Ceres

Culture: Ancient Roman   Domain: Grain, agriculture, growth, the harvest

Ceres closely parallels Demeter and was central to Rome's food supply, both practically and religiously; her name survives directly in the English word "cereal." Her temple on the Aventine Hill served the Roman common people (the plebeians) in particular, tying her worship to grain distribution and to the wellbeing of ordinary citizens.

Associations

Grain and agriculture, the harvest, provision for the community, growth.

Ways people honor her (modern)

• Support food banks or community agriculture
• Bake bread as a devotional act
• Keep grain or a wheat sheaf on the harvest altar
• Reflect on her Aventine temple's tie to ordinary Romans, not only the elite

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.