The Vatican and the Goddess Vatika of the Underworld

The origin of the name Vatican is unclear. It has nothing to do with the Bible, Greek language or Latin, but most researchers think the name was borrowed from the Etruscan language. 

More than twenty-eight centuries ago, and before the legendary founding of Rome the mysterious Etruscans ruled the region of the Mediterranean before the rise of Rome.

Although the Etruscans developed a system of writing, the Etruscan language remains only partly understood, and only a handful of texts of any length survive, making modern understanding of their society and culture heavily dependent on much later and generally disapproving Roman and Greek sources. 

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, the origin of the name Vaticanus is uncertain; some claim that the name comes from a vanished Etruscan town called Vaticum.

The Etruscans did not bury their dead inside the walls of their cities. Instead, they built a large cemetery on a hillside slope outside of their ancient city in the area that later became the city of Rome. The area, which is now St. Peter's Basilica, thus became known as the "Vatican". 

The guardian was the Etruscan goddess Vatika. She was the goddess of the Underworld and it was her duty to keep a watching eye on those who had passed away. 

It seems that the Etruscan’s beliefs about the afterlife were similar to those of ancient Egyptians. Treatment of the deceased's remains was important for survival and successful journey to next life.

Vatika had several other related meanings in ancient Etruscan. The name was not only associated with the goddess of the Underworld. 

It was also the name of a bitter grape that grew wild on the graveyard slope, which the peasants made into what became infamous as the name of one of the cheapest (and worst) wines in the ancient world.

It was also the name of a hallucinogenic weed, that grew on the slope and when chewed, was thought to produced prophetic vision.

Vaticinia was the name of the Etruscans female oracles. And according to a Vatican curator, the Vatican Hill takes its name from the Latin word Vaticanus, a vaticiniis ferendis, in allusion to the oracles, or Vaticinia, which were anciently delivered here.

The word passed into Latin as a synonym for "prophecy". The Latin word vaticinor means "foretell, prophesy" from vatis "poet, teacher, oracle".

Also read:

• Mictecacihuatl, the Aztec Goddess of the Underworld
• Scrying, The Ancient Art of Revelation
• Origins of the Magicians 

Iceland's first pagan temple in 1000 years ready in late 2018

The God of Thunder is making a triumphant return to Iceland. After 1,000 years without a temple of worship to the Norse gods, Iceland is resurrecting its pagan roots. Here’s everything you need to know about it.

In Iceland, the Ásatrúarfélagið, or Æsir faith, represents the contemporary continuation of Norse paganism. Named after the Norse pagan gods called the Æsir – which includes a pantheon of popular Norse gods such as Odin, Thor, Frigg, and Baldur – the spirits and entities that the folklore represents are also taken into consideration. This contemporary version of the original pagan religion was founded in Iceland in 1972, and was granted recognition as an official religion with the ability to legally conduct ceremonies and collect state tax following the year after.

The religion does not take a stance on politics, nor is there a fixed theology. However, a general pantheism is embraced. With an increase in members in the last few years, the need for an official space in which to officiate ceremonies and gather also heightened. The religion saw a 50% increase in registration of members since 2014, and is the largest non-Christian religious group in Iceland with almost 4,000 members.

In 2008, the Ásatrúarfélagið was granted a plot of land in the wooded Öskjuhlið area of Reykjavík on which to build a temple. Previously, the organisation only had a meeting office and a burial ground. The proposed plot of land is situated in an idyllic location next to a forest filled with walking paths and overlooking Nauthólsvík beach.

Members of the religion celebrated the Winter Solstice in 2017 with a ceremony and feast on the site of the new temple in Öskjuhlið. The current high chieftain, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, initiated the ceremony that’s celebrated among many different cultures and is a tradition that predates the first Icelandic settlers and even Christianity.

The architect, Magnús Jensson, has been designing the temple in a timeless aesthetic, with Viking-era connotations in a circular shape built into the surrounding natural features. The design will also take into account the significance of planetary alignments, the golden ratio, and sacred geometry, as is common in many important religious constructions around the world. The construction of the temple, although ready with a proposal since 2008, was delayed because of the financial crisis during the same year. However, construction began in 2015 with plans to complete the project in late 2018.

Also read:

• Krampusnacht will give you the Christmas of your nightmares
• Io, Saturnalia! The Pagan Roman Winter Solstice Festival
• The Yule Goat Pagan Tradition

Interesting Day of the Dead Facts

Indigenous people from Mexico believe the soul is eternal and that it can travel back and forth from this world and the next. The celebration of the Day of the Dead is based on the belief that the souls of their loved ones will come back and visit them.

The Aztec Holiday.

Rituals celebrating the lives of dead ancestors had been performed by Mesoamerican civilizations for at least 3,000 years.

The Aztec Festival of the Dead was originally a two-month celebration during which the fall harvest was celebrated, and figures of ‘death’ were personified as well as honored. The festival was presided over by Mictecacíhuatl, Goddess of the Dead and the Underworld, also known to the Aztecs as Mictlán. In the pre-Columbian belief system, Mictlán was not dark or macabre, but rather a peaceful realm where souls rested until the days of visiting the living, or los Días de los Muertos, arrived. Over the course of the festivities, participants place offerings for the dead in front of homemade altars, including special foods, traditional flowers, candles, photographs, and other offerings.

Although primarily a Mexican festival, the Day of the Dead is in fact celebrated by Catholic cultures throughout the world. Many countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia mark the day.

It is related to Samhain and Halloween. 

When the Spanish Conquistadors arrived in Central America in the 15th century they were appalled at the indigenous pagan practices, and in an attempt to convert the locals to Catholicism moved the popular festival to the beginning of November to coincide with the Catholic All Saints and All Souls days. All Saints Day is the day after Halloween, which was in turn based on the earlier pagan ritual of Samhain, the Celtic day and feast of the dead. The Spanish combined their custom of Halloween with the similar Mesoamerican festival, creating The Day of the Dead.

Many Mexicans bristle at any hint of the relationship between Halloween and The Day of The Dead but the two celebrations are undeniably linked. 

Party at the cemetery

The souls of children are believed to return first on November 1, with adult spirits following on November 2. Plans for the festival are made throughout the year, including gathering the goods that will be offered to the dead. During the period of October 31 and November 2 families usually clean and decorate the graves where their loved ones are buried and decorate their graves with offerings.

In some places in Mexico families embellished the tombs of their loved ones for a vigil during the night. The vigil lasts until dawn and includes music, food and drinks at the graveyard. This is a real party!

The elements of the altar

One of the most important traditions is the set up of an altar in memory of the deceased where the four elements of nature, water, wind, fire, and earth are represented. Also it is traditional to have photos in the altar of the departed ancestors. 

Traveling between this world and the next is hard work. To sustain the spirits as they travel food and drink is placed on the altars, usually favorite dishes of the departed. Each altar also includes Water, Salt and Bread as well as a washbasin for the dead to spruce up when they return.

Day of the Dead Bread

This bread known as pan de muerto is baked and eaten on the Day of the Dead. It’s a sweet, egg-based bread usually containing the herb anise, and made during the weeks leading up to the holiday. The bread can be baked in different shapes such as skulls, bones, flowers, and animals, and is often eaten at the altar. 

Marigolds

Mexican cempasúchitl (marigold) is the traditional flower used to honor the dead. It is yellow like the sun and represents life and hope. They are used in the altars and graveyards.

The fragrance of the Marigolds is supposed to lead the spirits home.

Sugar Skulls and La Catrina

Decorated sugar skulls are a particularly unique Day of the Dead tradition. The molded sugar skulls are meant to represent the life and individuality of the departed.

La Catrina (an etching created in the early 19th century by Mexican artist José Guadalupe Posada) has become an iconic image of the festival. It depicts a female skeleton, usually dressed in elegant clothes.

No Mourning

Far from a sad occasion, Day of the Dead celebrates the lives of loved ones who have passed away with family gatherings and joyous memories.

The Aztecs did not believe in mourning their dead as tears would make the spirits’ journey more difficult, rather they celebrated their lives and memory.

Souls fly on the wings of butterflies 

While the fall is the season for the Day of the Dead, it’s also when monarch butterflies arrive in Mexico. Legend has it that the butterflies are the souls of the deceased returning to earth. What a beautiful image for such a creepy occurrence.

Omnism, the new spiritual belief

You've probably heard of a lot of other "isms" when it comes to beliefs. There's agnosticism (not sure if there is a God), theism (belief in one or more Gods), monotheism (one God), polytheism (many gods), deism (belief that there is a God, but he's not personally involved), and even atheism (belief in no God). Get ready to add a new ism to your vocabulary: omnism.

It's actually not new; the term was coined back in 1839 by Philip J. Bailey in his poem "Festus." But in the new millennium, the time seems to be ripe for the concept to catch on.

WHAT IS OMNISM?

Omni means 'all'; in turn, omnism is the belief in all.

All of what, exactly? It's the belief that all religions have a point. That (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) everything has a "single, transcendent purpose or cause uniting all things or people."

Omnism is the recognition and respect of all religions; those who hold this belief are called omnists.

Omnism is not a cult.

Like all other isms, monism is a position; not a religion in itself. There are no specific teachings, no rituals and no particular sets of beliefs that omnists follow. It’s more of a way of thinking and a way of approaching religious teachings. 

The Omnist holds an open mind when it comes to spirituality and religion. 

They're open to that wisdom, to the truths found within the different systems. Many omnists say that all religions contain truths, but that no one religion offers all that is truth.

Some omnist may lean towards one religion but are open to the ideas of other religions. They may go to a Christian church but also follow the teachings of Buddha, ancestor worship or Paganism.

Some omnists believe that all religions follow the same god they simply have different titles, rule books and approaches to their religious path.

The funny thing is, a lot of people who consider themselves spiritual but not religious, who feel they are spiritually eclectic and progressive, are often omnists who never even heard the word.

Omnists also are scientific in nature. They tend to love research and science.

If you're omnist and didn't know it raise your hand!

Also read:

• What is Gnosis?
• Ikigai: Finding your reason for being
• The Mystic and the Occultist

Who is the Moon Goddess?

It is popular in modern times, especially in neopagan circles, to think of the moon as representing a goddess. But what did the ancients think? Was the moon female to them?

In late Roman times, Diana absorbed the traits of many goddesses, becoming an all encompassing divine figure. In Ephesus, in modern day Turkey, she merged with the mother goddess Cybele and became a sort of virgin-and-mother who influenced the development of the Christian Mary. 

Paradoxically, those who continued to worship her as Diana were eventually condemned as witches by the Catholic church.

So much for Greece and Rome, but, ancient as they were, they were hardly the first civilizations on the block. What about the really ancient cultures, the ones who emerged in the fertile crescent 5,000 years ago, creating the first cities and the first written records in history? Was the moon female to the ancient Egyptians or the Sumerians and Babylonians of Mesopotamia (Iraq)? 

It may surprise you to learn that the answer is no. To these very old cultures, the moon was male, a god. 

In Sumer this god was Nanna, in Babylon the same god was called Sin. Nanna was the father of the Queen of Heaven, Inanna (later Ishtar), who was identified with the planet Venus, known then as the morning and evening star.

In Egypt, the celestial representation of the Moon God was Thoth, God of Wisdom and Magic, who was credited with the invention of writing. Thoth was depicted with the head of an ibis. In later times, Egypt’s Queen of Heaven, Isis, would be one of several goddesses whose original solar connections would be replaced by lunar ones.

The old Teutonic goddess Hertha (the Earth) was a Virgin, but was impregnated by the heavenly Spirit (the Sky); and her image with a child in her arms was to be seen in the sacred groves of Germany.

It’s worth noting that Diana and Isis were among Christianity’s chief rivals for popular worship in Christian Rome and both goddesses bear more than a little resemblance to the newest Queen of Heaven, Mary, who is often depicted standing on the moon.

Over time, then, in the foundational cultures of Western Civilization, the Queen of Heaven went through a metamorphosis, switching from an earlier association with Venus, the sun, and the dawn, to an identification with the moon.

Also read:

• The Mystic and the Occultist
• 10 Ancient legends about dreams
• White Tigress Sexual Teachings