Prayers to and rites to Turan (Venus)

 

Etruscan hymn to Turan

Hark, O Turan, Mistress of the blooming earth and the quickening heart, attend thou unto our supplications. Thou who dost hold sway over the joining of souls and the fruitfulness of the vine, lend thine ear.

We, thy servants, approach thy altar according to the ancient rites, bearing not garlands alone, but hearts earnest in their devotion. It is proper that we honour thee, for upon thy favour rests the increase of our people and the health of our flocks.

Grant thou, O Turan, that the seed cast upon the furrow may yield a plentiful harvest. Let the womb be fruitful and the child born hale and strong. Bestow thou upon our youths the pleasing form and upon our maidens the grace that catcheth the eye, that unions may be soundly made according to custom. Ward thou off the wasting sickness from our households and let vitality reside within our limbs.

Pour thou libations of concord into the hearts of husbands and wives. See thou that beauty flourishes not merely in the face, but in the works of our hands and the order of our communities. Thine is the influence that softeneth the spirit and bindeth us one to another.

Neglect not thy people who observe thy dues. Let thy gaze be upon us for good. As the dove seeketh its mate, so seek we thy benevolent presence. Be thou propitious, O Turan, mighty in thy sphere, now and in the seasons to come. So it must be done.

Etruscan prayer to Turan

Hail Turan, Thou radiant presence, Mistress of the desirous heart and the bloom upon the vine. Before Thy visage, bright as polished bronze catching the midday sun, the very cypress groves seem to sigh with longing. Thou art the force that turns the maiden’s gaze and warms the warrior’s breast returning from the fray; without Thee, the world is but desolate, grey and unyielding.

From Thy sacred precincts, Thine influence flows like the Marta river to the sea, touching all shores. Thou art the gentle hand that guides the weaver’s shuttle, infusing the threads with beauty; Thou art the subtle grace in the dancer’s step beneath the festive lamps. When Thou dost smile, O Divine One, the fields promise abundance, and the shy anemone pushes through the soil, answering Thy call. It is Thy breath that stirs the placid waters of tranquil lakes, waking the swans, Thy messengers, from their slumber.

Grant, O Potent Turan, that Thy vigour enters our flesh, warding off the wasting sickness and the fever that consumes. May Thy beneficence ensure the fullness of the womb and the safe passage of new life into the light of day. Thou who art attended by the swift-winged Lasa, bestow upon us not only the fire of passion but the steadfastness of affection, that hearth and home may prosper under Thy celestial gaze. We pour forth this wine, dark as the earth nourished by Thy power, and lift our voices, not in measured verse, but in the earnest prose of supplication. Look favourably upon Thy people, Thou Source of all Delight, She Who Makes Life Worthy, Great Turan. Be Thou propitious unto us.

Etruscan hymn to Turan

Hark! Let the solemn rites commence, and let our voices, though but mortal emanations, ascend towards the celestial sphere wherein dwells the luminous Turan, whose very essence is the wellspring of earthly delight and the impetus of all generative concord. Thee do we invoke, O Goddess of the gentle countenance, whose smile doth banish the harsh shadows of discord and whose gaze doth awaken the dormant seeds of affection within the hearts of men and deities alike.

Thou art She who adorns the firmament not merely with the visible stars, but with the invisible yet potent force of attraction, drawing together elements in harmonious union, from the grand cosmic dance to the humble pairing of souls beneath the terrestrial sky. Thy presence is perceived in the blush of the opening rosebud, in the graceful curve of the swan's neck as it glides upon the placid waters, and in the health that blooms upon the cheek of the youngling, preserved by thy benevolent oversight from noxious influence.

Wherefore, O Turan, whose sacred precincts are fragrant with myrtle and the offerings of devoted supplicants, incline thine ear, fashioned for the sweetest melodies, unto our earnest petitioning. We proffer unto thee not merely the smoke of incense nor the gleam of polished bronze, but the sincere devotion of spirits yearning for thy favour. Bestow upon this assembly, and upon the Etruscan peoples gathered under the watchful eyes of the rasna, the sublime benison of enduring amity. Let love, that divine emanation of thy being, prevail within our households, fostering loyalty and tender regard.

Grant, O potent one, that beauty may not merely reside in outward form, though that too falls under thy dominion, but may imbue our crafts, our thoughts, and our communal life with grace and proportion. Vouchsafe unto our fields fecundity, that the earth may yield its bounty without reluctance; grant unto our unions fruitfulness, that our lineage may continue strong and vibrant; and shield our bodies from wasting malady, preserving the vigour which is thy gift.

Forasmuch as thou art the Sovereign of Delight, the gentle power whose influence mitigates the stern decrees of Fate and Necessity, accept these our humble devotions. Let thy spirit descend upon this consecrated ground, infusing it with peace, with beauty, and with the promise of life renewed, O Turan, effulgent glory of the Etruscan heaven.

Etruscan hymn to Turan

Attend, O Turan, thou resplendent Sovereign of the heart's deep fount, whose very presence doth coax the shy bud to unfurl upon the vine and instil vigour in the slumbering earth. Thou art she whose gaze bestows beauty not merely upon the favoured countenance of mortals, but upon the wild anemone blushing unseen in the shadowed grove, and the sleek-feathered dove that circles our ancient sanctuaries. Thy breath is the gentle zephyr that carries the seed of affection, planting it within bosoms hitherto barren, causing love to bloom into that most sacred and desired of passions, binding husband unto wife, and heart unto kindred heart.

It is by thy decree, O Luminous One, that the fields yield their bounty, for love and life are intertwined as the ivy embraces the steadfast oak. The lowing cattle grow heavy with young under thy benevolent watch, the ewe shelters her tender lamb, and within the hearths of thy devoted Etruria, the laughter of children echoes, a testament to thy life-affirming grace. We perceive thy artistry in the curve of the swan's neck upon the Voltumna's tranquil waters, in the iridescent shimmer upon the dragonfly's wing, and in the profound mystery mirrored in the lover's adoring eye.

Therefore, Magnificent Turan, incline thine ear unto thy supplicants who gather ere the morning mists have fully yielded to the sun's dominion. Grant unto us enduring affection, that our unions may be strong and our lineage multiply. Bestow thy vital essence upon our lands, that they may remain verdant and our harvests plentiful. Turn thy bright face towards us, dispelling discord as the dawn dispels the night, and fill this sacred space, and all Etruria, with the warmth and perpetual promise of thy divine munificence, now and henceforth.

Liturgy to Turan

Presiding: The Zilath (Magistrate-Priest), assisted by attendant acolytes. Setting: A cleared space before an altar adorned with myrtle wreaths, roses, and polished bronze mirrors. Small braziers emit fragrant incense smoke (storax and frankincense). Offerings of honey cakes, pomegranates, and wine amphorae are arrayed.

(I. The Commencement and Purification)

[The Zilath, having performed ablutions and donned vestments of white linen embroidered with celestial motifs, steps forward, arms raised.]

Zilath: Let silence now embrace this hallowed precinct, banishing the mundane clamour of the quotidian sphere! Let the airs be cleansed by this ascending vapour, sweet essences arising as fit harbingers of our entreaty. We stand upon the earth, yet our aspirations ascend towards the ethereal realms where dwell the Gods, whose potencies govern the manifold operations of existence. Before all others whose domains touch upon the quickening pulse of life and the tender affiliations of the heart, we prepare our souls and voices to invoke She who embodies the very principle of divine comeliness and generative affection.

(II. The Grand Invocation of the Celestial Patroness)

Zilath: Hear us, O Turan, Thou resplendent Star amidst the celestial hierarchy! Thou, whose advent mirrors the vernal equinox, commanding the dormant seed to awaken and the austere branch to burst forth in glorious efflorescence! We call upon Thee, not merely as a name upon mortal lips, but as the animating force that orchestrates the dance of attraction, the mystery that binds spirit to spirit, and imparts unto matter its most captivating forms. O Thou, Winged Majesty, often glimpsed with swift attendants, the Lasae, bearing instruments of Thy grace – the mirror reflecting perfected beauty, the unguent jar bestowing irresistible allure! From Thy celestial garden, where blooms know no blight, incline Thine ear, O Potentate of Pleasure, Mistress of the Myrtle Bower!

(III. The Enumeration of Divine Attributes and Dominion)

Zilath: For Thine is the dominion over the nascent bud, the blush upon the maiden's cheek, the ardour within the lover's gaze. Thou art the subtle architect of concord, weaving invisible threads that fashion familial bonds and communal harmony. It is Thy benevolent influence that ensures the continuation of lineages, granting fecundity unto the hopeful womb and vitality unto the newborn babe. The craftsman seeking grace in his creation, the poet striving for words that capture sublime emotion, the gardener coaxing forth the most exquisite blossoms – all labour, knowingly or unknowingly, under Thy pervasive auspices. Thou art the health that radiates outwards, the laughter that echoes in shared delight, the very sweetness extracted from the bitterness of existence. Thy symbols – the gentle dove, the graceful swan, the reflective bronze revealing truth in beauty – are but terrestrial manifestations of Thy profound and multifaceted essence. Without Thy animating spark, O Turan, existence itself would lapse into a sterile and unlovely desolation.

(IV. The Presentation of Offerings)

Zilath: Accept, O Bounteous One, these tokens of our profound veneration, chosen to delight Thy refined sensibilities. Behold this wine, pressed from sun-kissed grapes, dark and potent as the mysteries of the heart, which we pour now in libation, may its stream nourish the roots of affection throughout our lands. Accept these honeyed cakes, fashioned in the shape of doves, embodying the sweetness Thou dost bestow upon compliant souls. Receive these pomegranates, their myriad seeds symbols of the abundant fertility we beseech Thee to grant unto our people and our fields. Admire these blossoms, roses and myrtles gathered ere the dew hath fled, their fragrance a transient echo of Thine own eternal pleasantness. And regard these mirrors, polished bright, wherein we aspire to glimpse not mere vanity, but a reflection, however faint, of that divine harmony and pulchritude Thou dost perfectly embody. May the savour and sight of these oblations prove pleasing unto Thee.

(V. The Solemn Supplication)

Zilath: Wherefore, O Turan, Sovereign of Affection and Generative Might, we, Thy devoted supplicants, inhabitants of this city and its surrounding territories, approach Thy numinous presence with earnest petitions. Bestow, we implore Thee, Thy vivifying grace upon our unions, that love may flourish therein, enduring and true, banishing discord and indifference. Grant fecundity unto our fields, our flocks, and our families; let barrenness be driven hence, and let the cradles be filled with healthy progeny who shall honour Thee in generations yet unborn. Impart Thy gift of comeliness not solely upon the outward form, but cultivate also that inner beauty which resides in kindness, grace, and temperate spirit. Protect the young, especially the maiden and the youth, as they navigate the perplexing pathways of nascent affection. Inspire our artisans with visions of unparalleled beauty, and grant unto all Thy people health, joy, and the solace of companionship. Defend us from maladies that waste the form and affections that wither the spirit. Let Thy benevolent gaze foster prosperity and peace within our walls.

(VI. The Observation for Auspices (Optional Moment of Silence))

Zilath: (Lowering arms slightly, gazing towards the heavens or a designated auspicious quarter) Let us attend now, with minds made receptive, for any subtle sign – a propitious flight of birds, a sudden gentle stirring of the leaves, a perceived warmth upon the air – that might signify the Goddess’s favourable reception of our heartfelt liturgy...

(VII. The Concluding Benediction and Dismissal)

Zilath: Thus, having laid bare our hearts and presented our humble gifts before Thee, O Radiant Turan, we commend ourselves, our families, and our city unto Thy luminous keeping. May Thy grace, like the gentle dew, descend upon us and linger. As the incense smoke disperses into the boundless firmament, so may our prayers ascend and find favour in Thy celestial court. Depart now, ye faithful, bearing in your hearts the image of Her beauty and the hope of Her blessings. Let the rites be concluded; let harmony prevail. [The Zilath makes a final gesture of reverence towards the altar before turning away.]

 Turan love spell

Let this working be undertaken when the moon, waxing towards her fullness, casts down her silver benediction on the expectant earth, or when the star of Turan herself, the Evening Star, gleams with sentient promise in the twilight heavens. For in such hours are the channels between worlds rendered most permeable.

The Requisites of the Art:

1. A Tablet of Lead, Most Malleable and Secret: Upon this thou shalt inscribe, with a stylus of bronze, the name of thy beloved and thine own, encircled by a serpent that devours its own tail, symbol of eternity and the unyielding nature of thy desire. Let also be etched thereon the sigil of Turan: a swan in flight, or a dove with outstretched wings.
2. An Effigy of Clay or Wax: Fashioned with earnest concentration, let this figure bear some semblance, however crude, to the object of thy affections. If some small token of their person—a thread, a lock of hair, a fragment of script from their own hand—can be incorporated within, its potency shall be markedly enhanced.
3. Offerings Befitting the Goddess:
• Pure Wine: A swet, fragrant wine, perhaps infused with honey or the petals of roses.
• Myrtle Boughs and Rose Petals: Sacred to Turan, these shall form a fragrant bed for the working.
• A Polished Bronze Mirror: To reflect the desires of thy heart and the countenance of the Goddess.
• White Doves or Their Feathers: Symbols of peace, love, and the messengers of Turan. If live doves be released at the culmination, it is a powerful sign.
• Sweet Cakes: Made with fine flour and honey, offered in sevens.
• Incense: Of storax, frankincense, and rose, to bear thy entreaties aloft.
4. A Vessel of Spring Water: Pure and untouched.
5. A Flame: A lamp or candle of beeswax.

The Preparation of the Sacred Space:

Seek a place sequestered and silent, where the ancient earth breathes and the murmur of the profane world intrudes not. A grove of trees, a hidden garden, or a chamber kept solely for such mystic congress. Let it be cleansed with sprinkled water and the smoke of purifying herbs. Upon a cloth of unblemished linen, arrange thy offerings, the mirror positioned to catch the lamplight or the moon’s rays.

The Ritual Performance:

Let thy heart be free of malice, for this is a working of affection, not of base coercion. Clothe thyself in clean garments, and let thy mind be a still pool, reflecting only the intent of thy heart.

(Light the flame and the incense. Gaze into the bronze mirror for a time, seeking thine own soul’s truth before commanding another’s.)

(The First Invocation: A Call to the Mistress of Vitality) The practitioner, with hands uplifted, speaks in a measured, grave, and resonant tone, as if reciting an ancient history to an august assembly:

“Hark! From the silent regions where the earth yields its metallic secrets and the very air hums with potencies unseen, I summon Thee, Turan, Celestial Artist of the Affections, thou whose breath is the scent of roses, whose passage is marked by the flutter of white wings! Thou, who at Velch dost hold thy court, and whose altars in Gravisca have known the piety of countless generations, incline now thine ear, not deaf to mortal supplication, nor disdainful of the heart’s earnest plea. For as the parched field thirsts for the descending rains, so too does the soul languish, unvisited by the solace of reciprocal love. Thy attendant Lasas, those nimble spirits who weave the bright and somber threads of destiny, may they too bear witness, and with their subtle influence, prepare the way for thy grand design.”

(Take up the effigy. Anoint its brow, its lips, and its heart with a drop of the pure wine.)

(The Second Invocation: The Binding of Hearts) The voice now takes on a more dramatic, yet ever dignified, cadence, painting pictures with words, evoking pathos and a sense of inevitable consequence, much as Statius might describe the inexorable approach of fate or the deep stirrings of passion before a momentous event.

“Behold this simulacrum, shaped by hands that tremble not with nefarious intent, but with the profound agitations of a spirit that seeks its counterpart, as the swan seeks its mate across the reedy fens. By thy divine agency, O Turan, let the vital spark of [Name of the Beloved] inhabit this form, not in torment, but in gentle sympathy. Let their thoughts, which now perhaps, like untethered birds, fly to indifferent skies or alight on unworthy branches, be drawn, as by an invisible thread of purest gold, towards the harbour of my own devotion. May their gaze, when next it falls upon my humble person, perceive not mere flesh and bone, but the luminescence of a spirit that offers solace, delight, and an unwavering sanctuary. Let their ears, which may have hearkened to the siren songs of fleeting fancy or the harsh discords of worldly ambition, become attuned to the softer music of my words, finding therein a harmony that speaks of enduring comfort and a shared path. Let no shadow of doubt, no chilling wind of indifference, no whispered calumny from envious tongues, impede the gentle unfolding of this sacred affection, which I seek not as a conqueror claims his spoil, but as the earth welcomes the sun’s warmth, that life may flourish.”

(Take the lead tablet. Carefully, with focused will, trace the names and symbols upon it. As you do so, continue the spoken formula.)

(The Third Invocation: The Sealing of the Desire, in Victorian Elaboration) The tone becomes imbued with a graver solemnity, a sense of the profound mystery and the binding nature of the words spoken, reflecting the Victorian era's fascination with the potent and often unseen forces that govern human destiny.

“Upon this tablet, enduring as the mountains, yielding as the lead to the determined point, I now inscribe the sacred conjunction of our names, [Your Name] and [Name of the Beloved]. Let this bond, now etched in humble metal, be mirrored in the higher spheres, sanctioned by thy grace, O Turan, whose divine influence permeates the very fabric of existence. May the subtle currents of the earth receive this charge, and bear it to the inner senses of the one I name. Let the image of my devotion be impressed upon their dreaming soul, a vision of tenderness, not of dread; a promise of shared joy, not a premonition of servitude. As this lead lies hidden within the earth’s embrace, so may this love, profound and true, take silent, unshakeable root within their heart, blossoming forth in glances, in words, in deeds that bespeak a dawning and most cherished recognition. I call not upon the baleful spirits of the underworld, nor do I seek to chain a reluctant will with fetters wrought of darkness. Rather, I invoke thee, Turan, luminous Goddess, that by thy art, two souls destined for concord may find their path unobscured, their meeting hastened, their union blessed beneath thy watchful, star-bright eyes.”

(Pass the lead tablet through the incense smoke. Then, wrap the tablet around or press it firmly into the effigy.)

(The Concluding Act and Offering)

“What is done is done in accordance with ancient ways and with a heart sincere. Receive, O Turan, these tokens of my esteem.”

(Pour a libation of wine upon the earth or into a dedicated bowl. Scatter the rose petals and myrtle around the offerings. If doves are present, release them now, watching their flight as an augury.)

“As this wine seeps into the earth, as these petals perfume the air, as this incense ascends to the heavens, so let my prayer be received. Turan, Mother of Desire, Weaver of Affection’s Tapestry, grant thy favour!”

The Deposition of the Spell:

At the dark of the moon, or when the ritual is fully complete, take the effigy with the lead tablet bound to it. Seek a place that is hidden and undisturbed, perhaps near the dwelling of thy beloved if it can be done with utmost secrecy, or by the roots of a flourishing tree, or cast into a flowing body of water that moves towards their abode. Bury it or commit it to the waters with a final, silent affirmation of thy will.