Roman Paganism: Capitol Triad (4)

Notes:

Triads of Roman Gods

The Romans had several Trios of Gods to oversee their State affairs. The Archaic Triad, the first, consisted of Jupiter (the Ruler of the Heavens), Mars (Guardian of the Crops), and Quirinus (God of Roman Civic Life).  Later this trio was superseded by the Capitoline Triad.

The Capitoline Triad was Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the Supreme God), Juno Regina (Ruler of the State), and Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom).  The Capitolium, a temple on Capitoline Hill, hosted these Gods.  This grouping of a male God with two females reflects Etruscan influence (of Tinia (Supreme Deity), Uni (his wife), and Menrva (their daughter, Goddess of Wisdom).    

Meanwhile, the plebeians venerated the Aventine Trio.  The temple of Ceres (the Goddess of Agriculture) on Aventine Hill, housed the City’s grain supply.  This temple also hosted Liber and Libera, Gods who oversaw the fertility of the fields.  These three Gods (Ceres, Liber, Libera), together, looked after the plebeians.

Works Used

____, Nova Roma, 2011, 05 July 2011 <http://www.novaroma.org>

Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, "Dictionary of Roman Religion”, New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Asborn, Kevin and Dana Burgess, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Classical Mythology”, New York: Penguin Publishing, 2004

Ovid, “Fasti”, translated by Betty Rose Nagle, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995.

Scheid, John, “An Introduction to Roman Religion”, translated by Janet Lloyd, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.

Turcan, Robert, “The Gods of Ancient Rome: Religion in Everyday Life from Archaic to Imperial Times”, translated by Antonia Nevill, New York: Edinburgh University Press, 2001.

Warrior, Valerie, “Roman Religion: A Source Book”, New York: Focus Publishing, 2002.

Roman Paganism: Capitol Triad (3)

Jupiter Optimus Maximus

The Goddess, Juno is heavily involved in the life of Rome and her people.  Juno is often invoked as the Goddess of Rome, and the Protector of the State.  Her titles give the wide range of her worship in Rome.   Juno Regina, as the “Queen of the Heavens”, like Uni, governs all aspects of Roman womanhood.  In this aspect, She is depicted wearing a goatskin cloak, and armed with a spear.  Like Uni, Juno also hurls lightening bolts.

The Matronalia (March 1) celebrates Juno as Lucina, the Goddess of Light and Childbirth.  Romans sacrificed lambs and cattle to Her.  At her temple on the Esquiline Hill, the Vestal Virgins offered to Her, their hair.  Also, mothers offered a coin to Her for each of their newborn children.  As Lucina, She watched over their newborns.

Worshipped in each of the curiae of Rome, Juno Curitis protected the citizen-soldiers of Rome.  In this aspect, She was the only deity universal to all of the curiae.  A traditional prayer to Her: “Juno Curitis protect my fellow natives of the Curia with your Chariot and Shield.”

The sacred geese of Juno Moneta warned the Romans of an impending attack by the Gauls (in 390 BCE).  After Marcus Furius Camillus won the war against the Gauls, he vowed a temple to Her in 345 BCE.  Besides Vesta’s temple, this temple to Juno Moneta was the only other round one in Rome.

In portraying Minerva, people often claim that She is the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Athena with a Roman name.  Wearing her military tunic and aegis, and carrying her shield and spear, Minerva does portray the martial aspects of Athena Promachos (Athena the Champion).  However, the Romans also see Her as one of the Capitoline Trio (with Jupiter and Juno) overseeing state affairs.

Adapted from the Etruscan Goddess, Menrva, Minerva is also the Goddess of Wisdom, Education, and Commerce.  In addition, She is the Patroness of Textile Works, Doctors, and Artisans.  Furthermore, Minerva is the inventor of numbers and several musical instruments as well.

               Ovid writes:  “Pray now to Pallas, boys and tender girls;

               Whoever wins Her favor will be skilled,

…..

For She’s the Goddess of a Thousand Works.”

Although there is no Rome today, we can still appeal to the Capitoline Triad for their wisdom for our leaders and countries.  They can offer their guidance and protection to us, for our governments, and in our public life.  We can look to Them to show us good statesmanship as well as excellence in the arts.

Triads in Thought (2)

In his “Book of the Law” (Liber AL vel Legis) Aleister Crowley presented the knowledge of the Three Aeons that he had received from the Stele of Revealing. Also, Crowley, the founder of Thelma, discussed his ideas of space and time. Later, he codified his concepts of the Triads in his Thoth Tarot.

Crowley divided space into threes, and named them. Nuit, the Goddess of the Infinite Space, is the periphery, with Hadit, the God of the Concentrated Point, living at her center. Their child, Ra-Hoor-Khut, comes into being when Nuit and Hadit occupy the same space at the same time. Nuit (outness) and Hadit (inness) lock in an infinite embrace, who is Ra-Hoor-Khut (both).

Then, Crowley divided the evolution of human consciousness into Three Aeons. Isis, the Great Goddess, governed the First Aeon. She represented the Maternal Principle of all life coming from woman. (In the First Aeon, the earth was made a Goddess of all life.) The Second Aeon was governed by Osiris, the Dying God. At that time, people became preoccupied with life and death. Within the Paternal Principle of Osiris was the Cycle of the Sun, rising, setting, and rising again. The Last Aeon of Horus, the Crowned and Conquering Child freed people from both the Matriarch and the Patriarch. Horus, the self-radiant every-living Sun, represented the Principle of the Child.






Meanwhile the Order of the Golden Dawn inspired Arthur Edward Waite to formulate his version of the Tarot. Reflected in his Tarot (Rider-Waite) are the Threefold aspects of humanity – the body, mind, and soul. The pregnant Empress (III) begins the creation of the body. Waiting for the birth of the soul is the Hanged Man (XII), the mind. At Journey’s end, the Fool finds wisdom in the World (XXI). First the female Empress, then the Hanged Man joins to become the World of the female surrounded by male beings of the soul.

Within the Tarot Minors, similar themes play out with the threes. The pain of the Three of Hearts is soothed by the friendship of the Three of Cups which is broken again by the Three of Hearts. Meanwhile, Three of Wands waits for his ship to come in. When it does, the Three of Pentacles celebrates his accomplishments, which leads to waiting on more ships to come in.





Footnotes:
1. Jayaram V, “The Triple Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, Hinduwebsite, 2005, 25 Sept. 2009 http://www.hinduwebsite.com/gunas.asp

2. Pg. 56, DuQuette, Lon Milo, “Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot”, Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books, 1999.

References:

Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, "Dictionary of Roman Religion”, New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Asborn, Kevin and Dana Burgess, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Classical Mythology”, New York: Penguin Publishing, 2004.

Crystal, Ellie, Numbers and their Meanings, Crystalinks, 2009, 26 Sept. 2009, http://www.crystalinks.com/numerology2.html

Druy, Nevil, “The Tarot Workbook”, San Diego: Thunder Bay, 2004.

DuQuette, Lon Milo, “Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot”, Rochester, Vermont: Destiny Books, 1999.

Jayaram V, “The Triple Gunas, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, Hinduwebsite, 2005, 25 Sept. 2009, http://www.hinduwebsite.com/gunas.asp

-----, Thelemapedia, Scarlet Woman Lodge (O.T.O.), 2005, 23 Sept. 2009 http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/Main_Page

Wild, Leon, “The Runes Workbook”, San Diego: Thunder Bay, 2004.

Triads in Thought (1)

Embedded throughout human culture and thought is the Triad. Appearing in surprising places, the Triad reaches out to our consciousness. On the flag of Barbados is Neptune’s Trident, which is the Sea God’s three-pronged spear. The Boy Scout Movement uses three fingers in their salute, while the Girl Scout Movement uses the trefoil as their symbol. Meanwhile, the Three Tenors delighted people with their music and spawned imitations of “Three Irish Tenors”, “Three Mo’ Tenors”, and more.

In religious thought, the Triad has several symbolic meanings. The Two are joined into One. The Two join to bring forth Three. The Three form a never-ending cycle. The Triad is completion, with the whole that greater than its parts.




In Hinduism, a Triumvirate of Gods, the Trimurti, overseas the universe. Brahma is the Creator, while Vishnu is the Preserver. And finally there is Shiva the Destroyer. According to “The Bhagavad-Gita”, nature is divided into three parts called gunas. Sattva is calm peaceful energy while rajas is creative passion. Rounding them out is the third which is tamas (intense desire). “In the Divine Consciousness, they remain in a state of perfect balance. When this balance is disturbed, the process of creation begins…” (1) “The mechanics of the eternal three-way conflict is the driving force that turns the great wheel of the ever-lasting universe.” (2)

Among other religions, triads are well represented. Christians have the Trinity – God in Three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Among the Greeks, Hecate, a chthonic Goddess, sat at a three way crossroads. (Among, Romans she was called Trivia.) The Norns of the Norse were three – Urdhr (that which has become), Verdhandi (that which is becoming) and Skuld (that which shall be). (Norse Runes are also divided into Three Aetts.)
The Romans had several trios of Gods to oversee their State affairs. The Archaic Triad, the first, consisted of Jupiter (the Ruler of the Heavens), Mars (Guardian of the Crops), and Quirinus (God of Roman Civic Life). Later this trio was superseded by the Capitoline Triad.

The Capitoline Triad was Jupiter (the Supreme God), Juno Regina (Ruler of the State), and Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom). The Capitolium, a temple on Capitoline Hill, hosted these Gods. This grouping of a male God with two females reflects Etruscan influence (of Tinia (Supreme Deity)), Uni (his wife), and Menrva (their daughter, Goddess of Wisdom).

Meanwhile, the plebeians venerated the Aventine Trio. The temple of Ceres (the Goddess of Agriculture) on Aventine Hill, housed the City’s grain supply. This temple also hosted Liber and Libera, Gods who oversaw the fertility of the fields. These three Gods (Ceres, Liber, Libera), together, looked after the plebeians.





The Triad was also prominent in Celtic culture. For example, the Triskle (Triple Spiral) of three inter-locking circles was representative of Celtic culture. They swore by “land, sea, and sky”. The Celtic Goddess of Death, the Morrigan had triple aspects (known as her sisters Badb and Nemain). In addition, the Celts venerated the Triple Mother as a midwife of the Soul. Their Triple Spiral represented the Soul’s journey in life. The First Spiral was the conscious life, while the Second Spiral was the unconscious (dream) life. Finally, the Third Spiral was the mature soul finally freed from the body.
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Copyright Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers Enterprises