, alas, it was too heavy for any man to move. Therefore, with the intention of returning the following morning to the cave with a friend to assist him in carrying the vessels away, he closed its month with stones, and thus he securely hid from view the entrance to the cave.  When he had done this it flashed upon his mind that he had heard of people who had accidentally come across caves, just as he had, but that they, poor things, had afterwards lost all traces of them. And lest a similar misfortune should befall him, he determined to place a mark on the mouth of the cave, which would enable him to come upon it again, and also he bethought himself that it would be necessary, for further security, to indicate by some marks the way from his house to the cave.  He had however nothing at hand to enable him to carry out this latter design, but his walking stick.  This he began to chip with his knife, and he placed the chips at certain distances all along the way homewards.  In this way he cut up his staff, and he was satisfied with what he had done, for he hoped to find the cave by means of the chips. Early the next morning he and a friend started for the mountain in the fond hope of securing the treasures, but when they arrived at the spot where the chip-marked pathway ought to begin, they failed to discover a single chip, because, as it was reported-“They had been gathered up by the Fairies.” And thus this vision was in vain….Read More

THE BALLAD OF AILIE FAA

THE COMMENTARY GAZETTE

(A poem of the Borderlands)

Sir Robert has left his castle ha’, The castle of fair Holmylee,

And gone to meet his Ailie Faa, Where no one might be there to see.

He has sounded shrill his bugle horn, But not for either horse or hound;

And when the echoes away were borne, He listened for a well-known sound.

 

He hears a rustling among the leaves, Some pattering feet are drawing near;

Like autumn’s breathings among the sheaves, So sweet at eventide to hear:

His Ailie Faa, who is sweeter far Than the white rose hanging upon the tree,

Who is fairer than the fairies are That dance in moonlight on the lea.

 

Oh! there are some flowers, as if in love, Unto the oak their arms incline;

And tho’ the tree may rotten prove, They still the closer around it twine:

So has it been until this hour, And so in coming time ’twill be,

Wherever young love may hang a flower, ‘Twill think it aye ane trusty tree…..Read More

Egypt: the burial Mastabas

THE COMMENTARY GAZETTE

Between the Fayum and the apex of the Delta, the Lybian range expands and forms a vast and slightly undulating table-land, which runs parallel to the Nile for nearly thirty leagues. The Great Sphinx Harmakhis has mounted guard over its northern extremity ever since the time of the Followers of Horus.

Hewn out of the solid rock at the extreme margin of the mountain-plateau, he seems to raise his head in order that he may be the first to behold across the valley the rising of his father the Sun. Only the general outline of the lion can now be traced in his weather-worn body. The lower portion of the head-dress has fallen, so that the neck appears too slender to support the weight of the head. The cannon-shot of the fanatical Mamelukes has injured both the nose and beard, and the red colouring which gave animation to his features has now almost entirely disappeared. But in spite of this, even in its decay, it still bears a commanding expression of strength and dignity. The eyes look into the far-off distance with an intensity of deep thought, the lips still smile, the whole face is pervaded with calmness and power. The art that could conceive and hew this gigantic statue out of the mountain-side, was an art in its maturity, master of itself and sure of its effects. How many centuries were needed to bring it to this degree of development and perfection!….Read More

Dictionary of Gods

Dictionary of Gods

 

Adonis (Greek)
A youth who was loved by both Aphrodite and Persephone. He was killed by a wild boar while hunting. His name, from the Phoenecian adon, meant “lord”. Adonis was born from a myrrh tree. He is related to the seasonal vegetation myth and the Babylonian dying God, Tammuz.
Apollon, Apollo (Greco-Roman)
God of the sun, medicine, and prophecy. His symbols were the lyre, the bow, and the laurel. Apollo is the Latin spelling of the God’s name. Apollon is the transliteration of the Greek spelling of his name.
His epithet, Phoebus, means, “bright” or “shining”. In Rome, he displaced any deities with solar connections. During the Roman empire, his Greek shrine in the city of Phocis, at Delphi, was consulted by many people, including eminent Romans. The epithet, Pythian Apollo, referred to his oracular spirit speaking through his priestess at Delphi, the Phoebad, or Pythia. Apollo had numerous other oracular shrines in Greece and Rome.
Another of his titles was Smintheios or Smintheus, meaning “mouse” or “of the mice.”
Apulu (Etruscan)
A God depicted as a handsome youth, and was often pictured with the Goddess Artini. His name indicates he was the Etruscan counterpart of the Greek Apollo.

 

Bacchus (Roman)
The God of wine and ecstatic rites. His rites, known as the Bacchanal, were viewed by some staunch Romans as unbridled debauchery, and the nocturnal worship was repressed by a decree by the Roman Senate in 186 bce. Eventually it was accepted as a respectable mystery religion.
Bacchantes were women dedicated to his worship. They dressed in animal skins and roamed the fields and mountains filled with the God’s divine ecstasy.
Bonus Eventus (Roman)
A rural God in charge of the “Good Event” of the harvest. Later, he became of God of luck or success.

 

Deus Fidius (Sabine)
Guardian of hospitality.
di parentes, divi parentes (Roman)
“Di” is the plural of the Latin word deus meaning “god,” and literally means “gods.” The di parentes were the Roman spirits of dead family members and ancestors. From the name, they may have been venerated as collectively deified ancestors. The di parentes were honored during the Parentalia, February 13-21. On February 13, a Vestal Virgin performed the opening public rites for the collective Roman di parentes at the “tomb of the Vestal Tarpeia.” The rest of the festival was for domestic and familial rites. Romans were expected to give offerings to the deceased at the family tombs. Apparently, the Parentalia was related to an Etruscan festival of the dead. on the last night of the Parentalia at the Feralia the paterfamilias addressed the malevolent, destructive aspects of the spirits. It was after the Parentalia on February 22, the Caristia that the family held a banquet to honor the lar familiaris. The di parentes do not seem to be quite the same thing as the manes, the lares, or the lemurs. However, sometimes the terms seemed to be used interchangeably. (It is possible that this entry more correctly belongs on the ABC of Aradia webpage.)
Dis (Roman)
God of the underworld. He was sometimes referred to as Dis Pater, Father Dis; however, Dis Pater was the name the Romans later gave to the Celtic God, Cernunnos.

 

Fauns (Roman)
Male spirits of wild nature frequently depicted with horns and hooves–like goats. They are covered with body hair.
Faunus (Roman)
A rural God, partly human in form. He was the patron of animal husbandry, herding, hunting, and a guardian of the secrets of nature. He was also worshipped as a prophetic God. The Luperci, meaning “wolf warder,” were his priests. Clad only in goat skins, the Luperci ran around the Palentine Hill in Rome at the festival of Lupercalia held on February 14 or 15. It was a fertility rite, but also intended to protect domestic animals and new offspring from wolves. Any women who desired to conceive that year allowed the Luperci to strike their palms with goatskin thongs called februum. Faunus was later identified with the Greek Pan, God of flocks and pastures.
Februus (Etruscan Italian)
God of purification, Februus was possibly related to Dis, the God of the underworld. He may also be connected with Febris, a Roman Goddess of malaria and fever.
four winds (Roman)
The Venti are the four Gods personifying the four winds in Roman mythology. They are: Aquilo/Aquilon or Septentrio (North wind); Vulturnus (East wind); Auster (South wind); Favonius (West wind). The Venti are equivalent to the Greek: Boreas (North wind); Eurus (East wind); Notus (South wind); Zephyrus (West wind).

 

Janus (Italian)
Consort of Jana. The God who presided over gates, doors, and passages. He may have originally been worshipped as a sun God, especially since Jana, his wife, was identified with the moon Goddess, Diana. As a God of beginnings, Janus did preside over daybreak in his aspect as a solar God. Janus was often depicted as two-faced, so that he could look both forward and back. In ceremonial prayers, he was often invoked as “Father” and mentioned first before the other Gods.
Jove Pater, Jupiter (Roman)
The patriarchal “Father of the Gods” and supreme God of the Roman pantheon. Jove was originally a weather-God. He was also viewed as a beneficent and fair God of justice. He absorbed some of the mythology of the randy Greek Zeus.

 

Liber, Liber Pater (Roman)
A God of fecundity, he presided over fields. He was worshipped with the Goddess Ceres, and with the Goddess of wine, Libera. His festival was the Liberalia, celebrated on March 17. He was often identified with Bacchus.
Lucetius (Roman)
A Latin title meaning, “light-bearer,” used for Gods in their solar aspect. Jove was, for example, known as Jupiter Lucetius.

 

Mars, Murs, Marmar, Marmor, Marspiter (Roman)
The parthenogenic son of Juno. The God of war originally had agricultural attributes. His earliest function was a protector of agriculture and cattle. The wolf, horse, and woodpecker were sacred to him, as were the oak, laurel, dogwood, fig tree, and beans. He was called Mars Gardivius from gandiri, meaning, “to grow, to become big.” Marspiter meant Mars Pater, or Father Mars, just as Jupiter meant Jove Pater, Father Jove.
His protective nature eventually extended to protecting the people of Rome as a warrior. In the end, his warrior function supplanted his agricultural function. He was worshiped in a triad with the Gods, Jove and Quirinus. In the Classical era, his priests, the Salli, carried the sacred shields, the ancilia. Like his son, Romulus, he was worshiped under the title, Quirinus.
Mithras (Persian Roman)
Mithras was the God of heavenly light, the God of truth. Mithras was another foreign God transported to cosmopolitan, polytheistic, multi-cultural Rome.
Originally he was Mitra or Mithra, sort of a defender or personification of the sanctity of contracts and treaties. He was absorbed into monotheistic Zoroastrianism and became identified as an aspect of the Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, who was the supreme deity and the God of Truth, Justice, and Light.
By the time the cult of Mithras reached Rome, it had become an intricate mystery religion and absorbed many foreign elements, including a strong strain of astrology. Only men could be votaries in the Roman cult. Mithras became a patron God of merchants due to his association with contracts. Possibly also because of Mithras’ association with contracts, and thus for a tour of duty for a soldier, Mithraism became a favorite cult among the Roman troops, who spread it all over the Roman empire.
In Mithraeums, the God was often depicted slaying a bull, which originally may have been a reference to an astronomical/astrological event: moving from the Age of Taurus (the bull) into the Age of Aries (the ram). (An astronomical/astrological Age is determined by which zodiac sign the sun rises in on the vernal equinox.) In any case, the image of the bull represents the life force and the earth is made fertile by its death.
In Rome, the Mithraic priests, were known as Patres Sacrorum, “Fathers of the Sacred Mysteries.” The worship of Mithras was valued not only for its mystery, but its ethical system. One of the Roman titles of Mithras was Areimanios. The sacred Haoma beverage and cakes were offered to him.
The Roman cult of Mithras was not truly as monotheistic as Zoroastrianism. Votaries were expected to live an exemplary life and to give worship to Mithras first. Nevertheless, family deities, household Gods, local divinities, etc., could be worshipped second.
Mutunus, Mutinus-Tutinus, Tutinus-Mutinus (Etruscan)
An ancient phallic God whose cult blended with the Roman cult of Priapus. His name, Mutunus, was derived from muto, the verile male member.

 

Neptunus, Neptune (Roman)
Orginally a water-God, who also protected against drought. For his festival on June 23, huts of branches would be built apparently as a protection against the summer sun. Later, he was God of the sea. He created the horse and thus white waves crashing on the shore were said to be white horses. His consort was Salacia. His Etruscan name was Neptuns.

 

Pan (Greek)
An ancient horned God of fertility. Primarily, he was the protector of flocks and herdsmen. Pan was a God of all of nature and the wilderness. Hunters were said to appeal to him to bring them game animals. He was pictured with the lower parts of a goat and the torso, arms, and head of a man, though crowned with horns. Pan was a lusty, merry God, who dwelt in Arcadia and delighted in sporting with the nymphs.
Penates, Dii Penates (Roman)
Spirits that protected the food storehouses of the home. They were honored on the hearth along with the Goddess, Vesta. The Penates were said to enjoy, along with other offerings to them, the aroma of roast meat (nidore).
Phoebus (Roman)
Phoebus was a Latin spelling of a title for Apollo. In the 5th century bce, he was adopted by the Romans as a God of medicine, music, prophecy, and the sun, and said to be the son of Latona and Jove. The Romans hoped his influence would help the people avert a plague. His title means the “Bright One” and the healing rays of the sun symbolized his power as a healing God.
Plutus, Pluton, Plutos (Greco-Italian)
An Italian aspect of the Greek Pluto, tacturn lord over the innumerable dead in the Lower World, which was awarded to him by Zeus, his brother.
As an Italian underworld deity, Plutus was associated with the Roman Dis. Nevertheless while Roman altars to Dis were rare, Plutus was apparently somewhat more revered, particularly in Sicily, where the “Damatres,” Ceres and Proserpine were widely worshipped.
Plutus was also a god of agricultural abundance. The name, Pluton, meant “Giver of Wealth.” Plutus meant “Wealth.” He has been interpreted to be a god of wealth from both above the earth soil, crops, and under the earth, gold and precious stones. Interestingly, Plutus or Pluton was likewise said to be a son of Ceres or her Greek counterpart, Demeter. This son of the grain goddess was raised by the Roman Goddess Pax, meaning “peace.”
In Rome, Plutus or Plutos was confused with Orcus, who carried the dead to the underworld. For example, a series of funerary frescoes depicted a woman, the Vibia, carried off by Plutos and brought before the judgment of the underworld deities. Three Fata Divina, “faeries of destiny,” appeared at the dead woman’s tribunal. A final fresco showed Vibia among the blessed dead at a banquet.
Priapus, Mutunus, Fecundus (Greco-Roman)
A phallic God. He presided over procreation and fertility. In particular, Priapus was associated with gardens and bees. As a guardian deity, Priapus often carried a pruning knife, but the Priapus of Verona carried a basket full of phalluses. Statues of the God were usually carved of wood and painted red. His image was placed in orchards, gardens, and entranceways for protection.
Pythian Apollo (Greek)
An epithet of Apollo, relating to his temple at Delphi.

 

Romulus (Roman)
Twin brother of Remus and son of Mars and Silva. He and his brother were suckled and raised by the she-wolf, Lupa. Romulus was credited as the founder of Rome. He accidentally slew his brother Remus in a quarrel. According to legend, he became the first king of Rome. Romulus was worshipped under the name of Quirinus after his death.
There was an alternate versions describing the birth of Romulus and Remus cited by Plutarch. Written in the Etruscan language, Promethea’s history of Italy stated that a mystical phallus had appeared in the chimney of the king of Albe. The king ordered his daughter to couple with this phallus. His daughter, however, sent her servant-girl in her stead. The servant bore twin sons, later known as Romulus and Remus, who were abandoned in the forest and suckled by a wolf.

 

Sator (Roman)
A deity that presided over sowing.
Saturn, Saturnus (Roman)
An agricultural God, depicted with a sythe. The celebration of his festival, the Saturnalia, December 17-23, involved feasting and much merriment, including decorating with evergreens and gift-giving. During the Saturnalia, slaves were allowed great liberties in honor of Saturn’s Golden Age, and the pater familius or male head of the household served his slaves meals at the family table.
Simply due to Saturnalia’s proximity on the calendar to the Mithraic festival of the Natilus Sol Invictus, “Birthday of the Invincible Sun,” December 25, seemed to link the two holidays in the mind of the general Roman populace. Both holidays were linked to the winter solstice.
It is a telling fact that the people of Rome became the first to officially celebrate the nativity of Christ in 337 c.e. on the very same date as the Mithraic festival, and that the new celebration incorporated several aspects of the Saturnalia as well.
Semo Sancus (Latin)
God of oaths.
Sentinus (Roman)
The God who presided over the intellectual stimulation of children.
Smintheios(Greek)
See Apollon, Apollo. See Smintheus.
Smintheus (Greek Latin spelling)
Robert Graves, in 1955, 1969 (p. 56) wrote: “One component in Apollo’s godhead seems to have been an oracular mouse–Apollo Smintheus (‘mouse Apollo’) is among his earliest titles…” Indeed, white mice were sacred to Apollo and supposedly they whispered secrets gathered from the earth in his ear.
Smintheus is a surname of Apollo, which is derived by some from sminthos, a mouse. Others claim the name is dervied from the town of Sminthe in Troas The mouse was regarded by the ancients as inspired by the vapours arising from the earth, and as the symbol of prophetic power. On some coins, Apollo was represented carrying a mouse in his hands. In the temple of Apollo at Chryse, there was a statue of the God by Scopas, with a mouse under its foot. Temples of Apollo Sminthens and festivals (Smintheia) existed in several parts of Greece.
Somnus (Roman)
God of sleep and oblivion, he was black, covered with golden stars. He is associated with poppies and wears them on his head as a crown.
Sterculinus, Stercutius, Sterculus, Stercutus (Roman)
Sterculinus was an archaic God presiding over manure spreading. He was at one time honored by farmers. Manure was an important source of fertilizer for crops in early Italy.
Summanus, Summano (Roman, Etruscan)
In Roman mythology, Summanus was the God of nocturnal thunder. Originally he was Summano, an Etruscan thunder-sky God. A most ancient deity, he particularly presided over the night sky.
Sylvanus, Silvanus (Roman)
A rural God, guardian of woods, forests, and fields. He was also known as Callirus, meaning “Woodland King.” His name is the origin of the word, “sylvan.”

 

Tinia, Tin, Tina (Etruscan)
The supreme God of the Etruscan pantheon. He was the male deity of a divine triad, along with the Goddesses, Uni and Menrva, represented in art. Tinia was often depicted as holding three thunderbolts. Tinia may have been the same deity as Voltumna. It was at Voltumna’s sanctuary near the lake of Bolsena that apparently the tribes of Etrusca convened to choose a king.

 

Usil (Etruscan)
The deified sun.

 

Venti (Roman)
See four winds (Roman)
Vejovis, Vedius, Vediovis (Italian)
A very early name meaning “Little Jove” or “Little Dius.” An epithet or aspect of Jove when he was depicted without thunder. As Vedius or Vediovis, “Little Dius,” he may be linked to the Indo-Vedic-Hindu, Diaus or Dyaus, as sky deity known as Dyaus-Pitar (“sky-father”), who is related to Jove Pater.
Vertumus, Vortumnus (Roman)
Probably of Etruscan origin, he was variously regarded as God of changes: of the changing season, of the manifold productions of the vegetable world, etc. Vertumus, for whom “the first grape turns blue on its bunch and the ear of corn [grain] swells with milky juice,” (Propertius in Elgies) was honored on August 13 in his temple on the Aventine. His name may have given the Romans their Latin word, vertere, “to change.” He changed himself into a handsome youth in order to persuade the Goddess Pomona to marry him. He was associated with Sylvanus.
Virbius (Roman)
A mysterious woodland God, worshipped at Nemi with Egeria and Diana. Some scholars speculate, he was a primitive God associated with childbirth, as Egeria and Diana were both invoked as midwives at Nemi. Other sources identify Virbius with the sun. It was unlawful to touch his image. Late mythology claimed Diana brought Virbius to Nemi to hide him from the wrath of Neptune. Virbius was said to have married Egeria, however, it is likely he was originally consort to the Italian Diana. His priest was the Flamen Virbialis.

 

Xudam (Etruscan)
A god identified with the Roman Mercury.

 

The list in my “Dictionary of Gods” is even smaller than my “Goddess Dictionary,” a fact which betrays my Wiccan inclinations. Often when we, Wiccans, try to give equal time to the Gods, we still end up emphasizing the Goddesses. Nevertheless, I have included these Gods because they provide background relevant to my “Dianic Mythology.”

Sources

Raymond Buckland, The Witch Book, The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wiccan and Neo-paganism, 2002.

Alain Danielou, The Phallus, Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power, English translation, 1995.

Sir James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, 1935.

Robert Graves, The Greek Myths, Vols. 1 & 2, 1948.

Judika Illes, The Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods and Goddesses, 2009.

New Larouss Encyclopedia of Mythology, 1959, 1968.

Carole Potter, Knock On Wood and Other Superstitions, 1983.

Robert Turcan, The Cults of the Roman Empire, 1992, 1996.

Robert Turcan, The Gods of Ancient Rome, 1998.

Patricia Turner and Charles Russell Courter, Dictionary of Ancient Deities, 2002.

Harry E. Wedeck and Wade Baskin, Dictionary of Pagan Religions, 1971.

Goddesses Dictionary

Goddesses Dictionary

 

A
Abeona (Italian)
Abeona was the pre-Roman goddess of departures and was often petitioned to provide for the safety of children as they embarked upon journies. Her sister was Adeona, goddess of safe and speedy returns, and they were often petitioned in tandem.
Abundantia (Roman)
A minor Goddess who personified abundance. She did not—apparently–have as large a following as Ops or Copia. Aside from being a minor Goddess, Abundantia, was also one of the Roman Public Virtues representing “Abundance, Plenty.” Roman culture also strove to uphold virtues which were shared by all of society for the common welfare of the Roman people. Abundantia represented the ideal of there being enough food and prosperity for all segments of society in Rome.
In later folklore, Abundantia seems to have entered homes during the night to bring prosperity. This versions  of  this Goddess or spirit of abundance may have traveled with Romans through different regions of the Empire and thus walked into local folklore.
See Abundia/Abonde, Habondia, Habonde, Herodiana, Herodiade, Erodiade, and Herodias in   The ABC of Aradia and Other Subjects .
Aetna (Sicilian)
Aetna was the presiding goddess of Sicily’s Mount Etna. Mount Etna is an active volcano. Many deities and spirits have been associated with Mount Etna in Sicily.
Adeona (Italian)
Adeona was the pre-Roman goddess of safe and speedy returns. Her sister was Abeona, spirit of departures. In particular, she was petitioned for safe and speedy return of children to the family.
Amalthea (Greek)
The she-goat that suckled the God, Zeus, as an infant. Her horns flowed with nectar and ambrosia.
Angitia, Angita (Italian)
An early Goddess of witchcraft and healing of the Oscan tribe. Angitia was associated with verbal and herbal charms, especially against snakebite. Her name referred to killing snakes through enchantment. The Romans sometimes associated her with Bona Dea, the “Good Goddess.” Angitia was honored in Italy’s Marsian district, which is still famous today for its witches. She was also identified with the sorceress, Marica.
Anna Perenna (Roman)
Goddess of the new year. Her feast was celebrated on March 15. Anciently, March 15 or March 25, according to some scholars, marked the beginning of the celebration of the Roman New Year.
Aphrodite (Greek)
The Goddess of beauty, desire, and love was not originally Greek. She was one of the ancient Goddesses of the East Mediterrian. Greek mythographers said she arose from the sea and travelled to the island of Cyprus, off the coast of Greece, and was sometimes called Cytheria. Aphrodite’s most famous center of worship was at Paphos, where the original white image of the Goddess was kept. Hence she was also called Paphian Aphrodite.
Aphru (Etruscan)
An Etruscan counterpart of the Greek Aphrodite and the Roman Venus. The month of Aprilis (April) was devoted to Venus. Aprilis may have derived from Aphru.
Aricia (Roman)
A minor Goddess, who ruled prophetic visions, which were received in wild places, far from human habitation. She may have been an aspect of Diana, as Aricia was the name of one of Diana’s shrines.
Artemis (Greek)
Goddess of the hunt and queen of the wild beasts. In Classical imagery, she is the maiden of the new crescent moon, appearing nude or in a short tunic, armed with a bow and quiver of arrows. Accompanied by a band of nymphs, she roamed the mountains and forests of Greece.
Artemis was the elder twin of the sun. Her mother, Leto, bore her without labor pains, and then Artemis assisted as midwife when Apollo was born. She was invoked by women while giving birth as Artemis Eileithyia. As one of her aspects was a bringer of fertility, offerings included fruit, animals, and clay phalli. Spindle-whorls loom weights, and shuttles have been found in shrines dedicated to Artemis. From inscriptions, it is known that woolen and linen threads wound on spools were offered as gifts, as well as clothes. In Athens, Artemis was honored with selenai, round honey cakes representing the moon.
Artemis was likewise the protector of human children and young animals. She is assumed to be a chaste, perpetual virgin, or perhaps a lesbian Goddess who avoids the society of males.
Her title, Apollousa, “the destructress”, referred to her arrows with which she could inflict sudden death and plagues.
Artio (Gaulish-Celtic)
A Goddess of wildlife who often took the form of a bear.
Artini (Etruscan)
A maiden Goddess in northern Italy; the Etruscan form of Artemis.
Aventina (Roman)
Many-breasted Diana, whose image was in a temple on Aventine Hill, in Rome.

 

B
Bona Dea (Roman)
An ancient Goddess, she was worshipped only by women in secret rites during December. Men were not permitted at these rites. The name literally means, “the Good Goddess” and may have been a title of the Goddess, Fauna or Fatua. In any case, the rites were always at some home of a distinguished Roman matron. During these rites, Bona Dea was revered as Goddess of fertility and abundance, and wine flowed freely in her honor.

 

C
Camenae, Camena, Carmenai (Roman)
Like the Fons, who were nymphs of fountains, the Camenae were demi-Goddesses of fresh water. They inhabited lakes, springs, and rivers. Uniquely, these nymphs were also Goddesses of prophecy and instruction. Their name means “foretellers.” Egeria at Nemi was the most famous of the Camenae.
On October 13, the Fontinalia, both the Camenae and the Fons were worshiped by throwing wreaths upon their waters.
The Romans indentified the airy Greek Muses of inspiration with the Camenae.
Carna (Roman)
Goddess of protection, and of health and well-being of humans, especially small children. She presided over the intestines, heart, and other human organs. Some scholars have described Carna as being a Goddess of good digestion. .When parents appealed to Carna, this Goddess would enter the home and perform certain rites to bar a strix from entering the house. The strix was sort of a supernatual screech owl. If this evil creature could, it would fly in at night and eat a sleeping child’s intestines so the child would not get good nourishment and waste away. Her festival took place on June 1. Carna was tradtionally offered bacon and beans.
Ceres, Kerres (Roman)
Goddess of the grain who presided over harvests. In August, women enacted secret rituals in her honor. The Cerealia on April 19 was celebrated to protect the crops and ensure a bountiful harvest. From her name, we have the word for a common breakfast item, “cereal.”
Cloacina (Roman)
Goddess in charge of the sewers. She is, therefore, a Goddess of sanitation in the modern sense of the word.
Copia (Roman)
A Goddess of plenty, her name survives in the word, cornucopia, “the horn of plenty,” which she, and other fertility or harvest Goddesses, were depicted as holding.
Cupra (Etruscan)
A Goddess of lightning, often depicted with a spear. An ancient Goddess of fertility, she formed a triad with the God, Tinia and the Goddess of Wisdom, Menvra. Her weapon, when depicted with Tinia and Menvra, was the thunderbolt.
Cybele (Phrygian)
A powerful divine image, the Mountain Mother, as Cybele was known in Phrygia, Anatolia, Cybele was described as a full-breasted, mature woman, crowned, bearing her symbols of grain and keys, arrayed in a robe of all colors of blossoms. Though she was a mother of all of nature, Cybele was not a gentle Goddess. She traveled in a lion-drawn chariot. Her consort was the dying and reborn God, Attis, who castrated himself after he betrayed Cybele with another female. Cybele had struck him with madness as punishment for not being loyal to her.
Romans were true polytheists and welcomed many foreign divinities into Rome. The cult of Cybele entered Rome in 204 bce. Hanibal of Carthage threatened Rome. Consultation of the Sibyline books revealed that the Carthaginian would only be defeated if the black stone of Cybele was brought with ceremony and honor to the Capitol. So the ancient image of Cybele was brought to Rome with her priesthood. Sure enough, the Romans defeated the Carthaginian in due time.
Unfortunately, Cybele’s priests were eunuchs, who had castrated themselves in a state of divine madness during initiation, something the Romans were never comfortable with. Nevertheless, in Rome, the Cybele ceremonies focused on springtime, March 15-27. They began with the triumphal entry of the young Attis, symbolized by a pine tree, into Rome. The evergeen was adorned with violets, which were considered to have sprung from the blood of Attis. The following day was one of fasting and mourning, with litanies of sorrow over the death of young Attis. On March 24, the “Day of Blood,” her chief priest, the archigallus, drew blood from his arms and offered it to her, to the music of symbols, drums, and flutes while the galli, her priests, whirled madly and slashed themselves to splatter the altar and the sacred pine with their blood. Finally, at Attis’ resurection, there followed jubilations and hymns glorifying his rebirth at the arrival of the new growing season. On March 27, the silver statue of the Goddess with the sacred stone set in its head was borne in procession and bathed in Almo, a tributary of the Tiber River.
The powerful image of death and rebirth in the cycle of seasons may have reinforced this attribute in other divinities in Roman thought. Or perhaps all the similarities were already there. The Romans identified her with the Goddesses, Ceres, Ops, Rhea, and Tellus.
Cybele was assigned several Roman titles, including Magna Mater and Mater Turrita

 

D
Damatres (Sicilian)
A title of Ceres and Proserpine, meaning “The Mothers.”
Dea (Roman)
Simply the Latin word for Goddess.
Dea Mors(Roman)
The name literally means “the Goddess Death,” possibly this is a title of another Goddess, or simply a feminine personification of death. Dea Mors is sometimes said to the the eldest of the Fatae. Dea Mors may also have been linked to Libitina, the goddess who presided over funeral services. It is possible that she was somehow linked to Proserpine, Queen of the Dead.
Devera (Roman)
This Goddess presided over brooms used to purify ritual sites.
Dia, Dea Dia (Roman)
Known as “the Goddess Dia,” her name indicates that Dia was one of Italy’s original Goddesses, but little information survived about her. dd>Her three day festival, Ambarvalia, was celebrated in May by her priesthood, the Fratres Arvales. They also tended her sacred grove, the Lucus Deae Diae, located along the River Tiber. If a tree in the grove or rotten limb was downed in a storm, the priests had to make offerings of sows or lambs. Iron was taboo in her grove. If an irongraving tool was brought into this sacred grove for purposes of cutting stone, the priests would offer a sow and a lamb as an expiatory sacrifice.
In ancient Roman religion, a “lucus” was a sacred grove. Lucus was one of four Latin words generally meaning “grove, forest, woodland, grove” (along with nemus, silva, and saltus). Lucus was primarily used as a religious designation.
Dea Dia was a very ancient Roman Goddess, associated the plowed field. She was apparently a Goddess of growth, who was concerned with the fertility of the field/earth and with the growth of the planted crops, especially grain. She was sometimes identified with the Roman Goddess of grain, Ceres, and sometimes with Ceres’ Greek counterpart, Demeter—as well as being identified with other Goddesses.
Diana (Roman)
The Classical western image of the Roman Diana is a maiden bearing a quiver and bow, who runs nude or in a hunting tunic through the moonlit forest with her pack of hounds. However, the Roman Diana was only depicted in this fashion after the Romans conquered Greece and assimilated their original Italian Diana into the powerful figure of Artemis, the Greek maiden Goddess of the hunt and moon.
Diana was first worshipped outdoors under the open sky. Diana’s name seems to have been derived from the Indo-European word for “light”. Possibly she was the Roman Goddess of both the moon and sun. For although the Etruscans of northern Italy had the sun God, Usil, and another young sun God, Apulu, the Romans apparently did not. The sun God, Apollo, was imported to the Roman pantheon from Greece during the Classical era–along with the maiden huntress image for Diana.
Yet in Rome, on Aventine Hill, Diana’s temple still had an ancient image that depicted her as a many-breasted mother of nature–similar to Diana of Ephesus. Women flocked to her temple at Aventine Hill to request aid in child bearing.
The whole figure of Diana is complex and rich indeed. She was known as Diana Trivia: Diana on the earth, Luna in the sky, and Proserpine in the underworld. At her shrine at Nemi, near Aricia, she formed another trinity with her servant and assistant midwife, Egeria the water nymph, and Virbius, a woodland God. One of her epithets was Diana Nemorisis or Diana of the Grove.
Diana’s feast day, the Nemoralia, was August 15, some sources say August 13. It was deemed to be the birthday of the Goddess. Reportedly women would each bake a cake for the household in Diana’s honor, around which white candles were set. A procession of women, with hounds on leashes, would journey to Aricia to offer thanks in Diana’s sacred grove and request the Goddess’s continued aid and a harvest free of storms. Diana’s festival in mid August was a holiday for Roman slaves.
In modern Italy, August 15 is a feast day of the Virgin Mary. The feast is known as the Ferragosto. It celebrates the Virgin Mary’s assumption into heaven and her coronation as Queen of Heaven. Whole villages participate or watch the procession in which the image of the Virgin is carried through the streets.
Dictynna (Cretan)
A Goddess of the island of Crete, apparently related to fishing. Her name means the “netted one” or “of the nets” and may refer to a fish Goddess providing an abundance of food

 

E
Edulica (Roman)
Protectess of children.
Egeria (Roman)
A female divinity at the Grove of Nemi. Egeria served as the Goddess Diana’s servant and assistant midwife. In Roman myth, Egeria was the most famous of the Camenae or nymphs inhabiting springs, fountains, or lakes. She had some connection to Vesta as well as Diana, for the Vestals ritually drew water from Egeria’s spring at Nemi for sacred purposes. Numa Pompilius, the second king of Rome, supposedly received instructions concerning the establishment of public worship in Rome from her. Egeria became the wife of Numa and served as his prophetic counselor.
Eileithyia (Greek)
Originally a Goddess in her own right, Eileithyia was a pre-Helenic divinity of birth, who spun the thread of life. She was later assimilated into the figure of the Greek Artemis. Artemis was invoked as Artemis Eileithyia by women giving birth. Later, the Romans applied the name of this ancient Goddess to the Ilithyiae, Goddesses associated with midwifery, including Juno Lucina and even Hecate.

 

F
Fata, Parca (Roman)
In Roman religion, sometimes there were references to only one Goddess of destiny instead of the three Fates. She was known as Fata or Parca.
Fata Diana (Italian)
Diana, as she survived in folklore as the faery Diana. She was invoked in spells for good fortune as well as love magic.
Fates, Fatum, Parace, Dii Involuti (Roman)
In Classical myth, three old women spun the fate of mortal human lives: Decima, Parca, and Nona. One carded the wool, then spinning the thread of life, another measured out the proper length after removing it from the spindle, and the third cut the strand with a pair of sheers. They were also known as the Fatas, and after the invention of the spinning wheel, they were described in folklore as using that rather than their original drop spindle.
As time progressed, the term fata began to be applied to supernatural beings or spirits inhabiting trees, springs, or other natural sites. The word eventually envolved into our English word, “faery” or “fairy.”
Fauna (Roman)
A nature Goddess, the companion or counterpart of Faunus. She was also identified with Feronia and Bona Dea. In modern times, she lends her name to all of the animal kingdom.
Febris (Roman)
Goddess of malaria and fever. Remedies or amulets that had eased the sufferings of someone when sick were given as offerings to this Goddess. She may have had some connection to Juno Februata, a Goddess of purification. Later, the Catholic church honored “Madonna della Febbre.”
Feronia (Roman)
A Goddess of the woods who was possibly of Etruscan origin. She had care of trees. Her temple stood in a grove, and slaves were set free at her shrine.
Flora, Fluusa (Roman)
A very ancient Goddess who was the embodiment of all flowering nature. She was originally worshipped from April 28 to May 3 with orgies. Flowers are the sex organs of plants, and the orgiastic rites were sympathetic magic to cause the plants to bloom well and bear fruit well. According to Robert Turcan, The Gods of Ancient Rome (1998), “There was joyful feasting beneath the flowers, everyone trying to outdo the rest in drinking, and dancing by the light of nocturnal torches. People also wore many-coloured clothing; but for the actresses in mime shows, striptease on the festival boards was obligatory.” (p. 69) In modern times, she lends her name to all of the plant kingdom.
Fornax (Roman)
The Goddess who presides over ovens and baking.
Fortuna (Roman)
The Goddess of destiny and luck. Her name means “she who brings,” impling she brings good fortune. She was sometimes depicted blindfolded, holding a cornucopia, meaning she would sometimes blindly dispurse her gifts of abundance and wealth. She was also known as Fortuna Virilis, a Goddess who made women irrisistable to men.
Fulgora (Roman)
Goddess of lightning.
Furies, Furiae, Dirae (Roman)
Chthonic spirits and Goddesses of vengence. They were invoked by pounding on the ground.

 

G
Graces, Graciae, Hora (Roman)
Three Goddesses said to frequently dance gracefully in the moonlight. They were charming, beautiful and gracious.

 

H
Hecate (Greek and Roman)
A pre-Helenic deity, the Goddess of magic and the underworld,. She had many similarities to Diana. She traveled at night with a pack of hounds. She was described as a triune deity, Hecate Trivia: Artemis on earth, Selene in the sky, and Hecate in the underworld. Modern Wiccans identify this triad as the Maiden (Artemis), Mother (Selene), and Crone (Hecate)–the threefold Goddess of the moon. Supposedly, this Maiden, Mother, and Crone triad was also illustrated by the Greek Goddess triad of Persephone, Demeter, and Hecate.
As Hecate Phosperous, meaning “Hecate the light-bearer,” she carried a lit torch.
After Hecate was adopted into the Roman pantheon, the Romans sacrificed black dogs and other black animals to her. Hecate was also the queen of the spirits of the dead, she was said to wander around tombs. At night she would appear at crossroads, accompanied by her train of spirits flying through the air with howling black hounds.
In Italy, the luci averni, woods surrounding Lake Avernus, were sacred to Hecate. The Cave of the Cumaean Sibyl was located near Avernus.
Horta (Etruscan)
A Goddess of agriculture and gardens. She gave her name to the practice of “horticulture.”

 

I
Intercidona (Roman)
A Goddess who first taught the art of cutting wood to make a fire.
Isis (Egyptian)
The supreme, most widely worshipped Goddess. The cult of Isis spread through Rome to the entire Mediterranian and up into the British Isles as well as into Asia Minor. Although her Egyptian name was Auset, she was most widely known as Isis, her Greek name. She had numerous aspects, attributes, and functions. She was often identified with the moon and presided over magic and healing. She was a protectress of sailors. Apuleius, 2nd century c.e., Roman philosopher and novelist, described the mystery cult of Isis in his The Golden Ass.

 

J
Jana (Italian)
A very ancient Goddess, whose symbol was a key, and she was known as the queen of secrets. The symbol of her consort, Janus, was a door or gate. She is sometimes associated with the moon.
Juno (Roman)
Goddess of women and wife of Jove Pater. The Matronalia was a festival held in her honor. Juno had a number of functions, aspects, epithets, and titles. For example, she was known as Juno Lucina, meaning Juno the light-bearer. In this aspect, she was a lunar Goddess, often paired with Diana, and depicted as holding a torch. Juno Lavinium was adorned with a garment and headgear made of goatskin, known as the februum, linking her to her aspect as Juno Februata, Goddess of purification.

 

K

 

L
Latona (Roman)
The “Titanis Latona” was a daughter of Phoibe and Koios. Her name, “Latona,” was a Latinization her Greek name, “Leto,” influenced by Etruscan “Letun.” In Roman mythology, Latona was best known as the mother of Diana and Apollo, and the story from Ovid of Latona and the Lycians.
When Latona was wandering the earth, after giving birth to Diana (Artemis) and Apollo (Apollon), she attempted to drink water from a pond in Lycia. However the Lycian peasants, possibly afraid of the wrath of Juno (Hera), refused to allow her to drink. They stepped in the pond waters and stirring the mud at the bottom in the waters. Latona transformed them into frogs for their inhospitality, “May you live forever in the mud of your pond!”—if they wished to keep strangers from their waters, then they could forever remain in its mud.
In Greek mythology, Leto gave birth to Artemis and Apollon at the island on the island of Delos, which—according the this tale–had been broken off from Sicily. In ancient Crete, this island was known as Letoai,  or Lato.
Silius Italicus Punica wrote in an invocation of Diana: “Come favorably, Diana, daughter of Latona, onto our undertaking.”
Laverna (Roman)
A Goddess of thieves, who were thus known as Laverniones. According to legend, thieves under her protection could safely hide their booty in a grove consecrated to her. She was represented as headless.
Leukothea, Leucothea (Etruscan)
Althogh her name is Greek and meant “White Goddess,” Leukothea may have been another title or name of the Etruscan moon Goddess. However, she was also associated with the sea and its tides–which are ruled by the moon. She was invoked by sailors to save them from shipwreck.
Libertas (Roman)
Goddess of liberty. Freed slaves often donned her liberty cap to indicate their new social status. Libertas was also depicted holding a liberty pole or with a cat at her feet. Sometimes, instead of a pole, she held a torch, like Diana Lucina and the modern American Lady Liberty.
Libitina (Italian)
Libitina was the goddess of funerals. Roman undertakers were known as libitnarii and maintained offices in her sanctuaries. Offerings were made to Libitina when a family reported a death.
Supposedly Libitina’s name became synonymous with death itself. She may be related to Dea Mors.
Losna, Lucna (Etruscan)
Goddess of the moon.
Lucina (Roman)
As a Goddess in her own right, Lucina was said to be a daughter of Juno and Jove Pater. She was associated with childbirth. Her emblem was the lady bug. The name, Lucina, meaning “light-bearer”, was also a surname of Juno and Diana. Lucina was honored in both September and December. Another festival was celebrated on March 1 and allowed matrons to assemble and implore for a happy posterity. Lucina was later canonized as Santa Lucia, or Saint Lucy.
Luna (Roman)
A minor Goddess of the moon, identified with Diana. Luna is sometimes depicted wearing a crescent. Luna’s name derives from the Etruscan moon Goddess, Losna or Lucna.
Lupa (Roman)
The name given to the she-wolf who nursed the children, Romulus and Remus, the legendary founders of Rome.

 

M
Magna Dea (Roman)
A title often assigned to the Goddess Ceres, meaning the “Great Goddess.”
Magna Mater (Phrygian-Roman)
A Latin title meaning the “Great Mother”, which is the Roman name assigned to the Phrygian Cybele. Also Magna Mater Deorum, meaning “Great Mother of the Gods.”
Mater Larum, Lara (Roman)
An underworld Goddess, the “Mother of the Dead”, who are the lares or larvae.
Mater Turrita (Phrygian-Roman)
A Roman name for Cybele, mean “Mother Turrita”.
Meditrina (Roman)
Goddess of medicine, to which she gives her name.
Mellona (Roman)
A rustic Goddess of honey.
Mena, Mens, Menes, Meni (Roman)
She is the Goddess of menstruation. Mena’s name is related to the Latin word for “month,” mensis. Not much is known about the Roman Mena. Her name was preserved in a 5th century Latin document by St. Augustine of Hippo, City of God “…dea Mena, quam praefecerunt menstruis feminarum.” It seems the practical Romans had deities for everything. She may be related to the Greek “Mene,” which was another name of the moon Goddess, Selena.
Mene (Greek)
Another name of the moon-Goddess, Selena. She bore a daughter by Zeus, known as Herse, the personified dew, which formed mysteriously under the clear, night sky, bringing moisture to the plants after a day’s drying of the soil.
Menvra, Menrfa (Etruscan)
An important Goddess, she associated with two other major deities in the Etruscan pantheon, the God, Tinia, and the Goddess, Uni. Three temples were dedicated to this Etruscan triad, but as with most Etruscan deities, little information about their mythologies is available. However, she may have been a Goddess of the thunderbolt like Cupra. Menvra and Cupra formed also formed a triad with Tinia. The Goddesses were shown with Tinia, each holding a thunderbolt while Tinia himself held three.
Minerva (Italian)
An ancient Goddess, probably of Etruscan origin, as her name is apparently derived from the Etruscan Goddess Menvra. Minerva was a Goddess of handicrafts and her chief temple on Aventine was the center of worship for the Roman guilds. She was also a Goddess of intelligence or wisdom and a patroness of schools. The sacred animal of Minerva was the antelope, a prophetic animal. The eyes of the antelope were associated with sharpness of vision.
Muse, the Muses (Greek)
In Classical Greco-Roman religion and myth, a Muse was one of a group of Goddesses who inspired the creation and understanding of literature, knowledge, and the arts. The number and names of the Muses varied. The most standard list is Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Urania (astronomy), Polyhymnia (hymns, religious music), Euterpe (song and elegiac poetry), Terpsichore (dance and choral song), Melpomene (drama: tragedy), Thalia (drama: comedy), and Erato (erotic and/or love poetry). The orginal Greek name for one of the Muses was mousa. The modern English words “museum,” “music,” “bemuse,” “amuse,” and “amusing” all derive from the ancient Greek mousa.

 

N
Nox (Greco-Roman)
Supposedly an ancient deity, she was the Goddess of night. Her union with her brother, Erebus (Darkness), produced Dies (Day) and Aether (Air).

 

O
Orbona (Roman)
The Goddess who protects orphans.
Ops (Etruscan Roman)
An agricultural Goddess of abundance, personifying the earth’s riches. Her name was invoked by farmers to bless seeds before planting. She was associated with Saturn. Her festivals were the Opalia on December 19 and Opeconsia on August 25. In August, Ops was worshipped while touching the ground. From her name, we derive the word “opulence.”

 

P
Pessinuntica (Phrygian)
A title of Cybele meaning, “Mother of the Gods.”
Phersipnei (Etruscan)
Apparently the Etruscan counterpart to the Roman Proserpine and the Greek Persephone.
Pomona (Italian)
A Goddess of apples, orchards, fruit, and gardens. Her sacred grove was known as the Pomponal, near Ostia. Her priest at Rome was known as the Flamen Pomponalis.
Primigenia (Roman)
A title meaning “first-born” or “first-created”. Fortuna was sometimes called Fortuna Primigenia.
Proserpine, Prosperine, Prosperina (Italian)
Originally Proserpine was an agricultural Goddess who nursed the growth of the tender shoots in spring–possibly from the underworld.
In Sicily, Proserpine was called “the savior”, where images of the maiden and her mother, Ceres, were used for many centuries in place of the Virgin Mary and child. Proserpine was honored with bouquets of wild flowers or sheaves of grain. Later she absorbed the mythology and attributes of the Greek Persephone and was viewed as Queen of the Underworld. Hence, she was known as Stygian Proserpine.

 

Q
Querquenulanae Virae (Roman)
Green oak nymphs with prophetic powers.

 

R

 

S
Salcia, Salichia (Roman)
Goddess of saltwater and springs.
Salus (Roman)
Goddess of health, prosperity, and public welfare.
Selene, Selena (Greek)
A divinity of the moon, described as a Titaness who drove the moon chariot across the night sky. She fell in love with a youth, Endymion, who she cast into deep sleep. Interestingly, the cakes dedicated to the Greek moon Goddess, Artemis, were called selenai.
semnai, semnai theai
In Greco-Roman mythology, the semnai were Goddesses of vengeance. This name, like the name Eumenides (“Kindly Ones”), was a euphemism for the Erinyes (“Furies”). The name semnai literally meant “Venerable Ones” and semnai theai meant Venerable Goddesses.
Sharrat Shame (Babylonian)
A title of Ishtar meaning, “Queen of Heaven.”
Sophia, Pistis Sophia (Gnostic)
The name, Sophia, is Greek for “wisdom.” In Gnostic theology, she was the Holy Spirit of divine Wisdom; she came into existence before creation. The Gnostics were an amalgamation of Jewish and Greek philosophical pagan theology, which later formed into Christian Gnostic sects. The Catholic Church sought to stamp out the heresy of Gnosticism around the Mediteranean, but never quite eradicated the ideas behind it, which remanifested themselves from time to time in other religious movements.
Strenia (Italian)
A Goddess who was worshipped in Rome at the beginning of the new year in the springtime.
Susuri (Roman)
The personification of rumor, who kept company with Fama (fame), Credulitas (error), and Laetitia (unfounded joy)

 

T
Tellus, Tellus Mater, Terra (Roman)
The personified earth. See Madre Terra and Gaia hypothesis on The ABC of Aradia.
Tempestates (Roman)
Goddesses of storm and wind.
Thana, Thalnr (Etruscan)
Goddess of the dawn.
Titania (Roman)
A minor Goddess of the moon, later named Queen of the Faeries.
Tiu, Tiuv (Etruscan)
The deified moon.
Turan (Etruscan)
Turan was a love Goddess and is assumed to be a queen of life, probably influenced by the Greek Aphrodite and sometimes referred to by that name. Her name seems to derive from the same word as the Greek tyrannos, meaning “ruler.” She was mistress of life and sex and was associated with Zirna. Turan survived in folklore as Turanna, the good faery of peace and love in modern Italy.
Turanna (Italian)
A survival of the Etruscan Goddess, Turan, in folklore as a faery

 

U
Uni (Etruscan)
A Goddess in the divine triad which included the God Tinia and the Goddess Menvra. They clearly correspond to the Roman deities Juno, Jove Pater, and Minerva. The Etruscans apparently believed in a celestial council of 12, composed of Uni, Tinia, and Menvra, with 9 other deities.

 

V
Vegoia, Begoe (Estruscan)
When the Etruscans first settled in Tuscany, the Goddess Vegoia appeared to instruct them how to best form a civilization which would please the Gods. She taught them how to worship properly in rituals, how to divine through augury, and how to measure out land and set boundaries in human teritory. Boundaries between fields marked with stones acquired a numenous, or divine, force among many cultures in antiquity, as these were part of the marks that provided order.
Venus (Roman)
Originally a Goddess of beauty and protectress of gardens. Her symbols included wild strawberries, herbs, pinecones, and cyprus trees. Venus was a spirit of beauty and charm. Originally only bloodless sacrifices, such as garlands of vervain, were offered at her shrines, which were situated at large stones positioned next to tall trees. During the Classical era, this winsome Goddess of youthful love was assimilated into the complex figure of the Greek Aphrodite. The young and mischievious winged Cupid became her son as the Roman God of love. During the rule of the emperors of the Julii family, Venus acquired a matronly aspect, as Julius Caesar was supposedly descended from her. Julius Caesar specifically invoked her as his ancestress under the name, Venus Genitrix, and consecrated a temple to her in 46 bce.
Her festival, the Veneralia, was celebrated on April 1.
She is still invoked in love spells and love poetry.
Vesta (Roman)
Goddess of the hearth and the central divinity of Roman family life. Every hearth was her altar and every hearth fire her image. Daily offerings were made to Vesta by families at their hearths. The sacred fire which the city of Rome burned in Vesta’s round temple was tended by her priestesses, the Vestal Virgins.
It would have been a terrible omen if the sacred fire of Rome ever accidentally went out. The Vestals only doused the fire once a year on March 1 and then relit the fire. The eight days long Vestalia was celebrated starting on June 9 when barefoot Roman matrons offered food baked on their household hearths and the Vestal Virgins offered special salt cakes.
Vibilla (Roman)
A Goddess who directs travelers on their ways.
Vitula (Roman)
Goddess of mirth.

 

W

 

X

 

Y

 

Z
Zirna (Etruscan)
Either another name or another aspect of the moon Goddess. She is depicted with a half moon around her neck.

 

Notes by Myth Woodling

The above is hardly a complete list of Etruscan and Roman Goddesses, and it includes some foreign Goddesses as well. The Romans had a huge pantheon of deities that covered every major and minor aspect of Roman life. It would be near impossible to list them all here.

Etruscan literature and mythology has largely been lost. Hence, while they too had a large pantheon, sometimes all we have are names from inscriptions.

Readers may wonder why I included some minor deities and excluded well-known deities, particularly from the Roman group. For example, the Roman Goddess Bellona, the consort of the Roman God Mars. The Latin word for war, bellum derives from her name. It is clear that she was an important element of the militaristic Roman culture, however, my list originally began as a simple glossary of names used in my “Dianic Mythology”–in particular, names used in “Diana Nemorensis, or Diana of the Grove.”

I bandied about a variety of mythological names in the “Dianic Mythology”–far too many for footnotes. Yet, it occured to me that someone might not want go to the bookshelf and drag out a mythological dictionary simply to look up Pessinuntica, which is actually a title of Cybele. Of course, then I had to put in an entry for Cybele, and while I was at it, I decided to include Vegoia, an Etruscan Goddess who seemed to bear a distinct similarity to the Roman nymph Egeria.

Most all of these Goddesses could be linked to the personae of Diana, particularly as she survived during the Christian era.

Sources

Aaron J. Atsma, Mousai, Theoi Project, 2000-2011, accessed 9/26/11.

Raymond Buckland, The Witch Book, The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, Wiccan and Neo-paganism, 2002.

Sir James George Frazer, The Golden Bough, 1935.

Robert Graves, The Greek Myths, Vols. 1 & 2, 1948.

Judika Illes, The Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods and Goddesses, 2009.

Patricia Monaghan, The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines, 2002.

New Larouss Encyclopedia of Mythology, 1959, 1968.

Carole Potter, Knock On Wood and Other Superstitions, 1983.

Thalia Took, Dea Dia, 2004, accessed 7/1/2016.

Robert Turcan, The Cults of the Roman Empire, 1992, 1996.

Robert Turcan, The Gods of Ancient Rome, 1998.

Patricia Turner and Charles Russell Courter, Dictionary of Ancient Deities, 2002.

Harry E. Wedeck and Wade Baskin, Dictionary of Pagan Religions, 1971.

Marta Weigle, Spiders and Spinsters, 1985.

The White Goddess Dea Dia – Goddess of growth, 2012, 2016, accessed 7/1/2016.

Attract Money Charm, and a Wiccan Dianic-Aradian Ritual

Attract Money Charm, and a Wiccan Dianic-Aradian Ritual

I. Preparation

Assemble your items. Gather some strong red thread, a whole nutmeg, and a paper money bill. Drill a hole through the nutmeg. You will also need sewing scissors or something to cut the thread.

On one of the nights of the waxing moon, set up your altar with two white candles, one for Aradia and one for Diana. A third candle, red, white, or yellow, will represent the sacred fire. If necessary, other candles may be used for illumination. If you are outside, all candles will have to be in glass chimneys to protect them from being blown out. Don’t forget the matches. Representations of the other three elements, feather for air, bowl of spring water for water, stone for earth, should also be arranged on the altar. A cup or goblet of wine or juice to salute the Goddess should be on the altar as well. If you are inside, you will need a shallow dish to catch the libations. This libation bowl or dish may have stones, sand, or potting soil in it, or it may be empty. If you would like incense, vervain would be suitable, as would any scent associated with Diana or Aradia. Incense is not required for this ritual. If you prefer, the incense could stand as a representative of the element of air.

II. Set aside sacred space

Cast a circle and call the four elements in your usual manner. Otherwise simply visualize a circle of protective light forming around you, as you say:

By the air of the winds at night,
By the fire of the home’s hearth,
By the water of the lake reflecting moonlight,
By the stones and trees of the ancient mountains,
By Dea della stella, this circle is cast.

Light the two white candles, saying:

Hail Aradia! Hail Diana!

Light the third candle, saying:

Blessed be, creatures of fire, flames of Vesta-Diana.

Light any other candles you need for illumination.

III. Invoke Deity

Use an invocation suitable for the purpose of making a prosperity charm, such as the one below.

Hail Diana, mystery of the white moon among the stars, by growth and light and sprouting green, I invoke you; Hail Aradia, daughter of Diana, secret queen of witches; Hail and welcome.

IV. Make Magic Charm

The ideal time to make this charm is under a waxing moon. Thread the hole in the nutmeg with the red thread three times. Fold the bill accordian-style, very small, and tie it to the nutmeg with the thread, again wrapping it three times.

V. Bless the Charm

The power of focused will while making it can bless this charm, but a verbal blessing, such as below, may be spoken:

Blessed be, fragrant nutmeg. As this red thread drew this money to you, nutmeg, draw more money to me. By the increasing power of the moon, by the power of Aradia, by the power of three, draw to me money.O Diana of the heavens and earth, you are the pillar of life whose breasts are as many as dates upon a green tree. Let me have no want. Let me have enough. So mote it be.

VI. Charge and Bind the Spell

Cup your hands around the charm without touching it. Visualize a spark of light between your palms. Will this light to permeate the charm, empowering it. Visualize your purse full of money, and your bank account with a significant surplus balance. Feed energy into the sphere of light, so that the charm is strong.

Trace a pentangle, the endless knot, in the air over the charm to bind the spell fast.

VII. Thanksgiving to Deity

You may wish to enact the simple feast with juice and bread. If you prefer, you may simply salute the Goddesses with wine or juice:

Diana and Aradia, beautiful ones, in your honor I spill two libations. In celebration of you, I drain the goblet deep.

If you are outside, pour two offerings of liquid on the ground. If you are inside, pour the liquid into the libation bowl, which may be emptied outside later. Drink the rest of the juice or wine.

Thank you, lovely Goddesses of the moon, for your gifts, for your magic, for your presense here.

VIII. Return to Mundane Space

Bid farewell to the four elements and erase the circle in your usual manner. Otherwise, simply visualize the ring of light fading away while saying:

By the air of Diana’s ride upon the winds,
By the fire of Diana’s hearth,
By the water of Diana’s reflective lake,
By the stones and green trees of Diana’s mountains,
By the Goddess of the moon and stars, this circle is erased.

The charm should be kept in your purse, which you may annoint with a “Money Drawing” oil. To protect the charm, you could bind it in a small, red bag and renew the oil every new moon.

Spell for Those Who Merit the Favor of Aradia

Spell for Those Who Merit the Favor of Aradia

Whatever a thing should be asked of the spirit of Aradia, that should be granted to those who merit her favor.

“Thus do I seek Aradia, Aradia, Aradia, Aradia! At midnight, at midnight, at midnight, I go into a field, and with me I have water, wine, and salt, I bear water, wine, and salt, and my talisman–my talisman, my talisman, and a small red bag which I hold in my hand–con dentro, con dentro, sale, with salt in it, in it. With water and wine, I bless myself, I bless myself with devotion to implore a favor from Aradia, Aradia.

	Aradia!  My Aradia,
	You who are the daughter
	Of the oldest of spirits,
	Of the sun and moon;
	Your mother desired
	To make you a spirit,
	A benevolent spirit,
	And not malevolent!

	Aradia! Aradia! Much do I implore you,
	By the love which your mother has for you,
	By the love which I also feel for you;
	I pray you will grant me this favor
	And send me an omen if this favor be granted."

The Aradia Charge

The Aradia Charge

I am Aradia
Daughter of the sea
And daughter of the wind
Daughter of the Sun
And daughter of the Moon
Daughter of dawn
And daughter of sunset
Daughter of night
And daughter of mountainsAnd I have sung the song of the sea
And I have listened to the sighing of the wind
I have heard the hidden secrets of the Sun
And I have drunk the tears of the Moon
And the sorrow of the sunset
I have lain ‘neath the darkest dark of night
And I have beheld the might of mountains

For I am stronger than the sea
And freer than the wind
I am brighter than Sun
And more changing than the Moon
I am the hope of the dawn
And the peace of the sunset
I am more mysterious than night
And older than the mountains
Older than time itself
For I am she who was
Who is
And who will be
For I am Aradia.

–written by Vivianne Crowley, 1968,
used with permission of author,
author retains copyright.

This marvelous piece of ritual poetry can be found in Vivianne Crowley’s wonderful book, Wicca, The Old Religion in the New Age, 1989, p. 174. The above brief passage is quoted as a sample of Dr. Crowley’s writing as a Wiccan high priestess. Anyone studying the Old Religion is encouraged to purchase her book.

According to private correspondence with Dr. Crowley on January 15, 2015, the Charge of Aradia was not created for use in a specific rite. “It’s something that just came to me when I was meditating as a visitation from the Goddess…. Since then I have used it as a charge, but I haven’t used it as an invocation.”

As this Charge was written in 1968, I believe it represents a significant and early example of Wiccan literature surrounding the figure of Aradia.