Simple rituals for starters
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Your first prayer to the gods
There is no special initiation into Roman religion like Christian baptism. You can start honoring Roman deities at any moment with any prayer. But if you want some advice or a little help with your first Roman prayer, we suggest that you start with offering libations at occasions when you feel appropriate.
Libation
If you want to show your respect towards a deity, or if you want to assure they keep you in their continuous favor, you can offer a libation. This is the simplest formula you can use at any occasion, for example, during your meal, or while drinking at a party, or at home, when you feel like it.
Libation of wine to a male divinity
- Take some wine.
- Pray the following words aloud: "___>Insert name of goddess<___, macte hoc vino libando esto fito volens propitius mihi domo familiae!"' (__>Name of goddess<__, thou blessed by the libation of this wine, be benevolent and propitious to me, to my household and to my family!)
- Then pour the libation to fire, or to the ground, and drink the rest of the wine.
Libation of wine to more male deities
- Take some milk.
- Pray the following words aloud: "___>Insert name of goddesses<___, macte hoc vino libando estote fitote volentes propitii mihi domo familiae!"' (__>Name of goddess<__, you blessed by the libation of this wine, be benevolent and propitious to me, to my household and to my family!)
- Then pour the libation to fire, or to the ground, and drink the rest of the wine.
Libation of milk to a female divinity
- Take some milk.
- Pray the following words aloud: "___>Insert name of goddess<___, macte hoc lacte libando esto fito volens propitia mihi domo familiae!"' (__>Name of goddess<__, thou blessed by the libation of this milk, be benevolent and propitious to me, to my household and to my family!)
- Then pour the libation to fire, or to the ground, and drink the rest of the milk.
Libation of milk to more female deities
- Take some milk.
- Pray the following words aloud: "___>Insert name of goddesses<___, macte hoc lacte libando estote fitote volentes propitiae mihi domo familiae!"' (__>Name of goddess<__, you blessed by the libation of this milk, be benevolent and propitious to me, to my household and to my family!)
- Then pour the libation to fire, or to the ground, and drink the rest of the milk.
Ancestral and household worship
Worship of deceased ancestors and housefold deities is the core of Roman religious life. If you want to be a pious Roman, which must be the most important goal of all true Romans, you have to start to honor your ancestors, the Manes, and your household deities, the Lares and Penates by prayers and sacrificial offerings.
As for now, we will suggest you here some very basic and simple rights just to get started with it.
Make a lararium
The easiest way to set up a lararium is to reserve a small one-tier wall shelf, or a table or cabinet as an altar. A trip to a hardware store, a department store or an antique shop will usually yield something workable. A lararium may be decorated to taste in classical style if one wishes, but it need not be any special style or color.
