The Goddess Way: Ancient Stories for Modern Hearts

Judith Shaw both paints and writes about the Goddess, great symbol of life, death and the natural world. For the past few years she has focused on the Celtic Goddesses, whose stories are explored here in The Goddess Way.

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Rosmerta, The Great Provider

 

Rosmerta, a goddess loved by both Celtic and Roman Gauls, was known as the Great Provider. A goddess of fertility and wealth, she was worshiped in southwestern Britain, Gaul, and along the Rhone and the Rhine rivers.  Sheis a good goddess to remember and to honor during the harvest season. 


Divinatory Meaning

Abundance, fertility, healing. Call on Rosmerta for help with material well-being -  finding a job, sales for your business, a raise at your job, and financial investments are all within Rosmertas domain. A bountiful harvest is also provided by Rosmertas influence with Mother Earth.

Her Story

After the region was conquered by Rome, Rosmerta was incorporated into the Roman pantheon, becoming associated with Mercury. Though she has been called Mercurys consort there is no evidence that this was the nature of their relationship. She survived into the Roman era as a powerful goddess in her own right, being depicted alone many times. Alone and with Mercury, she carried a cornucopia and a basket of fruit, symbols of abundance. A giving goddess, she was often shown with a paetera - a bowl for offerings - and with a ladle or scepter.

Rosmerta is often pictured with a unique attribute which has been difficult to decipher. Marian Green suggests that this attribute is a butter churn. In lands where cattle is wealth, one would expect milk to be an important part of both the economy and religious ritual. It is not hard to imagine a link between Rosmertas butter churn and the magic cauldrons found so often in Celtic mythology, since both are sources of plenty and transformation. 

The butter churn/cauldron seen with Rosmerta could also indicate her ancient origins as a goddess of death and rebirth. In addition she is sometimes seen with the Greco-Roman goddess Fortuna. One image shows them both holding a torch. Fortunas torch is held upright whereas Rosmertas points down, indicating death and the Otherworld. 

Rosmerta as a healing goddess was often depicted with the caduceus - Mercurys wand with two entwined snakes, associated with healing. A bronze statue of her from Haute-Savoie, a region in the Rhône-Alpes area of eastern France, shows her sitting on a rock holding a purse, with the wings of Mercury on her head. It seems that Rosmerta was able, not only to share, but to appropriate Mercurys powers. 

Both Rosmerta and Mercury were associated with rivers, making them the favorites of merchants and traders.

Rosmerta, with her powers of fertility, abundance and healing, is a perfect ally as we seek a world of harmony and abundance for all. 

 

To view Judith's 34 card deck of Celtic Goddess Oracle cards visit her Etsy shop -  http://etsy.me/2EG289

 

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Judith Shaw, a New Orleans native and graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, has always been interested in myth, culture and mysticism. Her work, inspired by the goddess, nature and sacred geometry, combines whimsy and the esoteric - whimsical tree paintings which often look like women dancing are intertwined with esoteric symbols such as those found in sacred geometry. After graduation, while living in Greece, the Goddess first appeared in her artwork. The Divine Feminine, in all of Her manifestations in this world, continues to inspire Judith.    Judith has also lived in Mexico and visited France, Italy, Turkey, China, Guatemala, and Jamaica. She now lives in Albuquerque where she divides her time between painting, writing, yoga, gardening, bee keeping, and hanging out with friends and family.  She is putting the final touches on a deck of Celtic Goddess cards which will be published soon.  

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