Fortuna, Roman Goddess of lots, lottery, and luck, appeared for September and October 2024 in Dark Goddess Collective. Throughout our time with her, she led us to go deeper into destiny and choice, the threads through time and space since time immemorial, and how to take our work deeper! Working with Fortuna is a journey unto itself, pulling awareness into a facet of the divine feminine that can teach us how to hold the tension we encounter in life experiences.
This anthology is a collection and collaboration of experiences from those Sovereigns within Dark Goddess Collective.
Correspondences
| Lineage | Roman |
| Parents | Jupiter and Venus |
| Astrological | Lot of Fortune |
| Zodiacal | Depends on personal natal chart |
| Stones and Gems | Jade |
| Plants, Herbs, Trees | Bay, Rosemary, Cinnamon, Oak |
| Animals | Serpent, Horse |
| Numbers | 3 |
| Symbols | Cornucopia, Rudder, Globe, wheel |
| Tarot | Fortune |
| Conflations | Tyche (Greek), Isis (Egyptian) |
The Copper Cup of Fortune
This beautifully crafted experience comes from Tania of Howling Baubo!
It seems like a lifetime ago that Kaycee announced Fortuna’s presence at DGC, in reality it was back in September, but I feel like a different person since then, I’ve experienced more than one death and resurrection in this brief time span. This skin still isn’t my final form, but I digress. I’m happy to hear Fortuna will be with us for another cycle so I can properly integrate what she has shown me so far.
New Routine
The wild thing is that a few days before Fortuna’s arrival, I added a new element to my morning routine. My partner picked up a set of copper cups and gifted me one. I had recently begun the practice of intentionally speaking into my morning water, setting intentions and the vibe for the day. I’m big on the effects of sound waves on water and the corresponding effects this has on the body and spirit and of course I love anything copper.
I fill the cup with purified water each evening and set it on my altar near Hekate and St. Michael. Intuitively I began placing the Wheel of Fortune card on top of the cup, as a sort of lid, to infuse the water with its energy. How wild that a few days later Fortuna made her grand entrance into DGC.
What is Fortune?
Those that know me know that I have a history of complaining about my “Fortune” or what I considered to be the lack of fortune in my life. I was singularly focused on money in my bank account, or more adeptly put, the lack of money in my bank account and the absolute terror that I experience because of this. There was a long while where I couldn’t focus on much else besides my perceived shame surrounding money and lack and I allowed that to lower my vibration to the point where I knew something had to change. I became open to experiencing the turn of Fortune’s Wheel in my favor, without putting any expectations on the outcome. Lots of shadow work around money and utilizing the tarot cards helped put me in this frame of mind, but it’s all connected to the same thread of healing, acceptance, and growth.
Shifting Perspective
Since I’ve begun this practice and realized that it is no coincidence Fortuna is the energetic current we are exploring, my attitude shifted. My eyes opened. I was ready and willing to fully receive, without expectation, from the universe and those she works her magic through. I began to shed the shame and surrender to acceptance. That’s when the magic kicked in. I am not less than, I am an evolving work in progress. The size of my bank account does not determine my worth. Crikey, that was a rough lesson to integrate.
Now I truly see all the abundance and fortune that colors my life.
- I have food, good food, healthy food.
- I have warmth and comfort.
- I have clean water.
- I have more books than I could ever read, and this brings my soul joy.
- I am slowly recovering my health and learning to manage the pain that my chronic conditions bring, that’s huge.
- I have a large amount of freedom in my day-to-day life, which my Sagittarius NN loves.
- I have a community within Dark Goddess Collective that has been patiently waiting for me to open up, trust, and accept the love and support they offer.
Abundance and Fortune
I noticed all the little ways that the door to abundance had opened for me and none of it involved cash in my bank account, but it was just as delicious.
- We planted an indoor experimental garden and it’s thriving with peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. We’ll have a bountiful harvest throughout the fall and winter.
- Most notably, all of the stars aligned, and I was able to attend a trip to the Sacred Mountain where I found kindness, camaraderie and connection, some of the things that my heart wanted most but I was blinded to that fact because all I could think was how much better everything would be with cold, hard cash.
Fortuna has shown me that soft and warm is better than cold and hard. She has also shown me that fortune is what you make of it. Perspective is everything and holding onto an expected outcome often brings disappointment. I am now open to all the ways, big and small, that Fortuna shows up in my life.
O Fortuna…
Picture it. 1991, Cleveland, Ohio. Two teens skip class and head to the movie theater for the premiere of The Doors movie, my friend was a huge Jim Morrison fan. This is when I first heard Carl Orff’s cantata, Carmina Burana, with its first movement named O Fortuna. I felt it in my soul. When I learned Fortuna was the energy we would be exploring at DGC, after giggling at the Wheel of Fortune card on my copper cup, the Orff piece instantly went on repeat in my head.
The Music of Fortune
I like to sing along to songs whether I know the lyrics or not. After 30 plus years of this musical piece randomly taking up space in my brain, and me trying to pass off nonsensical words as Latin, I finally decided to google the lyrics so I could have a proper sing along.
I discovered poignant verses taken from a manuscript which held 254 various poems and texts. The included works were crafted between the 11th and 13th centuries by a mix of theologians, students of the seminary, and traveling poets. Word on the internet is that a big chunk of these 254 poems are satirical and a little bawdy. That vibrates my Baubo cord, more threads are connecting. *Squeal of joy*
Going Deeper
The Full Latin title of the manuscript is: Carmina Burana: Cantiones profanae cantoribus et choris cantandae comitantibus instrumentis atque imaginibus magicis, which translates to: “Songs of Beuern: Secular songs for singers and choruses to be sung together with instruments and magical images” AHHHHH magic. I knew it.
A little background…In 1936 Carl Orff (German Composer 1895-1982) chose 24 of the verses from this manuscript and set them to music, it’s dramatic and makes a statement, but I wonder how many people stop to take in the actual lyrics. They are soulful in that beautiful gut-wrenching way.
The main thread that started all of this is the Goddess Fortuna. The blind dispenser of bounty, luck, and abundance. Justice may also be blind, but at least she carries a scale to ensure balance is achieved. Fortuna is not so discerning. How do we find Fortune’s favor? How do we react when her favor passes us by for another who we may deem not as deserving?
To be in Fortune’s favor is one thing, to feel as if Fortune has abandoned you is another feeling altogether. One which I know all too well. I’ve been humbled by Fortuna, I no longer curse her, I no longer feel abandoned. I know that the turn of her wheel is an integral part of the human experience and that abundance can be found in many different ways.
Perspective and Gratitude are everything.
I now present to you the translated English lyrics of Act 1: O Fortune from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana.
FORTUNE EMPRESS OF THE WORLD
1. O FORTUNE
O Fortune, like the moon you are changeable, ever waxing and waning.
Hateful life, first oppresses, and then soothes as fancy takes it;
Poverty, and power it melts them like ice.
Fate – monstrous and empty, you whirling wheel, you are malevolent,
Well-being is in vain and always fades to nothing,
Shadowed and veiled you plague me too;
Now through the game I bring my bare back to your villainy.
Fate is against me in health and virtue,
Driven on and weighted down, always enslaved.
So, at this hour without delay pluck the vibrating strings;
Since Fate strikes down the strong man,
Everyone weep with me!
Whew, can you feel the anguish? The heartache?
The whirling wheel of fate is reminiscent of Hekate’s lynx. The link between Fortuna and the Fates is undeniable. How does one recover from such calamity? Honestly, I never thought I would recover from the calamitous effects of being passed over by Fortuna, but in retrospect, I hold gratitude for all the experiences that left me broken and crying in the dark. Without my dark, I would not be able to be as sound and abundant in my light.
I see abundance and fortune much differently now. I see how it shows up softly and the abundant lessons that lack can teach. The most important lesson I’ve learned is that whether you are on the receiving end of Fortuna’s kindness or not, it doesn’t affect your worth, it’s a push to do more, to go deeper into yourself to find the gold that only Pluto can help you mine.
Here’s a link with the Latin and English translations of all 25 acts…
Carmina Burana Translation RWB
~ Tania
All About Jade
This piece is courtesy of Jane of Dark Goddess Collective!
In eastern Asia, Jade was a symbol of wealth and peace. Jade is thought to awaken higher spiritual awareness in humans. So, they can strive to higher levels of self-cultivation. Even to levels of becoming immortal. Merchants in the ancient world would hold Jade in the right hand while they were negotiating. This was because of its ability to grant the power of making quick decisions, determination and the ability to bargain. Ancient Egyptians believed the Jade stone would take the souls of the dead to the other world safely and soundly. It is believed that you should never buy Jade for yourself. If the stone spirit has its eyes set on another, it would anger the Gods and Goddesses. Bringing you bad luck.
Healing Properties
Jade promotes healing and protection. Jade reduces inflammation and improves and supports the immune system. It also is used for treating heart problems, spleen and kidneys. It is used to treat stress, anxiety and disorders of blood circulation.
When used as an elixir, it can greatly improve the appearance of skin and hair. Jade is known to have a soothing effect on the nervous system. Jade helps release repressed emotions, unfulfilled wishes and subconscious conflicts by means of dreams. So, it has been called the Dream Stone. It is the stone of love, power, and excellence.
Associations
Jade is associated with the heart chakra. It is also associated with the sign of Virgo. Jade is associated with the goddess Fortuna. Which is associated with the Wheel of Fortune in Tarot.
References: Wiki, Llewellynss Complete Book of Correspondences, Crystals by Connie Islin. Images Up splash and my own stones
~ Jane
Fortuna Abundance of Health Tea Recipe
This recipe is brought to us by Aikat of Faith of the Feathers!
Ingredients:
- Lemon juice
- Turmeric
- Grated ginger
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
- Honey
- 4oz of water
- 4oz of your favorite milk
Put your water on to boil and place the following ingredients in your cup:
- Turmeric
- Grated ginger
- Black pepper
- Cinnamon
- Cardamom
Once your water has boiled, give the water about 30 seconds to cool from boiling and pour into the cup over the ingredients, add the Lemon juice and steep for 5 minutes covered. Add in Honey (to taste) with a wooden spoon and 4oz of your favorite milk, enjoy!
~ Aikat
The Witch and Fortuna
The Witch and Fortuna find each other where there are more questions than answers with regard to fate and free will. Her parentage shows she traverses easily between the spiritual and physical realms, which often gives her a Mercurial feel. Witches are often moving in such spaces too, so was it inevitable that she would arrive or was the choice ours?
The Force behind The Name
In Roman mythology, Fortuna had various aspects that branded the energetic force as benevolent or malevolent. The personification of one’s lot in life or luck, often seems directly opposed to that of free will or choice. Based on the astrological practice of finding Fortune in one’s chart, it makes sense that the force behind it is moving down and in. This movement is the way Fortune finds its way into the physical realm from the spiritual realm and based on chart placement, it is neither good nor bad. Here is where she showed me how unopposed fate and free will are:
The placement of Fortune at one’s birth ‘just is’, however, the knowledge and decisions we make upon what ‘just is’ determines the outcome.
We are born to who we are born to.
We are put here where we are put here.
That choice is not ours necessarily (that we can remember at this moment), but the choices we make here are. Perhaps this is why we often see representations of Fortuna blindfolded like “justice” or “just is”?
A Candle & A Key,
Kaycee
Get involved! See our upcoming events and our community collaboration!
Wondering if the private community is a good space for you to dive deeper into your own practice or get to know the sacred within community? Learn more here.
Get the latest newsletter for FREE here!
You can also follow us on:
