honorthegods:Goddess Ops, reverse of a brass sestertius of Antoninus Pius, 2nd century CE. Image sou

honorthegods:Goddess Ops, reverse of a brass sestertius of Antoninus Pius, 2nd century CE. Image source:  forumancientcoins.comOps, or Opis, is a Sabine goddess and the sister-wife of Saturn. Their reign was known for peace and prosperity, a time when the earth produced abundant food without human toil. Ops represents that abundance, and her symbols are a sheaf of grain and a scepter. She was eventually superseded by the Roman goddess Abundantia, who holds an overflowing cornucopia as her attribute.A temple dedicated to Ops stood on the Capitoline HIll, near the temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Some scholars believe that standard weights used to regulate commerce and agriculture were stored there, under the protection of the goddess. This temple was so sacred that only the Pontifex Maximus and the Vestal Virgins were permitted to enter.Today, December 19th, is the Roman festival of Opalia. The goddess Ops is honored during the Saturnalia as a reminder that all wealth originates in the bountiful earth. One of the ways I honor Ops throughout the year is by saving the ashes from incense I burn at my altar, and mixing it with the soil in my garden. This could be done indoors, by mixing a small amount of the ash in the soil of potted plants. Be careful not to use too much directly around plants - the ash is alkaline, and raises the pH of the soil. -- source link

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