The Temple

"Normal" places are sacred places, usually inhabited by forces having precise meanings: this condition makes them spaces qualitatively different from profane and not-sacred sites. Sacred places thus express a Sacred Geography (having nothing in common with the conventional geography) rotating around fixed focal points, Centres, "omphalos" providing "orientation".

Sacred Geography is based on the concept of Sacred Space which is essentially "experience", primarily with the Divine: any place is thus a qualitative experience.

These assumptions are the fundamentals of the concept of Temple (Templum). The Temple is a sacred space limited bya Pontifex or an Augur with a lituus on the ground, water, air or underground where a Divine presence is acknowledged (Original Temple). Therefore, the Temple is a qualitatively different space from the environment around it whose ideal trail separates two spaces indicating the distance between two different ways of being. Its gate indicates the border and the communication point between these two worlds. Please note that the Temple's gate has its own "Guardians": the gate always represents a "passage" (Janus)

Inside, the Temple has  an "axial point" or an ideal open point for the communication with the Deities: for this reason the Temple must be ideally open and some of them can become a "Gods'/Goddesses' Gates" or a direct contact point between Earth and Sky.


Noboy (neither a Pontifex nor an Augur) can choose a sacred place or a Temple: they can rather discover, through specific signs, if a place is a sacred site. A sign may appear after a legum dictio (sign request) and this may indicate that this sacred place, limited by a Temple (as a space for the signs' observation),  may receive signs from a numen.


The Temple is a quadrilateral oriented space (simbology of the quadrilater-square) in the same time the Temple becomes an orientation tool. It becomes a Centre. Circular Templee have different meanings (simbology of the circle).

After positive responses of the legum dictio, the Temple will follow the inauguratio, consecratio and dedicatio process. 

Inauguratio: the Augur or Pontifes have made precise questions requiring just "yes" or "not" through natural signs. The question and the interpretation of the sing(s) must be ritually made at the entrance of a tent (tabernaculum) or over a mat placed at the centre of the sacred quadrilater, which has been limited with a lituus, in the point where the two oriented axes of this space cross each other. Iron or knots must be absent and it must be a prevalence of White.

When lacking signs, the consultation is postponed to a more favourable day.

Consecratio: the Pontifix, touching the temple's door declares the sollemnia  pontificalis carminis verba or the ritual formulas requested for the consecratio.

In case of presence of signs, they must be interpreted and acknowledged (not all signs are augural signs - superstitio): after that it is necessary to understand which force (numen) sends these signs to "name" the God/Goddess to who commit and assign the Temple (dedicatio). The dedicatio is expressed by the Pontifex with a precise ritual formula (precatio).

Over an Original Temple is also possible to create a Sacred Building which must have some essential ritual elements for example:

• Sacred Foundations (consecrated separately because they sink into the Inferi World)
• the Corner Stone (with the related simbology and ritual)
  
• the Columns (they represent the sacred trees each of which inhabited by a specific God/Goddess: their number must comply with the sacred numerology)
• the Stair (simbology of the Stair - elevation - and related sacred numerology for the steps)
• the Altar (for the sacrifices and the offers: libatio)
  
• the Perimetrical Walls (they represent the atmosphere)
• the Ceiling (it represents the Sky)
• the Gate (and related simbology -  Janus)
• the Axial Point (opening)

The Temple may host the symbols pertaining the God/Goddess: for the popular religion it can host also a statue of the God/Goddess (to be avoided when possible)