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What is Sacred Geometry? The ancient Greeks believed that it is the blueprint of all creation. Michael Hollenman, author of the “Intentional Living Series,” echoes that thought in “Intentional Geometry.” He writes, “Sacred Geometry is the vocabulary of creation. It is the grammar of life, the syntax of existence, the structure God uses to bring the invisible into visible form. To understand the universe, we must learn to understand the language it is written in.”

Throughout the ages, many others have repeated the same ideas. Greek mathematician Euclid said, “Where there is matter, there is geometry.” Galileo Galilei added later, “The universe is written in the language of mathematics and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures.” Sacred geometry is, therefore, the bridge between spirit and matter.

The principles of Sacred Geometry were first outlined by the Greek mathematician Pythagoras. He taught that mathematics and particularly geometry held the keys to the order and structure of the universe. Pythagoras directed his followers to pray with the Holy Tetractys (a triangle shaped by ten points). (Note 1)

The prayer of Pythagoras reflected his principles of Sacred Geometry. “Bless us, divine number, thou who generated gods and men! O holy, holy Tetractys, thou that containest the root and source of the eternally flowing creation! For the divine number begins with the profound, pure unity until it comes to the holy four; then it begets the mother of all, the all‑comprising, all‑bounding, the first‑born, the never‑swerving, the never‑tiring holy ten, the keyholder of all.”

The Greek philosopher Plato built upon Pythagoras’ concepts. He asserted that the knowledge of mathematics was key to developing an understanding of the universe. Plato wrote, “The Knowledge of which geometry aim is the knowledge of the eternal.” To that end, he developed five geometric solids that he believed formed the basis of the universe. For Plato, the Cube was earth, the Octahedron (air), the Tetrahedron (fire), the Icosahedron (water), and finally the Dodecahedron (the ether).

In the Thirteen Century, in Italy, Fibonacci (Leonardo of Pisa) developed the Fibonacci Sequence. As a mathematician, he studied nature and noted how the flowers and leaves grew. Based on his research, Fibonacci formulated how living things develop. The Fibonacci Sequence has each number as a total of the previous two numbers (0,1,1,2,3,5,8, 13….)

During the Italian Renaissance, Luca Pacioli published “The Divine Proportion” with Leonardo da Vinci providing the illustrations. Pacioli developed the Golden Ratio (Divine Proportion) based on the work of Vitruvius (Note 2), an ancient Roman architect. His Golden Ratio was the proportion of three lengths. In many life forms, the “Divine Proportion” appeared to be the most beautiful of all.

In his paper, “Sacred Spaces and Sacred Places,” Geoffrey Simmins, Associate Dean at the University of Calgary's Faculty of Arts, wrote that the term “Sacred Geometry” was first used in the High Middle Ages. Freemasons and other guilds used geometry for building the Gothic Cathedrals. For these guilds, geometry was sacred since their buildings became sermons in stone.

Sacred Geometry can be divided into the following:

• Two-dimensional forms: Circle, Square, Triangle, Cross, and Hexagon. From these flow the other forms like the Flower of Life.

• Three-dimensional forms: Platonic Solids, Metatron’s Cube, and Sphere.

• Higher Dimensional forms: Torus and Merkabah (Merkaba)

• Patterns of Nature: Fibonacci Sequence and Golden Ratio

Notes:

Note 1. The Tetractys had four rows of one, two, three, and four dots. Row one represents the Monad (Unity), row two: the Dyad (Power), row three: the Triad (Harmony) and row four: the Tetrad (Cosmos). Each row represents every geometric dimension. The Monad is the Point, Dyad (Line), Triad (Surface) and Tetrad (Solid).

Note 2. The Roman Vitruvius said that buildings should display strength, utility, and beauty. Da Vinci’s “Vitruvius Man” is based on Vitruvius’ theories.

Sources:

Carvel, Astrid, “The Little Book of Sacred Geometry.” Octopus Publishing: London. 2023.

Holleman, Michael, “International Geometry.” International Living Press. 2025.

Kenaz, Ira, “Sacred Geometry and Magical Symbols.” 2020.

---, “Sacred Geometry Workbook.” Create Good Luck Publishing. 2025.

Schneider, Michael, “A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe.” Harper Perennial: New York. 1994.

Walker, Marilyn, “Sacred Geometry: An A-Z Reference Guide.” Callisto Publishing: Naperville (Ill). 2020.

In Sumer, the ninth month is a time of storms, and is called Gan-gan-e, “the month of clouds coming out.” This month current name is an abbreviated form of Gan-gan-mu-e, the traditional name. “Gan-gan-e” is the name of the festival called “The Clouds Coming Out,” which occurs at the end of the month.

This wintry month is dedicated to Ninurta, the Storm God. (Storm Gods are protectors of the order of the universe.) During this month of storms, people hold footraces in honor of Ninurta. These races commemorate his victory over the Anzu Bird, which had stolen the Tablets of Fate. At the start of the races, people shout, “The Anzu is vanquished! Go and inform all the Gods!” The footrace recreates Ninurta’s chasing away the winter with his hail storms.

In Babylon, the ninth month is called Kissilimu (the month of the rising of the killer), and dedicated to the God of War, Nergal. As the fourth husband of Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld, Nergal stays with Her for half the year. The war season begins upon his return during Kissilimu.

During this month, a festival is held to honor his war chariot. People chant, “May the month Kissilimu, of the great warrior Nergal, absolve! The month Kissilimu, an abundant yield will be heaped up, the mighty hero, Nergal who has arisen from the Underworld!”

For Romans, November was the month of community and games. The Ludi Plebeii (The Plebeian Games) in honor of Jupiter Optimus Maximus were held for ten days. I see November as a month to celebrate the community and the blessings of the Gods.

In the Roman calendar, there is a lack of festivals compared with the other months. Examining various ritual calendars, there appears in each culture at least one month that is “empty.” For example, Shinto has October as the month when all the Gods go to Izumo Shrine.

November is a quiet month for Romans. It seems to be the time when people catch their breath after the harvest and before the festivities of December. In November, farmers are ploughing and sowing their fields in preparation for the winter wheat. Selected Indigitamenta (Helpers) of Ceres would be invoked as they prepared: Repatator, “Who prepares the earth,” Vervactor, “Who ploughs first,” Obarator, “Who traces the first ploughing,” and Imporcitor, “Who ploughs with a wide furrow.”

POMONA: A festival thanking Pomona, the Goddess of Orchards for the ripe fruit is held on November 1.

MANIA and DII MANES: The Opening of the Mundus (the Well to the Underworld) is conducted for the third time in the year on November 8.

FORTUNA PRIMIGENIA AND FERONIA: On the Ides of November (the 13th), Fortuna Primigenia and Ferona are honored. As the Mother of Juno and Jupiter, Fortuna Primigenia sets the destiny of children at their birth. Meanwhile, Ferona is the Goddess of Agricultural Produce.

Mars, who is one of the most important Gods of Rome was worshipped at this liminal boundary between the military and civic spaces. The oldest temple of Mars – Ara Martius was at the Campus Martius (The Field of Mars). (This was the great flat plain between the Capitoline Hill and the Tiber River.) At this ancient altar, armies assembled and generals performed sacrifices. Before going to war, a priest would bring the Spear of Mars (hasta Martis) from the Regia (the former residence of the Kings of Rome) to the shrine. After receiving the Spear, the campaigning general would shake the Spear, shouting “Mars Vigila (Mars Awake)!”

Other Gods who had shrines outside of the City were Diana and Aesculapius. From Greece, Aesculapius had answered the plea of the Romans to end a plague in 293 BCE. His Sacred Snake disembarked at Tiber Island. There his Aesculapium was established.

Meanwhile, the Goddess Diana had her temple at Lake Nemi (also known as “Diana’s Mirror (Speculum Dianae)”). Lake Nemi is a small volcanic lake in the Alban Hills. At this natural sanctuary of Diana (which included a sacred grove), the Nemoralia was held in August.

West of Naples are the Phlegraean Fields where Lake Avernus is located. Here was the Door where a person could walk through into the Underworld. Featured in the Aeneid, the lake was the boundary between the human and chthonic worlds. In fact, the Oracle of Cumae had her cave nearby. Furthermore, the Romans viewed her to be a guide to the Underworld at Lake Avernus.

The City was the beginning point for the Sacred Geography of Rome. Inside the City was the Seven Hills and the many temples to the Gods. However, throughout Italy were crossroads where altars were constructed. Meanwhile, lightning strikes (bidental) were set aside as sacred since they were marked by Jupiter.

Since the Roman Religion is centered in the home, the Lararium is the primary sacred space. From that, a Roman Polytheist can establish a Pomerium around their home. (During Lemuria, it is done by throwing beans in the corners of the rooms.) That can be the start of Roman sacred geography.

Notes:

Note 1. Pax Deorum is the reciprocal relationship between the Romans and the Gods. As long as proper religious observances are done, the Gods safeguard the welfare of Rome. A disruption of these rituals incurs Ira Deorum, the Anger of the Gods.

Note 2. Every Roman town, before the Imperial age, had a pomerium.

Note 3. In 49 BCE, Julius Caesar crossing the Rubicon violated the boundary between Cisalpine Gaul and Italy. By then the boundary of Rome had included Italy.

Suggested Reading:

Adam Davis, “Connection with the Land”

Elyse Welles, “Sacred Wild”

Sacred Geometry

Plato believed that specific shapes, ratios, and patterns reflected the mathematical order of the Cosmos. In “Sacred Geometry Deciphering the Code,” Stephen Skinner, expert on Feng Shui, writes “Space is sacred when the geometry of its design depends on ratios that are either whole numbers or special such as the Golden Mean.” In “Sacred Geometry: An A to Z Reference,” Marilyn Walker writes, “Sacred geometry refers to the study of archetypal, original, and universal patterns of which the material world is composed and that are core patterns of creation.” (According to mathematicians, these patterns are symmetrical.)

Sacred Landscapes

Sacred landscapes are geographic areas that hold spiritual or religious significance to a particular community. They can be natural landscapes or constructed ones. For the ancient Romans, the City of Rome, in its entirety, is a sacred landscape. Meanwhile, the Avebury, Stonehenge, and Silbury sites are a part of the sacred landscape of Neolithic Britain.

Old Elk explains, “Sacred Sites are found within a large geographic landscape. Sacred Places are sites, areas, and/or landscapes having one or more attributes that distinguish them as extraordinary or significant usually in a religious or spiritual sense. Sacred Landscapes are geographic areas that have special meaning for people who have a longstanding or historical association and relationship with a region. (Note 3) (Emphasis hers.)

For instance, according to Old Elk, the Sundance ground where the Sundance ceremony is held is a sacred site. The hill where the ground is held is a sacred space. The geographical area where the hill is a sacred landscape. They are all interconnected. (Emphasis hers.)

Sacred Places (Sites)

These are places that are designated by a religious group as sacred. In the Roman Religion, any lightning strike (bidental) was cordoned off and never used for secular purposes. That particular place had been consecrated by Jupiter.

One sacred place is Uluru in Australia. The Anangu people say that this place is the Center of Creation and Sacred Law. Therefore climbing Uluru is banned by the Australian government.

Sacred Space

A place that is created by a formal act of consecration is a “sacred space.” This act transforms an ordinary space to space belonging to the Divine. An altar at home or the one at Church are both sacred spaces.

Notes:

Note 3. Old Elk, Hunter, 2022. Sacred Sites, Places, & Landscapes: All You Need To Know – Buffalo Bill Center of the West. [online] Buffalo Bill Center of the West. Available at: https://centerofthewest.org/2020/09/18/sacred-sites-places-landscapes-all-you-need-to-know/#:~:text=Sacred%20Landscapes%20are%20geographic%20areas,and%20relationship%20within%20a%20region. [Accessed 3 August 2026].

Works Used:

Byrne, Mari, “The Sacred Geography of Power.” Ireland: Self-Published. 2026.

Humphrey, Caroline and Piers Vitebsky, “Sacred Architecture.” London: Duncan Baird Publishers. 1997

Walker, Marilyn, “Sacred Geometry.” Naper Vill (IL): Callisto Publishing. 2020.

The theologian and sociologist Peter Bergen defined religion as “the human enterprise by which a sacred cosmos is established.” Every religion defines what is sacred and what is secular. Sacredness arises from the cosmology, myths, and religious perceptions of that religion.

To that end, religions also define their sacred times and spaces. Besides being temporal, religions are also spatial. As with sacred time, there are many types of sacred spaces.

Sacred Cosmology (Note 1) (Note 2)

Religion imbues the Universe with spiritual or metaphysical meanings. Therefore, the Cosmos is holy with divine significance, purpose, order, and significance. Therefore, sacred spaces flow from the principles set out by sacred cosmology. For example, ancient Chinese cities recreated the celestial order on earth with the north-south axis corresponding to the Celestial Meridian. Meanwhile, Mesoamerican cities were laid out with the pivot points corresponding to the movement of Venus or the Pleiades in their risings and settings.

Sacred Topology

Bernd Irlenborn, of the Faculty of Theology at Paderborn in Germany, defined “sacred topography” in his article “What Are Sacred Places? A Framework for a Philosophical Topology” (Written in 2026). He defined sacred topography to be a “structural relationship model for how sacred spaces are constituted, connected and experienced.” Therefore, sacred topology is the cultural mapping of how religions give spiritual meaning to physical places.

For example, Hunter Old Elk (Crow/Yakima) (of the Plains Indian Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West) describes the sacred topology of the Plains Nations in Wyoming. Heart Mountain is where spiritual fasting takes place. Meanwhile, Legend Rock with its Petroglyphs and Devil’s Tower (Bear’s Lodge) have many tribal myths associated with them. For the Plains Nations, these places became holy through belief and practice.

Sacred Geography

Sacred geography is a network of places linked together by myths or by the presence of the Divine. Therefore, various religious have designated certain areas as spiritually significant. Hence, these places are now focal points for ritual and worship.

For example, India has been described as a “faithscape” with places of pilgrimage like the Ganges and Mount Kailash. Meanwhile the Ancient Greeks viewed Mt. Olympus, the “Home of the Gods,” and Delphi as the “Navel of the World.” In Japan, the Skikoku Pilgrimage connects the Eighty-eight temples associated the Buddhist monk Kukai.

Notes:

Note 1: Cosmology is the study of the nature of the universe. This study can be either secular or sacred in focus.

Note 2. Christianity has a sacred cosmology. In Christianity, God and his creation is interconnected with humanity and the soul.

Works Used:

Byrne, Mari, “The Sacred Geography of Power.” Ireland: Self-Published. 2026.

Humphrey, Caroline and Piers Vitebsky, “Sacred Architecture.” London: Duncan Baird Publishers. 1997

Walker, Marilyn, “Sacred Geometry.” Naper Vill (IL): Callisto Publishing. 2020.

Every culture has a sacred geography – places that hold meaning for them. Beyond simply being locations on a map, these places have been imbued with cultural and religious significance. Hence, sacred geography is the living mythology of each culture. These are the places that have received meaning from myths, rituals, or symbolic alignment with cultural traditions. These sites are a part of the collective memory of the people of that society.

Sacred geography is more than a map of holy places. These places are in alignment with the Cosmic Order, since they embody the myths and beliefs of the people. Sacred geography explains why certain mountains, rivers, craves, and other places are set apart from secular use. For example, Mt. Fuji in Japan is considered to be a God. Therefore, that mountain is considered to be sacred to the Shinto religion.

In the United States, Independence Hall in Philadelphia is sacred to the American people. That building was consecrated with the signing of “The Declaration of Independence.” It was further sacralized with the public reading of “The Declaration of Independence” in front. Finally, the place became impressed in the nation’s sacred geography with the swearing in of George Washington as the first President.

Meanwhile, Gettysburg Battlefield of the U.S. Civil War was first consecrated by the blood of soldiers, who fought there. Later, President Lincoln consecrated the graveyard at the battlefield with his “Gettysburg Address.” Statues, erected by the participants of the battle, formally mark the sacred boundaries.

One way to experience sacred geography is to on a pilgrimage. For instance, Hindus often go on pilgrimages throughout India, during the year. For Hindus, to go on a pilgrimage is an act of devotion, purification, and spiritual awakening. Moreover, it is a physical soul journey.

One pilgrimage route is the Char Dham – the four holy sites associated with Lord Shiva. By going to Badrinath in the north, and Dwarka in the west, and Puri in the east, and finally to Rameswaram in the south, the pilgrims follow a path to liberation (moksha). The Char Dham was established by Adi Shankararacharya in the Eighth Century to spiritually unify India.

Even by simply going only to one place, a person can still experience sacred geography. Izumo Taisha (Grand Shrine), one of the oldest and largest Shinto Shrines, has an important festival in November. During this time, the Gods would all congregate at the Shrine. They would discuss what marriages, births, and deaths would occur during in the coming year.

In Izumo City, this is the Month With Gods (Kami-ari-zuki). (Note 1) The priests would welcome the Gods at the beach near the shrine with the Kami-mukae-Sai ceremony. During the festival, visitors would offer rice cakes and sake to ensure prosperity and harmony for themselves in the coming year. When the Gods are ready to leave, the priests would hold the Karasade-Sai ceremony.

As modern Polytheists, we can still uncover our religions’ sacred geographies. We can walk our lands to know the local spirits and Gods. If we can go to the sacred places of our traditions, we should. If not, the internet can provide a sense of what these places are like. We could recreate these sites on our land or in our homes. In developing our sacred geography, we can be reunited with our myths and cosmology.

Notes:

Note 1: Elsewhere in Japan, this month was called “Kanna-zuki” (Month Without Gods).

The name for the eighth month of the Standard Mesopotamia Calendar is odd. Usually, the months are named for what happens during that time. However, this month is simply named, “Arahsamna,” the eighth month. Samsu-iluna, King of Babylon, had created this luni-solar calendar to standardize time across the region. Other city states in the area used lunar calendars, all of them different. In constructing his calendar, Samsu-iluna selected various months from these other calendars. This name for this month was a corruption of the Old Persian Calendar for their name of the “eighth month.”

The eighth month of Mesopotamia calendar is focused on the end of the ploughing season. Astrolabe B says, “The month, the releasing of the plough, the hoes, and plough hold a disputation in the field, the akitu festival of seeding (season) is celebrated, the month of Adad, the Canal Inspector of Heaven and Earth.”

In Sumer, this month was called “Apin Du-a,” “the month that the seed plough is let go.” During the afczta festival, the plough is taken in a procession to its “home” – the shed where it is hung from a beam until the next ploughing season. (This farming implement is used only from the fourth month to the end of the seventh.) The “Disputation Between the Hoe and the Plough” is read as part of the festival.

Another festival held during this month is the Na-ab-ri-um. The focus is on divining for the coming agriculture year. Babylonians are well-known for their divination by liver (extispicy). Other divining methods used are oil in water (lecanomancy) and incense (libanomancy).

Notes:

The month for the Dead in the Mesopotamian calendar is in July and August. That is when the Seven Gates of the Underworld are open, and the Dead are allowed to leave to visit their families. Unlike the standard Neo-Pagan calendar, October is not a month of the thinning of the veil or for Ancestor honoring.

MEDITRINA: The Meditrinalia, the Festival of First Wine, is held on October 11. Cups of new wine mixed with old wine is drunk to Meditrina, Goddess of the First Wine and Healing. She is the daughter of Aesculapis God of Healing, and the sister of Hygenia,

FONS: Fons (Fontus), the God of Springs, is honored at the Fontinalia on October 13. At that time, Romans hang wreaths and garlands around wells and throw them into springs. I make offerings for clean water at a neighborhood stream. (Fons is the son of Janus and Juturna (Goddess of Springs).)

Horace in Ode 3.13 writes of an offering he made to Bandusia, a Spring on his property. (Translation: Mab Borden)

O Bandusian spring, more glittering than glass,

Worthy of pure, sweet wine and not without flowers,

Tomorrow you will be presented with a kid

Whose brow is just swelling with the first horns.

……

Even the dreadful hour of the blazing Dog Star

Is unable to touch you – you offer your pleasant

Coolness to

Bull weary from the plough

And to roving herds.

You also will be among the famous springs,

Because I am telling of the holm oak growing

On the hollow in the rock

Where your babbling waters run down.

DI PENATES: On October 14, Romans honor Di Penates, the Gods of the Pantry. Along with the Lars, Di Penates protect the household. Since They guard the food stores, Di Penates can be considered the Gods of the Food Banks. Taking canned goods to a food bank is one way to honor Di Penates.

MARS: In October, the Roman armies came home from the wars. They and their arms had to be purified, and Mars thanked for another campaign season. The final sacrifice to Mars for the season was the October Horse, which was on the Ides. The Armilustrium was the purification of the weapons and trumpets (tubae). At this time, I honor Mars and say prayers for veterans on October 18.

For the Romans, October is a month to focus on the affairs of the state and of the community. Fides (Good Faith), Felicitas (Good Fortune) and Venus Victrix (Venus Victorious) are honored for the protection of the people and the continuing favor of the Gods. Di Penates (the Gods of the Pantry) are also given sacrifices for protecting the food stores. Meanwhile, the welfare of the people is prayed for by offerings to springs for Fons and drinking the first wine for health in the honor of Meditrina.

Also, October is a month of transitions. The campaign season is over and soldiers return home. They and their weapons need to be purified before they can rejoin the civilian population. For that reason, this month is under the guardianship (tutela) of Mars.

GODS AND THEIR FESTIVALS

FIDES PUBLICA: The Goddess of Good Faith and Trust, Fides Publica has sacrifices made to Her on October 1. This Goddess presides over oral contracts both political and social. Roman priests make offerings to Fides with gloved hands, to show their absolute trust in Her. (Fides, who is older than Jupiter, is depicted as a white-haired old woman.)

MANIA and DII MANES: The Opening of the Mundus (the Well to the Underworld) is conducted for the second time in the year on October 5. At this time, the Dead (Dii Manes) go amongst the living. I say prayers to Dii Manes and Mania, who is Guardian of the Underworld, to protect my family from the restless Dead.

The Roman calendar differs from the standard Neo-Pagan one. There is no thinning of the veil, instead the Mundus is opened three times a year (August, October and November). The honoring of the Ancestors and the Dead is held in February and May.

FAUSTA FELICITAS: On October 9, a festival is held for Fausta Felicitas, the Goddess of Good Fortune. As Felicitas Publica, She is the Divine Force of the State. People pray to Her in both aspects to keep the commonwealth prosperous and successful.

VENUS VICTRIX: The Roman Goddess Venus has many aspects. One of them is Venus Victrix (Venus Victorious), who protects the State. As Venus Genetrix, She is considered to be the Ancestress of the Roman People. As the Evening Star, Venus led her son Aeneas to Latium to settle. Her festival is also on October 9.

The Demetrian Temple wrote a long theological essay on the poverty of Monotheism. They examine Monotheism focusing its structural problems. They conclude that Polytheism offers a better sense of reality.

It can be read here: engenb.substack.com/p/the-poverty-of-monotheism

The essay opens with:

“The deepest limitation of monotheism is not moral, historical, or psychological, but structural. Its defining metaphysical commitment is that ultimate divine reality consists of one irreducible personal subject. My contention is that this commitment, far from maximizing the richness of the divine, inadvertently diminishes it. If reality is as abundant, differentiated, and inexhaustible as experience suggests, then it is worth asking whether the divine source of that reality can plausibly be conceived as numerically singular.

The issue is not whether a single God can possess infinitely many attributes. Classical monotheism has never lacked predicates. God is described as omniscient, omnipotent, perfectly good, eternal, beautiful, wise, loving, and just; indeed, one could continue extending this list indefinitely. The crucial question is different: can an infinity of attributes substitute for an infinity of centers of subjectivity? I contend that it cannot.”

The introduction ends with: “This essay is not primarily an argument for the existence of many gods. Rather, it explores the philosophical consequences of taking the possibility of plural divinity seriously. It asks whether a plurality of irreducible divine persons offers a richer and more adequate metaphysical picture than the hypothesis of a solitary divine subject.”

The next section is “II. Polytheology: Beyond the Mere Belief in Many Gods.”

The Demetrian Temple defines Polytheology as the following:

“By polytheism I mean the religious or metaphysical claim that many gods exist. Polytheism is a doctrine concerning the number of divine beings.

By polytheology, however, I mean something much broader and philosophically more ambitious. Polytheology is the disciplined study of the conceptual implications of plural divinity. It asks what follows if divine reality is intrinsically manifold rather than numerically singular. It investigates the metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, aesthetic, phenomenological, and even political consequences of conceiving ultimate reality as a plurality of irreducible divine persons.”

The following sections continue the thesis.

III. Boston Personalism and the Primacy of Persons

They claim that Polytheology extends the philosophy of Boston Personalism.

This philosophy is described in the following: “Borden Parker Bowne (1847 – 1910) and the Boston Personalists argued that reality is fundamentally personal rather than impersonal. Persons are not accidental products of blind forces but the deepest category of metaphysical explanation. Agency, experience, freedom, and mutual recognition possess greater explanatory power than matter conceived as inert substance or mind conceived as abstract reason.”

IV. Divine Abundance

“Polytheology therefore conceives divine reality less as a monarchy than as an ecology.”

V. The Ineffable Remainder

Monotheism preserves diversity only at the level of predicates.

Polytheology preserves diversity at the level of persons.

VI. Properties and Persons

“Here lies the fundamental contrast with classical monotheism.

Monotheism may affirm infinitely many divine predicates.

Polytheology affirms infinitely deep and perhaps even infinitely many divine persons.”

VII. Monotheism’s Structural Limitation

“It allows only one irreducible divine subject.”

VIII. Unity Without Reduction

“Polytheology does not deny unity.

It rejects only the assumption that unity must mean numerical singularity.”

IX. Against Function Reduction

“Polytheology therefore refuses to identify gods with domains, myths, symbols, or functions.

These are genuine disclosures of divine agency.”

X. Replies to Classical Monotheism

The Demetrian Temple presents many arguments with focus on divine simplicity, Ockham’s Razor, and divine perfection.

XI. Conclusion: From Theology to Polytheology

A part of the conclusion is as follows:

“The poverty of monotheism, therefore, is not a poverty of attributes.”

“It is a poverty of persons.

It allows only one irreducible divine “I.”

Polytheology proposes a more expansive vision.

Reality at its deepest is not merely personal.

It is transpersonally plural.”

The concluding paragraph is

“And if that is true, then the future of philosophical theology may not lie in defending the numerical singularity of God, but in recovering a vision of divine reality spacious enough to encompass an inexhaustible plurality of divine persons, united not by identity but by the deeper harmony of irreducible difference. Such, at least, is the invitation that polytheology extends.”

The essay is worth reading in its entirety and pondered further.

It can be read here: engenb.substack.com/p/the-poverty-of-monotheism

The Roman Consuls took the health and well-being of their people very seriously. A healthy people meant a strong state. To that end, various Roman Consuls embarked on public works. To keep their citizens healthy, they built aqueducts and sewers. The water from the best aqueducts were for drinking while “grey” water was used for flushing public latrines and providing water for the public baths. Meanwhile, the Gods of the Toilet were petitioned to keep everyone well.

The sewer system ensured that waste be flushed out of the City. Cloacina, the Goddess of Sewers, Sanitation and Toilets oversaw the proper disposal of waste water. Prayers were made to Her to maintain the sewer system. When a sewer became clogged, the Romans invoked Cloacina, for She purified the City from the sources of disease.

The cultus of Cloacina extended to private homes. One notable example, Titus Tatius (King of the Sabines and Joint Ruler with Romulus) dedicated his toilet to Her. Other Gods in the cultus of Sewers and Toilets were Crepitus for bowel problems and Stercutus (Stercuinius) for disposal of feces. These Gods, also, kept the ordinary people healthy. (Note 1)

In addition, Roman women had their own Goddess for their particular health issues. Bona Dea (“The Good Goddess”) protected women, and presided over their virginity and fertility. Since her rites and sanctuaries were for women only, no men were allowed. In her temples, women had privacy to deal with their issues of infertility or menstrual pain. Mid-wives prayed for Her for clarity and strength in help with the birthing. Meanwhile, older women prayed for aid in going through menopause. Thus, the consecrated snakes of Bona Dea would indicate what herbs the women were to use for their particular concerns.

Starting from about the Fourth Century BCE, the Goddess Salus oversaw the health of the Roman People. (Salus is connected to salt (“sal”).) During the Augurium Salutis in August, offerings were made to Salis Publica (Goddess of Public Health). Then divination was taken for matters of health in the coming year. (Salus was unusual as there were few European Gods of Public Health.)

During the Fifth Century BCE, the Romans sought the intercession from the Greek God Apollo (Apollon) for His relief in ending a plague. Although a foreign God, Apollo was adopted into the Roman pantheon through the “Interpretatio Romana.” (The Sibylline Books had dictated that He be introduced in Rome.) They decided that Apollon of the Greeks could be Apollo Medicus of the Romans. As Apollo the Doctor, He ended various other plagues.

For help in ending plagues, the Romans prayed to Aesculapius for help as well as to Apollo Medicus. During a plague in the Third Century BCE, the Romans went to Greece for aid from Aeculapius. The God accepted their pleas, and came to his temple, that they had built on Tiber Island. To be healed, people would go to the island. Once there, they made offerings of plaster models of their diseased body parts that they wanted the God to cure. In addition, the Romans transported snakes from the God’s temple to places near their public baths and temples. These Snakes of Aeculapius provided for more protection against various diseases.

Notes:

Note 1. I have a small altar to these three Gods in my bathroom.

This is from “At Home With the Lares.” domesticreligion.substack.com/p/establishing-your-worship-of-the

In this essay, “At Home With the Lares” goes beyond simply discussion having a traditional Roman altar to why. They focus on how the Lararium establishes the relationship between the Lares and the family. Traditionally, the Roman Religion is remains center in the home.

They write, “I’m going to assume you’re starting with a domestic shrine for the domestic Lares, the Lares Familiares. Start in the center and work your way outward later if you feel compelled to. A one-shoe-at-a-time situation.

…..

So, with that said, you need a lararium.

What matters is that there’s a dedicated Place, not what you spend establishing said Place. But here’s the bigger picture: you don’t establish where a spirit or god lives.

Not really.

The whole house is as much their domain as it is yours. In a later post, I’ll get into my own personal animism on this issue, but for now, I’d take to heart that this power was probably there first and will still be there once you’re a corpse.”

Further in the essay, “At Home With the Lares” writes, “I reiterate the fact that this is their home too.

They need to bear witness to what goes on. They need to hear. They need to observe. They need to judge.

You have to come to terms with the fact that you’re acknowledging their seniority in the home. All things must pass their approval. All things must be done with them taken into consideration first.”

You can read the rest here: domesticreligion.substack.com/p/establishing-your-worship-of-the

“At Home With the Lares” introduces themselves as “Exploring the Lares, household spirits, and the everyday religious life of the ancient Roman home, with room for archaeology, folklore, animism, and modern practice.”

https://substack.com/@domesticreligion

In a recent introduction to an essay, they write, “I can talk all day about how and when I worship the Lares. That has its place, and there is certainly room for that on this blog. But I have to do more than just that. I have to talk about what we can learn from historical evidence as well. With that comes a full-on history lesson, because to understand that evidence, you have to, at the minimum, know about ancient Rome, their evolving calendar, festivals, and all the mind-numbing minutiae or else you just have something like “this day, because so-and-so wrote about it; don’t read into it unless you enjoy spending a lot of time looking up stuff and going off in hours-long tangents.” We all do it, but I’d rather give my reader as much as possible up front. That’s called good customer service.”

In another post, the blogger describes why they are not a reconstructionist.

“If anyone knows me, they know that I’m completely unapologetic about where I stand on issues. I am allow my moments.

That same unwillingness to soften the point and my lack of concern extends into my personal beliefs as well. I worship my household powers as Lares. I am an animist. I have other beliefs that aren’t the topic of this blog. And I’m completely unconcerned with the fact that I am not reconstructing a Roman religion and am not going to, either. I have enough delusions as it stands now, so I don’t need to unnecessarily add another one to my personal resume The “potential level” is disturbingly high and I gotta pick my battles.

I’m sure that once certain reconstructionist pagans discover me, some may have a little fit. But let me tell you something: I am forty-something years old. I have perfect, enviable skin, can easily maintain my desired weight, and have reached the stage of life where being scolded by strangers online just doesn’t rank very high among my concerns. On top of that, a lot of people misinformed on the topic may accuse me of “cultural appropriation,” so let me go ahead and set the record straight on this issue:

There is no continuous closed Roman religious community whose restricted practice I am taking from. I am not claiming Roman ethnic identity or authority. I am explicit about my adaptations. The effort involved in appropriating anything is way too much work for me. I cannot. I am busy. For the foreseeable future.

I’m only using a particular framework because the powers it describes are real. Responsibility still matters, but that’s not the same thing as saying I need permission.

Of course, I’ve met all manner of reconstructionists over the years, and they’re not all cut from the same cloth. In fact, out of all of them, it’s the Religio Romana practitioners that I’ve had the least amount of interaction with.

I’d like them to chime in.

And I think it’s important to really outline my position because it has a high probability of being helpful for those who want to join me and the Lares.

The first thing we need to discuss is that a Roman household wasn’t just a ritual system or a house. We do not live under Roman law, and the whole Roman household organization was dependent on said law. The domus, depending on the social class of the residents, was also dependent on a slew of other factors that our modern way of life cannot or cannot easily reproduce. Let me try to give you an exhaustive list of examples:

Roman concepts of kinship;

Slavery;

Gender roles even the most socially conservative people might be uncomfortable with;

Inheritance and inheritance law;

Patronage (inheritance and patronage is a whole book’s worth of complexity);

House architecture (yup);

The neighborhood (you weren’t an island back then);

And civic religion.

We can piece together rites and rituals all day long and extrapolate, but we can’t recreate a social order or social structure. Nor do I (and I assume most people) live in a world where their household is constituted as a Roman familia, organized around patria potestas. Rome had a whole system for their households and they were extremely organized. If you’re able to recreate some of this for yourself and your house, well, more power to you; but most of us wouldn’t even know where to begin.

…..

A quandary of reconstruction is that things weren’t static from the time of the Roman Kingdom –> Roman Republic –> Roman Empire. Which one are you using? We can’t reconstruct a single Roman family system because the law changed over centuries.

You can read the rest at: https://domesticreligion.substack.com/p/not-a-reconstructionist

Mater Matuta, an ancient Italic Goddess, is known to the Romans as “Mother of the Dawn.” (Her name translated from Latin is “Mother Dawn.”) This Goddess brings the warmth and light of the sun to the waning darkness. Since dawn can also mean “new beginnings,” She is also the Goddess of Ripening Grain and Childbirth.

The cultus for Mater Matuta is older than the City of Rome, itself. In fact, this Goddess had one of the oldest temples in Rome. At the Forum Boarium, where trade and commerce were conducted, merchants sought her blessings. For them, “new beginnings” meant new opportunities. In addition, travelers sought Her Protection at her temple before they set off on their journeys.

Shown with a crown of light or a sun disk, Mater Matuta celebrates the coming light. Moreover, She is usually holding a baby or a lily, because the Goddess nurtures the fragile beginnings of new life. Women pray to Her for safely delivering their children. As She protects the health of the newborn, Mater Matuta also guards Roman families from harm.

Held on June 11, the Matralia honors Mater Matuta. During this celebration, women who have only married once (univirae) pray for their nieces and nephews. Other women make offerings of food and flowers to the Goddess, in gratitude of her blessings. Meanwhile, many women arrive with children in their arms for Mater Matuta to bless. After washing the statue of the Goddess, the women feast until the coming dawn.

Later under Greek influence, Mater Matuta became conflated with Leucothea of the Sea. Therefore, the Italic Goddess also become a Protector of Harbors and Sailors. She was honored with Portunus, the Roman God of Ports. While Portunus protected the harbor, She guided the ships to safety.

“Living in a Monotheistic Society as a Polytheist,” by Mike Rasschaert focus on how as a Polytheists, we grapple with modern society and the grief of lost Polytheism.

The opening paragraphs:

“In western society, no polytheist today is most likely born this way. We all came to polytheism in one way or another. Except for practitioners of Shintoism, Hinduism.

For those who came to polytheism, it’s different. We all came from a monotheistic background, living in a monotheistic society. So for us, it’s more about setting yourself from monotheistic influences and that is not easy. It’s like religious decolonisation if you will. This takes a long time. Simply because the influences are everywhere.

I’m not advocating that all polytheists should seclude themselves from society. That will never work and is foolish to begin with. As a polytheist, any pagan for that matter, we should be weary of this fact, that to decolonise our religious mindset from monotheism, that it will be a lifelong process. Then again, we should also look forward and see how to take advantage of it to help our religions evolve naturally. Religions evolve through time but also due to influences from other religions. Christianity is a good example of this.”

He breaks his essay into sections:

The Experience of Time

The Grammar of Existence

The Burden of Total Commitment

Ethics Without Cosmic Hierarchy

The Loneliness of Plural Experience

Ritual Density vs. Belief Density

The Politics of Monotheism

The Unspoken Grief

Perhaps the most potent undercurrent: many polytheists in monotheistic societies are not converts but descendants of forcibly converted ancestors. The perspective may carry an inherited sorrow, the temples that were razed, the languages that were lost, the continuity that was broken. This isn’t necessarily resentment, but it is a kind of haunting that informs the gaze. Every now and then, I see people stating online that Europe is a Christian and always was. To that, I usually respond with saying that 2000 years ago, European continent wasn’t Christian at all. It was forcibly converted to Christianity. Some seem to think that the conversion went easily and people realised that their religions were wrong. It’s naive to think like that. Then again, people were never taught this in schools that conversion was done mostly by force. They accepted that people converted but don’t think about how it was done. This only becomes apparent when you start looking at history books covering this aspect.

You can read the whole essay at mikerasschaert.substack.com/p/living-in-a-monotheistic-society

One of the most ancient of the Mesopotamian Gods, Nanna-Suen is the God of the Moon. Considered by the Babylonians to be one of the Younger Gods, Nanna-Suen measured time, offering the wisdom of the stars. Since He knows the past as the future, He is the God of Foresight who guides diviners (especially astrologers). One of the Seven Who Decrees the Fates (Note 1.), Nanna-Suen is the God of Wisdom. Since He illuminates the darkness of the night, Nanna-Suen protects people from harm.

I have known Nanna-Suen for years, but not his name. The moon has always been male to me. This God seemed to be content to have me worship Him on a basic level of following the moon’s phases.

For this year from the autumn equinox until the spring equinox, Nanna-Suen has asked me to carry the moon in my pocket. I have a collection of “moon hearts” in lapis and other semi-precious stones to use. As I carry the “moon hearts,” I am to listen to the whisperings of Nanna-Suen. He has asked me to sleep under the moon, so that He may come to me in my dreams.

The Names of Nanna-Suen

The New Moon: Asimbabbar

The Crescent Moon: Suen

The Waxing and Waning Moon: Inbu (the Fruit)

The Full Moon: Nanna

When the moon is dark, Nanna-Suen is thought to be dead. This is the “Day of Laying Down” (Udnua). During this time, He goes into the Netherworld to judge the Dead.

From the various hymns for Nanna-Suen

Father Nanna, Lord, conspicuously crowned,

Prince of the Gods,

Father Nanna, grandly perfect in majesty

Prince of the Gods;

Father Nanna (measuredly) proceeding in noble raiment,

Prince of the Gods

Fierce Young Bull, thick of horns, perfect limbs,

With lapis lazuli beard, full of beauty,

Fruit, created of itself, grown to full size,

Good to look at, with whose beauty one is never sated;

Womb, giving birth to all, who has settle down in a holy abode;

Merciful forgiving Father, who holds in his hand,

The life of the land;

Lord! — (the compass of) your divine providence,

(vast) as the far off heavens, the wide sea,

is awesome (to behold).

—

When you have measured the days of a month

When you have reached this day,

….

When you have made manifest to the people

Your “day of laying down” of a completed month,

You grandly judge, O Lord, law cases in the Netherworld, make decisions superbly.

…. On the broad firmament of heaven…

You spread light, the darkness You illumine,

….

Upon your splendidly rising new light,

Full of loveliness, a goodly sight,

Waits for You in joy the great Lady of Kiur, Mother Ninlil.

Note 1: The Seven are Anu, Enlil, Enki, Ianna, Ninhursaga, and Utu as well as Nanna-Suen.

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The Beauty of Order, the Order of Beauty: Sacred Geometry
Sumer Calendar: November/December
Babylon Calendar: November/December
Roman Gods of the Month: November
Sacred Geography: Roman Polytheism (2 of 2)
Sacred Geography: Roman Polytheism (1 of 2)
Sacred Geography for Modern Polytheists
Defining Sacred Spaces: Terms (2 of 2)
Defining Sacred Spaces: Terms (1 of 2)
A Brief Introduction to Sacred Geography
Mesopotamian Month: October-November
ROMAN GODS OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER 11 to 31
ROMAN GODS OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER 1 to 10
Guest Essay: The Demetrian Temple: “The Poverty of Monotheism”
The Romans and their Gods of Public Health
Guest Polytheist Blog Essay: “Establishing a Lararium”
Featured Polytheist Blog: At Home with the Lares
Goddess of Rome: Mater Matuta of the Dawn
Guest Essay: “Living in a Monotheistic Society as a Polytheist,” by Mike Rasschaert
Nanna-Suen, Father Time of Mesopotamia

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The Beauty of Order, the Order of Beauty: Sacred Geometry

Sumer Calendar: November/December

Babylon Calendar: November/December

Roman Gods of the Month: November

Sacred Geography: Roman Polytheism (2 of 2)

Sacred Geography: Roman Polytheism (1 of 2)

Sacred Geography for Modern Polytheists

Defining Sacred Spaces: Terms (2 of 2)

Defining Sacred Spaces: Terms (1 of 2)

A Brief Introduction to Sacred Geography

Mesopotamian Month: October-November

ROMAN GODS OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER 11 to 31

ROMAN GODS OF THE MONTH: OCTOBER 1 to 10

Guest Essay: The Demetrian Temple: “The Poverty of Monotheism”

The Romans and their Gods of Public Health

Guest Polytheist Blog Essay: “Establishing a Lararium”

Featured Polytheist Blog: At Home with the Lares

Goddess of Rome: Mater Matuta of the Dawn

Guest Essay: “Living in a Monotheistic Society as a Polytheist,” by Mike Rasschaert

Nanna-Suen, Father Time of Mesopotamia

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