Fortuna, The Sacred & Profane Faces of Luck

by Nigel Pennick

Some believe that our future is predetermined, while others assert that we have free will and our future can take many different courses depending on our actions. In ancient times, it was believed that the will of the gods determined people's lives, and divination or sacrifices to the gods could change or improve one's future. Of the deities devoted to luck and the future, the Roman goddess Fortuna is most famous, having two shrines in Italy where divination was conducted under her guardianship.

Revealing how divination and gambling are two sides of the same coin, Pennic shows how, wether you are a gambler or relying on Lady Luck or a diviner querying the gods, we're all looking to Fortuna in the quest for a better, richer life.