Thanks for joining us for another Families’ Deity! We’re exploring deities that tie into families and family values, or who are important to the family unit or children in some way. This month, we are exploring the nourishing God, Ceres.
Who is Ceres?
Ceres is the Roman counterpart of the Greek goddess Demeter whose mythology was reinterpreted for Ceres but even though her story was borrowed it didn’t make her any less credible as a goddess and was important to the Roman population. She protected the entire agriculture cycle from the sowing to the reaping and governed over the agricultural laws. She also governed over marriage laws and a torch bearer holding the torch of Ceres would open the marriage ceremony.
Her name means “nourishment” or “to feed” is the Roman goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility, harvest, and motherhood and is credited with the discovery of agriculture and giving this knowledge to humans.
Ceres has two festivals dedicated in her honour. Cerealia which was held in mid-April for seven days and included games, starting with a horse race and great banquets were held. The other festival of Ceres is a procession of rites called Ambarvalia held for one day on 29th May where prayers were made.
Why is Ceres one of our family deities?
Ceres is a mother goddess; she is connected to humans through the agriculture that she gifted to assist in human living. She is very much a goddess of hearth and home and the food which sustains.
Honouring Ceres
Celebrate one of her festivals would be a good place to start, connecting with her agricultural side by grow something and generally looking after the land. Other times to honour her would be at harvest or at a marriage ceremony.
It would be appropriate to make offerings of cake, bread, barley water.
Ceres Correspondences
Animals
Horses
Snakes
Tools
Sickle
Torch
Other Items
Cornucopia
Poppies
Wheat
Fruits
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