The Goddess
Sulis is an ancient British goddess associated with healing waters, the spirit and the craft of medicine. The name Sulis is thought to be associated with the derivatives Sul or Sulla from the Celtic Siul or eye.
Sulis has a great reputation as a healer and people travelled to her shrines to take the waters, commune with the Goddess and seek a cure for their ills. The hot springs were viewed as particularly good for rheumatism and gout.
Sulis was also a Goddess for women as she is associated with fertility and childbearing. Votive offerings of bronze and ivory breasts were found at her shrines. It has been suggested that these offerings were originally worn by breastfeeding women as amulets until they weaned their infants. The amulets were then offered to Sulis in thanks giving for a bountiful supply of milk.
Sulis was adopted by the Romans and known as Sulis Minerva, her major shrine was at Aqua Sulis the centre of modern Bath.
The Romans had a genius for appropriating local deities and blending them with their own gods. Sul thus became Sulis Minerva when they built their temple where the druids' grove had stood. Sul, goddess of arcane prophecy, was tempered with the cultured arts and science of Minerva. Like the Celts, the Romans believed that the goddess guards this entrance to the Underworld.
Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom, medicine, the arts, dyeing, science and trade, but also of war. As Minerva Medica she is the patroness of physicians. She is the daughter of Jupiter In the temple on the Capitoline Hill she was worshipped together with Jupiter and Juno, with whom she formed a powerful triad of gods.
Symbols of Minerva
General:-Sun, golden shield and helmet, spear, spindle bowl, intertwined snakes, the Parthenon, the seven auras, Number 7.
Animals:-Owl (wisdom), dove (victory), ram, eagle, tiger, leopard, and other cats.
Plants:-Geranium, tiger lily, oak, cypress, olive tree, Hellebore (Christmas and Lenten roses), citrus trees.
Perfumes/scents:-Patchouli, dragonÍs blood, musk, indigo, orange blossom, cinnamon, cedarwood.
Gems/Metals:-Onyx, ruby, star sapphire, turquoise, gold, lapis lazuli, and ivory.
Colours:-Gold, orange, yellow, emerald green, royal blue.
Sulis has festivals on February 2nd and December 22nd.
Minerva: The Romans celebrated her worship from March 19 to 23 during the Quinquatrus, the artisans' holiday which was also a festival of purification. The "goddess of a thousand works," as Ovid called her, was pleased to see scholars and schoolmasters join in spring vacation with those who labored with their hands.
On June 13 the minor Quinquatrus was observed.
Offerings to Sulis Minerva.
Sally Lunn cakes are thought to recall the Wheaten cakes offered at her alters.
To make some for your Goddess and yourself , try this rescipe.
20g / ¾ oz fresh yeast
finely grated rind of one lemon
50g / 2oz softened butter
150 ml / ¼ pint of warm milk
50g / 2oz castor sugar
350g / 12oz plain strong white flour
1 egg - beaten
For finish 1 beaten egg.
Cream the yeast with the milk, 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 tablespoons of flour until smooth. Then leave in a warm place for 20 minutes.
Sift the remaining flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the remaining sugar, the egg, lemon rind and yeast mixture. Mix it all vigorously to make soft dough.
Knead in butter until the dough is smooth and ball shaped. Put the dough into a warmed greased bowl cover and leave to rise in a warm place for thirty minutes.
Divide the dough into half, shape each piece into a ball and place in two greased 15cm / 6in round cake tins. Cover and leave in a warm place for thirty minutes. Brush with the beaten eggs.
Bake in a preheated oven, 220 centigrade / 425F / Gas Mark 7 for 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown.
Leave to cool.
Eat a slice in offering to the goddess and drink her health.
