The ‘Festival of Concordia’ was celebrated in ancient Rome on Jan. 16, following the rededication of her temple; Concordia is the goddess of concord, union, harmony, agreement and peace. She is equivalent to the Greek goddess Harmonia: The daughter of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, and Ares, the god of war.
Depictions
In the “Bibliotheca Classica,” it is revealed that Concordia is a goddess that was addressed by ancient Romans when seeking peace, particularly in family relationships or, on a grander scale, when seeking the unity of the citizens of Rome. In a “Classical Dictionary, Containing a Copious Account of All the Proper Names Antient Authors,” (the word antient being an archaic reference to the word ancient), Concordia is portrayed as youthful and crowned with garlands; She is sometimes portrayed with a cornucopia in one hand and a cup in the other. The cornucopia and the cup are suggestive; They are symbolic of abundance, prosperity and plenty.
In other instances, Concordia holds a scepter or a bundle of sticks; The bundle of sticks represents strength in unity and weakness in separation. Symbols associated with this deity include the joining of two right hands, and the pomegranate or caduceus. In the “Dictionarium Britannicum,” it is revealed that in art, Concordia is depicted with blossoms or fruit on her head, and with a heart and pomegranate; Such symbols represent this goddess because the pomegranate has closely united seeds inside and has roots that if separated will join together again.
According to Nova Roma, the “dies natalis” or anniversary date when the Temple of Concordia was rededicated falls on Jan. 16. In “The Architecture of Roman Temples: The Republic to the Middle Empire,” John W. Stamper writes that following the Punic Wars in 121 B.C., the Temple of Concordia was erected in the west side of the Forum Romanum; The temple was located between the Curia Hostilia and the Temple of Saturn at the base of the Capitoline Hill. In the “Classical Dictionary,” it is explained that this deity was “entreated by her votaries to promote family unity and the harmonious unity of the citizens of Rome.”
Honoring Concordia today
Practitioners can light white or blue candles in honor of Concordia; The appropriate colored candles can also be charged to help in attracting harmonious and peaceful energies into one’s life. Herbs associated with peace include passion fruit, gardenia, chamomile, vervain, violet and lavender. Incense ideal for promoting harmony and peace include violet, lavender, gardenia, narcissus and cumin. This is a good time to invoke Concordia for help in restoring harmonious conditions when one is involved in disagreements or when a practitioner is seeking help in resolving conflicts. The Ace of Cups is an ideal card to use for the purposes of meditation if one is seeking inner peace, familial peace, or peace among friends; in the Rider-Waite deck the card depicts a large cup, a symbol of Concordia, and a dove, a symbol of peace.
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