The Aquaelicium: the rainmaking ritual of Jupiter Elicius
The Aquaelicium of Jupiter Elicius
I. Preparation
At the
declaration by the Pontifices, in case of unrelenting drought, a day is
consecrated for the aquaelicium. The offerings: a jar of the choicest wine, and
sacred cakes (liba), prepared according to sacred tradition. If urgency demands,
let a white steer, perfect in form and without spot, be set aside for sacrifice.
II. The Solemn
Procession
At the
appointed hour, let the magistrates, arrayed in their dignity, the priests,
veiled and reverent, and a procession of the faithful, their attire reflecting
the sobriety of the city’s plea, assemble. Let also the sacred lapis manalis,
the Stone of Showers, be carried with due reverence. The procession shall
advance towards a high place, consecrated to Jupiter’s name, or to an open
expanse of earth that may be particularly parched.
III. Opening
Having reached
the designated area, the presiding priest, his hands first purified with water,
draws near to the altar.
First Libation
and Invocation: Chief priest presents a cup of wine and says:
“O Jupiter
Elicius, thou whose unseen hand governs the wellsprings of the firmament,
forasmuch as it is meet and by tradition hallowed that this measure of wine be
now poured forth unto thee, here, in the anxious assembly of thy people and
upon this gasping breast of earth, for thy sacred consideration and feast; and
to that august end, be thou exalted and revered by this food, this drink, now
offered.” Then, reverently pouring the wine:
“Jupiter
Elicius, be thou honoured by this, thy feast’s commencement, and be thou
honoured by the wine placed thus before thy divine regard.”
IV. Main
petitions and cake offerings
Cakes are
brought forward. The Priest says: “Illustrious
Jupiter Elicius, in this humble oblation of sacred cakes, I, bearing the
unspoken fears and fervent hopes of this thy land, do with earnest spirit
implore that thou wilt extend thy grace and merciful solicitude unto us, unto
our progeny, unto our dwellings and all our assembled household, now
languishing amidst this oppressive drought and lack.”
The
Consecration of Further Wine: Let another vessel of wine be presented. The Priest
continues: “Jupiter Elicius, even as I have, with
devoted heart, petitioned thee in the offering of the hallowed cakes, so too,
and with purpose no less urgent, mayest thou be singularly honoured, and thy
divine compassion stirred, by this pure wine now set before thee in solemn
witness.”
Raising the cup
towards the heavens, priest prays: “Jupiter
Elicius, wilt thou not incline thine ear to accept these cakes? Wilt thou not,
in thy boundless majesty, deign to accept this wine, placed before thee as a
testament to our unwavering veneration and our profound and pressing necessity?”
V. Supplication
for Rain
The Priest,
turning his gaze heavenwards, with hands uplifted in a gesture of profound entreaty,
delivers the core of the supplication:
“Hail, O
Jupiter Elicius, Thou regent of the legions of the storm, hear us and unloose the gates
of the treasuries of rain! Behold, thy consecrated earth lies parched and
barren, thy silver streams recede into mournful trickles, and the verdant
promise of the nascent crops withers before it may achieve its destined
fruition. The very bleating of the flocks tells of barren pastures, and the
unquiet souls of thy people send forth a lamentation for thy divine
intervention. We pray and beseech thee, O Father Supreme of Gods and Mortals,
that thou be gracious and merciful unto us, thy devoted children. Dispel from
our afflicted territories this creeping desolation, this arid affliction that enervates
the very vitality of the soil. Keep far, ward from us, and utterly remove, we
implore thee, the unseen miasma of drought and the spectral barrenness that
threatens our sustenance and our sacred groves. Permit, O Thou All-Powerful,
our sown seeds to burst forth with renewed vigour, our cherished vineyards to
imbibe deeply of thy celestial gift, and our plantations, the hope of future
seasons, to flourish and burgeon once more beneath the benediction of thy
life-giving deluge. Grant that the parched and weary earth may soften, that it
may again yield its accustomed bounty, that our shepherds and their gentle
charges may discover pastures green and waters restored, and that robust health
and vibrant strength may re-enter every dwelling and infuse every household
within these thy cherished domains. To this solemn and pressing intent, O
Jupiter Elicius, that the adamantine vaults of heaven might consent to open and
thereby restore the quickening pulse of life to thy creation, even as we have
declared in our sorrow and articulated in our enduring hope, deign to cast a
favourable eye upon our earnest entreaties and these humble offerings, rendered
in thy supreme and everlasting honour.”
VI. Lustration
rite
If the lapis
manalis is present, it should be asperged with water drawn from a spring. The
Priest then says:
“As this
venerated stone, repository of ancient potency, is now graced by this pristine
water, so too may the celestial storehouses unburden themselves upon the needy
land. Let this unrelenting drought be expunged from our fields and our hearts,
and let purity, fertility, and abundance be re-established by thy divine and
irresistible will, O Jupiter Elicius”.
VII. Sacrifice (Only
to be done if the severity of the drought demands.)
The Priest,
standing before the chosen victim, intones:
“Jupiter
Elicius, forasmuch as it is thy sacred and incontestable right to receive this
devoted sacrifice for the alleviation of thy people from this dread and urelenting
desiccation, and to this grave and singular intent, whether it be I, thy humble
servant, or one appointed by my sacred office who performs this irrevocable
act, may it be executed with all righteousness and profound piety. To this very
end, in the oblation of this unblemished steer unto thy divine majesty, I
humbly and fervently beg that thou wilt prove gracious and merciful, not unto
me alone, nor solely to my house and my immediate household, but unto all thy
children who collectively endure beneath these unrelenting and brazen skies.
Wilt thou, in thy supreme power, deign to receive this sacrifice, which we, in
our extremity, offer unto thee for this most pressing end: that the heavens may
weep, and the earth thereby exult in rejuvenation”.
(Following the immolation and the careful
examination of the entrails for omens of divine acceptance):
“To this
intent, O Jupiter Elicius, deign to accept the offering of this devoted victim.”
(If the omens
prove ambiguous or less than favourable, the Priest adds):
“Jupiter
Elicius, if in any aspect the offering of this victim hath not found full
favour in thy discerning sight, we make all due atonement and with unfeigned
humility renew our fervent plea for thy compassion.”
VIII. Conclusion
A final
libation of wine is poured out on the earth or the altar fires. The Priest
proclaims:
“Jupiter
Elicius, thy servants have, with candour and devotion, laid bare the supplication
of their hearts and have rendered their offerings according to the most ancient
and revered piety. Receive, we implore thee, our collective worship, and in thy
inscrutable wisdom and omnipotent power, unseal now the fountains of the
firmament that thy creation may rejoice.”
Participants
and witnesses then wait and watch for any signs that rainfall is imminent.
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