When In Rome

I recently learned from a friend that there’s a surge in interest in ancient Rome. I looked online and found that it’s a TikTok thing. Bizarrely, men are asked how often they think of the Roman Empire. Equally bizarre, it appears that many respondents say they think about ancient Rome several times a day.

What’s driving this trend? And what might it say about contemporary Western society?

 

I can’t help but hope that the current popularity in ancient Rome is due to a renewed interest in history. As a history buff, I admit that I find ancient Rome fascinating. In fact, I’m currently reading a book set in the Late Roman Empire titled A World Full of Gods: The Strange Triumph of Christianity written by Keith Hopkins, Professor of Ancient History at Cambridge. 

In addition to having a general interest in history, as a Contemporary Dark Pagan, I’m intrigued by the fact that Rome was a massive and multicultural Pagan society. The Roman Empire consisted of Hellenistic Paganism that coexisted with numerous local Pagan religions stretching from the Near East to Britain. And contrary to popular thought, Rome was very tolerant of non-Pagan religions such as Judaism, including the upstart Jewish heresy known as Christianity. These religions weren’t popular among Roman authorities, scholars, and philosophers, but as long as these groups were loyal, paid their taxes, and didn’t rock the boat, Rome largely tolerated these strange monotheists.

Interest in Rome isn’t new. The American Founding Fathers were intrigued by the Roman Republic with its dedication to the rule of law. This makes sense since the U.S., like Rome, during most of its history, hasn't been truly democratic. This is why so much of the architecture of Washington, D.C., has a Roman flare to it. Consider that next time you look at the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial.  

However, I suspect many of those currently interested in ancient Rome aren’t motivated by a love of history. I suspect their motives are darker.

Historically, ancient Rome has had a reputation for being hyper-masculine. There is some truth to this. While same-sex relations occurred in ancient Rome just as any society, unlike Greece, they were publicly frowned upon by the establishment. And while Roman women had more legal rights than others in many ancient cultures, Roman society embodied patriarchy in structure and law. 

This patriarchal aspect of Rome can be very appealing to some. Right now, current-day cavemen are busy trying their best to defend patriarchy. Look at how many men have gotten their undies in a wad over movies such as the rebooted Ghostbusters, Doctor Who, the Barbie movie, and more. Let’s not forget those whining about the Me-Too Movement or those claiming to be “Incels” (online groups of angry, misogynist, white, straight men boohooing about women refusing to have sex with them.) This defense of patriarchy is also found in the current rash of homophobia sweeping the country in the shape of anti-Trans legislation and book banning.

Another disturbing possible reason for the renewed interest in Rome is the recent rise in fascism. The Roman Empire has long been appealing to authoritarians. European Fascists of the 20s through 40s imagined themselves as heirs to the Roman Empire. Much of the tropes and imagery for fascists were copied from ancient Rome. Even the very name “fascism” has Roman roots. The current crop of fascist scum shares this same interest.

Let us hope that the positive reason for studying ancient Rome wins out.

Autumn Equinox 2023

Today marks the Autumn Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s a festival day known by many as Mabon in the Wiccan Wheel of the Year. I wrote about the problems with Mabon last year. But the misunderstandings about this festival persist. Therefore, it’s worth repeating.

 

A significant misunderstanding is that the ancient Celtic people celebrated a festival named Mabon. They didn’t. The festival of Mabon was invented by Aiden Kelly, an influential and controversial person in Wicca during the 1960s and 70s. He drew the name from the Welsh Pagan deity named Mabon ap Modron. 

The issue goes beyond the name. Being that Mabon is based on a Welsh Pagan deity, it’s considered Celtic. However, we know that the Celts didn’t celebrate the Autumn Equinox. In fact, they didn’t celebrate either Solstices or Equinoxes. Notice that none of the four Celtic festivals (Samhain, Beltane, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh) are tied to the celestial indicators of seasonal changes. (source: Secrets of the Druids by Teresa Cross. A great book that I highly recommend.)

The only European Pagan festival set on the Autumn Equinox that I can find is a Slavic Pagan harvest festival named Dožínky. Not a lot is known about the ancient Pagan festival. One known aspect is that, for some, it centered around worship of the god Svetovid, a god of abundance and war.

With all this said, I celebrate the Autumn Equinox because I find it meaningful for several reasons. For me, the Autumn Equinox is meaningful because of what it foretells. It foretells the end of the oppressive heat of Summer and the cool of Autumn. Autumn Equinox also marks the start of a season of festivals. I also look forward to upcoming Pagan festivals such as Samhain, Yule, and Saturnalia and public holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving, and New Year.

The Autumn Equinox is more than what it foretells. It’s also a celebration of the natural cycles of our living planet as the seasons change from Summer to Autumn. This makes the Autumn Equinox an important festival to honor the goddess Gaia. 

It’s okay if you want to celebrate a Celtic-themed Autumnal Equinox festival named Mabon. But let’s be honest and admit that it’s not historical.

Disasters

The news has been full of horrifying stories in the last few months. Rampaging wildfires, devastating earthquakes, and catastrophic flooding, to name a few. A detail caught my attention on a report I was watching about the earthquake in Morocco. The reporter said that many people he had spoken to believed that when a natural disaster like this occurred, it was because God was angry with them.

The idea that Divine anger is the source of natural disasters isn’t new. Nor is it unique to monotheism. Some classic Pagans viewed rituals as appeasing the gods to ward off disasters.

So how should we, as contemporary Pagans, especially hard polytheists, view this matter? It’s also an issue for animists, which many contemporary Pagans are. Are natural disasters the result of angry gods or malicious nature spirits?

Disasters as Divine Wrath

Some insight may be found in the views of the Greek philosopher Epicurus (341–270 B.C.E.). He’s most famous for his view that the goal of human life was the absence of physical and mental disturbance. That included not being afraid of the gods.

It’s important to understand that Epicurus believed in the existence of gods. He wasn’t an atheist. However, he believed that the gods are indifferent to humans. Epicurus believed the gods are so above us that we don’t appear on their radar. 

For Epicurus, the indifference of the gods is a blessing. Epicurus said not having to fear the wrath of the gods should be one less source of anxiety for people.

As a Contemporary Pagan, I hold that while the gods are indifferent to humans, it doesn’t mean that we can’t seek them out and build relationships with them. Our rituals aren’t based on fear but on reciprocity. We perform rituals partially to aid us in building relationships with gods and other spirits. 

I’m not saying the Otherworld is all “love and light.” Far from it. Like the material world, some Otherworldly entities and forces can be very hazardous and should be cautiously approached. As in the natural world, the Otherworld deserves respect but not our fear. 

Disasters as a Result of Malicious Nature Spirits

Animism holds that all the material world is full of spirit. Spirits infuse every tree, every rock, and every blade of grass. Might these spirits be the cause of natural disasters? 

Just as many ancient Pagans feared the wrath of gods, many feared being attacked by hostile spirits or demons. Texts from Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt contain spells and rituals to ward off dangerous spirits. 

It was only natural that many ancient people saw hostile spirits as the source of disasters. The natural world was a dangerous place. Predators were everywhere. Life was fragile and usually brief. It must have felt like the world was out to get us.

Today, we understand the world differently. Even when human life is threatened by the natural world, we know it’s not personal. Natural disasters are, well, natural. When wildlife attacks, it’s just following instinct. Even a dangerous virus is just acting according to its nature.

Each nature spirit has its own domain. Like the gods, they’re indifferent to the affairs of humans. A river spirit cares about its river, while a tree spirit cares about the trees. 

Also, like the gods, humans can build positive relations with nature spirits. I’m pleased to see more and more authors of books about magick encouraging their readers to build relations with the indigenous nature spirits in their areas. 

A point of clarification is needed here. I’m generally indifferent to insects. However, if I find one in my house, they have my undivided attention. The presence of a cockroach, for example, means all-out war.

While nature spirits are indifferent to us, it doesn’t mean they will stay that way. Humans are the greatest threat to life since the asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs millions of years ago. Because of that, we run the risk of angering the spirits of nature.

We better hope we never get on the wrong side of nature spirits. It will not end well for us as a species.

Magick Circles

Occasionally, I will read someone claiming that magical practices aren’t old. The claim is that they only date back to the Order of the Golden Dawn or to medieval grimoires but no further. 

However, that’s not entirely true. Many of our practices have ancient roots. One of these ancient practices still used today is drawing a circle around the practitioner during a ritual. This practice has roots in the ancient Near East.

Gods, Demons and Symbols of Ancient Mesopotamia by Jeremy Black and Anthony Green is a classic resource for Mesopotamian practices. According to the authors, the Sumerians and other Mesopotamians would draw magic circles of flour around the sick. The purpose of the circle was to protect those suffering from demons.  

Magic circles were also used in ancient Egypt. Stephen Skinner is the author of Techniques of Graeco-Egyptian Magic. According to Skinner, the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) includes an Egyptian practice of magicians drawing a circle clockwise, starting at the east, around themselves at the start of a magical ritual. As the magician drew the circle, they invoked the four cardinal points. For example, the magician was directed to say, “I call on you as the east,” along with chanting certain vowels as seed words.

When you practice your magic, remember that you are the heir to ancient and noble traditions.

Here Be Dragons

This is the third and final installment in a series on the Hebrew Creation Myths found in the Old Testament. In this post, I address a Hebrew Creation Myth that many aren’t aware of. Unfortunately, this myth hasn’t survived completely. Parts of it can be found in Psalm 74: 13 – 17 and Job 41, which can be read at the Bible Gateway.

To summarize Psalm 74:13-17, these passages reference God crushing the heads (note that it’s not singular) of a sea-serpent called Leviathan and distributing the body to those residing in the desert. It also states that God opened streams, dried up rivers, and created Day, Night, Sun, Moon, Earth, Summer, and Winter.  

In Job 41, Yahweh gives a long diatribe critical of Job and bragging about His dominance over Leviathan. In it, He describes Leviathan as having shields of armor on his body, powerful limbs, breathing fire and smoke from its mouth and nostrils, and lightning flashing from its eyes. (In Job 25: 13, Yahweh is described as piercing a “fleeing serpent,” which likely was Leviathan.)

Destruction of Leviathan by Gustave Doré

 

Both of these passages are remnants of a long-lost ancient Israelite Creation myth. This original Hebrew myth was a variant of a Canaanite myth, which should not be a surprise since the ancient Israelites were Canaanites. In the Ugaritic Canaanite myth, Leviathan is called Lotan and is defeated by another storm god, Baal. 

This 3rd Creation Myth resembles myths other than just the Ugaritic Baal myth. In the Babylonian Creation myth, Marduk battles and defeats the sea-serpent Tiamat and creates the universe from her body. We find similar elements in the Greek myth of Zeus versus Typhon. It’s not limited to the ancient Near East and the ancient Mediterranean. In Norse mythology, Thor battles the world serpent Jörmungandr. These myths likely indicate a common Proto-Indo-European source.

Series Conclusion
In my book The Philosophy of Dark Paganism, I define Contemporary Paganism as “an umbrella term for various contemporary spiritual paths of Western esotericism inspired by pre-Abrahamic concepts, tropes, and mythology.” In these three myths, we catch a glimpse of another pre-Abrahamic polytheist mythology.