Hail Jupiter!
Hail Diana!
Hail Virbius!
Hail Fortuna Equestris!
Hail Vertumnus!
Hail Pomona!
Hail Flora!
Hail Hercules Invictus!
Hail Castor and Pollux!
We honour our gods and goddesses in our harvest gratitude.
May we become evermore mindful of your gifts of abundance!
May we know too and honour today our communities!
Salve Iuppiter!
Salve Diana!
Salve Virbie!
Salve Fortuna Equestris!
Salve Vertumne!
Salve Pomona!
Salve Flora!
Salve Hercules Invicte!
Salve Castor and Pollux!

 

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The Ides of August as originally the sixth full moon of the year represent the ‘turning’ point. Consequently, we find that a temple to Vertumnus ‘turner’, Vortumnus or Pomonus was dedicated on this day. Vertumnus/Pomonus is the male counterpart of Pomona, the goddess of fruits. He is the patron of gardens and orchards.

Other temples dedicated on this day are those to the Aventine Diana, to Flora the goddess of flowers, to Hercules Invictus/Victor, to Castor and Pollux. In the surviving ecclesiastical calendar, this is the feast day of St. Hippolytus – an obvious transformation of Diana’s cult-partner Hippolytus, apotheosised as Virbius. Beneath the multiplicity of names associated with this day, the basic functional figures concerning agricultural and harvest are to be discerned. The divine is found here in male and female counterparts as well as chthonian and non-chthonian equivalents.