Invocation for Vanth
The Compassionate Etruscan Psychopomp
The peerless eyes of Aita
turn Earthside to Cerveteri
Avast the brume that lingers
across the Tyrrhenian Sea
Steadfast the fires of Usil
that break the dawn away
Bring forth the heated iron ore
to hold the howling shades;
drive them back to where they lay
Call forth the Mother of Lares
Her infliction, perdition, and malaise
Invoke with key, nail, and sword
and cast the forgotten Mater’s ward
So, stretched palms skyward and advance
those guided by the bat-winged Vanth
Some back story to this invocation ⬇️
In 2020, I had a dream of a deity. I have been on podcasts, and I’ve spoken about dream work, lucid dreaming, hypnagogic states, but this was not like any other dream I’ve ever had.
I was not able to lucid dream. I felt my body in bed, but was somehow more detached from it than I usually would be in a hypnagogic state.
The contents of the dream I may some day talk about, but it’s not really the dream itself I want to talk about, rather what this deity was insinuating it wished I would do for it, my ancestors, and the attributed deities that walk with it.
I thought it may have been Enki, but after telling all my magician friends that I “had a dream about Enki”, I actually *did* have a dream of Enki (in curiously human form) who said “No you didn’t.”
In the dream, I asked if it was “Saturn”. It paused before responding, and I don’t know if you have ever asked a question to someone else in your dreams, but this was the first time I *felt* a being *think* in a puzzled way in my dream. The silence was heavy. It responded “You- people in your time- may call me Saturn. Yes and No.” I now understand that it was a deity much older than Saturn.
It showed me ancient Italy, and far off in the distance, I saw my ancient ancestors. They called out to me and I waved. The being said that “I’d come to know them.”
It very much wanted someone to “liberate” it and its people (my ancestors) from the shadows. It said “we are in a place forgotten.”
I had a beautiful experience with this deity, and when Dawn arrived I remember being separated from it, and feeling incredible sorrow.
I hit the books, and tried to find some information on ancient Italy. I started reading up on Italian magic and witchcraft, but I grew disinterested quickly, and my guides asked me to “go back further”
I came across a forgotten deity named Lua Saturni/Lua Mater, a goddess who was invoked alongside Saturn in ancient Italy. Ironically, she has a lot of traits and symbolism that are very similar to Vanth, but I’m not entirely convinced they are the same figure.
I later found out she wasn’t just ancient Italian, but Etruscan, a culture that proceeded the Romans and Greeks. I never learned about this ancient people until this moment, and when I read about their culture, their pantheon, their way of life- I felt like I finally found what I was looking for. Not just in reference to the dream I had, but it filled an empty hole I’ve had my entire life. I was embraced by the deities (Eis) of the Etruscans, and felt loneliness flee from my body.
As I was doing research for my essays on the Etruscans, I read up on a figure called Vanth. She is a demoness of the underworld and psychopomp. She is said to be a compassionate guide, but she is seen with two other figures less benevolent: Charun (Charon) who carries a hammer and is a trickster, and Culsu (very malevolent) and carries a scissor to cut the threads of life. Vanth carries a sword, key, and sometimes nail (a sacred ritual tool used in the rites and rituals of Lua Saturni).
Vanth has no Roman counterpart, but academics correlate her to the Valkyries of the Norse pantheon. She is said to have large wings.