How Did the Ancient Romans Communicate with & Worship their Gods?
CW: this post briefly discusses animal sacrifice
The Romans believed in numerous different gods and goddesses. Rituals to the gods became an important part of Roman religion, as they believed that if the gods were angry, bad things could happen.
In the city, gods were worshipped in temples. At these temples, animals and precious items would be sacrificed to the gods. The Romans saw blood sacrifice as a powerful way to communicate with the gods, but they would also offer/sacrifice other things as well. Milk, fruit, flowers, cakes, breads, precious belongings, etc,. were all also given as offerings to the gods.
In private settings (the home), people would honor the gods with shrines. Offerings would be left at the shrine. If there was a shrine in a private home, the deity being honored would typically be related to protecting the home, and other things they are associated with. For example, a farmer might have a shrine for Ceres as she rules over agriculture, harvest, growth, etc. Other gods could be honored to protect children, marriage, etc. Statues were also placed at shrines to keep the gods happy.
The Romans would also honor the gods through festivals. Streets would be filled with decorations, sacrifices would be made, etc. There were MANY festivals every year, with multiple happening each month to honor different deities(some deities were honored during multiple festivals, though). Festivals could be paid for by rich Romans (to earn favor from the gods), or were funded by the government.
Priests and priestesses were important regarding deity worship. They were able to read and interpret signs from the gods. They would interpret if the gods were pleased with particular actions, such as an event, a battle plan, etc. There were different methods the priests/priestesses would use to interpret the opinions of the gods. Watching natural phenomena(lighting, birds in flight, etc.) or employing haruspices to read the entrails of sacrificed animals were all ways they could communicate with the gods.
Most religions have an aspect of ‘blind faith’ involved somewhere, as does spirit work and anything metaphysical. After all, we have to have at least some moderation of faith in something intangible and unquantifiable for us to actually believe in it.
However, no matter how much ‘blind faith’ is involved, we still need to practice discernment to separate the real from the imagination.
Feel free to send me an ask if you have any questions regarding discernment and how to incorporate it into your practice/religion!
What is discernment?
The very basic and straightforward dictionary definition of discernment is “the ability to judge well”. To me, this means being able to understand what is true (and what is not true) when it comes to any of my practices.
Why use discernment?
Not everything you see and hear is true, and discernment is how you scour through what you learn (and what you experience) in order to flesh out what is accurate.
This could be done for a variety of different things: for example, I use discernment to see which articles or posts I find are true. On the flip side, I also use it in the metaphysical version of my practice to figure out if I actually had some sort of experience, or if it was just the wind.
It helps add truth to my practice, and helps me learn from any of my experiences. Sure, I could let myself believe that I had the experiences that were just my imagination, but I wouldn’t learn or grow.
How does discernment work with the metaphysical and religions?
When interacting with deities or spirits, it’s helpful to break the experience into sections and ask yourself a myriad of questions for each part of the experience. I had compiled a list of helpful questions from my previous blog and have them listed below.
It’s extremely helpful to keep track of any and all experiences you may have as well! Compare them to each other. Do you notice trends? Are there specific things that pop out to you? Do these experiences coincide with any specific mental states or feelings? Would there be any other reason for it to occur (ie mundane causes)?
For audio experiences (ie hearing voices/noises/etc) ask yourself:
Is this something you would actually say? Is this something you would actually think?
Are there words you wouldn’t normally say? Are there words that you don’t even know?
Is it a coherent thought? Does it make sense? Is there a reason that thought would appear?
Does it feel like you said it or does it feel like it originated from an outside source? Does it catch you off guard or startle you?
Is there an accent? Any sort of tone or inflection that does not sound like your own?
Is it normal for you to have random thoughts? Do you normally respond to yourself in your head?
Is the thought a response to something you said? How does it relate to what you said?
Ask multiple questions- do the responses all sound the same? Do they all add up?
Does it sound like an actual conversation with someone else (even if it sounds like your voice)?
Do they coincide with a spirit visiting? Try practicing with and without a spirit around to create a baseline for your experiences.
If the voice is telling you to do something: what are they telling you? Why would they tell you to do it? What would they have to gain from it?
Do a reading- does it confirm what you heard?
For physical experiences (such as phantom touches, seeing things, etc.) ask yourself:
Is there a breeze even without the airflow? Is it warm or cold? Is there normally a breeze like that? Do you feel the breeze if you move to another area? Is it the same strength and feeling?
Do you feel unusually hot or cold? Is this normal for you? Does it cover your entire body or stay in one spot?
Is there a feeling of pressure? Is it in one spot? Move that body part, is it still there? Is it natural for you to feel pressure?
Do you feel tingling? Does it cover your entire body or stay in one spot? Is it natural for you to feel tingling? Does it go away when you move?
Is there a feeling of discomfort in a particular spot? Move that body part, is it still there? Is it natural for you to feel discomfort in that area?
Walk around, do you still feel those sensations? Do you feel them in another position?
Do you still feel those sensations when repeating this exercise?
Do you still feel those sensations outside of the exercise?
Do these sensations change or move? Do they get stronger or weaker over time?
Do they coincide with a spirit visiting? Try practicing with and without a spirit around to create a baseline for your experiences.
If you work with a spirit, ask them to touch your shoulder, and then a different body part. Do you feel any sort of sensation? Is it consistent even in different areas?
Do a reading- does it confirm what you felt?
As you may have noticed, I mentioned doing follow up readings for verification on experiences. It’s also helpful (especially when working with spirits/deities that have mythology tied to them) to do research and see if that fits into what’s already known about them and how they act. Obviously no one person or entity fits into a box, but it is helpful to see how your experience compares to what is known.
When looking at others experiences and posts (and academic journals, books, etc) to help verify your experiences, it’s helpful to ask yourself:
Who is the author?
What experience does the author have/how long have they been working with their craft? Are they an expert in the field or your average Joe?
How long ago was it published? Who published it?
What do they have to gain from their work? Are they using it to boost themselves/their shop/sell their book/etc.
Are they an unbiased source? Are their sources unbiased?
Do they site their sources if pulling from other works? What is the original work focused on?
Is this the most recent version of the work? What has been changed or edited? Why was it changed or edited?
Additional Resources
[Psychic Abilities, Communication, and Discernment Masterpost] by me, from my previous blog (deactivated)
[Discernment and You] by another mod, from my previous blog (deactivated)
[Differentiating Reality and Imagination] by @ershiqi
[Ask: How do you know what the gods are telling you?] by @thetwistedrope
Waking up after yesterday’s full moon and thinking about my goals inspired me to make this, Manifestation Sun Spread.
A spread to show you what you’re reaping
#1. Where you are.
#2. What you’re manifesting.
#3 + #6. What success will grant you.
#4 + #7. Things to keep in mind.
#5 + #8. Parts of yourself that will assist you.
Like always, feel free to comment or respond if you have any questions or try the spread!! It worked wonderfully for me this morning ! 💓💓💓💓
☀️🍇If you have any other questions or want this (or literally anything else) as a free reading, feel free to PM me or drop an ask. Blessings and have a FANTASTIC day!! 🍇☀️
Ceres is considered the patron and the protection of plebeian laws, tribunes, and rights. The Aventine Temple (a triad cult dedicated to Ceres and her children, Libera and Liber) served as the plebeian cult centre and as their legal archive. The tribunes were actually legally immune to arrest or threat, so those who violated that law had their lives and property forfeited to Ceres.
The official decrees of the senatus consulta (the senate) were placed in Ceres’ Temple, so it would be under her protection and guardianship (her aediles would guard over it as well). The temple also possibly offered asylum to those who were threatened with arbitrary arrest.
Ceres’ temple, her games, and her cult were at least partly funded via fines imposed on those who offended laws that were under her protection. Vergil (a poet) calls Ceres “legifera Ceres,” which means “Law-bearing Ceres.”
Crimes against harvest and fields were considered crimes against the people and their deity. Landowners that allowed their flocks to graze on public lands were then fined by plebeian aediles (on behalf of Ceres and the people of Rome).
The laws of the Twelve Tables “forbade the magical charming of field crops from a neighbor's field into one’s own,” and the death penalty was actually punishment for the removal of field boundaries(wikipedia). Any adult who damaged or stole field crops would, apparently, be hanged in honor of Ceres, and any youth to do the same would be whipped or fined double of value of damage.
Ceres worship included not only fertility rites, but also rites for the dead. Apparently, Ceres maintained the boundaries between the realms of the living and the dead. She was an essential presence at funerals, since, when given the appropriate rites and offerings, she would help the deceased to the afterlife, or else their spirit would remain wandering.
For Ceres to help guide the dead, well off families would sacrifice a pig for her. The poor would offer wheat, flowers, and a libation(a drink poured in offering for a deity).
The afterlife for the “exclusively female initiates” in the sacra Cereris was perhaps somewhat different, as they were offered a “method of living” and “dying with better hope.”
Cuando sales a la luz del sol, honras a Apolo. Cuando admiras la luna, honras a Artemisa. Cuando admiras las formas de las nubes, honras a Hera. Cuando hueles petricor, honras a Zeus. Cuando te ríes de un chiste, honras a Hermes. Cuando tu cuerpo se contrae para bailar con una música particularmente alegre, honras a Dinoysus. Cuando disfrutas el primer bocado de tu desayuno, honras a Deméter. Cuando eliges tu paz sobre cualquier conflicto, honras a Atenea. Cuando te calientas protegiéndote con una manta, honras a Hestia. Cuando escuchas los sonidos del océano, honras a Poseidón. Cuando hueles flores, honras a Perséfone. Cuando admiras el frescor del primer día de otoño, honras a Hades. Cuando usas tus joyas favoritas, honras a Hefesto. Cuando sonríes, honras a Afrodita. Cuando haces ejercicio, honras a Ares. Cuando enciendes una vela en una habitación oscura, honras a Hécate.
