August 2019 brings us a time of emotional and mental clarity, and it is the Roman Goddess PAX who guides us into peace, tranquility, and serenity.
Pax is the Roman Goddess of Peace, the personification of tranquility and calm. She is thought to be the daughter of Jupiter (Zeus) and Lady Justice (Themis). She bestows the contentment and joy that is found in the quiet moments of balance, and is often invoked during barters and negotiations. The concept of peace was conceptualized as Goddess worship during the reign of Augustus, and there were many altars and temples erected to her throughout the ancient Rome. Her image could be found on coins throughout the Roman Empire, indicating fair and balanced trade, and the underlying belief that there is an abundance of peace and prosperity for those who truly seek it.
She is often depicted as a young woman holding a cornucopia, a scepter, and/or an olive branch, implying Pax can be viewed as an extension of Gaia or Ops. We can hypothesize that it is from Pax that the expression “extending the olive branch” arises, which is an adage used to signal peace and forgiveness. We see the assimilation of this and Pax’s dove totem into Christian mythology in the Book of Genesis flood story.
The equivalent of the Greek Goddess Eirene, Pax is also associated with seasonal Spring, a time of abundance, innocence, fertility, and growth. She bears the fruits of peace, offering the blessings of serenity to those who seek her. She grants peace by supplying humanity with an abundance of what they need – a good government, housing, food, and love. She works in the channels that already exist; meaning, she takes the situation/issue as it is, and finds a way to blossom peace within it.
She does not seek peace by any means necessary; rather, Pax relaxes into the feeling of tranquility, brought on by the knowledge of her abilities and trust in her own heart. She is the Maiden lying in the green grass, surrounded by flowers, in perfect balance with her mind, body, and spirit.
So often we avoid our problems, hoping that if we don’t say it aloud, if we don’t pay attention to it, the issue will disappear. Pax offers a peace that derives from the acceptance of your current situation. You cannot change your circumstances if you don’t first acknowledge them for the issues they are. From that place of knowing, you can develop a strategy to move forward to your highest good.
Pax is the peace that comes from the recognition of abundance; humanity recognizing that there is more than enough to go around. She helps to strike a fair balance between all business and personal dealings, so that all parties involved are satisfied with the results. Her peaceful energy influences not only the inner self but the outer world. She guides the practitioner to find harmony within their own heart, and then extend that balance into their worldly dealings.
If we all begin our connections and relationships from a place of inner peace, our dealings with one another are founded in a need to support, maintain, and nourish that peace, instead of selfishness or ego. We let go of “looking out for number one” and embrace “looking out for everyone.”
This month, focus on your peace. How can you introduce tranquility and contentment into your day to life? Identify what disrupts your peace, and make the steps to remove that aspect from your experience. August is also a good time to re-energize your meditation practice, go on retreat, or simply spend a few moments each day laying silently in nature. The energy this cycle is high in third eye and crown chakra vibes, so take advantage of it.
AUGUST 15th 2019: FULL MOON IN AQUARIUS
This lunar cycle pushes for balance of the heart and the mind. Aquarius is the Water Bearer but also an elemental Air sign, so it carries an energy of emotion and well as mental focus. Add in the intuition and expressiveness of Full Moon energy and you may find yourself in a chaotic swirl of thinking, feeling, and oversharing. Invoking Pax during this time will help to help ground and center you, bringing clarification and stability. Consider making a daily dedication to ten minutes of silence during this lunar cycle, in order to give your mind, body, and spirit the space to truly connect to one another.
Be careful during this period to remain in your own energy, and to not get caught up in the opinions and demands of others. Having and being a part of a community is a wonderful thing, but losing your sense of self and becoming a ‘cog in the thought machine’ – not so much. By engaging your heart-mind connection you’ll be able to joyfully and authentically stand in your own power.
AUGUST 30th 2019: NEW MOON IN VIRGO
The Dark Moon calls for your attention to the details, to embrace the peace and contentment that order and clarity bring. It’s time to get your house in order, namely in the areas of career and relationships. Any issues or concerns you have in these areas are ready to be faced and dealt with. Take your time, and don’t panic into rash decision making. You are creating a foundation of abundance and tranquility here. Assess each situation, decide what needs to be done to move you into peace, and let each step you take be a movement towards the serenity of an abundant life.
Let Pax be your guide, as She works to bring about your happiness by taking a situation and instilling it with peace. And remember: the Goddess is in the details.
Correspondences
Metaphysical properties/rules over: peace, tranquility, serenity, calmness, contracts, business dealings, abundance, prosperity, spring
Colors: white, green, sky blue
Crystals and minerals: selenite, angel aura quartz, green jasper, rose quartz, amethyst, tiger eye, green aventurine, opal, moss jasper, pyrite
Fragrance: lavender, oregano, lemon, oak moss, sage, mint, eucalyptus, florals and most herbs
Symbols and Offerings: green herbs, gold, coins, spring flowers, olive branch, laurel, olive oil, grains
Totems: doves, butterflies, dragonflies, songbirds
Resources:
PAX Guiding Goddess Perfume Oil (limit quantities, available only during August 2019)
Pax, Roman Goddess at Theoi.com
Creating an Inner Peace That Endures article by Marilyn Briant-Rockmore