NUMINISM
A Roman Religion For Today
Numinism is a Neo-Roman spiritual tradition. Drawing
inspiration from various sources, including ancient Roman
practices and traditions as well as practices of similar
modern religions.
Numinism derives from Stoic thought the belief that humanity is basically a communal species
and that our strength is in community with others.
To help create common ground for the formation of such community and the communal
worship thereof, Numinism presents a list of points of common belief, the
CORE Statement.
Stoic thought tells us that the only true GOOD is Virtue
and that the only true EVIL is Vice. Likewise, Numinists
should value virtue. In addition to using the CORE Statement,
Numinists can use this list of Numinist Virtues as a guide to a more virtuous life.
The worshippers in this New Roman tradition are called the Gente (people). Individual meeting groups are
called familias. Vertumnus, the Lord of the Changing Seasons, is the Pater familiae (father of the family) and Pomona,
Goddess of the Fruitful Tree (Of Life), is the Mater familiae (mother of the family). The priest and/or priestess is
called the Custode (Guardian).
The World View:
There are basically three worlds. The world of the High Gods, rulers of the higher levels of consciousness.
The Middle World, Tellus, in which we live. And the Netherworld, Orcus, which is the land of myth and dream from which the
gods and spirits which care for the day to day workings of the universe work. Some Pagans call this world
Summerland. Everything and everyone that exists in the Middle world is dual in nature. The inner part is
the true part and the outer part is an illusory reflexion of the inner and are colored by the oppinions,
thoughts, desires, and expectations of the viewer. This why things 'out there' seem different to different
people. The 12 Olympians, the High Gods, rule the various levels of consciousness
and planes of being above, beside, and below this middle world.
The center of our world is the Apple Tree (which symbolizes the soul). Each spring (at the
beginning of each life) Pomona and Vertumnus graft the Vine (which symbolizes the individual
life or ego) to the Apple Tree. The center of the universe is of course Mount Olympus, the home
of the 12 High Gods. The High Gods are active in our world indirectly. The Spirits of the land and
Pomona and Vertumnus are in control daily. You can contact and communicate with the High
Gods through Mercury, the Messenger and Guardian of the Door Between the Worlds. You can
ask for help from the 12 and are required to honor them at holidays, but for the everyday world
Pomona and Vertumnus are Queen and King, Mother and Father of the Family of Humanity. The
Numines (Spirits of the Land and of Specific Activities) are Supreme in this world. The Olympians are supreme is the realms of
consciousness.
The Creation Myth
Numinists believe that there is no difference between scientific truth and religious truth, therefore, the Big Bang theory can be viewed as our creation myth. But if you prefer a more traditional story, please examine the myth of Nox (the Goddess Night) and the Cosmic Egg. The universe itself is like the closed environment of the egg. When something happens over here it affects things throughout the entire universe.
Why Pomona?
We choose to honor Pomona because She has a more harmonious
connection to our modern world since She is Goddess of the Cultivated Garden. What is modern civilization if not a cultivated garden? We acknowledge that the gardening methods in
current use are not the most appropriate, but, if we are to live in the world of cities and parks, of appartments and indoor gardens rather than the wild virgin forests, it seems fitting that the Goddess of this world should be the Goddess who is most skilled at providing abundance in this environment and, Vertumnus, her consort, whose sacred symbol is a ship's helm, the eight
pointed steering wheel which is the wheel of the year, which he uses to steer the fate of the
faithful.
Suggested Reading
- Jung To Live By, Eugene Pascal
- Creative Visualization, Shakti Gawain
- Metamorphoses, Ovid
- Tao Te Ching, Lao Tse
- Candle Magic, Kala & Ketz Pajeon
- Celtic Magic,D J Conway
- Ancient Ways, Pauline Campanelli
- The Family Virtues Guide, Linda Kevalin
Although the main purpose of this tradition is spiritual growth and honoring the Roman Gods and Goddesses
and not MAGICK, the belief that the spiritual can effect change in the physical is an important belief.
A Personal Affirmation
-My mother is Pomona, Goddess of Fruit Trees. My father is Vertumnus, God of the Changing
Season. My soul is like a tree cultivated by Pomona and Vertumnus. This life is like a grape
vine grafted to the tree, sharing the same roots and nurture. As a child of Pomona and
Vertumnus, I accept their name and their rule and honor them as my Divine Parents, Pomona as
earth mother and Vertumnus as sky father.
- This religion is a religion which encourages a personal relationship with a chosen god/dess.
Above all is the relationship of family, Pomona and Vertumnus, then, the relationship with the
god/dess as sibling, teacher, friend, or lover. Each person is invited to express their love for
their god/dess as they see fit. This CORE system will deal with the honor and duties of the familia
to its parentes.
The Numines
There is a divine energy coursing through everyone ond everthing in the universe. For humans and animals, this
energy is called spirito (breath or spirit). For objects, places, and activities this divine energy is called Numine
and the numines of things and activities were personified by the Roman. A modern example is the Spirit of
Giving, whom children know as Santa Claus. The Romans called the Spirit of Hospitality, Vesta, the Spirit of
the Household and Family, Penate, the Guardian Spirit of the Doorway, Janus, etc. Our Mother, Pomona, was, once,
to the Romans, the Spirit of Growing Fruit and Fruitful Abundance. Our Father, Vertumnus, was the Spirit of the
Changing Seasons and Passing Time. The main purpose of this tradition is to promote family-like communtiy and personal
spiritual growth. The main tool to be used is the honoring of the Spirits (Numines)and the High Gods, which will be discussed later.
Examples of this honoring include...
Giving Janus thanks for guarding the security of your home upon entering and leaving by saying "Thank you" and nodding.
When cooking, light a candle and say "I cook with Vesta's flame."
Before eating, light a candle and place images of your Penates on the table.
Say a prayer including, "In the light of these flames there is peace. May all on whom they
shine be blessed. So mote it be."
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