Divine silence
for communication

Angerona, the primordial goddess of the Roman region, is the protector of silence and secrets. She is an elusive, difficult to define goddess, and even artists from ancient times could not make a precise portrait of her. She was even confused with other divine figures sometimes.

Angerona did not have temples dedicated to her, although statues of her figure were very common. On December 21st, official sacrifices to the goddess were made in the Temple of Voluptas, where her votive statue was kept. According to some sources, her name is derived from Greek and indicates a force that opens at the return of the sun.

Angerona is one of the protector divinities of Rome and the guardian of the secret name of the city, which could not be publicly revealed or even spoken out loud, to prevent enemies from discovering it and gaining power over the city. Some scholars have suggested that the real name of Rome is precisely the name of Angerona herself.

Her classic image depicts a woman with a wrap over her mouth, with her right index finger on her lips to command silence. For the Romans, this gesture also indicated the ability to hide anxiety and patiently achieve greater happiness. On the walls of the Temples of Humankind in Damanhur, Angerona’s wrap is replaced by a light veil that covers her face and offers a glimpse of her intense and concentrated expression, to emphasise that the silence to be sought is above all an inner silence, to find the keys to one’s soul within oneself.

Angerona relieves physical, emotional, and mental suffering. According to some sources, her name refers to angina pectoris because she can heal heart problems, thus caring for the heart from the perspective of both emotions and physical health. The goddess also protects secret and clandestine lovers.

If we are not careful, if we do not seek silence with will and intention, there is a constant cacophonic soundtrack in our lives that is difficult to escape even in restaurants and stores, and on the streets. Our minds cannot process continuous steam of conflicting information, and yet if we are not careful, we can also become addicted to the news – especially the negative news – which creates a devastating cocktail of hormones in the brain and triggers fear, confusion, and depression. It makes us frightened and powerless, unable to hear the wise voice within ourselves that could give us indications about what to do, how to take action for our growth and happiness.

Angerona can help us to remember that silence and discretion are important for learning how to distinguish what is important and what is not, what has value, and what only demonstrates vanity and complacency. Angerona teaches us to discern the true from the false, inviting us to reflect, asking us to identify the things that resonate with us, and on the other hand, that what destroys the precious garden of our values and disturbs the steps we take towards our human and spiritual realisation. Let us select which sources of information we want to keep paying attention to. Let us choose to spend some time in silence every day. Let us remember how to be quiet and listen to others in silence. Little by little, the voices that come from within us will be amplified, and we will be better able to recognise the real value of the opinions and information that come to us from the outside. Lastly, let us choose to say only the things that really mean something to us, words that add value to the lives of others, not confusion, fear, and anger.

Today, Angerona would probably be a password protector, to help us keep our valuable information safe, the things we do not want others to see. Perhaps she is also the goddess who pushed U.S. journalists to rectify the false data that Trump, while still President, declared on television during the vote count, making accusations of fraud to avoid admitting his electoral defeat. She is a goddess who cannot stand lies, who demands dignity of the word and respect for the voice that has the power to create, as is taught by the mystical traditions of many peoples.

The sky is the clearest and brightest after a storm. In the same way, the truth is clearest after we have kept silent in order to create a space and welcome it in. For just one day, let us turn off our mobile phones and all sources of news, comments, and chats to be completely present in the here and now. Let us listen to the sound of the birds, the whisper of the air, the voice of the earth. Let us listen closely to our heart, which certainly has something important to tell us if we choose to listen.