I was too busy rebutting bad sources and enjoying my revels in the past week to pay homage to the feast of Minerva. It was held on the fifth day after the ides and honestly who knows when the F that is anymore. Technically, we're not at 5 days post-ides yet. But onto the Goddess known as Minerva.
There is little known about the Italic Goddess, Meneswā 'She who measures' as per wiki. There is nothing on the intertubes about her nor have I found any references to her in a book, so I'm not sure where this information came from. Here's the full wiki passage:
"Her name is indigenous to Italy and might even be of Etruscan origin, stemming from an Italic moon goddess *Meneswā 'She who measures', the Etruscans adopted the inherited Old Latin name, *Menerwā, thereby calling her Menrva. This has been disputed, however.Carl Becker noted that her name appears to contain the PIE root *men-, which he notes was linked in Greek primarily to memory words (cf. Greek "mnestis"/μνῆστις 'memory, remembrance, recollection'), but which more generally referred to 'mind' in most Indo-European languages... Menrva was part of a holy triad with Tinia and Uni, later reflected in the Roman Capitoline Triad of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva."
She is said to have been worshiped throughout Italy, with her war aspect/association used in Rome proper. War-like Romans? Shocked, I am. Ha. "She who measures" certainly sounds like a Moon Goddess to me. I prefer this notion to the one that she was born from the head of her father. Riiight. Wisdom is a Maiden born from the head of a man. Patriarchalization much? (I just love using that word)
She measures, remembers, heals (time heals all wounds?), wields lightning and is wisdom personified. Waining moon aspect? Quadruple Goddess? Dark, waxing, full and waining? Hekate, Diana, Juno, Meneswa?
Add another to the list to interview using the tarot! Who wants to join me in this exercise? We'll agree on questions, read separately and compare notes.
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