#rasenna paganism

[thedansemacabres]

Remember to find the divine in human life. The streets are full of lares, the old woman at the counter blessed with long life and wrinkles touched by Hera’s embrace, the warm days of Helios and the magic he gives, the child understanding who they are under Apollon and Artemis, the enduring tales of Arthur of pagan providence that haunt the world.

You donate a bowl of soup, and Hestia is there to light the stove. You reach towards the lightning and feel Tinia’s smile as he delivers omens. If you take a walk down the street, surely you must see the works of the divine, whether as so small of a spirit or a grand god.

life is beautiful. be sure to connect to your fellow people, love divine.

[dian-and-the-gods]

Introduction

Hello all and welcome!

My name is Dian, I'm 21 y/o, I am Latino and a pagan.

This is a sideblog for my journey with my deities. I currently worship deities from different pantheons: my own conpantheon, the kushite pantheon (especially the one in worshipped in the meroitic period of Kush), and the etruscan pantheon (aka Rasenna polytheism). Currently like this:

Devoted to:

Danéh & Darukus (Conpantheon)

Worshipping:

Apedemak (Kushite)

Aman (Kushite)

Amesemi (Kushite)

Considering:

Sutekh (Kemetic)

Djehuty (Kemetic-Kushite)

Atari (Kemetic-Kushite)

Sobek (Kemetic)

Inpu (Kemetic-Kushite)

Sekhmet (Kemetic-Kushite)

Dedun (Kushite)

Menerva (Etruscan)

Turan (Etruscan)

Turms (Etruscan)

Uni (Etruscan)

Artumes (Etruscan)

Fufluns (Etruscan)

Atunis (Etruscan)

Iao Sabaoth (Christopagan)

Péh₂usōn (Proto Indo-European)

This might expand and move around in the future of course!

Happy to have you all here :3

[wanderingskemetic]

The two kites keen over your body

Their voices lifted in mourning with those of your loved ones

Wepwawet walks in front of you

You follow his great gray form into the Duat

Culsu opens the gates at his approach

Vanth stands beside Wepwawet lighting your way

Her sword outstretched, warding off any that may cause you harm

The Tinas cliniar stand beside you

None will dare harm you with them here

Charun guards your back, his hammer ready

Sokar's wings unfold overhead

He greets your soul

Anpu takes your heart in his hands, ready to weigh it on the scales of Ma'at

Your heart is pure, Wesir and Calu smile at your approach

You are welcomed into their kingdoms

Hetheru comes forward to offer you succor

The field of reeds stretches before you

I stand behind with your body, your khat

The kites cries match my own

[yourlocalaphrodisian]

Hirpi Sorani: The Wolves of Sorannus

Before the 5th Century BCE, a group of people called the Faliscan lived in close harmony of the Etruscan. These Faliscans had a cult centre to the god Sorannus at Mt Soracte in the Lower Tiber valley, the only mountain in the area. The cult was led by a group of priests called the Hirpi Sorani, roughly translating to "The Wolves of Sorannus".

Despite living and conducting rituals in the Faliscan region, some families of the Hirpi did not come from this region, according to Pliny and Solinus.

Although Priesthood was reserved to only certain families, the whole community joined in on the rituals.

According to Pliny the Elder, Solinus and Strabo, the rituals were conducted by burning a pile of wood, specifically pine according to Virgil, to glowing embers. The priests would later walk thrice on these embers, painless, carrying offerings for Sorannus.

All authors describe that the Hirpi didn't burn their feet even when they walked upon the embers. Varro and Servius point out that the priests applied a medical ointment on their soles to avoid burns.

(Image of a silver coin of Apollo-Sorannus)

The most striking aspect of the Hirpi Sorani is their affiliation with wolves. In the Etruscan religion in general, wolves were associated with the underworld. In the Mediterranean region, they served as a symbol of the passage between life and death. Thus their association with the goddess Hecate of the Greek Pantheon.

(Image of an Etruscan wolf helmet)

Their affiliation with Wolves may be the cause of syncretism with Apollo. After the 5th Century BCE, the Roman city-state gained control of the Faliscan territory. They ended up syncretising Apollo and Sorannus. Wolves were sacred to both gods.

The Hirpi Sorani represented wolves, and even were wolves spiritually or symbolically. The abuse of wolves was apparently taboo. They were also seen as messengers of the gods to the Romans. There is however no evidence as to if they had any clothing which made them look like wolves.

Much information about the Hirpi Sorani has been lost to time. For further reading:

• Rissanen, M. (2013) "The Hirpi Sorani and the Wolf Cults of Central Italy"

• Fogliazza, S. (2020) "Wolves and Gods in the Etruscan world"

[paganimagevault]

Etruscan stamnos of man (Arimaspian?) fighting griffin 360-350 BCE. Ceramic, top. cm 29.8; diam. opening cm 17; diam. foot cm 12.3. Inv. 39568. On the other side a figure of a winged woman, seated on a small column, crowned, wears a simple peplum and her belt. (Unfortunately I couldn't find an image of the other side).

"Aristeas was supposed to have authored a poem called the Arimaspea, giving an account of travels in the far North. There he encountered a tribe called the Issedones, who told him of still more fantastic and northerly peoples: the one-eyed Arimaspi who battle gold-guarding griffins, and the Hyperboreans among whom Apollo lives during the winter.

Longinus excerpts a portion of the poem (Longinus, On the Sublime, tr. W. Rhys Roberts. Chapter 10):

A marvel exceeding great is this withal to my soul— Men dwell on the water afar from the land, where deep seas roll. Wretches are they, for they reap but a harvest of travail and pain, Their eyes on the stars ever dwell, while their hearts abide in the main. Often, I ween, to the Gods are their hands upraised on high, And with hearts in misery heavenward-lifted in prayer do they cry.

Similarly, the Chiliades of Ioannes Tzetzes quotes the Arimaspea. These two accounts form our entire knowledge of the poem, which is otherwise lost."

-taken from wikipedia

[etruscancow]

Very quick Tiv and Usil !

[thedansemacabres]

I am not sure if anyone else is deeply interested in apotropatic magic as I am, but it is very easy to invoke protective symbolisms around one's dwelling.

Do you need to keep spoils away? Put a picture of a serpent, especially if hellenic, to invoke the Agathos Daimon. Create rocks and monuments to gods, like Tinia Tular or Apollon Agyieus, invoke the imagery of Herakles who defeats monsters, or Arthur who protects the brythons.

Art is protection. Stained glass with symbols of heroes, cups with eyes, pictures of the harvest for plenty. Imagery of herbs and powers to invoke their likeness--does a mandrake still screech when framed?

[thedansemacabres]

A small note of Etruscan polytheism I find fascinating is the direct connection to the solstices/equinoxes. Tinia for the summer solstice, Nethuns for the Autumnal equinox, Uni perhaps for the winter solstice, and then spg of Voltumna for the spring equinox. Who needs the wheel of the year when you have Rasenna?

[thedansemacabres]

THE 2024-2025 BRONTOSCOPTIC CALENDAR

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com

[IMG ID: A scene of a lightning strike at light. The background is empty, sparing a few clouds illuminated by the light of the strike. There are two lightning strikes, one to the left that extends beyond the image, and another that stops slightly beyond the halfway mark of the image. The lightning strikes are a vibrant yellow, contrasting against a purple background, with the light around the strike taking on a striking red-pink.]

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Content warning: The brontoscoptic refers to several possibly triggering events, such as death, disease, and abortion. The text also refers to common practices in the ancient world such as slavery and misogyny, which we must acknowledge for the evil it is.

A new year, new dates for the Brontoscoptic calendar! This year is a bit odd for the translation, the new moon in cancer was June 21st—meaning the majority of the “June” month is in July. The calendar picks back up on the next new moon, which is August 4th. Therefore the brontoscoptic month of July is in August. Strange for us to think of, but lunar calendars do not always translate easily into Gregorian.

Supposing that publicly, in all augural teaching, the ancients assumed the moon to be a reference point (for under this heading they classified both thunder and lightning signs), one likewise may correctly select the phase of the moon as a factor for reckoning, so that, beginning with Cancer, we shall make observations of thunder day by day, beginning with the first day of the lunar month, and following lunar months. From this [study] the Etruscans transmitted observations localized according to the regions that are struck from the sky by thunder. — Divining the Etruscan World: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice, Jean MacIntosh Turfa

JUNE-JULY 2024

CANCER JUNE 21ST-JULY 22ND

LEO JULY 23RD-AUGUST 22ND

FULL MOON IN CANCER JUNE 21ST, 2024: If in any way it should thunder, there will be an abundance of fruits, with the exception of barley; but dangerous diseases will be inflicted upon bodies.

12:00 JUNE 22ND: If in any way it should thunder, women in labor will have an easy delivery,

but there will be abortion of cattle, yet there will be an abundance of fish.

12:00 JUNE 23RD: If in any way it should thunder, there will be a scorching and drying wind, such that not only grains but even the soft fruits will be parched through and through and shrivel up.

12:00 JUNE 24TH: If in any way it should thunder, the air will be cloudy and rainy, so that out of a moldy dampness the crops will rot.

12:00 JUNE 25TH: If in any way it should thunder, ill-omened for the countryside. Those responsible for villages or towns will be thrown into a state of disorder.

12:00 JUNE 26TH: If in any way it should thunder, just as the crops are maturing, some sort of wild pest that has sunk deep into them will waste them.

12:00 JUNE 27TH: If in any way it should thunder, diseases will infect [men], but not many shall die. And although the cereal crops shall be successful, the soft fruits shall dry up.

12:00 JUNE 28TH: If in any way it should thunder, it indicates wet weather, and ruin of the grain.

12:00 JUNE 29TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be a loss of flocks through being overrun by wolves.

12:00 JUNE 30TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be frequent death, yet prosperity.

12:00 JULY 1ST: If in any way it should thunder, there will be days of heat, burning but harmless; there will be glad festivities in political affairs.

12:00 JULY 2ND: If in any way it should thunder, the same thing as on the preceding day.

12:00 JULY 3RD: If in any way it should thunder, it announces the fall of a ruler.

12:00 JULY 4TH: If in any way it should thunder, the atmosphere shall be burning hot, but there will be abundant harvest and good flow, not the poorest, of the river fish. Bodies, nevertheless, shall be utterly weak.

12:00 JULY 5TH: If in any way it should thunder, the winged creatures shall be injured during the summer, and also the fish shall perish.

12:00 JULY 6TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens not only dearth of the necessities of life, but also war, and a prosperous man shall disappear from public life.

12:00 JULY 7TH: If in any way it should thunder, there shall be days of burning heat and destruction by mice, blind-mice [field mice] and locusts. Still, it brings abundance and at the same time murders to the people.

12:00 JULY 8TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens destruction to the crops [soft fruits]. 

12:00 JULY 9TH: If in any way it should thunder, pests destructive to the crops shall perish.

12:00 JULY 10TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens discord for the community.

12:00 JULY 11TH: If in any way it should thunder, it means there will be a dearth of wine, but an increase in the other crops, and an abundance of fish.

12:00 JULY 12TH: If in any way it should thunder, the hot weather will be especially ruinous.

12:00 JULY 13TH: If in any way it should thunder, it announces good cheer, a putting aside of ills, and an end to disease.

12:00 JULY 14TH: If in any way it should thunder, it announces plenty.

12:00 JULY 15TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be wars and countless ills.

12:00 JULY 16TH: If in any way it should thunder, the winter will be especially harmful to the crops.

12:00 JULY 17TH: If in any way it should thunder, there is danger from the army for the men in power.

12:00 JULY 18TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be a good harvest for the crops.

12:00 JULY 19TH:  If in any way it should thunder, the affairs of the queenly city [Tarquinia] will be improved.

12:00 JULY 20TH: If in any way it should thunder, in a short time there shall be frequent death. 

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2024

LEO JULY 23RD-AUGUST 22ND

VIRGO AUGUST 23RD-SEPTEMBER 22ND

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23RD-OCTOBER 22ND

12:00 AUGUST 4TH, NEW MOON: Upon the new moon, if in any way it should thunder, there shall be plenty, yet there shall be ruin [“Ruin” or “a falling” (πτῶσις) of the flocks: the connotation of falling down, or away, might have described a particular disease condition.] of the flocks.

12:00 AUGUST 5TH: If in any way it should thunder, the late autumn will be good.

12:00 AUGUST 6TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signals a heavy winter.

12:00 AUGUST 7TH: If in any way it should thunder, the airs will be turbulent, so that of them will be born scarcity.

12:00 AUGUST 8TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be an abundance of grain, yet it is the downfall of a virtuous ruler.

12:00 AUGUST 9TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens death-bearing diseases to the fortunes of slaves.

12:00 AUGUST 10TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be rains harmful to the grain fields.

12:00 AUGUST 11TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies peace for the community, but ruin for the cattle herds, and a dry cough shall infect.

12:00 AUGUST 12TH: If in any way it should thunder, it foretells a vision of the gods and the advancement of many good men.

12:00 AUGUST 13TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be lifesaving river waters.

12:00 AUGUST 14TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signals hot weather and stormy rain and a scarcity of grain.

12:00 AUGUST 15TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be unexpected cold in the summer, because of which the necessities of life will be spoiled.

12:00 AUGUST 16TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will appear the most poisonous reptiles.

12:00 AUGUST 17TH: If in any way it should thunder, it shows one man will come to power over many. But this man is most unjust in state affairs.

12:00 AUGUST 18TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be dissension among the common people and a scarcity of grain.

12:00 AUGUST 19TH: If in any way it should thunder, the king of the East … will be overcome [by?] war …and disease will be received from dry hot weather.

12:00 AUGUST 20TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies the succession of a great ruler.

12:00 AUGUST 21ST: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens a dearth of crops due to rainy weather.

12:00 AUGUST 22ND: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies war and the destruction of the powerful. On the other hand, there will be a plenty of cereals.

12:00 AUGUST 23RD: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens an unhealthy drought.

12:00 AUGUST 24TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be disagreement among the subjects, but not for long.

12:00 AUGUST 25TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signals good things for the affairs of state, but for the bodies, diseases around the head.

12:00 AUGUST 26TH: If in any way it should thunder, the dissension of the common people will come to an end.

12:00 AUGUST 27TH: If in any way it should thunder, it shows the possible misfortune of a powerful man.

12:00 AUGUST 28TH: If in any way it should thunder, it will go badly for a band of youth and also for the crops along with them. It will be a disease-bearing time.

12:00 AUGUST 29TH: If in any way it should thunder, after great plenty there will be famine.

12:00 AUGUST 30TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens subcutaneous eruptions to [men’s] bodies.

12:00 AUGUST 31ST: If in any way it should thunder, there will be a dearth of water and a plague of poisonous reptiles.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 1ST: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies a good harvest.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 2ND: If in any way it should thunder, men bent on vengeance shall slip into the worst kind of treachery.

[AUGUST] 12:00 SEPTEMBER 3RD: If in any way it should thunder, the affairs of the state will be slightly better, and there will be plenty.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 4TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens both diseases and at the same time a dearth of the necessities of life.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 5TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens both [public] trials and debates among the common people.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 6TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be a dearth of foodstuffs for both humans and dumb animals.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 7TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies that the women are the more sagacious.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 8TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be an abundance of honey, yet a lack of both water and the other foodstuffs.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 9TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signals harsh winds and diseases at the same time.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 10TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens harmless disease to the four-footed.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 1TH: If in any way it should thunder, it proclaims good health for men for a full year.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 12TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens bodily pains and wretchedness for the greater part of the people.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 13TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be a good harvest, yet the downfall of reptiles and harm to men.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 14TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be an abundance of cattle fodder and of acorns, but in the first ripening season, it will go badly.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 15TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be plague upon the bodies of both humans and dumb animals.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 16TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signals war for all the people, yet an abundance of crops.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 17TH: If in any way it should thunder, affairs will change for the worse.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 18TH: If in any way it should thunder, it promises a deep peace.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 19TH: If in any way it should thunder, the men of lowly degree shall be gloomy.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 20TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens civil war.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 21ST: If in any way it should thunder, the women and the servile class will dare to undertake murders.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 22ND: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens a plague on the cattle and disorder in the affairs of state.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 23RD: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens at once prosperity and discord among the commons.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 24TH: If in any way it should thunder, affairs will be moderately good for an entire year.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 25TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies that the lightning bolt shall fall, and warns of slaughter.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 26TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens the loss of wellborn youths.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 27TH: If in any way it should thunder, it foretells that during a stormy winter there will be a scarcity of soft fruits.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 28TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signals war.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 29TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens at once wars and treachery.

12:00 SEPTEMBER 30TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens at once wars and treachery.

12:00 OCTOBER 1ST: If in any way it should thunder, it signals both an abundance of crops and a loss by death of cattle.

12:00 OCTOBER 2ND: If in any way it should thunder, it signals no sort of reversal.

12:00 OCTOBER 3RD: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens diseases in the city over which it [the thunder] is cast down.

OCTOBER–NOVEMBER 2024

LIBRA SEPTEMBER 23RD-OCTOBER 22ND

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23RD-NOVEMBER 22ND

12:00 OCTOBER 4TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies both a good harvest and good cheer.

12:00 OCTOBER 5TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be discord among the common people.

12:00 OCTOBER 6TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies heavy rains and war.

12:00 OCTOBER 7TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies the downfall of a powerful man and preparation for war.

12:00 OCTOBER 8TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies an abundance of barley but a decrease in wheat.

12:00 OCTOBER 9TH: If in any way it should thunder, there shall be power among the women greater than [what is] appropriate to their nature.

12:00 OCTOBER 10TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens a disease and out of it, a disaster for the servile class.

12:00 OCTOBER 11TH: If in any way it should thunder, it indicates that those especially powerful will consider crooked dealings in government, but they will not achieve their aims.

12:00 OCTOBER 12TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens that a disease-bearing wind will blow.

12:00 OCTOBER 13TH: If in any way it should thunder, there will be strife in the area in which the thunder is let loose; for another place [it is] not inapplicable.

12:00 OCTOBER 14TH: If in any way it should thunder, the underlings of the wellborn will foment revolution in the state.

12:00 OCTOBER 15TH: If in any way it should thunder, it says that the time of harvest shall be very rainy and there shall be famine.

12:00 OCTOBER 16TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens grave famine.

12:00 OCTOBER 17TH: If in any way it should thunder, it threatens diseases.

12:00 OCTOBER 18TH: If in any way it should thunder, it signifies a wet spell, but at the same time, prosperity.

12:00 OCTOBER 19TH: If in any way it should thunder, it is made known that there will be good sprouting, but [the plants will be] fruitless.

12:00 OCTOBER 20TH: If it thunders, it threatens a lack of the necessities.

12:00 OCTOBER 21ST: If it thunders, it signals both famine and wars.

12:00 OCTOBER 22ND: If it thunders, the fruits of the trees will be successful, but there will be diseases and sedition among the commons.

12:00 OCTOBER 23RD: If it thunders, it threatens the destruction of a famous man and war.

12:00 OCTOBER 24TH: If it thunders, it threatens ills and losses for the people.

12:00 OCTOBER 25TH: If it thunders, it signals prosperity yet a heavy and wet winter.

12:00 OCTOBER 26TH: If it thunders, it foretells a time of need during the winter of the year.

12:00 OCTOBER 27TH: If it thunders, it threatens a drought. There will be an abundant harvest of the hard-shelled fruits [tree nuts?]; around late autumn though, they will be destroyed by storms.

12:00 OCTOBER 28TH: If it thunders, out of civil unrest a tyrant shall be raised up, and he will be undone, but the powerful will be destroyed utterly with insufferable penalties.

12:00 OCTOBER 29TH: If it thunders, a corrupt ruler will be felled by divine decision.

12:00 OCTOBER 30TH: If it thunders, powerful men will work hatred toward themselves, and shall take sides against each other.

12:00 OCTOBER 31ST: If it thunders, there will be signs revealing great things. Beware lest it pour rain upon the fire of joyful elation.

12:00 NOVEMBER 1ST: If it thunders, it threatens a severe drought.

12:00 NOVEMBER 2ND: If it thunders, affairs of state [shall change] from worse to better.

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2024

SCORPIO OCTOBER 23RD-NOVEMBER 22ND

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23RD-DECEMBER 21ST

12:00 NOVEMBER 3RD: If it thunders, it threatens a corrupt tyrant over the affairs of state.

12:00 NOVEMBER 4TH: If it thunders, there will be prosperity but the destruction of the mice of dry land.

12:00 NOVEMBER 5TH: If it thunders, it signifies hurricanes and disturbances by which the trees will be overturned; there will be a great disruption in the affairs of common people.

12:00 NOVEMBER 6TH: If it thunders, the lower classes will have the upper hand over their betters, and the mildness of the air will be healthy.

12:00 NOVEMBER 7TH: If it thunders, there will be a surplus of all the necessities excepting grain.

12:00 NOVEMBER 8TH: If it thunders, appearance of future abundance, yet harvest will be less plentiful and autumn practically empty of fruit.

12:00 NOVEMBER 9TH: If it thunders, pulses will be plentiful but wine less.

12:00 NOVEMBER 10TH: If it thunders, an earthquake with roaring is to be expected.

12:00 NOVEMBER 11TH: If it thunders, it threatens destruction to wild beasts.

12:00 NOVEMBER 12TH: If it thunders, it signifies the downfall of a praiseworthy man.

12:00 NOVEMBER 13TH: If it thunders, it signifies a strange sort of wind will be of service to the pastures.

12:00 NOVEMBER 14TH: If it thunders, there will be prosperity, but wind squalls will oppress.

12:00 NOVEMBER 15TH: If it thunders, commerce [business dealings, contracts] will be good, and prosperity in addition. He who controls the government with heavy hand will not be strong for very long.

12:00 NOVEMBER 16TH: If it thunders, it threatens war and the loss of flocks to death.

12:00 NOVEMBER 17TH: If it thunders, there will be scarcity from a dry and searing wind falling upon the crops.

12:00 NOVEMBER 18TH: If it thunders, men will be weakened in such a manner that they will seem to be unrecognizable.

12:00 NOVEMBER 19TH: If it thunders, good fortune for a rich man and for men wellborn.

12:00 NOVEMBER 20TH: If it thunders, it signifies a plentiful grain supply brought in from foreign lands.

12:00 NOVEMBER 21ST: If it thunders, it warns the downfall of a ruler or the overthrow of a king, but it warns both discord among the common people and abundance.

12:00 NOVEMBER 22ND: If it thunders, it warns there will be a festering wound, and for the many, extreme suffering out of the discord.

12:00 NOVEMBER 23RD: If it thunders, there will be coughing sicknesses and oppression of the heart.

12:00 NOVEMBER 24TH: If it thunders, it threatens for the people, bad conditions and spotted diseases.

12:00 NOVEMBER 25TH: If it thunders, the people will be of marvelously good cheer.

12:00 NOVEMBER 26TH: If it thunders, out of the discord of those in power, the common people will oppress [others].

12:00 NOVEMBER 27TH: If it thunders, there will be heavy misery resulting from misfortunes.

12:00 NOVEMBER 28TH: If it thunders, there will be an increase of animals, but at the same time they will suffer thirst.

12:00 NOVEMBER 29TH: If it thunders, it signifies heavy rains.

12:00 NOVEMBER 30TH: If it thunders, there will be a dearth of the necessities.

12:00 DECEMBER 1ST: If it thunders, a year of serious disease.

12:00 DECEMBER 2ND: If it thunders, it signifies not merely prosperity, but even fewer enemies, and good cheer for the state.

DECEMBER-JANUARY 2024-2025

SAGITTARIUS NOVEMBER 23RD-DECEMBER 21ST

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22ND-JANUARY 19TH

12:00 DECEMBER 3RD: If it thunders, it signifies discord for the city.

12:00 DECEMBER 4TH: If it thunders, it foretells prosperity.

12:00 DECEMBER 5TH: If it thunders, situations will pertain through which the lower classes will oppress [their] betters.

12:00 DECEMBER 6TH: If it thunders, grain will be better.

12:00 DECEMBER 7TH: If it thunders, it signifies storm for the state, and disease for humans and dumb animals alike.

12:00 DECEMBER 8TH: If it thunders, borers will ruin the grain.

12:00 DECEMBER 9TH: If it thunders, for those who are in the west, both humans and dumb beasts, diseases.

12:00 DECEMBER 10TH: If it thunders, it says gluttony shall come about from menacing diseases.

12:00 DECEMBER 11TH: If it thunders, the common people will be led into misery, but an abundance of daily provisions.

12:00 DECEMBER 12TH: If it thunders, for those in power, it makes an end to their perverted plans. A parching wind will wrack the trees.

12:00 DECEMBER 13TH: If it thunders, men shall give blessings to the god, for the wind shall blow out of the east.

12:00 DECEMBER 14TH: If it thunders, it indicates insomnia for some time for men.

12:00 DECEMBER 15TH: If it thunders, a wealthy yet sickly period threatens, tormenting bodies with internal worms.

12:00 DECEMBER 16TH: If it thunders, poisonous snakes shall somehow be gently undone by the men.

12:00 DECEMBER 17TH: If it thunders, the fish especially plentiful, but it shall plague the water-bound beasts. The commonwealth rather better.

12:00 DECEMBER 18TH: If it thunders, the creation of locusts and field-voles, to the king, danger, and there will be an abundance of grain.

12:00 DECEMBER 19TH: If it thunders, it signifies plentiful fodder for the flocks.

12:00 DECEMBER 20TH: If it thunders, it signifies war and woes for city folk.

12:00 DECEMBER 21ST: If it thunders, welfare of women.

12:00 DECEMBER 22ND: If it thunders, it signifies famine not of long duration.

12:00 DECEMBER 23RD: If it thunders, the mice shall perish; an abundance not merely of grain but also of pasturage, and a plenty of fish.

12:00 DECEMBER 24TH: If it thunders, it signifies a year of well-being.

12:00 DECEMBER 25TH: If it thunders, disease-bearing wind will blow.

12:00 DECEMBER 26TH: If it thunders, the watch post shall complete for the state good service against enemy tricks.

12:00 DECEMBER 27TH: If it thunders, there will be a very dangerous war.

12:00 DECEMBER 28TH: If it thunders, it signifies a civil war and the death of many.

12:00 DECEMBER 29TH: If it thunders, it threatens the same.

12:00 DECEMBER 30TH: If it thunders, many of the councilmen of the wealthier rank shall be ruined utterly by cowardice.

12:00 DECEMBER 31ST: If it thunders, the lower classes will do better, but the hoped-for fruit harvest shall be destroyed.

12:00 JANUARY 1ST: If it thunders, the mortals shall live in a condition more favored by the gods. Naturally, evils [will come] in due proportion.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2025

CAPRICORN DECEMBER 22ND-JANUARY 19TH

AQUARIUS JANUARY 20TH-FEBRUARY 18TH

12:00 JANUARY 2ND: If it thunders, it signifies a year of well-being according to concord.

12:00 JANUARY 3RD: If it thunders, a plenty of fish and especially of fruits.

12:00 JANUARY 4TH: If it thunders, men will excessively consume their flocks because of a dearth of fish.

12:00 JANUARY 5TH: If it thunders, winter will be heavy, yet [there will be] abundance also.

12:00 JANUARY 6TH: If it thunders, it threatens mangy diseases.

12:00 JANUARY 7TH: If it thunders, the men shall be visited with visions of the faces of the gods, they shall experience a bad outcome.

12:00 JANUARY 8TH: If it thunders, it signifies the same for all.

12:00 JANUARY 9TH: If it thunders, virulent disease; out of it, though, will be an abundance of crops, but a plague on the flocks.

12:00 JANUARY 10TH: If it thunders, there will be the downfall of a famous man.

12:00 JANUARY 11TH: If it thunders, it threatens slaughter for men from diseases, but the fish shall be abundant.

12:00 JANUARY 12TH: If it thunders, heat-bearing shall be the summer season, and plenty imported from foreign lands.

12:00 JANUARY 13TH: If it thunders, it threatens diseases from diarrhea.

12:00 JANUARY 14TH: If it thunders, plenty, yet diseases it threatens.

12:00 JANUARY 15TH: If it thunders, it signifies at the same time civil war and abundance.

12:00 JANUARY 16TH: If it thunders, many will set out for war but few shall return.

12:00 JANUARY 17TH: If it thunders, newfangled affairs for the state.

12:00 JANUARY 18TH: If it thunders, it threatens that small locusts shall be born, yet there will still be plenty.

12:00 JANUARY 19TH: If it thunders, there shall be a heavy war.

12:00 JANUARY 20TH: If it thunders, it threatens prolongation of war.

12:00 JANUARY 21ST: If it thunders, it tells a lack of the necessities.

12:00 JANUARY 22ND: If it thunders, it threatens a hot and disease-making wind will blow.

12:00 JANUARY 23RD: If it thunders, the summer will be hot but plentiful in crops.

12:00 JANUARY 24TH: If it thunders, it signifies a disease for men but a harmless one.

12:00 JANUARY 25TH: If it thunders, it threatens civil wars for the city, and a plague on the beasts of the woods.

12:00 JANUARY 26TH: If it thunders, a movement of troops to war, but it will turn out well.

12:00 JANUARY 27TH: If it thunders, it threatens diseases for the slaves.

12:00 JANUARY 28TH: If it thunders, the king will help many.

12:00 JANUARY 29TH: If it thunders, the hatching of locusts.

12:00 JANUARY 30TH: If it thunders, it signifies the most healthful leanness for the bodies.

12:00 JANUARY 31ST: If it thunders, it signifies a rebellion against the kingdom and, reasonably, war.

FEBRUARY-MARCH 2025

AQUARIUS JANUARY 20TH-FEBRUARY 18TH

PISCES FEBRUARY 19TH-MARCH 20TH

12:00 FEBRUARY 1ST: If it thunders, a fast wind will blow, but not dangerous.

12:00 FEBRUARY 2ND: If it thunders, there will be unlooked-for war.

12:00 FEBRUARY 3RD: If it thunders, it shows after victory, loss for those in the war. Still, there will be plenty.

12:00 FEBRUARY 4TH: If it thunders, the common people will agree to make peace.

12:00 FEBRUARY 5TH: If it thunders, it signals health for the flocks.

12:00 FEBRUARY 6TH: If it thunders, it threatens a coughing sickness, but signifies an abundance of fish and of fruits.

12:00 FEBRUARY 7TH: If it thunders, there will be a slave revolt and recurring illness.

12:00 FEBRUARY 8TH: If it thunders, the ruler of the state shall be in danger from the people.

12:00 FEBRUARY 9TH: If it thunders, the king of the East shall be in danger.

12:00 FEBRUARY 10TH: If it thunders, it signifies rapid movement of wind, and a plenty of grain, but a dearth of other crops.

12:00 FEBRUARY 11TH: If it thunders, it signals famine [reaching] just up to dumb animals.

12:00 FEBRUARY 12TH: If it thunders, men shall be damaged in their faces, but there will be much fodder [for horses/cattle], and a plenty of fish.

12:00 FEBRUARY 13TH: If it thunders, it threatens diseases.

12:00 FEBRUARY 14TH: If it thunders, it threatens need, and the birth of mice, and the destruction of four-footed creatures.

12:00 FEBRUARY 15TH: If it thunders, servile revolt, and punishment for them, and abundance of crops.

12:00 FEBRUARY 16TH: If it thunders, the people shall be oppressed by the king.

12:00 FEBRUARY 17TH: If it thunders, it threatens non-dangerous diseases.

12:00 FEBRUARY 18TH: If it thunders, affairs circulating abroad shall make the people rise up.

12:00 FEBRUARY 19TH: If it thunders, when the king will have victory, then the common people will have the upper hand/stronger position.

12:00 FEBRUARY 20TH: If it thunders, there will be abundance of imported goods, but a coughing disease will afflict bodies.

12:00 FEBRUARY 21ST: If it thunders, the king hated by many shall be the object of a final plot.

12:00 FEBRUARY 22ND: If it thunders, there will be plenty, but also there will be an abundance of mice and of deer.

12:00 FEBRUARY 23RD: If it thunders, it signifies good order for the city.

12:00 FEBRUARY 24TH: If it thunders, it signifies disease following want.

12:00 FEBRUARY 25TH: If it thunders, there will be unrest among the slaves.

12:00 FEBRUARY 26TH: If it thunders, many shall be cut down by a man in power, but in the end he himself [will be killed].

12:00 FEBRUARY 27TH: If it thunders, it signifies nonthreatening diseases.

12:00 FEBRUARY 28TH: If it thunders, the fish of the sea shall be plentiful, but yet the flocks will be ruined by death.

12:00 MARCH 1ST: If it thunders, the condition of the air oppressive, and disease-bearing forall.

12:00 MARCH 2ND: If it thunders, it threatens plentiful death.

MARCH-APRIL 2025

PISCES FEBRUARY 19TH-MARCH 20TH

ARIES MARCH 21ST-APRIL 19TH

12:00 MARCH 3RD: If it thunders, it threatens war and the ruin of wealthy men.

12:00 MARCH 4TH: If it thunders, wheat in less supply, but barley better, and an increase in livestock, but there will be a wasting away of humans.

12:00 MARCH 5TH: If it thunders, there will be civil unrest.

12:00 MARCH 6TH: If it thunders, men shall be troubled not only in visage but also in their very minds.

12:00 MARCH 7TH: If it thunders, there will be a large harvest, a destruction for men.

12:00 MARCH 8TH: If it thunders, destruction of grain supplies and especially barley.

12:00 MARCH 9TH: If it thunders, it threatens destruction though not for long to humans.

12:00 MARCH 10TH: If it thunders, the greatest affair will inflame the state, and also fish will increase and yet dangerous wild beasts shall perish.

12:00 MARCH 11TH: If it thunders, worse the barley.

12:00 MARCH 12TH: If it thunders, the wild beasts shall undo the humans.

12:00 MARCH 13TH: If it thunders, good deliveries [in childbirth] for women.

12:00 MARCH 14TH: If it thunders, it threatens frequent death and unseasonable winds.

12:00 MARCH 15TH: If it thunders, there will be plenty, yet at the same time, political unrest.

12:00 MARCH 16TH: If it thunders, it threatens loss of progeny, and an onslaught of poisonous reptiles.

12:00 MARCH 17TH: If it thunders, the air shall carry plague, creation of both wild beasts and mice.

12:00 MARCH 18TH: If it thunders, to the people, auspicious, but of the powerful ones, bad [will come] out of discord.

12:00 MARCH 19TH: If it thunders, summer will be most fruitful.

12:00 MARCH 20TH: If it thunders, it threatens a heavy wind and eruption of pustules on bodies.

12:00 MARCH 21ST: If it thunders, there will be a throng of reptiles, and in addition, of worms.

12:00 MARCH 22ND: If it thunders, it signifies fine breezes.

12:00 MARCH 23RD: If it thunders, it signifies abundance.

12:00 MARCH 24TH: If it thunders, the air will be disease-carrying but not lethal.

12:00 MARCH 25TH: If it thunders, it threatens deformity for men, but destruction for birds.

12:00 MARCH 26TH: If it thunders, it threatens good health for men, but destruction for both fish and reptiles.

12:00 MARCH 27TH: If it thunders, to those living luxuriously, a reversal. There will be wars, and a heavy storm.

12:00 MARCH 28TH: If it thunders, it threatens hot weather, and a lack of water, and scabs on bodies.

12:00 MARCH 29TH: If it thunders, it signifies unrest among the commons.

12:00 MARCH 30TH: If it thunders, it prophesies abundance, yet at the same time, a disease-giving wind will blow.

12:00 MARCH 31ST: If it thunders, it signifies war and abundance.

12:00 APRIL 1ST: If it thunders, it signifies good things with long duration after great divisions of the people.

APRIL-MAY 2025

ARIES MARCH 21ST-APRIL 19TH

TAURUS APRIL 20TH-MAY 20TH

12:00 APRIL 2ND: If it thunders, for the entire year there will be strife and disagreements.

12:00 APRIL 3RD: If it thunders, it shall end the threatening affairs.

12:00 APRIL 4TH: If it thunders, for the state, discord following famine.

12:00 APRIL 5TH: If it thunders, there will be boundless prosperity.

12:00 APRIL 6TH: If it thunders, the spring will be sunny and the summer fruitful.

12:00 APRIL 7TH: If it thunders, the same and even better.

12:00 APRIL 8TH: If it thunders, a heavy wind will arise, which shall move the affairs of powerful men.

12:00 APRIL 9TH: If it thunders, it signals rains.

12:00 APRIL 10TH: If it thunders, it threatens ruin of man and creation of wild beasts.

12:00 APRIL 11TH: If it thunders, destruction to the four-footed.

12:00 APRIL 12TH: If it thunders, it signifies heavy rain and the creation of locusts.

12:00 APRIL 13TH: If it thunders, a powerful man in politics or a general is endangered; on his behalf, battles will be waged, and the wild beasts shall fall upon man.

12:00 APRIL 14TH: If it thunders, there will be plenty but the wild beasts shall be destroyed and the fish shall increase; and reptiles will trouble habitations but will not be harmful.

12:00 APRIL 15TH: If it thunders, it signals prosperity but threatens a death of men and birth of wild beasts.

12:00 APRIL 16TH: If it thunders, it signals hot spells and drought and a great throng of mice and fish.

12:00 APRIL 17TH: If it thunders, healthful the year, yet lacking in necessities.

12:00 APRIL 18TH: If it thunders, something unexpected will befall the people; ruin upon ruin for men and four-footed beasts.

12:00 APRIL 19TH: If it thunders, it signifies a period of severe rain, and disease, and the birth of locusts, barrenness [of crops] near at hand.

12:00 APRIL 20TH: If it thunders, a very dry summer and destructive.

12:00 APRIL 21ST: If it thunders, man will live with better behavior at the same time as more prosperously.

12:00 APRIL 22ND: If it thunders, it signifies prosperity after wars and hot spells causing destruction.

12:00 APRIL 23RD: If it thunders, destruction of birds, but a plenty of daily supplies.

12:00 APRIL 24TH: If it thunders, it signifies discord.

12:00 APRIL 25TH: If it thunders, it signifies prosperity.

12:00 APRIL 26TH: If it thunders, new affairs are given birth among the people.

12:00 APRIL 27TH: If it thunders, it announces [the] acquisition of imported slaves [prisoners of war]. 

12:00 APRIL 28TH: If it thunders, it signifies abundance imported from abroad.

12:00 APRIL 29TH: If it thunders, there will be a plenty of marine fish.

12:00 APRIL 30TH: If it thunders, the women shall obtain the better reputation.

12:00 MAY 1ST: If it thunders, there will be some powerful, self-possessed man of the kingdom, through whom [will come] good cheer.

MAY 2025

TAURUS APRIL 20TH-MAY 20TH

GEMINI MAY 21ST-JUNE 21ST

12:00 MAY 2ND: If it thunders, it threatens civil discord and the downfalls of fortunes.

12:00 MAY 3RD: If it thunders, sign of justice, bearing prosperity to good men, and paltry things to evil men.

12:00 MAY 4TH: If it thunders, it signifies profit out of a grain supply brought from abroad.

12:00 MAY 5TH: If it thunders, anger it threatens of those more powerful against the upright.

12:00 MAY 6TH: If it thunders, it signals a hot summer early [in the season] but a healthful year.

12:00 MAY 7TH: If it thunders, civil wars will arise.

12:00 MAY 8TH: If it thunders, it signifies all good things and a prosperous season.

12:00 MAY 9TH: If it thunders, it signifies heavy rains bearing disease.

12:00 MAY 10TH: If it thunders, it signifies victory for the kingdom and good cheer for the powerful ones.

12:00 MAY 11TH: If it thunders, of upright men there will be advances.

12:00 MAY 12TH: If it thunders, it signals the same things.

12:00 MAY 13TH: If it thunders, rains and prosperity and ruin of fish it signifies.

12:00 MAY 14TH: If it thunders, for men and for cattle destruction it threatens.

12:00 MAY 15TH: If it thunders, good health and prosperity it signifies.

12:00 MAY 16TH: If it thunders, it signals a plague.

12:00 MAY 17TH: If it thunders, it signifies abundance but at the same time the birth of field-voles.

12:00 MAY 18TH: If it thunders, it signals a plenty of daily supplies.

12:00 MAY 19TH: If it thunders, it signals discord and thoughtlessness of men.

12:00 MAY 20TH: If it thunders, a powerful man in the state shall be deprived at once of both reputation and property.

12:00 MAY 21ST: If it thunders, it signals divine anger.

12:00 MAY 22ND: If it thunders, it signifies good fortune for the crops, yet war for the state.

12:00 MAY 23RD: If it thunders, it will be the destruction of the flies.

12:00 MAY 24TH: If it thunders, it signifies a rain helpful for the sprouting time.

12:00 MAY 25TH: If it thunders, there will be discord among those in power, but their plans will be exposed.

12:00 MAY 26TH: If it thunders, peace during the entire year.

12:00 MAY 27TH: If it thunders, it signifies great hope of fruits and scarcity of harvests.

12:00 MAY 28TH: If it thunders, omens from the sky incredibly shall be revealed.

12:00 MAY 29TH: If it thunders, by shields the people shall be saved.

12:00 MAY 30TH: If it thunders, a zephyrus will prevail.

12:00 MAY 31ST:If it thunders, a shower of good things.

JUNE 2025

GEMINI MAY 21ST-JUNE 21ST

CANCER JUNE 21ST-JULY 22ND

12:00 JUNE 1ST: If it thunders, it signifies flight for the common people and loss of honor.

12:00 JUNE 2ND: If it thunders, it threatens need.

12:00 JUNE 3RD: If it thunders, it signifies abundance imported from abroad.

12:00 JUNE 4TH: If it thunders, the air will be mild and the crops will be plentiful.

12:00 JUNE 5TH: If it thunders, there will be an interchange of hardships in political affairs, and wheat more plentiful than barley. The pulses, however, will be ruined.

12:00 JUNE 6TH: If it thunders, it signifies that crops will ripen in haste and will be ruined.

12:00 JUNE 7TH: If it thunders, there will be abundance of birds and fish.

12:00 JUNE 8TH: If it thunders, ill-omened for the common people.

12:00 JUNE 9TH: If it thunders, it signals plague, but not exceptionally life-threatening.

12:00 JUNE 10TH: If it thunders, it announces storms, heavy rain, heavy floods of the rivers, a throng of lizards and of reptiles.

12:00 JUNE 11TH: If it thunders, abundance to be hoped for both on land and sea.

12:00 JUNE 12TH: If it thunders, there will be destruction of fish.

12:00 JUNE 13TH: If it thunders, it signals an increase in river waters, but diseases for men.

12:00 JUNE 14TH: If it thunders, there will be eastern war and great want.

12:00 JUNE 15TH: If it thunders, it signifies abundance.

12:00 JUNE 16TH: If it thunders, atonement must be made on account of terrible news.

12:00 JUNE 17TH: If it thunders, it signifies rainy weather.

12:00 JUNE 18TH: If it thunders, discord and out of it war and a lack of daily supplies.

12:00 JUNE 19TH: If it thunders, through good will of the people, some man shall be exalted to the height of good fortune.

12:00 JUNE 20TH: If it thunders, for those in the east, prosperity, but for those in the west, not the same.

12:00 JUNE 21ST: If it thunders, atonement must be made on account of terrible news.

12:00 JUNE 22ND: If it thunders, it signals heavy rains and destruction of marine fish.

12:00 JUNE 23RD: If it thunders, it signifies a good and fruitful rain.

12:00 JUNE 24TH: If it thunders, great evils such that those hearkening [to them] shall pass away from grief.

12:00 JUNE 25TH: If it thunders, a hoped-for resting place and slackening of evils.

12:00 JUNE 26TH: If it thunders, good for those working upon the tilled land.

12:00 JUNE 27TH: If it thunders, there shall be prodigies, and a comet shall shine forth.

12:00 JUNE 28TH: If it thunders, it shall be the same.

12:00 JUNE 29TH: If it thunders, it signals northern war, but not dangerous for commerce.

12:00 JUNE 30TH: If it thunders, the sprouting crops will be chilled by the winds.

FULL MOON IN CANCER 12:00 JULY 10TH: Upon the new moon, if in any way it should thunder, there shall be plenty, yet there shall be ruin [“Ruin” or “a falling” (πτῶσις) of the flocks: the connotation of falling down, or away, might have described a particular disease condition.] of the flocks.

References

The Religion of the Etruscans. (2006). In University of Texas Press eBooks. University of Texas Press. https://doi.org/10.7560/706873

Turfa, J. M. (2012). Divining the Etruscan World: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice.

[thedansemacabres]

"how do I contact the aiser" the secret is to simply yell really loudly at the divisions of heaven and or be extra transgender

[thedansemacabres]

Etruscan Polytheism Server

". . .genetrix et mater superstitionis Etruria . . . Etruria, the begetter and mother of superstition." Arnobius, Adv. nat. 7.26

Rasenna Polytheism is a 16+ Etruscan/Rasenna polytheism community server, run by I and my dear friend Shura/Melisphae, seeking to reconstruct and revive the religious practices of the Etruscans, along with spaces for reconstructing the religious life related groups such as the Raetians.

We have many ongoing projects anyone may contribute to, such as the Etruscan polytheism 101 website, the ever-growing carrd, and divination methods. We also have a library and fully accept witchcraft or any other magical practices! Anyone is welcome, even people who do not plan on interacting with the aiser.

➼ invite link

[thedansemacabres]

Hinthial, ais of the ghostly reflection

[ID: An image of a pond at dusk. The woodland shore is visible to the viewer, curving slightly to the left. Above the pond is a forest of trees, reflecting onto the pond. The water also reflects the dark sky with hues of pink.]

By Morgan, poetry by Nico

THE AISER OFTEN HAVE NAMES THAT DIRECTLY RELATE TO THEIR DIVINE PRESENCE, and Hinthial’s means ‘ghost’, ‘reflection’, and ‘mirrored image.’ Like many of the aiser, little evidence exists for her. While this post is short, Hinthial’s existence does implicate more on the ideas of Rasenna afterlife and perhaps a chthonian Turan.

Hinthial’s name tells us the most about her. In scenes with ghosts, spirits are addressed as “hinthial”, before their name such as the scene of hinthial Tereais or hinthial Patroclus. This tells us that ghosts, with hinthial also meaning ‘reflection’, are ghastly mirror images of the living in Rasenna cosmology.. Considering this, we can see Hinthial as a goddess of ghosts, but also of mirror reflections, mirror divination, and related to beauty through her divine reflections. 

THE ETRUSCAN MIRROR 

One of the very few direct attestations we have of hinthial is from a divine dressing scene. These scenes depict Turan being adorned by her circle/her handmaidens, as Turan represents the aristocratic lady in Rasenna society. 

Hinthial here is depicted as a finely dressed older woman holding a mirror. As such, we can understand the mirror—called malena or malestra—as her symbol, befitting for the ais of the ghostly reflection. 

Scenes of Turan often show her being attended to by her divine circle, many of which share aspects or relation to her—Zipna is associated with beauty, Thalna with childbirth which is a possibility of Turan’s blessing of pleasure, Mean with Turan’s association with peace, etc. Turan likely has a chthonic aspect like Venus, as a statue of her named the “Cannicella Venus” was discovered at an Rasenna necropolis. Fascinatingly, this kouros style statue was likely modified from a traditional male kouros into a feminine one, essentially undergoing gender reassignment. Hinthial being in her circle could possibly give more to the concept of a chthonic Turan.

MODERN WORSHIP 

As with most of the aiser, worship of hinthial will have to largely rely upon UPG and inferences we can make about her. Firstly, as a goddess of the mirror image, she can be venerated in connection to beauty and our reflections. Secondly, we can honour her as a goddess of ghosts. She guides the reflections of life we see when we interact with the undead—perhaps making her of interest to modern necromancy and death-focused practices as a unique beauty and death ais. To our current knowledge as of November 2023, there are no worshippers of her, and so the newest generation of Rasenna polytheists can become her first devotees in a millenia. 

Hymn to Hinthial by @poeticnorth

I call out to Hinthial

The ghostly queen within mirrors

She who is the reflection of the dead

And serves as Handmaiden to Turan

You are the shadow of the dying

The shade of the departed

You weave fate deftly

And reflect it from your realm

Matcher of lovers, patron of beauty

Who reveals flaws and strengths

From within the looking glass

Ghost of Tiresias, friend of the buried

O Hinthial, I sing to you now

wordpress link

References 

De Grummond, N. T., & Simon, E. (2009). The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press.

de Grummond, N. T. (1985). THE ETRUSCAN MIRROR. Source: Notes in the History of Art, 4(2/3), 26–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23202423

Bonfante, L. (1993). ETRUSCAN NUDITY. Source: Notes in the History of Art, 12(2), 47–55. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23202935

File:Bronze mirror from London with Zipna Malavisch Hinthial Munthuch Turan Drawing.jpg – Wikimedia Commons. (n.d.). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bronze_mirror_from_London_with_Zipna_Malavisch_Hinthial_Munthuch_Turan_Drawing.jpg

[thedansemacabres]

Tivr, god of the moon

[ID: A photograph of the moon over a lilac purple sky, with small clouds to the near left and the bottom left of the image. To the bottom right is a cliff side, with another smaller cliff side behind the first. The moon is in a fingernail cresent.]

view this post on wordpress.

Tivr, Tiv, or Tiur, (Etruscan tiu/tiur, “month”) is the ais of the moon. They have been recognised as the moon ais as Tivr stands opposite to Usil on the Liver of Piacenza, on the “negative” side where the aiser of death and night reside. Converserly, Usil (at sunrise) and Tiv (at sunset) are separated on the liver from the sunset zone by the Suspensorium hepaticum (falciform ligament). As for syncretism, Tivr was likely identified with Luna and Selene akin to how Usil was identified with Helios and Sol. 

Tivr’s symbol is the crescent, as witnessed in the heraldic symbol of the Tiuza family of Chiusi. Their tomb dates to the third-century within Tassinaia and is decorated with crescent moons, along with a shield marked with a lunar phase. 

CATHA, GODDESS OF THE MOON?

Nancy de Grummond argues that Catha, the daughter of Usil, is a lunar goddess. Tiur’s name is mentioned in a dedicatory inscription on a bronze crescent to Catha reading “mi tiiurs kaθuniiasul.” The relationship between the two if we take Catha as a lunar goddess is unknown. 

MODERN WORSHIP

Tivr is a deity with very little information. Many scholars identify Tivr as feminine due to Luna and Selene, however this may be untrue as no known depiction of Tivr exists. In modern worship we can worship Tivr as the god of the moon/month and let our experiences guide us in understanding this obscure ais. 

References

de Grummond, N. T. (2004). For the Mother and for the Daughter: Some Thoughts on Dedications from Etruria and Praeneste. Hesperia Supplements, 33, 351–370. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1354077

Stevens, N. R. (2009). A new reconstruction of the Etruscan Heaven. American Journal of Archaeology, 113(2), 153–164. https://doi.org/10.3764/aja.113.2.153

The religion of the Etruscans. (2006). In University of Texas Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7560/706873

Turfa, J. M. (2012). Divining the Etruscan world: The Brontoscopic Calendar and Religious Practice. Cambridge University Press.

[thedansemacabres]

Zipna, Chief Attendant of Turan

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Zipna is attested chiefly on Etruscan mirrors with Turan. As seen on the Leningrad mirror, Zipna is the chief attendant of Turan’s circle, bringing alabastron and perfume dipper. She appears as a well-addressed woman with wings, making her another Lasa in Turan’s circle. In her known depictions, Zipna appears with Turan and in some capacity related to beauty and cosmetics.

Zipna appears in a romantic scene with Atunis and Turan, holding a jar and a rod to apply the ointment. She stands behind Turan, while the other attendants of Turan dance around the mirror. She stands behind Turan, while the other attendants of Turan dance around the mirror. The large swan is Turan’s personal swan named Tusna. Surrounding the mirror are Turan’s other attendants, Alpan, Achvizr, Munthuch, Mean, Hathna, with an unknown man and woman.

Figure 1. Etruscan mirror with Tusna, Atunis, Turan and Zipna in the center and Alpan, Achvizr, Munthuch, Mean, Hathna, along with an unknown man and woman flying around the edges. From An Archive of Images of Etruscan Mythology.

Figure 2. Thalna, Zipna, Turan and Atunis: consummation of the marriage. Etruscan mirror in Tarquinia, Museo Archeologico Nazionale

She also appears in a mirror that depicts the union of adult Atunis and Turan. Along with a masculine Thalna, the two adorn the couple—Thalna holds a wreath and Zipna releases the perfume that announces the union of Turan and Atunis. In this capacity Zipna appears to be related to legitimising a union through the usage of perfume. Unlike her other depictions, Zipna lacks wings, which is not unusual for one of the aiser, especially for a member of Turan’s circle.

Considering her role in bringing Turan her makeup and perfumes, we can assume that Zipna is a goddess associated with perfume, beauty, and adorning oneself—perhaps even sexuality. marriage, and romance, considering her usage of perfume to legitimise a union. We can also take the alabastron and perfume as her symbols, as she is portrayed as holding them.

Worship wise, honouring Zipna will likely have to mostly be built upon personal gnosis. However, considering her known depictions, one can honour her by offering cosmetics, perfumes, and other beauty related items. Honouring her may also be done through self-care and doing your makeup, beckoning her to one’s side to guide your hand. While today dressing up is often done alone, Turan always has her circle to adorn her. Beauty and care then is a communal act, a moment to come together and smile at your features. If marriage is ever a wish to come, Zipna then can be invoked to bless the union with her divine aromatics.

References

Bonfante, L. 2015. Etruscan mirrors and the grave. In Haack, M. (Ed.), L’écriture et l’espace de la mort. Épigraphie et nécropoles à l’époque préromaine. Roma: Publications de l’École française de Rome. doi:10.4000/books.efr.2741 

de Grummond, N. T. (1985). THE ETRUSCAN MIRROR. Source: Notes in the History of Art, 4(2/3), 26–35. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23202423

De Grummond, N. T., & Simon, E. (2009). The Religion of the Etruscans. University of Texas Press.

[thedansemacabres]

Thalna, Aiser of Childbirth

[ID: A group of six waterfowl flying west. The sky in the image is grey and the tops of bare, dark trees can be seen. The birds are white with bronze and black wings.]

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Thalna is an aiser in the circle of Turan associated with childbirth and healing, along with appearing at artistic images of revelry and prophesy. Commonly appearing at scenes of childbirth, Thalna and other birth related aiser often deliver and bandage the afterbirth of childbirth scenes in Etruscan art—usually being described by scholars as “nurses” and “midwives.” There are currently no known deities that were identified with Thalna. 

ICONOGRAPHY 

Similar to other aiser, Thalna appears in both the masculine and feminine forms in Etruscan art. In her feminine form, Thalna is depicted as a woman with or without clothes, usually wearing jewellery and sometimes a crown. In his masculine form, Thalna is shown as a nude well-built man usually wearing sandals. Either depiction may be shown with wings and appears at scenes of childbirth. 

Thalna is shown twice with a goose or swan. One of these depictions is of a communal scene in which Thalna sits next to Tinia with a waterfowl at her feet. The other is with Anchas, with the waterfowl appearing behind Anchas while Thalna plays the iynx. 

In scenes of childbirth, Thalna appears with Thanr and or Ethausva. Otherwise, they appear with Turan or other aiser. Thalna also appears in a triad with Evan and Achvistr.

RELATIONSHIP WITH ANCHAS 

A feminine Thalna playing with the iynx to Anchas. She sits to the right playing an iynx, with Anchas sitting to the left reaches his arm to her with a large waterfowl behind him. From Wikimedia Commons.

Thalna is shown in an erotic scene with an unknown man called Anchas. The context behind their relationship is unknown, however the iconography of the scene is similar to the symbolism of Turan and Atunis, suggesting that Anchas and Thalna are lovers. Other than the scene in art however, not much is known of Anchas or the mythology behind their relationship. Anchas has been suggested to be Anchises from ancient Greek myth, however this is uncertain and largely based on name similarity. 

MODERN DAY WORSHIP

Thalna was the reason I came into Etruscan polytheism. This deity had pulled me in after I had been introduced to Etruria, as I kept returning to their name until I said I was going to reconstruct Etruscan religion. I find Thalna to be a calm, caring deity that reminds I of flowers in their calming effect upon me. Thalna is most comforting, sometimes soothing the pain of my rot, as multiple sclerosis is a disease of constant pain. 

I have offered Thalna wax, tea, and other sorts of liquids to them. I try to give something every Saturday as per Thalna’s request. Otherwise, standard votives and other foods may be offered to her.

To me, it has always felt most appropriate to use they for Thalna, though when discussing the masculine and feminine forms it feels appropriate to default to other pronouns. Thalna in my experience is a deity mostly without a standard of gender, even less so than the other aiser. While childbirth is very much so not my thing, Thalna’s healing and nurse-like qualities apply more in my life. I appreciate their work in making sure children come safely and that the pains of childbirth are soothed. 

Symbols wise, I have taken the waterfowl—likely a swan or a goose—to be their symbol. I also associate Thalna with beads, as I always see them with either wooden or glass beads wrung around their neck—especially the Venetian murano beads, of which I plan to someday obtain for them. I would like to think this is a measure against anxiety, similar to Greek komboloi (“worry beads”). Thalna in my experience is a deity of love and comfort, wrapping one in her wings and tending to their wounds. I truly adore and love Thalna, the all-comforting winged blessing of a god. 

References 

Anne Layton, S. (2013). Performance and Visual Culture in Etruria: 7th – 2nd Century BC. University of Virginia.

Katharine T. Von Stackelberg. (2014). Garden Hybrids: Hermaphrodite Images in the Roman House. Classical Antiquity, 33(2), 395–426. https://doi.org/10.1525/ca.2014.33.2.395

The Religion of the Etruscans. (2006). In University of Texas Press eBooks. https://doi.org/10.7560/706873

Turfa, J. M. (2014). The Etruscan World. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BB12906673

[thedansemacabres]

Introduction To Supporting Sustainable Agriculture For Witches and Pagans

[ID: An image of yellow grain stocks, soon to be harvested. The several stocks reach towards a blurred open sky, focusing the camera on he grains themselves. The leaves of the grains are green and the cereals are exposed].

PAGANISM AND WITCHCRAFT ARE MOVEMENTS WITHIN A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE CAPITALIST SOCIETY. As the world becomes more aware of the importance of sustainability, so does the duty of humanity to uphold the idea of the steward, stemming from various indigenous worldviews, in the modern era. I make this small introduction as a viticulturist working towards organic and environmentally friendly grape production. I also do work on a food farm, as a second job—a regenerative farm, so I suppose that is my qualifications. Sustainable—or rather regenerative agriculture—grows in recognition. And as paganism and witchcraft continue to blossom, learning and supporting sustainability is naturally a path for us to take. I will say that this is influenced by I living in the USA, however, there are thousands of groups across the world for sustainable agriculture, of which tend to be easy to research.

So let us unite in caring for the world together, and here is an introduction to supporting sustainable/regenerative agriculture. 

A QUICK BRIEF ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE 

Sustainable agriculture, in truth, is a movement to practise agriculture as it has been done for thousands of years—this time, with more innovation from science and microbiology especially. The legal definition in the USA of sustainable agriculture is: 

The term ”sustainable agriculture” (U.S. Code Title 7, Section 3103) means an integrated system of plant and animal production practices having a site-specific application that will over the long-term:

A more common man’s definition would be farming in a way that provides society’s food and textile needs without overuse of natural resources, artificial supplements and pest controls, without compromising the future generation’s needs and ability to produce resources. The agriculture industry has one of the largest and most detrimental impacts on the environment, and sustainable agriculture is the alternative movement to it. 

Sustainable agriculture also has the perk of being physically better for you—the nutrient quality of crops in the USA has dropped by 47%, and the majority of our food goes to waste. Imagine if it was composted and reused? Or even better—we buy only what we need. We as pagans and witches can help change this. 

BUYING ORGANIC (IT REALLY WORKS)

The first step is buying organic. While cliche, it does work: organic operations have certain rules to abide by, which excludes environmentally dangerous chemicals—many of which, such as DDT, which causes ecological genocide and death to people. Organic operations have to use natural ways of fertilising, such as compost, which to many of us—such as myself—revere the cycle of life, rot, and death. Organic standards do vary depending on the country, but the key idea is farming without artificial fertilisers, using organic seeds, supplementing with animal manure, fertility managed through management practices, etc. 

However, organic does have its flaws. Certified organic costs many, of which many small farmers cannot afford. The nutrient quality of organic food, while tending to be better, is still poor compared to regeneratively grown crops. Furthermore, the process to become certified organic is often gruelling—you can practise completely organically, but if you are not certified, it is not organic. Which, while a quality control insurance, is both a bonus and a hurdle. 

JOINING A CSA

Moving from organic is joining a CSA (“Community supported agriculture”). The USDA defines far better than I could: 

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), one type of direct marketing, consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

By purchasing a farm share, you receive food from the farm for the agreed upon production year. I personally enjoy CSAs for the relational aspect—choosing a CSA is about having a relationship, not only with the farmer(s), but also the land you receive food from. I volunteer for my CSA and sometimes I get extra cash from it—partaking in the act of caring for the land. Joining a CSA also means taking your precious capital away from the larger food industry and directly supporting growers—and CSAs typically practise sustainable and/or regenerative agriculture. 

CSAs are also found all over the world and many can deliver their products to food deserts and other areas with limited agricultural access. I volunteer from time to time for a food bank that does exactly that with the produce I helped grow on the vegetable farm I work for. 

FARM MARKETS AND STALLS 

Another way of personally connecting to sustainable agriculture is entering the realm of the farm stall. The farmer’s market is one of my personal favourite experiences—people buzzing about searching for ingredients, smiles as farmers sell crops and products such as honey or baked goods, etc. The personal connection stretches into the earth, and into the past it buries—as I purchase my apples from the stall, I cannot help but see a thousand lives unfold. People have been doing this for thousands of years and here I stand, doing it all over again. 

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Farmers’ markets are dependent on your local area, yet in most you can still develop personal community connections. Paganism often stresses community as an ideal and a state of life. And witchcraft often stresses a connection to the soil. What better place, then, is purchasing the products from the locals who commune with the land? 

VOLUNTEERING 

If you are able to, I absolutely recommend volunteering. I have worked with aquaponic systems, food banks, farms, cider-making companies, soil conservation groups, etc. There is so much opportunity—and perhaps employment—in these fields. The knowledge I have gained has been wonderful. As one example, I learned that fertilisers reduce carbon sequestration as plants absorb carbon to help with nutrient intake. If they have all their nutrients ready, they do not need to work to obtain carbon to help absorb it. This does not even get into the symbiotic relationship fungi have with roots, or the world of hyphae. Volunteering provides community and connection. Actions and words change the world, and the world grows ever better with help—including how much or how little you may provide. It also makes a wonderful devotional activity. 

RESOURCING FOOD AND COOKING 

Buying from farmers is not always easy, however. Produce often has to be processed, requiring labour and work with some crops such as carrots. Other times, it is a hard effort to cook and many of us—such as myself—often have very limited energy. There are solutions to this, thankfully:

Many farmers can and will process foods. Some even do canning, which can be good to stock up on food and lessen the energy inputs. 

Value-added products: farms also try to avoid waste, and these products often become dried snacks if fruit, frozen, etc. 

Asking farmers if they would be open to accommodating this. Chances are, they would! The farmer I purchase my CSA share from certainly does. 

Going to farmers markets instead of buying a CSA, aligning with your energy levels. 

And if any of your purchased goods are going unused, you can always freeze them. 

DEMETER, CERES, VEIA, ETC: THE FORGOTTEN AGRICULTURE GODS

Agricultural gods are often neglected. Even gods presiding over agriculture often do not have those aspects venerated—Dionysos is a god of viticulture and Apollon a god of cattle. While I myself love Dionysos as a party and wine god, the core of him remains firmly in the vineyards and fields, branching into the expanses of the wild. I find him far more in the curling vines as I prune them than in the simple delights of the wine I ferment. Even more obscure gods, such as Veia, the Etruscan goddess of agriculture, are seldom known.

Persephone receives the worst of this: I enjoy her too as a dread queen, and people do acknowledge her as Kore, but she is far more popular as the queen of the underworld instead of the dear daughter of Demeter. I do understand this, though—I did not feel the might of Demeter and Persephone until I began to move soil with my own hands. A complete difference to the ancient world, where the Eleusinian mysteries appealed to thousands. Times change, and while some things should be left to the past, our link to these gods have been severed. After all, how many of us reading know where our food comes from? I did not until I began to purchase from the land I grew to know personally. The grocery store has become a land of tearing us from the land, instead of the food hub it should be.

Yet, while paganism forgets agriculture gods, they have not forgotten us. The new world of farming is more conductive and welcoming than ever. I find that while older, bigoted people exist, the majority of new farmers tend to be LGBT+. My own boss is trans and aro, and I myself am transgender and gay. The other young farmers I know are some flavour of LGBT+, or mixed/poc. There’s a growing movement for Black farmers, elaborated in a lovely text called We Are Each Other’s Harvest. 

Indigenous farming is also growing and I absolutely recommend buying from indigenous farmers. At this point, I consider Demeter to be a patron of LGBT+ people in this regard—she gives an escape to farmers such as myself. Bigotry is far from my mind under her tender care, as divine Helios shines above and Okeanos’ daughters bring fresh water to the crops. Paganism is also more commonly accepted—I find that farmers find out that I am pagan and tell me to do rituals for their crops instead of reacting poorly. Or they’re pagan themselves; a farmer I know turned out to be Wiccan and uses the wheel of the year to keep track of production. 

Incorporating these divinities—or concepts surrounding them—into our crafts and altars is the spiritual step towards better agriculture. Holy Demeter continues to guide me, even before I knew it. 

WANT CHANGE? DO IT YOURSELF! 

If you want change in the world, you have to act. And if you wish for better agriculture, there is always the chance to do it yourself. Sustainable agriculture is often far more accessible than people think: like witchcraft and divination, it is a practice. Homesteading is often appealing to many of us, including myself, and there are plenty of resources to begin. There are even grants to help one improve their home to be more sustainable, i.e. solar panels. Gardening is another, smaller option. Many of us find that plants we grow and nourish are far more potentant in craft, and more receptive to magical workings. 

Caring for plants is fundamental to our natures and there are a thousand ways to delve into it. I personally have joined conservation groups, my local soil conservation group, work with the NRCs in the USA, and more. The path to fully reconnecting to nature and agriculture is personal—united in a common cause to fight for this beautiful world. To immerse yourself in sustainable agriculture, I honestly recommend researching and finding your own path. Mine lies in soil and rot, grapevines and fruit trees. Others do vegetables and cereal grains, or perhaps join unions and legislators. Everyone has a share in the beauty of life, our lives stemming from the land’s gentle sprouts. 

Questions and or help may be given through my ask box on tumblr—if there is a way I can help, let me know. My knowledge is invaluable I believe, as I continue to learn and grow in the grey-clothed arms of Demeter, Dionysos, and Kore. 

FURTHER READING:

Baszile, N. (2021). We are each other’s harvest. HarperCollins.

Hatley, J. (2016). Robin Wall Kimmerer. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Environmental Philosophy, 13(1), 143–145. https://doi.org/10.5840/envirophil201613137

Regenerative Agriculture 101. (2021, November 29). https://www.nrdc.org/stories/regenerative-agriculture-101#what-is

And in truth, far more than I could count. 

References

Community Supported Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/community-supported-agriculture

Navazio, J. (2012). The Organic seed Grower: A Farmer’s Guide to Vegetable Seed Production. Chelsea Green Publishing.

Plaster, E. (2008). Soil Science and Management. Cengage Learning.

Sheaffer, C. C., & Moncada, K. M. (2012). Introduction to agronomy: food, crops, and environment. Cengage Learning.

Sheldrake, M. (2020). Entangled life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures. Random House.

Sustainable Agriculture | National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). https://www.nal.usda.gov/farms-and-agricultural-production-systems/sustainable-agriculture