Goddess Symbols of Fortuna

Goddess Symbols of Fortuna

Fortuna was a major deity among the ancient Romans. In fact, she held charge of the fates of all humans in her early career. So imagine in ancient Rome - the fate of your fortune was known and even influenced by this goddess. With this kind of mindset, it's understandable why Fortuna was afforded the most luxurious kind of worship. Extravagant altars, celebrations and placations flowed from the community to Fortuna - all in hopes to gain good fortune.

Later in history, Fortuna became more of a fertility figure. Unwed Roman women would join forces with the goddess to land an ideal mate. Women seeking healthy pregnancies would also worship her, as Fortuna was known to be the fertility-maker of both human and earthly wombs. She put the touch of ripeness in the air, and issued insurance policies for abundance.

With all the highs to Fortuna, there are also lows. Whether in luck or fertility, Fortuna cast the die that colored the lives of ancient Romans.

The goddess symbols of Fortuna include:

Globe:
Because she had such massive sway, one of Fortuna's attribute is a globe to convey the collective nature of her influence. A globe expresses her ability to oversee the world's activities and doll out global rulings in matters of fate. Globes are also symbolic of: Inclusion, Community, Wholeness, Femininity and Protection. Globes possess symbolic meanings of totality - both cosmic and physical. It is an icon of achievement; as if to say the whole world is "at our fingertips." It is a symbol of comprehension too, getting the idea - or grasping the "bigger picture." The globe is also a geometric aspect of the circle which deals with infinity, completion, cycles and totality. Read more about globe symbolism in Tarot here.

Cornucopia:
Not just for Thanksgiving anymore, the cornucopia also serves as a goddess symbol to Fortuna because it's all about value, abundance and infinite supply. What a great mental icon - the horn of plenty. Actually, mythology indicates it's the horn of endless plenty. The original cornucopia was a ram or goat's horn in Roman mythology. The Roman god Jupiter gave a goat's horn to his nursemaid as a reward for doing such a great job babysitting him and taking care of him as an infant. It was a magical horn of supply, and whenever the nursemaid desired something, she just made a wish, reached in the horn, and pulled out her heart's desire. The cornucopia plays the same symbolic role with Fortuna - it represents infinite supply and lush bounty. It also represents the male aspect of fertility and reproductions (horns being a phallic symbol).

Wheel:
Wheels are mobile circles, and remind us of the circulatory motion of wealth (fortune) in our lives. The wheel is also a sacred symbol of energy, and an illustration of how energy perpetuates through everything. Always rolling, turning and moving through all things. Just as globes are 3D symbols of circles which are symbolic of inclusion, community and cycles - so too is the wheel. The ancient Romans understood the revolutionary nature of life. In other words, life is not linear. Rather, it rolls in a cyclical motion with ups, downs, and revolving mobility. The wheel of Fortuna is symbolic of the cycles of life and her ability to perpetuate a fluid motion in the business of living it.

Wreath:
Wreaths are symbolic of victory and reward granted to one who has excelled to the highest level of achievement. In ancient Rome, wreaths were made of laurel leaves or olive branches to name a few. The material in which they were constructed would depend upon the god, goddess or ceremony. Fortuna's wreath would have been woven with Narcissus blossoms to represent beauty, love, fertility and amorous attraction. Wreaths are also a feminine symbol as their curved semi-circle shape is reminiscent of the womb. These aspects all intertwine with Fortuna's role as both fertility goddess and fortune-caterer.

I hope you have enjoyed this brief page on goddess symbols of Fortuna.

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