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Cosmos-theology: One Polytheistic Perspective: Edward P. Butler

Noted Polytheist professor and philosopher, Edward P. Butler, presented a paper at the 17th International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy, which was held on November 2021. His paper, “Considerations Regarding Worship in Extraterrestrial Habitats” discussed how to accommodate the spiritual needs of people living in extraterrestrial habitats. What form would this spirit work take and what sort of spirit worker would be needed?

“Considerations Regarding Worship in Extraterrestrial Habitats,” 17th Venice Architecture Biennale (November 2021) | Henadology

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Cosmos-theology: A Brief Intro

If most of the writings on astrotheology have a Christian focus, that is because most of the people pondering these questions are Christians. However, other people have written on what they call “cosmotheology.” (Note 1) In their metaphysical considerations, various philosophers stress the Cosmological Principle: “We do not live in a special place in the Universe.” (Note 2) Noted philosopher, A.N. Whitehead wrote, “On a grand scale, our cosmology discloses a process of overpowering change, from nebulae to stars, from stars to planets, from inorganic matter to life, from life to reason and moral responsibility.” (Note 3) Whitehead’s concepts have formed a basis for examining religion and exo-life (Note 4) outside of Christianity.

Stephen Dick, noted astrobiologist and former NASA historian, has developed several principles of cosmotheology. (1) “Humanity is not physically central to the universe.” (2) “Humanity is not central biologically, mentally, or morally in the universe.” (3) “Humanity is not at the top of the great chain of being in the universe.” These three principles acknowledge the cosmological de-centering of the universe for humans. According to Whitehead, “humans are as fully natural as everything else in the Universe.” In other words, humans are not the moral center of the Universe.

Dick continues with (4) “Cosmotheology must be open to radically new and non-supernatural conceptions of God…a God grounded in cosmic evolution.” (5) “Cosmotheology must have a moral dimension, extending to embrace all species in the universe – a reverence and respect for life in any form.” (6) “Cosmotheology must embrace the idea that human destiny should be linked to natural cosmic events, not to the divine.” Dick states that the “God of cosmotheology is a natural evolutionary product, potentially with many characteristics normally associated with God.” (Note 5)

Andrew Davis, a process philosopher, interprets Dick’s God as a “fully contingent super intelligence (emphasis by Davis), an outcome of evolution.” Meanwhile, Whitehead, who developed process philosophy (Note 6), claims that the “non-temporal actuality of divine mentality” is in every phase of evolution. He adds, “The universe is thus understood as including a source of ideals. There are experiences of ideals…This is the experience of the deity of the universe.” For Whitehead, God is the divine duality as experienced across the universe.

Davis further develops a cosmotheology based on Whitehead’s process philosophy. “(1) Humanity exemplifies metaphysical principles that are utterly central to the universe. (2) Humanity exemplifies biological, mental, and moral antecedents that are metaphysically central to the universe. (3) Humanity exemplifies the same metaphysical principles that are expressed in various intensities throughout the great chain of being in the universe. (Note 7) (4) Cosmotheology must be open to truly radical and non-supernatural conceptions of God, a God grounding and exemplifying the metaphysical conditions of cosmic evolution. (5) Cosmotheology must provide the ontological basis and stimulus for ideals of moral reverence and respect in the nature of things. (6) Cosmotheology must embrace human destiny as inextricably linked to the destiny of the cosmos as an infinite evolutionary expression of the metaphysical conditions chiefly exemplified in the divine.”

Since some of us may be alive when life is discovered beyond the Earth, we do need to understand our place in the cosmos. I believe that Polytheists should add their thoughts to how this affects all of us. Since Polytheism entails that humans are connected to other worlds and other beings, Polytheists have a unique perspective to offer.

Notes:

Note 1. The astronomer Steven Dick defines “cosmotheology” as his attempt at a theology based on what “we know about the universe based on science. It is a naturalistic theology that denies supernaturalism.” From Interview with Ted Peters, “The Cosmotheology of Steven Dick,” Patheos, 22 April, 2023. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/publictheology/2022/05/cosmotheology-steven-j-dick/.

Note 2. Formally stated, the Cosmological Principle is “Viewed on a sufficiently large scale, the properties of the Universe are the same for all observers.” In ordinary language, the Earth, the Sun, the Milky Way, etc. are only average and not special. The Cosmological Principle is a part of Isaac Newton’s Laws of Physics.

Note 3. Whitehead as quoted by Andrew Davis in “Metaphysics of Exo-Life.”

Note 4. “Exo-life” refers to all life other than the Earth’s including extraterrestrials (ETs).

Note 5. Unless otherwise defined, “God” refers to Yahweh, the Monotheistic Deity.

Note 6. Alfred North Whitehead developed process philosophy further in the 1920s. He believed that “there is urgency in coming to see the world as a web of interrelated processes of which we are integral parts, so that all of our choices and actions have consequences for the world around us.”

Note 7. “The Great Chain of Being” is a hierarchy of Gods, Angels, humans, animals, plants, and minerals. The philosophy behind the hierarchy is that everyone has a role and purpose in the Cosmos.

Works Used:

Davis, Andrew, “Metaphysics of Exo-Life.” Grasmere (ID): SacraSage Press. 2003.

Meade, Shannon, “Faith in the Cosmos.” Machiasport (ME): Shannon Meade. 2024.

O’Meara, Thomas, “Vast Universe.” Collegeville (MN): Liturgical Press. 2012.

Peters, Ted, “The Cosmotheology of Steven Dick,” Patheos, 22 April, 2023. Web. https://www.patheos.com/blogs/publictheology/2022/05/cosmotheology-steven-j-dick/. .

Weintraub, David, “Religions and Extraterrestrial Life.” London: Springer Book. 2014.

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Astrotheology: A Brief Intro

From time eternal, people have pondered whether they were alone or were there other worlds with other peoples living on them. Since the Moon Landing, more people have pondered what it would be like to live off the Earth. Meanwhile, various theologians discuss how any of this will impact the religions of the Earth.

This branch of theology is called “astrotheology.” (Note 1) Ted Peters, a Lutheran theologian, defines Astrotheology as (emphasis his) “that branch of theology which provides a critical analysis of the contemporary space sciences combined with an explication of classic doctrines such as creation and Christology for the purpose of constructing a comprehensive and meaningful understanding of our human situation within an astonishingly immense cosmos.”

In his paper, “Introducing Astrotheology,” Peters states the four tasks of the astrotheologian. First is to “(1) overcome geocentrism and anthropocentrism.” Second is to “(2) set the conditions for the debate between a single incarnation versus multiple incarnations in Christian soteriology.” (Note 2) Third to “(3) offer an internal critique to the space sciences.” (Note 3) Finally. “(4) contribute to public readiness for the day of extraterrestrial contact.” In short, develop “a theology of nature (emphasis his) that is cosmic in both space and time.”

“Astrotheology” was first coined by William Derham, an Anglican clergyman and noted naturalist. In 1714, Derham wrote “Astro-theology or a Demonstration of the Being and Attributes of God from a Survey of the Heavens.” For him, astrotheology should glorify God and the magnificence of His Creation.

Peters, a noted contributor to the field of astrotheology, adds areas for concern for theologians. Since he is a Lutheran, he focuses on Christian doctrinal matters. He details his concerns as (a) Creation, asking “What is the scope of God’s creation?” (b) The Person and Work of Christ, (c) Sin, asking “Do extraterrestrials sin?” (d) Eschatology, asking “How should we handle the biblical symbols of ‘a new creation’ and ‘eternal life,” and finally (e) Ethics.

Meanwhile, A.C. Pieterse, South African theologian, describes astrotheology as “a prophetic wormhole that relates space-time to eschatological transformation.” He ponders the “entangled universe” that is constantly in flux. According to Pieterse, “space and time are the four-dimensional canvas embedded in this complex and braided reality.” He concludes that “a relational Christ, with immutable attributes of space and time, is actively involved in an entangled cosmos where space and time mutually interact. Astrotheology is the vehicle of choice that connects these two perceived opposites, space-time in the natural world, and the essence of the Cosmic Christ.”

Most of the theologians who have been writing about the metaphysics of exo-life (Note 4) are Christians. Of those, only Roman Catholic and Mainline Protestants have been arguing about it in any detail. Meanwhile, Orthodox Christians simply regard ETs are demons. However, secular philosophers have published their ideas about other worlds and peoples, which they have called “cosmotheology.” (Note 5)

Notes:

Note 1. “Astrotheology” differs from “exotheology.” The former includes the latter. Exotheology is focused what religions extraterrestrials (ETs) may have and how will the religions of Earth will be affected by ETs.

Note 2. “Soteriology” is the Works of Christ, while “Christology” focuses on the Person of Christ.

Note 3. Michael Welker, German theologian, writes, “Theology can and must challenge the natural sciences to correct their false perceptions of theological themes and contents.” Quoted by Ted Peters, “Astrotheology, Our Common Cosmos: An Exercise in Astrotheology.”

Note 4. “Exo-life” refers to all life other than the Earth’s including extra-terrestrials (ETs).

Note 5. “Cosmotheology” was first defined by Immanuel Kant for “transcendental theology” that infers “the existence of a ‘Supreme Being’ from a general experience, without any closer reference to the world to which this experience belongs.”

Works Used:

O’Meara, Thomas, “Vast Universe.” Collegeville (MN): Liturgical Press. 2012.

Peters, Ted, “Astrotheology, Our Common Cosmos: An Exercise in Astrotheology.” Sage Publications, Vol. 122, Issue 5, P. 363-367. 2019.

Pieterse, A.C., “Astrotheology as a prophetic wormhole that relates space-time eschatological transformation.” Acta Theologica. 2022. Vol 42 (1), P. 98-119.

Weintraub, David, “Religions and Extraterrestrial Life.” London: Springer Book. 2014.

Babylonian Month of May/June

In the Standard Mesopotamian Calendar, the month starting from the new moon of May is called Simanu (“Month of the Brick Gods”). (Note 1) The King would lay the first brick in the brick mold. Then brickmaking and construction could begin in earnest. The Gods of Bricks and Building were honored in eight rituals that centered on the brick kilns.

The erecting of a building was re-enacting a moment of creation. It meant digging into the ground which marks the Earth. This foundation now retains a memory of the wild land. Therefore, before anything was done, divination (usually astrology) was done to find the particular time to build at a place. The rituals are done to link the place with that time. In “Creating Places of Power,” Nigel Pennick wrote “This link between this world and the other world preserved the holy moment within a limited, circumscribed area separated from the profane outerworld.”

For modern people, this can be the time to celebrate masonry and other aspects of building. Think of how bricks provide for safe and snug homes. The beginnings of civilization could be said to be represented by bricks and mortar.

The Gods of Bricks and Building are:

Arazu: The God of Completed Construction

Girra: The God of Fire. The God of Kilns

Kabta: God of Pickaxes, Construction and Bricks

Kulla: The God of Building.

Musdama: The God of Foundations. The God of Architects

Nuska: The God of Fire. The God of Civilization.

Notes:

Note 1. “Simanu” can be translated into “the placing of the brick in the brick mold.”

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Roman Gods of May

For Romans, May (Maius) is sacred to Maia, the Goddess of the Growth of Living Things. As the Mother of Mercury, She is also honored with Him at the Mercuralia on May 15. On May 1st, Maia’s festival day and on the 15th, a priest of Vulcan (God of Fire) will sacrifice a pregnant sow to Her. Maia is his consort since Vulcan (Volcanus) is also the God who ripens the earth with his inner warmth. Modern Roman Polytheists will offer burnt pork to Maia.

May is also a gloomy month since the Dead roam freely at this time. The Lemuria is to ensure that the Dead are placated and do not trouble the living. Meanwhile, the Rosalia focused on placing roses and violets on graves.

The Days of the Dead

The major focus of this month is the Lemuria, the Roman Days of the Dead (May 9, 11, and 13). On these days, the Lemures (Larvae) seek out the living to have them give the Larvae proper burials. The Lemures also want people to make offerings in their memory to the Gods of the Dead. Meanwhile, the living do certain rites to ensure that Larvae not harm them or their families. (The Larvae could be considered the “Undead.”)

Until the 8th Century, May 13 was All Saints’ Day for Christians. During the 730s, Pope Gregory III changed the feast date to November 1. He wanted to accommodate the Celtic Christians, who had grown in numbers. Meanwhile, Roman Lemuria can be considered the Roman equivalent of Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.

From Ovid’s “Fasti,” Book V, a ritual for Lemuria

When midnight comes, lending silence to sleep,

And all the dogs and hedgerow birds are quiet,

He who remembers ancient rites, and fears the gods,

Rises (no fetters binding his two feet)

And makes the sign with thumb and closed fingers,

Lest an insubstantial shade meets him in the silence.

After cleansing his hands in spring water,

He turns and first taking some black beans,

Throws them with averted face: saying, while throwing:

‘With these beans I throw I redeem me and mine.’

He says this nine times without looking back: the shade

Is thought to gather the beans, and follow behind, unseen.

Again he touches water, and sounds the Temesan bronze,

And asks the spirit to leave his house.

When nine times he’s cried: ‘Ancestral spirit, depart,’

He looks back, and believes the sacred rite’s fulfilled.

Mercury (Mercurius)

For Romans, Mercury is the God of Commerce, Merchants, and Thieves. On May 15, merchants would bless themselves and their wares from his sacred well, which was located outside of the Sacred Boundary (Pomerium) of Rome. Modern Roman Polytheists will use water from local streams to bless their local banks and stores.

Julius Caesar noted that Mercury was the most popular God in the Celtic and Germanic regions closest to Roman territories. These peoples regarded Mercury to be the inventor of the arts. In Celtic areas, He was frequently accompanied by Rosmerta, Celtic Goddess of Abundance and Prosperity.

From Ovid’s “Fasti,” Book V.

A ritual to Mercury by merchants:

All those who make a living trading their wares,

Offer you incense, and beg you to swell their profits.

There’s Mercury’s fountain close to the Capene Gate:

It’s potent, if you believe those who’ve tried it.

Here the merchant, cleansed, with his tunic girt,

Draws water and carries it off, in a purified jar.

With it he wets some laurel, sprinkles his goods

With damp laurel: those soon to have new owners.

And he sprinkles his hair with dripping laurel too,

And with that voice, that often deceives, utters prayers:

‘Wash away all the lies of the past,’ he says,

‘Wash away all the perjured words of a day that’s gone.

If I’ve called on you as witness, and falsely invoked

Jove’s great power, hoping he wouldn’t hear:

If I’ve knowingly taken the names of gods and goddesses,

In vain: let the swift southerlies steal my sinful words,

And leave the day clear for me, for further perjuries,

And let the gods above fail to notice I’ve uttered any.

Just grant me my profit, give me joy of the profit I’ve made:

And make sure I’ll have the pleasure of cheating a buyer.’

Flora

On May 23, the Rosalia (dies rosationis (the day of the rose adornment)) is held. This was originally a military rite to honor the fallen. It later became a ritual to honor all the dead, with roses placed on graves. For the Rosalia, I would suggest going to a battlefield or military cemetery, if possible.

The Ambarvalia

At the end of May, people would walk the perimeters of their fields bringing offerings of milk, honey and wine. They drove their animals along the boundaries, beating the ground to stave off baneful influences. The ancient Romans would herd a boar, ram, and a bull around the boundaries, and then sacrifice them. Modern Roman Polytheists offer meats from the store and ask for the blessings of Mars and Ceres on the crops.

Notes:

Note 1. Ovid, “Fasti,” Book V. Translator: A.S. Kline, 2004.

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Out-of-Body Experiences and the Afterlife

After much research, I conclude that Out-of-Body Experiences (OBEs) can also contribute to ideas about the Afterlife. People who have OBEs often experience other realms, one being the afterlife. In their OBEs, they have encountered angels and other divine beings. Meanwhile others have received divine wisdom.

Marilynn Hughes (Note 1), who researches OBEs and mysticism, has collected thousands of OBE accounts. She says that OBEs allow people to receive messages beyond ordinary perception. Hughes cites the Apostle Paul being caught up to the Third Heaven and the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey (the Isra and Mi’raj). Each brought back spiritual insights for their respective believers.

Meanwhile, in “Wicca For Life,” Raymond Buckland discusses Summerland where Wiccans (Note 2) go after death. He writes that he gleamed his knowledge from people who had either NDEs or OBEs. Buckland writes, “Many records of near-death experiences, speak of leaving the body, going toward a bright light – often times down a sort of tunnel – and seeing deceased loved ones there.” He adds that “Summerland – which outwardly, looks much like this land where we lived and breathed.” Most Wiccans believe that Summerland is a place of perpetual summer of lush meadows, deep woods, and babbling brooks.

Buckland states that Summerland came from Gerald Gardner, who took the name from Spiritualists. (Note 3) In “The Next World: Extraordinary Experiences of the Afterlife,” Gregory Shushan writes that Victorian and Edwardian mediums coined the term “Summerland.” The spirits that spoke through these mediums called their Afterlife, “Summerland.” Several stated that “the other realm is a place of ‘peace and plenty,’” and “the soul and consciousness are one.”

In “NDEs and the Afterlife in Ancient Civilizations,” Gregory Shushan describes the OBEs of shamans. In the “Rig Veda,” munis (Note 4) drink a drug to allow “the Gods to enter” and then they “mount the winds.” Other scholars such as Mircea Eliade suggests that beliefs about the Afterlife stem from various shamanic practices. These visionary practices include OBE journeys to the Afterworld.

In “Ecology of Souls (Volume Two),” Joshua Cutchin drives home this aspect of shamanism. He writes “Shamanism is a death discipline, focused upon rebuilding relationships with not only with our ancestors but the broader ecology of souls. Shamans in their journey do encounter other worlds. One can be the Dead and the Afterlife.”

In “Time Expansion Experiences,” Steve Taylor, who has studied time extensively, lists one of the laws of time. “Time passes very slowly in intense altered states of consciousness, when our normal psychological structures and processes are significantly disrupted and our normal ‘self-system’ (Note 5) dissolves.” He describes it as “stepping off a train and finding ourselves in a strange, panoramic landscape, where people enter a different “timeworld.’” When entering this ‘timeworld,’ they will visit other worlds including the Afterlife. Altered states of consciousness both transcend the boundaries and space of the self and time.

My brain injury has me go into fugue states where I experience what Taylor describes. I find myself in a different ‘timeworld’ where high-weirdness reigns. In that world, I have experienced various Gods and have come away with a different perspective of the Cosmos. I think that Polytheists could investigate OBEs to learn more about the Gods and the Afterlife.

According to Hughes, common traits of a prophetic vision are: (Note 6)

Sense of divine presence

The person feels an overwhelming transformative experience.

Clarity and precision

Messages or visions are specific and detailed.

Timelessness and universality

Messages or visions transcend time and place.

Transformation and healing

The experience reshapes the person’s understanding of the world.

Role of divine guidance.

Ancestors or spirits provide assistance and clarification.

Notes:

Note 1. Marilynn Hughes is a researcher in the field of OBEs and mysticism. She is the founder of The Out-of-Body Travel Foundation https://outofbodytravel.org/ , which details people’s experiences.

Note 2. Buckland refers to Wicca as the “Old Religion” as opposed to the “New Religion” of Christianity. For Buckland, Wicca is a “mystery religion” of initiation and oaths of secrecy. It is considered to be Neo-Pagan in its belief system.

Note 3. Some Wiccans claim that Summerland comes from the Celtic “Plains of Joy” (Mag Mell).

Note 4. Munis are considered to be long-haired ascetics who are sages and hermits.

Note 5. Taylor explains that “self-system refers to our normal sense of identity and all the normal psychological processes and functions that constitute it.”

Note 6. Marilynn Hughes, “Prophetic Journeys.” Out-of-Body-Travel Foundation. 2025.

Near-Death Experiences and the Afterlife

One of the leading authorities on Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), Gregory Shushan has traced NDEs though many Polytheistic cultures, ancient and modern. In his research, he finds that the visions occurring during NDEs and beliefs about the Afterlife co-created each other. In documenting NDEs as spiritual revelations for the community, Shushan thinks that the two go hand in hand, since both are experienced in religious terms.

In several examples, Shushan found that NDEs feature divine revelations. Muh of Tsin (in China) (658-620 BCE) visited the Emperor of Heaven. Meanwhile, in “Plato’s Myth of Er” (380 BCE), the soldier Er was given a tour of the otherworld, which included the revelation of the fates of noted Greek figures by otherworld judges. Later the Belgian Christian saint, Christina the Astonishing (1150-1224 CE) described how she was taken by “angels of God – the ministers of light” to “a dark and terrible spot which was filled with the souls of men.” From these examples and others, Shushan theorizes that NDEs can be the basis for afterlife beliefs. According to him, the two co-create the other since NDEs are rooted in pre-existing cultural factors.

In the poem, “Bilgames and the Netherworld” (the Twelfth Tablet of “The Epic of Gilgamesh”), concepts of the netherworld of Mesopotamia are developed. Bilgames (Note 1) meets Utu the Sun God, so that he can to ascend into the heavens. While there, he meets the other Gods, who decree his fate. Enki decides that Bilgames must live in the netherworld as a judge of the dead. After returning to his body, Bilgames arranges his tomb and dies.

Although the “Myth of Er” appears in Plato’s “The Republic” at the end of Book Ten, several modern researchers treat it as a NDE of an actual person. Whatever it is, the myth does describe a version of the Greek Afterlife. At the end of the myth, Er returns to his body and wakes on his funeral pyre. Whether this myth is Plato’s ideas of the Afterlife or is reported to be Er’s, it contributes to Western ideas of what the Afterlife is like.

Plato tells of people drinking from the River of Forgetfulness, after they have journeyed to the Plains of Oblivion. He ends his myth as “And thus, Glaucon, the tale has been saved and has not perished, and will save us if we are obedient to the words spoken; and we shall pass safely over the River of Forgetfulness and our soul will not be defiled.” (Note 2)

Meanwhile, Plutarch describes the experience of Thespesius of Soli (81 CE) as an NDE, in “On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance.” (Note 3) He travels to a place where the stars radiated light. Amazed, Thespesius could see everything around him. After meeting his deceased relatives, he went on a tour of various places of reward and punishment. Afterwards, Thespesius returned an altered man, honest and devout.

In “Near-Death Experiences in Ancient Civilizations,” Shushan concludes, “In NDEs and the texts of all our civilizations, life after death entails multiple experiences and intermediate states with progression to an ultimate transcendence. As seen, attempts to explore such diverse experiences and beliefs in linear ‘either/or’ terms are unsuccessful. Instead, they’re best seen in terms of the recurring theme of the metaphysical reconciliation of opposites.”

In “Myths of the Afterlife,” Annamaria Hemingway examines contemporary otherworldly journeys and says that people’s lives and beliefs have been transformed in their glimpsing of other realms. They bring back stories of how to face death with the knowledge of the land of the Dead. Most importantly, NDEs do lead to new beliefs or change existing ones. Hemingway concludes, “Contemporary Near-Death Experiences may well manifest as living myths that continue to reflect the sacred principles of many ancient world religions and mythologies concerning life after death.” (Emphasis Hemmingway)

Therefore modern NDEs can lead Polytheists to know more about the Afterlife. My NDE had me meeting Anubis and Hekate in the Land of the Dead. That confirmed to me that They were liminal Gods who cared about the dying and the newly Dead. Perhaps Polytheists can share their NDEs for further understandings of the Afterlife.

Core Features of NDEs

Shushan lists nine core features of NDEs. (Not all cultures have all nine in their narratives but all contain a majority.) (Note 4)

Out of Body experiences and ascent

The ascent could be a stairway, bird or a boat that allows for the body to rise. Meanwhile, the person’s NDE experiences are rooted in the body.

Corpse encounters

A person often ends up becoming a corpse and then revived.

Traveling through darkness

A person in a NDE ascends and descends through a dark tunnel into darkness before seeing a light.

Deceased relatives and ancestors

A person will meet their relatives.

Beings of light

A person meets angels, rays of light, or actual deities.

Evaluation of one’s earthy life

Usually a deity will give the person a life review.

Barriers and obstacles

When crossing into the Afterlife, a person will encounter rivers, face demonic beings or experience trials.

Divinization and transcendence

Many are transformed and some become Gods.

Other realms and the return to the true state of being.

The person’s soul goes wandering often finding the realm of creation or a point of origin.

Notes:

Note 1. Bilgames (Bilgamesh, Gilgamesh) is believed to have ruled Uruk (Southeast Mesopotamia) around 2750 BCE.

Note 2. Translation: Benjamin Jowett, “The Dialogues of Plato in Five Volumes.” 1892.

Note 3. Latin scholars believe that Plutarch’s “On the Delays of the Divine Vengeance (De Sera Numinis Vindicta): Myth of Thespesuis” is a philosophical essay, and not about an actual person.

Note 4. Gregory Shushan, “Near-Death Experiences in Ancient Civilizations.” Inner Traditions. 2025.

Divination: Casual Reading?

A man, who casually wants a reading, is not expecting the subject of death to come up. In my readings, I follow Dr. Jennifer Vest’s advice. In “The Ethical Psychic,” she stresses when dealing with the “Big Three Ds – Death, Disease, and Divorce,” a psychic need to be circumspect. Tell the man, that the reading is serious, but he can choose to do positive acts to transform the reading. Have him know that he can exercise his free will. I would have him think about anything that he would like to do but has not done so yet.

A diviner understands what the questioner needs to hear, how they hear it, and what has to be said. In the case of the man, I would inform him that the reading can change through his actions. I would stress that the reading is “never final, only informative.”

Works Cited:

Dylan, Mystic, “Throwing Bones, Crystals, Stones and Curios.” Weiser Books: Newbury Port (MA). 2024.

Kinneging, Andreas, “The Geography of Good and Evil.” Trans. Ineke Hardy. Regnery Publishing: Washington D.C. 2005.

Leath, Melissa, “Psychic Integrity.” Hay House: Bloomington (IN). 2011.

Vest, Jennifer Lisa, PhD., “The Ethical Psychic.” North Atlantic Books: Berkeley (CA). 2022.

Wood, Robin, “When, Why…If.” Livingtree Press: Dearborn (MI). 1996.

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Divining with Roman Virtues: Mental Illness

Dealing with someone who is severely depressed involves “Dignitas,” the questioner’s worth and the reader’s reputation. For that, I refer to Rev. Dennis Kenny’s criteria. In “Breaking the Spiritual Care Code,” he gives three rules in counseling mentally-ill people. The first is to consider time limitations. The second is to consider skill limitations, and the third, emotional limitations. A diviner at a psychic fair faces severe limitations of all three. As for me, I lack the necessary skills, time, and emotions to deal with any severe mental illness such as depression. As a responsible diviner, I have a list of hot-lines with me, when I do readings.

Rev. Kenny offers several principles to effectively help the person in distress. First focus on the person. The counselor (diviner) lets the woman know that they care about them. Second, they help the woman to understand that referring her to help is a positive action. Most importantly, the counselor has the person involved with the decision to get help.

For the case of a suicidal woman, I would establish a rapport with her. I would ask her what she wants from a reading. Then, I would ask if she has considered getting help for her depression. I would also tell her that I have gone through major depression myself, and help is always available.

As a diviner, I would let the woman know that the spirits care about her. I would stress that she can heal. She can initiate a positive transformation by deciding to seek help. As for the reading, I would say that it “informs but not predicts.”

Works Cited:

Cicero, “On Duties.” Translated by Walter Miller. Roman Roads Press: Moscow (ID). 2016.

Cook, Tonya, “Influence of Roman Virtues on Modern Ethics,” 30 November, 2024. Web. Roman Mytholology Worldwide. https://roman.mythologyworldwide.com/the-influence-of-roman-virtues-on-modern-ethics-2/.

Kenny, Dennis, Rev., “Breaking the Spiritual Code.” Wipf and Stock: Eugene (OR). 2023.

Kinneging, Andreas, “The Geography of Good and Evil.” Trans. Ineke Hardy. Regnery Publishing: Washington D.C. 2005.

Leath, Melissa, “Psychic Integrity.” Hay House: Bloomington (IN). 2011.

Triarius, L. Vitellius. “Religio Roman Handbook.” Independently Published. 2014.

Vest, Jennifer Lisa, PhD., “The Ethical Psychic.” North Atlantic Books: Berkeley (CA). 2022.

Wood, Robin, “When, Why…If.” Livingtree Press: Dearborn (MI). 1996.

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Divination: Roman Ethics

Since I am a Roman Polytheist, I follow the Roman Public and Private Virtues. (Note 1) These virtues are the ideals that Romans aspire to in their lives. According to Cicero, the four “Cardinal Virtues” contain the rest. (Note 2) “Prudence” (Prudentia) includes “Patience” (Patientia) and “Forethought” (Providentia), as important values to follow. “Courage (Virtus) has “Tenacity (Firmitas) and “Duty” (Pietas). Meanwhile, “Justice” (Iustitia) has “Mercy” (Clementia), “Equity” (Aequitas) and “Good Faith” (Fides). Finally, “Temperance” (Temperantia) includes “Dignity” (Dignitas), “Responsibility” (Gravitas), “Truthfulness” (Veritas) and “Nobility” (Nobilitas).

How these can be applied in modern life is described by Nessa Bird in her essay, “The Influence of Roman Virtues on Modern Business Ethics.” (Note 3) In business, “Virtus” is a commitment to moral integrity as “a responsibility to employees and stockholders.” “Fides” covers customer and community relations. The business ensures a safe product (service) and customer satisfaction. “Pietas,” which is responsibility in commerce, focuses on responsible business practices. For example, the company does not employ deceptive sales tactics. With “Dignitas,” the company’s reputation entails good will towards the community which includes investors.

Applying Roman virtues to divining means starting with “Virtus” (Moral Integrity). The diviner (reader) works with otherworldly entities and with humans. Unlike regular businesses, divination has a spiritual dimension to it. Mystic Dylan in “Throwing the Bones” notes that psychic links are formed between the tools used for divination, the questioner, and the otherworld entities with the diviner as the focal point. Therefore, the prudent diviner knows their own boundaries. An ethical reader recognizes the entire ecosystem of divination, which is “Pietas” (Duty and Piety)

“Fides” (Trust and Fidelity) for the diviner comes with the reading. A discerning reader understands what the questioner needs to hear and how they need to hear it. Since prophesy can be self-fulfilling, a responsible reader tempers their reading. As the maxim of Astrology states, “The Stars inform; They do not compel.” Therefore, the reading requires the latitude of choice and free will for the questioner. The responsible diviner preserves the delicate balance between what the otherworld entities want the questioner to know and what the questioner can understand.

Moreover, “Virtus” includes a duty to the otherworld entities drawn into this world. The diviner always establishes rules for all involved. Some entities need an offering for their services. Some should not be asked certain questions. Meanwhile to allow the exchange between the entity and questioner to flow, the diviner must remain rooted in the ordinary world.

Notes:

Note 1. Among the fifteen Personal Virtues are “Dignity,” “Tenacity,” “Prudence,” and “Truthfulness.” Among the twenty-six Public Virtues are “Concord,” “Confidence,” “Justice,” and “Piety.”

Note 2. “Everything that is honorable originates from some one of four parts: either in thoroughly recognizing and perceiving the truth; or in safeguarding human association, giving to each his own, and keeping good faith in agreements made; or in the greatness and strength of a lofty and unconquerable spirit; or in the order and due measure of all deeds and speech in which are included discretion and temperance.” Cicero: “On Duties: Book I,” Page 28.

Note 3. Bird considers the following: “Virtus”: bravery and moral excellence. “Fides”: trust and fidelity. “Pietas”: duty to family, state, and gods. “Dignitas”: dignity, worth, and reputation.

Works Cited:

Bird, Nessa, “The Influence of Roman Virtues on Modern Business Ethics,” 30 November 2024. Web. Roman Mythology Worldwide. https://roman.mythologyworldwide.com/the-influence-of-roman-virtues-on-modern-business-ethics/ .

Cicero, “On Duties.” Translated by Walter Miller. Roman Roads Press: Moscow (ID). 2016.

Dylan, Mystic, “Throwing Bones, Crystals, Stones and Curios.” Weiser Books: Newbury Port (MA). 2024.

Kenny, Dennis, Rev., “Breaking the Spiritual Code.” Wipf and Stock: Eugene (OR). 2023.

Kinneging, Andreas, “The Geography of Good and Evil.” Trans. Ineke Hardy. Regnery Publishing: Washington D.C. 2005.

Leath, Melissa, “Psychic Integrity.” Hay House: Bloomington (IN). 2011.

Sancho, Brandie, “Exploring the Core Roman Virtues: A Path to Moral Excellence,” 28 November 2024. Web. Roman Mythology Worldwide. https://roman.mythologyworldwide.com/exploring-the-core-roman-virtues-a-path-to-moral-excellence/.

Triarius, L. Vitellius. “Religio Roman Handbook.” Independently Published. 2014.

Vest, Jennifer Lisa, PhD., “The Ethical Psychic.” North Atlantic Books: Berkeley (CA). 2022.

Wood, Robin, “When, Why…If.” Livingtree Press: Dearborn (MI). 1996.

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Mesopotamian Gods for April/May

In the Standard Mesopotamian Calendar (Note 1), the month beginning at the new moon of April is Ayaru. From Astrolabe B (Note 2), “The month Ayaru, the Pleiades, the Seven Gods (Sibitti) (Note 3), the opening up of the ground; the oxen are yoked; the land becomes arable; the ploughs washed; the month of heroic Ningirsu, the great ensi (priest) of Enlil.” This is the month that “the horned oxen march forth” in the Gusisu Festival of Ninurta.

In the Old Babylonian Calendar, it was called Ezem Gusisu because of the Gusisu Festival. Since this is the month of spring storms, the land is prepared for sowing. The Gusisu Festival is held at the full moon for three days. Ningirsu, who is the Warrior God, becomes Ninurta, the Farmer God. The Son of Enlil (the Keeper of the Tablets of Destiny), Ninurta brings the rains of spring. Before the inundation of the fields in May/June, irrigation ditches are repaired and filled. In addition, the oxen and ploughs are prepared for the spring farrowing. This festival was held for three days with the entire pantheon of Gods receiving offerings. (Note 4)

To honor Ninurta as Lord Plough and Master of the Fields, “The Debate Between the Hoe and the Plough” is read. (Note 5) This debate highlights the Hoe’s importance in civilization, since it builds the cities. Meanwhile, the Plough provides grain for the cities. Afterwards, a plough is symbolically used with the dropping of the first seed to be planted.

Then, the “Song of the Ploughing Oxen” is sung. This song depicts spring ploughing as the “faithful farmer with oxen.” One stanza is:

“My king, I want to praise the leading oxen of the plough:

‘Ellu! go, oxen, go, put the neck under the yoke,

go, royal oxen, go, put the neck under the yoke!

Step on the furrows of the fertile field, that the sides be made straight.

With your lion’s tail beat the sides of the plough,

Your step, oxen, rejoices the people, you have been given strength to work!

The oxen you guide, Lipit-Istar (the king), and your song is a pleasure.” (Note 6)

At the end of the Gusisu Festival, the plough and oxen are blessed. Then, a final praise hymn is sung:

“The Hero has performed his divine function.

Ningal, the servant of Enlil, let go of the plough and removed the yoke.

From that place the Gods depart to perform their routine duties.

Ninurta stands by the Ekurzagin (Note 7), head raised high,

And calls forth to his Father, the Great Mountain Enlil:

‘My Father, the divine functions of the month Gusisu have been completed; seed has touched the earth.’”

Late in the month, the Sacred Marriage of Nabu and Tasmetu is celebrated. (Note 8) This Marriage of these Gods ensures the fertility and abundance of the land. During the Sacred Marriage of Nabu (God of Wisdom and Abundant Harvest) with Tasmetu (Goddess of Listening and Sexual Attraction), their statues are placed together. As a Divine Couple, They come together as Bride and Groom. After spending six days and seven nights together, the two Gods are served a banquet by the king and the people. From this marriage will come peace and prosperity to the land.

Notes:

Note 1. The Babylonians had a lunar calendar and added months beyond the 12-month year. They kept their year keyed to the equinoxes. Between 1750 – 1500 BCE, the Babylonians standardized their calendar – the Standard Mesopotamian Calendar to unify their empire.

Note 2. Astrolabe B has 12-month sectors with the rising of the stars. It lists the main events in the Babylonian Wheel of the Year.

Note 3. The Seven Gods, who are associated with the Pleiades, can be called to fight evil demons. (They are usually referred to as a group, not as individuals.)

Note 4. The first day’s offerings go to Enlil, Ninlil, Ninurta, and the Chair of Enlil. The second day’s offerings go to Ninlil, Nanna, Ninurta, Nintinugga, Ninhursag, Nuska, Inanna, Enki, Nisaba, and Ningagia. Also, to the Sacred Mound, Door of Enlil, “Abzu” (Pool) of Ninlil, the Plough, the Threshing Sled, the Harp, and the Chariot. The third day’s offerings are for Ninurta and the Plough.

Note 5. The Sumerians wrote debates (disputations) as a part of their theology to explain the relations between the Gods and humans. Seven are known – Bird and Fish, Copper and Silver, Millstone and Gulgul-stone, Hoe and Plough, Date Palm and Tamarisk (Tree and Reed), Winter and Summer, and Sheep and Grain.

Note 6. From Mark Cohen, “Festivals and Calendars of the Ancient Near East.”

Note 7. The Ekurzagin is the “Mountain House of the Gods.”

Note 8. Tasmetu is first named as Nabu’s Consort. However, the Babylonians regarded Nanaya to be his Consort, while the Assyrians thought that Tasmetu was.

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Roman Gods for April

April for Romans is the time of opening buds. Flowers appear, trees come into leaf, and new crops are coming up. At this time, most of the festivals are centered on honoring the fertility of the land and protecting the crops. Ovid, in “Fasti,” explains why Venus is the tutelary Goddess of April, “She gave the crops and trees their first roots.”

Ovid writes in “Fasti” (Note 1)

“They say Spring was named from the open (apertum) season,

Because Spring opens (aperit) everything

And the sharp Frost-bound cold vanishes, and fertile soil’s revealed,

Though kind Venus sets her hand there and claims it.”

VENUS VERTICORDIA and FORTUNA VIRILIS

On April 1, the Veneralia is held. During this festival, women would go where the men are, usually the baths. There they would pray to Venus Verticordia (Venus, the Changer of Hearts) and Fortuna Virilis (Fortune the Bold) for support in their love lives. Later the festival included everyone, married and single, male and female asking these two Goddesses for help in matters of the heart.

CYBELE, the MAGNA MATER

To commemorate the arrival of Cybele, the Idaean Mother, in Rome, the Megalesia is held from April 4 to April 10. As the Magna Mater, Cybele saved Rome from Hannibal during the Second Punic War. During the Megalesia, theatrical shows and mutual banquets were held. On the last day, the Goddess was taken on a bier in a grand procession to the Circus Maximus. Because her priests, the Galli, were castrated men who dressed as women, many modern people regard Cybele as the Goddess of Transgender People.

CERES and TELLUS

From the 12th to the 19th, the Cerialia is held to honor Ceres, Goddess of Agriculture and Gain. The festival is to thank Ceres for the earth’s fertility. Many of the ceremonies of the Cerialia are held in private with the participants wearing white. An Ancient Roman tradition was to set loose foxes with burning torches tied to their tails. (It was believed to drive out diseases of the land.) For Ceres, I usually walk the nearby field three times and offer milk, a traditional offering.

During the Cerialia, the Fordicidia is held on April 15. In Ancient Rome, pregnant cows were sacrificed to Tellus, the Goddess of Productive Power of the Earth, for the fertility of the cattle and fields. The ashes of the unborn calves were burnt and use in the Parilia later in the month. Modern Romans will burn meat and mix it with soil as an offering to Tellus.

PALES

On April 21, the Parilia is held. Similar to the Celtic Beltane Festival, the Parilia focuses on the purification of sheep and shepherds. Sheep pens would be cleaned out and garlands hung on the gates. Bonfires are lit and sheep are driven through them. Grain and milk are offered to Pales of Shepherds and Sheep. For this festival, I pray for healthy livestock and put a stuffed sheep between two candles.

Pales is a mystery as to what They are – male or female, plural or singular. This/these ancient Roman God/s are from the time before the Romans were shepherds, which adds to the confusion of who Pales is/are. I prefer to regard Pales as the entirety of all the concepts about Them. For me, They are the Protectors of Herders and Flocks.

In “Fasti,” Ovid writes of a ritual to Pales.

“Make dark smoke with pure burning sulphur,

And let the sheep bleat, in contact with the smoke.

Burn male-olive wood, and pine, and juniper fronds,

And let scorched laurel crackle in the hearth.

Let a basket of millet keep the millet cakes company:

The rural goddess particularly loves that food.

Add meats, and a pail of her milk, and when the meat

Is cut, offer the warm milk, pray to sylvan Pales,

Saying: ‘Protect the cattle and masters alike:

And drive everything harmful from my stalls.”

(The Parilia is also considered the Founding Day of Rome.)

VENUS ERYCINA

At the Vinalia Prior (the Festival of Wine from the Last Year), the wine from autumn is opened and offered to Venus Erycina and Jupiter. (This is the first tasting of the new wine.) Originally from Eryx in Sicily, Venus Erycina became Romanized and associated with fertility. During the Vinalia on April 23, prostitutes would offer mint and myrtle to Her, as the Goddess of Prostitutes.

ROBIGUS (ROBIGO)

To save crops from wheat rust, the Romans sacrificed dogs to Robigus, the God of Wheat Rust during the Robigalia on April 25. Traditionally, red animals were offered at the boundary of Roman territory to ensure protection of the crops from mildew and blight. Today, people offer red wine requesting that Robigus leave the crops alone.

In “Fasti,” Ovid presents a prayer for Robigus.

“Your priest, Quirinus, pronounced these words:

‘Scaly Mildew, spare the blades of corn,

And let their tender tips quiver above the soil.

Let the crops grow, nurtured by favourable stars,

Until they’re ready for the sickle.

Your power’s not slight: the corn you blight

The grieving farmer gives up for lost.

Wind and showers don’t harm the wheat as much,

Nor gleaming frost that bleaches the yellow corn,

As when the sun heats the moist stalks:

Then, dreadful goddess, is the time of your wrath.

Spare us, I pray, take your blighted hands from the harvest,

And don’t harm the crop: it’s enough that you can harm.”

FLORA

The Floralia, honoring Flora, the Goddess of Flowering Plants, is held from April 27 to May 1. (Fauna, the Goddess of Wildlife, is her Sister.) Coming after the Robigalia, the Floralia affirms the safety of the growing plants from harm. During this time, people adorn themselves and their homes with flowers. They also wear colorful clothing to reflect the emerging flowers. Traditionally, goats and rabbits were set loose in the crowds, while priests threw lupines, bean flowers and vetch about. This was to ensure fertility of everyone and everything.

Notes:

Note 1. Ovid, “Fasti,” Book IV. Translator: A.S. Kline, 2004.

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LION: Group Dynamics

Known as the “King of the Jungle,” the lion (Note 1) actually lives on the open African grasslands. Originally, he ranged from the Mediterranean Sea to Asia (Note 2) and south to Africa. Hunted by Romans for their Games, the lion first disappeared from Europe and Asia Minor. As lion hunting increased, his range shrank to where now the lion lives only in Africa.

Unlike most members of the Cat Family, the lion is social. He lives in a pride and forms coalitions with his male friends. In his pride, the lionesses work together to hunt and chase off predators. Meanwhile with his male partners, the lion defends their territory against intruders. With his coalition, the lion rules the pride for a few years until a new coalition arises. Then he and his male partners leave.

When lions hunt, they form a cooperative group. Whether they are killing seals on a beach or cape buffalos on the savannah, the pride forms a plan of action. Some lionesses wait downwind while their sisters herd the animals towards them. Other lionesses travel around the prey to close off avenues of escape. Suddenly, a lioness shows herself, causing panic among the prey. The animals rush headlong into the pride’s ambush.

Because the lion is yellow, and loves sleeping in the sun, he has been the symbol of the Sun for many cultures. People so admired the lion, that they thought he possessed spiritual powers equal to his physical attitudes. As “King of the Beasts,” Lion was wise and just.

Killing a lion was a symbol of manhood. In Africa, young men were initiated through lion combat. The Zulu and Masai were expected to defeat a lion to become a man among their peoples. In Ethiopia, the Emperor awarded the bravest warriors with a lion mane headdress.

Legends of White Lions (Children of the Sun God) exist in various oral traditions, in the Timbavati Region of Africa, from the time of Queen Numbi, who ruled about four hundred years ago. Tradition holds that once every century a White Lion appears. (Note 3) A gift from God, White Lions represent the good in all creatures. In Botswana and Kenya, they are symbols of leadership and pride.

In Ancient Egypt, the lion was the symbol of the pharaoh. This Big Cat represented his divinity and right of rule. To symbolize his power and authority, the pharaoh wore the Lion Headdress (the Nemes crown (Note 4)). Meanwhile, the Lion God, Maahes, guarded the Pharaoh as he went about his affairs.

In China, the lion is a mythic creature, a symbol of nobility and dignity. Guardian Lions (Foo Dogs) protect buildings from harmful spirits. The left Lion is a female with her Cub, representing Yin. Meanwhile, the right Lion is a male with a ball, representing Yang. These Lions of Order are balancing equal and opposing forces, while the Cub is Chaos. These statues, always in pairs, are at entrances or the north or northwest parts of the buildings.

Lion Dancing, which has a very long tradition, is an essential part of Chinese festivals. The Lion Dance brings good luck, prosperity, and happiness to the people at the festival. The two styles of the Chinese Lion Dance are the Southern which originated in Guangdong and the Northern, which was the original. Meanwhile, various peoples in Asia have their version of the Lion Dance. In Japan, the dance is performed during New Years for good luck and to drive away evil. In Korea, the Lion Dance is used for exorcism. In Tibet, they conduct the Snow Lion Dance, their Emblem of power and strength.

Meanwhile, Christianity had complex relations with the lion. While Mark, the Evangelist is represented by the lion, Christ treads on the lion as the enemy of God. However, the Lion represents Christ as coming from the tribe of Judah. (Note 5)

While humans celebrate the male lion as “King,” the lions themselves live in coalitions. They teach constructive group dynamics. When hunting, everyone contributes to bringing down the prey. Working together patiently makes for a successful hunt. Even though lions have strong personalities, they cooperate successfully. Learn from the lion how to accomplish much in your group.

Notes:

Note 1. Cats are traditionally divided into two groups – Big and Small Cats. Big Cats (Pantherinae) differ from Small Cats (Felinae) in several ways. They roar instead of purr, with their roars being very loud and resonant. Unlike Small Cats, Big Cats attack animals larger than themselves. They suffocate the prey with a strangle hold on the neck or by covering the prey’s snout with their jaws. Messy eaters, Big Cats do not groom themselves as meticulously as Small Cats.

The Cat Subfamilies: Felinae includes the puma, ocelot, jaguarundi, and margay cat. Pantherinae includes the bobcat, jaguar, lion, leopard (panther), lynx, and the tiger.

Note 2. The Asian Lion (Panthera leo leo) ranged from Turkey to India.

Note 3. In the 1970s, White Lions were found again in the Timbavati Region in South Africa, and are now protected.

Note 4. The Nemes is the striped head cloth with two large flaps hanging behind the ears and in the front of the shoulders.

Note 5. Lion Christian Symbols:

Lion: Christ

With Cross-Shaped Nimbus: Lion of the Tribe of Judah

Carrying a Book: Christ as the Teacher

Sleeping: Christ, the Divine Watcher

Winged: St. Mark, the Evangelist

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Akitu of Babylon

Akitu, the New Year’s Festival is one of the most complex and important ceremonies of Babylonians. Starting at the Spring Equinox (Nisan, the first month of the year), this festival continues for twelve days. It involves purification, the re-establishment of creation, and the re-affirmation of life, death, and the family. The rituals re-enforce the bonds of the community between the people, their Gods, and leaders. (In Ancient Babylon, elaborate and lengthy rituals for the Akitu were conducted. Modern followers of the Babylonian Gods usually have much simpler and fewer ceremonies.)

The New Year’s Festival encompasses nearly all of the tenets of Babylonian religion. First, everyone prepare for the coming year by purifying themselves and their temples. Then, the Babylonian Story of Creation (Enuma Elish) is read, beginning with the formation of the world by Apsu, the Deep and Tiamat, the Primordial Mother, to the recreation of it by Marduk. During this part of the Festival, the statues of the Babylonian Gods are brought from their temples to Marduk’s shrine.

In Ancient Babylon, the King left Babylon to travel to Borsippa (“Second Babylon”) to the temple of Nabu, Marduk’s Son and First Minister. After the King returned with that shrine’s statue, he humbled himself in the temple of Marduk. In an elaborate ritual, the King confessed what he has not done to harm his people. Finally, the King received a divination from Nabu for the coming year, which was recorded by the scribes.

Meanwhile, Marduk (the God) goes missing. While the people go into mourning believing that He is dead, Marduk’s son, Nabu leads the other Gods into the Underworld to rescue His Father. Demonstrating his love, Nabu brings Marduk home to be installed as the Head of the Gods.

The Akitu of Ancient Babylon featured the Sacred Marriage with the King acting as the God occurs with the priestess as the Goddess. The couple could represent Marduk and his wife Sarpanitu, Goddess of Childbirth or Nabu with his wife, Nanaya, Goddess of Fertility. The Marriage was to ensure the fertility of the land and to raise the king as a representative of the Gods.

After the final procession of the statues of the Gods returning to their respective temples, the priests dispense the decisions made by the Gods for the coming year. During a lengthy ritual, everyone hears their destinies and reaffirm their love for the Gods. Following feasting, the people return to their ordinary lives. Harmony between humans, nature, and the Gods has been restored.

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The Fifty Names of Marduk of Babylon

From “Enuma Elish” (“The Seven Tablets of Creation”)

Translated by Stephanie Dalley, “Myths from Mesopotamia”

Edited by me.

According to Dalley, it is hard to give an accurate description of the many titles of Marduk. Some are names of other Gods Who He assimilated. (Note 1) The others are epithets describing aspects of His various powers. Since the Sumerian is hard to convey in English, the rest of the names may seem repetitive.

In the “Enuma Elish,” there are more than fifty names listed. Since in English it is hard to differentiate between an actual name and a synonym, I have included all them for this listing. Doing this has been an act of devotion to Marduk, since it requires contemplation.

From the “Sixth Tablet”

“Thus They granted that He should exercise the Kingship of the Gods

And confirmed for Him, mastery of the Gods of Heaven and Earth.”

Marduk, “Let the Son, Majesty of the Gods be his Name.”

Asarluhi, “Let Him act as Shepherd over the black-headed people, his creation”

Marukka, “He is the God who created them”

Marutukku, “He is the Help of country, city and his people”

Mershakushu, “Furious yet Merciful”

Lugal-dimmer-ankia, “His command higher than the Gods, His Fathers”

Bel, “The King at whose instruction, the Gods are awed above and below”

Nari-Lugal-dimmer-ankia, “Director of All the Gods”

Asarlushi, “Light of the Gods, Strong Leader, who like his name is the protecting spirit of God and country”

Namtila, “The God who gives life”

Namra, “The pure God who purified our path”

“The Seventh Tablet”

Asare, “Bestower of Ploughland”

Asa-ralim, “Whose Weighted Counsel is most revered in the Chamber of Council”

Asar-alim-nuna, “The Mighty One, Whose farmland makes a surplus for the country”

Tutu, “None among the Gods shall rival him, since He is the Creator of their renewal”

Zi-ukkina, “The Inspiration of his people, who fixed the pure skies for the Gods”

Ziku, “The Upholder of Purification, The Producer of riches and abundance”

Agaku, “The Lord of the Pure Incantation, the Quickener of the Dead”

“The Merciful One, who has the power to give life!”

Tuku, “Who uprooted all of the wicked with his pure incantation.”

Shazu, “Director of Justice, Who plucks out crooked speech.”

Suhrim, “Uprooter of all the foe by force of arms”

Zisi, “Silencer of the aggressor”

Suhgurim, “Uprooter of the foe, Destroyer of their offspring”

Zahrim, “Destroyer of all enemies, everyone of them arrogant”

Zahgurim, “Who destroyed all the foe by Himself in battle”

Enbilulu, “Who opens up wells and apportions the waters of abundance”

Epadun, “Canal Controller of heaven and earth”

Gugal, “Giver of cereals, Producer of grain”

Hegal, “Who brings rains of abundance over the broad earth”

Sirsir, “Governor of the land, Their Righteous Shepherd

Malah, “The Boatman who uses Tiamat’s body as his barque.”

Gil, “Producer of cereals and flocks, Giver of the land’s seed”

Gilima, “Who established the cosmic bond of the Gods, Who created stability”

Agilima, “Who built the earth above the water, established the heights”

Zulum, “Bestower of incomes and food offerings, Supplier of shrines”

Mummu, “Fashioner of heaven and earth”

Zulum-ummu, “Whom no other God equals for strength”

Gish-numu-ab, “Creator of all people, Maker of the World’s quarters”

Lugal-ab-dubur, “The King who scattered Tiamat’s brood and snatched her weapon”

Pagal-guena, “Leader of all the Lords, whose might is supreme”

Lugal-durmah, “Bond of Gods, Lord of the Cosmic Bond”

Aranuna, “The Counsellor of Ea,(Note 2) Whom no God equals in his princely way”

Dumu-duku, “Whose pure dwelling is marked out for Him on the holy mound”

Lugal-duku, “Without whom rules cannot be decided”

Lugal-shuanna, “King whose might is supreme among the Gods”

Iruga, “Who unites all wisdom, and is broad of understanding”

Irqingu, “Who administers decrees for everything”

Kinma, “Director of all the Gods, Giver of Counsel”

E-sizkur, “He shall sit highest in the house of prayer”

Gibil, “Who performed miracles in the battle with Tiamat”

Addu, “May He shed water from the clouds, and give sustenance to the people below”

Asharu, “Who likes his name is responsible for the Gods of destinies”

Neberu, “Because He created the Place (heaven) and fashioned Dannina (earth)”

Enkurkur, “He whose name his fathers have made glorious,

Shall be even as I, his name shall be Ea!(Note 2)

The binding of all my decrees shall he control,

All my commands shall he make known!”

The ending of “Enuma Elish:”

“With fifty epithets, the Great Gods

Called his fifty names, Making his ways supreme”

“In remembrance of the song of Marduk

Who defeated Tiamat and took the Kingship.”

Notes:

Note 1. Asare, Tutu, Enbilulu, and Addu. Addu is the Weather God Adad, the only non-Sumerian God in the list.

Note 2. Ea is another name for Enlil.

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Marduk of Babylon

The Patron God of Babylon, Marduk rose to become the Ruler of the Gods of Mesopotamia. He is the third God to head this pantheon. Apsu, the Deep and Tiamat, the Primordial Mother, who together created the world, ruled at the beginning according to the Enuma Elish (The Story of Creation). Then One of the Younger Gods, Enlil who Holds of the Tablets of Destiny, overthrew the Divine Couple by using magic. When Tiamat wanted vengeance for the murder of Her Mate, the Great Gods (Note 1) met and conferred on Marduk their powers to destroy Her. After their battle, He recreated the Cosmos with the body of the slain Tiamat.

Marduk is the God who shaped the Cosmos. Making the Heavens and the Earth from the body of Tiamat, He demonstrates the transformative power of creating order from chaos. By restoring order to the Cosmos, Marduk allows it to flourish. Besides kings ruling justly in his name, judges call upon the blessings of Marduk in legal proceedings.

Originally a God of Agriculture, Marduk became the Mediator between the Gods and Hammurabi, the king (1792-1750 BCE). Later kings of Babylonia received the commands of the Gods through Him. By the time of Nebuchadnezzar I (1121-1100 BCE) (Note 2), Marduk was the Supreme King of the Gods, Lord of the Lands (which was formally Enlil’s title). For the kings of Neo-Babylonian times, He was the source of their authority.

For Babylonians, their empire brought peace, ending the many wars between the cities. Misery abounded and cities burned until Babylon rules the region. Babylon, as Marduk, established order and justice in the land.

Selected Notes About Marduk

Marduk’s Consort is Sarpantu, whose attributes are unknown. She is the Queen of the Gods because of Markuk. However, Sarpantu can be called upon to assist with pregnancy and childbirth.

Marduk’s symbols are the hoe, the thunderbolt, and the bow with arrows. The hoe is for fertility and agriculture since this God brings the rains. Often depicted riding his battle chariot, Marduk wields a thunderbolt. This connotates the destruction and renewal that comes afterwards. His bow and arrows are for the war He wages against chaos. (Meanwhile, the Mushhushshu, a type of dragon who is associated with Him, represents the chaos.)

Esaglia, the temple tower of Marduk, was recreated as the “Tower of Babel” in the Old Testament. Mentioned in the “Enuma Elish,” Esaglia was built by the Gods, making it the highest tower in the region. The shooting of the arrow from “Babel” is from the Sixth Tablet of “Enuma Elish.” (Note 3)

Some of Marduk’s epithets:

God of Fifty Names and Powers

King of Heaven

Guardian of the Four Quarters

Overseer Who is Good

Shepherd of the Gods

Light of His Father

Young Steer of the Day

Bull-Calf of the Storm

Glorious Word of Power

Citadel of Prayer

Shepherd of the Stars

Lord of Life

Master of Magic

Restorer of Joy to Humankind

Patron of Babylon

Notes:

Note 1. The Great Gods did not include Marduk until the time of the Assyrian Kings, who “raised” Him and Assur, their Patron God.

Note 2. Not to be confused with Nebuchadnezzar II of the Old Testament. Nebuchadnezzar I was a devotee of Marduk.

Note 3. Scholars have thought that Etemenanki, which is the temple complex that contains Esaglia, was the “Tower of Babel” of the Old Testament. (Meanwhile, Marduk is called “Merodach” in the Old Testament.)

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An Akitu Ceremony for Anu, the Father of the Gods (at Uruk)

(From the “Cultic Calendars of the Ancient Near East” by Mark E. Cohen)

The following is a translation of ritual instructions, dating to 251 B.C., on escorting Anu from the ReS-temple in Uruk to the akitu-house outside the walled city on the first day of the festival. After Anu has gone out from the Enamenna, and arrives at the High-Gate, all the exorcists chant the (Babylonian) spell “The King Has Gone Out” three times.

The exorcists stop, and then the High Priest, the exorcists, the temple personnel and the brewers who are tied to the carrying- poles shall greet Anu, (saying) “Great Anu, heaven and earth greet you!”

After the prayers, the exorcists chant the (Babylonian) spell “The King Has Gone Out” four times along the Street of the Gods.

The High Priest, the exorcists, the temple personnel and the brewers who are tied to the carrying- poles shall greet Anu, (saying) “Great Anu, heaven and earth greet you!”

After the prayers along the Street of the Gods, the exorcists chant the (Sumerian) spell “The King, Who in Heaven and Earth Surpasses All Other Kings” four times.

They stop, and the High Priest, the exorcists, the temple personnel and those tied to the carrying-poles shall recite the same (prayer) to Anu as before.

After the prayers, the exorcists chant the (Sumerian) spells “The King is Coming to the Festival” and “From the Holy Water Basin” seven times until (they arrive at) the Holy-Quay, the wharf of the Boat of Anu, (along) the Street of the Gods.

They stop, and the High Priest, the exorcists, the temple personnel and those tied to the carrying-poles greet Anu. Upon Anu’s arrival at the wharf of the Boat of Anu, the exorcists and the temple personnel chant the (Sumerian) spell “He has Sailed the Cargo Ship.”

Afterwards the High Priest, the exorcists, the temple personnel and those tied to the carrying-poles shall recite the same prayer to Anu as before.

From the upper wharf of the Holy-Quay to the King’s-Gate the exorcists will recite the spell “He who surpasses all kings, after He has passed by in the holy street” seven times.

They stop, and at the King’s-Gate, the High Priest, the exorcists, the temple personnel and those tied to the carrying-poles greet Anu. From the King’s-Gate to the akitu-house (the house of prayer), the exorcists chant the same spells as at the Street of the Gods.

They stop (chanting) the spells, and the High Priest, the exorcists, the temple personnel and the brewers tied to the carrying-poles recite the greeting seven times and greet Anu.

When Anu arrives at the Akitu-house, the exorcists recite the (Sumerian) spells:

“Holy House, House of the Gods.”

“Anu, My King, Your Good Heart.”

“(In) the Banquet Hall, At the Evening Meal of Anu.”

“He Befitting the Lofty Dais.”

and the (Babylonian) spells: “The House Has Been Purified” and “The Dwelling of the Great Gods.”

They recite:

“Great Anu, may heaven and earth greet you! May Enlil, Ea and Belet-ili joyously greet you! May the pair of Gods Sin (the moon) and Samas (the sun) greet you with their countenance. May Nergal and the Seven Gods greet you with kindness in their hearts. May the Igigi of heaven and the Anunnaki of earth greet you! May the Gods of the subterranean waters and the Gods of the sacred mound greet you! May They greet you daily, each day, month and year.”

The procession and prayers establishes Anu’s domain. He consults with the other Gods, and then decides the fates of the humans for the coming year. The people reaffirm their devotions to Him and the other Gods.

Notes:

Exorcists: The Asipu who are both diviners and doctors.

Seven Gods: A group of beneficent Gods who protect against demons.

Ea: Akkadian for Enki

Belet-ili: Akkadian for Ninlil

Seven and Four: Magical numbers

Igigi: The Great Gods of Heaven

Anunnaki: The Gods of Earth and Underworld

The Akitu (New Year’s Festival) of Mesopotamia

The Wheel of the Year in Mesopotamia starts at the Vernal Equinox. This is celebrated as zagmu, “the turning of the year.” (Note 1) At this time, the major festival of Akitu focuses on the Gods returning to their cities for the new year. Then, the Gods are re-installed as the leaders of each city. The spring harvest of barley is blessed. At the end of Akitu festival, the Gods determine the destiny of the people for the coming year.

The Akitu (New Year’s) Festival is one of the most complex and important ceremonies in Mesopotamia. Starting at the Spring Equinox, this festival continues for twelve days. It involves purification, the re-establishment of creation, and the re-affirmation of life, death, and the family. The rituals re-enforce the bonds of the community between the people, their Gods, and leaders. (In Ancient Mesopotamia, elaborate and lengthy rituals for the Akitu were conducted. Modern followers of the Mesopotamian Gods have a much simpler ceremony.)

During the Akitu, the God’s statue is taken on the Boat of Heaven to the Akitu house outside the city walls. (This is the house where the God resides when They are on the earth.) During the first three days, offerings are made at the Boat of Heaven and at the Akitu house – during daybreak, evening, and midnight. Afterwards, the statue of the God is taken through the city and welcomed.

Originally, the Akitu focused on Nanna-Suen, the Moon God. He is the God of Time, measuring the months by the waxing and waning of the moon. Later each city held the Akitu festival for their principal Gods. The Nippur Compendium lists the Gods for the Akitu (Note 2). According to Mark Cohen, Akitu festivals were celebrated at Uruk for Anu, Beltu-sa-Uruk, and Usur-amassa; at Babylon for Marduk and Nabu, at Nippur for Marduk, Ninurta, and Nanna-Sin.

The Ishtar Gate lists a ritual for modern Sumerian Polytheists to follow. The following is a summary:

Day before Akitu: Reflect on the past year.

Day 1. Remove the statues from your altar to a ceremonial Akitu-House.

Day 2. Make offerings at the Akitu-House. Reflect on the Gods in your life.

Day 3. Read the “Enuma Elish”

Day 4. Day of Atonement. Reflect on how to do better in the coming year.

Day 5. Clean your home, take a bath, and clean the altar.

Day 6. Praise the Gods. Read “Enki and the World Order.”

Day 7. Take statues back to the altar and make offerings.

Notes:

Note 1. “Zagmu” translates to “the New Year” or “Spring.” It is believed that the term denoted the spring fruit, or the yield of the first month.

Note 2. Nippur Compendium:

Marduk ,for His Supreme Divinity

Ninurta, for His Father Enlil

Ishtar (Inanna), the Queen of Nippur

Nanna-Sin

Sources:

Jeremy Black and Anthony Green, “Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia”

Mark Cohen, “Festivals and Calendars of the Ancient Near East.”

The Ishtar Gate, https://theishtargate.com/

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Sumerian Month: March/April: New Year

The beginning of the Sumerian year starts at the Spring Equinox. (Note 1) This turning of the year is called zagmu, “the border of the year.” (Note 2) This is the time to take stock, review personal affairs, and financial accounts. Moreover, affirm the Gods as the supreme authorities of the cosmos.

For Sumerians, the month is called Barazagar, (Note 3) which is thought to be mean “throne of the sanctuary.” During this month, the statues of the Gods are placed by either side of the Throne of Enlil, This is the time that Enlil holds court. First Offerings are made to the Gods. Later in the month, there were offerings made to the temples of Enlil and His Consort, Ninlil.

The Akiti-Sekingu, “the Festival of Barley Consumption,” starts at the full moon, after the harvest. At this festival, presents of bread and beer (burumai) are given. Offerings are made to Nisaba ((Tashmetum) Goddess of Grain), Nanshe (Goddess of Divination) or Ningirsu (God of the Floods) (depending on the city). On the first day of the festival, the God, their Family, and Associates receive offerings. On the second day, the God receive the most offerings. On the final day, only the God receives any offerings. (These offerings are barley, dates and dark beer.)

From a “Hymn to Nisaba:”

In order to make grain and vegetable grown in the furrow,

So that the excellent corn can be marvelled at,

That is, to provide for the seven great throne-daises

By making vegetables shoot forth, making grain shoot forth,

At harvest, the great festival of Enlil,

She in her great princely role has verily cleansed (her) body,

Has verily put the holy priestly garment on (her) torso.

(N.B. This alludes to the beauty of the grain being harvested.)

The Akitu Festival in Ur, Sumer honors the coming of Nanna, the God of the Moon. The entry of Nanna is celebrated, with his statue brought in by barge from the akitu house (a building outside of the city). (The akitu house is where the God temporarily lives while He is on the earth.) Depending on the Sumerian city, Nanna, Ninurta (God of Farming and War), Enlil (Holder of the Tablet of Destinies) or Inanna (Goddess of Love and War) are celebrated. (Note 4) Modern Sumerian Polytheists usually choose between the four Gods to honor.

Notes:

Note 1. The Sumerians had a lunar calendar, and added months beyond the 12-month year. They kept their year keyed to the equinoxes. Modern Sumerian Polytheists follow the reconstructed calendar of the holy city of Nippur.

Note 2. “Zagmu” translates to “the New Year” or “Spring.” It is believed that the term denoted the spring fruit, or the yield of the first month.

Note 3. This month’s logogram was utilized for the Standard Mesopotamian Calendar month, Nisaanu.

Note 4. The Nippur Compendium lists the Gods for the Atiku.

Marduk, for His Supreme Divinity

Ninurata, for His Father Enlil

Ishtar (Inanna), the Queen of Nippur

Nanna-Sin

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Babylon Month: March/April: New Year

The beginning of the Babylonian year starts at the Spring Equinox. (Note 1) This turning of the year is called zagmu, “the border of the year.” (Note 2) At this time, people take stock, review their personal affairs, and check their financial accounts. Then they affirm the Gods as the supreme authorities of the cosmos.

According to Assyrian Astrolabe B, Nisannu, the first month of the year is for Nanna (Sin), the God of the Moon. “The month Nisannu, the dais of Anua King is removed and a King is installed; a good start for Anu and Enlil; the month of Nanna-Suen, the first-born of Enlil.” An incantation from Nimrud reiterates this: “May the month Nisannu, (the month) of Anu and Enlil, absolve! The first month belonged to the First of the Gods.”

During Nisannu (the new moon after the equinox) the Akitu, the New Year Festival is held for twelve days. It starts with purifications, and then the “Enuma Elish” (the Babylonian Creation Epic) is read. This myth begins with the original creation of the world by Tiamat, the Goddess of Chaos, and Apsu, the God of Waters. Later Anu, a God from the succeeding generation becomes the “Father of the Gods.” Eventually, He cedes his powers to Enlil, from yet a newer generation of Gods, who seeks to overthrow the original Gods. After Enlil kills Apsu, Tiamat wages war on the newer Gods. In desperation, Enlil goes to Marduk, the principal deity of Babylon, for help. On the condition that He is made the Ruler of the Gods, Marduk agrees. After killing Tiamat, Marduk remakes the world from her body.

During the Akitu, Marduk disappears. While his and Nabu’s temples are being cleansed, the people search for Him. At this time, they carry the statues of the other Gods to Marduk’s temple. Meanwhile, Nabu, the Scribe of the Gods and Marduk’s Minister, searches for and then frees Marduk from the Underworld. Then in his temple, the priests re-enthroned Marduk as the Ruler of the Gods. (Note 3) Afterwards, they do divination for the coming year. The festival ends with celebrations and the return of the Gods to their shrines. (Note 4)

Meanwhile to begin the growing season, the King would enact a sacred marriage with the temple priestess of Ishtar (Inanna). Their mating is to reaffirm the marriage of Ishtar, the Goddess of Fertility, with her husband, Tammuz (Dumuzi). These marriage rites ensure that the King is accepted as one of the Gods, and blessed by Ishtar, who also blesses the crops.

Notes:

Note 1. The Babylonians had a lunar calendar and added months beyond the 12-month year. They kept their year keyed to the equinoxes. Between 1750 – 1500 BCE, they standardized their calendar – the Standard Mesopotamian Calendar to unify their empire.

Note 2. “Zagmu” translates to “the New Year” or “Spring.” It is believed that the term denoted the spring fruit, or the yield of the first month.

Note 3. This called the “Installation of the King,” which could either mean Marduk, Himself or a human king.

Note 4. The Stages of the Pageantry for Marduk are

At His Temple

Between curtains

At His Sacred Dwelling

On the Throne of Destinies

Procession through the streets

Journey by barge

Residing at the Akitu House

After His Temple is cleansed, the stages are reversed.