The Goddess of Freedom:
from Libertas to Lady Liberty
by Selena Fox
The honoring of the Goddess of Freedom began more than two thousand
years ago among the ancient Romans. They called Her, Libertas, the
Latin word for Freedom. Libertas signified freedom of action, freedom
from restraint, independence, rights, and related forms of personal
and social liberty.
The Roman religion had a large and complex pantheon
with a great assortment of Goddesses, Gods, and other sacred forms.
Ancient Romans revered and deified certain values, known as Virtues,
and Libertas was one of the most important of these. A few of the
more than two dozen other private and public Virtues were Hope (Spes),
Justice (Justica), Piety (Pietas), and Courage (Virtus). According
to their religion, Roman citizens were to uphold Virtues in their
personal lives as well as in the culture as a whole.
Libertas as a deity usually took the form of a Goddess. A temple
to Her on the Aventine Hill in Rome was dedicated around 238 BCE.
Sometimes She merged with the chief Roman God Jupiter, in the form
of Jupiter Libertas, whose feast was celebrated on April 13. Libertas
also was closely associated with the Goddess Feronia, and some viewed
them as aspects of the same Goddess, including the Roman scholar
Varro, a contemporary of Cicero. Feronia is thought to have been
originally an ancient agricultural and fire Goddess among the Etruscan
and/or Sabine peoples. During the Roman Republic, Feronia's feast
day was November 13. She was honored in central Italy as the Goddess
of freedwomen and freedmen, and She was associated with the granting
of freedom to slaves. Part of the passage from slavery into freedom
in Roman society involved having the head ritually shaved, being
ceremonially tapped by a magistrate with a rod, called a vindicta,
and then wearing a cap, known as a pilleus, to symbolize freed status.
 Some
of the Roman depictions of Libertas have survived to this day on
coins and other artifacts. Libertas usually is pictured as a matron
in flowing classical dress. She often is shown holding both the
Liberty Pole (vindicta) and Liberty Cap (pilleus). In some depictions
Libertas wears the Liberty Cap or a crown of Laurel leaves. Sometimes
She carries a spear instead of the Liberty Pole. Sometimes the Goddess
Liberty is shown with a Cat at Her feet.
Although the Roman empire is no more, the Goddess
Liberty still survives. Over the centuries and across cultures,
She has continued to signify Freedom in Her appearances in paintings,
sculptures, songs, stories, poems, and other literature. In recent
centuries, the form She has most often taken is that of Lady Liberty.
Libertas as Lady Liberty began emerging in America
during the colonial era as part of the American quest for political
independence from Britain. American patriot Paul Revere may have
been the first to depict Lady Liberty in that context. In 1766,
on the obelisk he created in celebration of the repeal of the Stamp
Act, he used the image of Liberty with a Liberty Pole surmounted
by a Liberty Cap. Another patriot leader, Thomas Paine, included
Her in his poem, the "Liberty Tree," referring to Her
as "The Goddess of Liberty." Freedom Goddess depictions
not only emerged in America during its Revolution, but a few years
later in France during its own Revolution, with the female symbol
of the French Republic, the Marianne, depicted wearing the Liberty
Cap, and often accompanied by Liberty's Cat.
As the USA became a nation, Lady Liberty became part
of the official symbology of some of its newly formed states. Holding
Her Liberty Cap atop the Liberty Pole, Lady Liberty appears along
with the Goddess of Justice on the New York State Flag. On the obverse
of the Great Seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia, created in 1776,
Liberty holds the Liberty Cap atop a pole in Her right hand and
is flanked on Her left side by the Roman Goddess of Eternity (Aerternitas)
and on Her right by the Goddess of Fruitfulness (Ceres). In addition,
the Goddess Liberty, also with a Liberty Pole and Cap, appears with
Ceres on the front of the Great Seal of New Jersey, adopted in 1777.
As more states were formed in the USA in the 19th
and 20th centuries, some of them also chose to include Liberty imagery
as part of their iconography. In addition, Lady Liberty images appeared
on coins, paintings, stamps, and in sculptures throughout the land,
including the colossal bronze Statue of Freedom, which was commissioned
in 1855 and in 1863 set on the top of the dome of the US Capitol
building in Washington, DC, where it can still be seen today. It
is interesting to note that during America's Civil War era both
sides claimed Liberty and sought to use Her images to promote their
own causes. Among abolitionists, Liberty was depicted freeing slaves,
while states rights advocates used Her image to signify independence
from the "tyranny" of centralized government. Today, Liberty
images are used in connection with a wide range of political parties,
candidates, and positions on various issues.
 The
most famous of the Freedom Goddess' American depictions, the Statue
of Liberty, was a gift from France to the United States in honor
of America's 100th birthday. Originally called "Liberty Enlightening
the World," the Statue of Liberty was designed by French Freemason
and sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi with the assistance of engineer
Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. The head of Lady Liberty's statue wears
a crown with solar rays, similar to the crown on the Colossus of
Rhodes, a magnificent monument to the Sun God Helios that once stood
astride a Greek harbor and was considered one of the seven wonders
of the ancient world. The seven rays on Liberty's crown represent
the seven continents and seven seas. The torch Liberty holds in
Her right upstretched hand is the Flame of Freedom, and underneath
Her feet are broken chains representing overcoming tyranny and enslavement.
The tablet Liberty holds in Her left hand is inscribed with July
4, the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and
the birth of the USA as a nation. Her flowing gown is similar in
design to depictions of Libertas in ancient Rome.
More than 100,000 people in France contributed money
to the creation of the 151 foot (46 meters) high copper clad Statue
of Liberty. In the USA, in a grass-roots effort spearheaded by newspaper
magnate Joseph Pulitzer, thousands of Americans contributed money
for the creation of the 65 foot high granite pedestal to serve as
the Statue's base. The Statue was completed in Paris in May of 1884
and shipped in pieces to the USA where it was reassembled. Work
on pedestal construction began in August 1884 following the laying
of the cornerstone by Masons of the Grand Lodge of New York in a
traditional Masonic ritual. The Statue of Liberty was erected on
top of Her pedestal in New York Harbor on Bedloe Island, which was
renamed Liberty Island in Her honor seventy years later. Thousands
of people attended the dedication ceremony held on October 28, 1886,
including Suffragettes, who, while circling the island in a boat,
loudly proclaimed through a megaphone their freedom demand that
women have the right to vote. A plaque was added in 1903 to an interior
wall of the pedestal containing "The New Colossus," the
poem written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 as a tribute to the Statue
and to immigrants coming to America for freedom. In the twentieth
century, in preparation for the one hundredth birthday of the Statue
of Liberty, an extensive renovation project was undertaken from
1984-1986. On the weekend of July 4, 1986, a great centennial celebration
was held and the newly restored Statue was re-opened to visitors.
The Statue of Liberty continues to be one of the most beloved of
America's civic shrines. The United Nations designated it as a World
Heritage site in 1984. The Statue of Liberty receives over 5 million
visitors each year.
Lady Liberty images can be found not only throughout
America, but elsewhere in the world. She sometimes makes appearances
at political rallies, usually in Her Statue of Liberty form. Such
was the case in May, 1989, when She gained worldwide attention as
She emerged as the Goddess of Democracy in student demonstrations
in Beijing, China. Pro-democracy demonstrators erected a 33 foot
styrofoam and plaster Liberty Goddess with torch image in Tiananmen
Square, and this became a powerful rallying symbol of their quest
for Freedom. Although, a short time later, tanks moved in and crushed
this statue as well as demonstrators and their demonstrations, their
vision and work for Democracy continues within and outside of China.
Images of Lady Liberty now abound in American popular
culture. In addition to the variety of Statue of Liberty replicas,
postcards, t-shirts, and other souvenirs at tourist shops in New
York City and elsewhere, Lady Liberty imagery can be found in movies
and on television, on postage stamps and posters, in books and newspapers,
in art museums and theaters, in poems and songs, in cartoons and
advertisements, in public squares and private homes, in pageants
and costume parties, plus in many other contexts. Lady Liberty's
biggest Feast day in the USA is Independence Day, July 4. She is
honored on other occasions as well, such as having Her own float
in the globally televised Rose Parade which took place on January
1, 2000 in Pasadena, California, USA. The float, "Liberty for
All," was sponsored by the Family of Freemasonry and included
a 50 foot high replica of the Statue of Liberty. In addition, Lady
Liberty can be seen year round at a variety of websites on the internet.
To many contemporary Wiccans and other Pagans, Lady
Liberty is more than a symbol. She is a powerful and ancient Goddess
who can guide, inspire, protect, and comfort. Pagans have invoked
Lady Liberty in rituals for personal and/or social liberation. Some
Pagans include Her image in their household shrines and altars.
Because of Her ancient Pagan origins, Lady Liberty is an excellent
Goddess to work with in support of Pagan religious freedom.
In 1988, I renamed Circle Sanctuary's religious freedom
network, the Lady Liberty League, in Her honor because of the help
She had given us in defeating anti-Wiccan legislation (1985)
and in winning Circle Sanctuary's zoning battle for the right to
use our land for spiritual activities (1988). Those affiliated with
the Lady Liberty League invoke Her not only in workings on specific
cases, but each year as part of our annual meeting, held in June
during the Pagan Spirit Gathering.
I close with several Liberty Goddess meditations and
rituals:
Personal Liberation: Call to mind
a habit you wish to break or a restrictive situation you seek release
from. Imagine it taking the form of a chain binding you. For a few
moments, experience its restrictions and the problems it causes.
Then, invoke the Goddess of Liberty to come to your aid. Imagine
Her wearing a Liberty Cap and carrying a Liberty Pole. Imagine your
chains falling away as She touches them with the Liberty Pole. Imagine
Her placing Her Liberty Cap on your head. As you experience yourself
wearing Her Cap, allow guidance to come to you about specific things
you can do in your daily life to break the habit or change the situation
and take on healthier behaviors. When this guidance comes to you,
imagine the Goddess giving you Her Liberty Pole as well. Give thanks
to Her. Write down the guidance you received and other impressions.
Select an action that can help your situation and do it.
Lady Liberty Feast Day Celebration:
Begin the day with a Lady Liberty meditation. Call to mind Her image
and imagine Her standing before you. Invoke Her by at least one
of Her names: Liberty, Libertas, Lady Liberty, Goddess of Liberty,
and/or Goddess of Freedom. Then name and give thanks for each of
the freedoms that you experience in your own life. If you are an
American, do your meditation on July 4 and work with Her Statue
of Liberty form. If you are from another country, select the date
and image that you feel is most appropriate.
Religious Freedom Support: Do this
ritual to send spiritual support to Pagans and others involved in
religious freedom cases. Obtain an image of Lady Liberty, such as
a sculpture, illustration, or photograph. Set it on a central altar
and position the image so that it faces the direction where the
person and/or group needing help is located. Place a piece of paper
with the names of those needing help before the image. Around this,
place and light white votive candles, one in each of the compass
points, plus a fifth on top of the paper naming those needing help.
Invoke the Liberty Goddess by repeatedly chanting Her ancient name,
Libertas. Peak the energy and then be silent for a time. Imagine
She is in your midst, holding Her Flame of Freedom high, and facing
in the same direction as Her physical representation on the altar.
Welcome Her and then ask Her to guide, protect, and support those
in need. Then chant the names of those in need and as you do, imagine
Lady Liberty being with them. As the chant peaks, imagine those
in need glowing with Lady Liberty's Light and receiving strength,
healing, protection, guidance, and support from Her and from you
and others taking part in the ritual. Then give thanks to Lady Liberty
and ask Her to continue to work Her magic on the situation. Use
the Lady Liberty physical representation again in additional rituals
or, if you feel it is appropriate, give it to those in need as a
reminder of the support they are receiving from Lady Liberty and
those who took part in the ritual.
Selena Fox has been involved in civil rights, religious freedom,
and social justice work for more than 35 years. She is executive
director of the Lady Liberty League and high priestess of Circle
Sanctuary. This article is part of a work in progress. She is compiling
Liberty Goddess rituals, meditations, lore, history, and experiences.
Contact her: Selena Fox, Circle Sanctuary, P.O.Box 9, Barneveld, WI 53507, USA; selena@circlesanctuary.org;
(608) 924-2216.
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