GOD OF THE MONTH
“GENIUS - JUNO”
Paganism has many, many Deities. Each month GOD OF THE MONTH will give you information regarding a specific Deity, class of deities, or group of Deities. This is to help you build a knowledgeable overview of the concept of Deity, and to help you to interact with it.
In LESSON II you will learn more about how Wiccans view Deity. Once you understand that you will be better able to interact with the higher forms of Deity. Here in LESSON I however, we thought we’d start closer to home, with the Deity you may find easiest to understand; your own.
In LESSON I you are introduced to the concept of Higher Self. This is the part of you that lies above your conscious mind. It has access to knowledge and abilities that your conscious self does not, and it is not troubled by the fears and anxieties of the material world. Higher Self is an aspect of your soul, which is immortal and experiences many lifetimes. Higher Self is not a separate part of yourself, but rather a different level. The Higher Self is the part of you that becomes an Ancestor or a Spirit Guide after death, and it has that same ability now. It has knowledge and ability far beyond the conscious self, and it works always for the good -that is its nature and it cannot do otherwise, not because it is prevented from doing so but simply because it would never occur it the Higher Self to do ill.
The Higher Self is also sometimes called the Spirit, but this can be confusing as the word spirit is used in so many ways by so many people.
Every person has a Higher Self, but most people have little contact with it. The conscious mind is separated from the Higher Self by the VEIL. One of the principle goals of a spiritual path is to part the Veil and see beyond it, accessing and using the powers of the Higher Self. This is what we do in magic.
The ancient Romans called the Higher Self the GENIUS (masc.) or JUNO (Fem.). They considered the Genius-Juno to be the Divine part of each individual. Every person was encouraged to be in touch with the Genius-Juno and to move in synch with it. In this way they believed that they would act from their best self, moving at one with the universe and learning the lessons life offered them with greater ease. They were encouraged to talk to their Genius-Juno and listen for its answers, to honor it with offerings and ceremonies which served to strengthen their bond to it.
Every day the whole family would make offerings to the Genius of the head of the family, and sometimes also those of other important clan members, along with the gods who protected the household. In later times many families also made offerings to the Genius of the Emperor and sometimes the Juno of the Empress (This is the practice that horrified Christians described as “Worshipping the Emperor as a God”). By making these offerings they believed that they were helping the person to achieve a closer bond with their Higher Self, and thus to be a better person - because the Higher Self always acts to the good, and cannot by its nature do otherwise. The Higher Self is rather like what some people call a Guardian Angel, except that instead of being outside of you its a part of you -a higher, better part with a clearer viewpoint.
Every year on their birthday each member of the family would receive these same offerings to their Genius-Juno from the whole house. This, more than the mere marking of age, is what made the celebration of birthdays so important. It was the time to acknowledge the persons highest, best self and encourage their relationship with it.
Most people also made daily offerings to their Genius-Juno in private. People would tell the Genius-Juno what they wanted to do, or learn, or acquire, in the hope that the Genius-Juno would help with this. These offerings commonly included something to represent each of the four ELEMENTS; incense (for air), the flame of an oil lamp (for fire), wine (for water) and cakes (for earth).
There follows a modern version of the ritual for honoring the Genius-Juno, which you might like to try as an aid to attunement with your Higher Self. It is perhaps different from the ancient ritual in form, but not in function. In keeping with modern custom the term Higher Self is used, rather than Genius or Juno. This ritual can be done whenever you wish, especially on your birthday. You can do this ritual by itself, or in connection with other similar rituals you will learn to honor the Ancestors and the Deities.
RITUAL FOR THE GENIUS OR JUNO
You will need;
*some incense (any kind that you particularly like)
*a candle or candles. Your favorite color or any color you like.
*a glass of water, juice, wine, or other beverage.
*a picture to represent your Higher Self. It can be a photograph or drawing of your self, or a drawing representing the qualities of your Higher Self.
Set up an ALTAR using these elements. The altar can be anywhere that you would like, and will be
taken down when you are done (or left up to use again, if you wish). You can set it up any way that seems good to you.
Begin by Releasing. Let all of the tensions and anxieties of your day flow out of you, as is discussed in the EXERCISES section of this lesson.
Now light the candle(s). Focus on the flame and concentrate. Make your mind still, so that you are not thinking of anything else but what you are doing here and now.
Light the incense.
Now say;
“I invoke You, O Higher Self.”
Now try to imagine the image of your Higher Self before you. You can imagine It looking just as you look in the flesh, or as you would like to look, or might see It as a cloud of beautiful white light. Or some other image may come to you -one that you haven’t thought of yourself, but which the Higher Self Itself has chosen. It doesn’t really matter because the Higher Self doesn’t have a physical form, and the image is only to help you communicate with It better, by giving you something to focus on.
Speak to the Higher Self. These words are only to give you a basic form; you should speak from the heart.
“I attune to my Higher Self. I move in harmony with my Higher Self. I am at one with my Higher Self. Oh Higher Self, I ask You to help me to see and understand the lessons of my life, give me clarity and courage to learn them, and help me to learn them with ease and joy. I rededicate my self to the purposes for which I entered this life and ask You to guide me through them.*”
Lift up the glass. Imagine a bright white light shining from it, as though it were glowing.
“O Higher Self, I offer You this glass in token of the love I bear You.”
Now drink the liquid. Imagine the white light entering you along with the liquid -spreading out through your chest and giving you a pleasant warmth.
Put the glass back on the altar.
Now take a few minutes and meditate while the candles and incense burn, and the offering stands. Imagine your Higher Self strong and healthy and happy. Concentrate on It. In this way you are sending the Higher Self energy and strengthening your bond to your It.
When you have finished, say;
“O Higher Self, I pray that You have enjoyed this offering. I give you my thanks and my love.”
Now put out the incense and extinguish the candle. It is an ancient belief that you should never extinguish a candle by blowing on it -Rather you should use a candle snuffer, pinch it out with your fingers, or extinguish it with the side of a blade. This is because blowing on the flame is considered disrespectful.
You should also wash the glass under cold running water and imagine white light flowing through it along with the water. Say;
“I cleanse you,”
Concentrate on the water and white light removing all excess energy from the glass.
*You can also use this invocation by itself, anytime you feel a need to attune to the Higher Self.