Calling all Cultores!

I just had a look at this blog's stats, and what a surprise! Our readership is still rising, and I see that we have had recent visitors from around the world. I see connections from Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Ukraine, UK and USA. This is both amazing and gratifying, and especially so seeing that this blog is only in English.

This seems like a good time to repeat my solicitation for submissions and participation.

Please write to me at "editor@cultusdeorum.org" with any of the following:

• Announcements of coming events or
• Reports of recently past events or
• Book or film reviews or
• Links to individual or community blogs or websites or
• Any other news...

...related to or focused on the Cultus Deorum.

To promote global networking, we accept material in any language.

We also welcome participation in any language on our Facebook group.

Conventus Announced

Roman Wedding,
Poltava, 2010

A new conventus (world-wide meeting) of Roman reconstructionists has just been announced for Poltava, Ukraine. This conventus will be held in conjunction with the group "Res Publica Romana", an NPO from Sweden. The dates are August 1-5, 2012.

Readers of this blog will remember the Roman weddings and Temple consecration held there two years ago and that Poltava is the site of the temple building project that was attacked by suspected Orthodox vandals.

The preliminary schedule includes some important events for the Cultus Deorum:

Why You Should Not "Worship The Gods"

I have been uncomfortable for quite a while regarding the frequency with which I see phrases like "I worship the Gods of Rome". Of course I am happy to see the Cultus Deorum expanding. The problem is that the word "worship" is one of those tricky, culturally-determined words, and I do not believe that it conveys the correct meaning for us. Now of course I am aware that different people may have different ideas in their minds when they use this word, and I fully expect some readers to object to this post on the grounds that their meaning is something other than what I am talking about here. That is all well and good, but when we say things in public like "I worship the Gods of Rome" we should think about how others are likely to understand it.

Pagan Network News from France

My title is somewhat tongue in cheek, but I am sincerely happy to have received this recent (quadri-lingual!) message from "Forum des spiritualités Grecques et Romaines AGORA":

GALLICI PAGANI PAGANIS SARMATICIS - AVE
GAUDEMUS VIDERE SARMATIA QUOQUE ROMANOS DEOS COLIT
TE SALUTAMUS - VALE
-------------------------------------------------
Галльський язичників язичники сарматської, привіт
Ми раді бачити, що в Сарматія честь римських богів.
Ми раді вітати Вас.
Ціна тобі добре.
-------------------------------------------------
Gallic pagans pagans Sarmatian, hello
We are pleased to see that as Sarmatia honored the Roman gods.
We welcome you.
Fare thee well.
-------------------------------------------------
Les païens gaulois aux païens sarmates, salut
Nous nous réjouissons de voir que la Sarmatie aussi honore les dieux romains.
Nous te souhaitons la bienvenue.
Porte-toi bien.

This is further evidence that our network of Cultores Deorum is growing. I am especially pleased that our scattered communities are reaching out to each other.

I have reported on the Sarmatians (especially in Poltava) before, but the contact with the Francophone community is new. I hope that this is the beginning of a long relationship with them.

If anyone knows of any Cultus blogs in French, please let me know so I can add them to the blogroll. I would also be happy to carry reports of Cultus activity in France.