Kalendae Ianuariae Invocation to Janus

Each kalends is sacred to Juno, and the January kalends is also sacred to Janus.

Two-headed Janus, source of the silently gliding year, The only god who is able to see behind him, Be favourable to the leaders, whose labours win Peace for the fertile earth, peace for the seas: Be favourable to the senate and Roman people, And with a nod unbar the shining temples. A prosperous day dawns: favour our thoughts and speech! Let auspicious words be said on this auspicious day.

January Calendar

January is named for Janus, god of doorways, endings and beginnings.

The first day of the month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno and the first of this month is also sacred to Janus. The Nones falls on the 5th and the Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 13th. The 2nd, 6th and 14th are unlucky (ater).

Invocation and hymn to the new year.

From Ovid's Fasti in the A. S. Cline translation

Sacra Publica
Varies: Compitalia
9th: Agonalia
11th: Carmentalia
15th: Carmentalia
24~26th: Sementivae / Paganalia

Two-headed Janus, source of the silently gliding year,
The only god who is able to see behind him,
Be favourable to the leaders, whose labours win
Peace for the fertile earth, peace for the seas:
Be favourable to the senate and Roman people,
And with a nod unbar the shining temples.
A prosperous day dawns: favour our thoughts and speech!
Let auspicious words be said on this auspicious day.
Let our ears be free of lawsuits then, and banish
Mad disputes now: you, malicious tongues, cease wagging!
See how the air shines with fragrant fire,
And Cilician grains crackle on lit hearths!
The flame beats brightly on the temple’s gold,
And spreads a flickering light on the shrine’s roof.
Spotless garments make their way to Tarpeian Heights,
And the crowd wear the colours of the festival:
Now the new rods and axes lead, new purple glows,
And the distinctive ivory chair feels fresh weight.

Getting ready for New Years Day

Traditions for the New Year.

Near the beginning of his poem "Fasti", Ovid has a kind of question and answer session with Janus about the meaning of certain new year traditions. We can use this to help us prepare for a Roman New Year.

Q: Why aren't the courts closed on New Years Day?
A: We make a token start of all business on the first day to make a good omen that we will be engaged all year.

Take our "Future Directions" survey

The survey is closed. Thanks to all who answered!

Saturnalia!

On this best of days, greetings to all cultores!

Enjoy this Saturnalia ritual by cultores deorum Romanorum in Russia, performed in Latin and Russian.

The videos were posted by Tiberius Claudius Drusus of Estonia.

Our Community

I sent this little statement around recently. I think of it as defining a point on the map of all religions. What I wanted to know is how many of us are near to that point. I do not mean that that point is the center of anything - just reasonably close to a lot of people. Here is is:

The gods exist and are essentially benevolent. A natural relationship unites people with the gods. Human relationship with the gods requires human action. The gods can communicate their will. We promote "religio" and "pietas" and we abhor "superstitio".

"Religio" is the attitude that the gods are the benevolent partners of mortals in the management of the world, and that the prescribed rituals are the proper return for the help that is provided by the gods.

"Pietas" is sincere diligence in fulfilling the requirements of the partnership with the gods and in honoring all obligations.

"Superstitio" is the belief that the gods are vengeful or jealous, and any excessive and slavish behavior that is intended to placate them, and the desire to extract knowledge or power from the relationship with them.

Here are some comments that came back:

• "It's short, sweet and to the point. I like it."
• "I dislike hard definitions, it absolutely smacks of Christianity."
• "I think this description is concise and covers the important core concepts without closing various people out."
• "I agree with your statements. I would, of course, capitalize "Gods" and include "Goddesses". I would expand on the first paragraph, but then I am usually wordy. Under the part on superstitio, I might replace "behavior" with "misuse of ritual""
• "Well said, I agree."
• "I find this very well written, and it can probably do as a generic introduction. I can't think of anything to add at this point."
• "I agree with every point but the last. Gods can be cruel if they feel to be."
• "Seems reasonable enough. I might suggest a few alterations..."

So the "ayes" have it. It is safe to say that "the majority of cultores deorum Romanorum tend to agree with this statement". Based on feedback, I have tweaked the form somewhat, but the meaning is still the same:

The gods exist and are essentially benevolent. A natural relationship unites people with the gods. Human relationship with the gods requires human action. The gods can communicate their will. We promote "religio" and "pietas" and we avoid "superstitio".

"Religio" is the attitude that the gods are the benevolent partners of mortals in the management of the world, and that the prescribed rituals are the proper return for the help that is provided by the gods.

"Pietas" is sincere diligence in fulfilling the requirements of the partnership with the gods and in honoring all obligations. In contrast, "Superstitio" is any excessive and slavish behavior that is intended to placate the anger of the gods, or the desire to extract knowledge or power from the gods.

I want to thank everyone who participated in this survey. I hope that this description will help us to build our communities.

Invoke and Evoke

I had a nice exchange recently about these two words, "invoke" and "evoke", and how they differ. I thought I should look around and see what other people think and how they might be used differently and I found this page (an About.com page on Paganism/Wicca). It makes this distinction: "To evoke a deity or being is to call upon it and ask it to join you during ritual or a working. ... Invoking, on the other hand, is a form of voluntary possession." This is very different from the way that we cultores use these words.

To invoke, from Latin invocare, is "to call upon" or "to call for help". The noun is invocatio, "a calling upon". Cicero used invocare in relation to both gods and human help.

In contrast, to evoke, from Latin evocare, is "to call out". It is used to describe summoning the spirits of the dead (aliquem ab infernis evocare) or calling forth a god "from a besieged city by promising a temple at Rome". It was also used to summon soldiers for service or to call someone out to fight.

Since the general attitude of cultores is that the gods are "...the benevolent partners of mortals in the management of the world..." (Scheid p. 173) and therefore present at all times, there is no need to "evoke" them, except in the special circumstances mentioned above. They are already here, alongside us. We praise them directly, we offer them the respect that they are due because of their nature. When we need help, we ask for it. We invoke them, because they are already here.

In case it needs saying, I mean no disrespect to our Wiccan brothers and sisters, and I hope that they will continue to act as they see fit. I don't mean to say that they are wrong. It is just that we have different traditions.

[Latin definitions are from Cassell's Latin dictionary.]