Goddess of the Week: Laetitia

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Claire asks for a goddess of Joy. For her, I have Laetitia, Roman goddess of joy.

Laetitia was a patron of these once-in-a-lifetime games they used to have in Rome. They only occurred once-in-a-lifetime because they only occurred when things in Rome had really gone to hell. Literally. They were meant to appease pissed off underworld gods who, for whatever reason, deemed fit to shower Rome in plagues.

The games themselves were typical Roman excess. You had your Coliseum gladiator dudes. You had your bacchanalias. It was a wild scene -- not one's typical response to gloom and doom. But that's what you gotta love about Laetitia. In the face of disaster, Laetitia says, "There is still joy. There is still life. Embrace it while you can." Or, as that great philosopher Belinda Carlisle says, "Can't stop the world; Why let it stop you?"

None of this is to say that we should live in that happy place I like to frequent called Denial. No. Laetitia says just the opposite. She says that even in the face of heartbreak and fear -- especially in the face of heartbreak and fear -- one must not hide. One must don a short little gladiator skirt and go out like Russell Crowe! Alternatively, one can run drunk through the streets of Rome. Ah. But at least you'll have been to Rome.

Channel this goddess: When blessed with joy, when lacking joy. No need to go all Bacchanalian either. Just broaden your viewfinder. You'll see her.

Need a goddess: I got goddesses! Post a comment and tell me what you need or just want to know about. I'll see what I can do.