The Roman goddess Fortuna was the same as an earlier Italian goddess who presided over the earth's abundance and controlled the destiny of all human beings. Her name, derived from Vortumna, "she who turns the year about" come to symbolize the capriciousness of life and luck, the vagaries of fate as the wheel of life turns around. Her festival was celebrated in October.

      Fortuna gives us a way to approach the ups and downs of life, a perspective that can offer us some equanimity as we proceed on our journey.

FORTUNA/FORS/FORS FORTUNA--She was the goddess of Fate in all its unknown qualities. Her symbols were the wheel, the sphere, the ship's rudder and prow, the cornucopia. She ruled oracles, fate, chance; protectress of women married only once. Sometimes she was pictured with wings.

Guirand, Felix, ed. THE LAROUSSE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF MYTHOLOGY. Trans. Richard Aldrington and Delano Ames, New York. Barnes & Noble Books. 1994, 213

Fortuna. Called Fors, then Fors Fortuna, she represented fate with all its unknown factors. Her name derives from fero. She was from remotest antiquity venerated in many Italian provinces, but her most important cult was celebrated at Praeneste in Latium where a certain Numerius Suffustus, digging in a cliff, discovered some tablets in oak inscribed with mysterious formulas, by means of which oracles could be delivered.

      At Praeneste Fortuna was called Primigenia - firstborn (of Jupiter) - and, with an inconsequence which is not rare in the history of ancient myths, she was considered to be Jupiter's nurse and daughter at the same time.

      Fortuna Primigenia was introduced to Rome in 204 B.C. during the second Punic war. However, the Romans already had a Fortuna who, they said, had favoured the astonishing political career of Servius Tullius, the slave who became king. One legend makes Servius Tullius the son of Fortuna; another said he was her lover. The goddess, in order to visit him, would slip during the night through the skylight. The Porta Fenestelia in Rome recalled this memory.

      Fortuna was honoured under many names. In Rome she was Fortuna publica populi romani. Fortuna Mullebris - protectress of matrons univirae namely, only once married - persuaded Coriolanus to raise the siege of Rome at the prayers of his mother and the Roman wives. A golden statuette of Fortuna had always to remain in the sleeping quarters of Roman Emperors. Citizens who were distinguished by outstanding good or bad luck had a Fortuna. When overtaken at sea by a storm Caesar said to the terrified pilot: 'What do you fear? You carry Caesar and his Fortuna.'

      The countless representations of Fortuna show her chief attributes to be the wheel, the sphere, a ship's rudder and prow, and a cornucopia. The goddess is sometimes seated, sometimes standing. Occasionally she has wings.