I see the God as That is Created and Destroyed; the Goddess is the Creator and the
Destroyer. His knowledge is experiential and he sees the cycle of rebirth from the unique perspective of the being that experiences it. He understands, more so than the
Goddess, how the cycle shapes the world of the living. His life cycle of birth to full power to age to death to rebirth parallels our own lives on this earth. The Goddess loves Her children, the God understands His. Through the love they bear for each other, they share in both the knowledge of the mystery of rebirth and in the power, but the knowledge remains His province and the power rests in Her.

I recall someone talking about a feeling of being called to a given deity, and how to know this was for real, and how to go about making it Signed and Official and all that
I thought I'd give out with few words as to my own experiences this way.
I'm pretty much a believer in the notion that a person is best served by following their natural inclinations on some ways. I found my own Craft name this way -- I just sort of waited until I found the "right" name. I waited until I got a handle on what I was like at that time (it may change in the future) and at that point, saw the name as the proper noun that described what I was, the word for my inner nature.
It's no more a "chosen" name that an apple "chooses" to be called an apple.
It's simply the name we have for the thing.
Finding a deity figure is similar, and the one that fits you is often different from time to time. Don't look for one that you like and say, "I want to dedicate myself to that one." Look inside yourself and see what's there -- and don't lie or hide anything.
Honesty is needed here. Know yourself, and then see if you can find a deity match up for what you see. This is what I mean by seeing what your own natural inclinations are and then going with them. Oftentimes, the deity will just sort of fall into place with no effort, like a dewdrop rolling off a leaf. It just finds the proper time and bango -- it happens. Very zen, actually. This is similar -- if you relax and just know yourself, the deity will fall into place with no effort. Well, enough effort to read books and research so that you'll be able to know him or her when you see them. But research isn't effort -- it's fun!
My own deities are a bit odd -- the moirae from the Mycenean/Greek pantheon are good, as is the Minoan god Kouros. (Never let it be said that your deity has to be the same gender!)
Anyway, the only advice I can give you is to know yourself and then when you see your deity you'll recognize him or her as the right one. Choosing one that isn't a good fit is a bad idea.

Christianity teaches that God is transcendent, is separate from nature, and is represented to humankind through masculine imagery. Witchcraft holds a pantheistic view of God. God is nature, therefore God is in all things and all things are a part of God. However, this God is in actuality a goddess.
A fundamental belief in Goddess Worship is the idea that the goddess predates the male God. The goddess is the giver of all life and is found in all of creation. The importance of the Goddess symbol for women cannot be overstressed. The image of the Goddess inspires women to see ourselves as divine, our bodies as sacred, the changing phases of our lives as holy, our aggression as healthy, and our anger as purifying. Through the Goddess, we can discover our strength, enlighten our minds, own our bodies, and celebrate our emotions.
The modern Goddess movement is an attempt to integrate the feminine back into the world as we know it. This means bringing the Goddess out of the shadows and back into the limelight where she belongs. Part of most modern Goddess traditions is the idea that Goddess exists within and around everything in creation. Therefore, if
Goddess is sacred, then so is the Earth, so our bodies, etc. Moreover, the relationship between all of these things is equally sacred. Therefore, not only do we need to revere the creations of the Goddess, we must revere the relationship and the systems that
Goddess has created, for they each have their purpose. The problem is that we don't always know what the true system is anymore because our society is so corrupted by the patriarchy. For example, if we only examine the system as it exists today, we might come to the conclusion that women's place within the system is necessarily subservient to the men in the system. Naturally, eco-feminists would laugh at this idea. First of all, eco-feminism maintains that the natural order of things is not linked by hierarchical value, so the very notion of men governing women is absurd. The nature of things would require reciprocal communication and integral networking.
In light of this, then, Goddess religion asserts that Goddess and God cannot be viewed separately, but rather as a network of energies that work together to better the entire network.
Goddess Archetypes:
The Maiden is the first aspect of the Goddess, presented to us as a young woman, blossoming into womanhood, exploring her sexuality and learning of her beauty. She

is most often depicted as a teenaged girl or a woman in her very early twenties.
Unlike the images of young women in many patrifocal religions, the Maiden is not necessarily depicted as a virgin in most Goddess traditions. In Catholicism, Mary is depicted not only as a virgin maiden, but continues to be a virgin throughout the duration of her lifetime, regardless of the fact that she was married and gave birth to a child. This has more to do with the taint patrifocal religions assign female sexuality than anything else. But because women’s sexuality is not denigrated in Goddess traditions, there is no need to associate virginity with the Maiden Goddess.
In fact, the Maiden Goddess is seen as a particularly sexual being. Because she has just bloomed into her womanly form, she is particularly interested in her body and what it can do. She is interested in her beauty, and she learns to manipulate the affections of other's based upon her feminine wiles.
Some might take offense at my use of the word manipulate in the preceding sentence, but in fact, that is what sexuality is about, both on the part of the male and the female. Flirtation, courting and other manners of getting the attentions of the opposite sex is certainly a form of manipulation. It is not manipulation with malicious intent, to be sure, but when you attempt to curb the attitudes or thoughts of others through your own appearance or behavior, this is a form of manipulation, and by no means negative.
Because the Maiden is associated with the first blossoming of womanhood, adulthood and sexuality, she is associated with the Springtime. Just as her body develops breasts and she becomes sexually capable, so too does the Earth mimic her development.
Flowers bloom, the Earth awakens from the deep sleep of winter and begins to procreate again. Animals lie with one another, flowers are pollinated. Spring is a time for new beginnings. It is the counterpart to the winter of Death.
Just as Spring is the counter to Winter, so too is the Maiden the counter to the Crone.
The Crone is the embodiment of death, and subsequently rebirth, and it is through the aspect of the Maiden that the Crone is able to pass from this world and be reborn.
As the young Goddess delves into her sexuality, and eventually becomes pregnant, the Elder Goddess may pass away and give her life that the Maiden may become
Mother, and one day, Crone. The cycle is never ending.
The Maiden takes the Green Man (Horned Lord, many other names in many other cultures) as her consort. In some cultures, the Green Man may be her brother or even her son. At first glance, the courtship between the Maiden and the Sun God seems ripe with incest, because he is always somehow related to her. But if you read the

myths associated with the Mother Goddess and how it came to pass that she became pregnant, you will usually find that she became pregnant by her husband, who has to give his life for one reason or another, and she agrees to bring him back into he world as the child in her womb. In essence, she gives birth to her husband, rather than taking her son as her lover. This is even true in the Catholic goddess vision: Jesus was the son of God, but he was also God. Because this idea is confusing and can lead to ideas of incest much like I discussed above, the Christian church left Mary a virgin, thus bypassing the whole sexual encounter, and thus the issue of incest altogether.
Maiden Goddess of Note include:
Diana, Persephone, Kore, Bleudowedd, Artemis, Ariadne, Hestia, Athena, Aphrodite,
Minerva, and Venus.
The aspect of the Mother Goddess is probably the most widely known and most widely envisioned in most cultures. Because the Earth nourishes and replenishes us, most goddess cultures did pay reverence to the Earth as the Mother, and therefore the
Goddesses that are most prominent and about whom stories are most prolific are the goddesses that are the representation of the Mother.
She is, in virtually every aspect, a divine or celestial representation of our earthly mothers. Everyone has an earthly mother, or at least did at one point, so we readily understand the relationship between mother and child. The mother is the protector, the care-giver, the kisser of wounds, and the disciplinarian. The Divine Mother is no different.
Many of the most ancient goddess figures that archeology has uncovered are goddesses depicted as round, pregnant women. They feature large breasts and full, meaty hips. Some archeologists (patriarchal, close minded fellows, to be sure) have written these goddess figures off as nothing more than prehistoric "porn" figures.
However, the generally accepted opinion is that these figures, found in such places as
France, modern day Turkey, and Egypt, are actually representations of a mother goddess. There is some speculation that perhaps these figures are not goddesses at all, but rather figures used in fertility rites to enable women to conceive children. This too is a possibility, but when combined with other information that we have (such as other evidence of prehistoric goddess worship, and the fact that the connection between sex and pregnancy was not made until much later than the dates associated with these figures) leads most scholars to believe that these statues are indeed goddess representations.
Although the depiction of the Mother Goddess as a pregnant woman is prominent,

she is certainly not always seen that way. The Mother aspect may be seen with small child in tow (most often a boy, who later becomes her consort, as is discussed in the section on the Maiden). This aspect of the Mother Goddess plays on the care-giving, sweet, loving aspect of the Goddess. However, do not be fooled into thinking that the
Goddess as Mother is a pussy cat. She can also be a warrior.
Like earthly mothers, the Goddess is fiercely protective of her children, and in order to provide that protection she will often don the face of the warrior. The Warrior
Goddess most probably gained popularity among people who had begun to adopt a more patriarchal (or at least patrifocal) structure. It might be presumptuous to say that matrifocal cultures were not particularly warlike, but it is safe to say that patriarchal cultures were more so. In either case, the warrior Goddess did become popular. In this aspect she is Amazon, fierce and strong, and able to take on any man to protect what needs protection.
Just as the maiden is represented by the season of Spring, the Mother aspect is present in Summer. By summer, berries and fruits are ripe, ready for the plucking. Vegetable gardens are mature and harvest is close at hand. The sun is high in the sky, and even though the sun is typically seen as a Male Deity, some cultures did associate the sun with the Goddess, (most notably the early Egyptian culture) and thus the high sun of summer was associated with the Mother, who was also seen as the pinnacle of the cycle of life.
In western traditions, the Goddess remains pregnant until the Winter Solstice, at which time she gives birth to a sun god of some kind. (Note the adaptation of the
Christian church, Christmas, anyone?) The Catholic Goddess Mary also falls into the category of the Mother Goddess, because she does give birth to King at Solstice. (At least this is how the Christians celebrate the holiday, even though biblical scholars suggest Jesus was very likely born during a warm month)
Mary is a curiosity though, because she is a Dual Goddess, and not a Triple Goddess as most multifaceted Goddesses are. She is a maiden because she remains a virgin (and though not all maidens are virgins, all virgin goddesses are maidens), and yet because she gives birth, she is also a Mother. However, there is no reference in the Catholic tradition of Mary as an older woman. Therefore, Mary's development ended with her at the Mother phase.
Mother Goddesses of Note include:
Demeter, Isis, Cerridwyn, Kali, Gaia, Oceana, Brigit, Nuit, Hera, Selene, Anu, Dana,
Arianrhod, and Epona

The Crone is the final aspect of the Goddess. The Crone is most often depicted as a
Grandmother, a SageWoman, or a Midwife. She is the keeper of Occult Knowledge, the Mysteries and the Queen of the Underworld. It is through the Crone that knowledge of magick, the Dark, and other secrets of the ages are passed down.
The Crone is, in some ways, a Triple Goddess herself. She has lived through the tender, sensual age of Maidenhood, suffered the birth pains of Motherhood, and now carries with her the memories of these passages into her old age. But though she has experienced these events, these are not the things she represents, and therefore she is not revered for these traits. Nevertheless, having endured these experiences makes her the wise woman that she is, and enables her to guide us through the dark.
Her role as Midwife is both symbolic as well as actual. Traditionally, it is always the older women of the tribe who facilitate the birth of children, most likely because they themselves had gone through, but also because the role of midwife was a sacred position, and thus suitable for an older tribeswoman. Certainly the Crone fulfills this aspect in that she is the midwife to the Queen of Heaven when she gives birth to the
Oak King at Yule.
But symbolically she is the midwife in our lives as well, guiding us from one phase of life to the next. If you see progression from one phase of life to the next and can see it as a rebirth process, then envision the Crone as the aspect of the goddess that guides you through that time. Transition is very difficult, and for most people it is a time of darkness. It is a time where we have to rely on our intuition, because we are unfamiliar with the territory. But according to the myths and ancient lore, we receive our intuition from the Crone. It is she who guides us, and it is she who facilitates our birth.
The Crone Goddess is often times the least seen, because she does represent death, and with death comes fear: fear of the unknown, fear of losing our loved ones, and fear of being alone. But we must remember that with death always comes rebirth.
The Crone always brings with her promises of the Maiden, and the cycle never ends.
The Mother aspect of the Goddess is discussed as being a Warrior Goddess, but the
Crone can be a Warrior Goddess as well. Where the Mother Goddess is the blood of battle, the War Cry incarnate, the fighting Amazon, the Crone is the Strategy, the ability to see what cannot be seen. She is the seer, the General. The Crone Goddess does not don the face of the warrior to shed blood, but she will provide the courage to walk through the dark, the ability to seek and destroy the enemy, whether the enemy is actual, or internal.

In many respects, the Crone Goddess is the aspect of the Goddess that is most called upon to conquer inner demons. This is due to the fact that as the keeper of mysteries, the Crone is also the Keeper of the Underworld. With her help, we are able to travel into the Underworld and fight whatever demons haunt us. Likewise, once we are ready to be reborn, she again acts as the midwife and guides us once again into the light.
Crone Goddesses of Note include:
Hecate, Kali, Cerridwyn, Badb, Cailleach, Macha, and the Morrigan

Earth and Sun Goddess, she is worshipped at the Summer Solstice. She is queen of the Fey (fairy folk), a sorceress. She is associated with wild geese and the red mare.
Goddess of war, death and fertility. She is associated with sacred groves.
She is the lunar goddess of time and space. Love, wisdom and higher learning.
She is keeper of the silver wheel and her associations are the crescent moon and reincarnation.
She is the bear goddess and represents, fertility, protection and strength.
She is the goddess of war, fury and inspiration. She is also known by the name
‘the Battle Raven’.
She is the Irish goddess of Earth she is associated with the sacred lands.
The goddess of healing, laughter and sacred forests. She is associated with woodland animals, the forests and the warmth of the Sun.
Br anwen
She is welsh, and her name means ‘white raven’, Goddess of love and is associated with the white crow.
She is the bride goddess of inspiration, poetry, healing and health and medicine. Goddess of the sun, hearth and home and sacred fires. She is also associated with the spindle, the fire pot and distaff.

Goddess associated with the earth’s womb, wells, the healing spring, sacred wells, renewal and childbirth.
Goddess of Ireland, war and leadership. Mother of the warrior.
The white lady of the Fey. Associated with grace, beauty, the white mare and apple blossom. mares.
The shape-shifting earth goddess who is associated with fertilization and
Queen of the Tuatha De Dannan. Goddess of Ireland who is associated with the power of the land, creation and shape-shifting.
Danu, or Anu, is the mother goddess of the Tuatha De Dannan, a descendant of Nemed. She is a shape-shifter who is also associated with self control, wisdom and control of all life. The staff of life, prosperity and abundance are all associated with
Danu. Cassiopeia the constellation honors her with its name, Llys Don which means
Danu’s home.
Goddess of the underworld, her attributes are love, beauty and grace.
Very ancient Goddess of woodland areas, associated with green grass and springs. Protectress of forests and animals.
Known as the ‘dark queen’ or as the crone aspect of the goddess/dark mother.
She is associated with the Celtic endless weave and the oak moon.
The all mother, the nine-fold goddess. Goddess of wisdom, inspiration and knowledge. Also is associated with the cauldron of creation.

Gods of the midsummer harvest. Associated with apples and swans.
The three-fold sun Gods. Irish queen of war, fertility and ritual games.
Goddess of Tara. Warrior Queen. Associated with a magic spear and shield, she carries birds and animals on her shoulder as she roams across the lands.
She is the Goddess of death, fertility, sexuality, magic and shape-shifting. She is also called ‘the death mother’ and is associated with cypress trees, ravens and crows, sea shells and the shoreline.
She is a powerful sea goddess of beauty. She is associated with whales, sea dollars, manta rays, ocean vegetation and the rod of command.
She is protectress of the Drynemeton and is patroness of sacred springs.
Warrior Goddess of the oaks and is associated with sacred forests, the ram and is depicted as carrying a spear made of ash with a silver tip.
She is the sister of Macha and is the goddess of war. Her name means venomous, she is associated with the serpent or the crow.
She is the teacher and student and consort of Merlin. She is the ‘lady of the lake’, maker and keeper of the great sword of King Arthur, Excalibur. She is an earth and water goddess associated with swallows, swans, quartz crystals and caves. She carries a bright silver sword.
Queen Mare or queen mother. She was originally named Rigatona. She is the goddess of strength and knowledge and is associated with mares, birds and apples.
She is the deer goddess; she is one of the most ancient of the Celt goddesses.
She is associated with the doe and fawn and with forests.

Goddess of the Astral and solar plane. She is associated with the stars and celestial skies, space and skywalking.
Tria na
The triple Goddess of Healing, mental arts, knowledge, life and death and nature as well as wisdom, the arts and higher love. She is associated with plant life and the silver moon.
She is the Goddess of birth, life, mothers, childbirth and children she is consort of Merlin and associated with the rose.
Ancestral god of death and war. He is king of Annwn, the underworlds. He is associated with magical animals, shape-shifting, the cauldron and water springs.
The God of healing, music, truth and fire. He is associated with a golden spear, the golden harp and the sun.
The God of prophecy, protector of poets and bards, god of music. He is associated with the harp, the head and singing.
The God of War, he is depicted as carrying the head of his enemies and a long sword. He is associated with storms and clouds.
He is the maker of swords, associated with smiths, metal work, swords and crafting. He is depicted as carrying a bronze sword.
He is God of earth a ‘good god’, the god of life, death, prosperity, abundance, wisdom and feasting. He is a simple god who dresses down in leather boots and a plain cloak/cape.
The God of Medicine, famed for once saving Ireland. He is married to

Morrigan and among their children are Cian who marries Ethniu the daughter of
Balor and Etan, who marries Ogma.
The God of pranks and tricks. He is known for his love of mischief.
God of the woodlands, he is associated with the bow and arrow, the sword and hunting.
God of the beech tree.
He is god of magic known as the ‘divine blacksmith’. He is associated with metal and tools, forges, smiths and the fire that transforms.
The son of the goddess Mei, god of music and love. Also known as the ‘falcon of May’ he is associated with hunting, fields and the raptor.
The great Wizard, prince of the powers of Air, he is the God of kindness, eloquence, magic and art. He is associated with healing, magic and harps.
God of the otherworld, the wild hunt and the death chase. He travels with
Domarth, a white hound.
The protector of the souls of the dead, the fire God of the setting sun. He is associated with a magic flute that gives peace to all who hear it.
The god of life, death, wealth and knowledge. Lord of the animals he is also the all father. His associations are the bull, the stag, horned animals, 3 cranes, a magical serpent belt and a bag of coins.
The Celtic version of Poseidon, he is a shy sea god; he is a shape-shifter who is part man and part fish. He is also a god of music. He is associated with shells, sea

gulls, serpents, sea animals, pearls, coral and silver.
Lugh is the sun god, master of all the arts and champion of the Tuatha De
Dannan. He is a powerful sorcerer who is known for his skill with weapons as well as in bardic knowledge, poetry and war. He is associated with the turtle, coins, setting suns and a magic sword.
He is the divine son, god of love, sex, music, tricks and youthfulness. He also presides over prophecy, magick and power. He is associated with the boar, the lyre and mineral springs.
The master of shape-shifting, god of magic, the seas, travel, teacher he is the consort of Rhiannon. He is associated with a mantle of invisibility, a magic spear, feasting and the faery mounds of Ireland. He gave a cup of Gold to King Cormac, which broke when he told lies and magically restored itself when the truth was told.
The Welsh god of wisdom, enchantment, sorcery and magic. He was teacher and uncle to Gwydion and a master druid and teacher.
God of the woodlands and nature, god of sun, earth, merriment and laughter.
He is also a sky god of magic. He is associated with caves, crystals, herbs, minerals, storms and pure water, as well as the Castle of glass and a magic flute.
God of space, ethereal things and astronomy and astrology, the study of the stars. He is consort to Arianrhod.
He is god of thunder, rebirth, kingship, war and wealth. A war God and consort to Fea. He carried one of the four treasures of the Tuatha De Dannan and is associated with lightning and thunderstorms.
He is a handsome god of knowledge, sexuality and civilization. He is the inventor of Ogham writing and is depicted as carrying a stick with runes written on it.

He is King of the Otherworld and is associated with a pack of hounds.
A prophet, poet and bard. His associations are music and magic, transmigration, metamorphosis, the harp and the gull. storms.
God of thunder who is associated with the seasons, the 8 spoked wheel and
A sea god of great magic he is associated with moonbeams, flocking gulls and the albatross bird.

1. What qualities or aspects of reality does your Goddess, God or Spirit embody?
2. What special abilities of powers does s/he have?
3. Describe Her or His appearance:
Body build & special attributes (tail, wings etc.):
Facial features & hair:
Apparent age:
Clothing, if any:
Jewelry & objects carried any:
4. How does s/he move?
5. What is Her/His voice like?
6. What correspondences are appropriate for each of the following?
Animals:
Herbs, flowers:
Trees:
Colors:
Elements:
Direction:
Mudra:
Sacred objects:
Season:
Day of the week:
Time of night or day:
Gem or stone:
Features of the natural environment:
Smell and taste:
7. Describe Her/His temple or sacred space:
8. Does s/he have any special relationships to other Deities or Spirits, or to humans?
9. Name this Entity:

In ancient times, our Lord, the Horned One, was (as he still is) the Controller, the
Comforter. But men know him as the dread Lord of Shadows, lonely, stern, and just.
But our Lady the Goddess oft grieved deeply for the fate of her creations as they aged and died. She would solve all mysteries, even the mystery of death, and so journeyed to the underworld.
The Guardian of the Portals challenged her: 'Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may you bring with you into this our land, for it is written that your True Self is the only fitting adornment for those in the realms of Death.'
So she laid down her garments and her jewels, and was bound, as all living must be who seek to enter the realms of Death, the Mighty One.
Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt, and laid his sword and crown at her feet, and kissed her feet, saying: 'Blessed be thy feet that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place my cold hand on thy heart.'
And she replied: 'Why do you cause all things that I love, and take delight in, to fade and die?'
'Lady,' replied Death, 'it is age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace and strength, so that they may return. But you, you are lovely. Return not, abide with me.'
And she replied, 'Nay, I love thee not and I am needed in the world of the living.'
Again Death knelt, and kissed her knees, saying: 'Blessed be thy knees that kneel before the Altar. Abide with me; let me place my cold hand on thy heart.'
And she replied, 'Nay, I love thee not and I am needed in the world of the living.'
Death (still kneeling), kissed her on the womb, saying: 'Blessed be thy organs of generation, without which none of us would be. Abide with me; let me place my cold hand on thy heart.'
And she replied, 'Nay though I feel the beginnings of love for thee, I must return to

those I fully love in the world of creation.'
Death then stood, and kissed her on the breast, saying: Blessed be thy breast, formed in strength and beauty. Abide with me; let me place my cold hand on thy heart.'
And she replied, 'Nay though I feel love for thee, I must not abandon those I am responsible for, in the world of creation. I cannot do this thing, better you would return with me.'
'Lady,' replied Death, It cannot be so. If I were to leave my realm, and abandon those who seek their comfort and rest with me, then the Wheel would no longer turn. Age and weakness would overtake those whom you love, and they would have nowhere to find rest, and peace, and reunion with those who have gone before. As age and debility overtook your creations, there would quickly be no room for the new, only the withered, the tired, and the stagnant.' He then kissed her lips, saying: 'Blessed be thy lips, which shall utter the Holy Names. Abide with me; let me place my cold the other, thereby claiming and uniting each unto the other. In this way may I rule my kingdom of birth, creation, and life; yet share with you your kingdom of death, rejuvenation, and rest. United in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, that the Universe may be whole and the Wheel turn smoothly. their eternal love.
And he taught her all his mysteries, and gave her the necklace which is the circle of rebirth. And she taught him her mystery of the sacred cup which is the cauldron of rebirth.
They loved, and were one; for there be three great mysteries in the life of mankind, and magic controls them all. To fulfill love, you must return again at the same time and at the same place as the loved ones; and you must meet, and know, and remember, and love them again.
But to be reborn, you must die, and be made ready for a new body. And to die, you must be born; and without love, you may not be born. And our Goddess is ever inclined to love, and mirth, and happiness; and guards and cherishes her hidden children in life, and in death she teaches the way to her communion; and even in this world she teaches them the mystery of the Magic Circle, which is placed between the worlds of men and of the Gods.

And thus we are taught of the beginnings of the wheel of the year wherein the Lord and the Lady share their rulership of the year, each offering and sharing a balance to the other, and the basis of that sharing.

The Moon God. I notice that the moon is male here just as it is in Sumer and
Babylon. Aah is Egyptian for Moon.
This is Re as the "Invisible God". He seems to be all of the Egyptian Gods combined into one unified god-head, and was not outwardly worshiped. It simply shows that the Egyptians knew that All was part of one underlying Unity.
The Eater of the Dead. This is the monster that sits within the judgment chamber and devours those who do not pass the trial. He has the head of a crocodile, the fore body of a leopard, and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus.
This jackal-headed god is the one who comes to you at death and guides you through the darkness to the judgment chamber. Messenger of the gods. Son of Osiris and Nephthys. Guardian of the tombs.
Wife of Khnum.
God of lust and desire for life.
This myth is not really a creation myth, but the energies it involves are the same. It resembles the stories of Lotan, Zu, Asag, and Leviathan. Actually, it is the idea of the day (Re) defeating the night (Typhon). It is also the new year defeating the old. In either case, it is an "Order from Chaos" type story. Typhon is a serpent god who is an enemy of Re. Re sends the gods to slay him. They are, of course, successful.
In one version of the myth, Seth himself is the one to kill Apophis each day (which is strange as Seth and Apophis seem to be the same basic god-form : see Seth).
See Horus the Elder.

This God was worshiped by Akhenaten as the "One True God". He had only a brief worship; Akhenaten was not liked for his break from the Atum-Re (see below) cult. However, it would seem that Moses was affected by Akhenaten's ideas as he
(Moses) studied the Egyptian mysteries. It seems Aten is the forerunner of Yahweh.
Aten is Egyptian for Sun.
This is Re as he emerged out of the Nun (Primordial Sea), appointed the
Ogdoad (see below) to their proper places in the Heavens, and single-handedly created all in existence. Also, Re is told to have separated the lovers Geb and Nuit from their lovemaking, setting Nuit as the Sky and Geb as the Earth.
Daughter of Nuit. Sky-goddess of Water.
A cat Goddess, and a cat-headed deity. Goddess of occultism and magick.
This is the Earth God, with Nuit as the Sky Goddess. Their union brought forth Isis and Osiris, Seth and Nephthys, and Horus the Elder.
God of the Nile, and a protection deity of the North, and the small viscera of the deceased. Son of Horus (see Mestha, Tuamautef, and Qubhsennuf).
This Goddess is a Love/War (Passion) Goddess. She is the Eye of Re (i.e the
Sun itself) whom, when angry, even the Gods fear. She can take the form of a Cow or
Cat. She also comes to new-born children, in the form of Seven Women, to tell them their destinies.
Son of Geb and Nuit, He is a Cosmic Being who's right eye is the Sun and who's left eye is the Moon. If Seth was originally the New Moon (see Seth), then the story of Seth removing Horus' eye may well be a story of a solar eclipse.
Horus the Younger (H eru)
The hawk-headed god is the son of Isis and the newly resurrected Osiris. He removed Seth from the Throne of Egypt and ruled as successor to his father. He is also

the one who leads the soul before Osiris upon passing the Weighing of the Heart. In the battle against Seth, Horus lost an eye and later regained it. This gives us the symbol of the Eye of Horus (see Horus the Elder).
He and his partner Sia are two aspects of the Creative Power of the Gods.
Wife/sister of Osiris. Goddess of Magick and Healing. She is also much like
Ishtar/Innana. (See Osiris). The Egyptian Goddess-force.
Lord of barley and wheat, fruit and flowers, birds, fish, and all animals.
Created Man on a potters wheel. He lives on the first mound of Earth that rose from the Nun, where the Source of the Nile lies, in a Temple called "Joy of Life". It is He who opens the flood-gates each year.
Son of Amon and Mut.
Goddess of Truth and Justice. Wife of Thoth. She existed before the birth of the gods. (See Hokhmah of the Hebrews). Her symbol is the feather that can be seen on the Judgment Scale.
A god of Protection of the South, and the stomach and large intestines of the deceased. Son of Horus (see Hapi, Tuamautef, and Qebhsennuf).
A fertility God.
Amon's wife. Keep in mind that Amon was fused with Re, and was not the same Deity to begin with.
Sky goddess of War and Fire.
Symbolized as a Vulture. Guardian of Upper Egypt (See Ua-Zit).

Goddess of women. Wife of Seth, and the Dark Twin of Isis. Sister of Osiris.
She is also the mother of Anubis.
Goddes of Sky and sister/wife of Geb. (See Geb).
Nun is listed with the Ogdoad. However, I wish to single him out here as it is from him the name of the Primordial Waters was taken. He is the oldest of the Gods.
This myth is from the mythos where Atum-Re is the Creator God.There were eight Ogdoad, four frogs and four snakes, who were the Primordial Waters- the Nun.
Atum-Re arose from the Nun, and appointed the Ogdoad to their proper places in the
Heavens (thus, brought order from chaos). Their names are : Nun and his consort
Naunet, Kuk and Kuaket, Huh and Huahet, and Amon and Amaunet.
Osiris was eventually merged with Re and seems to be nearly the same deity in many aspects (forming a kind of Divine Loop). He is a God Force with Isis as his
Goddess Force. Osiris was probably originally a fertility god (like Tammuz), but was elevated when associated with Re. Mythologically, he was originally a Pharaoh who brought civilization to the people. He is the Egyptian God-force. As the lord of the
Underworld, he is Khent-Amenti. (His real name is Au Sar: "exceeding king").
This god is a parallel myth to the Atum-Re mythos (see above). Ptah is equated with the Nun (the Egyptian Primordial Waters). In this mythos, Ptah creates Atum-
Re and all the other gods, as well as all in existence. Also, patron god of Architects.
A god of Protection of the West, and the liver and gall-bladder of the deceased. Son of Horus (see Mestha, Hapi, and Tuamautef).
This is the falcon-headed sun god who is born each morning, grows old by the end of the day, and enters the land of the dead each night. He is Khephira in the morning, Re at midday, and Atum at night.

Daughter of Khnum.
The god of Air and the husband/brother of Tephnuit. Atum-Re fertilized himself and brought this god, and his wife into existence. Shu and Tephnuit's union brought forth Geb and Nuit, the Earth and Sky. Shu was placed, by Re, between Geb and Nuit and he acts as a support to Nuit herself.
His name means "mind" or "thought". He is most often paired with Hu, and together they are two aspects of the Creative Power of the Gods.
Scorpion Goddess.
This is the brother of Osiris who destroyed him and dismembered his body in order to take his throne. He is the Dark Serpent aspect of the God. God of drought and storm, Lord of the Red Land (the desert). In Sanscrit the word "sat" means to destroy by hewing into pieces. In the myth of Osiris it was Seth who killed Osiris and cut his body into fourteen pieces. But it may be significant that the word "set" is also defined as "queen" or "princess" in Egyptian. Au Set, known as Isis by the Greeks, is defined as "exceeding queen". In the myth of the combat Seth tries to mate sexually with Horus; this is usually interpreted as being an insult. But the most primitive identity of the figure Seth, who is also closely related to the serpent of darkness known as Zet, and often referred to by classical Greek writers as Typhon, the serpent of the goddess Gaia, may once have been female, or in some way symbolic of the
Goddess religion, perhaps related to the Goddess Ua Zit, "Great Serpent", the cobra
Goddess of Neolithic times. Lastly, there is a theory that is pure speculation on Seth's battle with Horus. First, we look at Horus as a Solar Deity. Then, we look at Isis as being the Full Moon (as she is the Goddess of Magick). Next, if we consider that Seth was originally female, then it is easy (or just convenient) to assign him/her to the new moon. Put these together, and the story of Seth attempting to mate with Horus, and then taking his eye, may very well be a story of a solar eclipse (see Horus the Elder).
Goddess of the dog-star, and of initiation. Isis.
The Goddess of Moisture, wife/sister of Shu. (See Shu).

This ibis-headed god is the Scribe of the Gods and the God of Wisdom. He is the Logos, the Word of Re. He was Self-Created before the Creation. Husband of
Maat.
A god of Protection of the East, and the heart and lungs of the deceased. Son of Horus (see Mestha, Hapi, and Qebhsennuf).
It is also a name of Re, usually seen as Atum.
"Great Serpent" Cobra Goddess, guardian of Lower Egypt (see Nekhbet). (Also see Seth for an interesting note).
See Apophis.
Ana th
This was a Love and War Goddess, the Venus star. She is also known for slaying the enemies of her brother Baal much in the same way Hathor slaughtered much of mankind (Anath is heavily related to Hathor). After the Defeat of Mavet and
Yam, a feast was thrown for Baal. Anath locked everyone inside, and proceeded to slay everyone (as they had all been fickle toward Baal with both Mavet and Yam, as well as Ashtar). Baal stopped her and convinced her that a reign of peace is what was needed. She also has confronted Mavet and was responsible for Baal's liberation from the underworld. She is the twin sister of Marah. Daughter of Asherah. She is also known as Astarte. Astarte is the Canaanite Name of Ishtar; just as Ishtar is the
Babylonian Name of Inanna. In all cases the Name means, simply, "Goddess". Astarte itself translates literally as "She of the Womb".
Daughter of Baal. An underworld Goddess.
The Mother of the Gods, Qodesh (just like El), Queen of Heaven. She is a goddess of Love and, as Astarte, a War Goddess. She is also an Earth Goddess. Wife of
El. (see El). When the gods decided to entreat Yam to ease his reign of tyranny, it was

Asherah who went to him and even offered herself. The gods agreed to let her do this, except for Baal who was enraged at the idea. (See Baal). Asherah is said to have given birth to seventy gods.
Possibly a male version of Ishtar (Astarte in Canaan), the Venus Star. When
Baal was killed by Mavet, Asherah had Ashtar, her son, placed on the throne.
However, Ashtar was not big enough to fill the position, and resigned. I believe one of his titles is Malik (the King) and other names for him are Abimilki and Milkilu.
A Name of Anath which means "Goddess", or literally "She of the Womb".
Astarte is simply the Canaanite version of the Name Ishtar.
He is the Canaanite Ruler God (like Marduk). Baal and Yam-Nahar originally competed for kingship of the gods. The matter was brought before El, who decided in favor of Yam. Yam then proceeded with a reign of tyranny over the gods, and none of them felt they had the power to defeat Yam. So, they sent Asherah to entreat him to loosen his grip. Asherah even offered herself to Yam. Upon hearing this, Baal was enraged, and decided to defeat Yam. Yam got wind of Baal's plan and sent messengers to El with the demand that Baal be delivered to him. El, afraid, agreed. Baal then taunted the gods for their cowardice and went to face Yam. He had two weapons made, Yagrush (chaser) and Aymur (driver). He struck Yam on the chest with
Yagrush to no avail. Then he struck him on the forehead with Aymur and fell Yam to the earth. After Yam's defeat, Baal had a palace built for himself; closely resembling the story of Marduk. It also resembles Marduk's story in that the Primeval Waters threatened the gods, and the High God and others were afraid to face them, with the exception of the soon-to-be Ruler God. The Baal epic then continues to describe his fight against Mavet. Baal is also a Storm God like Marduk, and a fertility god like
Tammuz. Dagon is his father. Baal is the Canaanite God-force (the goddess force seems to be split between Anath and Asherah). Baal's proper name is Hadad, relating to his storm-god aspect. Baal is really a title, meaning "Lord".
A vegetation God (especially corn). Father of Baal.
The Father of the Gods, the Creator of Created Things, The Kindly, Kodesh.
Asherah is his wife. He wears bull horns on his helmet.

A messenger of Baal. His name either means Vine or Field. Probably the former.
See Baal.
God of Summer.
A God that is related to Ninurta of Mesopotamia and Horus of Egypt.
The Wise Goddesses. These may be somewhat along the lines of the Greek
Graces, or the Seven Hathors of Egypt. As we see them, they are called to set up a
Wedding. They are also sometimes symbolized as sparrows, which indicated fertility.
They were Goddesses of childbirth.
Craftsman of the Gods. Built the palaces of both Yam-Nahir and Baal. He also fashioned the two clubs that Baal used to defeat Yam.
Wife of Koshar.
Another Name for Lotan or Tannin. See Lotan.
This may be another story like Apophis, Zu, Asag, and Leviathan where it is not an actual creation story, but still involves the same energies. On the other hand, it may be some kind of alternate Creation story where Lotan replaces Yam-Nahar.
Lotan is a seven headed serpent defeated by Baal with the help of Mavet. Anath also claims a role in the defeat of the Serpent. Also known as Tannin or Leviathan.
Merciful Goddess of the Waters. Twin sister of Anath. Daughter of Asherah.
God of Death and Sterility. His name means Death. A son of El. After Baal

defeated Yam, he then sent a message to Mavet demanding that he keep his domain in the underworld where he belonged. Mavet was enraged by this and sent a threatening message to Baal, who was afraid and attempted to flatter his way out of it.
This, however, was to no avail and Baal was forced to face Mavet. Mavet defeated him and held him in the underworld until Anath tracked him (Mavet) down and defeated him herself. Mavet did not actually die, as he and Baal had to face off once more seven years later. Neither defeated the other, but Mavet did give in (at the command of Shapash) and proclaimed Baal the King of the Gods.
Hiribi.
Consort of Yarikh. (S = Ningal). Goddess of the fruits of the Earth. Daughter of
Girl of Light. A daughter or consort of Baal.
The two messengers of Asherah fused into one God.
A goddess impregnated, along with Asherah, by El. The Goddesses then gave birth to the twin gods Shahar and Shalem, though I don't know who gave birth to whom.
Resh eph
Probably a War God. Lord of the Arrow. Has gazelle horns on his helmet. He destroys men in mass by war and plague. He is the porter of the sun Goddess Shepesh
(this seems to resemble Khamael of the Hebrews). He is also called Mekal
(Annialator). Related to Nergal of Mesopotamia.
God of dawn. Either a son of Asherah, or of Rohmaya.
God of Dusk. The Contemplation of Day. Either a son of Asherah, or of
Rohmaya.
Sun Goddess. The Torch of the Gods.

Moon God.
Girl of Rain. A daughter or consort of Baal.
Another Name for Leviathan or Lotan. See Lotan.
A messenger of Baal. His name either means Vine or Field, probably the latter.
Yahweh is added here because there was a short time in which He was simply part of the Canaanite pantheon. When the Khabiru moved into Isra-El, their young
Volcano God, known as Yahweh (or "Everflowing"), was accepted as a Son of El.
Later, Yahweh was equated with El, and Asherah became His wife. H.
Yam-Nahar is the Primordial Waters that were defeated by Baal (see Baal and
Asherah). His name means Sea-River. He was originally given kingship by El, and ruled as a tyrant over the Gods. Baal finally rose up against him.
Moon God.
A storm, or weather, god. (See Hadad of Canaan).
See Ninib
Ans har
"Whole Heaven" He and his wife, Kishar, are the children of Lamu and
Lahamu. They are said to be the circular Horizons of the sky and earth. Their union brought forth Ea and Anu. (See Kishar)
This was the Sky God. S=An

The 50 great gods who decide the destiny of man. S.
Deamon who stole the Tablets of Destiny. See Ninurta.
Tiamat's first husband, symbolizing the Sweet Waters (rivers). Originally, he and Tiamat (The Salt Waters of the Sea) were intermingled as one, until he was killed by Ea for plotting against the younger gods.
Sexless creature created by Ea to descend into the Underworld and charm
Ereshkigal into reviving Ishtar with the Waters of Life. He is Successful. S= Kurgarru, and Kalaturru.
The Babylonian god of Wisdom and Magick, as well as Earth and Water. Also called Nudimmud. Also called Enki. Father of Marduk. Atfter he killed Apsu, he built his palace in the Sweet Waters, and called it Apsu. S=Enki (only he was a ruler god and Water God. Ki was the Earth Goddess). In Babylon, Ea replaces the works of
Enlil. H= Yah.
Lord Wind or Lord Air, a storm God. God of Air. S.
See Ea.
Queen of the Underworld. S.
Also called Nergal. A god of pestilence and war. Husband of Ereshkigal and
King of the Underworld. See Nergal.
A god of luck and fortune related to the sign of Aries. (There most definitely must be link between this god and the Hebrew tribe of Gad, also related to Aries).
A fire god invoked, with two others, against black magick. (See Gira and

Nusku)
Nusku)
A fire god invoked, with two others, against black magick. (See Gibil and
Wife of Tammuz, Queen of Heaven. (see Tammuz). She is a Goddess of Love and War. The Venus Star. The Babylonian Goddess-force. S= Inanna.
Earth Goddess, sister/wife of An. Later, mother/wife of Enlil. S.
"Whole Earth" Wife/sister of Anshar. (See Anshar).
He and his wife Lahamu are said to be the silt created by the junction of the primeval Waters, the rivers and sea. They are the Children of Apsu and Tiamat. (see
Lahamu).
Wife/sister of Lamu. (See Lamu).
Demoness who steals babies from their mothers. A probable source for much of the Hebrew Lilith.
Also known as Bel (The Lord). The son of Ea who defeated Tiamat (because the other gods were afraid to face her), thus destroying Chaos and reigning in Order.
He was appointed High God because of this, and he took the Tablets of Destiny from
Qingu. He is the Hero of the Gods, and also a storm deity. The story of Marduk is very similar to Baal. Marduk had no real place among the gods until he agreed to defeat Tiamat. Baal, likewise, had no place among the gods until he defeated Yam, and then he had a palace built for himself. S=Nunurta (not a direct relation, but this is probably where Marduk came from). Marduk and his son, Nabu, are, in part, solar deities much like Osiris and Seth. For an explanation, see Nabu. Marduk is related to
Jupiter, therefore making him a Wandering God.

This is Apsu's vizier, who was captured by Ea. He symbolized mist and fog.
This also happens to be a Name of Marduk.
Son of Marduk. God of Scribal Art and Wisdom. Marduk is the Lord of the
Waxing Year, and his son is the Lord of the Waning Year. I don't know of any mythology dealing with a defeat of Marduk, especially by Nabu. However, there is a ritual involving both of them that embodies the Solar Cycle. At Midsummer (Litha), two minor Goddesses (otherwise known as th hairdressers of Marduk's wife,
Sarpanitum[?] ) would go in solemn procession from the Temple of Marduk (The
Dayhouse) to the Temple of Nabu (The Nighthouse). At Midwinter (Yule), the two
Goddesses would return to the Dayhouse. He is associated with Mercury and is said to be the god of Science, and the guardian of the gods. He supposedly appears as an old man, long of beard, with a crown of one hundred horns, and a long robe. He is one of the Wandering Gods.
King of plants (see the Eight children of Ki).
An was the Sky or Heaven God. He and his wife Ki are the children of
Nammu. An is the creator of the Anunnaki.
These are the gods created by An, and appointed their positions by Enki.
Possibly they are children of An and Ki. There are also the Seven Anunnaki who are the dreaded judges of the underworld. I believe there are supposed to be 50 of them in all. The Anunnaki, and some others who may or may not be Anunnaki, are marked with an "A". A question mark, or course, indicates questionable choices.
Dragon of the Abyss (or Abzu). Daemon of Disease. Asag was not separated like Tiamat. Instead, he lived within the Abyss after creation and held back the
Primordial Waters from consuming the Earth. At one point, he kidnapped Ereshkigal, and Enlil went to rescue her. The outcome of the battle is not known. However, we do know that Enlil is the Lord of the Waters, and that he built his home on the Sea.
On the other hand, Ereshkigal herself, to this day, is the Queen of the Underworld, as if she remained there. In any case, Asag was not killed for, later, another god decided to destroy him for reasons unknown. This was Ninurta (possibly a model for Marduk).
(See Ninurta). The story of Ninurta and Asag seem to parallel the myths of Typhon,

Lotan, Zu, and Leviathan. Note : Asag can be thought of as the Abyss itself. Kur is the name of the Underworld, as well as a name for this Serpent. Perhaps he is also an
Anunnaki, but I doubt it.
The grain goddess. She was created (along with Lahar) by Enlil and Enki so that the Anunnunki would have food to eat and cloths to wear. However, the two gods became drunk and could not perform their duties, it was to remedy this that
Man was created. (See Lahar).
Wife of NInurta (or Ningirsu).
Dazi mua
Married Ningishzida (see the Eight children of Ki).
The Sumerian God-force. A sheperd god and fertility god. Husband of Inanna.
(see Inanna). It seems he is an Anunnaki.
(See Abu, Nintul, Ninsutu, Ninkasi, Nazi, Dazimua, Ninti, Enshagag.) The
Goddess Uttu, in the paradise of Dilmun, had born 8 plants from her union with Enki.
He then proceeded to eat them all. Ki cursed him for this and he became ill. He convinced her to remove her curse, and she created these eight gods of healing, one for each pain he was having, to cure him. There is a punning relation between the names of the gods and the names of the body parts they healed.
Summer. He and his brother Enten were created by Enlil. (See Enten).
God in charge of the Tigris and Euphrates.
This was the Water God, and also a lesser ruler under Enlil. It seems Enlil created the world, and Enki was left to run it. Enlil simply resided in his palace and issued blessings. Enki, with Ki, created Man. He is also a God of Wisdom. Also, Enki is just a title. His name is Ea. It is not sure whose son he is. Also, there was one point when he became jealous of Enlil's superiority over him ,so he took it out on man through the "confusion of tongues".

God in charge of farm tools. He was originally favored by Inanna for a husband. However, Dumuzi threatened him, and he gave Inanna up.
This was the Air God, and the supreme ruler and creator, son of An and Ki.
See Enki. Enlil also took Ki as his wife. God of wisdom and magick. His name means
Lord of the Winds, so he is also a Storm God.
Lord of the Paradise City of Dilmun (see the eight children of Ki).
Winter. He and his brother Emesh were created by Enlil so that the Earth could produce food, animals, etc. (See Emesh).
Queen of the underworld (Kur), of death, and enemy of Inanna. All underwold deities are called Chthonic Deities. She is said to be the sister of Inanna, making her the daughter of Nanna. She is definitely not one of the Seven Chthonic
Anunnaki, yet she is still an Anunnaki. Most likely she is the Destructive Forces of
Saturn as Inanna is Venus.
The demons of the underworld.
Dumuzi's sister. Divine poetress, singer, and interpreter of dreams.
A human hero who was later deified. As a psudo-god, he resides in the underworld and organizes it, sending souls to their proper places. He was originally a
Priest-King.
This god is mentioned in the myth of the Descent of Inanna. When Neti asks why she has come, Inanna says something about Lord Gugalnna, the husband of
Ereshkigal. The text reads: "My older sister, Ereshkigal, Because her husband, the
Lord Gugalanna, had been killed to witness the funeral rites, so be it!"

Nidaba's or Nanshe's husband.
It seems that these were very early deities who guide and control every aspect of nature. Either they were not given much prominence later, or they simply were never given much attention. Chances are that these are Angels were the gods are
Archangels.
The Summerian Goddess-force. Inanna is the daughter of the moon, sister of the sun, and the planet Venus. She was a War Goddess and a Love Goddess. (see
Dumuzi). Note on the myth of her descent: the myth of Enlil and Ninlil's descent into the underwold may combined to Inanna's descent. If it is, then we have a full story of the cycle of the god and goddess' descent.
God in charge of rain and winds
Messenger of Enki. Has two faces.
Kala turru
Sexless created by Enki and given the Food and Water of Life to revive Inanna in the underworld. He was created with another like it, Kurgarru. (see Kurgarru).
She is the Earth Goddess. Also known as Ninhursag, Nintu, or Ninma. First, she was the wife/sister of An. After she was separated from him by their son Enlil. An carried off Heaven, and Enlil carried off Earth. In this she became the mother/wife of
Enlil.
God in charge of building tools and bricks.
The Underworld. (See Asag).
Sexless creature created by Enki and given the Food and Water of Life to revive Innana in the underworld. He was created with another like it, Kalaturru. (see

Kalaturru).
The Cattle God. He and Ashnan were created (by Enlil and Enki) so the
Anunnaki would have food to eat and clothes to wear. (See Ashnan).
A succubis. She is known from a story where she made her home in the trunk of Inanna's Sacred Tree. Anzu made his home in the branches, and a serpent had made it's home in the roots. This infestation had caused the Tree to cease growing.
Inanna called upon Gilgamesh to rid the Tree of it's occupants. For this, Inanna gave him his famous Bow.
M artu
God of the Semites, or Amurru (Amorites), who were still nomadic, "barbaric" people at the time of Sumer. They later moved into the land of Sumer and conquered it, thus arose Babylonia.
One of the three underwold gods. These are not part of the Seven Dreaded
Anunnaki, as they are children of Enlil and Ninlil. (See Ninazu and ????2).
In charge of active building. The Builder of Enlil.
The goddess who was the Primordial Waters.
The Moon god. Father of Utu and Inanna, as well as all the other planets and stars. Son of Enlil and Ninlil. Enlil had raped Enlil and was sentenced to the
Underworld for His crime. Ninlil, however, loved Him and followed Him downward.
She gave birth to a number of Underworld Gods, but Enlil was able to remove Her from the underworld before she gave birth to Nanna. Nanna enters the land of the dead once a month (the New Moon) and judges the dead with his son Utu. Nanna travels the sky in a boat. He is long of beard and carries a wand of lapis lazuli in his palm.
Goddess in charge of Sea. Goddess of Justice. Judges Mankind on New Years, with Nidaba at her side. Also interprets dreams for the gods.

Married Nindar (see the eight children of Ki).
See Neti.
King of the Underwold, the Ambusher. A god of pestilence. See Babylonia. He is a god of War and Mars, and therefore a Wandering God.
The gatekeeper of the first of seven gates to the underworld. I wonder if this is not one of the seven Chthonic Anunnaki. Also called Nedu.
This goddess was a serpent who was in charge of Temple record keeping. She is also the Goddess of Writing.
One of the three underworld deities. Child of Enlil and Ninlil (from the begetting of Nanna). (See Meslamtaea, and ????2)
Wife of Nanna.
Ninhursa g
See Ki.
Goddess in charge of Healing and the art of Medicine.
The Goddess who sates the heart; meaning the goddess of intoxicating drink.
(see the Eight Children of Ki).
Daughter of Enki and Ninsar. (from the myth of the 8 plants).
Enlil's wife. This Goddess followed Enlil to the underworld after he had been

banished there by the Anunnaki for raping her. At this point she was pregnant with
Nanna (from the rape). In the underworld she gave birth to the Three Underworld
Deities and gave birth to Nanna after she made it back out.
Daughter of Enki and Ki. (from the myth of the 8 plants).
Inanna's messenger. Possibly an Anunnaki?
Enki's wife.
Wife of Ninazu (see the Eight children of Ki).
Queen of the Month (see the Eight children of Ki). Note: The part of Enki's body that was healed by this goddess was his rib. The Sumerian word for rib is "Ti".
Therefore Nin-ti means "lady of the rib". On the other hand, the word "Ti" can also be translated as "to make live". Therefore, Ninti can also mean "lady who brings life".
Later, as we all know, Eve was made from Adam's rib. The word Eve (heb.- Havah) also means "to make live". Perhaps, and most likely, the Hebrew myth of Adam's rib comes directly from this myth. However, something was lost in the translation, as
Havah has no relation to the Hebrew word for rib.
See Ki.
Lord of the city Magon (see the Eight children of Ki).
Hero of the Gods. God of the Stormy South Winds. Possible pre-cursor to
Marduk. This god owned a weapon that was alive. This weapon, Sharur, for some reason, convinced Nunurta to destroy Asag. This he did. However, once Asag was gone, the Waters rose up and engulfed the Earth. Nothing could grow. So, Nunurta built a stone wall over Asag's body that stopped and held back the Waters. Then he took the Waters that had already engulfed the land and dumped them into the
Euphrates. This caused the overflow of the Euphrates, and the land became abundant.
Obviously, this is a myth relating to the yearly flooding of the river. Ninurta is the

son of Enlil and Ki. Also, as Ningirsu, brother of Nanshe. See Ninurta in Babylon.
Goddess given task by Enki at the time he organized the world, but we don't know what.
Ereshkigal's daughter. Judge and protector of the Black Heads.
Messenger of Enlil.
Enki set him as lord of the steppe lands. He may be one of the Anunnaki, but there is at least one indication that he was created later.
The Sun God. As he travels through the underworld at night (making it daytime there), he judges the dead. Nanna, as he visits the underworld once each month (at the New Moon), also judges with his son. He travels the sky in a chariot drawn by four mythological beasts. He was set by Enki in charge of cities and boundaries, or (possibly) the entire universe. This would fit as he is the ruling deity just under Enki. Son of Nanna.
Daughter of Enki and Ninkur. Goddess of plants and weaving. (from the myth of the 8 plants).
"Who loves fish" in charge of marshlands.
One of the three underworld deities. Child of Enlil and Ninlil (from the begetting of Nanna). (See Ninazu and Meslamtaea).
Hebraic: list does not include most Archangels and Angels. H = a Human.
Aaron is another of the Seven Shepherds. He balances Moses (Netzach) as the other Sphere of Prophesy (Hod). Aaron is the brother of Moses.

Abraham is one of the Seven Shepherds, and one of the Four Legs of the
Throne in the Chariot. He is the Mild, Watery (Chased) aspect of the Four Legs.
Abundant Love. Historically, it is said that Abraham may have been an Amorite who had settled in Sumer before Babylon (also Amorites) conquered it. He was the first to make a covenant with Yahweh (or possibly El of Canaan).
This is Adam after Eve was separated from him. He is the Father of Mankind.
(See Eve).
Adam Kadmon is not Primordial as it relates to "before creation". However, his creation marked the Primordial Man. He was both Male and Female in one being, not yet separated into Adam and Eve.
This means "Lord". However, the word itself is feminine in nature, thus making it similar in nature to Elohim: both male and female. Once again, this name could be thought of as the combined force of Yahweh and Asherah. This, too, is a very primordial name.
Asherah is listed here and with the Canaanites. She is the same Goddess, but seems to have been adopted by the Hebrews as the wife of Yahweh and the Manifest
Shekinah. The Hebraic Goddess-force.
This is the King of the Deamons. There are two types of deamon, the malevolent kind, and those who have accepted the Torah and live in indifference (at best) to man. Asmodeus is the king of these latter deamons, as the malevolent kind have no leader. Samael will often rally the malevolent deamons himself. Asmodeus is also the husband of the Younger Lilith.
Aur iel
The Divine Avenger. In some instances, Auriel is seen as an Angel of Severity and Vengeance. Otherwise, she is the Archangel of Earth. Supposedly one of the
Seven, yet with her included there are eight.
An Archangel who descended to earth with Shemhazai. (See Shemhazai). He taught mortal women the art of seduction and make-up. When he was told of the

coming flood, he refused to repent. For this, he was cast into a pit and covered with darkness, to remain there until the final days.
This beast was set as the King of Beasts. At the "end" of Creation, he will be sent against Leviathan, and both Creatures will die in the battle. Behemoth will be fed to the pious along with Leviathan.
David is one of the Seven Shepherds, and one of the Four Legs of the Throne in the Chariot. He represents Divinity Manifested in that he is the Founder of the
Kingship of Israel. (Malkuth).
This means "I am". It was the Name given to Moses at the scene of the burning bush. Basically, this name relates more to YHVH, a concept, than it does to Yahweh, a god.
This is another name for Yahweh, usually translated to mean "God".
Undoubtedly this comes from the Canaanite High God El. This name is used in conjunction with the title Shaddai (heb.- Almighty), as well as Chai (heb.-Living).
Example: Shaddai El Chai = Almighty Living God.
This means "Gods" and basically relates to a female force enfolded in a male force. Or, a Male God with the ability to Create like a female. This is because the root word here is "Goddess" (Eloah), and the pluaral "im" is masculine. Mythologically, this could be thought of as the combined force of the Seven Archangels as They
Created the World in seven days. Elohim is the pronunciation of YHVH for Binah. It should be thought of as leaning more toward the feminine, and is actually a very primordial name. (See Yah).
Twin brother of Jacob who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup.
Mythologically, he is the founder of Canaan before the Israelites arrived. He later became an Angel: the Guardian Angel of Edom.
This is the second wife of Adam. She is the female half of Adam Kadmon after he was separated and became Adam. Her name means "Life" and she is the Mother of

Mankind. As a point of interest, see Ninti of Sumeria.
The Strength of Divinity. Gabriel is a Divine messenger and teacher. He
(sometimes a she) is the benign Angel of Death, as well as the Archangel of Water. He is lord of the Ashim. One of the Seven.
Divine Grace. The Archangel of Love and Passion. He is Lord of the Elohim.
One of the Seven.
This Goddess' name means "Wisdom". It is said that she was created before all else. In fact, she took part in the dividing of the Primordial Waters (Prov. 8:23, 28).
She is equated with the Torah, which is said to have been created first, and is the embodiment of Wisdom to the Jewish people. (See Maat of the Egyptians).
Isaac is one of the Seven Shepherds, and also one of the Four Legs of the
Throne in the Chariot. He is the Fire to his father's Water. Strict Justice (Geburah).
The myth of his near-sacrifice at the hand of Abraham was the injection of Divine
Severity into Abraham's Mercy (see above). He is Abraham's son.
Jacob was the third Patriarch, and thus is the balancer of his predecessor
Abraham (Chased) and Isaac (Geburah). Mercy (Tiphareth). He is also one of the
Seven Shepherds, and one of the Four Legs of the Throne in the Chariot. He is the son of Isaac, and twin brother of Esau.
Joseph is one of the Seven Shepherds. He displays the ability to resist the sexual temptation of Yesode. This is displayed in the myth of the Egyptian woman's attempted seduction of him. He is the Keeper of the Covenant to the pure Yahwists.
He is the son of Jacob who first went to Egypt and was responsible for the Hebrew presence there.
Kha mael
This Archangel is the Archangel of Divine Severity, just as Samael. In fact, the two angels are one and the same. Classical Qabalah lists Samael as the leader of the
Seraphim, but modern Qabalah has replaced the name with Khamael. Further, the
Archangel Shemhazai, who hung himself between heaven and earth, is also Samael.

This puts him in the perfect position to fulfill his duties as the Porter of Heaven :
Khamael, who resides at the very fringes of Heaven with hundreds of thousands of angels of destruction at his command. His purpose there is to keep intruders from entering the Heavens. He once attempted to stop Moses from entering, but was defeated by the Prophet. One of the Seven.
This Goddess' name is Hebrew for "Night". It was the Darkness mentioned in
Gen 1:2, and she was named by Yahweh in Gen 1:5.
The Moon (goddess).
This could very possibly be related to the ideas of Typhon, Lotan, Zu, and
Asag; where it resembles the creation myth, yet is separate there-from. In this myth, there are two Leviathan, a male and a female. Once these two beasts are created, to rule the seas, Yahweh decides against letting the female live. Yahweh fears that the offspring of these two great beasts would destroy the world. The female is thusly killed. At the "end" of Creation, the male Leviathan is going to be killed in a battle with Behemoth (the Angels having failed at the task), and his skin will be set as a canopy over the heads of the pious, while his meat is fed to them. Certainly, the relation to this myth and Tiamat's destruction, and the setting of half of her body as the Sky, can be easily seen. Interestingly, Leviathan is thought to be another name for the Canaanite Lotan (See Lotan).
The Hebrew form of Lilith is the first wife of Adam. She refused to bow down to him and left the Garden. She mated with daemons and became the patron Goddess of the Night and all it's creatures. She represents the subconscious mind, that part of us that is most primal and sexual and defiant. She is the other half of the submissive
Eve. There are two forms of Lilith, the Younger and the Elder. As the younger, she is the wife of Asmodeus (this being when she was in her cave mating with deamons). As the older, she is the wife of Samael (this being when she joined with him in bringing down Adam and Eve from the Garden.)
The Prince of the Face. This was once the human Enoch, who was permitted to ascend to Heaven without dieing. He was transformed into the Archangel with 360 eyes and 36 pairs of wings. His palace was set on high and his word was to be followed as if it were the voice of Yahweh Himself. Personally, I feel that Metetron

and Yahweh are synonymous. Metetron is even known as the "Lesser YHVH", and one of his many names is Yahoel, which is Y, H, and V (transliterated as O) with "el" added to the end. Metetron is the lord of the Chaioth haQodesh.
The Protector of the Divine. He is the High Priest of Heaven and it's main guardian. Seen to be the Guardian Angel of Israel and all of humanity. He is the
Archangel of Fire, and sometimes a benign Angel of Death. He is lord of the
Malachim. One of the Seven.
Moses is one of the Seven Shepherds, relating to Netzach. In the case of the
Seven Shepherds, Netzach and Hod are Spheres of Prophesy. He is the prophet that lead the Exodus.
This serpent is also much like Tiamat, more so than Tehom. He is described as an Archangel in Hebrew mythos.
The Divine Physician. Self explanatory. Raphael is also the Archangel of Air.
He is lord of the Beney Elohim. One of the Seven.
The Divine Scribe. There is a veil in Heaven that separates the Divine Throne from the angelic hosts. Raziel stands behind this veil and records all the goings on at the Merkabah into a book. This book, the Book of the Angel Raziel, a book containing all the knowledge of heaven and earth, was given to Adam by Raziel. The other angels, jealous, took the book and cast it into the sea. Yahweh, upon hearing of this transgression, resurrected Rahab to retrieve it for Adam. After this the book fades away. It resurfaces when it is given to Noah because it contains the instructions for the Ark. From there it passed down the family line until it reached Solomon. It is said that Solomon obtained all of his great Wisdom from this book. Another job of Raziel is to stand before the Merkabah with outstretched wings, lest the breath of the
Chaioth haQodesh consume all of the Heavens. He is Lord of the Auphanim. He is also listed as one of the seven, but with his inclusion, and Auriel's, there are nine.
Ruach Elohim is the Spirit of the Gods, and the Shekinah is the Presence of
Divinity. Shekinah is also seen as a Goddess. (Gen 1:2)

The Poison of Divinity. Samael is the greatest of Angels (excepting Metetron
Himself), with twelve wings as opposed to the normal six of the other Archangels. He is the most beautiful angel. He is the main Angel of Death, and is the Archangel of
Divine Severity. His angelic order is the Seraphim; the Firey Serpents sent to punish
Israel for it's transgressions. He is also the husband of the elder Lilith. See also
Khamael and Shemhazai; two other names for Samael. As Khamael, he is one of the seven.
She is the twin of Metetron and the Archangel of Earth (as in the physical
Universe, as opposed to the Element of Earth like Auriel). It is written that she descended to Earth as the male prophet Elijah as a guardian and protector. She is
Ruler of the Kerubim. It is said that She stands at the foot of the Merkabah, and weaves prayers into garlands to rest on Yahweh's head.
See El.
See Ruach Elohim.
The Sun (god).
This Archangel, along with Azazel, descended with his angelic host before the flood to steer Man back onto the right path. This order of Angels became known as the Watchers. However, the angels soon fell prey to the same vices as man and began to take wives from the Cainnite women. For sex, they would sell the secrets of
Heaven to the women. They gave knowledge on everything from making weapons of war, to the Qabalah itself. The offspring of these unions are known as the Nephilim
(giants), and were destructive giants that plagued mankind. Others even became the heroes of ancient times (such as Gilgamesh from Sumer). The Flood was then sent to destroy these giants. When told of the news, Shemhazai repented his deeds and hung himself, upside-down, between heaven and earth. To this day, he can be seen there as the constellation Orion. Shemhazai is actually a form of the Archangel Samael. Also see Khamael.
This Goddess' name is Hebrew for "Deep". (Gen. 1:2). She is similar to the

Babylonian Tiamat, yet is more along the lines of the Sumerian Nammu.
Divine Justice. He is the Archangel of Divine Benevolence, and Lord of the
Chashmalim. One of the Seven.
Divine Contemplation. Lord of the Aralim. One of the Seven.
Archangel of Egypt.
This, in Hebrew, is spelled "YH". This, esoterically, is the combination of the Y and H of YHVH. It is where the God and Goddess principals emerge from the
Primordial Waters and mate. Literally, it is the Hebrew version of Babylon's Ea
(spelled IA- A and H, just like I and Y, are interchangeable in this context). It is the
Name of Chockmah. In this, it should be thought of as leaning toward the masculine
(as opposed to Elohim), and is a primordial name.
Yahweh is the God Force. Yahweh is also a War God, Storm God, and a
Volcano Deity. The name Yahweh itself may be from the Sanscrit "YHVH", meaning
"Ever-Flowing" and thus relates him to volcanic activity. After a short time, Yahweh became the National Deity of Isra-El, and was equated with El of Canaan. Along with this, He adopted Asherah (the wife of El) as His own wife. Also, the Hebrews seemed to have associated Yahweh with Baal, making the two gods (just as with El and
Yahweh) nearly identical.
Sea God.
YH VH
As differentiated from Yahweh, who was not the only god to the early
Hebrews. it is a formula to "sum up" the Ain (Nothingness)- or The One. The Face of
Divinity.
This mighty beast is the King of Birds.

Father of Anus. Anus removed him from the throne.
Sky God. Removed his father Alalus from the throne, and was, himself, removed by his son Kumarbis. B = Anu.
Sun Goddess. She sent an Eagle out in search of Telepinus. The effort failed.
He resides in the Apsu, just as he does in Babylonia. What he does in the
Hittite pantheon I don't know. He is the one who decided on how to defeat
Ulikummis, by using the copper knife that was "used to separate heaven and earth". B.
Enlil also makes a guest appearance in the Ulikummis myth. He saw
Ulikummis as a child and told the gods later, after the child had grown to it's great size, that they could not hope to defeat it.
Wife of Teshub.
Queen of Heaven. She urges Teshub to do something about Telepinus' disappearance. Teshub went as far as Telepinus' own door, where he banged on the door until he broke his hammer, and thus abandoned the quest.
A dragon slain by Teshub. There are two versions of this myth. In the old version, they two gods fight and Illuyankas wins. Teshub" then goes to Inaras for advice, and she devises a trap for the dragon. She goes to him with large quantities of liquor, and entices him to drink his fill. Once drunk, the dragon is bound, and Teshub appears with the other gods and kills him. In the later version, the two gods fight and
Teshub, again, loses. Illuyankas then takes Teshub's eyes and heart. Teshub then has a son, who grows and marries Illuyankas' daughter. Teshub tells his son to ask for his eyes and heart as a wedding gift, and it is given. Restored, Teshub goes to face
Illuyankas once more. At the point of vanquishing the dragon, Teshub's son finds out about the battle; realizing that he had been used for this purpose. He demanded that his father take him along with Illuyankas, and so Teshub killed them both.

See Illuyankas.
A messenger of Kumarbis.
Goddess who set a trap for Illuyankas in the old version of the myth.
Either the "Maidens of Heaven" or else they are underworld deities.
Only appears in Hittite myth in an attempt to lull Ulikummis by undressing and singing to him. Her attempt failed as the creature didn't see or hear her. B. return.
Goddess of healing and magick. She calms and purified Telepinus upon his
Kumar bis
The Hittlte High God (like El of the Canaanites), Father of the Gods. Removed his father, Anus, from the throne. In order to keep his son Teshub from removing him from the throne, he made Ulikummis to oppose him.
Vizier of Kumarbis.
Sea G oddess
Kumarbis went to this goddess for advice on how to stop Teshub from taking the throne. Her advice seems to have lead to the creation of Ulikummis.
A Love Goddess.
See Illuyankas.
He is like Tammuz, a fertility god. He becomes enraged for reasons unknown and storms off into the steppe lands where he falls asleep. Drought and famine ensue.

He was brought back by a Bee, after extensive searching by the gods had failed. Son of
Teshub.
Ruler God (like Baal of the Canaanites), son of Kumarbis. He is also a sun God, and a fertility God. He carries a hammer as a weapon. He defeated Ulikummis with the help of Ea. When Kumarbis first attempted to remove his father, Anus, from the throne, he bit off the Anus' loins in the struggle. Thus, Anus' seed was implanted within Kumarbis and Teshub was born.
This deity is much like the Greek Atlas, who supports the world on his shoulders. Ulikummis was placed on his right shoulder by the Irsirra deities to grow tall and strong. Ubelluris didn't even notice the presence until Ea pointed it out to him.
Son of Kumarbis. He was made to oppose Teshub. There is also mention that he destroys some of mankind. However, he is actually described as being blind, deaf, and dumb; as well as immobile. He was made of stone and placed on Ubelluris' shoulder to grow. He grew until he reached heaven itself. When the gods found him,
Ishtar removed her clothing and attempted to lull him with music, but he didn't see or hear her (as he was a blind and deaf creature). The gods attempted to destroy him, but had no affect (he didn't even notice). Finally, Ea called for the Copper Knife that had been used in the separation of heaven and earth. He then used the blade to sever
Ulikummis from Ubelluris' shoulder; lopping the creature off at the feet. Teshub was then able to destroy the creature totally. It is interesting to note that this god's name is the same as a pair of twin volcanic mountains in Asia Minor. This may explain why he is said to be destroying mankind, even in his seemingly catatonic state.

If you seek an insight into the future of your love life, why not do as they did in ancient Greece - and consult the Gods of Love. I'm delighted, today, to introduce a special system of celestial self knowledge which is based on a classical tradition, thousands of years old. It involves a potent mixture of ancient astrology, modern psychology and Greek mythology. Simply look for your zodiac sign in the list below.
You will see two names; one representing the goddess you most usually have an affinity with and the other representing the one who is currently having the biggest influence on your life.
Aries Taurus Gemini Cancer
Usually Usually Usually Usually
Artemis
Currently
Hestia
Leo
Usually
Hera
Currently
Aphrodite
Aphrodite
Currently
Artemis
Virgo
Usually
Artemis
Currently
Demeter
Athena
Currently
Aphrodite
Libra
Usually
Hera
Currently
Athena
Demeter
Artemis
Scorpio
Usually
Athena
Currently
Currently
Persephone
Sagittarius
Usually
Artemis
Currently
Capricorn
Usually
Hestia
Currently
Aquarius
Usually
Athena
Currently
Pisces
Usually
Persephone
Currently
Athena Athena Persephone Hera
Begin by looking up your 'current goddess' but then go on to read about your usual goddess. When you do this, you may need to translate my words a little - but if you convert them from a 'prediction' to a description of a 'personal habit pattern' the effort will reward you with a very revealing insight into your past. If you happen to know your Moon sign or your Venus sign, take a look at the goddesses these lead you to as well. Indeed, ideally you should read about all seven because they all exist as influences somewhere within your personality. The ones you can easily relate to are the ones you can learn something about your past from. The goddesses that you look

at and say 'that's not really me' are the ones that you may just find, if you decide to summon and explore them, help make your future more fulfilling. Next, take a look at your man's usual and current goddesses. How do these compare and contrast with your own? Can you become more like his 'dream'? Can his 'dream' be deepened to the point where it encompasses your reality? Can you meet each other half way? The answer to all these three questions is yes... if you're both prepared to learn and grow.
If You a re a Man: neither to get too excited - or too depressed if you feel she's a million miles from anyone you know. The idea is simply to understand more about her - so that you can begin to resist the usual 'big mistake' which so many males inadvertently make; of projecting this dream vision onto a real human partner. All too often, we fall in love with 'who we want our partner to be' and not' who she actually is'. Then, as time goes by and the real person fails to measure up to our own, imaginary 'inner goddess' the relationship turns sour. Look up your wife or girlfriend's date of birth. See which goddess she most closely identifies with. Learn to respect or even (dare I say this?)
'worship' that goddess and you'll find you automatically, in the process, imbue your real life partner with the confidence to be more like her own true self. How will this help you fulfill your fantasy? Well, every woman, when she's really feeling free to be her own true self - and not 'obliged' to act out a role that matches her partner's expectations, will automatically manifest the best qualities of all seven goddesses including the one you secretly yearn to be embraced by. Thus, in accepting that your loved one cannot be, all the time, what you want her to be you will be helping and
Artemis, known to the Romans as Diana, was the goddess of the hunt and of the
Moon. Tall and lovely, she lived a glorious outdoor life, accompanied by her own pack of dogs and band of nymphs. Though she wore a short tunic, this was not to attract male attention but a symbol of freedom (a long dress would have restricted her movement). Artemis was an accomplished archer but though she hunted fierce boars, she was known as a healer and protector of animals - and also of young girls whom she frequently rescued from 'a fate worse than death'.
Like Athena, Artemis was a daughter of Zeus. Though she was born by more conventional means, the legend tells that the moment she was born, she began to help her mother deliver her twin brother Apollo. This took nine painful days, during which the new born Artemis earned her reputation as a healer. At the age of three, her father gave her a bow and arrow, a band of nymphs to keep her company, the freedom of the woods and fields and 'eternal chastity' - which we might, in modern

symbolism, translate as the ability always to choose her lovers and never to fall victim to force, persuasion or misplaced guilt.
Though Artemis was ever a symbol of strength, she also came to represent victims of tragedy and betrayal. She fell deeply in love with the handsome Orion, to whom her twin brother Apollo took a strong dislike. Apollo tricked her one day by pointing out a distant object and betting her that she could not hit it with an arrow. Never one to resist a challenge, Artemis let fly - only to discover too late, that she had killed her lover. Inconsolable ever since, she at least arranged for Orion to live on forever in the sky - and gave him one of her own dogs (Sirius - the dog star) for company.
You've just about had it up to here! Slowly, over the past few months, the spirit of adventure-loving Artemis has been welling up within you. As you begin to look at your current situation through her eyes, you're feeling less and less impressed with what you can see. You've already started to do something about this but you're very aware that there's a lot further to go and you definitely don't intend to stop until you've gone all the way.
The question is though, all the way to where? Ideally, you want to go all the way to somewhere a very long way from where you are. You want to jump on a plane, a boat
- or a very fast motorcycle and just head for the hills. Or the desert. You feel an almost overwhelming craving for space and freedom. You want, in the immortal words of Marlene Dietrich, 'to be alone'.
And yet, sadly, other circumstances probably make this all seem like an impossible dream. You've got commitments you can't just turn your back on. The spirit of
Artemis within you is getting mighty fed up with these. She's champing at the bit, she's climbing the walls and she's absolutely determined to bring about a sense of liberation. How well does this bode then, for joyous news on Valentine's day? If you're single, it's hopeful. There may be no suitable man on your immediate horizon but in your current mood, you're rather glad of this. You really don't want anything more than a 'light' relationship at the moment... or at least, you don't want anything more substantial with anyone who doesn't truly represent a worthy catch. Catch, by the way, is very much the keyword here. Artemis, as goddess of the hunt, enjoys pursuing her dreams as much, if not more, than she enjoys fulfilling them. Already, you're casting your eye around for someone special to pursue. Over the next few weeks, if no suitable candidate emerges naturally, you'll simply start seeking out new hunting grounds; deliberately placing yourself in social positions where you can meet a different type of guy.

There's no doubt you'll be successful in your quest. There's no doubt, either, that you've got a very exciting, active time ahead - and not just on the romantic front.
There is though, some doubt about quite how well all this visit from Artemis is going to work out if you now happen to be in a committed relationship. Please don't misunderstand. You're not going to experience some tremendous urge to have an affair. Artemis is a very loyal lover. It's just that she hates to feel trapped, enclosed or
'obligated'. Your spouse, no matter how understanding he may already be, is going to need to be even more understanding and accommodating over the next few months.
He's going to have to appreciate that you badly need to be left to your own devices.
He's going to realize that though you're both very close, you have grown more like a brother and a sister than a pair of lovers. It won't do - and in order to get back together properly, you're probably first going to have to get a little further apart.
You've got to shake off the stale atmosphere that has grown up (through no particular fault of anyone) in the situation as it currently stands. A change of scenery really could make a difference. Contemplate a move to the country if you live in the city - or a move to the beach if you live in the country! There's not much point in just hoping you will grow out of this yearning for space. Artemis is not used to losing. She simply won't depart until at least some of her demands have been met. If, therefore, a total change is out of the question, you'd better spend as much time as you can outdoors, riding, walking and generally burning off the excess physical energy you seem to have so much of. Your partner, if he's lucky, will also feel the benefit of this, but only if he keeps out of your way or has the good sense to make himself a little unavailable - so that instead of feeling hunted you end up feeling like the one with the whip hand.
Athena was the beautiful warrior queen who stood guard over the ancient city of
Athens. Though she was a brave swordswoman and an inspiration to the military forces, this graceful goddess of strategy and intelligence was also closely associated with arts and crafts. Her pronounced, piercing eyes were said to gaze fondly on the city's weavers, goldsmiths, potters, shipbuilders and dressmakers. She came to be the symbol of all 'great inventions' and practical discoveries.
Legend has it that the great Zeus was once plagued with a terrible headache. In the throes of agony, he persuaded Hephaestus, god of the forge, to strike him on the head with an axe. The blow was duly delivered and moments later, Athena emerged from the wound. As she proved to be a full grown woman in golden armor, clutching a spear and yelling a dreadful war cry, it is no wonder his head hurt. Zeus, instantly healed, turned to embrace his new found daughter and, from that point on the two were inseparable.

When Perseus killed the snake haired gorgon, Medusa, Athena watched the battle from on high and helpfully whispered into his ear, the idea of using a mirror so he would not be turned to stone by her gaze. Athena assisted Jason and the Argonauts to build the ship with which they sought the Golden Fleece. All the great warriors, including legendary Achilles and mighty Ulysses turned to wise but tough Athena for inspiration.
Are you the woman who knows no fear? You'd like the rest of the world to think so at the moment.
Athena, the warrior goddess has been influencing your outlook on life and love a great deal lately - and she's due to become even more of a dominant influence between now and the middle of the year. For as long as you're under her spell, you'll be manifesting her persona; trying, as hard as you can, to be a tough, independent, clever and resourceful woman with little time for frippery, frivolity or foolish things like 'feelings'.It's not that you'll be immune to emotion. Athena herself is by no means incapable of loving - or of longing. It's just that, while you are responding to the cosmic call from the queen of courage, you'll be more inclined to summon your strength than explore your weaknesses.
You're likely to decide that the best way to do this is to declare that for now at least, the things you feel, deep down inside, are nobody's business but your own. You don't want to share them with your partner or would-be partner, no matter how much you love him. You feel that he's got his own business to take care of and you've got yours.
Your love may involve a two way flow of respect and support but if it is to survive the next few months, it has to be based on mutual encouragement not consolation. You simply need to know that he loves and admires you for your strength - and that he trusts you to make the right choices. If you need anything from him, it is his insight and judgment not his constant concern. The crisis now brewing (and when Athena's in action, there's always one on the boil) is one you both must face together. Neither of you can afford, even for a passing moment, to feel sorry for yourselves or concede the possibility of defeat.
This year at least then, you therefore have little interest in the traditional trimmings of Valentine's day. Lovely though it is to be showered with gifts or flattering remarks, all you really want is to know you've got a battle companion you can rely on! If your lover complains you're not being especially romantic, explain to him that the time for whispering sweet nothings or indulging in a thousand slow sensual pleasures will, if he's patient, come round again. Right now though if he wants to excite your passion,

he's got to stop treating you like some voluptuous Aphrodite and recognize that you're a woman with a mission. All he has to do is support (or even join) you in waging the war you're so determined to win and he'll soon discover there's plenty of heat behind your cool facade!
The fact is that you're feeling pretty excited by the pressures you currently face. They are stretching your mind, helping you learn new skills, allowing you to plan great enterprises and creating chances to give plenty of people their orders!
There are moments when everything seems to be on top of you - but each time you conquer another difficulty, you feel on top of the world.
Romantic problems are only likely to emerge in the next few months if your partner fails, somehow, to show sufficient faith in you - or worse, undermines your own faith. If, in this way, he triggers your secret fear of failure - or if you allow the fact that you currently have no partner to do the same, you may end up playing out the
Persephone syndrome.
This typically involves meeting a man who is deeply, desperately unsuitable yet finding yourself falling head over heels in fascination with him - because he 'seems to know something that you don't'. For a while, he becomes able to manipulate you as nimbly as a suave playboy might hypnotize a teenage girl. You eventually outgrow the obsession, but not before it has done some serious damage to your pride and wasted time you could have spent far more profitably.
If however, you watch for that - and make sure you keep your eye on the battle you'll not only emerge from your current worldly struggle with a sense of triumph, you'll also emerge from it with the kind of love life you really want!
Demeter, known to the Romans as Ceres, the goddess of the grain, will always be known as the goddess of motherhood. This is partly because both are symbols of fecundity - but also because of the myth of Persephone, Demeter's daughter, which must also be read in order to truly understand the 'protective spirit' that this goddess represents.
Demeter, like Hestia and Hera, was a daughter of Cronos. She too married Zeus. This though, was several thousand years before her sister did the same. The Greek gods may sound like a strange, incestuous lot but, when you live for all eternity, presumably, you play the game of existence by somewhat different rules. Certainly

Demeter, as a symbol of dedicated motherhood, remains every bit as 'alive' as she did all those thousands of years ago.
The tale of poor little kidnapped Persephone tells us a lot about Demeter's determination. We understand even more about the sacrifices that a good mother has to make once we understand that, in her long quest to find and free her daughter,
Demeter neither ate nor slept. She roamed land and sea and refused to give her up for lost - even when advised to do so by Zeus himself. For the sake of finding her daughter, she later suffered poverty, abuse and eventually, went berserk. She refused to be a goddess of their grain any longer and thus caused all the crops to fail. But it all paid off in the end - as truly devoted motherhood always does.
If you don't have children, you may be wondering whether this article about the goddess of motherhood can really apply to you. Perhaps, you're not so much wondering as worrying. This can't mean what you think it means can it? It may or, it may be that your maternal instincts are going to be triggered in a less obvious way.
All I'm prepared to predict is that, while you're under the influence of Demeter, you can expect your nurturing, caring spirit to come to the fore in a very big way. that this surfaces. It could though, be a project, plan, promise, passion or even a person that you come to see as 'your precious baby'.
You'll know what it is soon enough, if you don't already - for over the next few months, you are going to be all but taken over by a very powerful need to protect someone or something. So intense is this emotion likely to be that you will feel willing to sacrifice almost anything for the sake of your protégé's well-being. You'll take on almost any task, consider almost any offer, be willing to go to almost any lengths. This will not necessarily be because the object of your adoration is in any actual danger; physical or spiritual. It will be because you tend to 'perceive a danger'.
It is very important that you check, at regular intervals, whether this is real or imaginary.
Even if it is real, you have no need to worry. Whenever Demeter, the ultimate protective spirit is at work, the outcome of every saga can only, eventually be a happy one. What we cannot say with any such certainty though, is whether you will be protected from the vulnerability that your own intense desire to protect someone else gives rise to.
Valentine's day is coming up fast. The big question is, who do you want to receive a

gesture from - and why? It's almost impossible for you, at the moment, to separate your own true feelings from your instinctive sense of duty towards the person, cause or situation you so much yearn to secure a better future for. This is noble but it's not necessarily sensible. You must be on the lookout for manipulative people, especially men, who are anxious to offer you the wrong kind of help for the wrong reasons. You need to check whether you're misdirecting maternal energy towards a partner who really needs to face up to his own responsibilities instead of getting you to pick up the pieces for him. Even if that's not the case and the situation you're trying to sort out is a cause truly worthy of assistance, you must ask yourself if you're not smothering, as opposed to mothering, the 'child' you feel so responsible for.
You're going to find the goddess Demeter a very fulfilling force to have on your side provided you don't let her lead you to extremes of panic or anxiety about a matter that's best seen in a more philosophical light.
If your urge to be totally responsible really does run away with you, it is likely also, to run away with your ability to feel like a whole person - and thus your ability to enjoy a whole love life.
Please therefore, take the time to read about some of the other goddesses in this feature. Take a look at Artemis and consider how she might suggest attack as the best form of defense in the situation you face. You can probably do a lot more to help whatever or whoever you so much want to assist by taking an assertive, dynamic stance rather than an all but helpless one. Athena, too, can teach you a lot about how to place more of an emphasis on strategy and thus less on stubborn determination.
Remember too, that Aphrodite can be a great source of balance in a topsy turvy scenario. No matter how much you care about what - or whom, or why, things will not get any worse if you stop every so often and have a little fun. Indeed, through relaxing more, you could find you discover a way to make matters a whole lot better.
Persephone, known to the Romans as Core, was the maiden goddess. She symbolized innocence, beauty, vulnerability and served as a warning of the danger of temptation.
Because of her association with the Underworld however, she also came to be known as a figure of depth, mystery and dark desire. Persephone was the sweet only daughter of Zeus and Demeter. One day, while out gathering flowers, the sinister figure of Hades appeared from nowhere, hauled poor Persephone aboard his chariot and hurtled off back to the underworld. There, he made her his bride. While her distraught mother searched the earth for her in vain, Persephone made the best of her lot and came to secretly enjoy her life in the world of darkness. Eventually, her mum

tracked her down and, through Hermes the negotiator, secured her release. The deal between Hades and Hermes allowed Persephone to go free provided she had eaten no food whilst in the underworld. Later, Persephone confessed that she had indeed, eaten some pomegranate seeds. She claimed she had been forced to do this - but nonetheless, this transgression obliged her to divide her time, from then on, between her protective mother and her hypnotic lover. Interestingly though, when she grew older, she returned to the underworld of her own free choice.
Oscar Wilde once said 'I can resist anything, except temptation.'. That's pretty much your own cri de cour at the moment. You're just a sweet, pure well intentioned harmless thing, to and around whom the most outrageous, wicked or shocking things keep 'happening'.
If the wrong kind of men, or the wrong kinds of opportunity keep hurling themselves at your feet, it's definitely not because you are in any way inviting them to. All your problems are either someone else's fault - or the result of wicked circumstances beyond your control. You're not enjoying the trouble you're in one little bit. That's absolutely not a smirk on your face. It's a grimace. How on earth dare anyone suggest otherwise? Maybe, just maybe, you're prepared to concede that you've played some small part in letting your current situation develop as it has done but then, what choice have you had?
Persephone, the dark Queen of the underworld, is currently at work in your life, naughtily corrupting your normally impeccable judgment and leading you, on what's beginning to seem like a daily basis into ever deeper hot water. There. Don't you feel better already, just for reading that 'excuse'?
The truth is though, that you do have the right to resist her - and the power to do so to. The thing is, secretly, you're not so sure you want to. If you didn't think so many people would 'disapprove' you'd be quite willing to confess that you're actually rather enjoying much of the drama and intrigue that's currently taking place in your life.
There is, for example, the slight matter of who you're expecting to get a Valentine's card from tomorrow. Actually, he's probably not going to send you a card. He's not that kind of a conventional character. Nor do you want him to send you one anyway
- because a) it might create damning evidence of something you'd prefer to keep a very private secret and b) you already know just how far you've got him wrapped around your little finger and you don't need that kind of proof.
Best then, for the sake of your virtuous reputation, that you come the raw prawn.

After all, it seems to be working a treat so far. You've got all sorts of people, tying themselves up in all sorts of knots in an urgent attempt to help you out of the mess they feel you've got yourself in. The trouble is though, they don't know the half of it and you don't intend to tell them the rest. They'd be shocked!
Needless to say, none of this bodes well for the future health of a key 'official' relationship. Even if your little secret has nothing to do with another man, it certainly isn't the kind of thing that you can really tell your sweet, kind and totally trusting current companion about.
Assuming, of course, that your companion is sweet and kind. Another variation of the
Persephone syndrome involves the tendency to find yourself embroiled with a partner who makes Atilla the Hun look like Postman Pat. This of course, is not your fault either. He wasn't like that when you first got together. We wonder why!
If you're still reading, there's hope. The very fact that you are still reading suggests you're ready to do something constructive. I have been a little harsh on you. It's your half of the responsibility for having caused it in the first place. Only half mind you. Yet another variation on the Persephone syndrome involves not so much wallowing as fully luxuriating in guilt. You allow yourself to feel so bad, you grow quite convinced that nothing you do can possibly come to any good. That won't wash either. And nor will simply waiting till Persephone becomes less of a dominant influence. Like a stubborn stain that ordinary soap just won't shift, you'll wear her mark until you come completely clean, with yourself and everyone else who matters
Hera, known to the Romans as Juno, was the goddess of Marriage. She had big beautiful eyes - purportedly with which to watch errant husbands like a hawk. She is traditionally linked to cows, lilies and peacock feathers (because of the 'eyes' on their tail feathers). Cosmically, she is associated with the Milky Way. Because, back in ancient times, just as now, marriage was always a difficult business, Hera is associated with both the joyous hope of happy union - and the agony of marital dispute.
Hera, like her sister Hestia, was a child of Rhea and the mighty Cronos. Legend has it that her father swallowed her as soon as she was born - and regurgitated her later as young girl. We can perhaps translate this as having had an extremely close bond with her father - which may explain why she grew up to be so determined to stand by her man.

Hera grew up to be courted by the mighty Zeus - but she refused to be seduced by him and insisted on marriage. In the end, he gave in and the honeymoon lasted 300 years though the next few hundred were not always so sweet. Eventually, as with so many women who live for the ideal of marriage and can't quite adapt to the reality of it, she began to feel her husband had ruined her life!
There's got to be some way to fulfill your dream of a perfect relationship. Because you're under the influence of Hera, the marriage goddess, you're half dreading and half hopefully dreaming of Valentine's Day. In your nightmare, he (and you already is too). He thinks you don't know - but you're not so easily fooled. The lack of hard evidence hardly counts. She's probably left her card in a secret, pre-arranged place.
He's probably done the same with his gift for her. You refuse to be taken for a fool - though in another way, you cant stop hoping that you are a fool and that it actually is all in your mind. Just in case, you won't give up completely on him or, at least, not yet.
This brings us on to your hopeful dream. Tomorrow, he's going to make the gesture that proves he really cares. He's going to say the one thing, make the one move - or suggest the one idea that lets you know he really does listen - and that he wants you more than he wants any other woman in the world. After all, you and he were born to be together. That's why you fell for him in the first place. It can surely only be a matter of time before the two of you stop falling out or failing to communicate clearly and start living in the blissful, idyllic world of perfect understanding and trust that so you yearn to experience. And, considering how much time (and effort, and sacrifice happening any day now. Hasn't it?
Well maybe. And maybe not. It depends, not on him, but on you. You've got to stop seeing yourself as a victim of circumstance or a helpless puppet in the hands of your man. You've got to stop wondering and worrying about 'her' (whoever she is, if she exists at all) and start deciding that you're the most beautiful gorgeous desirable to spurn you, your life will be filled in seconds flat, by hundreds of other admirers. dedication to but it's still an excuse. So too, is your concern for the future of the kids, the pets, the house, the bills or the business. All these will, actually, ultimately be just

fine whether you stay together or move apart. But you'll be left without a reason to suffer, without all those annoying habits of his to contend with - and without all those totally unsatisfactory conversations to hold. And then, where will you be?
I say this so confidently because psychologists know that whenever the spirit of Hera gets a grip on a woman, she can think of nothing else but her relationship - regardless of how long it's been going on. You'll notice, if you read the other goddess interpretations in this feature, that they all have a little section dedicated to single single. Even the ones who 'look like they are' are yearning to be with one person so badly that they're practically having the relationship already or hanging on so tight to their last partner that it might as well not be over.
It's not healthy but the good news is it's not going to last. You're not going to let it, no matter how long it's been going on. Nor, once you do grow out of this phase, are you ever going to be daft enough to get yourself into a quite such an emotional, needy pickle again. You don't even have to wait till Hera's influence diminishes. Instead, you simply need to summon another goddess to your aid. Read, please, the pieces here today about Athena and Artemis. Decide which one you can most relate to and determine to take a leaf out of her book. If you really can't find the courage, emulate
Hestia. But don't assume there's any mileage to be had in becoming more like
Demeter or, worse, Persephone. They're not your key to success. Even Aphrodite isn't your key. You do need to become sexier, but you'll automatically do that, the moment you make up your mind to be much more self possessed.
Hestia, known to the Romans as Vesta, was the goddess of the hearth and temple.
Unlike all the other goddesses, she was traditionally never depicted in female form.
She was a 'presence', a feeling; a spirit of warmth and protection.
Though Hestia was a prominent goddess, daughter of the powerful Cronos, there are few legends about her. She is not so much a figure of mystery as an expression of such a simple, beautiful, essential energy that no great complex tale needs to be told to explain it. Hestia represents purity and sincerity, sanctity and safety. Those who come under her influence get the greatest blessing of all; a straightforward, contented life.
Though Hestia was a symbol of celibacy (her roman equivalent, Vesta, was the goddess who governed 'vestal virgins') legend tells that both Apollo the Sun God and
Poseidon (the sea god) fell in love with her. To be influenced by Hestia certainly doesn't guarantee a 'U Certificate' Life - but it certainly points to a desire to place

spirituality above sensuality.
All you want, right now, is a quiet life. You've got a host of personal projects that you want to pursue in peace. You want a chance to sit quietly, be still and 'find yourself'.
You also want a break from the dramas and traumas which, sadly tend to be so much part and parcel of daily life in this modern world. And no, you really don't want romance - or at least not romance in the superficial, exciting sense of the word.
Candlelight, you're quite happy to enjoy. You are, after all being influenced by the goddess of fire. Flowers too, you'll willingly welcome. Hestia's home-making influence extends to a deep appreciation of all things natural and earthy. Anyone intending however, to sweep you away in a private jet to a sun kissed tropical island can hop right back in their plane and find some far more lightheaded lady to take instead. You wish her luck. What you want, far more than that, is just to stay in a familiar place and feel comfortable. It's not that you're in an unadventurous mood.
It's more that the journey you're currently keen to undertake is one of inner exploration. You want to meditate or practice yoga - or slowly tend your garden. are, to a simple, steady way of being. If there's a man in your world who is currently in the midst of some major adventure or stressful saga, he can certainly count on your for support and gentle re-assurance - but he'd better not be expecting you to get as worked up about it all as he is. You're quite prepared to talk things though - indeed you relish the intellectual challenge of solving people's problems, crossword puzzle style, from a detached distance. You're also prepared, indeed more than willing to empathize deeply with those you care for and even strangers. As soon though, as you actively step into their world, you lose the ability to lead a placid, self contained existence in your own.
The same 'refusal to be drawn' is the reason why you're not likely to end any existing relationship, no matter how unsatisfactory, while Hestia is your guardian. Nor though are you going to suffer or set about trying to solve a hopeless problem. You're simply going to retreat into your shell, occupy yourself as productively possible and see what happens when a little more time has passed. In so far as this can hardly be anything other than a wise course, it's sure to bring the best result. But then, Hestia never leads anyone to follow anything other than a sensible plan.
And if you're currently single? What you really need right now is a bright, witty man with a deep understanding of life's more complex spiritual and psychological aspects.
He needs to be successful (not necessarily in the financial sense though you do find
'wheeler dealer types strangely attractive') and most importantly, he needs a great

sense of humor. There's no guarantee that you'll change your status over the next few months at least but if you do, you can be sure that the person you're getting involved with is a genuinely compatible partner. Hestia won't let you fall for anyone else. And if there's no such candidate in the offing? Hestia will keep you so still, comforted and self possessed that frankly, you really neither mind nor care.
Aphrodite, known to the Romans as Venus, is the goddess who needs no
Introduction. We only have to hear her name to see, in our mind's eye, a vision of total loveliness in a seductive state of undress. Aphrodite is though, far more than just a siren. She is a goddess of doves, swans, roses, apples, arts, crafts and all things graceful, inspired and creative.
Boticelli's Birth of Venus, commonly called 'Venus on the half shell' accurately reflects the myth of Aphrodite. She emerged as a nymph from the waves and immediately drove almost every male god wild with desire. A half sister of Hestia and
Hera, her father was Cronos and her mother (depending on whether you believe the poet Homer or Hesiod) was either a sea nymph or a daughter of a rather complicated act of union with the ocean itself!
Aphrodite was very much a free goddess. She suffered no great traumas nor did she ever feel obliged, for long, to restrain her appetites - which by all accounts, were as impressive as her looks. It is wrong to take all this too literally and judge her as amoral. Her free and easy lifestyle is far more appropriately interpreted as a symbol of the way in which the passion and fulfillment of artistic creativity is eternally available to everyone!
If you're not currently having the time of your life you can expect it to commence any day now. The goddess of love and beauty is at work in your life - and soon, your world is never going to be quite the same again. You don't consider yourself beautiful? You're all too painfully conscious of certain 'imperfections' in your appearance? Think again. We are not talking here about the kind of artificial, skin deep beauty that make up artists excel at. Regardless of your shape or size, you're beginning to exude a magnetic charisma which, if you allow it to express itself fully, will make you more attractive than any Supermodel and a more desirable conquest, in the eyes of most men, than all five Spice Girls in one fell swoop.
A conquest however, is the one thing you're most definitely not going to be. Nobody, but nobody, ever talks Aphrodite into anything she doesn't want to do. Nor do they

attain her love by playing on her weaker emotions - like guilt or sympathy. Indeed, if you're a man reading this about your partner and you want a red hot tip, resist like crazy that urge to fall at her feet, smarten up your act and start playing 'just slightly harder to get' double quick. Don't be too elusive and don't insult her intelligence by making a promise you can't fulfill but do be yourself and show some respect for her strength and judgment. Single women under the influence of Aphrodite are willing to be 'invited' but determined not to be manipulated. They'll go, not necessarily for the most handsome man in town, but for the one with the most talent, wit, charm and joie de vivre. And they'll get him. Every time.
Women in a committed partnership however, can have a problem when Aphrodite reaches into their lives. They fall deeply in love with the notion of freedom and may, or may not become unable to resist the urge to claim that freedom. This depends, not on the history of the relationship or even on its potential for long term compatibility
- but on the willingness of the male to respond to the challenge, stop taking his wife for granted and treat her like a new found mate, all over again.
While Aphrodite is the dominant influence on your life, you can expect to feel 'red hot' and highly wanted, almost all the time. You're bound to want to flirt and, as you're guaranteed to remain in control of the consequences, there's really no reason why you shouldn't. Other perhaps, than the paranoia of your partner. If there's the slightest chance that he'll have that reaction, show him this article and remind him of one crucial point. He's only in danger of losing you if he starts to panic about losing you and thus tries to hem you in during the one phase of your life during which you most need to feel free. He can do better than that. And, if you encourage him, he will!

A group of sisters in Oregon put on a Goddess gathering one summer, featuring the topic "Is there a fourth aspect to the Goddess?". Hearing about this got me thinking that the answer might be yes, the Dark Maiden.
I first learned about this Goddess from a lover, who used to call me her "dark maiden," and point out the waning crescent in the late night sky. She would explain that there are two crescents and two maidens. The Bright Maiden corresponds to the waxing crescent, curving towards the right. The Dark Maiden corresponds to the waning crescent, curving towards the left. Over the years, I have discovered the beauty of this symbol system and its potential to give healing and empowerment to women.
We all know about the great triad: Maiden, Mother and Crone. This three fold archetype resonates deeply in our psyches as Beginning, Middle and End of all things, and is likely to be with us always. Yet a fourth aspect might appear within the triad -- as well as a fifth or sixth. "When the myths come alive for us they change," says
Starhawk. Truly, there are no limits to the Goddess, and all things are possible.
But why the special attention to the Bright and Dark Maidens? For one thing, they make a marvelous all-female alternative to the male-opposite- female symbolism of patriarchy. The Bright Maiden who waxes, moves towards the Light and the Sun. She is the young Goddess who is growing, the Amazon, the woman who takes her powers of freedom, action, strength and independence. She is the risk-taker, the woman who dares. in other words, she is all things our society tells us should be considered "male."
Because of our loss of Her image in our psyches, women find themselves accused of becoming "like a man," when they express Her qualities. Known to us as Diana,
Artemis, Boudicea, the Amazon Warrior Woman, the Bright Maiden is more familiar to us than the Dark.
The Dark Maiden who wanes, moves towards the Underworld, The Crone. She is associated with aging, descent, introspection and magic. The Dark Maiden is the enchantress, She Who Pulls. In her positive attributes, She represents some of the lost powers of woman. She surrenders to the flow and pulls, like the pull of the moon, the suction of the undertow. This is the magnetism of magic, our power to draw to us all that we require. Images of the Dark Maiden appear to us as Persephone, Queen of the
Underworld, the Mermaid, Sirens, Sorceress.
In patriarchy the Bright and Dark Maidens tend to appear in negative expression, and

because of this, our impression of them can become distorted. Patriarchs love to keep our Dark Maidens weak and dependent upon them, and if we decide to act out of our
Bright Maiden selves, they insist we do so "like a man." These are some of the reasons why it is so important for us to find woman-identified symbols for these parts of ourselves; Goddesses that are soft and strong, magickal and free -- female expressions of these qualities.
Afflicted
Hard Boiled
Liberated
Strong
Superficial In Control
Hyper-rational Organized
Militant
Aloof
Disciplined
Independent
Unemotional
Mechanical
Power-over
Careless
Objective
Scientific
Power-from-within
Playful
Afflicted
Weak
Flaky
Liberated
Surrendering
Spontaneous
Passive
Victim
Pulling
Supporting
Self-sacrificing Compassionate
“Looser” Gentle
Myopic
Over-reacting
Subjective
Intuitive
Deluded Imaginative
The main thing to remember about the Dark Maiden is that She has the power to
Respond. She is the receptive and sensitive part of us, which we need for successful magic as well as personal wholeness. She is tender and vulnerable, and it is important

to keep our Bright Maiden qualities so we can protect Her. Too many women with
Dark Maiden qualities become victims in our society, subject to the will of others.
And too many Bright Maidens become cold and hard. Feminist spirituality teaches us that we have been programmed to act out these qualities in ways that men have devised. Liberation lies not in discarding them, but in learning to reclaim them in their older, female expressions.
Inevitably, this process will lead us back to the Three-fold and Five-fold expressions of the Goddess, because they offer flow and continuum. They teach us that any one quality when isolated at the expense of the others becomes destructive and limiting.
While the Bright and Dark Maidens do pair off and become partners, companions and lovers they can be seen within the larger contexts of Maiden, Mother and Crone, or
Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Spirit. Sometimes I picture the two Maidens as Warrior and Priestess within a cycle that includes Mother, Grandmother, and Lover.
Sometimes I see them as the Fall and Spring Equinoxes, known to the ancient Greeks as the Anados (Goddess arising) and Kathados (Goddess Descending). Thus we can integrate the duality of our Bright and Dark Maidens into the three-fold, five-fold and eight-fold (the eight holy days of the year) cycles of Life and Being.
This article is but a glimpse into the possibilities. I invite you to search within yourself, in myths and among symbols that you know, for signs of the Bright and
Dark Maidens.

Amen
(Amon, Amun, Ammon, Amoun)
Amen's name means "The Hidden One." Amen was the patron deity of the city of
Thebes from earliest times, and was viewed (along with his consort Amenet) as a primordial creation-deity by the priests of Hermopolis. His sacred animals were the goose and the ram.
Up to the Middle Kingdom Amen was merely a local god in Thebes; but when the
Thebans had established their sovereignty in Egypt, Amen became a prominent deity, and by Dynasty XVIII was termed the King of the Gods. His famous temple, Karnak, is the largest religious structure ever built by man. According to Budge, Amen by
Dynasty XIX-XX was thought of as "an invisible creative power which was the source of all life in heaven, and on the earth, and in the great deep, and in the Underworld, and which made itself manifest under the form of Ra." Additionally, Amen appears to have been the protector of any pious devotee in need.
Amen was self-created, according to later traditions; according to the older Theban traditions, Amen was created by Thoth as one of the eight primordial deities of creation (Amen, Amenet, Heq, Heqet, Nun, Naunet, Kau, Kauket).
During the New Kingdom, Amen's consort was Mut, "Mother," who seems to have been the Egyptian equivalent of the "Great Mother" archetype. The two thus formed a pair reminiscent of the God and Goddess of other traditions such as Wicca. Their child was the moon god Khons.
See also Amen-Ra, Khons, Mut, Thoth.
Amen-Ra
(Amon-Re)
A composite deity, devised by the priests of Amen as an attempt to link New
Kingdom (Dyn. XVIII-XXI) worship of Amen with the older solar cult of the god Ra.
In a union of this sort, the deities are said to indwell one another - so we have the power represented by Amen manifesting through the person of Ra (or vice versa).
This sort of relationship is common among Egyptian gods, particularly among cosmic

or national deities. It is an example of how the Egyptian gods are viewed, as Morenz puts it, of having "personality but not individuality."
See also Amen, Ra.
Amset
(Imsety, Mestha; Golden Dawn, Ameshet)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Amset was represented as a mummified man. He was the protector of the liver of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Isis.
See also Four Sons of Horus, Isis.
Anubis
(Anpu; Golden Dawn, Ano-Oobist)
Anubis (Greek, from Egyptian Anpu) was the son of Nephthys: by some traditions, the father was Set; by others, Osiris. (And by still other traditions his mother was
Isis.) Anubis was depicted as a jackal, or as a jackal-headed man; in primitive times he was probably simply the jackal god.
Owing perhaps to the jackal's tendency to prowl around tombs, he became associated with the dead, and by the Old Kingdom, Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming, who had embalmed the dead Osiris, thus helping preserve him in order to live again. His task became to glorify and preserve all the dead.
Anubis was also worshipped under the form Upuaut ("Opener of the Ways"), sometimes with a rabbit's head, who conducted the souls of the dead to their judgment, and who monitored the Scales of Truth to protect the dead from the second death in the underworld.
See also Nephthys, Osiris, Set.
Anuket
In Upper Egypt, around Elephantine, Anuket was worshipped as the companion
(generally the daughter) of Khnum and Sati. Her sacred animal was the gazelle. She was believed to be the dispenser of cool water, and wore a feathered crown on her

human head.
See also Khnum, Sati.
Apis
An early deity, probably the best known Egyptian deity represented only as an animal, and never as a human with an animal's head. Apis was most closely linked with Ptah, and his cult center was Memphis. He was primarily a deity of fertility. He was represented as a bull crowned with the solar disk and uraeus-serpent. A sacred
Apis bull was kept in Memphis, and there is a great mass burial of Apis bulls, the
Serapeum, located there.
See also Ptah.
Aten
(Aton)
The sun itself, recognized first in the Middle Kingdom, and later becoming an aspect of the sun god. In the reign of Amenhotep IV during Dynasty XVIII, Aten was depicted as a disk with rays, each ray terminating in a human hand and bestowing symbols of "life" upon those below. Aten was declared the only true deity during this period, but the worship of Amen and the other deities was restored by Amenhotep
IV's successor Tutankhamen. Morenz believes the name "Aten" was pronounced something like "Yati" during the height of its cult.
Atum
A primordial creator god, worshipped as the head of the Heliopolitan family of gods.
Father of Shu and Tefnut, and in later times believed to be one with the sun god Ra.
See also Ra.
Bast
(Bastet)
A cat-goddess, worshiped in the Delta city of Bubastis. A protectress of cats and those who cared for cats. As a result, an important deity in the home (since cats were prized

pets) and also important in the iconography (since the serpents which attack the sun god were usually represented in papyri as being killed by cats).
She was viewed as the beneficent side of the lioness-goddess Sekhmet. See also
Sekhmet.
Bes
A deity of either African or Semitic origin; came to Egypt by Dynasty XII. Depicted as a bearded, savage-looking yet comical dwarf, shown full-face in images (highly unusual by Egyptian artistic conventions). Revered as a deity of household pleasures such as music, good food, and relaxation. Also a protector and entertainer of children.
Duamutef
(Tuamutef; Golden Dawn, Thmoomathph)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Duamutef was represented as a mummified man with the head of a jackal. He was the protector of the stomach of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Neith.
See also Four Sons of Horus, Neith.
Edjo
A serpent goddess of the Delta, a symbol and protrectress of Lower Egypt, the counterpart of Nekhbet in Upper Egypt, worn as part of the king's crown.
See also Nekhbet.
Four Sons of Horus
The four sons of Horus were the protectors of the parts of the body of Osiris, and from this, became the protectors of the body of the deceased. They were: Amset,
Hapi, Duamutef, and Qebhsenuef. They were protected in turn by the goddesses Isis,
Nephthys, Neith, and Selket. See also Amset, Duamutef, Hapi, Qebehsenuf.
Geb
(Seb)

The god of the earth, son of Shu and Tefnut, brother and husband of Nut, and father of Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. Sacred animal and symbol was the goose. He is generally represented as a man with green or black skin - the color of living things, and the color of the fertile Nile mud, respectively. It was said that Geb would hold imprisoned the souls of the wicked, that they might not ascend to heaven. Note Geb is masculine, contrasting with many other traditions of Earth being female.
See also Nut.
Hadit
See Horus of Behedet.
Hapi
(Golden Dawn, Ahephi)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Hapi was represented as a mummified man with the head of a baboon. He was the protector of the lungs of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Nephthys.
The name Hapi, spelled with different hieroglyphs, in most but not all cases, is also the name of the god who was the personification of the River Nile, depicted as a corpulent man (fat signifying abundance) with a crown of lilies (Upper Nile) or papyrus plants (Lower Nile).
See also Four Sons of Horus, Nephthys.
Hathor
(Het-heru, Het-Hert)
A very old goddess of Egypt, worshiped as a cow-deity from earliest times. The name
"Hathor" is the Greek corruption of the variants Het-Hert ("the House Above") and
Het-Heru ("the House of Horus"). Both terms refer to her as a sky goddess. She was frequently equated with Isis. She was worshipped at Edfu as the consort of Horus. At
Thebes, she was considered the goddess of the dead. She was also the patron of love, dance, alcohol, and foreign lands.

See also Isis.
Harpocrates
(Hor-pa-kraat; Golden Dawn, Hoor-par-kraat)
"Horus the Child", the son of Isis and Osiris as a little suckling child, distinguished from Horus the Elder, who was the patron deity of Upper Egypt. Represented as a young boy with a child's sidelock of hair, sucking his finger. The Golden Dawn attributed Silence to him, presumably because the sucking of the finger is suggestive of the common "shhh" gesture. See also Horus.
Heqet
A primordial goddess with the head of a frog, worshipped as one of the Eight Gods at
Hermopolis, and seen as the consort of Khnum at Antinoe.
See also Khnum.
Heru-ra-ha
A composite deity in Crowley's quasi-Egyptian mythology; composed of Ra-Hoor-
Khuit and Hoor-par-kraat. The name, translated into Egyptian, means something approximating "Horus and Ra be Praised!" Of course, this could simply be another corruption due to the inferior Victorian understanding of the Egyptian language, and it is possible Crowley had something entirely different in mind for the translation of the name.
See also Ra-Horakhty, Harpocrates.
Horus
(Hor)
One of the most important deities of Egypt. As the Child, Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis, who, upon reaching adulthood, avenges his father's death, by defeating and castrating his evil uncle Set. He then became the divine prototype of the Pharaoh.
As Heru-Ur, "Horus the Elder", he was the patron deity of Upper (Southern) Egypt from the earliest times; initially, viewed as the twin brother of Set (the patron of

Lower Egypt), but he became the conqueror of Set c. 3100 B.C.E. when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and formed the unified kingdom of Egypt.
See also Isis, Osiris, Set.
Horus of Behedet
(Hadit)
A form of Horus worshipped in the city of Behdet, shown in the well-known form of a solar disk with a great pair of wings, usually seen hovering above important scenes in Egyptian religious art. Made popular by Aleister Crowley under the poorly transliterated name "Hadit", the god appears to have been a way of depicting the omnipresence of Horus. As Crowley says in Magick in Theory and Practice, "the
See also Horus.
Imhotep
(Imouthis)
Imhotep was the architect, physician, scribe, and grand vizier of the IIIrd Dynasty pharaoh Zoser. It was Imhotep who conceived and built the Step Pyramid at Sakkara.
In the Late Period, Imhotep was worshipped as the son of Ptah and a god of medicine, as well as the patron (with Thoth) of scribes. The Greeks considered him to be
Asklepios.
See also Ptah, Thoth.
Isis
(Auset)
Perhaps the most important goddess of all Egyptian mythology, Isis assumed, during the course of Egyptian history, the attributes and functions of virtually every other important goddess in the land. Her most important functions, however, were those of motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick, and the working of magical spells and charms. She was believed to be the most powerful magician in the universe, owing to the fact that she had learned the Secret Name of Ra from the god himself.

She was the sister and wife of Osiris, sister of Set, and twin sister of Nephthys. She was the mother of Horus the Child (Harpocrates), and was the protective goddess of
Horus's son Amset, protector of the liver of the deceased.
Isis was responsible for protecting Horus from Set during his infancy; for helping
Osiris to return to life; and for assisting her husband to rule in the land of the Dead.
Her cult seems to have originally centered, like her husband's, at Abydos near the
Delta in the North (Lower Egypt); she was adopted into the family of Ra early in
Egyptian history by the priests of Heliopolis, but from the New Kingdom onwards (c.
1500 BC) her worship no longer had any particular identifiable center, and she became more or less universally worshiped, as her husband was.
See also Horus, Osiris.
Khepri
(Keper)
The creator-god, according to early Heliopolitan cosmology; assimilated with Atum and Ra. The Egyptian root "kheper" signifies several things, according to context, most notably the verb "to create" or "to transform", and also the word for "scarab beetle". The scarab, or dung beetle, was considered symbolic of the sun since it rolled a ball of dung in which it laid its eggs around with it - this was considered symbolic of the sun god propelling the sphere of the sun through the sky.
See also Ra.
Khnum
Appearing as a ram-headed human, Khnum was worshipped most at Antinoe and
Elephantine. He was another creator-god, represented as fashioning human beings on his pottery wheel. His consort was variously Heqet, Neith, or Sati.
See also Sati.
Khons
(Chons)

The third member (with his parents Amen and Mut) of the great triad of Thebes.
Khons was the god of the moon. The best-known story about him tells of him playing the ancient game senet ("passage") against Thoth, and wagering a portion of his light.
Thoth won, and because of losing some of his light, Khons cannot show his whole glory for the entire month, but must wax and wane. The main temple in the enclosure at Karnak is dedicated to him.
See also Amen, Mut, Thoth.
Maat
Considered the wife of Thoth and the daughter of Ra by various traditions, Maat's name implies "truth" and "justice" and even "cosmic order", but there is no clear
English equivalent. She is an anthropomorphic personification of the concept Maat and as such has little mythology. Maat was represented as a tall woman with an ostrich feather (the glyph for her name) in her hair. She was present at the judgment of the dead; her feather was balanced against the heart of the deceased to determine whether he had led a pure and honest life.
See also Thoth.
Min
(Menu, Amsu)
A form of Amen depicted holding a flail (thought to represent a thunderbolt in
Egyptian art) and with an erect penis; his full name was often given as Menu-ka-mutf ("Min, Bull of his Mother"). Min was worshiped as the god of virility; lettuces were offered as sacrifice to him and then eaten in hopes of procuring manhood; and he was worshiped as the husband of the goddess Qetesh, goddess of love and femininity.
See also Amen, Qetesh.
Month
(Mentu, Men Thu)
The principal god of Thebes before the rise of the Amen cult; appeared as a falconheaded man and often united with Horus. Primarily a war god.

Mut
(Golden Dawn, Auramooth)
The wife of Amen in Theban tradition; the word mut in Egyptian means "mother", and she was the mother of Khonsu, the moon god.
See also Amen, Khons.
Nefertum
The youthful son of Ptah and Sekhmet, connected with the rising sun; depicted as a youth crowned with or seated upon a lotus blossom.
See also Ptah.
Neith
(Net, Neit; Golden Dawn, Thoum-aesh-neith)
A very ancient goddess of war, worshiped in the Delta; revered as a goddess of wisdom, identified with Athena by the Greeks; in later traditions, the sister of Isis,
Nephthys, and Selket, and protectress of Duamutef, the god of the stomach of the deceased. Mother of the crocodile god Sobek.
See also Sobek.
Nekhbet
Upper Egyptian patron goddess, represented as a vulture in iconography, and often part of the crown of the pharaoh, along with her Lower Egyptian counterpart Edjo.
See also Edjo.
Nephthys
(Nebt-het)
The youngest child of Geb and Nut. The sister and wife of Set, and sister of Isis and

Osiris; also the mother (variantly by Set or by Osiris) of Anubis. She abandoned Set when he killed Osiris, and assisted Isis in the care of Horus and the resurrection of
Osiris. She was, along with her sister, considered the special protectress of the dead, and she was the guardian of Hapi, the protector of the lungs of the deceased. See also
Isis, Osiris, Set.
Nut
(Nuit)
The goddess of the sky, daughter of Shu and Tefnut, sister and wife of Geb, mother of
Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. Described by Crowley in his Magick in Theory and
Nut was generally depicted as a woman with blue skin, and her body covered with stars, standing on all fours, leaning over her husband, representing the sky arched over the earth.
Her relationship to Hadit is an invention of Crowley's with no basis in Egyptology, save only that Hadit was often depicted underneath Nut - one finds Nut forming the upper frame of a scene, and the winged disk Hadit floating beneath, silently as always. This is an artistic convention, and there was no marriage between the two in
Egyptian myth.
See also Geb, Shu.
Osiris
(Ausar)
The god of the dead, and the god of the resurrection into eternal life; ruler, protector, and judge of the deceased, and his prototype (the deceased was in historical times usually referred to as "the Osiris"). His cult originated in Abydos, where his actual tomb was said to be located.
Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, thus the brother of Set, Nephthys, and Isis, who was also his wife. By Isis he fathered Horus, and according to some stories,
Nephthys assumed the form of Isis, seduced him thus, and from their union was born
Anubis.
Osiris ruled the world of men in the beginning, after Ra had abandoned the world to

rule the skies, but he was murdered by his brother Set. Through the magic of Isis, he was made to live again. Being the first living thing to die, he subsequently became lord of the dead. His death was avenged by his son Horus, who defeated Set and cast him out into the desert to the West of Egypt (the Sahara).
Prayers and spells were addressed to Osiris throughout Egyptian history, in hopes of securing his blessing and entering the afterlife which he ruled; but his popularity steadily increased through the Middle Kingdom. By Dynasty XVIII he was probably the most widely worshipped god in Egypt. His popularity endured until the latest phases of Egyptian history; relief's still exist of Roman emperors, conquerors of Egypt, dressed in the traditional garb of the Pharaohs, making offerings to him in the temples.
See also Anubis, Horus, Isis, Nephthys, Set.
Pharaoh
(deified kings)
From earliest times in Egypt the pharaohs were worshipped as gods: the son of Ra, the son of Horus, the son of Amen, etc. depending upon what period of Egyptian history and what part of the country is being considered. It should be noted that prayers, sacrifices, etc. to the pharaohs were extremely rare, if they occurred at all - there seems to be little or no evidence to support an actual cult of the pharaoh. The pharaoh was looked upon as being chosen by and favored by the gods, his fathers.
Ptah
Worshipped in Memphis from the earliest dynastic times (c.3100 BC), Ptah was seen as the creator of the universe in the Memphite cosmology. He fashioned the bodies in which dwelt the souls of men in the afterlife. Other versions of the myths state that he worked under Thoth's orders, creating the heavens and the earth according to
Thoth's specifications.
Ptah is depicted as a bearded man wearing a skullcap, shrouded much like a mummy, with his hands emerging from the wrappings in front and holding the Uas (phoenixheaded) scepter, an Ankh, and a Djed (sign of stability). He was often worshipped in conjunction with the gods Seker and Osiris, and worshipped under the name Ptahseker-ausar.
He was said to be the husband of Sekhmet and the father of Nefertum (and later

Imhotep).
Qebehsenuf
(Kabexnuf, Qebsneuef)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Qebhsenuef was represented as a mummified man with the head of a falcon. He was the protector of the intestines of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Selket.
See also Four Sons of Horus, Selket.
Qetesh
Originally believed to be a Syrian deity, Qetesh was a goddess of love and beauty.
Qetesh was depicted as a beautiful nude woman, standing or riding upon a lion, holding flowers, a mirror, or serpents. She is generally shown full-face (unusual in
Egyptian artistic convention). She was also considered the consort of the god Min, the god of virility.
See also Min.
Ra
Ra was the god of the sun during dynastic Egypt; the name is thought to have meant
"creative power", and as a proper name "Creator", similar to English Christian usage of the term "Creator" to signify the "almighty God." Very early in Egyptian history Ra was identified with Horus, who as a hawk or falcon-god represented the loftiness of the skies. Ra is represented either as a hawk-headed man or as a hawk. In order to travel through the waters of Heaven and the Underworld, Ra was depicted as traveling in a boat.
During dynastic Egypt Ra's cult center was Annu (Hebrew "On", Greek "Heliopolis", modern-day "Cairo"). In Dynasty V, the first king, Userkaf, was also Ra's high priest, and he added the term Sa-Ra ("Son of Ra") to the tutelary of the pharaohs.
Ra was father of Shu and Tefnut, grandfather of Nut and Geb, great-grandfather of
Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys, and great-great-grandfather to Horus. In later periods
(about Dynasty 18 on) Osiris and Isis superseded him in popularity, but he remained
Ra netjer-aa neb-pet ("Ra, the great God, Lord of Heaven") whether worshiped in his

own right or, in later times, as one aspect of the Lord of the Universe, Amen-Ra.
See also Amen-Ra, Horus.
Ra-Horakhty
(Ra-Hoor-Khuit)
"Ra, who is Horus of the Horizons." An appellation of Ra, identifying him with
Horus, showing the two as manifestations of the singular Solar Force. The spelling
"Ra-Hoor-Khuit" was popularized by Aleister Crowley, first in the Book of the Law
(Liber AL vel Legis).
See also Horus, Ra.
Sati
The goddess of Elephantine, and the consort of Khnum. Together with their companion Anuket, dispenser of cool water. Represented with human head, the crown of Upper Egypt, and the horns of gazelles.
See also Anuket, Khnum.
Seker
A god of light, protector of the spirits of the dead passing through the Underworld en route to the afterlife. Seker was worshiped in Memphis as a form of Ptah or as part of the compound deities Ptah-seker or Ptah-seker-ausar. Seker was usually depicted as having the head of a hawk, and shrouded as a mummy, similar to Ptah.
See also Ptah.
Sekhmet
A lioness-goddess, worshiped in Memphis as the wife of Ptah; created by Ra from the fire of his eyes as a creature of vengeance to punish mankind for his sins; later, became a peaceful protectress of the righteous, closely linked with the benevolent
Bast.
See also Bast, Ptah.

Selket
(Serqet, Serket)
A scorpion-goddess, shown as a beautiful woman with a scorpion poised on her head; her creature struck death to the wicked, but she was also petitioned to save the lives of innocent people stung by scorpions; she was also viewed as a helper of women in childbirth. She is depicted as binding up demons that would otherwise threaten Ra, and she sent seven of her scorpions to protect Isis from Set.
She was the protectress of Qebehsenuf, the son of Horus who guarded the intestines of the deceased. She was made famous by her statue from Tutankhamen's tomb, which was part of the collection which toured America in the 1970's.
See also Isis.
Serapis
A Ptolemaic period god, devised by the Greeks from Osiris and Apis. Supposedly the consort of Isis, god of the afterlife and fertility. Also physician and helper of distressed worshippers. Never obtained much following from the native Egyptian population. His cult center was Alexandria.
See also Apis, Osiris.
Set
(Seth)
In earliest times, Set was the patron deity of Lower (Northern) Egypt, and represented the fierce storms of the desert whom the Lower Egyptians sought to appease.
However, when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and ushered in the First
Dynasty, Set became known as the evil enemy of Horus (Upper Egypt's dynastic god).
Set was the brother of Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys, and husband of the latter; according to some versions of the myths he is also father of Anubis.
Set is best known for murdering his brother and attempting to kill his nephew Horus;
Horus, however, managed to survive and grew up to avenge his father's death by

establishing his rule over all Egypt, castrating Set, and casting him out into the lonely desert for all time.
In the 19th Dynasty there began a resurgence of respect for Set, and he was seen as a great god once more, the god who benevolently restrained the forces of the desert and protected Egypt from foreigners.
See also Anubis, Horus, Isis, Nephthys, Osiris.
Shu
The god of the atmosphere and of dry winds, son of Ra, brother and husband ofTefnut, father of Geb and Nut. Represented in hieroglyphs by an ostrich feather
(similar to Maat's), which he is usually shown wearing on his head. He is generally shown standing on the recumbent Geb, holding aloft his daughter Nut, separating the two.
The name "Shu" is probably related to the root shu meaning "dry, empty." Shu also seems to be a personification of the sun's light. Shu and Tefnut were also said to be but two halves of one soul, perhaps the earliest recorded example of "soulmates."
See also Tefnut.
Sobek
The crocodile-god, worshipped at the city of Arsinoe, called Crocodilopolis by the
Greeks. Sobek was worshipped to appease him and his animals. According to some evidence, Sobek was considered a fourfold deity who represented the four elemental gods (Ra of fire, Shu of air, Geb of earth, and Osiris of water). In the Book of the
Dead, Sobek assists in the birth of Horus; he fetches Isis and Nephthys to protect the deceased; and he aids in the destruction of Set.
Sothis
Feminine Egyptian name for the star Sirius, which very early meshed with Isis (being the consort of Sahu-Osiris, which was Orion). Also associated with Hathor.
See also Hathor, Isis.
Tefnut

The goddess of moisture and clouds, daughter of Ra, sister and wife of Shu, mother of
Geb and Nut. Depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, which was her sacred animal. The name "Tefnut" probably derives from the root teftef, signifying "to spit, to moisten" and the root nu meaning "waters, sky."
See also Shu.
Thoth
(Tahuti)
The god of wisdom, Thoth was said to be self-created at the beginning of time, along with his consort Maat (truth), or perhaps created by Ra. At Hermopolis it was said that from Thoth were produced eight children, of which the most important was
Amen, "the hidden one", who was worshiped in Thebes as the Lord of the Universe.
The name "Thoth" is the Greek corruption of the original Egyptian Tahuti. Thoth was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis bird, and carried a pen and scrolls upon which he recorded all things. He was shown as attendant in almost all major scenes involving the gods, but especially at the judgment of the deceased. He served as the messenger of the gods, and was thus equated by the Greeks with Hermes.
Thoth served in Osirian myths as the vizier (chief advisor and minister) of Osiris. He, like Khons, is a god of the moon, and is also the god of time, magic, and writing. He was considered the inventor of the hieroglyphs.
See also Amen, Maat.
Thoueris
(Ta-urt)
A hippopotamus goddess, responsible for fertility and protecting women in childbirth. Partner of Bes.
See also Bes.

The devourer, eater of the dead, eater of hearts. Her domains are death (evil), destruction, magic and evil. Her symbols are the scales of justice and a bleeding heart.
She appears with the head of a crocodile, body of a leopard and the hindquarters of a hippo. Her weapons are daggers and knives and she is worshipped by evil humans.
The goddess of cats and beauty, her domains are animals, good luck, trickery and chaos, her symbol is the cat.She appears as a woman with the head of a cat and her weapons are a short-sword or a dagger, she is worshipped by women and nobles.
Goddess of the seas, fishes and water, her domains are good, luck, animals and water. Her symbol is the fish and her weapons are a net or the trident. She appears as a woman of great stature with the head of a fish. She is worshipped by fishermen and sailors.
The Goddess of magic and fertility, her domains are magic, healing and goodness, her symbol is the ankh. She appears as a very beautiful woman. She has no weapons and is worshipped by mothers, women, clerics, wizards and sorcerers.
The Goddess of law and truth and her domains are goodness, knowledge, law and strength. Her symbol is a stone platform. She appears as a woman wearing a crown with an ostrich feather. Her weapons of choice are a mace or Morningstar and she is worshipped by city officials, judges, monks and paladins.
The Goddess of the night and the sky, her domains are goodness, knowledge, protection, trickery and air. Her symbol is stars twinkling on a black field. She appears in the form of a woman, naked and painted with stars that are bending over the world. Her weapon of choice is a dagger and she is worshipped by bards, guardians, paladins and rouges.
Goddess of the sun, she is known as the ‘lady of pestilence’ the destructor. Her

domains are chaos, war, destruction and healing and her symbol is a sun disc with a serpent entwined around it. She appears as a woman with the head of a lion. Her weapons of choice are the short-bow or long-bow and she is worshipped by doctors and surgeons, healers and warriors.
Aapep is neither a God nor Goddess, it is the black serpent. Its domains are death (evil), destruction, chaos and the serpent (evil). Its symbol is the black coiled serpent and it appears as a great black snake that can be several miles in length. Its weapons are the long-sword, a dagger and a whip; it is worshipped by evil, power seeking humans, assassins and cults.
The avenger. His domains are destruction, sun, law and war. He appears as a flacon-headed man, his symbols are the falcon or hawk. His weapons of choice are the lance or long-sword. He is worshipped by warriors, fighters, soldiers and those who seek retribution or vengeance.
Good of the moon, knowledge and time, his domains are chaos, travel, trickery and goodness.He appears as a hawk-headed man in a close fitting robe, wearing a skull-cap topped by a crescent moon; head and face are shaven apart from a small punt beard. His symbol is a lunar disc and his weapons of choice are the short-sword and a spear, he is worshipped by bards, musicians, merchants and pranksters.
The God of the earth his domains are earth and plants, protection and strength, his symbol is a white goose. He appears as a tall, well-muscled man wearing a white crown, his weapon of choice is the quarterstaff and he is worshipped by druids and farmers.
Osir is
The god of fertility and the dead. His domains are death (good), law, protection and goodness. He appears as a green-skinned man in the raiment of pharaoh and his symbols are a crown. His weapons of choice are a quarterstaff or crook. His worshippers are rulers and nobles but also farmers and commoners.
Pharaoh (King) of the Gods, God of the sun, his domains are goodness, protection, knowledge and the sun. His symbol is a serpent wrapped around a solar

disc; he appears as a large human with the head of a hawk, dressed in flowing robes and the headdress of a pharaoh. His weapons of choice are the quarterstaff and a club; he is worshipped by rulers, nobles and scholars.
The god of evil and the night time. He appears as a scaled human body with the head of a jackal. His domains are death (evil), knowledge, law, destruction and the serpent (evil).His symbol is the coiled cobra and his weapons are the spear of darkness, a cobra staff and poisoned weapons. He is worshipped by assassins, evil monks and power-seeking humans.
Lord of the air, his domains are goodness, law, strength and air, his symbol is the ostrich feather. He appears as a bearded man with plumes and his weapons of choice are the quarterstaff and a mace.He is worshipped by nobles, rulers, warriors and mystics.
The god of magic and knowledge. He appears as an ibis-headed human carrying a palette and stylus. His symbol is the ibis. His domains are magic, travel, luck and knowledge and his weapon of choice is the quarterstaff. He is worshipped by sages, travelers and scholars.

naked young woman. Sometimes she is covered, or partially covered, in a cloth. She can be seen carrying a dove of stepping out of the sea. lyre, a bow, and arrows. He drives a golden chariot. carries a bow and quiver of arrows. Often birds, deer, or lions accompany her.

warrior she wears a breastplate and helmet and carries a lance and a shield.
Sometimes she has an owl with her. She is associated with the city of Athens and with the olive tree.
Persephone. She often weeps because she and Persephone have been separated. dressed in an animal skin, he carries a staff and sometimes is seen as a bull or a goat. man with wings. He often carries a lyre or a bow and a quiver of arrows. often in a cornucopia. She is a mature woman and usually wears a robe. Gaia is often used in craft rituals. mature man, he wears a beard and a helmet and often is seen on a throne next to his young wife Persephone. snakes in her hair. She can have three heads -- those of the maiden, mother and crone. She can be found at the spot where three roads meet.

wears a crown and carries a scepter. She is mature and beautiful. man, he wears sandals with wings, a helmet with wings, and carries a caduceus. pipes called panpipes. He takes a form that is half man and half goat. His legs and feet are of the goat, while his chest and upper body are that of a hairy man. He usually has horns. He is frequently invoked in Pagan rituals. with Hades on a throne in the underworld, where she spends a number of months every year. Sometimes she carries a pomegranate. She is also called "Kore", the maiden.
Pos eidon: The God of water and the seas. He always carries a trident and is associated with dolphins and horses.

clouds and often carries a thunderbolt. He is married to Hera, but often falls in love with other women. He is a bearded man of great wisdom and authority.
Goddess Demeter. the Moon and the woods. She often has dogs or a stag with her. Diana is often used in craft rituals.
Fo rtuna rudder from a ship, a sphere and a wheel.
Fur ies: Goddesses of vengeance. looks into the past, the other into the future. He can see the inside and outside of all things at the same time. the Gods. In one of her aspects, she is the Goddess of childbirth. A beautiful woman, she has dark hair and wears a robe. The cow, the peacock, and the goose are sacred to her.

manner as the Greek God Zeus. a large man. His companion animals include a wolf, a woodpecker, and a vulture. way as the Greek God Hermes.
Greek God Poseidon. described in the same way as the Greek God Hades.
Satu rn: God of harvest and golden ages in history. as the Greek Goddess Aphrodite. carries flames, a pot full of water, and a trident. white and rides on a swan or a peacock. Sometimes he sits on a lotus blossom. she carries a drum, a sword, a trident, and a bowl filled with blood. elephant-head, he has a potbelly. In his four arms, he carries roses, a piece of his

broken tusk, a thorn, and a bowl. He often rides upon a very small rat.
He has great strength and learning and is mischievous. Often he has wings. He can be a fierce warrior. man and carries a thunderbolt. Sometimes he rides a white elephant. His name means
"strong". smeared body, and a protruding tongue, she wears a necklace of human skulls and often stands on her husband Shiva.
Krish na: The God of love. hH takes the form of a man with blue skin. He often plays the flute. golden and sits on a lotus blossom. often rides a swan or sits on a lotus. of yoga and a dancer. A man with a third eye between his eyebrows, he carries a trident and an axe.
In his four arms he holds a club, a shell, a disk, and a lotus. seated in a throne, he can be depicted as a ram with a coiled cobra on his head.
Sometimes he is shown as entirely jackal.

the other gods and goddesses. head of a cat. She carries a rattle and wears a breastplate decorated with the head of a lion. dark skin and sometimes wears a goose on his head. a cow. Sometimes all of her takes the form of a cow. She often carries a rattle. head of a falcon with the Moon as one eye and the Sun as the other. Sometimes he appears as a child standing on the back of a crocodile. resurrection. She is usually seated and sometimes holds the infant Horus.

hieroglyph on her head. her body. She usually appears naked, arched over Geb, the Earth God. head of a live man. His face has a slight green cast. mummified man with a shaved head or appears as a dwarf. appears to move across the sky, so he travels through the sky. At night, he journeys through the underworld and his head takes the form of that of a ram.
T hoth: God of knowledge, wisdom, and the moon.

cross-legged and appears to be fat and happy. Sometimes he is golden in color. holding a white flower.
China. She will protect you from danger. Newlyweds often pray to her for fertility.
She is sometimes referred to as the Queen of Heaven. She is pictured sitting on a lotus, holding a vase full of the dew of compassion. In addition, she is associated with the willow tree.
Bri gid and can be called upon to help you endure hardship. horns of a stag. He is the universal father. Sometimes he has three heads. He is the consort of the Lady. He is often called in Pagan rituals. as a hag, stirring the cauldron of knowledge. It takes her a year and a day to prepare

her brew -- the same amount of time a witch studies between dedication and First
Degree Initiation and between First Degree and Second Degree Initiation. usually depicted with the antlers of a stag. three faces. In her warlike aspect, she takes the form of a bat with red eyebrows. She can also appear as a raven, crow, or horse. She will take care of the wrongdoing that someone has done. wears animal skins, and golden chains pour out of his mouth. He invented the
Druidic alphabet.

B aba Yaga: Avenger of women. woman who drives a chariot drawn by cats. Sometimes she rides a golden boar. messengers.
L uonnotar: Creatrix Goddess.

big guy with a red beard. In his hands, which are sheathed in iron gloves, he carries a hammer. Two goats draw his chariot. idyllic abode of Odin's ghostly army.

can be called on to protect any witch. powerful and can be called on to protect any witch. large breast and a big bottom and practically no arms or feet.

Nagas
Hindu mythology
In Hindu myth, nagas are a primeval race of divine serpent-people that play an important part in religion. They are half human and half snake and are still worshipped as the bringers of fertility, especially in southern India. Nagas are believed to live in palaces (Patala) in the underground city Bhogavati. They are considered the protectors of springs, wells and rivers. They bring rain and thus fertility, but are also thought to bring disasters such as floods and drought. Their ruler is Sesha. Some of the nagas are: Ananta, symbol of eternity, Vasuki, Manasa (fertility goddess and protector against snake bites), and Mucilinda. In the myths of Malay mariners, nagas are a many-headed dragons of enormous size. On Java and Thailand, a naga is a mythical serpent or dragon, a serpent god, a ruler of the netherworld who possesses immense wealth. In Java it is also called Sesa. In Thailand, a naga is often sculpted in temples as a dragon with five heads. It is the symbol of Narayana.
Mbaba Mwana Waresa
African mythology
Mbaba Mwana Waresa is a beloved goddess of the Zulu people of Southern Africa, primarily because she gave them the gift of beer. She is the goddess of the rainbow, rain, harvest and agriculture. The story of her search for a husband is well known, and recently appeared in a beautifully illustrated children's book.
Tlaloc
Aztec mythology
The Aztec god of rain, agriculture, fire, and the south. In his kingdom he receives those killed by thunderbolts, water, leprosy, and contagious diseases. He is the consort of the water goddess Chalchiuhtlicue and sometimes regarded as the father of the Moon-god Tecciztecatl. Each year a large number of children were sacrificed by drowning. He is of pre-Aztec origin and known from the time of the Toltecs. His image figures prominently in their art. He presided over the third of the five Aztec world ages. also known as: Nuhualpilli

Ua
Polynesian mythology
The Maori god of rain. He is the father of Hau Marangi, the god of mist or fog. Ua has many name: Ua-Roa ('Long Rain'), Uanui ('Heavy Rain'), Uawhatu ('Hail'), and Ua
Nganga ('Rainstorm'). Ua-Roa was one of the gods who caused the earth to be flooded during the war between the sons of Rangi. The Earth Goddess Papa was entirely submerged so that she remained hidden from the storm caused by Tawhiri-Mahuta.
Gradually the showed some of her beautiful parts above sea level and these are the islands of Polynesia.
Deng
African mythology
The creator and sky god, as well as a god of rain and fertility, among the Dinka people in Africa. He is the son of the goddess Abuk. also known as: Denka
Curicaberis
A culture hero and sky and Sun god of the Tarascan people (an Indian tribe west of
Mexico). He is the consort of the rain and fertility goddess Cueravaperi. He gave his people laws and the calendar.
Julunggul
Aboriginal mythology
Rainbow serpents are a common motif throughout world mythology, but most particularly in Oceania, Africa and South America; universally, they are associated with immortality/rebirth, rain and water. This rainbow serpent, Julunggul, is a great
Goddess of the Aborigines of Australia. She oversees the initiation of adolescent boys into manhood.
Bunbulama
Aboriginal mythology
Goddess of the rain. Djanggawul sisters/daughters of the Sun, these Australian goddesses unceasingly brought forth living creatures from their endlessly pregnant bodies. Their long vulvas broke off piece by piece with these births, producing the

world's first sacred artifacts.
Chalchiuhtlicue
Aztec mythology
This Aztec Goddess, whose name means 'jade skirt' or 'lady precious green', was matron of lakes and streams. A personification of youthful beauty and ardor,
Chalchiuhtlicue was represented as a river from which grew a prickly pear tree laden with fruit, symbolizing the human heart. She ruled over all the waters of the Earth; oceans, rivers, rain, etc., but was also associated with marriage. Her husband is Tlaloc, the god of rain. She unleashed the flood to punish the wicked that the destroyed the fourth world (according to the Aztec, we are in the fifth world).
Zeus
Greek mythology
Zeus, the youngest son of Cronus and Rhea, he was the supreme ruler of Mount
Olympus and of the Pantheon of gods who resided there. Being the supreme ruler he upheld law, justice and morals and this made him the spiritual leader of both gods and men. Zeus was a celestial god, and originally worshiped as a weather god by the
Greek tribes. These people came southward from the Balkans circa 2100 B.C.E. He has always been associated as being a weather god, as his main attribute is the thunderbolt, he controlled thunder, lightning and rain. Theocritus wrote circa 265
B.C.E: 'sometimes Zeus is clear, sometimes he rains.' He is also known to have caused thunderstorms. In Homer's epic poem the Iliad he sent thunderstorms against his enemies. The name Zeus is related to the Greek word dios, meaning 'bright.' His other attributes as well as lightning were the scepter, the eagle and his aegis (this was the goat skin of Amaltheia).
Before the abolition of monarchies, Zeus was protector of the king and his family.
Once the age of Greek kings faded into democracy he became chief judge and peacemaker, but most importantly civic god. He brought peace in place of violence,
Hesiod (circa 700 B.C.E.) describes Zeus as 'the lord of justice', Zeus was also known as 'Kosmetas' (orderer), 'Soter' (savior), 'Polieos' (overseer of the polis city) and also
'Eleutherios' (guarantor of political freedoms). His duties in this role were to maintain the laws, protect suppliants, to summon festivals and to give prophecies (his oldest and most famous oracle was at Dodona, in Epirus -northwestern Greece). As the supreme deity Zeus oversaw the conduct of civilized life. But the 'father of gods and men' as Homer calls him, has many mythological tales.
His most famous was told by Hesiod in his Theogony, of how Zeus usurped the

kingdom of the immortals from his father. This mythological tale of Zeus' struggle against the Titans (Titanomachy) had been caused by Cronus, after he had been warned that one of his children would depose him. Cronus knowing the consequences, as he had overthrown his father Uranus. To prevent this from happening Cronus swallowed his newborn children Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades and Poseidon, but his wife Rhea (who was also his sister) and Gaia her mother, wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes in place of the infant Zeus. Cronus thinking it was the newborn baby swallowed the stone. Meanwhile Rhea had her baby taken to
Crete and there, in a cave on Mount Dicte, the divine goat Amaltheia suckled and raised the infant Zeus.
When Zeus had grown into a young man he returned to his fathers domain, and with the help of Gaia, compelled Cronus to regurgitate the five children he had previously swallowed (in some versions Zeus received help from Metis who gave Cronus an emetic potion, which made him vomit up Zeus' brothers and sisters). However, Zeus led the revolt against his father and the dynasty of the Titans, defeated and then banished them. Once Zeus had control, he and his brothers divided the universe between them: Zeus gaining the heavens, Poseidon the sea and Hades the underworld. Zeus had to defend his heavenly kingdom. The three separate assaults were from the offspring of Gaia: they were the Gigantes, Typhon (Zeus fought them with his thunder-bolt and aegis) and the twin brothers who were called the Aloadae.
The latter tried to gain access to the heavens by stacking Mount Ossa on top of Mount
Olympus, and Mount Pelion on top of Mount Ossa, but the twins still failed in their attempt to overthrow Zeus. As he did with the Titans, Zeus banished them all to
'Tartarus', which is the lowest region on Earth, lower than the underworld.
According to legend, Metis, the goddess of prudence, was the first love of Zeus. At first she tried in vain to escape his advances, but in the end succumbed to his endeavor, and from their union Athena was conceived. Gaia warned Zeus that Metis would bear a daughter, whose son would overthrow him. On hearing this Zeus swallowed Metis, the reason for this was to continue to carry the child through to the birth himself. Hera (his wife and sister) was outraged and very jealous of her husband's affair, also of his ability to give birth without female participation. To spite
Zeus she gave birth to Hephaestus parthenogenetically (without being fertilized) and it was Hephaestus who, when the time came, split open the head of Zeus, from which
Athena emerged fully armed.
Zeus had many offspring; his wife Hera bore him Ares, Hephaestus, Hebe and
Eileithyia, but Zeus had numerous liaisons with both goddesses and mortals. He either raped them or used devious means to seduce the unsuspecting maidens. His union with Leto (meaning the hidden one) brought forth the twins Apollo and

Artemis. Once again Hera showed her jealousy by forcing Leto to roam the Earth in search of a place to give birth, as Hera had stopped her from gaining shelter on terrafirma or at sea. The only place she could go was to the isle of Delos in the middle of the Aegean, the reason being that Delos was, as legend states, a floating island. One legend says that Aphrodite was the daughter of Zeus and Dione.
Besides deities, he also fathered many mortals. In some of his human liaisons Zeus used devious disguises. When he seduced the Spartan queen Leda, he transformed himself into a beautiful swan, and from the egg which Leda produced, two sets of twins were born: Castor and Polydeuces and Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy. He visited princess Danae as a shower of gold, and from this union the hero Perseus was born. He abducted the Phoenician princess Europa, disguised as a bull, then carried her on his back to the island of Crete where she bore three sons: Minos,
Rhadamanthys and Sarpedon. Zeus also took as a lover the Trojan prince Ganymede.
He was abducted by an eagle sent by Zeus (some legends believe it was Zeus disguised as an eagle). The prince was taken to Mount Olympus, where he became Zeus' cup bearer. Zeus also used his charm and unprecedented power to seduce those he wanted, so when Zeus promised Semele that he would reveal himself in all his splendor, in order to seduce her, the union produced Dionysus, but she was destroyed when Zeus appeared as thunder and lightening. Themis, the goddess of justice bore the three Horae, goddesses of the seasons to Zeus, and also the three Moirae, known as the Fates. When Zeus had an affair with Mnemosyne, he coupled with her for nine consecutive nights, which produced nine daughters, who became known as the
Muses. They entertained their father and the other gods as a celestial choir on Mount
Olympus. They became deities of intellectual pursuits. Also the three Charities or
Graces were born from Zeus and Eurynome. From all his children Zeus gave man all he needed to live life in an ordered and moral way.
Zeus had many Temples and festivals in his honor, the most famous of his sanctuaries being Olympia, the magnificent 'Temple of Zeus', which held the gold and ivory statue of the enthroned Zeus, sculpted by Phidias and hailed as one of the 'Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World'. Also the Olympic Games were held in his honor.
The Nemean Games, which were held every two years, were to honor Zeus. There were numerous festivals throughout Greece: in Athens they celebrated the marriage of Zeus and Hera with the Theogamia (or Gamelia). The celebrations were many: in all, Zeus had more than 150 epithets, each one being celebrated in his honor.

Calling on spirit entities can help magic, but must be done with care. God/desses and other spirits are not simply handy energy sources sitting around to manifest our will.
They are powerful beings who are due a healthy portion of respect. If you're planning on invoking the blessing or requesting aid from a particular higher power, learn to pronounce the name of the deity or spirit correctly, to prepare proper offerings and altar regalia, and familiarize yourself with the cultural context in which he or she resides.
This takes a little time, but is very important to helping you properly honor that power in your sacred space. It is also ethically important not just to randomly call upon a power when you don't really know anything about them. The learning process helps you connect with that specific energy, venerate it in a suitable manner, and thereby improve dialogue with it.
To choose a God/dess, spirit, or heroic figure for folk magic, you might consider one who has magic as part of His or Her domain of influence. Or you could petition your own personal God or Goddess. Another alternative is to call upon an entity whose jurisdiction is associated with your goal. Any one of these three approaches is perfectly fitting. Choose whichever one feels right for your magical path and techniques.
Following is a list of names arranged by topic for you to consider. Note that next to each name is an indication of that being's gender, culture, and, sometimes, specific sub dominions they are known for. To illustrate, the Goddess Ida-Ten, who may be helpful in general spells for obtaining truth, appears under that heading, but I have also noted her special power for the realm of legal matters. An asteriskaccompanying an entry indicates a plural deity or spirit.
Additionally, this is an incomplete listing. For more information on Gods and
Goddesses of the world, refer to The Witch's God and The Witch's Goddess, by Janet and Stewart Farrar, or Ancient Shining Ones, by D. J. Conway (see Bibliography).
Amergin (M, Irish)
Baduh (M, Semitic- Messages)
Bharati (F, Hindu)
Fides (F, Roman- In good faith)

Gadel (M, Irish)
Hashye-Altye (M, Navajo)
Hermes (M, Greek)
Hu (M, Egyptian- Authority in)
Ikto (M, Sioux)
Imbaluris (F, Hittite)
Iris (F, Greek)
Mercury (M, Roman)
Nabu (M, Babylonian- Written)
Oghma (M, Irish-Written)
Pairikas (F, Persian)
Tashmit (F, Chaldean- Hearing)
Vach (F, Hindu-Mystical discourse)
Apollo (M, Greek/Roman)
Athene (F, Greek)
Bragi (M, Norse)
Brighid (F, Irish)
Luormotar (F, Finnish)
Maya (F, Hindu)
Muses(F, Greek)
Namagiri (F, Hindu)
Odin (M, Scandinavian)
Ptah (M, Egyptian)
Tvashtri (M, Hindu)
Veveteotl (M, Aztec)
Agathadaimon. (M, Egypt)
Anagke (F, Greek)
Arachne (F, Greek)
Fa (M, Beninese)
Fortuna (F, Roman)
Meri (F, Chaldean)
Moerae, The (F, Greek)*
Nabu (M, Babylonian)
Shai (M, Egyptian)
Aramati (F, Hindu)

Ebisu (M, Japan- To occupation)
Fides (F, Roman-Promises)
Gaia (F, Greek--Oaths)
Ida (F, Hindu)
Adraste (F, British)
Apollo (M, Roman)
Bannik (M, Slavonic)
Carmenta (F, Roman)
Dione (F, Phoenician)
Egeria. (F, Roman)
Evander (M, Roman)
Filia Vocis (F, Latin for Hebrew figure)
Gaia (F, Greek)
Gwendydd (F, Welsh)
Hecate (F, Greek)
Ida (F, Hindu)
Inanna (F, Sumerian)
Ishtar (F, Babylonian)
Kwan Yin (F, Chinese)
Mari (F, Basque)
Namagiri (F, Hindu)
Odin (M, Norse)
Phoebus Apollo (M, Greek)
Shamash (M, Babylonian)
Shaushka (F, Hittite)
Acat (M, Mayan)
Ahurani (F, Persian)
Aima (F, Hebrew)
Althea (F, Greek)
Amahita (F, Persian)
Anat (F, Canaanite)
Apollo (M, Greece/Roman)
Astarte (F, Canaanite)
Atergatis (F, Syrian)
Baal (M, Phoenician)
Bacchus (M, Greek)
Berchta (F, Teutonic)

Bona Dea (F, Roman)
Brimo (F, Greek)
Cupra (F, Etruscan)
Damara (F, British)
Dionysus (M, Greek)
Freya (F, Teutonic)
Isis (F, Egypt)
Lono (F, Polynesian)
Ma (F, Lydian)
Neith (F, Egyptian)
Phoebus Apollo (M, Greek)
Sati (F, Egyptian)
Wajwer (M, Egyptian)
Maitri (F, Hindu)
Mithras (M, Persian)
Amaterasu (F, Japanese)
Ataksak (M, Eskimo)
Baldur (M, Scandinavian)
Fu,Hsing (M, Chinese)
Hathor (F, Egyptian)
Hotei (M, Japanese)
Omacatl (M, Aztec)
Samkhat (F, Babylonian)
Tien Kuan (M, Chinese)
Asclepius (M, Greek)
Apollo (M, Greek/Roman)
Brighid (F, Irish)
Diancecht (M, Irish)
Eir (F, Teutonic)
Eshmun (M, Phoenician)
Gula (F, Babylonian)
Hygeia (F, Greek)
Karusepas (F, Hittite)
Kedesh (F, Syrian)
Kwan Yin (F, Chinese)

Liban (F, Irish)
Salus (F, Roman)
Tien Kuan (M, Chinese)
Bannik (M, Slavonic)
Cardea (F, Roman- Protection)
Da-Bog (M, Slavonic)
Dugnai (F, Slavonic)
Gucumatz (M, Mayan)
Hastehogan. (M, Navajo)
Hestia (F, Greek)
Kikimora (F, Slavonic)
Kitchen God (M, Chinese)
Neith (F, Egyptian)
Penates (M, Roman)*
Vesta (F, Roman)
Binah (F, Hebrew)
Buddhi (F, Tibetan)
Cerridwen (F, Welsh)
Deshtri (F, Hindu- Learning)
Gwion (M, Welsh)
Namagiri (F, Hindu- Teaching)
Hanuman (M, Hindu- Learning)
Hermes (M, Greek)
K'uei Hsing (M, Chinese- Tests)
Ormazd (M, Persia)
Shing Mu (F, Chinese)
Sia (M, Egyptian)
Tenjin (M, Japanese)
Toma (F, Tibetan)
Agathadaimon (M, Egyptian)
Benten (F, Japanese)
Bonus Eventus (M, Roman)
Chala (F, Hindu)
Diakoku (M, Japanese)
Gansea (M, Hindu)

Kichijo-Ten (F-japanese)
Lakshmi (F, Hindu)
Muses, The(F, Greek)
Tamon. (M, Japanese)
Magick (General, Including Psychic Abilit y)
Amathaon (M, Welsh)
Aunt Piety (F, Chinese)
Aradia (F, Italian)
Ayizan (F, Haitian)
Cernunnos (M, Celtic)
Cerridwen (F, Welsh)
Dakinis (F, Tibetan- Psychic)*
Diana (F, Roman)
Ea (MI Babylonian)
Eterna (F, Chinese)
Gulleig (F, Teutonic)
Habondia (F, Medieval)
Hecate (F, Greek)
Amun Ra (M, Egyptian)
Herodias (F, Gaulish)
Anat (F, Canaanite)
Holle (F, Teutonic)
Angus (M, Irish)
Kwan Yin (F, Chinese)
Aphrodite (F, Greek)
Mari (F, Basque)
Belili (F, Sumerian)
Odin (M, Scandinavian)
Rangda (F, Hindu)
Untunktahe (M, Dakota)
Al-Lat (F, Persian)
Anumati (F, Hindu)
Artemis (F, Greek)
Ashima (F, Samaritan)
Belili (F, Sumerian)
Callisto (F, Greek)

Diana (F, Roman)
Fati (M, Polynesian)
Gou (M, Beninese)
Hecate (F, Greek) lah (M, Egyptian)
Ilmagah (M, Semitic)
Jerah (F, Hebrew)
Levanah (F, Chaldean)
Luna (F, Roman)
Mah (M, Persian)
Mani (M, Nordic)
Re (F, Phoenician)
Selene (F, Greek)
Athene (F, Greek)
Concordia (F, Roman)
Forseti (MI Scandinavian)
Harmonia (F, Greek)
Kuan-Ti (M, Chinese)
Pax (F, Roman)
Prosperity
Anna Koun (F, Hindu)
Anna Perenna (F, Roman)
Anu (F, Irish)
Benten (F, Japanese)
Buddhi (F, Hindu)
Daikouku (M, Japanese)
Inari (M, Japanese)
Jambhala (M, Buddhist)
Lakshmi (F, Hindu)
Lu-Hsing (M, Chinese)
Ops (F, Roman)
Plutos (M, Greek)
Vasudhara (F, Hindu)
Aditi (F, Hindu)
Atar (M, Persian)
Auchimalgen (F, Chilean)

Achilles (M, Greek)
Mars (M, Roman)Athena (F, Greek)
Nahmauit (F, Egypt)Atlas (M, Greek)
Padmapani (M, Buddhist)
Prometheus (M, Greek)
Sheila-na-gig (F, Irish)
Shui-Kuan (M, Chinese)
Syen (M, Slavonic-Home)
Thor (M, Scandinavian)
Sexual Prowness/Enjoym ent
Aphrodite (F, Greek)
Arami (F, Hindu)Perseus (M, Greek)
Bes (M, Egyptian)Sita (F, Hindu)
Hathor (F, EgyptianSuwa (F, Arab)
Heket (F, Egyptian)Zorya (F, Slavonic)
Indrani (F, Hindu)
Lalita (F, Hindu)SOLAR
Min (M, Egyptian)
Rati (F, Hindu)
Venus (F, Roman)
Achilles (M, Greek)
Athena (F, Greek)
Atlas (M, Greek)
Bellona (F, Roman)
Hercules (M, Roman)
Mars (M, Roman)
Morgan (F, Breton)
Muilidheartach (F, Scottish)
Neith (F, Egyptian)
Peresus (M, Greek)
Sita (F, Hindu)
Suwa (F, Arab)
Zorya (F, Slavonic)
Amaterasu (F, Japanese)
Amun Ra (M, Egyptian)
Apollo (M, Greek/Roman)

Asva (F, Hindu)
Aya (F, Babylonian)
Baldur (M, Scandinavian)
Bast (F, Egyptian)
Bochica (M, Columbian)
Da-Bog (M, Slavonic)
Dyaus (M, Hindu)
Eos (F, Greek)
Helios (M, Greek)
His-Ho (F, Chinese)
Hyperion (M, Greek)
Igaehindvo (F, Native American)
Li (F, Chinese)
Maui (M, Polynesian)
Sul (F, British)
Surya (M, Hindu)
Akaru,Hime (F, Japanese, Water)
Bielbog (M, Slavonic, Forest)
Ekchuah (M, Mayan)
Glaucus (M, Greek, Water)
Hasammelis (M, Hittite)
Kunado (M, Japanese, Roads)
Mercury (M, Roman)
Truth, Validity, Justice
Aleitheia (F, Gnostic)
Anase (M, African- Intermediary)
Apollo (M, Greek/Roman)
Astraea (F, Greek)
Erinyes (F, Greek)*
Filia Vocis (F, Latin)
Forseti (M, Scandinavian)
Gibil (M' Babylonian, Arbitration)
Ida-Ten (M, Japanese, Legal matters)
Kukuri-Hime (F, Japanese, Mediation)
Ma'at (F, Egyptian)
Misharu (MI Babylonian, Rules)
Mithras (M, Persian)
Nusku (M, Babylonian)

Sin (F, Teutonic)
Tyr (MI Teutonic, Rules)
Varuna (M, Hindu, Justice)
Hercules (M, Roman)
Korraual (F, Hindu)
Nike (F, Greek)
Victoria (F, Roman)
Vijaya (F, Hindu)
Aeolus (M, Greek, Wind)
Agni (MI Hindu-Rain and lightning)
Awhiowhio (MI Australian, Whirlwinds)
Gwalu (M, Nigerian, Rain)
Hadad (M, Babylonian, Storms)
Holle (F, Teutonic, Snow)
Jupiter (M, Roman)
Mama Quilla (F, Incan, Rain)
Mari (F, Basque)
Peroun (M, Slavonic, Thunder)
Rainbow Snake (M/F, Australian)
Rodasi (F, Hindu, Storm)
Sadwes (F, Persian, Rain)
Sarama (F, Japanese, Wind)
Saranyu. (F, Hindu, Clouds)
Thor (M, Scandinavian, Thunder)
Tien Mu (F, Chinese, Lightning)
Tallai (F, Canaanite, Rain)
Atri (M, Hindu)
Baldur (MI Scandinavian)
Bragi (M, Norse)
Buddha (M, Far Eastern)
Dainichi (M, Japanese)
Ea (M' Babylonian)
Gasmu (F, Chaldean)
Heh (F, Egyptian)
Ekadzati (F, Tibetan, Mystical)

Metis (F, Greek)
Minerva (F, Roman)
Clannes (M' Babylonian)
Prajna (F, Hindu)
Shekinah (F, Hebrew)
Sophia (F, Gnostic)

Achelous
Greek river god. Acheloüs, in the form of a bull, fought Heracles for Deianira. He lost and Heracles broke off one of his horns which became the Cornucopia, or horn of plenty. Achelous is known for having fathered the sirens, also called the Acheloides.
Eldest son of Oceanus and Tethys. Also known as Acheloos
Adonis
Greek vegetation god and consort of Aphrodite. He was actually a Phoenecian god who was later adopted by the Greeks as a mortal consort to Aphrodite. He was killed by a wild boar, and Aphrodite caused the plant anemone to grow from him when she discovered his body. Symbolizes element of earth, love, fertility, health.
Aeolos
Greek god of wind and air. Aeolos lived on an island near Sicily where he guarded the caves where he kept the winds. He would let out he wind only as the gods of
Olympus instructed, whether in gusts, gales, or breezes.
One day, Odysseus visited Aeolos on the island. He was warmly welcomed, and when he left, Aeolos gave him a bag containing all the dangerous and threatening winds, so that Odysseus would have a safe travel back to Ithaca without worrying about bad weather.
Odysseus did as Aeolos bid him, but once his homeland was in sight, he laid down to sleep knowing he needn't worry about poor weather. But as he slept, one of his men curiously opened the bag, freeing all the fierce winds and blowing the little ship way of course.
Aether
Greek personification of air.
Aethon
Greek personification of famine.
Alcmene
Greek goddess of midwinter, the new year, stateliness, beauty and wisdom. Zeus fooled her by appearing as her husband, because of which she had a child by him. The result of her union with Zeus was Hercules.

Alcyone
Greek goddess of the sea, the moon, calm, tranquility. She who brings life to death and death to life.
Alpheios
Greek river god. He became infatuated with a nymph named Arethusa. He perused her to incessantly that she eventually prayed to Artemis for help. Artemis answered her by making the stream Arethusa inhabited and represent run underground, thereby eluding the persistent Alpheios.
Alphito
Greek goddess of barley flour, destiny, and the moon.
Amphityonis
Greek goddess of wine, friendships and relationships between nations.
Amphitrite
Greek goddess of the sea. She took care of all the creatures of the ocean. Wife of
Poseidon, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.
Apeliotes
Greek god of the south-eastern winds.
Aphrodite
Greek Goddess of passion and sexual love, and womanly beauty. She is considered the epitome of beauty and femininity. Said to have been born of sea-foam.
She is kind to those she liked, but can be cruel and merciless to those who displease her. She married Hephaestos, had an affair with Ares, and was caught.
Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione, and mother of Eros. Her animal totems are the dove, sparrow, swan, and swallow. Plants sacred to her are myrtle, poppy, rose, and apple. She symbolizes feminine prowess, sexuality, relationships, flower magic.
Apollo
Greek god of the sun, light, music, song, medicine, and healing. Patron of herdsmen.

Apollo's mother Leto was forced to run from Hera, the jealous wife of Zeus. She went to the Island of Delos and delivered her two children- the twins, Apollo and Artemis.
Though the god of light, Apollo had a dark side. Under the name of Carneios, he is seen as a god of death. He and Artemis slew all of their mother Leto's children when
Niobe, their grandmother, claimed all of Leto's children were more beautiful than the gods.
Apollo was worshipped at the oracle of Delphi, where a priestess who give forth his predictions. The Greeks believed that the Egyptian God Heru and Apollo were the same deities. He is the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo's minor associations include black magic, blessing, justice, divination, oracles, prophecy, creativity, fertility, productivity, success.
Arachne
Greek spider goddess, weaver of fate and destiny.
Ares
Greek war god of storms and hurricanes, also considered a father of the gods.
Undoubtedly the most fierce and vicious of the gods within the Greek pantheon. He had a passion for mass slaughter. Son of Zeus and Hera.
Artemis
Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt. She is also one of the virgin goddesses, and she protects women in labor, small children and wild animals. She, Hestia, and
Athena are not affected by Aphrodite's manipulations. Artemis may be thought of as the "silver goddess." She wore silver sandals, rode a silver chariot in the silver moonlight, and kills with silver arrows shot from a silver bow. In fact, many dying women, as well as women in childbirth, went to Artemis to ask for a quick, painless death from Her silver arrows.
Artemis was very beautiful and had many suitors, but would not marry until she found someone as wild and free and herself. Her nymphs, as well, vowed to not marry.
But one day, seven of the nymphs were in the woods when they saw the strong and handsome hunter Orion. Because of their promise to shun men, they fled. But he saw them and perused. Though swift and lithe, the nymphs grew weary. They called out to Artemis for help. Hearing their prayer, she turned them into pigeons, which flew up into the sky and because the stars called the Pleiades.

Orion turned away to hunt elsewhere, but soon met Artemis herself. Sharing a passion for hunting and the woodlands, they became good friends.
Apollo worried that she would marry Orion and break her vow. He knew that Orion received the ability to walk on water from his father Poseidon and was often out on the sea. So, he went to his sister and led her to the sea. Provoking her with his great accomplishments, he dared her to try to hit a distant target at sea. Unaware that it was
Orion, she shot an arrow precisely and hit the target.
The waves lifted Orion's body to the short. Artemis grieved her loss, then she placed him among the stars, with the Pleiades and his dog Sirius.
Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo, and the daughter of Leto and Zeus. Also symbolizes health, love, charms, shape shifting. Sacred to Artemis are deer/stags, geese, wild dogs, fish, goats, bees, bears, trees.
Asopos
A minor Greek river god.
Astarte
"The Lady of the Mountain". Greek goddess of fertility, fire, love, productivity, astrology, war, vengeance, victory, sexual prowess.
Ate
Greek goddess of obsession, guilty, infatuation, and mischief. She was a trickster who would lead men into actions that would be their demise.
Athena
Greek Goddess of war and wisdom. She is the daughter of Zeus, born by springing forth fully grown from his forehead. It is believed that she was conceived to carry out deeds that Zeus could not do but would want to.
Her name, "Pallas Athene", is representative of her dual nature. She can be seen as
"Pallas", goddess of storms, courage, strength, battle, war, chivalry, and victory. She can also be "Athene", the goddess of peace, beauty, wisdom, creativity, education, science, and the arts.
She was responsible for teaching mortals natal care and healing. She also invented the flute, created the olive tree, and showed men how to train horses.

Athena is the patron of craftsmen and the protector of cities. Her animal symbols are the cock, snake, owl, and olive tree.
I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the glorious Goddess, bright-eyed, inventive, unbending of heart, pure virgin, savior of cities, courageous, Tritogeneia. Wise Zeus himself bore her from his awful head, arrayed in warlike arms of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods as they gazed. But Athena sprang quickly from the immortal head and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis, shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly at the might of the bright-eyed Goddess, and earth round about cried fearfully, and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves, while foam burst forth suddenly: the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses a long while, until the maiden Pallas Athena had stripped the heavenly armor from her immortal shoulders. And wise Zeus was glad. And so hail to you, daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis!
-Homeric Hmyn #28
Aura
Greek goddess of the morning wind. See also Aurora.
Aurora
Greek goddess of the dawning morning. She gave birth to the morning star and the winds (Zephyrus, Boreas, Notos, and Euros) by Astraeos, the god of starlight.
Bacchus
Roman god of fertility, mirth, merriment, revelry, wine, wisdom, and inspiration.
Bacchus was born of Zeus and Semele's union against the will of Hera, Zeus' wife.
When the jealous Hera learned of Semele's pregnancy by Zeus she angrily plotted against them. She disguised herself and came to Semele, telling her she should ask that Zeus appear before her in all his glory as the god of thunder. Zeus swore to grant whatever wish Semele might have. Forced to abide by his oath, he appeared to Semele as a display of lightening and thunder, which killed her. As Semele died, she gave birth to Bacchus, who died as well. Zeus restored life to him and sent the child to be raised by the nymphs, out of Hera's jealous eye.
As the god of spring, he is Bacchus is said to be in terrible pain during winter when the flowering plants and vines wither and die.

His followers were called bacchants. After reveling and overindulging in wine, they danced around in a craze often trampling and tearing people and animals to pieces.
Bacchanalia was a festival held which involved excessive drinking and drunken orgies. Also known as Dionysus [Greek].
Blessed are the disciples who become prophets, the Gnostics who hold the holy wand of god. Blessed are those who wear the ivy crown of the Conquering One--Blessed, blessed are they, Bacchus is our god!
-Bacchae Euripides, circa 400 BCE
Balder
Norse (Scandinavian) god of joy, light, beauty, innocence, purity, and reconciliation.
His parents are Odin and Frigg.
Balder's mother, Frigg, took oaths from all plants, creatures, minerals, and elements that they would not harm him, all except the mistletoe plant for she felt it was too young and too small to harm him. He was therefore considered immune from harm and the other gods would throw things at him in sport. Loki deceived Hod (Balder's blind brother) into throwing a spear made from mistletoe at Baldur. It was this which killed him. This story can easily be compared to the Greek legend of Achilles' heel.
Boreas
Greek god of the northern arctic winds. He vied with Zephyrus for the love of
Chloris, and lost.
Callisto
Greek moon goddess.
Chloe
Greek. Demeter's name as protector of spouts.
Cybele
Greek Great Mother of the Gods. She is the leading deity of the Greek mystery religions. Symbolizes the element air and fertility.
Cytherea
Another name for the Greek love goddess Aphrodite. See also Aphrodite.

Daemons
A race of invisible beings. Assigned by Zeus to every mortal to attend to, protect, and guide. They were nameless unless they attended a god or goddess. To be watchful of your life, cheerful, and honorable, is to respect your daemon. To be reckless and ignore your conscience is to go against the daemon. The daemon would die with its assigned mortal.
The Greeks believed that great heroes and champions were possessed by daemons.
Eventually this belief extended, and the Greeks believe that every hero died honorably was actually ascended to live with the gods.
Demeter
Greek Earth goddess. All-nourishing mother of the earth.
Her daughter, Persephone, was gathering flowers one day when Hades came out from the earth and abducted her to make her his bride. Demeter grieved and searched all the lands for her. Wherever she was warmly received, she would give people instruction in agriculture. Along her way she met the kind Keleos of Attica, and left him her snake-drawn carriage and the seed of barely so that he could spread the knowledge of agriculture around the lands.
Demeter finally found out where Persephone had been taken. Though Zeus had given
Hades permission to carry off the girl, and had instructed the other gods not to help,
Demeter was able to convince them to come to her aid. They agreed, provided that
Persephone had not eaten anything in her time in the underworld. However,
Persephone had eaten 6 seeds of a pomegranate Hades had given her as proof of her love. They came to a compromise; Persephone would spend 6 months of the year with Demeter, during which time the earth would prosper and flourish in Demeter's joy. The other 6 months would be passed by Persephone in the underworld with
Hades. While Persephone is with Hades, Demeter grieves her and the earth suffered extreme temperatures and poor harvests. This is a myth which explains the seasons.
Demeter is the daughter of Chronos and Rhea. She is associated with agriculture, crops, and all produce, as well as abundance in childbirth and agriculture.
Dione
Greek nature and earth goddess, daughter of Uranus and Gaia. Mother of Aphrodite.
Associated with divination, predictions, love, prophecy.
Discordia

Roman goddess of discord and strife, known as Eris to the Greeks. The other gods employed her to stir up feuds and rivalry amongst men. Root of Erisian/Discordian beliefs. Mother of Enyo.
Doris
Greek sea goddess.
Eirene
Greek goddess of peace and wealth. Her symbols include the cornucopia, the olive branch, corn ears on her head, and Herme's staff. Also known as Pax.
Elpis
Greek god of hope who stood over Eros holding a lily.
Enyo
Greek goddess of war. She spreads terror and alarm before and during combat. A consort of Ares, sometimes considered his sister, sometimes his wife.
Erebos
A Greek god of darkness.
Eros
Greek god of sexual desire. See also Cupid.
Eunomia
Greek goddess of order and legislation.
Faunus
Roman and Italian god of woodlands. Symbolizes love. Also known as Pan [Greek].
Flora
Roman goddess of blossoming and flowering plants. She is the wife of Zephyrus who gave her eternal youth. Also known as Chloris [Greek]
Ganymede
Greek cup bearer.
Hades

Greek god of death, keeper of the underworld. He was the brother of Zeus but was in the underworld instead of upon Olympus.
Helios
Greek god of the sun. His roman counterpart was Sol.
Hephaestus
Greek blacksmith god. Fire magic, creativity, wisdom.
Hera
Greek goddess of matrimony and cycles of women's growth. Sister and wife of Zeus.
She is best known for her intense jealousy of all of Zeus' affairs with mortal women.
She can be invoked for love, the moon, element of Air, motherhood.
Hermes
Greek god of commerce. He was a messenger for the gods, often carrying messages from mortals to gods and vice versa. He symbolizes communication, health, knowledge, fertility, and insight.
Hestia
Greek mother goddess. She symbolizes the element of fire, domestic and home magic, conception, and the well-being of the self and family. See also Vesta.
Hymen
Greek god of marriage. Symbolizes love, virginity, and obviously the oath of marriage.
Hypno
Greek god of sleep. Bother of Thanatos (death) and Dreams. Son of Nox (night) and
Erebus.
Jupiter
Roman god of the sky and the father of all gods and men. He symbolizes the element air. Also known as Zeus [Greek]. See also Zeus.
Ladon
Greek river god, son of Oceanus and Tethys, father of Daphne.
Liber

Roman god of wild nature, fertility, passionate lovemaking and wine. Also known as
Libera. His counterparts are the Greek gods Dionysius and Bacchus. He symbolizes fertility and wild personalities.
Maia
"Grandmother of Magic". Greek goddess of spring, youth, life, and rebirth. One of the seven daughters of Atlas and mother of Hermes. She symbolizes love.
Mars
Roman god of war. Symbolizes protection, strength, health, energy. Also known as
Ares [Greek].
Moros
Greek god of doom; deification of an unfortunate destiny and the fate of a violent death.
Nike
Greek winged goddess of victory. Also known as Victoria [Roman]
Nus
Greek god of understanding and intelligence.
Oceanus
Greek deified stream which encircled Gaea and was the source of all water. Was the father of all the water deities by Tethys. Eldest of the Titans.
Onatha
Iroquois goddess of wheat and crops, similar to the Greek goddess Persephone. See also Persephone.
Pan
Greek god of fertility and the woodlands. He was later demonized by the Christian church. He emodies love, lust, fertility, and the element of earth.
-"Hymn to Pan", Aleister Crowley

Plutus
Greek god of wealth. He was thought to be blind because wealth is given indiscriminately to both the good and the bad. Some stories say eventually he gains his sight back so he can give wealth to the deserving.
Poseidon
Greek god of earthquakes and the sea. Symbolizes the elements air and water, can be invoked for the moon.
Pothos
Greek deification of love, passion, and desire. Consort of Aphrodite.
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus was the titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to humans, along with the arts and civilization. He was also often regarded as the creator of man from clay, the first human, and humanity's savior when Zeus threatened to kill all human beings. He greatly offended Zeus by his actions and was punished. There are different sources with different accounts of the legend.
In Hesiod's version, Zeus' punishment was the creation of Pandora, the first woman, who was overtaken by temptation and opened a forbidden box thereby unleashing all the lamentations and evils of the world.
In the Aeschylean version, Zeus had Prometheus chained to a rock on Mount
Caucasus where an eagle ate away at his liver, starting all over each day after the liver had grown back during the night. He is eventually rescued by Hercules.
Proteus
Greek sea god who served Poseidon. He was a shape shifter and changed form at will.
Pythia
Greek serpent and snake goddess, daughter of Gaia.
Salacia
Roman goddess of spring water. Called Amphitrite by the Greeks.
Saturn
Roman god of agriculture and ruler of the golden age. Also known as Kronos,
Chronos [Greek].

Selene
"The Radiant", "The Well Dressed Queen". Greek moon goddess and teacher to the magicians and sorcerers or sorceresses. She was a beautiful woman with long wings and a halo of gold. Daughter of Hyperion and Theia, sister of Helios and Eos. She symbolizes the moon. Also known as Phoebe.
Serapis
Ptolemaic god of the afterlife and fertility, devised by the Greeks from Osiris and
Apis. Physician and helper of worshippers in distress. Symbolizes health/healing and fertility.
Thetis
Greek goddess who had an affair with Zeus. However, Zeus learned that Thetis' son would be more powerful than his father, so he married her off to Peleus. They had a son named Achilles. Thetis attempted to make him immortal by dipping him in the river Styx, but because she held him by the heel, his heel remained his weakness.
Thus the allusion to "Achilles' Heel".
Zephyrus
Greek-Roman god of the west winds, the most pleasant and favored of the winds.
Symbolizes the element air. Also known as Zephyrs, Zephyr.
Zeus
Chief god of the Greek pantheon. He is the god of skies, lightening, thunder, and storms. He also takes on other forms:
Zeus Chronos: Fertility, earth
Zeus Sote: Father and savior of man
Zeus Xenios: Protector of politeness and hospitality
Zeus Herkios: Protector of house and home
Zeus Kleisos: Protector of property
Zeus Gamelios: God of marriage contracts. (Greek root "gam" means "marriage", as in
"polygamy".)

Goddess of Love. The Goddess of passion and Sexual Love. She will assist you in love spells by pulling love towards you, and opening you up for love.
The goddess of the wild hunt, Goddess of protection and the moon.
The goddess of fertility. Astarte will assist you in all aspect of fertility, whether you wish to have children and cannot conceive or wish to have a beautiful, fruitful garden. Astarte will help you.
Athena is the Warrior Goddess, the Goddess of war. The protectress. Goddess of Wisdom. If someone is giving you a hard time, bullying you or making you feel worthless; call upon Athena to help you.
Goddess of the labyrinth.
Earth Mother/Goddess. An excellent goddess to call upon where birthing and small children are involved. Goddess of the seasons, making winter cold and barrel, making crops and plants grow again in spring, making summer warm, loving and welcoming and making autumn the season of death as plants and trees begin to die and lose their leaves.
Feminine spirits of trees.
Goddess of childbirth.
Primal earth goddess.

Goddess of Witchcraft, ghosts and the dead. She is the moon goddess as in the crone or the dark mother.
Hera is the wife of Zeus/mother Goddess/Queen of Gods. The Goddess of marriage. If handfasting or some type of commitment is order of the day, Hera is the
Goddess to call. Just remember she has a bit of a vindictive side to her.
Goddess of home and Hearth. If you are building your home, redecorating or remodeling or even house hunting, Hestia is the one you must seek. She also represents safety in the home and the family unit.
Goddess of memory: Mother of Muses.
Goddesses of inspiration and the arts, they vary in number depending on which pantheon you are using.
Calliope: muse of epic poetry (female)
Clio: muse of history (female)
Erato: muse of love poetry (female)
Euterpe: muse of music (female)
Melpomene: muse of tragedy (female)
Polyhymnia: muse of singing (female)
Terpsichure: muse of dance (female)
Thalia: muse of comedy (female)
Urania: muse of astronomy (female)
Goddess of Wisdom.
Three Goddesses of fate.
Cotho, Lachesis and Atropos.
Goddess of Victory.
Per sephone
Goddess of the underworld as well as the harvest. Daughter of Demeter and

Wife of Hades.
Goddess of the moon.
Goddess of the moon and solutions. Call upon Selene to bring a logical answer to a problem.
Goddess of the sea.
Goddess of light.
Consort of Aphrodite. A vegetarian God.
Greek and roman, he is the twin brother of Artemis. God of the Sun, light and the arts. God of prophecy, archery and music.
The God of war and action.
The God of wine and ecstasy, the god of partying and feasting.
God of Romance and passionate love. God of love.
God of commitment and marriage. His counterpart is Dionysus.
God of the Underworld. He is in charge of the dead; he looks after the underworld, the realm of the dead. There are two parts to the Underworld; Tartarus this is the place where all the wrong-doers would be sent where they would be tortured for the rest of eternity, and the Elysian Fields all the good people who have cared about others and done good deeds come here, it is paradise and they can live

out eternity in comfort and happiness.
God of the Sun, he draws the sun across the sky in his chariot, giving us dawn and dusk.
Messenger of the Gods.
God of nature, the woods, laughter and passion. He is also the god of music and personal abandon.
God of the Sea.
King of the Gods, and ruler of Mount Olympus, He is the God of sky & thunder, most commonly depicted throwing a lightning bolt. He fathered Aphrodite
& Hephaestus amongst others as well as his most famous son, half man, half God,
Hercules.

Anteros
Italian-Roman god of love and passion. He was, specifically, the god of mutual love and would punish those who did not return love.
Aradia
Italian witch goddess. She came to earth to teach her mother Diana's magic.
Symbolizes the air element, the moon.
Astraea
Italian goddess of truth and justice. Also known as Astria.
Carmen
Italian goddess of spellcasting and enchantments.
Cel
Italian god of death and the underworld.
Comus
Italian god of revelry, drinking, and feasting.
Copia
Italian goddess of wealth plenty.
Corvus
Italian messenger god.
Fauna
Italian goddess of the earth, wildlife, forests, and fertility. Symbolizes prosperity as well.
Faunus
Roman and Italian god of woodlands. Symbolizes love. Also known as Pan [Greek].
Frebruus
Italian god of purification, initation, and of the dead.
Fortuna
Italian goddess of fortune, fate, destiny, blessings, luck, and fertility. Often invoked

when one wants to receive money by chance, like in a lottery or contest.
Jana
Italian goddess of the moon.
Jove
Italian-Roman sky god.
Lethns
Italian earth and nature deity. Invoke during sky, water, or element of earth, or for divination.
Lucifer
Italian god of sun and light. Brother and soulmate of Diana, father of Aradia.
Lucina
Italian goddess of childbirth.
Lupercus
Italian god of agriculture, wolf-god.
Marica
Italian goddess of agriculture.
Nox
Italian goddess of the night.
Pertunda
Italian goddess of sexual love.
Umbria
Italian goddess of shadows and things which are hidden or secret.
Uni
Italian goddess of witchcraft.
Vertumnus
Roman-Italian god of fruits.
Virbius
Italian god of outlaws and outcasts; the guardian of sanctuaries.

Apollo: God of medicine, prophecy, archery
Ares: God of war
Artemis: Goddess of the hunt
Asclepius: God of medicine
Athena: Goddess of wisdom and warfare
Aphrodite: Goddess of love
Celesta: Goddess of death
Cronus: God of the sky, ruler of the titans
Demeter: Goddess of grain
Dionysus: God of wine and vegetation
Discord: Goddess of retribution
Eos: Goddess of dawn
Eros: God of love
Hebe: Goddess of youth
Hades: God of the underworld
Helios: God of the sun
Hephaestus: God of fire, and metalwork
Hera: Goddess of marriage and childbirth, queen of the gods
Hermes: Messenger of the gods
Hestia: Virgin goddess
Hypnos: God of sleep
Iris: Goddess of the rainbow
Kal: Another god of war
Lachrymore: God of despair
Mnemosyne: Goddess of memory
Morpheus: God of dreams
Pan: God of shepherds, and flocks
Poseidon: God of the sea
Rhea: Wife of Cronus, mother goddess
Selene: Goddess of the moon
Uranus: God of the sky, father of the titans
Zeus: King of all gods

Mayan Deities Explanation
8
9
5
6
7
3
4
Scale
0
1
2
10
Itzam Na
Itzam Na
Ohoroxtotil
This deity encompasses all deities yet this Deity is beyond all comprehension.
"one" or "unique" He is the greatest of the Gods.
Hunab Ku "All powerful God of no Image" I listed this deity although information shows this deity did not exist until after the Spanish
Conquest. It probability came about due to christian influence.
Father of the Sun. Ben Ich "He of the Starry
Sky" He is a great infinite Jaguar (his spots are thought to be stars and planets).
Mother of the Sun. Ix Hun Zipit Lady of the Sea.
Ix Chebel Yax
Kunku Chacs
Ah Hadz'en Caan Chacs "Lash" The Sky God.
Ah Kin "He of the Sun".
Ix Ahau "Mistress" She is the Mistress of Creative Arts and the Master of Weaving (she like Athene, in the Greek myths, worked her magick on the loom).
Ah Kin
XAhau
As the Patron of Knowledge and Power.
"Lady Ahau" Moon Goddess Wife of Ah Kin
(the Sun God).
Cobel Cab
'Kun' means "kindly" or "tender" 'Ku' means
"God".
Mistress of the Earth. Ix Tan Dz'onot. The Child of She who Sits in the Mud, the Child of She who emerges from the Sand.

14
15
16
17
11
12
13
18
19
20
Acan
Ah Kin Xoc
Ix Chel
Ix Ahau Na
Balanke
Xob
Canan Chul Chan
Itzam Na Kinch Ahau
Xbalanque & Hunahpu
Nucuch Chacob
God of Wine (Actually he rules over intoxicating drinks such as beer, wine, Kola, etc.) He is known for his loud "bellowing" and his foolish behavior He is Cacoch's aid (Cacoch is a God of Creation).
'Ah kin' means "Priest". 'Xoc' means "to count or read". He is a great singer, musician, and poet.
He won the respect of the Sun God when he took the guise of a Hummingbird and wooed the
Moon Goddess. Husband of the Plumeria, the sacred flower of Itzam Na (this flower rules
Divine Sexuality, its colors are red and white).
This Flower contained the secret of Truth and
Immortality.
Moon Goddess She rules over Pro-creation, birth, medicine, and wisdom. She is a Virgin but she had a secret cult which she is regarded as a
Sacred Mistress to Itzam Na.
"Palace-Lady".
Guardian of Holy Sky. "Big Star".
Old Sun God of balanced judgment. Ruler of the
Bacabs (Elements).
Twin Heroes Brothers who heard the Divine
Call of Itzam Na which lead them to destroy the
False Ones who had exalted themselves and deceived some Mayas to worship them; and defeated the Lords of Death.
"The Great Chacs" Four horsemen who are the
Rain Gods. They bring Water of Life from the
Gods to the Maya.
"Jaguar-Sun" This aspect of the Sun is the essence of Strength (warrior-type strength). He is considered a Great Breast. All His Priests and
Priestesses are His harlots.
Mother of Maize. All Maize Deities sprang from
Her seed (literally corn seed).

21 Ek Chuah
22
23
24
25
Itzam Na
Zip
Ku Kulcan
Yum Cimil
26
27
Ah Ahaah Cab
Cit Chac Coh
28 Bolon Tzcab
29
30
XAhau
Kinich Ahau
31 Hun Kak
He is the Merchant Deity, but most importantly is ruled the cacao which was the Mayan's biggest trade commodity.
As Great God who oversees Justice between the
Gods and the Mayan who worships the Gods.
The Aztecs called Him "Quetzalcoatl".He is the
God of Self-sacrifice which was done so the
Maya could survive and gain acknowledgement of Itzam Na. Some myths place Him as the Judge of the dead (but I would take this with a gain of salt).
"Lord of Death".
Protector of the Deer (according to myth the
Deer created the Vagina of the Moon Goddess by stepping on Her abdomen and then she was able to bear children of the Sun God. Note the sole of deer's foot looks like a Vagina). Zip would deceive hunters to believe he was shooting a deer when in fact it was a iguana (a sacred animal of Itzam Na; to kill one incites the
Death penalty). To those who gained Zip's
Favor meant a successful hunt.
"Awakener" He is associated with the Morning
Star (Venus).
"Father Red Great Puma" The Lord God of War.
Buluc Chabtan - The God of Human Sacrifice and War.
The Ruling-Lineage Deity. He kept the Line of
Itzam Na pure and made sure the Nobility of the
Maya was strong.
As Moon Goddess.
"Sun-Eyed Lord" It is said He had a golden Sun eye (some say it was almond eye) at the place of
His Ajna Chakra.
"Unique Fire" The Divine Fire that consumes all what ever remains is prepared for Divinity.

32 Ben Ich "He of the Starry Sky"

She is the goddess of the air, the earth and of fertility. She is the wife of Odin and the mother of Balder, Hodr and Tyr. She gives her name to Friday.
She is the beautiful Goddess of love and fertility. She is the twin sister of Freyr and is the daughter of Njord and Nerthus.
She is the Goddess in charge of the magical apples of youth. She is the wife of
Bragi the poetry God.
She is the wife of Thor, she is famous for her beautiful, long hair.
Ner thus
She is the Mother Goddess and the mother of the fertility twins, Freyr and
Freyja by the God Njord.
He is known as the bleeding god, he is kind and gentle. Balder is the son of
Odin and Frigg. His son is Forseti.
He is the God of poetry and eloquence, he is the son of Odin and the giantess
Gunnlod.
He is the God of Justice, he is the Son of Bolder and Nanna.
He is the God of fertility and is in charge or the sun and rain, peace and restfulness. He is the twin brother of Freyja and the son of Nyord and Nerthus.
Hel is known as the ‘watcher god’, he is always waiting and watching for the

time when he can blow his horn and announce the coming of Ragnarok.
He is the blind God, he is the son of Odin and Frigg, known for unwittingly killing Balder.
He is the brother of Odin. He is long-legged and is seen as quite a useless God as he is very fickle and can never make up his mind.
Loki is the God of fire, the son of giants. He is known as the ‘trickster God’ as he forever playing pranks.
He is a very wise God who was sent to the Vanir by the Aesir.
He is the great sea god and is the father of Freyr and Freyja the fertility twins.
He is the God of thunder, he is a honest god but is very hot- tempered. He is the son of Odin and Fjorsyn the earth goddess. Thor gives his name to the day of the week Thursday.
He is the God of war. He is the Son of Odin and Frigg. Tyr lends his name to the day Friday.
He is the son of Bor and Odin’s brother, he has the task of bestowing humans with intelligence and emotions upon their creation(birth).
He is also the son of Bor and Brother to Odin and Vii , he has the important job of giving humans the ability to see and hear.
He is the solitary, silent god. He is the Son of Odin and the frost giantess Grid.
He is destined to avenge the death of his father Odin at Ragnarok.

Divine are Your honors, Oh Mother of the Gods and Nurturer of All.
Yoke your swift chariot drawn by bull-slaying lions and,
O Mighty Goddess who brings things to pass, join our prayers.
Many named and reverend, You are the Queen of the Sky.
In the cosmos, Your throne is above all others, for You are
Queen of the Earth, and You give gentle nourishment to mortals.
Goddesses, Gods, and mortals were born of You,
And You hold sway over the rivers and all of the sea.
Hestia, Gaia, Demeter, Inanna, Isis, Astarte, Ishtar, Persephone, Diana,
Giver of prosperity who bestows upon mortals all manner of gifts,
Come to this Rite, Queen whom the drum delights.
Honored and loving Nurturer of Life,
Joyfully and graciously visit our deeds of piety.
Blessed Be.
Hear Our Prayer, O best and Many-Named God.
Fine-haired, solitary, and full of lovely song;
Many shaped and noble nurturer of all,
Maiden and youth in one, unwithering bloom, O Adonis
You vanish and grow again in the fair seasons' turn.
Kurnunnos, Pan, Myrddhn, two horned Spirit of growth and blooming;
Much loved and wept for are you,
O Fair and Youthful Hunter of the luxuriant mane.
Desire is in Your mind and You come to the Goddess in reverence and respect, in sensuous joy is your desire fulfilled
You are the seed planted in the depths of the Underworld
That springs forth, the Green God, that we may sustain our lives.
You sacrifice Yourself in gentleness when you are grown.
Come Kind-Hearted One, Come Blessed God, and bring much joy to all.
Blessed Be.

Goddess of the harvest, agriculture, fruitfulness and fertility.
Goddess of the witchcraft and the moon, hunting and children.
The 3 Goddesses of destiny, daughters of the night.
The Goddess of nature.
The Goddesses of vengeance.
Queen of the God. The Goddess of Women, marriage, households, childbirth and prosperity.
Goddess of Wisdom, war and the practical arts.
Goddess of Love
Goddess of the home, hearth and community.
God of the sun, music, poetry, prophecy, eloquence, fine arts and medicine. excess.
God of liquid spirits, alcohol, fruits and parties. The god of indulgence and

God of Love.
God of the Woodlands.
The Great God, God of storms, thunder and lightning.
The two-faced god of beginning.
God of War and Action.
Messenger of the Gods.
God of the sea, earth-quakes and horses.
God of the Underworld.
God of the Harvest and golden ages in history.
God of fire, crafts people and metal workers and artists.

"I am the strength of the rock at thy back, the roots of the tree that anchor the Earth and deepest of tides in the black depths of the ocean. I am the Hunter and the Sacred
Prey, the warmth of the sun in the swelling grapes and the call of the road that leads over the hill.
I give you, my creatures, the fire of love, the power of the wind on your face, shelter from the darkest storm. You are dear to me, and I instill in you my power -- the power of peace hard earned, the power of vision and magical sight, and the spark of elemental fire, which is the primal light in the darkness.
By the powers of running stag and glorious sun, I charge thee; by the darkest depth of night and the lingering tendrils of dreams, I charge thee; and by the beauty of your own creation, I charge thee;
Follow your heart and your instinct, wherever they lead you.The wealth of the heart will guide you where the cold edge of logic cannot take you.
Take joy in the powers of your bodies. The form your body takes is unique in the universe and is chief among your tools.
Lastly, always remember the path you have left behind you. Learn to take your power from the foolish things you have wrought as well as the good you have done for others and for your world. You can never usurp another's power, and yours is the well upon which you must rely.
I am with you always, just over your shoulder, running with you through the tall grasses and forests that surround you. I possess you and I am your Sacred Prey. I am the Lord of Death, and when you have come to the end of your life on this world, I will be there; to take you between the worlds, to offer you peace and rest. Look upon my face; know me. I am the spirit of the wild things, but you too, are wild in your souls and we are forever intertwined."

"I am the quickening of the seed in Springtime, the glory of ripe fields in Summer, and the peace of the quiet woods as the snow calms the Earth in Winter. I am the lilt of the maidens' melody in the morning, the patient hand of the Mother and the deep river of the mysteries taught by moonlight.
I give the creatures of the earth the gifts of song rising from the heart, the joy of autumn sunset, the cool touch of the renewing waters, and the compelling call of the drum in the dance. To you I give the joy of creation and the companion of beauty to light your days.
By the powers of the steadfast Earth and the wheeling stars I charge thee; by the darkness of death and the white light of birth I charge thee; and by the terrible strength of your human spirits, I charge thee:
Strive always for the growth of your eternal soul, never intentionally diminish your strength, your compassion, your ties to the earth or your knowledge.
Challenge your mind, never accept complacently that which has been the standard merely for the reason that it is the standard by which the majority judges itself.
Thirdly, I charge thee, act always for the betterment of your brothers and sisters. To strengthen them is to forge the true chain of humanity, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
You are my children, my brothers and sisters and my companions. You are known in great part by the company you keep, and you are strong and wise and full of the powers of life. It is yours to use them in my service, and I also, am known by the company I keep.
Go forth in joy and the light of my love, turning to me without fear when the darkness threatens to overcome you, and turning also to me to share your triumphs and your achievements, and know in your heart of hearts that we are together in blood and spirit 'til the last star darkens in the sky and winter comes to the universe."

Hark unto me: for I am He who has existed throughout all time. I was there from the beginning; it was my potency that charged the fertility of the Great Mother and created life from her empty womb.
Myself it is in the winds that sweep the worlds; myself it is in the flames that give warmth and light to all beings. I am he who provides: the Green Man of field and forest fruitfulness; the lust of the bull that engenders life upon the cow; the strength of the boar that engenders life upon the sacred sow of Ceriddwen; the speed of the stag running free in the forest that no hunter can bring down save he who speaks the sacred words to call unto the spirit of the fleeing stag.
I am Lord of the Dance; he who swirls through the starry universe with the world at his heels. I am he who dances on mountain and plain and hearth, and he who captures all things in his dance.
And I am also Kernnun the Dark Hunter; he with visage as dark as void and armor bright with flame. My name is Lord of the Hunt; my prey those souls who needs must die and descend into the dark, chthonic depths of my bowel. For I bring life but death also; I am he at the gateway of the worlds, and to me shalt thou come in the end, thou who art my child and my prey

The Yang side represents all the "bad" parts of nature, which aren't actually bad. We just view them that way. Without the rain there would be no flowers, and everything would turn into a desert. This is the side that balances everything. You must have death to have life, you must have rain to have sunshine. You must have sadness to be assured of happiness. I don't think that the Dark God and Dark Goddess get enough credit, so this is another reason I boldly decided to include this. There is a time in our lives when we need protection, and thus we call on a warrior, or dark aspect, of the
God or Goddess. I haven't seen much on other people's pages about Them, and thusly, decided it would be nice to pay a tribute and a little respect to Them.
As far as the Dark God, and Dark Goddess are concerned, this is how many Wiccan's view them:
The Dark God is represented by the dying sun on Samhain. This is the time when he is nearing the end of his yearly life-cycle. This is the time in which he is known as the Lord of Mysteries. He is Cernnunos, Hephaestus, Odin, by a thousand names. The
Dark God could also be pictured as a warrior protecting his forests and children. He is the protector, the warrior. In his death aspect, he can be viewed as the wraith holding the scythe. This is all a natural part of life, and should not be viewed with fear. Death
IS a natural part of life. Who is He? He is the dying Sun God who lifts the goblet of wine to his lips, he kisses his love one last time before the winds of time take him to a new place. His Lady holds him tenderly as he rises, and looks upon the setting sun.
His lady stands with him, and as she blinks he is gone. She sees a white stag standing on the horizon. The stag looks to the sun, and then at Her. With a respectful nod of the head, he heads for the horizon with the setting sun.
The Dark Goddess is represented by the new moon. She is the Crone, she is both the cradle and the grave. She is a warrioress protector, and a wise woman healer. She is the grandmother. She is Scathatch Kali, Hecate, Lillith, by a thousand names. She can be viewed as a grandmotherly wise woman figure.
Who is She? She is the grandmotherly crone as she sits by her fireside. Dreaming of a time when warmth blanketed the Earth. As she sits and dreams, a baby begins to cry.
She hears the winds of time blowing outside her window as wolves howl in the distance. She knows that the time is near. Time of rest and peace. She sees the moon rise, and welcomes it as she lays down and closes her eyes, dreaming of a warmer time to give hope that spring will come again.

What about working with these energies? Great care should be taken when working with these types of darker energies. Alcohol should be completely avoided. Above all, treat them with respect. Here are some occasions when you may need to call upon the Dark Goddess and Dark God: for justice for protection for wisdom to conquer fear to help banish a bad habit/illness to protect children (especially Kali is good for this) to gain strength for divinations for general balancing purposes.

Apollo - Also called Phoebus, the bright one. Identified with the sun. Said to be the most powerful of the Gods. Son of Zeus and Leto. Born on Delos, taken North and raised by the hyperboreans, he went to Delphi and killed the dragon Python, guardian of the oracle of Themis, but a ravager of the countryside.
Tall, handsome, outstanding in word and deed, he was the god of ever-renewed youth, archetype of virile beauty and masculine virtue. He was also known as a seducer & extremely arrogant. Talented in music, inventor of the lyre, he was the inspiration of poets and soothsayers. His oracles were expressed in verse.
He could cure illness and banish evil. He was a doctor who knew the purification rites and was invoked against plague. His image was set at dangerous places for protection (Lighting the ways) Nothing escaped his vision (light of day).
Ares (Mars) - Son of Hera, born without male assistance. He was a supreme fighter, loved battle and cared little about issues, switching sides without scruple. He delighted in massacres.
He was god of war, not victory, and was thoughtless about winning, only fighting.
Was on occasion disarmed by Athena, Goddess of restraint and forethought, to keep him from interfering in battles that did not concern him.
He was prolific in love, but also a rapist. He was run by his passions.
Cronos (Saturn) - Son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). Gaea, worn out by numerous pregnancies, requested to be free of this burden, so Cronos (Saturn) took up a sickle and cut off his father's testicles.
His wife was Rhea, and he fathered Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus.
Was eventually deposed by Zeus.
His festivals, the Saturnalia, were a time of liberation and freedom for all and got pretty wild. They were celebrated from Dec. 17th until the new year. Saturn is the archetype for "father time".
Dionysus - Son of Zeus and Semele. His escort was satyrs and marginally sane gods.
He did not respect laws or customs, loved disguises, wild screaming, licentious dances

and wild places. He was a drunken god with no home, living in the wild and eating raw meat. He encouraged excesses of all kinds.
Hera hated Dionysus because of Zeus's infidelity and hounded him. She caused him to be killed by the Titans, but he was resurrected through the efforts of Athena, Zeus,
Apollo, and Rhea. She drove him mad, but through Cybele he gained mastery of it.
He drove many people mad for various reasons.
Eros (Cupid) - A primordial god, contemporary of Chaos, who existed before Cronos
(Saturn) and Zeus. He came out of an egg that formed the earth and sky when it broke in two. He precipitated the embraces of Gaea (the Earth) and Uranus (the heavens), which resulted in the birth of Oceanus, Tethys, Coeus, and Cronos (Saturn).
The Earth and heavens were so tightly embraced that none of the children could rise towards the light until Cronos (Saturn) castrated his father.
Cupid was associated with Aphrodite, who moderated his power. Where he was desire, instinct and violent sex, she was grace, tenderness and sweet pleasure.
Cupid made people lose their reason and paralyzed their wills, even inspiring Zeus to capricious sexual desires.
As Eros he is said to be the child of Porus (Expedience) and Penia (Poverty). Like
Penia, he was said to always be in search of something, and like Porus, he always found a means of attaining his aims.
Faunus - A Roman God, Son of Circe and Jupiter. Protector of the Roman peoples, he lived on Palatine Hill in Rome. His oracle was given in nightmares. Lupercalia was his festival, during which his priests ran through the streets with leather straps and struck any women they met with them to bestow health and fertility. The women were said to strip themselves to be better targets. He reproduced himself in the satyrs.
Hades (Pluto) - Son of Cronos (Saturn), brother of Zeus and Poseidon. When the world was divided between the three brothers, the underworld and hell fell to Hades, while Zeus took the heavens and Poseidon the seas. He had a helmet that made him invisible. He ruled the dead, and forbade his subjects to leave his domain. He desired
Persephone, but Zeus forbade the marriage. He then kidnapped her.
Hephaestus (Vulcan) - Son of Zeus and Hera. He was lame, either because his mother, startled by his ugliness, dropped him, or because Zeus, angry that he took his mother's side in a dispute, threw him from Olympus. He dwelled among mortals and became the god of black smithing and artistic metal work. He made a golden throne

that imprisoned any who sat in it, and gave it to Hera to avenge himself for his fall from Olympus.
Hermes (Mercury) - Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He stole some of Apollo's cattle shortly after his birth and concealed them, sacrificing two to the Olympian
Gods. This theft won him recognition as a God himself. When Apollo discovered the theft and Hermes was tried, his defense was so skillful and spirited that Zeus laughed and ruled that there should be a friendly settlement between the brothers.
Hermes was God of the spoken word and oratory and was the intermediary between the Gods and men. Also the God of commerce and contracts, where language must be precise to convey the correct meaning.
Janus- Roman - The Two faced God. He was God of beginnings and presided over new undertakings, gateways and initiations. He was revered as the first king of Rome and made order reign. His temple was left open in wartime so the God could act, but was closed in peace.
The Lares - Roman - Twin children of Mercury by the rape of Lara. They protected the land. Were symbolized by two boys and a dog.
Pan - Half man, half goat, with horns on his brow and lust in his eyes. Son of Hermes and a daughter of the Dryops, he was the God of pastoral regions and wilderness.
Special friend of shepherds, he guided and protected them from afar. Protector of all wild things and places. His pipes had an aphrodisiac effect on those who heard them and induced mating.
Pan was a lecher and a drunk who constantly pursued nymphs who would flee in terror. Caves rang with their cries when he caught them. He was famous for his rages, where he attacked anyone who got in his way. His irrational behavior led people to flee him in "panic." He was dangerous when he took possession of a being. The possessed, or panoleptic, took on his bearing and would wander in the wild, laugh madly, or throw themselves on others for sex without respect to gender, or have epileptic fits.
Poseidon (Neptune) - Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, he is represented wielding a trident and being pulled by monsters in a chariot. After Zeus's victory over Cronos
(Saturn), the young gods, who preferred life on earth, divided the various domains of earth. Poseidon chose the seas. He represented the hidden forces of germination and death. Together with his wife Amphitrite, he had powerful ties with Gaea, the Earth, mother of the Titans. As subterranean Gods, they shook the world from inside.

Poseidon caused earthquakes when he made love to his wife. The mystery isle of
Atlanta belonged to Poseidon. Poseidon could provoke storms, set fire to rocks on shore and create springs of water. He had many children, most wicked and violent, like the Cyclops of the Odyssey.
Priapus - A small god with a penis of immense size. Son of Zeus and Aphrodite, he was deformed by Hera in revenge. Aphrodite abandoned him in fear that she would be ridiculed for her ugly child. He began as a symbol of fertility, but of no significance. Although he was oversized, he was impotent. He seemed to fail at everything he tried. He was compared to an ass and ridiculed. He lent his name to the disease priapism, an incurable illness where the penis remains painfully erect but incapable of ejaculation. Ended up as an obscure gnome.
Quirinus - A Roman warrior god originally, he became a god who watched over the well being of the community, opposite to his former nature. Called an apparition of
Romulus the founder of Rome.
Zeuz (Jupiter) - Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. He defeated Cronos (Saturn) in a ten year battle and then divided the realms with his brothers by lot, getting the heavens for his own. He was ruler and judge, the arbiter of disputes among Gods and men. His decisions were just and well balanced, showing no favoritism. He had several wives and many lovers, earning the title "all father" or "father god". His infidelity caused much strife on Olympus and in the world through he raging of his wife, Hera.
Aphrodite (Venus) - Daughter of Zeus and Dione according to Homer. 'The Woman
Born Of The Waves' according to Hesiod, born of the foam impregnated by the sexual organs of Uranus, which Cronos (Saturn) had severed and thrown into the sea. Plato identifies these as two separate Aphrodites. One Urania, the daughter of Uranus was goddess of pure love. The other, called Pandemos, was the Goddess of 'common' love.
She married Hephaestus, but was unfaithful with Ares.
Ares was caught and humiliated. Aphrodite fled in shame to Cyprus, and there took
Thrace as lover, resulting in the birth of Eros (Love), Anteros (Love in return),
Deimos and Phobos (Terror and Fear). She also was a lover of Adonis, a human shepherd named Anchises who fathered Aneas, of Hermes and of Dionysus who fathered Priapus. She was known for jealousy. She made Eos (Dawn) fall in love with
Orion in spite for her seduction of Ares. She punished all who did not succumb to her. A beauty competition between Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite was proposed by

Eris (Discord) with the prize being a golden apple. It was judged by the human Paris.
All the Goddesses offered him bribes to win.
Aphrodite offered Helen, most beautiful of all Humans. She won and thus caused the
Trojan War. Eros was the primordial god of instinct. When Aphrodite appeared he adapted himself and joined forces with her. At this time the sexes became distinct.
Aphrodite's kingdom was the place of desire. Young girls were said to pass from the place of Artemis (chastity and games) to the place of Aphrodite, where they become women. Considered by some to be an affliction or madness that women must bear.
She represents female lust and passion, and demonstrates its potential for destructive effect. Young girls gave their virginity to the Goddess by living in her temples and offering themselves to passing strangers.
Artemis (Diana) - Daughter of Zeus and Leto. The huntress, she is seen as the forever young goddess. She is proud of her shapeliness and keeps her virginity to protect it.
She was a warrior, joining Apollo to kill Python and other exploits. Anyone who offended her or tried to win her virginity paid dearly. They were killed, transformed, or mutilated. She defended modesty and punished illicit love and excesses. She avenged rape. She also took out her anger on those virgins who gave in to love. She did not mind marriage, but when a virgin married she was to give up all the things of childhood, toys and dolls, locks of hair, etc., leaving them on her altar.
Athena (Minerva) - Daughter of Zeus and Metis. Metis was swallowed by Zeus, and when it was time for Athena's birth, he had Hephaestus crack open his skull and she came forth in full armor shouting a war cry. Also a virgin Goddess, she lived among men without fear due to her warrior's skills. She was the protectress of Odysseus and other men. She was a warrior who used strategy, ambush, cunning, and magic rather than brute force. Her shield bore the head of a gorgon and she paralyzed her adversaries and made her companions invincible. She was against excess, both in war and every day life. She taught men to control their savagery and to tame nature. Was the initiator of all skills. Taught Pandora to weave, trained horses and invented the chariot. She was the patroness of blacksmiths and carpenters. She built the first ship and the boat of the Argonauts.
Cybele - Was born as Agditis, a hermaphrodite monster, from a stone fertilized by
Zeus. The Gods decided to mutilate him and made the Goddess Cybele from him. Her love for Attis, a human shepherd, drove him insane and he castrated himself for her.
Her priests were eunuchs dressed as women. It is from the temple of Cybele that the reference in the Wiccan Charge of the Goddess to "At mine Altars, the youths of
Lacedæmon in Sparta made due sacrifice.", comes.

Demeter (Ceres) - Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, the Goddess of corn and grain. Demeter bore Persephone. She renounced her duties as goddess and began a fast and went into exile from Olympus when her daughter was abducted into the under-world until her daughter should be returned to her. She caused the spread of the know-ledge of the cultivation of corn.
During her exile the earth became barren until Zeus demanded that Hades return
Persephone. She had eaten from a pomegranate, however, and was forever bound to the underworld. As a compromise, she was allowed to rise up into the world with the first growth of spring and return to the underworld at seed sowing in fall. And so the
Earth is barren in the winter, while Demeter mourns, and becomes fruitful again when Persephone is released. Demeter made herself known to the children of Eleusis, who raised her a temple and instituted the Eleusinian mysteries. In Sept.-Oct., the candidates for initiation purified themselves in the sea, then processed down the sacred path from Athens to Eleusis. The rites remain secret, but involve a search for a mill for grinding corn, and a spiritual experience. During the rites, men women and slaves were all treated as equal.
Erinyes, The - Alecto, Tisiphone, and Megaara. They were born from drops of blood that fell from Uranus's severed Penis, and did not recognize the authority of the gods of Olympus. They hounded and tortured their victims, driving them mad. Also called the Eumenides, The Good Ones, to divert their wrath. Assimilated by the Romans as the uries. They were implacable and demanded punishment for every murder. To them murder was a stain. The murderer had to be banished and driven mad before purification could occur. They were blind and carried out their punishments indefinitely.
Harpies - Greek genii/spirits- Daughters of Thaumes and Electra: Nicotho or swiftfooted, Ocypete or swift of flight, and Celaeno, the dark one. Were either women with wings or birds with the heads of women. Called the 'hounds of Zeus' and seized children and souls. Skillful at torture, they could pester a victim into madness.
Hera (Juno) - Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea brought up by Oceanus and
Tethys. Married Zeus. It was claimed that each year Hera regained her virginity by bathing in the spring of Canathus. According to some traditions Hephaestus, Ares, and Hebe (Youth) were conceived by her alone without male assistance. As Zeus' legitimate wife, her fury at his infidelities was boundless, and she took vengeance on his lovers and any progeny of the affair without distinction. Zeus was often reduced to hiding or disguising his children to protect them.
Hestia/Vesta - Daughter of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. Goddess of the hearth, she had

the privilege of retaining her virginity forever. Her symbol was the fire, which was never allowed to go out. The young bride and newborn child were presented to her and she was invoked before each meal. Her temple in Rome was served by the young vestal virgins.
Moerae (Parcae) - The Three Fates. Atropos, Clotho, Lachesis, daughters of Zeus and
Themis. The first spins a thread symbolizing birth. The second unravels it, symbolizing life's processes, and the third cuts it, symbolizing death. They too were blind and ruled destiny. They were also symbols of a limit which could not be overstepped. Were connected to their sisters, the furies, who punished crime.
Muses - Nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (Memory). Calliope ruled epic poetry, Clio ruled history, Polyhymnia mime, Euterpe the flute, Terpsichore dance,
Erarto lyric art, Melpomene tragedy, Thalia comedy and Urania astronomy. They delighted the Gods and inspired poets. The Muses created what they sang about. By praising the gods, they completed their glory, by boasting of valiant warriors, they wrote their names in history. They were celebrated by the Pythagoreans as the keepers of the knowledge of harmony.
Nemesis - Daughter and Night. Ruled over the distribution of wealth, looked after balance, took revenge on arrogance and punished excess, including excessive happiness, riches and power. Moderation in all things was her creed.
Nymphs - Daughter of Zeus and usually part of a greater god(desses) entourage. Not immortal, though long lived. Mostly lived in caves. Were dark powers whose beauty alone could lead to madness. Were seducers of many of the gods. Were considered secondary deities.
Thetis - Daughter of the old man of the sea. Very beautiful. Mother of Achilles. Saved
Zeus from a plot to overthrow him and was an ally of Hera. Saved the Argonauts as they passed between the clashing rocks.

Now our Lady the Goddess had never loved, but She would solve all the Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so She journeyed to the Underworld.
The Guardians of the Portals challenged her: "Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught mayest thou bring with the into this our land."
So She laid down her garments and her jewels, and was bound, as are all who enter the Realms of Death, the Mighty One.
Such was her beauty, that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place my cold hand on thy heart."
She replied: "I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?"
"Lady," replied Death, "tis age and fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when men die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may return. But thou!Thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me!"
But She answered: "I love thee not."
Then said Death: "An thou receivest not my hand on thy heart, thou must receive
Death's scourge."
"It is fate - better so," She said. And She knelt, and Death scourged her tenderly.And
She cried, "I feel the pangs of love."
And Death said, "Blessed Be!" and gave her the Fivefold Kiss, saying: "Thus only mayest thou attain to joy and knowledge." And he taught her all the Magicks.
For there are three great events in the life of man: Love, Death, and Resurrection in the new body; and Magick controls them all. For to fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place as the loved one, and you must remember and love them again. But to be reborn you must die and be ready for a new body; and to die you must be born; and without love you may not be born; and this is all the Magicks.

I am the harmonious tune of the songbird
And the laughter of a gleeful child.
I am the bubbling sound of the running brook
And the scent of the flowers wild.
I am the floating leaf upon the breeze
And the dancing fire in the forest glade.
I am the sweet smell of rains upon the soil.
And the rapture of passion when love is made.
I am the germination of seed in the Spring
And the ripening of wheat in the Sun.
I am the peaceful depth of the twilight
That soothes the soul when day is done.
I am found in the twinkling of an aged eye --
And found in the birth of a newborn pup --
Yes -- Birth and Growth and Death, am I
I am the gracious Earth, on whom you sup.
I am your sister, your mother, the wise one.
I wrap you gently in the warmth of my love.
That which your seek you shall find within:
Not without -- not below -- not above!
Remember always, my children, be reverent.
Be gentle, loving and kind to each other
And hold sacred the Earth and its creatures:
For I am the Lady: Creatrix and Mother!

God/dess Origin
Adonai Aretz Israel
Agizan Voodoo
Characteristics and Powers
God of magickal manifestation through will
God of psychic magick
Artemis
Brigit
Dactyls
Dakini
Greece
Ireland
Greece
Buddhism
Goddess of all magickal matters
Goddess of the occult, witches, and prophesy
Spirits who empower magickal symbols
Beings who govern magickal initiation and spiritual insight
Ea
Freya
Babylon
Norse
Hecate
Hephaestus
Kamrusepas
Lud
Ningirama
Pancaraksa
Re
Surya
Thoth
Greece
Greece
Hittite
Wales
Mesopotamia
Buddhist
Phoenician
Hindu
Egypt
God of incantations
Goddess of magick, good fortune, future-telling, and astuteness
Patroness of witches and spellcraft
God of metal and gem magick
Goddess of spells and magickal arts
God of healing magick
God of magick and protection (snakes)
Goddesses of spellcraft and magick formulas
Goddess of moon magick
God of sun magick
God of ritual magick

Wherever there's a woman in any home doing her work screening her smiles with her veil, she is You, Ma; she is you, Black Goddess.
Carefully rising with the light of dawn to attend with softened hands to household chores, she is You, Ma; she is You, Black Goddess.
The woman who gives alms, makes vows, does worship, reads scriptures all correctly and with a smile who drapes her sari over the child on her lap soothing its hunger with a lullaby, she is You, Ma; she is You, Black Goddess.
She can't be anyone else;
Mother, sister, housewife all are You.
- Ramprasad (c.a. 1718-1775)
It is well established in the canons of Indian thought that every woman mirrors in herself the divine feminine. The above piece of poetry goes further and specifically informs us that every female has in herself the Goddess Kali. At first appearances this comes as a surprising shock, not in the least because of Kali's horrific demeanor.
Envisioned as totally naked, the visual tales of her terrible form do not end with her dense black color or with the skirt made up of decapitated hands she adorns in her middle, making a mockery of all conventional images of reassurance a goddess is associated with. Further frightening is the necklace she vulgarly hangs around her neck. This is no ordinary necklace. It is made up of heads she has severed from the torsos of beings who were once as much living as you and I are at this moment. And the horrors of horrors, she stands in an arrogant gesture of triumph, one leg placed haughtily over the chest of Shiva, one of the most powerful deities of the Hindu pantheon, and who also happens to be her husband.

The truth behind the mystery of Kali, it seems, is to not be found by a conventional appraisal of her physical appearance. Rather a faithful analysis of the deep symbolism underlying this mighty Goddess is required to penetrate her innermost essence.
Traditional opinion is unanimous in accepting the figure lying under Kali's feet as being that of her husband. Here is what the same poet has to say about this aspect of her iconography:
It's not Shiva
At Mother's feet.
Only liars say that.
The ancients wrote clearly that while killing demons, saving the gods from their fix,
Ma stepped on a demon child fallen to the ground.
At the touch of Her feet the demon boy changed; suddenly he was Shiva
On the battlefield.
As a good wife would She ever put Her feet on Her husband's chest?
No, she wouldn't.
But a servant is different:
Ramprasad pleads- place those fear-dispelling feet on my lotus heart.
In this striking example, Ramprasad the greatest of Kali's devotees ever, saves her against the accusations that she deviates from the path of a true Hindu wife by subjugating her spouse. In a glorious moment of poetic imagery he establishes in the goddess a power that is capable of transforming a villainous demon into Shiva, the purest of all gods. Why transform this evil being into her husband? She could have changed him into any 'pure ' soul, why grant him the status of her spouse? Why indeed? This may lead us to theorize that by meditating upon the benevolent goddess we, who are the wickedest among all, can achieve this positive transformation. This

suggests that in addition to approaching the goddess as a child, she can also be courted as a husband. It must however be stressed here that there is no sexuality involved in this purely emotional process. Beginning her worship as a child we may ultimately evolve into her husband. This process mirrors the rhythmic pattern each of our lives follow, i.e. starting off as a child to our mother and gradually developing into husbands to our wives. Accepting that duality exists in nature, such a hypothesis indeed projects the male in an extremely positive light. But it is the female of the species who comes out with honors here, by resolutely establishing that when they are wives and when they progress to being mothers, Kali forms an integral part of their characteristic buildup.
This positive affirmation does not however explain Kali's blackness as complementary to her motherhood. Things fall into place when we recall how creation manifested itself at the beginning of the world, when nothing material existed. This primordial state was dark. As is Kali, as is the womb, dark and mysterious. Esoterically speaking black is not a color, but the absence of color. It is what remains when all colors merge into each other, or in other words the fount which has the potentiality to give birth to all the colors of life. Another poet says in this context:
Is my Mother Kali really black?
People say Kali is black,
But my heart doesn't agree.
If She's black,
How can she light up the world?
Sometimes my Mother is white,
Sometimes yellow, blue, and red.
I cannot fathom Her.
My whole life has passed trying.
She is Matter,
Then Spirit,
Then complete Void.
- Kamalakanta Bhattacharya (1769-1821)
It is interesting to note here that in Egypt too, blackness is associated with a positive symbolism, standing for the mothering darkness of germination. Hence every woman by virtue of being a potential mother and possessing the dark, cavernous womb which grants her this capability, is a Kali.

Strangely enough, scarcely having crossed one hurdle in the positive interpretation of the Kali icon as a creative matrix, we are confronted with another contradictory feature, here namely the necklace of skulls ornamenting her beautiful neck. Indeed it is a symbol of death. Believers in reincarnation maintain that before it is invested with a physical body the soul of a man is free and fully alive since it exists in the spiritual world, which is it's true sphere of existence. When it is conceived in the mother's interior, its death begins. The womb is thus the symbol of the tomb. Or for those of us, who prefer to be cremated, there are the fires which surround Kali, our archetypal mother. Thus our physical birth is in a way our spiritual death.
Equally enigmatic is the short skirt encircling her tender waist. The amputated hands which are strung together to form this garment represent for her devotees the ultimate act of devotion. This act consists in severing of all attachment to karma and meditating upon Kali as the ultimate refuge. The path to salvation in this belief lies not in following the karmic way but rather giving up one's complete self in the worship of the Goddess. As Ramprasad says:
Oh my Mind, worship Kali any way you want- just repeat the mantra given to you day and night.
Think that you're prostrating as you lie on your bed, and meditating on the Mother while you sleep.
When you go about the town, imagine you're circumambulating Kali Ma.
Each sound that enters your ears is one of Kali's mantras,
Each letter of the fifty around Her neck bears Her name.
Ramprasad says, astonished,
The Goddess Full of Brahman is in every creature.
When you eat, think that you're making an offering to Kali Ma.
Kali contains within herself all our actions and the results which ensue thereof. Our

hands are the instruments through which we carry out our karma, believing ourselves to be the masters of our own destinies. The goddess allows no such misconception, as she is the giver of life and also its terminator. It is in her that all acts originate and it is into her that they finally dissolve. This is the symbolism implied behind the carelessly flaring skirt, hobbling with the dynamic goddess, and arguably the earliest mini skirt in history.
Thus even the humblest acts we perform during the course of our daily lives is to be viewed as an offering to the Great Mother who is indeed our sustenance and nourisher, both spiritually and materially. Rightly then, one of Ramprasad's poems is entitled 'Satisfy Every Level of Our Hunger O Mother!' It runs like this:
O Mother of the Universe!
You who provide basic sustenance
And subtle nourishment of all creatures!
Please feed us, Holy Mother!
Satisfy every level of our hunger!
I know the mother always feeds her hungry child,
Regardless of its foolishness or carelessness.
Goddess Kali, grant the child who sings this song
Your supreme blessing of total illumination.
Today is the most auspicious day!
Please, Mother, do not delay!
Goddess Kali, my pangs of hunger for reality
Are becoming unbearable.
Mother! Mother! Mother!
You are the longing and the longed for!
You cannot refuse your child's earnest prayer!
The question however remains of Kali's nudity. It is Jesus who points us in the correct direction regarding this issue. In the 'Gospel of Thomas,' he says, in reply to a disciple's question about when he would come again: "When you strip yourselves without being ashamed. When you take off clothes and lay them at your feet like little children and trample on them."
Kahlil Gibran, the Lebanese-American philosopher, elaborates:
Your clothes conceal much of your beauty, yet they hide not the unbeautiful.

And though you seek in garments the freedom of privacy you may find in them a harness and a chain.
Would that you could meet the sun and the wind with more of your skin and less of your raiment,
For the breath of life is in the sunlight and the hand of life is in the wind.
Forget not that modesty is for a shield against the eye of the unclean.
And when the unclean shall be no more, what were modesty but a fetter and a fouling of the mind?
And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.
(From 'The Prophet')
Ramprasad concedes that ordinary mortals like himself (and us) could be bedazzled by these stark truths. He expresses similar sentiments, and at the same time grants them the high ground of abstract philosophy:
O sublime Goddess! O naked oneness!
What is the meaning of your nakedness?
Are you shameless, Divine Lady?
Yet even when discarding royal silks, and golden ornaments for earrings, bracelets, and anklets fashioned from human bone, you retain the dignity of bearing suited to the daughter of a king.
What wild customs you follow, Ma Kali, trampling on the chest of your noble husband.
You are the naked intensity of divine creativity, while your consort is naked transcendence.
O Mother of the Universe, this child is terrified by your naked truth, your unthinkable blackness, your sheer infinity.
Please cover your reality with a gentle veil.

Why have you thrown away the necklace of pearls that enhances your divine beauty
Wearing instead this awesome garland of heads,
Freshly severed by the sword of non duality?
Truth is not complicated. An innocent child is untrained in the manners of the world but this does not deprive him from living a zestful and complete life, albeit his/her mother forms an integral part of his unified circle of existence. This is what prompted
Wordsworth to say that 'the child is the father of man.' A child is imbued with the quality of intuitive wisdom, which is the undifferentiating intelligence that existed before the world was created. Kali's nudity exhibits this free state of archetypal bliss, of which ecstasy is a characterizing attribute.
Conclusion:
Elizabeth U. Harding an intrepid Kali adventurer and fan, describes in her memoirs how laborious and stressful it is to reach the inner sanctum of Kali at the
Dakshineswar Temple at Calcutta, owing to the regular galore of devotees who generally swarm her temple. After having reached the inner hall housing the sanctum sanctorum this is what she says:
"Out of sheer awe and admiration one's voice automatically turns into a whisper - yet, there is nothing intimidating about this place."
Ushered into the presence of the deity our voices automatically drop to a whisper, as a tribute of respect to the divine presence. Finally face to face with Kali herself, this is what transpires in the author's mind:
'But when one finally stands before Kali, time seems to stand still. Everything stops.
The people, the noise - all is mysteriously gone. One stares with wide eyes, forgetting even to blink. All one sees is Kali and nothing else. Overwhelmed with feeling one whispers, "I love you." And from within she replies, "You do so much more for I am the source of your being!"
This is the spirit in which to approach Kali. The Great Goddess herself will then reveal her mysteries for all of us, solving in the process, the eternal questions of life.

One of the most obvious differences between Wiccan and most current world religions is the presence of a divine female who is not dependent upon a male deity.
This images of the Goddess as a creative, strong force has attracted many women and men in modern society to Wicca, and encourages people fighting oppression in its many forms. The Goddess is generally believed to have three major aspects: Maiden,
Mother and Crone, who correspond to the main cycles of life, detailed below.
Aspect Warrior, playful, strong, athletic, individuality
Names Diana, Persephone, Ariadne
Moon Phase New and waxing
Color
Animals
Rituals
Yellow
Dog, doe, hawk
Strength, courage, play
Aspect
Names
Creativity, birthing, compassion, healing
Yemaya, Isis, Demeter
Moon Phase Full
Color Red
Animals
Rituals
Elephant, lion, whale
Birth, creativity, healing
Aspect Teacher, cleansing, growth, death/rebirth
Names Hecate, Cerridwen, Kali
Moon Phase Waning
Color
Animals
Black
Mare, sow, owl
Rituals Endings, life cycles, lessons
* A special note about the Crone: In a time when the power of women as healers and wise women was feared by the Xian Church, and when the natural cycles of birth and

death were denied, old women were particularly feared and vilified. Many of the women who were accused of witchcraft, tortured, and murdered by church authorities were older women. The church has propagated the image of all witches as old hags with crooked noses, who do evil rather than good, to dehumanize and disempowered the women in our communities who served as teachers and healers before the onset of Xianity. This image continues to abound in various media images today. In Wicca, the image of the Crone is of an old, wise woman who teaches us the lessons she has learned -- not an ugly, evil eater of children. She can be difficult to work with from a magickal sense if you are shrinking your responsibilities or refusing to let go of unhealthy people, relationships and habits, but Her role is to help us learn to cut away the old so that new can grow.

I drink to the eight and ninety rules of art so that I may exceed!
I am thy Hermit at all the joy.
I dare to live long and desire death much for I am thy King, my body dissolving in ecstasy.
Khabs is the name of my house, and 418.
I dare beauty and strength, leaping laughter, delicious languor, force and fire.
A feast every day in my heart in the joy of your rapture.
I dare to not cry why, invoking because.
I dare to not veil my vices in virtuous words.
To worship you, I dare to take wine and strange drugs, and they shall harm me not at all.
I dare to obtain the order & value of the English Alphabet, I will find new symbols to attribute them unto.
I dare to work the formula 0=2

Nuit is the Star Goddess of Space, the total of possibilities of every kind. She is the
Goddess of Combinations, unrestricted, infinite as the stars. Black as the first swirlings of Space and Time. Bright as the Stars. Her only sin is restriction, anything which would keep the possible range of combinations lower than possible. The utter simplicity and universal applicability of this as a strategy or standard for evolution is instantly obvious if our own genetic material is used as an analogue. The combinations available to DNA in the fusion of sperm and egg are inconceivably large, and it is this wide range of possible combinations that enable us to evolve as a race. Another way of thinking of combinations is as options. Individual freedoms are a matter of how many options you have.
Nuit is everything and every experience you have. There is no moment of pain or pleasure that is not freighted with the vast momentum of her ecstasy to the man or woman that is doing their will. In fact, in the end every moment of ones life can be purified in the crucible of her body. At no time and in no sphere or plane or dimension will her joy, her power, as infinite as the stars and vault of the heavens, leave you once you have opened yourself to her. Nor does she demand aught in sacrifice-- except all your limitations and pains.
She demands no sacrifice and makes no punishments, for once you have felt her joy her absence is everything but that one thing, and there is no price or power or saving grace that will replace her. She is a magickal link with everything. Ice and fire. The earth that you stand on as you admire the milky way.
These affirmations are best used immediately before or after the reading of Nuit's chapter of Liber Al. The Neo-Thelemoid Clique of the Orgone Committee has used them to excellent effect. Feel free to combine these affirmations with any
Magickal/Alchemical acts to give them a greater charge. (Try using each one at the point of orgasm for 11 separate acts of Sex Magick for example.) The first chapter will never be the same to you again after you have taken these Oaths. They will make the
First Chapter alive to you in ways that it might never have been otherwise.
I am of the few and secret.
I dare to bind nothing.
I dare to follow the three ordeals of your knowledge.

I dare the mantras and spells the obeah and wanga, the work of the wand and sword.
I dare to deliver my will from the lust of result.
My sole word of sin is restriction.
I dare to seek ye through the four gemmed gates.
Love is my law, love under my will, and I shall take my fill and will of love as I will, when where and with whom I will.
I shall do my will as the whole of my law, and no other shall say nay.
I dare to accept your unimaginable joys on earth; certainty, not faith while in life, upon death; peace unutterable, rest, ecstasy.
My number is 11.

In Mexico, there are two "patron saints." The first, and foremost, with a holiday on
December 12, is Guadalupe, called variously St. Guadalupe and Our Lady of
Guadalupe. The Church now says this is the Virgin Mary who made an appearance before a young man named Juan Diego in December 1531. She looked like an Indian maiden and she appeared on Tepeyac Hill near Mexico City.
Although she is assumed to be the Virgin Mary, she is nonetheless called the "patron saint" of Mexico. She is most likely nothing but the ancient Aztec goddess Coatlique, whose holy day also happened to have been December 12.
The other saint you hear about a lot in Mexico is the mysterious "San Juan de los
Lagos," Saint John of the Lakes. There never has been such a person, of course. It was obviously an ancient lake god, presumably the patron saint of Mexico City, which was built on top of Lake Texcoco. He could have been Tpoztecatl, ancient god of agriculture, or even Huitzilopchtli, sun god of the Aztecs.
All over the world, in Roman Catholic countries, you will find "patron saints" who never existed. They are the early pagan gods and goddesses converted to Christianity for public relations purposes.
The earliest recorded "conversion" of a pagan goddess was Saint Sophia in Asia Minor.
Very early, Christians had a hard time converting the populace of Greece and the
Hellenic cultures of the region because the people were quite happy with their goddess, Minerva, also known as Pallas Athena, the patron deity of the city of Athens.
The word "pallas" is the ancient Greek term for a maiden. Athena is thought (by
Robert Graves and others) to be a version of Anatha, the Sumerian Queen of Heaven.
With the title of Pallas, she would have been the ancient Goddess in her maiden aspect.
Minerva was universally called Sophia -- wisdom. So a "Saint Sophia" was invented, and churches all over Asia Minor were built in her honor. She was even said to have had three daughters -- St. Faith, St. Hope and St. Charity!
The entire region converted to Christianity as soon as the church declared the region's favorite goddess to be a Christian saint.
So it really wasn't the inherent stupidity of the Irish, as some scholars allege, that

allowed them to be converted in a similar way.
They reacted like people all over the world did. Make my god a Christian saint and
I'll become a Christian.
Interestingly, the Irish goddess converted to Christianity was the same as Pallas
Athena, it was the maiden aspect of the Goddess. Where in continental Europe, the
Mother aspect was chosen -- witness all the cathedrals built to the Virgin Mary,
Mother of God -- in Ireland, as in Asia Minor, it was the maiden goddess honored.
The Irish goddess was called Brigid (pronounced "breed") or Brigit. She was a triple goddess (some said all three were named Brigid!) and she was the goddess of wisdom
(like her Asia Minor counterpart). Her sisters were the goddesses of healing and smithcraft respectively.
At Kildare there was a temple to Brigid, with a perpetual fire kept by 19 priestesses.
The number 19 was used because there are 19 years in the Celtic "great year," when the solar and lunar calendars coincide. Brigid was always called "The Three Blessed
Ladies of Britain" or "The Three Mothers" and she was identified with the moon and the three phases of the moon. (As such, she is also identical to the ancient earth goddess, Hecate.) It was common for the ancients to accept their goddess as being three people. This is where the Christians got their concept of the trinity.
Actually, Brigid can be traced back to Illyricum, the ancient land now occupied by
Croatia (and extending over Serbia, Bulgaria, and Austria). Her shrine was in the city of Brigeto and she was called Brigantes, accepted by the Romans as identical to Juno
Regina, Queen of Heaven. Her followers were often called Brigands, or outlaws, and
Robin Hood was most likely the title of a leader of "brigands" fighting against the
Christian conquerors.
The Gaelic Celts brought Brigid with them when they left their original home in
Galatia -- in Asia Minor, no less, and moved across Europe to settle in what is now
Ireland.
In Ireland, the Church could not talk the people into giving up the worship of Brigid, so they "converted" her to St. Bridget, claiming she was a nun who founded a convent in Kildare (where the goddess' temple already was located.) The stories about "St.
Bridget" were the same stories told about the goddess: that everywhere she walked, flowers and shamrocks sprang up (the three-leafed shamrock, of course, was the symbol of the triple Brigid), that in her shrine it was always springtime and that in her convent the cows never went dry -- all fertility stories.

The Irish priests said, however, that Brigid wasn't really a saint at all: she was the
Queen of Heaven, the mother of Jesus herself. The Church ruled that since Bridget couldn't be the mother of Jesus (Mary already had that job all sewed up), she could be the step-mother of Jesus -- which meant, of course, that Jesus had to have been raised in Ireland, a story frequently told in the old days.
The goddess Brigid had a consort named Dagda, meaning "father." The Latin word for father was Patricius, so the Church made him a saint as well, "St. Patrick." The myths say Patrick was the person who Christianized Ireland in the year 461, but we know
Ireland actually was converted in the seventh century by Augustine of Canterbury, who was responsible for getting Patrick canonized.
Patrick, the sun-god, has his day on March 17, the beginning of spring in Ireland.
Interestingly, the churches in Ireland dedicated to "St. Bridget" were also dedicated to the O'Kelly clans. All the baptismal fees in those churches belonged to the O'Kellies.
If you know any Irishman named Kelly you can tell him or her something about the history of their name. The word means they are descended from the kelles, or sacred harlots (to use the Church name) of the goddess Brigid.
The goddess' priestesses were not allowed to marry, so they were free to choose any man they wished. Children born to such unions were called O'Kelly, because they were born of a kelle.
Every woman today who gets married is given the goddess name, of course, for the word "bride" is simply an alternate spelling of Brigid.
The feast day of Brigid is February 1, which was also considered the first day of spring to pagans. It is the day of quickening, when vegetation comes alive (quickens) in the bowels of the earth. For this reason, it is often called Imbolc, a Celtic word meaning
"in the belly." It's also called Oimelc ("ewe's milk") for this was also the lambing season in ancient Ireland.
In ancient Rome, the first two weeks of February were called the Lupercalia, in honor of Lupercus (or Faunus), god of agriculture, and Venus, goddess of fertility. It was also a festival of quickening, and also honored the goddess as maiden. It involved parades and the lighting of fires.
Lupercalia ended, of course, on February 14, a day we now call St. Valentine's Day, after yet another spurious "saint." The name was most likely originally "Gallantine's

Day," the day of the lover. On this day, a couple could agree to a trial marriage, living together until the next Lammas, August 1. "Will you be my Valentine?" was the way a woman would propose such an engagement to a man. (The Valentine "heart," of course, was not the physical heart we are acquainted with, but another part of the anatomy entirely.)
Fires have always been important on Imbolc. The fires symbolized the new-born sun, born at Yule and the sparks of new life in springtime. One ancient custom was the lighting of candles in every window of the house, to let the world know of coming spring. The sight of every home blazing with candles must have been comforting to people still feeling the bitter cold of February up north!
The Church made this time the Feast of the Purification of the Virgin ("virgin" was just another word for "maid," of course) and they called in Candlemas, the feast of candles. Since people were already lighting candles at home anyway, the Church declared this a time to go to church and get your candles blessed.
During the Burning Times, the great Inquisition of Europe, it was said that witches considered Candlemas their most sacred festival. This was probably the Church's way of warning people not to take Brigid too seriously.
One of the most important customs at Candlemas in ancient times was the forecasting of weather. In the old English poem: "If Candlemas Day be bright and clear, there'll be two winters in the year." It was once thought that the quarters (the equinoxes and solstices) foretold the weather directly (i.e. a warm Christmas meant a warm winter) while the cross-quarters (Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas and Samhain) foretold the weather negatively.
We keep this custom by calling February 2 "Groundhog's Day" and predicting the rest of the winter by whether or not the groundhog sees its shadow or not. If it sees its shadow then Candlemas Day will be "bright and clear."
There were a number of customs associated with this day. One was the baking of
"Bridget's bread" on this day. This goes back thousands of years to the baking of cakes for the Queen of Heaven spoken of in the Bible. The last of the precious grain stored over the winter would be prepared into cakes on this day, in the prospect of much more grain in the year ahead.
Another custom called for the making of "Bridget's crosses" out of straw. The cross was the ancient symbol for the sun (the rays of the sun seem to come out in cruciform shape) and the straw crosses were in honor of the reborn sun. The crosses would be

placed around the home for protection during the following year.
One young woman each year would also be chosen to represent the goddess, the
"Bride." She would wear a crown of candles on her head that day, again in honor of the sun.
The meaning of this holiday for us is simply this: this is the time of quickening, the time of new life. It's a time to be thankful for all the new life that arises in spring, a time to plan ahead for the new year and a time to begin the long processes of making a living, bringing in a new crop or getting on with our lives.
New projects are well begun on Brigid's Day. This is a time of hope, a time for looking positively at one's world.
This week, go out and buy a candle for the Maiden Goddess -- and for yourself. This week, light it and place it in a window of your home. Focus all your hopes and dreams for the coming year onto that candle. And dedicate it to hope.
Blessed be!

the daughter of Zeus and Dione, one of his consorts, but in later legends she is described as having sprung from the foam of the sea and her name may be translated
"foam-risen."
In Homeric legend Aphrodite is the wife of the lame and ugly god of fire, Hephaestus.
Among her lovers was Ares, god of war, who in later mythology became her husband.
She was the rival of Persephone, queen of the underworld, for the love of the beautiful Greek youth Adonis.
Perhaps the most famous legend about Aphrodite concerns the cause of the Trojan
War. Eris, the goddess of discord, the only goddess not invited to the wedding of King
Peleus and the sea nymph Thetis, resentfully tossed into the banquet hall a golden apple, marked "for the fairest." When Zeus refused to judge between the three goddesses who claimed the apple, Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, they asked Paris, prince of Troy, to make the award. Each offered him a bribe: Hera, that he would be a powerful ruler; Athena, that he would achieve great military fame; and Aphrodite, that he should have the fairest woman in the world. Paris selected Aphrodite as the fairest and chose as his prize Helen of Troy, the wife of the Greek king Menelaus.
Paris's abduction of Helen led to the Trojan War.
Aphrodite was identified in early Greek religious beliefs with the Phoenician Astarte and was known as Aphrodite Urania, queen of the heavens, and as Aphrodite
Pandemos, goddess of the people.

Chapter I: How Diana Gave Birth To Aradia (Herodias)
"It is Diana! Lo!
She rises crescented."
-Keats' Endymion
"Make more bright
The Star Queen's crescent on her marriage night."
-Ibid.
This is the Gospel (Vangelo) of the Witches: of Light (Splendor), who was so proud of his beauty, and who for his pride was driven
Aradia (i.e. Herodias). In those days there were on earth many rich and many poor.
The rich made slaves of all the poor.
-Page 4 (Excerpt from Diana speaking to Aradia)-
Translation
'Tis true indeed that thou a spirit art,
But thou wert born but to become again
A mortal; thou must go to earth below
To be a teacher unto women and men
Who fain would study witchcraft in thy school.
Yet like Cain's daughter thou shalt never be,
Nor like the race who have become at last
Wicked and infamous from suffering,
As are the Jews and wandering Zingari,
Who are all thieves and knaves;
Like unto them ye shall not be--
-Page 16 (Excerpt: Entire invocation to Aradia)-
The Invocation to Aradia
Aradia! my Aradia!
Thou who art daughter unto him who was
Most evil of all spirits, who of old

Once reigned in hell when driven away from heaven,
Who by his sister did thy sire become,
But as thy mother did repent her fault,
And wished to mate thee to a spirit who
Should be benevolent,
And not malevolent!
Aradia, Aradia! I implore
Thee by the love which she did bear for thee!
And by the love which I too feel for thee!
I pray thee grant the grace which I require!
And if this grace be granted, may there be
One of three signs distinctly clear to me:
The hiss of a serpent,
The light of a firefly,
The sound of a frog!
But if you do refuse this favor, then
May you in future know no peace nor joy,
And be obliged to seek me from afar,
Until you come to grant me my desire,
In haste, and then thou may'est return again
Unto thy destiny. Therewith Amen!

Sometimes "No" means No and not Maybe.
Artemis was adamant that She could never be seen by a man, even by male worshipers. The penalty for glimpsing Her was death.
The hunter Actaeon discovered the Goddess bathing naked in a stream. Accounts differ as to whether he meant to ogle Her or simply came upon Her by accident.
With a single word and gesture, the enraged Goddess turned him into a stag. His own hounds tore him to pieces while She watched.
Artemis loved to kill the very forest animals She also protected; like many another
Goddess, She not only protected life but took it away. With Her nymphs and hounds
She hunted in the deepest wilderness, slaughtering stags and lions.
"The summits of the high mountains tremble, and the shady forest holds the frightened cries of the beasts of the woods; the earth trembles, as well as the seas, filled with fish. The goddess of the valiant heart springs forth on all sides, and sows death among the race of wild animals."
-- "To Artemis (II)," The Homeric Hymns, translation by Apostolos N. Athannassakis
She was even associated with human sacrifice. Euripides wrote two versions of the sacrifice of the maiden Iphigenia, placing it in comfortably distant times. In one version, Iphigenia went gladly to her death; in the other, she did not. As the sacrificial knife plunged toward her, she vanished, and a mountain deer appeared on the altar and was stabbed in her place. Then she was transported to a mystic island of women, who sacrificed all men who came upon its shores, and lived out her life there.
Women in labor might pray to Her for death, and She often answered such prayers.
The deaths of adolescent girls in childbirth were attributed to Her.

The Greek Goddess Artemis is a multifaceted virgin Goddess. She was born of Zeus and Leto, and is the twin sister to Apollo. She is most commonly known as a Moon
Goddess and Goddess of the Hunt. She is the Patron Goddess of the Amazons and Her day of worship is the 6th day of the New Moon. As a Moon Goddess, they say She rides Her silver chariot pulled by silver stags across the sky and shoots Her arrows of silver moonlight to the Earth below. As the Goddess of the Hunt, She is the protectress of wild places and wild animals. She loves to roam the forests and knows the deep places in Nature where one can relax and regain strength. She is often seen followed by wild beasts and loves singing and dancing with her nymphs. Physically,
She is often depicted carrying a silver bow and arrow made by Hephaestus and the
Cyclopes and sometimes depicted with a crescent moon above Her forehead. Artemis is one of three Goddesses immune to Aphrodite's enchantments (the other two being
Hestia and Athena). She prides herself on Her chastity and punishes those who attempt to dishonor Her. One myth tells of Actaeon who snuck up on the Goddess and Her nymphs while they were bathing. He did not turn away, instead creeping closer and when he was caught, Artemis turned him into a stag and Her hounds tore him to pieces. Another tells of Orion who attempted to rape Her. In one version,
Artemis kills him with Her bow and arrow and in another, She conjures up a scorpion that kills him and his dog, Sirius. They are both turned into constellations. Though a virgin, Artemis is also considered a Goddess of Fertility and Childbirth. She was said to be the protectress of women in labor but it was said that it was Her arrows that brought them sudden death during or immediately after. Artemis and Her brother
Apollo are healing deities but She has also brought about diseases such as rabies and leprosy. Callisto is one of Artemis' titles used to denote Her connections with the bear, one of Her sacred animals. She is also known as the "Hunter of Souls" and a shape-shifter. Artemis is often identified with Diana, the Roman Goddess of the
Moon.
Trees sacred to Artemis: Almond, Bay Laurel, Cedar, Cypress, Fir, Myrtle, Rowan, and
Willow.
Herbs sacred to Artemis: Aster, Daisy, Hyacinth, Moonwort, Mugwort, and
Wormwood.
Animals sacred to Artemis: Deer/Stags, geese, wild dogs, fish, goats, bees, quail, and bears.

of the god Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of the god Apollo. She was chief hunter to the gods and goddess of hunting and of wild animals, especially bears. Artemis was also the goddess of childbirth, of nature, and of the harvest. As the moon goddess, she was sometimes identified with the goddess Selene and Hecate.
Although traditionally the friend and protector of youth, especially young women,
Artemis prevented the Greeks from sailing to Troy during the Trojan war until they sacrificed a maiden to her. According to some accounts, just before the sacrifice, she rescued the victim, Iphigenia.
Like Apollo, Artemis was armed with a bow and arrows, which she often used to punish mortals who angered her. In other legends, she is praised for giving young women who died in childbirth a swift and painless death.

Twin sister of Apollo, an eternally virgin huntress who haunts wild places. She is sometimes referred to as Potnia Theron (Mistress of the Beasts) indicating her concern for and power over wild animals. She is also concerned with women's transition from girlhood to adulthood (via marriage) and with childbirth, a concern she shares with Hera and Eileithyia. Women who die are said to be struck down by her arrows.
Euripides' Hippolytus shows her in opposition to Aphrodite. Actaeon and Hippolytos are two young men who, in different ways, are destroyed by their association with
Artemis.
Artemis demands the sacrifice of the virgin Iphigeneia at Aulis before she will allow the Greek fleet to sail against Troy. The reasons given for her anger vary:
Agamemnon kills a deer in her sacred grove (mentioned in Sophocles, Electra); or he boasts that he is a better shot than Artemis herself (Apollodorus). For the motif of
Artemis' concern to protect her animals against marauding heroes see the story of
Heracles and the Kerynitian hind; for the motif of mortals boasting of their superiority to the gods see the stories of Arachne, Actaeon, Marsyas, Niobe, the Lesser
Ajax.
Kallisto was one of Artemis' nymphs who offended the goddess by becoming pregnant by Zeus and was banished. The jealous Hera then further punished her by turning her into a bear. The stories of Actaeon and Kallisto were known in the
Renaissance through Ovid's Metamorphoses and were popular subjects for artists.

mythology. Athena sprang full grown and armored from the forehead of the god Zeus and was his favorite child. He entrusted her with his shield, adorned with the hideous head of Medusa the Gorgon, his buckler, and his principal weapon, the thunderbolt.
A virgin goddess, she was called Parthenos ("the maiden").
Her major temple, the Parthenon, was in Athens, which, according to legend, became hers as a result of her gift of the olive tree to the Athenian people. Athena was primarily the goddess of the Greek cities, of industry and the arts, and, in later mythology, of wisdom; she was also goddess of war.
Athena was also a patron of the agricultural arts and of the crafts of women, especially spinning and weaving. Among her gifts to man were the inventions of the plow and the flute and the arts of taming animals, building ships, and making shoes.
She was often associated with birds, especially the owl.

Ireland, Wales, Spain, France.
"Power"; "Reown"; "Feiry Arrow of Power" (Breo-saighead). Daughter of the Dagda; called the poeess.
Often called the Triple Brighids. Three Blessed Ladies of Britain, the Three Mothers.
High Lady Goddess of the inner flame of life, nature and creation, Keeper of the
Cauldron, chalice or bowl.
Appears young (maiden), middle-aged (mother) or old (crone) to represent all of the cycles if life continuing. Represents spiraling wheels of Nature, Life and Renewal.
Another aspect of Danu: Associated with Imbolc. She had an exclusive female priesthood at Kildare and an ever-burning sacred fire. The number of her priestesses was 19 representing the 19-year cycle of the Celtic "Great Year". Her kelles were sacred prostitutes and her soldiers brigands.
Goddess of fire, fertility, the hearth and all feminine arts and crafts, and martial arts.
Healing, physicians, agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry, divination, prophecy, smithcraft, animal husbandry, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge.
Plants: Blackberry
Animals: Oxen and Ram.
Bridget, also called Brigantia, Brigit, Bhride, Bride, and Brid, was the beloved Goddess of the Celtic people. She was called the "Triple Bridget" as one of her aspects ruled poetry, writing, and inspiration, another one ruled healing, herbolgy, and midwifery, and the third aspect ruled the fires of the hearth, and of the smith, and the arts of smithcraft.
There are many wells, and springs dedicated to Bridget, where the devout would go to bathe and be healed. Legends tell of lepers who washed in these sacred waters and were cured of their leprosy.
This Goddess was so well loved by the people of Ireland, that they refused to stop worshiping her even after the coming of Saint Patrick, and the Christianization of the island. Therefore, the Catholic Church, to keep the people happy, declared her to be
Saint Bridget, saying that she had been the daughter of a Druid who predicted

Christianity and was baptized by Saint Patrick himself.
At her shrine at Kildare, there was kept a perpetual flame by 19 of her Priestesses.
Later, after the Christianization of Ireland, this same flame was tended by the nuns of the Abbey at Kildare, when Bridget became Saint Bridget. These nuns kept themselves totally aloof from men, and even had food and supplies brought to them from women in the nearby village.
In 1220 AD, the Bishop in charge of the area ordered that the Abbey would have to allow a Priest to come and inspect. The Abbess begged that he send a woman instead, but the Bishop declared that the nuns, as women, must be subservient to the male
Priests. He then prohibited the keeping of the sacred flame stating that it was a Pagan custom and must be stopped. In 1960, the Catholic church took away Bridget's sainthood, saying that there was not enough proof that she had even lived, let alone performed any miracles!

Brigit was one of the great Triple Goddesses of the Celtic people. She appeared as
Brigit to the Irish, Brigantia in Northern England, Bride in Scotland, and Brigandu in
Brittany. Many legends are told about Brigit. Some say that there are three Brigits: one sister in charge of poetry and inspiration who invented the Ogham alphabet, one in charge of healing and midwifery, and the third in charge of the hearth fire, smithies and other crafts. This actually indicates the separate aspects of her Threefold nature and is a neat division of labor for a hard-working goddess.
Brigit was probably originally a Sun Goddess, and a charming story of her birth is that she was born at sunrise and a tower of flame burst from the forehead of the new born
Goddess that reached from Earth to Heaven. It was likely She who inspired the line in the famous Song of Amergin: "I am a fire in the head." Her penchant for smithcraft led to her association by the Romans with Minerva/Athena. As a warrior Goddess,
She favored the use of the spear or the arrow. Indeed, various interpretations of her name exist including, "Bright Arrow," "The Bright One," "the Powerful One" and
"The High One," depending upon the region and the dialect.
As a Goddess of herbalism, midwifery and healing She was in charge of Water as well as Fire. I don't believe that anyone has ever counted all the vast number of sacred wells and springs named after or dedicated to this Goddess. A story is told of how two lepers came to one of her sacred springs for healing and She instructed one Leper to wash the other. The skin of the freshly bathed man was cleansed of the disease and
Brigit told the man who was healed to wash the man who had bathed him so that both men would be whole. The man who was healed was now too disgusted to touch the other Leper and would have left him, but Brigit herself washed the leper and struck down the other arrogant fellow with leprosy once more before he could leave.
Offerings to the watery Brigit were cast into the well in the form of coins or, even more ancient, brass or gold rings. Other sacrifices were offered where three streams came together. Her cauldron of Inspiration connected her watery healing aspect with her fiery poetic aspect. Brigit is clearly the best example of the survival of a Goddess into Christian times. She was canonized by the Catholic church as St. Brigit and various origins are given to this saint. The most popular folktale is that She was midwife to the Virgin Mary, and thus was always invoked by women in labor. The more official story was that She was a Druid's daughter who predicted the coming of
Christianity and then was baptized by St. Patrick. She became a nun and later an abbess who founded the Abbey at Kildare. The Christian Brigit was said to have had the power to appoint the bishops of her area, a strange role for an abbess, made stranger by her requirement that her bishops also be practicing goldsmiths.

Actually, the Goddess Brigit had always kept a shrine at Kildare, Ireland, with a perpetual flame tended by nineteen virgin priestesses called Daughters of the Flame.
No male was ever allowed to come near it; nor did those women ever consort with men. Even their food and other supplies were brought to them by women of the nearby village. When Catholicism took over in Ireland, the shrine became a convent and the priestesses became nuns but the same traditions were held and the eternal flame was kept burning. Their tradition was that each day a different priestess/nun was in charge of the sacred fire and on the 20th day of each cycle, the fire was miraculously tended by Brigit Herself. There into the 18th century, the ancient song was sung to her: "Brigit, excellent woman, sudden flame, may the bright fiery sun take us to the lasting kingdom."
For over a thousand years, the sacred flame was tended by nuns, and no one knows how long before that it had been tended by the priestesses. In 1220 CE, a Bishop became angered by the no-males policy of the Abbey of St. Brigit of Kildare. He insisted that nuns were subordinate to priests and therefore must open their abbey and submit themselves to inspection by a priest. When they refused and asked for another Abbess or other female official to perform any inspections, the Bishop was incensed. He admonished them to obedience and then decreed that the keeping of the eternal flame was a Pagan custom and 6rdered the sacred flame to be extinguished. Even then, She remained the most popular Irish saint along with
Patrick. In the 1960's, under Vatican II modernization, it was declared that there was insufficient proof of Brigit's sanctity or even of her historical existence, and so the
Church's gradual pogrom against Brigit was successful at last and She was thus uncanonized. It is very difficult to obtain images or even holy cards of St. Brigit outside of Ireland anymore.
Her festival is held on February 1st or 2nd. It corresponds to the ancient Celtic fire festival of Imbolc or Oimelc which celebrated the birthing and freshening of sheep and goats (it really is a Feast of Milk). This festival was Christianized as Candlemas or
Lady Day and Her Feast day, La Feill Bhride, was attended by tremendous local celebration and elaborate rituals. Her festival is also called Brigit. Brigit (the Goddess and the Festival) represents the stirring of life again after the dead months of the winter, and her special blessings are called forth at this time. Since She was booted out of the Church for being Pagan, it is incumbent upon us Pagans to restore Her worship to its former glory especially those of us of Celtic ancestry. Here is an ancient rite to invite Brigit into your home at the time of her Holiday:
Clean your hearth thoroughly in the morning and lay a fire without kindling it, then make yourself a "Bed for Brigid" and place it near the hearth. The bed can be a small

basket with covers and tiny pillow added as plain or fancy as you like. If you have no hearth, you can use the stove and put the bed behind it. Then at sundown light a candle rubbed with rosemary oil and invite Brigit into your home and into her bed; use the candle to kindle your hearth fire if possible. Make your own poem to invite
Her or use the ancient song mentioned earlier. Let the candle burn at least all night in a safe place. You might even want to begin the custom of keeping the eternal flame; it is a popular custom in some magickal and Wiccan traditions. After all, it's up to us now to keep the spirit of Brigit alive and well for the next thousand years at least!
Brigid is not really a Celtic Mother Goddess. She is generally considered a Goddess of fire/smithcraft, of poetry and of healing. One of her roles is as midwife, but although she has a son, she is not usually seen as a mother.
I don't know any books that deal specifically with Brighidh, but please look for a book called "Celtic Mythology" by Proinsias MacCana and for "Gods and Heroes of the Celts" by Marie Lousie Sjoestadt for more information about Celtic deities. They
Brighidh is a Goddess of healing, smithcraft and poetry, brewer of mead and ale, a lawgiver, a midwife, supposedly daughter of the Daghda, mother of the poet Cairbre, and of the Gods Brian, Iuchar and Iucharba. She was transformed into a Christian
Saint and became the foster mother of Christ. Some sources say that the healer/smith/poet were embodied in one Goddess, other sources claim that she was three sisters, all named Brighidh.
Her holy day falls on February 2nd called Imbolc, Oimelc or Lady Day. Candles are blessed that day in the Catholic churches.
By: Ido
To: Teakan
Re: Somethnig about Brighid:
Brigit/Brigid/Bride was the daughter of Dagda. She was the protector of the poets, the forge and the healing persons. Her son Ruadan, which she had with Bres, was killed by Goibnui. For her died son she sounds the first kenning of Eireland. She also was put into the cult and the person of Brigit from Kildare, which made the first female parish after Christianity falls into Eireland. The convent of Kildare has had a never ending fire, which was protected by the sisters of the parish. The saint Brigit is the second patron saint of Eireland. within the Scottish tradition Brigit belongs together with the time of the year "Season of the lambs" and the coming of spring. Brigit overcomes the control of the Cailleach Bheur.

Aine of Knocaine:
(Pronounced aw-ne); Ireland. Moon Goddess; patroness of crops and cattle.
Connected with the Summer Solstice.
Anu
Anann
Dana
Dana-Ana:
Ireland. Goddess of plenty, another aspect of the Morrigu: Mother Earth; Great
Goddess; greatest of all Goddesses. This flowering fertility Goddess, sometimes she formed a trinity with Badb and Macha. Her priestesses comforted and taught the dying. Fires were lit for her at Midsummer. Two hills in Kerry are called the Paps of
Anu. Maiden aspect of the triple Goddess in Ireland. Guardian of cattle and health.
Goddess of fertility, prosperity, comfort.
Arianrhod:
Wales: "Silver Wheel"; "High fruitful mother"; star Goddess; sky Goddess; Goddess of reincarnation; Full Moon Goddess. Her palace was called Caer Arianrhod (Aurora
Borealis). Keeper of the circling Silver Wheel of Stars, a symbol of time and karma.
This wheel was also known as the Oar Wheel, a ship which carried dead warriors to the Moon-land (Emania). Mother of Llue Llaw Gyffes and Dylan by her brother
Gwydion. Her original consort was Nwtvre (Sky of Firmament). Mother aspect of the
Triple Goddess in Wales. Honored at the Full Moon. Beauty, fertility, reincarnation.
Call on Arianrhod to help you with past life memories and difficulties as well as for contacting the Star People.
Badb
Badhbh
Badb Catha:
Ireland. "Boiling", "Battle Raven", "Scald-crow". the cauldron of ever-producing life;
Known in Gaul as Cauth Bodva. War Goddess and wife of net, a war God. Sister of
Macha, the Morrigu and Anu. Mother Aspect in Ireland. Associated with the cauldron, crows and ravens. Life, wisdom, inspiration, enlightenment.
Banba:
Ireland. Goddess; part of a tried with Fotia and Eriu. They used magick to repel invaders.

Blodeuwedd
Wlodwin
Blancheflor:
Wales. "Flower Face", "White Flower". Lily maid of Celtic initiation ceremonies.
AKA the Ninefold Goddess of the Western Isles of Paradise. Created by Math &
Gwydion as a wife for Lleu. She was changed into an owl for her adultery and plotting Lleu's death. The Maiden aspect; her symbol was the owl; Goddess of the
Earth in bloom. Flowers, wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations.
Boann
Boannam
Boyne:
Ireland. Goddess of the river Boyne, mother of Angus Mac Og by the Dagda. Once there was a well chapped by nine magick hazel trees. These trees bore crimson nuts which gave knowledge of everything in the world. Divine salmon lived in the well and ate the nuts. No one, not even the high gods, were allowed to go near the well.
But Boann went anyway. The well water rose to drive her away, but they never returned to the well. Instead they became the River Boyne and the salmon became the inhabitants of the river. Other Celtic river Giddess: Siannan (Shannon), Sabrina
(Severn, Sequana Seine), Deva (Dee), Clota (Clyde), Verbeia (Wharfe), Brigantia
(Braint, Brent). Healing.
Branwen:
Manx. Wales. Sister of Bran the Blessed and wife of the Irish King Matholwchh.
Venus of the Northern Seas; daughter of Llyr (Lir); one of the three matriarca of
Britain; Lady of the Lake (cauldron) Goddess of love and beauty.
Brigit
Brid
Brigid
Brighid:
Ireland, Wales, Spain, France. "Power"; "Reown"; "Feiry Arrow of Power" (Breosaighead). Daughter of the Dagda; called the poeess. Often called the Triple Brighids.
Three Blessed Ladies of Britain, the Three Mothers. Another aspect of Danu:
Associated with Imbolc. She had an exclusive female priesthood at Kildare and an ever-burning sacred fire. The number of her priestesses was 19 representing the 19year cycle of the Celtic "Great Year". Her kelles were sacred prostitutes and her soldiers brigands. Goddess of fire, fertility, the hearth and all feminine arts and crafts, and martial arts. Healing, physicians, agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry,

divination, prophecy, smithcraft, animal husbandry, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge. Plants: Blackberry Animals: Oxen and Ram.
Caillech:
Great Goddess in her Destroyer aspect; called the Veiled One. Disease, plague, cursing. Wheat.
Cerridwen
Caridwen
Ceridwen:
Wales. Moon Goddess; Great Mother; grain Goddess; Goddess of Nature. the white corpse-eating sow representing the Moon. Welsh bards called themselves Cerddorion
(sons of Cerridwen). The bard Taliesin, founder of their craft, was said to be born of
Cerridwen and to have tasted a potent from her magick cauldron of inspiration. Wife of the giant Tegid and mother of a beautiful girl Creirwy and an ugly boy Avagdu. In her magickal cauldron, she made a potion called greal (from which the word Grail probably came). The potion was made from six plants for inspiration and knowledge.
Her symbol was a white sow. Death, fertility, regeneration, inspiration, magick, astrology, herbs, science, poetry, spells, knowledge. Plants: Vervain, Acorns.
Creiddylad
Creudylad
Cordelia:
Wales. Daughter of the sea God Llyr. Connected with Beltane and often called the
May Queen. Goddess of summer flower, love and flowers.
The Crone:
One aspect of the Triple Goddess. She represents old age or death, winter, the end of all things, the waning Moon, post-menstrual phases of women's lives, all destruction that precedes regeneration through her cauldron of rebirth. Crows and other black creatures are sacred to her. Dogs often accompanied her and guarded the gates of her after-world, helping her to receive the dead. In Celtic myth, the gatekeeper-dog was named Dormarth (Death's Door). The Irish Celts maintained that true curses could be cast with the dog's help. Therefore, they use the word cainte (dog) for a satiric Bard with the magick power to speak curses that came true.
Danu
Danann
Dana:
Ireland. Probably the same as Anu. Major Mother Goddess; ancestress of the Tuatha

De Danann; Mother of the gods; Great Mother; Moon Goddess. She gave her name to the Tuatha De Danann (People of the Goddess Danu). Another aspect of the Morrigu.
Patroness of wizards, rivers, water, wells, prosperity & plenty, magick, wisdom.
Don
Domnu
Donn:
Ireland, Wales. "Deep sea"; "Abyss". Queen of the Heavens; Goddess of sea and air.
Sometimes called a Goddess, sometimes a God. The equivalent of the Irish Danu. In
Ireland, Don ruled over the Land of the Dead. Entrances to this Otherworld were always in a sidhe (shee) or burial mound. Control of the elements, eloquence.
Druantia:
"Queen of the Druids"; Mother of the tree calendar; Fir Goddess. Fertility, passion, sexual activities, trees, protection, knowledge, creativity.
Elaine:
Wales, Britain. Maiden aspect of the Goddess.
Epona:
Celtic, "Divine Horse", "The Great Mare". Goddess of horses, fertility, maternity, protective of horses, horse breeding, prosperity, dogs, healing, springs, crops.
Animals: Horses, goose.
Eriu
Erin:
Ireland. One of the three queens of the Tuatha Da Danann and a daughter of the
Dagda.
Flidais:
Ireland. Goddess of forests, woodlands & wild things; ruler of wild beasts. She rode in a chariot drawn by a deer. Shape-shifter.
Great Mother:
The Lady; female principle of creation. Goddess of fertility, the Moon, summer, flowers, love, healing, the seas, water. The "mother" finger was considered the index finger, the most magickal which guided, beckoned, blessed & cursed.
Macha:

Ireland. "Crow"; "Battle"; "Great Queen of Phantoms"; Mother of Life and death; a war Goddess; Mother Death; originally a Mother Goddess; one of the aspects of the triple Morrigu. Also called Mania, Mana, Mene, Minne. Associated with ravens and crows. She was honored Lugnassadh. After a battle, the Irish would cut off the heads of the losers and called them Macha's acorn crop. Protectress in war as in peace;
Cunning, sheer physical force, sexuality, fertility, dominance over males.
Margawse:
Wales, Britain. Mother aspect of the Goddess.
The Morrigu
Morrigan
Morgian
Morgan:
Ireland, Britain, Wales. Great Queen, Supreme War Goddess, Queen of Phantoms or
Demons, Specter Queen. Shape-shifter. Reigned over the battlefields, helping with her magick but did not join in the battles. Associated with crows & ravens. The Crone aspect of the Goddess; Great White Goddess; Great Mother; Moon Goddess; Queen of the fairies. In her dark aspect (the symbol is then the raven or crow) she is the
Goddess of war, fate death; she went fully armed & carried two spears. The carrion crow is her favorite disguise. Goddess of rivers, lakes & fresh water. Patroness of priestesses & witches. Revenge, night, magick, prophecy.
Muses:
Greek, Goddesses of inspiration who vary in number depending upon the pantheon used.
Niamh:
Ireland. "Beauty"; "Brightness". A form of Badb who helps heroes at death.
Norns:
Celtic; the three sisters of the Wyrd. Responsible for weaving fate - past, present and future.
Rhiannon:
Wales; "The Great Queen" Goddess of birds and horses. Enchantments, fertility, and the Underworld. She rides a swift white horse.
Scathach

Scota
Scatha
Scath:
Ireland, Scotland. "Shadow, shade"; "The Shadowy One" "She who strikes fear"
Underworld Goddess of the Land of Scath. Dark Goddess; Goddess in the destroyer aspect. Also a warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Albion (Scotland) probably on the Isle of Skye and taught the martial arts. Patroness of blacksmiths, healing , magick, prophecy, martial arts.
White Lady:
Known in all Celtic countries. Dryad of death; identified with Macha; Queen of the
Dead; the Crone form of the Goddess. Death, Destruction, annihilation.

"The essential qualities of the dark moon are change and transformation. Today we are afraid of many of the dark moon and Dark Goddess teachings, such as alchemy, astrology, and other spiritual or psychological disciplines, which reveal information about the unconscious or subtle dimensions of being. The Bible has told us that they are evil and contrary to the will of God. Educators tell us they cannot be validated by scientific inquiry and its practitioners are labeled quacks. Yet it is these teachings, based on the timing of cyclical patterns that give us the guidance that enables us to pass through the dark nonphysical dimensions of being - of death and rebirth, endings and new beginnings, or spontaneous healings - with clarity and confidence instead of panic and terror. Philosophical traditions have repeatedly told us that the answers tot he ultimate questions of life and death are found, not in the external world, but deep within the dark recesses of our own minds." (Demetra George,
"Mysteries of the Dark Moon," page 51-52.)
In the psychology of humanity there occurred a polarization between the male gods who came from above, bearers of the light, the lightning and solar Gods of the nomadic invader- Aryans, Kurgans, Semites and Dorians, who came from the steppes of northern Europe, where "big sky" rules over the cold, forbidding earth and the female divinities, who dwelt in the fertile darkness of Earth and caves. Light was equated with good and dark with evil.
As the Goddess became distorted from an image of the compassionate mother, the source and sustainer of all life, into a symbol associated with the forces of darkness and evil, women, her earthly manifestations, were likewise considered impure, evil, and guilty of original sin - people who must be punished. Women who had sexual relations outside of the patriarchal monogamous marriage contract threatened the certainty of patriarchal bloodline transmission, and were ostracized and killed; their illegitimate children deprived of all legal rights and social acceptance." (George, 38)
The demise of the goddess and the rise of the gods can also be understood in terms of the changes that were occurring in the human brain during the period of transition.
Princeton University professor Julian Jaynes, in his controversial study of human consciousness, suggests that ancient people did not "think" as we do today.
People were 'bicameral,' directed by voices emanating from the right side of the brain and apprehended by the left side - voices that they treated as divine and obeyed unquestioningly until a series of natural disasters and the growing complexity of their society forced them to become, what we might call, conscious (around 1500 BCE).

The cosmology that developed during the reign of the Goddess arose from the kinds of thought processes that originate primarily out of the right brain. The right brain is feminine in polarity, circular in motion, intuitive in nature, and audile in emphasis.
The right brain is relational and unifying; it focuses on a holistic view of how things are similar and interconnected. It sees time as cyclical. Humanity then worshiped a feminine lunar deity who circled and ever-renewed Herself. She illumined the mystery where the end and beginning are the same point, touching back-to-back.
Peoples thus understood death and sex as precursors to rebirth. And they did not fear the darkness of death, the ecstasy of sexuality, or the Goddesses and Her priestesses, who facilitated their transition between lifetimes.
While Jaynes does not discuss the changeover from the Goddesses to the Gods, he does document the catastrophes and cataclysms that started to occur in the middle of the second millennium BCE. In Addition to the volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, and massive flooding, he sees widespread warfare and dislocation that has been previously identified as the patriarchal invasions. Jaynes suggests that the rational, logical, analytical mind, all functions of the left brain, was developed in order to assist humanity thru the increasing complexity of their changing world. He presents evidence that the left-brain functions became more active at this time and grew to influence the ways in which individuals perceived reality.
The left brain is masculine in polarity, linear in movement, logical in nature, and visual in perception. It has been most prevalent in the analytical, technological and scientific intellectualism of modern times. While the right brain focuses on how capacity for analysis and discrimination, and in the process it perceives a distinction between subject and object. This kind of dualistic view sees a separation between self and others, between us and them, and this perception inevitably leads to a war of opposites that yields an oppressor and victim. After 1500 BCE, when human beings began to operate primarily from the left brain, associated with the masculine principle, they began to see a distinction between themselves and the rest of creation.
Because they now feared the threat of being overwhelmed by external forces as something separate from themselves, there arose a desire to conquer the feminine principle, embodied in the Goddess, women, and nature, rather than to live in harmony with it. (George, pp 40-44)
"While the religion of the Goddess always included a concept of the Underworld, it was not a place of punishment. It was simply the gap between lifetimes, the dark womb of the Goddess, where one went to be purified, healed, and prepared for rebirth. It is the patriarchal monotheistic religions, operating out of left-brain

mentality, that conceived of a heaven and hell, with the he corresponding associations of good and evil, reward and punishment. And the hell of this wrathful
Father God was filled with unending sadistic torture and pervasive suffering.
Humanity then began to fear the darkness of death. Those who, during their lives, were not saved by a religious conversion to the Father faced a death of eternal torture and absolute finality. Their terror extended to the Dark Goddess of the Dark Moon, who was now only the death-bringer and no longer the renewer. When the Goddess became separated from her role in cyclical renewal, her third dark aspect became the horrifying image of feminine evil who seduced, devoured, and brought finality to the lives of human beings. The dark aspect of the goddess was then hated, persecuted, suppressed, and cast out into the predawn of history and into the depths of the unconscious.
Today the Dark Goddess, as the third aspect of the ancient Triple Goddess, represents many of the rejected aspects of the trinity of feminine wholeness. the teachings of the
Dark Goddess of the Dark Moon are concerned with divination, magic, healing, sacred sexuality, the nonphysical dimensions of being, and the mysteries of birth, death, and regeneration. These dark moon teachings, now called pseudo-sciences, have been rejected as legitimate areas of inquiry by modern religious and educational institutions.
The shadow, according to Junian psychology, is the dark, rejected part of the psyche.
It consists of all those qualities that we, as influenced by the values of our culture, do not feel are desirable or acceptable to express as part of our personalities. The shadow contains what we do not like about ourselves, what we find threatening, shameful, and inadequate, as well as certain valued and positive qualities that we are pressured to repress and disown.
The inherent nature of the original Dark Goddess, who brought both death and rebirth, has been repressed and denied for thousands of years. Her toxic releases, festering in exile, have distorted and poisoned our perceptions of an intrinsic aspect of the feminine nature. the Dark Goddess was then conceptualized as malefic, and her teachings concerning the dark, sex, and death were distorted. Our mythical literature abounds with images of the Dark Goddess as feminine evil. She was feared as the
Fates who, at the moment of our birth, determine the time of our death, as Nemesis, the Goddess of Judgment and swift retribution; as the Furies, who will hound a man to madness and death, medea, who killed her children; Circe, who transformed men into pigs; Medusa, who turned them to stone; the Lamia, who sucked their blood;
Lilith, who seduced them in order to breed demons; and Hekate, Queen of the
Witches, who snatched them into the Underworld." (Ibid, 43-44). In popular culture, there is no better representation of the Dark Goddess than the Alien mother who

fought Sigourney Weaver. Our fear, rage and disgust over the Dark Goddess can be mothers we expect/want them to be.
Ask someone to give a description of the personality type s/he finds most offensive, irritating, and impossible to get along with, and s/he will produce a description of his/her own repressed shadow!
"Jungian psychology tells us that in order to heal the wounds and suffering caused by denying and rejecting specs of our wholeness, we must first enter into our unconscious and develop a relationship with our shadow. It is necessary to recognize that all of these hated and ostracized parts of ourselves have a legitimate need to exist and be expressed. If we can affirm the full range of our essential human nature, acknowledging both the desirable and undesirable qualities, then we have the option to transform the more problematical energies that cause our pain and suffering into constructive activity that will benefit our lives and relationships.
We need to go into our darkness and make our peace with all the lost parts of ourselves in order to redeem the healing and renewal that reside in the dark.
The hero or heroine's journey into the underworld to reclaim the stolen treasure from the monster is not an easy quest, and is fraught with many dangers. As we move toward accepting the wholeness of our beings, we will inevitably have to revise our fears of the dark.
And so we must invoke and praise the Dark Goddess, who has been banished to the neglected corners of our psyches. Her ultimate function is to facilitate the transformation that occurs in t he dark. She provokes the death of our ego selves, of our old forms, and of our false assumptions, so that we can give birth to the new. Our personal healing experiences then become the training ground for the compassion that permeates our potentialities as a wounded healer. The mystery of the Dark Moon
Goddess is that death and birth are the twin faces of her cosmic orgasm with the Sun
God each month at the new moon conjunction. Fulfilled in love, she then circles, ever turning around the earth, and sends forth a shower of blessings with the knowledge that there is no annihilation." (Ibid 55-58)

Demeter the Greek Earth goddess par excellence, who brings forth the fruits of the
Earth, particularly the various grains. She taught mankind the art of sowing and plowing so they could end their nomadic existence. As such, Demeter was also the goddess of planned society. She was very popular with the rural population. As a fertility goddess she is sometimes identified with Rhea and Gaia.
In systematized theology, Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of
Zeus by whom she became the mother of Persephone. When Persephone was abducted by Hades, lord of the underworld, Demeter wandered the Earth in search of her lost child. During this time the Earth brought forth no grain. Finally Zeus sent
Hermes to the underworld, ordering Hades to restore Persephone to her mother.
However, before she left, Hades gave her a pomegranate. When she ate from it, she was bound to spend a third of the year with her husband in the infernal regions. Only when her daughter is with her, Demeter lets things grow. The dying and blossoming of nature was thus connected with Demeter.
In the Eleusinian mysteries, Demeter and Persephone were especially venerated.
When she was looking for her daughter, in the shape of an old woman called Doso, she was welcomed by Celeus, the king of Eleusis. He requested her to nurse his sons
Demophon and Triptolemus. To reward his hospitality she intended to make the boy
Demophon immortal by placing him each night in the hearth, to burn his mortal nature away. The spell was broken one night because Metanira, the wife of Celeus, walked in on her while she was performing this ritual. Demeter taught the other son,
Triptolemus, the principles of agriculture, who in turn, taught others this art. In
Demeter's honor as a goddess of marriage, women in Athens, and other centers in
Greece, celebrated the feast of Thesmophoria. Throughout Classical times members of all social strata came from all parts of the Mediterranean world to be initiated in and celebrate her Mysteries at Eleusis.
In ancient art, Demeter was often portrayed sitting as a solemn woman, often wearing a wreath of braided ears of corn. Well-known is the statue made by Knidos mid-4th century B.C.E. Her usual symbolic attributes are the fruits of the earth and the torch, the latter presumably referring to her search for Persephone. Her sacred animals were the snake and the pig. Some of her epithets include Auxesia, Deo, Chloe, and Sito.
The Romans equated her with the goddess Ceres.

Ankt
A spear-carrying war goddess, Ankt is depicted wearing a curved and feathered crown.
Anuket
Anuket, a water goddess, was especially adored at Aswan and on the sacred island of
Seheil. Her name means the "embracer" and may refer to the embrace of the Nile waters by the river's banks. In Hieroglyphs she is seen wearing a feather headdress.
Bastet
Bastet, the cat goddess, is the patroness of the domestic cat and the home. She is often seen in human form with the head of a cat holding the sacred rattle known as the sistrim. Her center of worship was located at Bubastis in the Delta Region. Bastet is also associated with the eye of Ra, the sun god, and acts as an instrument of his vengeance.
Hathor
Worshipped as a sky goddess and a cow-deity, Hathor is depicted either in cow or human form wearing a sun disk between the horns of a cow as a crown. She is often symbolized by the papyrus reed, the snake and the sacred sistrim. Sirius was her sacred star. Hathor was the patroness of all women, artists, music, dance, and happiness. She is often traditionally present in all ancient Egyptian tombs to ensure safe passage into the after world.
Het
Her, "maker of invisible existences apart", is the Egyptian serpent goddess who rules fire.
Isis
Isis, a goddess that became universally worshiped, is associated with love, motherhood, marital devotion, healing, eternal life, and the casting of magical spells

and charms. Isis is the goddess of day, while her twin sister, Nephthys is the goddess of night. Her sacred symbol is an amulet called the tyet. She is the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus.
Ma'at
Ma'at is the Egyptian goddess of Truth and Justice and the underworld. She passed judgment over the souls of the dead in the Judgment Hall of Osiris. The "Law of Ma'at was the basis of civil laws in ancient Egypt.
Mafdet
Mafdet, "The Lady of the Castle of Life", was an early (1st Dynasty) Egyptian goddess.
Her sacred animals were the cat and the mongoose. She was invoked to help cure snakebites.
Meskhoni
Meskhoni is an Egyptian birth goddess symbolized by a human-headed brick.
Egyptian women crouched on this goddess' image during labor. Meskhoni appeared at the precise moment when contractions began and remained through the delivery to predict the future of the newborn. She often appeared as a woman wearing palm shoots on her head.
Mut
Mut is seen as the mother, the nurturing force behind all things while her husband
Amen is the great energy or creative force. In ancient Egyptian, "mut" means mother.
Neb-Ti
The ruling goddess of the north, Uadgit, and south, Nekhebet and a political symbol of the unification of Egypt.
Nekhebet
Nekhebet is the vulture headed goddess of the Nile's source. She and the goddess
Uadgit formed the Neb-Ti, a symbol of the political unification of Egypt. She is also the patroness of laboring women and combined her political and motherly roles in her mystic task of suckling the pharaohs-to-be.

Nephthys
The twin sister of Isis, Nephthys is the goddess of night, the protectress of the dead and the guardian of the lungs of the deceased.
Qadesh
Qadesh, the "Holy One," rides a lion and holds out snakes and lotus buds. She embodies the sacramental reverence toward sexuality as an expression of divine force.
Renenet
When an Egyptian child is born, Renenet pronounces its name, defines its personality and bestows its fortune. Renenet is the personification of the force of nurturing and its effect on a child's destiny. In a larger sense, she is the earth itself, which offers milk and grain to her people, who worship her as the goddess of the double granary.
Sati
Sati, "she who runs like an arrow", also known as Satis and Satet, is an Egyptian archer goddess who personified the waterfalls of the river Nile. Her sanctuary was at
Sekhmet
Sekhmet is the lion goddess and her worship was centered in Memphis. Her name means "powerful" and she was created from the fire in Ra's eyes as a goddess of vengeance against sinful humans.
Selkhet
The beautiful scorpion goddess and guardian of the dead, Selkhet has her scorpion strike death to the wicked. She also saves the lives of the innocent stung by a scorpion. She is one of the deities who led the deceased into the afterlife and offered instructions in the customs of the otherworld. She symbolized rebirth after death.
Shait
Shait is the goddess of human destiny. Invisible, Shait observes a human's virtues and vices, crimes and secret crimes. Based on her intimate knowledge of each person, she

spoke the final judgment of the soul at a human's death.
Sheshat
"The mistress of the house of books", Sheshat is the inventor of writing and the secretary of heaven. She is also the "mistress of the house of architects", the goddess that studies the stars to determine the axes of new buildings. She invented mathematics and is the appointed goddess of fate who measures the length of our lives with palm branches.
Tefnut
Tefnut is the goddess of daybreak and associated with themountains from which the sun rises.
Uadgit
The sovereign cobra goddess of lower Egypt and the Nile delta. Uadgit joined with
Nekhebet to form the "two mistrersses" of the land called the Neb-Ti, a political symbol of the unification of Egypt.

I am Freya, great queen of the northern people
I am mother and lover and ruler
I am the mistress of magic
I am the goddess of the full and shining moon
At this season of Yule I am full of light
Filled with the child of promise
As you see me shining full and radiant, see yourself
For you are also filled with light
As I cradle deep the child of promise
I must nurture myself completely
Feed my soul and my body and my mind
The most precious things
For I have a deep binding obligation to myself
And to the light which grows within me
I feel my body swell to fullness and
I know the time is now
Birth holds both joy and pain
There is ripping and giving way
For the new life to spring forth
Have you felt my pain
Open yourself and let the miracle occur
The babe is born
When I look upon the child of light
I see I have given birth to myself
And that I have given birth to you
We are the light and
We have returned to the world
I welcome you my children
For the child of light
The child of promise
Is indeed ourselves
Let us bless and honor the child
Nurture it and it shall grow strong
For now it has a life of its own
I have held you in my belly and
Given you the gift of life
I gift you with your body and mind and spirit
I gift you with that special quality

That is yours alone
I gift you with the blessings of the world
I gift you with the powers of magick
And the magick of rebirth
What will you make of my gifts?
What will you give me in return?
Do you honor me with your accomplishments?
Your loving nature?
Do you honor me by honoring the earth?
By adoring the moon and sun
And all of creation?
I charge you to go out into the world and
Make me proud of you
For to do otherwise is a disservice
To me and to yourself

daughter of Chaos. She was the mother and wife of Father Heaven, who was personified as Uranus. They were the parents of the earliest living creatures, the
Titans, the Cyclopes, and the Giants the Hecatoncheires (Hundred-Headed Ones).
Fearing and hating the monsters, although they were his sons, Uranus imprisoned them in a secret place in the earth, leaving the Cyclopes and Titans at large. Gaea, enraged at this favoritism, persuaded her son, the Titan Cronus, to overthrow his father. He emasculated Uranus, and from his blood Gaea brought forth another race of monsters, the Giants, and the three avenging goddesses the Erinyes. Her last and most terrifying off-spring was Typhon, a 100-headed monster, who, although conquered by the god Zeus, was believed to spew forth the molten lava flows of
Mount Etna.

Who is Gaia?
Goddess of Life
Holy Symbol: Encircled Tree
Gaia is the daughter of Arawyn the all creator.
Her brother is Galmachis god of death.
When followers look at trees and the earth below they believe that to be the embodiment of Gaia.
Followers of Gaia believe that the earth and all living things must be preserved.
Above all things life is precious and must be treated as such. Gaia's worshipers will constantly be seen planting seeds and growing life.
Gaia's worshipers give offerings at shrines built at the base of an old tree in the woods.
These shrines are randomly found throughout the forest.
Strictures
Gaia allows her clerics to fight with a mace or staff during times of combat.
Followers of Gaia will never willingly take the life of another and will make every attempt to save a life.
Followers should spend at least one hour of their day communing with their living surroundings.
Worshipers should leave offerings of food and flowers at Gaia's shrines.

I am the Goddess of a thousand names and infinite capacity.
All Her gifts are mine.
All Her powers reside in me.
I am Athena of Greece.
Life my totem, the owl, I am wise
For I see and hear everything around and within me
Like the oak, I am strong for the olive of peace is sacred to me.
I am Bast, cat goddess of Egypt
I am graceful, flexible, playful and affectionate
I radiate the warmth and light of the glorious sun.
I am Cerridwen of Wales
My magic cauldron contains food for the soul
An inexhaustible source of wisdom and inspiration
The more I give, the more I receive.
I am Diana, Roman goddess of the ever-changing moon.
I am a protectress of women and children
A guardian of the wild
I focus my aim on my heart's desire and draw it to me.
I am Ereshkigal, Assyro-Babylonian goddess of the underworld
Queen of the Great Below
I shed dead skin to grow
Deep powers of renewal are mine.
I am Freya, Well-beloved Nordic Lady
I survey the beauty of my world in joyous flight
I celebrate and honor the bonds between friends and lovers.
I am Gaia, Greek Earth Mother
Grounded and centered in the rhythms and patterns of chaos
I emerge to create my usiverse.
I am Hecate of Greece
Triple Goddess of the crossroads of choice

I balance by powers of thought and my emotion
I choose the path I walk
The torch of my reason is illumined by my brilliant intuition.
I am Isis, Egyptian Queen of the World
I offer healing and transformation to all in need
I hold the power to shape my world.
I am Jagad-Yoni, Hindu universal yoni, womb of the world
I am the gatekeeper of the next generation
I choose the life that emerges through me
I use my power wisely.
I am Kwan-Yin of Buddhist China, goddess of compassion
I hear and comfort the wounds of the world
I welcome children and teach the magic of change.
I am Liban, Irish mermaid goddess
I revel in the healing power of pleasure
Quench your thirst at my sacred well.
I am Maat of Egypt
Truth, justice and law are the natural order of my universe
Harmony arises as I attune to my divine will.
I am Nu-Kua, Chinese dragon-tailed creatress
I restore the cosmic equilibrium
I form community among women and men
Connecting in equality of love and respect.
I am Old Spider goddess of Micronesia
I created the moon, the sea, the sky, the sun
And the earth from a single clamshell
All the vast and varied universe is present
In the smallest forms of life.
As above, so below
As within, so without.
I am Pele, Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes
My fiery energy erupts from my core to create new worlds
I flow easily over obstacles in my path.

I am Qedeshet of Syria
I balance lightly on the lion I ride
Laughter lifts me from the pull of gravity
The lotus blossom I hols and the serpents I carry
Symbolize the life and health I bring.
I am Rhiannon, horsewoman, Divine Queen of Wales
My steady pace is swift and smooth
I travel freely through the world, safe, serene and secure
My winged friends can wake the dead
And lull the living to sleep.
I am Sedna of the Eskimos
Know and honor me through my animals
Bears, whales and seals
All creatures of the land and sea are part of me.
We share the right to be.
I am Tiamat of Babylon, primordial sea-serpent
I am the great mother womb
Who brought forth the earth and heavens
I dive deep into the watery unconscious
To find the treasures buried there.
I am Uttu, Chaldean-Sumerian goddess of waving and vegatation
I offer shelter and nourishment to all who know me
We weed and clothe each other through our work.
I am Vasudhara, Hindu goddess of abundance
My six arms hold everything you need and offer it to you
Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Center, Spirit
Purpose, Love, Passion, Wisdom, Here, Now.
I am Wite woman of Honduras
I descend from heaven to build my temple on earth
And return as a glorious bird.
I honor and express my true spirit
My beauty is beyond compare.
I am Xochiquetzal, Aztec goddess of flowers, love,

spinning, weaving, singing and dancing.
I am an Original Woman
I delight in sharing my many gifts.
I am Yemaya, Nigerian Fish Mother, Brazilian Voodoo mermaid
Lakes, rivers and oceans are my home
The waters of life belong to me
We cleanse and sustain each other.
I am Zoc, Gnostic Acon of Life
Mother of All Living
I am the embodiment of growth and vitality
I am unique life energy.
I am the Goddess of a thousand names and infinite capacity
All Her gifts are mine
All Her powers reside in me.
We are the Goddess of a thousand names and infinite capacity
All Her gifts are mine
All Her powers reside in me.
You are the Goddess of a thousand names and infinite capacity
All Her gifts are thine
All Her powers reside in thee.

Place left hand on breast, with right hand raise Athame up and out. Bring Athame to your lips, kiss it, extend it again and return to your side in original position.

Italy. Goddess who protects children when they leave the parental house for the first time.
Italy. Goddess of abundance, prosperity, and good fortune.
Greece. Goddess of the moon and healing (Her name means "She Who Drives
Pain Away").
Italy. Goddess who protects children when they return to the parental house after they've left home.
Ireland. Goddess of love and fertility; fairy queen.
Ireland. Goddess of medicinal plants and keeper of the spring that brings the dead back to life; She is the daughter of the Irish God of medicine, Dianceht.
Greece. Goddess of Midwinter, the new year, stateliness, beauty and wisdom.
Greece. Goddess of the sea, the moon, calmness, and tranquility.
Italy. Goddess who feeds the unborn child.
Greece. Goddess of barley flour, destiny and the moon.
Greece. Goddess of wine, friendships, and the relationships between nations.
Italy. Goddess of healing.
A ngina
Italy. Goddess of health, especially for sore throats.
Italy. Goddess of healing and witchcraft.
Italy. Goddess of secrecy and protectress of ancient Rome; She is depicted holding a finger to Her closed mouth.
Italy. Goddess of the new year, and human and vegetative reproduction.

Australia. Goddess who forms infants from mud and places them into their mother's womb.
Italy. Goddess of prophecy and childbirth.
Ireland. Goddess of fertility, comfort and prosperity.
Greece. Goddess of sexual love.
Italy. Patroness of witches and founder of Strega, the Italian tradition of
Wicca; She is the daughter of the Italian goddess Diana and Her brother, the Italian god of the sun, Lucifer.
Wales. Goddess of the sky, the stars, beauty, fertility, and reincarnation; keeper of the cycling silver wheel of stars the symbol of time/karma (Her name means
"Silver Wheel").
New Zealand. Goddess of the stars.
Greece. Goddess of the hunt, the night, and virgins; guardian of women during childbirth.
Greece. Goddess of spiders; weaver of fate and destiny.
Greece. Goddess of the stars and justice (Her name means "The Star Maiden").
Greece. Goddess of wisdom, the arts, industry, justice, and skills.
Atro pos
Greece. Fate who with Her shears cuts off the thread of human life.
Greece. Goddess of growth.
Gaul. Goddess of midwifery.
Italy. Kind and gentle old woman who every January 5th, comes to give candy to the good children of the world, and lumps of coal to the bad children.
Ireland. Goddess of light and fire, the forge, and crafts; She is the wife of the
Irish god of metal crafts, Belenos.
Greece. Goddess of power and force (Her name means "force").

Italy. Goddess of fertility and chastity; She was worshiped by Roman matrons.
Wales, Manx. Goddess of love and beauty; lady of the lake; Venus of the northern seas.
Spain, Ireland, France, Wales. Goddess of fire, fertility, occult knowledge, inspiration, poetry, divination, feminine arts and crafts, healing, love and witchcraft
(Her name means "Power").
Italy. Goddess and protectress of domestic animals.
Italy. Goddess of hearth.
Greece. Muse of eloquence and epic or heroic poetry (Her name means
"Beautiful Voice").
Italy. Goddess of childbirth (Her name means "To Bring Forth Life").
Italy. Goddess of thresholds, doorways, and health; protectress of sleeping children from night spirits who may try to harm them.
Italy. Goddess of prophecy and midwifery; She assists women in labor and can tell the future of the newborn.
Italy. Goddess of health and doorways; associated with bodily organs, especially the heart.
Cer es
Italy. Goddess of agriculture and the love a mother bares for her child(ren)
Greece. Goddess of the spring and flowers.
Italy. Goddess of marriage.
Italy. Goddess of clemency and mercy.
Cl otho
Greece. Muse of history.
Greece. Fate who spends the thread of human life (Her name means “The
Spinner”).

Ireland, Wales. Goddess of beauty; fairy queen.
Italy. Goddess of marital harmony.
Italy. Goddess of peace.
Italy. Goddess of wealth and plenty, She is depicted carrying the cornucopia, the “horn of plenty”.
Ireland, Wales. Goddess of love and beauty.
Italy. Goddess of infants who blesses them with peaceful sleep.
Italy. Goddess of infants who protects them while they sleep in their cribs.
Italy. Goddess of human life (it was said that Cura was the first to fashion humans from clay)
Ireland, Britain. Goddess of fertility associated with the month of May.
Dea Dia
Italy. Goddess of growth.
Italy. Goddess of childbirth.
Italy. Goddess of motherhood and protectress of young mothers.
Italy. Goddess of the hunt, the moon, virgins, childbirth, and witchcraft; mother of the Italian patroness Aradia, and consort of the Italian God Lucifer; She is depicted as a huntress accompanied with deer (Her name means “The Shining One”).
Greece. Goddess of justice.
Greece. Goddess of love, divination and prophecy associated with nature and the Earth; mother of the Grecian Goddess Aphrodite.
Italy. Goddess who escorts children safely back home.
Wales. Mother Goddess; mother of the Welsh God Gwydion and wife of the
Irish God Beli; Her Irish counterpart was Danu.
D ruantia
Ireland. Goddess of fertility, protection, knowledge, trees, creativity, and

sexual activities (Her name means “Queen of the Druids”).
Italy. Goddess of infants, who blesses their food.
Italy. Goddess who helps children learn to eat.
Greece. Goddess of childbirth who assisted women during labor.
Empad a
Italy. Goddess who personified the idea of generosity and openness.
Greece. Goddess of dawn.
Greece. Muse of lyrical poetry, particularly love and erotic poetry.
Italy. Goddess of childbirth.
Greece. Goddess of legistration and order.
Italy. Goddess of personified fame and popular rumor.
Italy. Goddess of fertility and wildlife; Earth Mother.
Italy. Goddess of health who protects humans from fever.
Italy. Goddess of love and purification associated with the month of February.
Italy. Goddess of fertility.
Italy. Goddess of good luck.
Italy. Goddess of good faith and honesty; guardian of honesty and integrity in all dealings between individuals and groups (Her name means "Faith"). baby).
Italy. Goddess of the Spring, flowers and infants (pray to Flora for a healthy
Italy. Goddess of the womb and baking bread (Her name means "Oven").
Italy. Goddess of fertility, good fortune, and blessings.
Germany, Norway. Goddess of love, beauty, and healing.

Germany, Norway. Goddess of love; patroness of marriage and fecundity; She reunites parted lovers and presides over married love.
Greece. Goddess of the Earth and fertility; Earth Mother.
Greece. Goddess of beauty and gracefulness; They are Thalia ("Good Cheer"),
Aglaia/Aglaea ("Splendor"), and Euphrosyne ("Mirth").
Gwenn Teir Bro nn
Ireland. Goddess of motherhood.
Greece. Goddess of harmony and concord.
Greece. Goddess of youth.
Greece. Goddess of marriage and childbirth; wife of the Grecian God Zeus.
Greece. Goddess of hearth, who presides over domestic life.
Italy. Goddess of time and beauty.
Greece. Goddess of health.
Greece. Goddess of healing.
Greece. Goddess of nurturing energy.
Greece. Goddess and protectress of midwives and those who assisted women during childbirth.
Italy. Goddess of the ax, who guards new mothers from evil spirits; protectress of children.
Ir ene/Eirene
Greece. Goddess of peace.
Greece. Goddess of the rainbow; She is the messenger of the Gods to mankind particularly to the Grecian goddess Hera whose orders She brings to humans; She is depicted as a young woman with wings, a herald's staff and a water pitcher and mainly appears on Greek vases.
Italy. Goddess of justice.

Wales. Goddess of fertility, regeneration, inspiration, astrology, herbs, knowledge, poetry, spells and the moon.
Greece. Fate who measures the length of thread of human life.
Italy. Goddess of the home (pray to Larunda for a safe and blessed home).
Italy. Goddess of the Earth and fertility.
Italy. Goddess of sexual pleasure.
Italy. Goddess of liberty.
Germany, Norway. Goddess of passionate love.
Italy. Goddess of childbirth.
Italy. Goddess of the moon, who regulates the months and seasons of the year.
Italy. Goddess of healing.
Italy. Goddess of Spring warmth and sexual heat.
Italy. Goddess of honor and reverence.
Italy. Goddess of women from birth until death (alternative name of the
Italian goddess Juno).
Italy. Goddess of the dawn; protectress of newborn babes.
Italy. Goddess of healing.
Italy. Goddess of menstruation.
Italy. Goddess of the mind and consciousness.
Greece. Goddess of wisdom; mother of the Grecian goddess Athena.
Italy. Goddess of wisdom, medicine, the arts, commerce, sciences and trades; patroness of physicians.

Greece. Goddess of memory.
Greece. Goddess of fate.
Italy. Guardian of finances.
Italy. Goddess of childbirth and protectress of infants.
Greece. Goddess of victory.
Greece. Goddesses who assist women during childbirth by easing the pain.
Italy. Goddess of fetal formation who was called upon by a pregnant mother in her ninth month when her child was due to be born (Her name means "Ninth").
Greece. Goddess of the night.
Italy. Goddess of childbirth.
Italy. Goddess of the Earth, abundance, fertility, and wealth (Her name means
"Plenty").
Italy. Goddess who was invoked by parents who became childless, and begged
Her to grant them children again.
Italy. Goddess of skeletal structures and strengthener of fetal bones.
Greece. Goddess of Summer, especially Midsummer, and ruler of the night sky
(She is known as the "Queen of the Winds").
Italy. Patroness who presides over the fertility and health of domestic animals.
Greece. Goddess of healing and herbs who symbolizes the power of healing through herbs (Her name means "All Heal/Universal Cure").
Greece. Goddess of the sun (Her name means "All Bright").
Italy. Goddess of childbirth (Her name means "Create/To Give Birth").
Italy. Sister goddesses of fate.

Italy. Goddess of childbirth.
Italy. Goddess who protects children against sudden fright.
Italy. Goddess of peace.
Italy. Goddess who presides over money.
Greece. Goddess of persuasion and seduction.
Italy. Goddess invoked to ward off enemies.
Italy. Goddess of love and sex who presides over newlyweds and their first sexual intercourse.
Greece. Goddess of affection.
Italy. Goddess of justice.
Greece. Muse of eloquence, dance and the sacred hymn.
Italy. Goddess of infants who blesses their drinks; She is the sister of the
Italian goddesses Edulica and Cuba.
Ireland. Wales. Goddess of fertility, enchantment, horses and birds (Her name means "The Great Queen").
Ireland. Goddess of fire, abundance, wealth and warmth.
Italy. Goddess of nursing mothers; protectress of animals and infants.
Germany, Norway. Goddess of the past, memories and poetry.
Italy. Goddess of weddings.
Italy. Goddess of prosperity and hearth (Her name means "Salvation").
Goddess of wisdom.
Goddess of persuasion, especially in love.

Ireland. Patroness of healing and magick.
Italy. Goddess of security.
Greece. Goddess of the moon and solutions; patroness of magicians, sorceresses, and conjurers; She will bring a logical answer to any problem.
Italy. Goddess who heightens feelings and brings forth a child's awareness.
Britain, Ireland. Goddess of fertility.
Gaul. Goddess of astronomy.
Germany, Norway. Goddess of human passions, it's Her duty to stop fights between married couples.
Germany, Norway. Goddess of virtue (Her name means "Mistress of All
Knowledge").
Italy. Goddess of hope.
Italy. Goddess of protection, especially against fires.
Italy. Goddess who stimulates the passion in women.
Italy. Goddess of health and protectress of the young.
Italy. Goddess of vigor who gives energy to the weak and tired.
Ireland. Goddess of fresh waters.
Greece. Muse of comedy and light poetry.
Greece. Goddess of light; mother of the dawn.
Greece. Goddess of the divine right order of things as sanctioned by law and custom; mother of Clotho, Lachesis and Atropus.
Greece. Goddess of fortune, chance and luck.

Greece, Italy. Protectress of the newly married.
Greece. Goddess of childbirth.
Greece. Muse of astrology and astronomy.
Italy. Goddess of love and beauty.
Norway, Germany. Norn of necessity (represents the past fate of one's life).
Italy. Goddess of justice and truth (Her name means "Truth").
Italy. Goddess of love and sexuality.
Italy. Goddess of hearth.
Italy. Goddess of victory.
Italy. Goddess of victory.
Italy. Goddess invoked by women praying to continue to be exciting to their husbands.
Italy. Goddess and protectress of the nursery.
Italy. Goddess of sensual pleasures.
Norway, Germany. Goddess and guardian of marriage and contracts.
Italy. Goddess of destiny, the new year, reproduction, the oracle, and matron of gardeners.

Sunday- Sunne, Frau Sonne, Aditi, Amaterasu, Arinna, Izanami, Ochumare
Monday- Luna, Selene, Diana, Re, Gealach, Ida, Artemis, Yemaya, Erzulie
Tuesday- Pingalla, Anna, Aine, Danu, Yngona, Bellona, Aida Wedo, SunWoman
Wednesday- Isis, Demeter, Ceres, Spider Woman, Bona Dea, Oya, Devi-Kali,Hella,
Rhiannon, Coatlique
Thursday- Juno, Hera, Kwan Yin, Mary, Cybele, Tara, Mawu, Waresa, Ishtar
Friday- Freya, Astarte, Aphrodite, Erzulie, Eve, Venus, Isis, Diana,Chalchiuhtlique
Saturday- Ops, Rhea, Tellus mater, Gaia, Eartha, Ge, Ashera, the Shekinah,Mary,
Demeter, Herodias
Goddesses of the Zodiac:
Aries = Athena, The Morrigan, Minerva
Taurus = Hathor, Isis, Io, Venus, Selene
Gemini = Kali, Parvati, Tefnut, Leda
Cancer = Ix Chel, Ida, Selene, Luna
Leo = Arinna, Cybele, Neshto, Juno
Virgo = Kwan Yin, Bel, Inanna, Diana, Ishtar
Libra = Ishtar, Aphrodite, Dike, Themis
Scorpio = Pele, Tiamat, Ishara, Selket
Sagittarius = Artemis, Diana, Pingala
Capricorn = Awehai, Ida, Amalthea, Vesta
Aquarius = Mawu, Cybele, Sophia, Iris, Juno
Pisces = Nammu, Anuit, Aphrodite, Dione
Goddesses of the Month:
January = Juno, Hera, Hestia, Brigid
February = Brigid, White Buffalo Woman, Juno Februa
March = Ra-Nuit, Artemis, Minerva
April = Aphrodite, Ishtar, Artemis, Astarte, Eostre Venus, Terra , Erzulie
May = Maia, Flora, Tanith, Bel, Mary, Hera
June = Ishtar, Athena, Demeter, Juno, Persephone, Luna, Hera, Mawu
July = Ishtar, Apet, Athena, Demeter, Persephone, Spider Woman.

August = Ishtar, Ceres, Lakshmi, Hesperus
September= Hathor, Ishtar, Yemaya, Menkhet, Pomona
October = Hathor, Demeter, Ceres, the Horae
November = Sekhmet, Demeter, Diana, Kali, Astrae
December = Vesta, Hestia, Befana, Sekhmet, Oya
Hestia 26 December - 22 January
Bridhe 23 January - 19 February
Moura 20 February - 19 March
Columbina 20 March - 17 April
Maia 18 April - 15 May
Hera 16 May - 12 June
Rosea 13 June - 10 July
Kerea 11 July - 8 August
Hesperis 9 August - 5 September
Mala 6 September - 2 October
Hathor 3 October - 30 October
Cailleach/Samhain- 31 October - 27 November
Astraea 28 November - 25 December
Goddesses for the days of the Moon/month:
1 (new moon) Hathor, Isis, Anahit, Selene, Juno, Lucina, Luna, Re, Blodeuwedd.
2 Selene, Luna, the Mothers, Gos, Arstat, Saoka
3 Athena, the Witch of Gaeta, Rata
4 Hathor, Isis, Selene, Luna
5 Maat, the Erinyes, Eric, Terra, the Eumenides
6 Artemis, Erzulie, the Mothers
7 the Sabbatu, Leto, Luna, Arstat
8 Selene, Luna, Ata Bey
9 Rhea, Selene, Spider Woman
10 Anahit, Anaitis, White Buffalo Calf Woman

11 Kista, Athena, Minerva, Sophia, Changing Woman
12 Demeter, Oddudua, Dikaiosune
13 The Muses, Diana, Oya, the Corn Mothers
14 Ishtar, Selene, Gos, Aida Wedo, the Lady, the Great Mother
15 Ishtar, Luna, Mene, Anna Perenna, Mary, Hina, Arianrhod, Aradia, Diana, Cybele,
Mah
16 Levanah, Selene, Luna, Kwan Yin, Chalchiuhtlique
17 Ashi Vanguhi, Arstat, Kista, Demeter, Luna, Aida Wedo
18 Ochumare, Mawu, Copper Woman
19 The Manes, Ashi Vanguhi, Minerva
20 Selene, Tonantzin, Coatlique, Mary
21 Drvaspa, Hera, Athene, Medusa
22 Re, Gealach, Rhiannon, Selene, Mayauel
23 Venus, Aphrodite, Oshun, Erzulie, Freya, Xochiquetzl
24 Daena, Kista, Ochumare, Maat, Sophia, Chang-O
25 Ashi Vanguhi, Ard, Kista, Athena
26 Arstat, Cerridwen, Copper Woman, Mother Holle
27 Diana, Hecate, Maman Brigette, Oya
28 Zamyad, Tellus Mater, Hemera, Eos
29 Hecate, Tonantzin, Nyx, Rhiannon, Eurydice
30 Hecate, Mene, Hecate Prosmna, the moon Goddess, the Dark Maiden, the Crone.

Gaea
Gaea is the earth goddess. With Uranus she bore the rest of the Titans. She is regarded as all-producing and all-nourishing, and one of the deities of presiding over marriage.
Mnemosyne
The goddess of Memory, Mnemosyne, mated with Zeus to produce the 9 Muses.
Phoebe
By her brother Coeus she is the mother of Asteria and Leto. Through Leto, she is the grandmother of Apollo and Artemis.
Rhea
Rhea was the wife of the Titan Cronus, who made it a practice to swallow their children. When Zeus was about to be born, she bore him in secret and gave Cronus a stone wrapped as an infant to swallow.
Tethys
Tethys the wife of Oceanus and gave birth to around 3,000 river-gods and the
Oceanides. Hera was raised by Tethys until she was ready to marry Zeus.
Theia
The wife of her brother Hyperion, by him Theia gave birth to Helios (sun), Eos
(dawn), and Selene (moon). She is the goddess from whom light emanates and considered especially beautiful.
Themis
Themis is the goddess of the order of things established by law, custom and ethics. By
Zeus' command, she convenes the assembly of the gods, and she is invoked when mortals assemble. She is the mother of the Horae (seasons), the Hesperides and
Prometheus.

Olympians
Aphrodite
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was born from the foam of the sea. She is married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithy to the gods. Sacred to her are the myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, sparrow, dove, swan, swallow, tortoise, ram, the planet
Venus, and the month of April. Eros was produced from a liaison with Zeus. Her favorite lover is the god of war, Ares.
Artemis
Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, virginity, the moon, and the natural environment.
She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. Even though she is a virgin goddess, she also presides over childbirth. Sacred to her are the laurel, fir tree, fish, stag, boar, bear, dog, goat, bee and other animals.
Athena
Athena is the Greek virgin goddess of reason in war and peace, intelligent activity, arts and literature, and useful arts. She sprang full grown from Zeus' head rather than being born by a woman. She is Zeus' favorite and is allowed to use his weapons including his thunderbolt. Sacred to her are the olive, serpent, owl, lance, and crow.
She invented the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke, the ship, and the chariot.
Demeter
Demeter is the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane. She is the mother of Persephone by Zeus. During the months Persephone lives with Hades,
Demeter withdraws her gifts from the world, creating winter. Upon Persephone's return, spring comes into bloom.
Hera
Hera is the supreme goddess of the Greeks and goddess of marriage and childbirth, and wife to Zeus. Her children are Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus and Eris. Sacred to her are the peacock, pomegranate, lily and cuckoo. She is extremely jealous of Zeus' amorous

adventures and punishes his mortal lovers.
Hestia
Hestia is the virgin goddess of the hearth and of domestic life, and the inventor of domestic architecture. Of all the Olympians, she is the mildest, most upright and most charitable.
Other Goddesses
Alecto
Alecto is one of the three Furies or Erinyes and sometimes known as a Greek goddess of war and death.
Arete
Arete is the Greek goddess of justice and teacher of Heracles.
The Charities
The Charities are personifications of aspects of grace and beauty. They are called
Aglaia (Splendor), Euphrosyne (Mirth), and Thalia (Good Cheer). While the Muses inspire artists, the Charities apply the artists' works to the embellishment of life.
Cer
The Greek goddess of violent death, Cer (or Ker) is the daughter of Nyx ("night") and sister of the Moriae ("fates"). This name was also used of the malevolent ghost of any dead person.
Cotys
Coyts the goddess of sexuality was revered in Thrace. There here servants, the baptai
("baptized ones"), celebrated secret festivals in her honor.
Dryads
Dryads (Hamadryads) are elemental forces incarnated in a bark-like body. Theywere

usually female and mortal, dying when the tree died. A dryad will punish mortals for thoughtlessly breaking her branches or harming her.
Eos
Eos is the goddess of dawn, daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and sister of
Helios and Selene. She is the mother of the evening star Eosphorus (Hesperus), other stars, and the winds Boreas, Zephyrus and Notus. When she was caught in a tryst with Ares, Aphrodite cursed her with an insatiable desire for handsome young men.
She most often appears winged or in a chariot drawn by four horses, one of them being Pegasus.
The Erinyes
The Erinyes (Eumenides) names are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. They are solemn maidens dressed as huntresses, wear bands of serpents around their heads, and carry torches. They pursue wrongdoers and torment them in ways that make the criminals wish they were dead. Crimes that especially draw their attention are disobedience toward parents, ill-treatment of the elderly, murder, violation of the law of hospitality, and improper conduct toward suppliants.
Eris
Eris is the goddess of discord and the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She is obsessed with bloodshed, havoc, and suffering. She calls forth war and her brother Ares carries out the action.
Hecate
Hecate brings good luck to sailors and hunters or can withhold these blessings if undeserved, so fear became a motivating factor in her worship. When Persephone was found with Hades, Hecate remained with her as attendant and companion and as a result has a share in the ruling over the souls in the underworld. Because of her unearthly aspect she is regarded as a kind of queen of witches.
The Horae
The Horae are the goddesses of the seasons and the orderly procession of things in general. They are also the collective personification of justice. Hesoid, who saw them as givers of the law, justice and peace gave them the names Eunomia (Discipline),

Dice (Justice) and Eirene (Peace). At Athens two of the Horae, were called Thallo and
Carpo, and to the Athenians, represented the budding and maturity of growing things. As a result, Thallo became the protectress of youth.
Iaso
Iaso is a Greek goddess of healing and the sister of Hygia.
Irene
Irene is the Greek goddess of peace and is worshipped with bloodless sacrifices at
Athens. Some legends say she is one of the Horae.
Iris
The winged, rainbow goddess Iris is Hera's messenger. When she is not delivering messages she is asleep under Hera's bed. She is one of the few who can journey at will to the underworld where she fetches water for solemn oaths.
Leto
Leto is the mother of Apollo and Artemis and is mostly worshipped in conjunction with her children.
Meliae
In one of the Greek creation myths, Mother Gaea had her son Uranus castrated.
Drops of his blood fell on her and from those spots, Gaea conceived tree spirits called
Maelia. As the world's original women, they were the mothers of humankind.
The Moirae
The Moirae are the Fates, the personification of the destiny of humans. The three
Moirae are Clotho, Atropos, and Lachesis. Clotho spins the thread at the beginning of one's life, Atropos weaves the thread into the fabric of one's actions, and Lachesis snips the thread at the conclusion of one's life. Gods as well as mortals have to submit to the will of the Moirae.
The Muses

The nine Muses are the goddesses of arts and sciences and inspire those who excel in these pursuits. They are the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne. Their names are: Clio
(History), Urania (Astronomy), Melpomene (Tragedy), Thalia (Comedy), Terpsichore
(Dance), Calliope (Epic Poetry), Erato (Love Poetry), Polyhymnia (Songs to the Gods), and Euterpe (Lyric Poetry). Apollo is the leader of the Muses.
Nemesis
Nemesis is the personification of divine vengeance. Happiness and unhappiness are measured out by her, determining that happiness was not too frequent or excessive. If so, she brings about losses and suffering. She is one of the assistants of Zeus.
Nike
Nike, the winged goddess of victory, is the daughter of the fearsome river goddess
Styx and the sister of Zelos ("zeal"). She was honored throughout Greece, especially at
Athens.
Persephone
Persephone is the daughter of the Olympian Demeter, and became the goddess of death and the underworld when Hades abducted her. The mint and pomegranate is sacred to her. Persephone raised Aphrodite's child Adonis.
The Pleiades
The Pleiades are the daughters of Atlas by Pleione and are called Electra, Maia,
Taygete, Alcyone, Celaena, Sterope, and Merope. They and their mother were pursued by the giant Orion until the gods intervened and transformed them into a constellation.
Selene
Selene, also called Mene, is the goddess of the moon. She is the daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and the sister of Eos (dawn) and Helios (sun).
Styx
The goddess of the River Styx that wound beneath the earth in the land of the dead is

called is also called Styx "the hated one," who prevented the living from crossing into the realm of Persephone without first undergoing death's torments.

Gula, the Sumerian goddess of healing. Her husband is Ninurta. The dog is her symbolic animal. Gula is often identified with Nin'insina, the city goddess of Isin. She is also associated with the underworld.

long time as cup bearer to the gods, serving them their nectar and ambrosia. She was replaced in this office by the Trojan prince Ganymede.
According to one story, she resigned as cup bearer to the gods upon her marriage to the hero Hercules, who had just been deified. In another, she was dismissed from her position because of a fall she suffered while in attendance on the gods.

-Aeneid, Book VL
Greek Queen of the Night, Goddess of Witchcraft and the Underworld. Hecate can change shapes or ages at will and has the power to rejuvenate or kill.
The daughter of Perses and Asteria, she represents the oldest Greek form of the Triple
Goddess. Her powers extend over heaven and the underworld, the earth and the sea.
She is sometimes represented with three heads - one of a horse, one of a dog and one of a bear, or one of a dog, snake and lion.
As Hecate of the Three Ways, her images stood at three-way crossroads where offerings of dogs, honey and black ewes were left on Full Moon Nights. In the realm of nature she is honored as Selene, the moon, in Heaven. She is honored as Artemis, the huntress, on Earth and as Hecate, the destroyer, in the Underworld.
She is also the Goddess of prophecy, charms, vengeance, wisdom, choices and regeneration and is often accompanied by a pack of black, baying hounds or the three-headed dog, Cerberus.

Once a fairly benign goddess in early Greek times, Hecate became the dread Greek-
Roman Goddess of ghosts, a close confidante of Persephone and a patron of witches.
The brutally wronged Hecuba of Troy was reincarnated as Her black bitches, who accompanied Her on Her night walks.
Hecate was worshiped at three-way crossroads at night even by ordinary Greek families and could ward off ghosts if properly propitiated. But Romans also believed
She had more sinister worshipers — the witches and sorceresses who could coerce even the gods to do their will.
When Persephone was kidnapped by Hades in the later Greek myth, far-seeing
Hecate was the only one who witnessed it.

Hecate, (aka Hekate) is the original representation of the holy trinity. The Christian tradition demonized her as the queen of witches; and created an evil image of her to obscure her importance to the agrarian societies of medieval Europe as a source of healing magic. She is the crone aspect of the moon. Invoke Hecate for wisdom, healing, and women's mysteries.

and wife of the god Zeus. Hera was the goddess of marriage and protector of married women. She was the mother of Ares, god of war; Hephaestus, god of fire; Hebe, goddess of youth; and Ilithyia, goddess of childbirth. A jealous wife, she often persecuted Zeus's mistresses and children, especially the half-god Hercules, and was known for her vindictive nature.

Rhea. She was believed to preside at all sacrificial altar fires. Prayers were offered to her before and after meals, and most cities had a common hearth where her sacred fire burned.

One of the first religions developed by humans was Goddess worship. Much archeological evidence including statues, amulets, pottery, cave paintings and other images revering the Goddess, as well as burial sites, temples and alters have been unearthed which prove the existence of Goddess worship. Merlin Stone, in When
God Was a Woman, notes, "Archeologists have traced the worship of the Goddess back to the Neolithic communities of about 7000 BC, some to the Upper Paleolithic cultures of about 25,000 BC. From the time of its Neolithic origins, its existence was repeatedly attested to until well into Roman times," (page 10).
The most convincing evidence of Goddess worship comes from numerous sculptures of pregnant women, or faceless women depicted having exaggerated breasts, hips, thighs, buttocks and vulva. These images are referred to by archeologists as Venus figurines or idols of the 'great mother cult.' They are made of stone, bone and clay and have been discovered close to the remains of sunken walls in some of the earliest human-made dwellings. The niches in the walls are though to have been made to hold the figures. These sites have been found in Spain, France, Germany, Austria,
Czechoslovakia and Russia. They appear to span a period of at least ten thousand years (Stone, p. 13).
These images were not mere decorations to the people who created them. They were profoundly important because they represented the ways which humans expressed themselves before they began to utilize language. The art reveals what the cultures valued and the knowledge they tried to pass on to future generations. Clearly, childbirth, mothering and female sexuality were considered sacred. This makes perfect sense, since, like a few isolated, primitive cultures still on the Earth today, these cultures had little or no knowledge of the man's role in reproduction. For all they knew, the woman created the baby herself. Sex wasn't associated with childbirth, and women were regarded as the sole givers of life (Stone, p. 11).
Furthermore, since the concept of paternity was not yet understood, children belonged only to their mothers and the community. "Illegitimate" children did not exist. Children took their mother's name and family descent traveled through the female line. This social structure, based on mother-kinship, is called "matrilineal" and still exists in parts of Africa, India, Melanesia and Micronesia. These cultures were often also matrilocal, meaning that when a woman married, her husband came to live with her family, instead of the woman being uprooted and moving to the house of her husband's family. These societies were not necessarily matriarchal, meaning that

women had all the power, but women's status in society would certainly have been higher with matrilineal descent. Women would not have been totally dependent on men or considered their property. The importance of virginity and punishments for adultery would not have existed to the extent that they do in patriarchal religions, where fatherhood, more than motherhood, is valued.
From Priestesses to Inventors
The appeal of ancient Goddess worship includes the revelation that women played a major role in religious services and celebrations. Many women were priestesses, diviners, midwives, poets and healers (Starhawk). Women presided at temples erected solely to specific goddesses; Ishtar, Isis and Diana being among the most popular.
From women's involvement in religion came many advances, including harnessing the power of herbs which cured the sick and eased the pain of childbirth. The first calendars included lunar calendars, which may have began as women kept track of their menstrual cycles and compared them to moon cycles. Besides astronomy, women are also though to have developed language, agriculture, cooking, ceramics and more. Women's contributions to human culture are innumerable, and never given enough credit.
The Goddess experienced great popularity and prominence until patriarchal religions like Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and their precursors silenced her. The switch to patriarchy was gradual and preceded by a change in kinship systems, going from matrilineal to patrilineal descent. The emphasis on fatherhood is clearly evident in the major religions practiced now. The father/son relationship of God and Jesus is key to Christianity, although the Mother figure managed to persist and appear in
Catholicism as Mary. In some places, though, patriarchy may have caused the switch to patrilineal descent, especially in Goddess worshipping cultures which were conquered by savage invaders from the North.
Other factors relating to the rise in patriarchal religions included emphasis on property ownership, the rise of military dictatorships, and increase in war cults.
Esther Harding writes in Women's Mysteries, "The rise in masculine power and of patriarchal society probably started when man began to accumulate personal, as over against communal, property and found that his personal strength and prowess could increase his personal possessions. This change in secular power coincided with the rise of sun worship under a male priesthood, which began to supersede the much earlier moon cults," (page 31).So, as men gained power over women and the masculine became divine, female divinity became less and less acknowledged. Along with the fall in Goddess worship came more wars, crimes and tyrannous rulers. The rape of women and the Earth was underway.

Interestingly, patriarchal religions actually gained converts by adapting certain rituals and celebrations of Pagan/Goddess worshipping cultures to fit its practices (although it often forced people to convert, a great example being what happened to the entire
Western hemisphere after Christopher Columbus "discovered" it). For example, Jones and Pennick write in A History of Pagan Europe, "The use of holy water and incense, solemn processions, religious rites of passage marking the turning points of human life, the veneration of local saints, and the great feast of the dead, the annual
Christian Parentalia on All Souls' Day, can all be seen as direct imitations of Pagan tradition," (page 75). Remnants of ancient Goddess worship still exist in religions today, but her images and teachings have largely been forgotten.
Female deities have been worshipped all around the world for thousands of years, and it would be impossible to discuss them all here. I hope to expand this section in the future.

A Finnish goddess, Daughter of the Air. She created the world, and is the mother of
Väinämöinen. Sometimes she is called Luonnotar, Daughter of Creation.

"My father gave me the heavens, gave me the earth,
I am Inanna!
Kingship he gave me, queenship he gave me, waging of battle and attack he gave me, the floodstorm he gave me, the hurricane he gave me!
The heavens he set as a crown upon my head, the earth he set as sandals on my feet, a holy robe he wrapped around my body, a holy scepter he placed in my hand.
The gods are sparrows, I am a falcon."
Inanna (I-nanna, Queen Moon) - Inana - Inninna - Innin - Ninanna - Nin-me-sa-ra
(Mesopotamian: Sumerian) Great Goddess of love, war, fertility and infinite variety; chief goddess of the Sumerian pantheon. (She corresponds to the
Babylonian/Akkadian ISHTAR).
Inanna originated as goddess of the date storehouse who each year ritually married
Damuzi, the date harvest god. Her attributes are so many, so varied, and so often conflicting that she is likely a fusion of several earlier goddesses.
The original Dance of the Seven Veils was Inannaís descent into the Underworld, her sister Ereshkigalís realm, where she was gradually stripped naked as she passed through the seven gates. First went her crown, next earrings, then necklace, breast pins, belt of birthstones, then bracelets and finally her gown. No acts of procreation took place on earth while Inanna was in the Underworld. When she discovered that her only way out was in exchange for someone else, she betrayed Damuzi into taking her place. Inanna's time in the Underworld is a myth of the lunar cycle, Damuzi's a myth of the seasons.
Inanna figures in various myths and epics, including The Epic of Gilgamesh. She got
Enki drunk and tricked him into bestowing many attributes and powers upon her. In the myth The Elevation of Inanna, Enki, An and Enlil all give their powers to Inanna, making her the Queen of the Universe. Inanna is a femme fatale whose lovers always

seem to come to grief. She is impatient, impetuous, and demanding. Gilgamesh risked death when he spurned her advances, comparing her to a back door that would let cold air into the house.
Our Lady - Queen of the Universe - Mistress of Heaven - Queen of Heaven - Lady of
Uruk and Nineveh - The Storehouse - Protectress of Harlots - Queen Moon - Nin-mesa-ra, Lady of Myriad Offices
Love, war, fertility, rain, prostitutes, lightning, thunder, tears, rejoicing, enmity, fair dealing, stars, planets, wool, meat, grain, the natural world
"To pester, insult, deride, desecrate - and to venerate - is your domain, Inanna.
Downheartedness, calamity, heartache - and joy and good cheer - is your domain, Inanna.
Trembling, affright, terror - dazzling and glory - is your domain, Inanna."
Inanna is Nanna's daughter, sister to Utu, Ishkur and Erishkigal. She is sometimes considered An's daughter.
Mars - Moon - Uranus - Venus (as both the morning and the evening star)
Inana is associated with Sirius, the Bowstar
Earth - Water
Star of eight or sixteen points - a bundle of reeds tied in three places with streamers - rose - sacred tree or wooden totem
15

Virgo
Winged, with tiered skirt, horned headdress and weapons case - naked, with jewelry
- standing atop a mountain - with winged lions
Cow - lion - lion cub - dragon - Inanna is often attended by Imdugud, the thunderbird
Rose - date palm - grain
Chariot drawn by seven lions - reed boat - lion
Nineveh, Uruk (Iraq) - Inanna's temple was the Eanna (House of Heaven), in Uruk
January 2
Sexual freedom - fertility - healing - love spells - sex magic - fatal love - power - abundance - procreation - battle, especially battling evil - tempests - rain - fashion - fertility of the natural world - destroying the indestructible - making the imperishable perish - fair dealing - a promotion - increasedresponsibility at work - guarding storehouses - igniting or extinguishingfires - oracles of war and battle - money spells (Ninanna)
Invoke Inanna: at dawn - in warehouses - where prostitutes stroll at night Worship
Inanna by making offerings to her at dawn
"The great queen of heaven, Inanna, I will hail!
The only one, come forth on high, I will hail!
The pure torch that flares in the sky, the heavenly light shining bright like the day, the great queen of heaven, Inanna, I will hail!
Of her standing in the sky like the sun and moon, known by all lands from south to north, of the greatness of the holy one in heaven

to the Lady I will sing."

Suggested Mantra: Renewal
Goddess of the dark moon, brave and unwavering, Inanna ventures into the underworld. She teaches us to stand firm, eyes focuses on the end true goal, ultimately leading us to a state of wisdom.
Suggested Affirmations:
I am revitalized
I have overcome negative influences
My new life path reveals itself to me
I say goodbye to destructive influences
My insecurity is replaced with wisdom
At my center there is a incandescent fire
I release myself from harmful judgments
Related essences: Vanilla, almond, oriental lily, bergamot
Related gemstones: Carnelian, coral, agate, brown jaspar (orange stones)
Inanna is the Sumerian goddess, honored at the dark moon, as it is she who fixes destinies at each new moon. Inanna's journey into the underworld and subsequent revitalization represents the soul's evolution through hardship into glorious renewal.
In her quest for clarity and knowledge, Inanna Queen of Heaven and Earth descended to Earth to rule her people, where (so that her people would not know hunger) she made a sacred marriage to ensure the fertility of the lands. She thirsted to understand first-hand though, the true sufferings of her followers, so she descended again, this time to the realm of the underworld, the domain of her sister Ereshkigal.
Ereshkigalonly allowed Inanna entry on the condition that she shed her earthly attachments at each of seven gates to the underworld. So, at each gate, Inanna surrendered some part of what she thought made up herself: wealth, power, tributes.
By the time she relinquished her final garment, she was no longer the commanding
Queen, and, exposed and vulnerable, she was ready to die.
However, it was only when she was near death and at her most vulnerable did she discover new life and increased powers. She finally learned first-hand to accept her vulnerability, as well as the understanding of the necessity of sacrifice and death for the cycles of life to continue.

These revelations increased her power, beauty and wisdom. If you are repeating old habits, ask Inanna to help you shed your layers that keep you trapped. Open yourself to a journey to the underworld where you can let go of old conditioning, release inhibitions, let alter-egos die, shed the burdens you carry all to create anew - it is only by becoming aware of our vulnerabilities that we can rise up with strength gained from knowledge and understanding.
Undress slowly in front of a mirror and with every bit of clothing you shed, call it by the name of a negative element in your life. Say good-bye to that negative element as you drop (or throw!) the clothing to the floor until you are standing naked. Do it to music that will help keep you in the "now" - do not let yourself get distracted as you focus on what the elements are that you are shedding. Can you see your next steps, where you need to go, what you need to do? Give yourself a hug, and get ready for the journey back to strength and renewal - Inanna is with you to help you stay focused and unwavering on your goal.
(Tip, do not get dressed again in the clothes you just shed - put them in the washing machine on "super wash"! And, try not to wear them again in the same combination).

I call thee down, O my great Queen
To enter my body
And commune with my spirit.
Be with me now as I fulfill my destiny
And work magick
In accordance with your will.
So mote it be.

April 22nd is the traditional day for honoring Ishtar, Babylonian version of the
Sumerian goddess Inanna, but as we are seeing the first signs of spring this is a good time to remember Ishtar's fertile energy.
Suggested Mantra: Sexuality
Ishtar represents the fullness of womanhood and dares us to dream. Her power is strongest at the full moon, when the essence of womanhood heightens in response to the moon energy that is all-encompassing.
Suggested Affirmations:
I am joyful
My big hips are sexy!
I am healthy and happy
I am alive with sexuality
I adore my womanly shape
I feel absolutely supercharged
I have abundant energy and vitality
My vital energy resurfaces with laughter
Related essences: Vanilla, almond, oriental lily, bergamot
Related gemstones: Carnelian, coral, agate, brown jasper (orange stones)
Ishtar's energy represents love, fertility, passion and sexuality. Babylonians have honored Ishtar as a goddess who inspires lovers everywhere to stop for a moment and connect with the fertile energy she brings. The city of Mari worshiped Ishtar as a birth goddess symbolized by the Urn of Life held tight to her belly. Even the
Christians have borrowed aspects of the womanly Ishtar and incorporated the divine love of a mother for her dying son into their Virgin Mary.
She is descended from the goddess of romance, Venus, and her energy encompasses all that is "woman" - nurturing mother, inspired companion, playful bed partner, wise adviser, insightful leader. She is revered especially on days of the full moon, when it is right to engage in joyful acts of lovemaking to celebrate being "woman".
April 22nd is the traditional day for honoring Ishtar - as close to this day as possible, on the night of a full moon, to bring Ishtar's loving warmth to your heart and home, wear clothes or jewelry that contain Ishtar's symbolism - stars, the moon, the lion or the dove.

Play a drum with your hands, holding it between your legs. Listen to your heartbeat and send it through your shoulders, arms and hands to the drum, and feel the infinite power of connection to the earth as the vibrations travel back through your body to your core. Energy flows, love grows.
Dance like no one is watching
Sing like no one is listening
Love like you've never been hurt
And live like heaven on earth.

The Goddess Ishtar, in her youth, loved Tammuz, God of the harvest. He returned her love, but he was killed by a boar. Ishtar was devastated by his death.
When Tammuz died, all vegetation died. The animals would no longer mate, and humans were no longer active sexually, and the Earth, herself, was dying. Ishtar knew that Tammuz was in the Underworld which was ruled by her sister Erishkigal.
To reach Erishkigal, Ishtar had to pass the seven gates of the Underworld and at each gate surrender some of her jewelry or a garment until finally she stood before her sister naked, unadorned and completely vulnerable.
Ishtar laments: "Tammuz is dead!"
Ishtar looks up at Sin, the Moon God and asks: "Sin, my father, what shall we do?
Without my love Tammuz, the Earth's womb is sterile. The fields well bear no crops and my creatures will bear no young. Help me father!"
Sin replies: "What can I do, sister? I am the Moon who lights up the night. I can bring rest, but not fruitfulness; visions, but not deeds; understanding, but not action. Such things belong to Earth. What can I do?"
Ishtar turns to Shamash, and pleads: "Shamash, my brother, what shall I do?"
Shamash replies: "What can I do sister? I am the sun who lights up the day, shining upon your Earth to bring it heat. I can call forth your crops once they are sown…and warm your young once they are born; but I cannot sow the grain, or fertilize the womb. Such things belong to Earth. What can I do?"
Ishtar appeals finally to Ea: "Ea, my brother, help me! You are wisdom, you are magic, you are the air which my creatures breathe. Help me!"
Ea does not reply for a moment; then he stands up, as Sin and Shamash also do when he commands them. "Be upstanding, my brothers. Despair and resignation will not help our sister, nor bring Tammuz to life. What is wisdom and what is magic?
Wisdom is knowledge of the laws of the universe, which are greater than each of us alone. And magic is the courage to call upon them. So let us call! It is a low of being, that death follows life, and rebirth follows death. Tammuz may seem to die, but his rebirth must follow as the great wheel turns. We call upon the laws of being – we call upon the wheel of rebirth!"

Sin and Shamash also threw up their arms. Ishtar takes Tammuz's hand and all three take up the cry: "We call upon the wheel of rebirth!"
Tammuz opens his eyes and sits up. Ishtar stands and pull him to his feet, saying:
"Great Tammuz is reborn, the fruits of the Earth are ours once more. Bring them forth, let us enjoy them!"

She was called Ishtar by the Babylonians, Inanna by the Sumerians, Astarte by the
Greeks, and Ashtoreth by the Hebrews. She is a Goddess of Love and beauty, The
Giver of All Life, The Maiden, The Mother, The Crone. As the maiden hymns were sung to her beauty and her love:
"Praise the Goddess, most awesome of the Goddesses,
Let one revere the mistress of the people, the greatest of the Gods.
Praise Ishtar, the most awesome of the Goddesses,
Let one revere the Queen of Women, the greatest of the Gods.
She is clothed with pleasure and love.
She is laden with vitality, charm and voluptuousness.
In lips she is sweet; life is in her mouth.
At her appearance rejoicing becomes full.
She is glorious; veils are thrown over her head.
Her figure is beautiful; her eyes are brilliant."
--from a First Dynasty Babylon text, circa 1600 BCE
The Goddess has her dark side too. In this portion of a Sumerian prayer to Inanna from Ur, circa 2300 BCE, she is the bringer of death. In the following lines, "the
Powers" refer to the powers and duties assigned to the various cosmic entities at the moment of creation:
"My Queen, You who are guardian of all the great Powers,
You have lifted the Powers, have tied them to your hands,

Have gathered the Powers, pressed them to your breasts.
You have filled the land with venom like a serpent.
Vegetation ceases when you thunder like Ishkur.
You who bring down the flood from the mountains,
Supreme One who are the Inanna of
Heaven and Earth."
In the Epic of Gilgamesh, it is the word of Ishtar that causes Enlil to bring the Deluge upon her Children, and in the same legend she brings death not only to her people but her lover too: "When the glorious Ishtar raised an eye at the beauty of Gilgamesh, she said, 'Come, Gilgamesh, be thou my lover! Do but grant me thy fruit. Thou shalt be my husband, and I will be thy wife.'" But the hero refuses her, listing the fates of her other lovers:
"For Tammuz, the lover of thy youth,
Thou has ordained wailing year after year.
Having loved the dappled
Shepherd-bird,
Thou smotest him, breaking his wing.
In the grove he sits crying, 'My wing!'
Then thou lovedst a lion, perfect in strength.
Seven pits and seven didst thou dig for him.
Then a stallion didst Thou love, famed in battle.
The whip, the spur, the lash Thou ordainedst for him."
And rather than marry Ishtar, Gilgamesh went in search of immortality on his own.
Images of this Great Goddess from the land of the Tigris and Euphrates appear in many shapes and forms. Some of the earliest may be the clay or limestone figures

discovered at the site known as Mureybit in what is today Syria. These figurines from hunter-gatherer villages of 8000 BCE range from the crude and stylized to the highly naturalistic. Like later images of Ishtar, these female divinities are depicted with their hands to their breasts. These ancient images of a goddess are not joined by a male God until a thousand years later and then he remains less important.
One common characteristic of the early images of Ishtar is the bird-like facial features. These features are also seen on images of the Goddess from the Thracian culture of what is today Bulgaria, the Vinca culture of the Central Balkans, and the
Tisza culture of northeastern Hungary, circa 6000-5000 BCE. This bird Goddess of ancient eastern Europe, and the closely related Snake Goddess are frequently associated with the baking of sacred bread. Miniature temples made in the form of the
Goddess contain scenes of baking bread being presided over by a priestess. Later, miniature Minoan temples contain images of a Goddess with the same bird-like features. The Greek Aphrodite is often associated with doves which are her symbol also. Like Aphrodite's consort was the Grain God Adonis, Ishtar is the consort of
Tammuz, God of Grain and of bread. The "wailing year after year," in the above text refers to the annual death and subsequent resurrection of Tammuz the Grain God, the
Mesopotamian equivalent of Adonis and Attis.
The pierced crown and ears of figures are also reminiscent of images in bone and clay from Bulgaria that date to 5000 BCE (Similar piercing can be seen on bird-faced figures of the Machalilla culture of ancient Ecuador and some of the Chancay "Moon
Goddess" figures of central Peru). The pierced crown is repeated in the headdress of figures from Mycenae Greece. When Dr. Heinrich Schleimann discovered figures like these, some had their arms upraised while others had their hands to their hips forming a circular outline. He thought they might represent two phases of the moon.
Dr. Schleimann was probably right. The arms of the figure from a tomb form the crescent of the New Moon rising, an ancient symbol of Ishtar in her aspect as the moon Goddess. They also repeat the design of the Assyrian Moon Tree. These upraised arms from ancient Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.
Like Cybele and Attis, Demeter and Persephone, Aphrodite and Adonis, and Isis and
Osiris; Ishtar sought to retrieve her lover from the "house wherein the entrants are bereft of light, where dust is their fare and clay their food." When she arrived at the gate She demanded to be let in. The Gatekeeper at the command of Allatu, Queen of the Underworld and sister of Ishtar, allowed her to enter. As she passed thru the first gate, however, she was told she must remove her crown as "that is the custom of
Allatu". At the second gate she had taken the pendants from her ears; at the third the chains from her neck; at the fourth the ornament from her breast; at the fifth the
Girdle of birthstones from her hips; at the sixth her bracelets and anklets; and at the

seventh she had the garment removed from her body.
Allatu imprisoned Ishtar in the Underworld and because of her absence from the
World of the living, "the bull springs not upon the cow, the ass impregnates not the jenny, the man lies in his own chamber and the maiden lies on her side." Because of this, the God Ea sent a messenger to Allatu and caused Allatu to sprinkle Ishtar with the waters of life. As Ishtar passed thru each of the seven gates on her ascent, Her garments and her jewels were returned to her.
As for Tammuz, her beloved, his fate is not known according to the Sumerian myth because the last tablet of the text is missing. In a Babylonian version of the myth, however, the Gatekeeper is told "Wash him with pure water, anoint him with sweet oil, clothe him with a red garment, and let him play on a flute of lapis."
As the knowledge of her brought death, so death brought resurrection.
"On the day that Tammuz comes up to me
When with him the lapis flute and the carnelian ring come up to me,
When with him the wailing men and the wailing women come up to me,
May the dead rise and smell the incense!"
She was worshiped as a Goddess of Love and Beauty, a bringer of death and the mother of all life:
"She is sought after among the
Gods, extraordinary is her station,
Respected is her word, it is supreme over them.
Ishtar among the Gods, extraordinary is her station.
Respected is her word, it is supreme over them."
--from a first Dynasty Babylonian text, circa 1600 BCE
The priestesses of Her temples were "harlots" detested by the Hebrews, but, in the words of The Great Goddess, "All acts of love and pleasure are my rituals." Ishtar is one of the earliest manifestations of The Great Goddess and the geographic boundaries of her worship may be far greater than is currently believed.

Egyptian Moon Goddess, Great Mother and Giver of Life. With Osiris, Isis and Horus
(the divine child) made up a Holy Trinity. She is the Goddess of marriage, motherhood, fertility, magick, healing, reincarnation and divination, to name a few.
Isis is the patroness of priestesses.
One myth has Isis poisoning the Sun God Ra, offering to save him only if he would reveal his secret name. At last, at the brink of destruction, Ra gives Isis his heart, with the secret name it held, and his two eyes (the Sun and the Moon).
Isis quells the poison and ends up with Ra's supreme power. In time the great Eye was passed along to her son Horus. Proclus mentions a statue of her which bore the inscription "I am that which is, has been and shall be. My veil no one has lifted."
Hence, to lift the veil of Isis is to pierce the heart of a great mystery.

Indian Dark Goddess, the Crone, Goddess of death. Kali has a dual personality exhibiting traits of both gentleness and love, revenge and terrible death. She governs every form of death but also rules every form of life.
Her image inspires horror - a hideous face smeared with blood, four arms, draped with snakes and wearing a necklace of skulls.
She is the defender of women and children, and violence against any woman is forbidden by her.
She is also the Goddess of regeneration, revenge, fear, sexual activities and intuition.

Kali is the most fully realized of all the Dark Goddesses. It has been claimed that Her name is derived from the Hindu word for Time, yet also means "black." She is also called Durga.
Her very appearance is meant to terrify. She is black and emaciated, with fangs and claws. She wears a girdle of severed arms, a necklace of skulls or severed heads, earrings of children's corpses, cobras as bracelets or garlands. Her mouth is bloodsmeared. She is accompanied by she-demons.
Often She is shown standing or dancing on the corpse of the god Shiva. Here She is feasts on his intestines.
Yet She also is a loving mother, and especially in that aspect is worshipped by millions of Hindus.
Used to a god that is all-"good", Westerners have found it difficult to understand why
Hindus would worship such a deity, or why their art emphasizes Her most hideous forms.
"Tantric worshipers of Kali thought it essential to face her Curse, the terror of death, as willingly as they accepted Blessings from her beautiful, nurturing, maternal aspect.
For them, wisdom meant learning that no coin has only one side: as death can't exist without life, so also life can't exist without death. Kali's sages communed with her in the grisly atmosphere of the cremation ground, to become familiar with images of death. They said, 'His Goddess, his loving Mother in time, who gives him birth and loves him in the flesh, also destroys him in the flesh. His image of Her is incomplete if he does not know Her as his tearer and devourer.'"
-- Barbara Walker, The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets
Altered photo, originally black and white, of wood carving from the 18th or 19th century, Nepal, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum.
The Goddess Kali, part of a Web site devoted to Tantrism. Warning: very slow loading.
The Dark Goddess and me, an intensely personal and well-written account of beginning to know Kali, by Del Marshall.

Monday's Goddess: Weiben Frauen
Themes: Banishing; Blessing; Joy; Protection; Fertility; Divination
Symbols: Any Sacred Symbol; Forest Items; White
About Weiben Frauen: Known as "White Woman" of the German forests, this goddess is said to have been worshiped by ancient pagans and witches where she lived—in the woods. In later times, people looked to her to predict the future, help with matters of fertility, and protect the land.
To Do Today: This unique festival dates back to pagan worship of the grove goddess
(and pagan gatherings in the woodlands). Traditionally, some type of sacred symbol is dug up and carried around town to renew blessings and happiness in all who see it.
The ritual also banishes evil influences. To follow this custom, plant a white stone or token in a flowerpot, garden, or lawn this year, and next year dig it up temporarily to release White Woman's power. At the end of the day, return the token to the earth so she can protect your home or land and fill every corner of it with magic. Repeat this annually to continue the cycle!
Wear something white today to invite Weiben Frauen's protection on the figurative land of your spirit, and spend some time in the company of trees at some point.
Meditate on the pagans, who weaved magic in such places, and on this goddess, who empowered the spells. As you do, listen closely to the voices of the trees and see if they have a message for you.

Suggested Mantra: Compassion
Kuan Yin's esoteric attributes are those of compassion, healing, and centering. She lives in the heart chakra, standing in full acceptance, suspended in tranquility, relishing joy in the silence.
Suggested Affirmations:
I radiate love
I am tolerant of everyone around me
I have great joy, and therefore great energy
My peace is shared peace
I am weightless and free of burden
Related essences: Rose, musk, jonquil, orange flowers
Related gemstones: Rose quartz, pink tourmaline, emerald (pink or green stones)
Kuan Yin, Mother of Compassion in ancient Chinese culture, blows gently into your life, and should be welcomed as an eternal source of comfort and peace. Kuan Yin's values are about co-operation, sharing, balance, harmony and partnership; she is highly sensitive and aware. Kuan Yin is light and weightless - the qualities that result from highly tuned vales of tolerance and acceptance. What a joy to have Kuan Yin visit you today. Try closing your eyes. Visualize Kuan Yin resting with the world on one shoulder, her cheek resting against it. She sees you, and you are drawn to the love radiating from her heart. She shows you how to take the world from your shoulders, hold it in your hands, and dance in joyful, carefree circles. You see the earth's water rippling, the leaves in the trees blowing, the birds soaring without effort. Know this is happening purely thanks to your joy. When you walk through each day, remember
Kuan Yin's presence whenever you see the soaring birds, the rustling leaves, the rippling waters. Use these triggers as a reminder to take the world off your shoulders, and to dance with abandon, with your face to the skies and your arms in the air.

Lilith, (also know as Lilit), was a relic of an early rabbinical attempt to assimilate the
Sumero-Babylonian Goddess Belit-ili, or Belili, to Jewish mythology. To the
Canaanites, Lilith was Baalat, the "Divine Lady". Hebraic tradition said Adam married
Lilith because he grew tired of mating with animals, a common custom of Middle-
Eastern herdsmen, though the Old Testament declared it a sin. Moslems were insistent on the male-superior sexual position and apparently Lilith was not Moslem, disagreed with Adam and flew away to the Red Sea.
God sent angels to bring Lilith back, but she refused to return. She supposedly spent her time mating with "demons" and gave birth to "a hundred children a day". So God had to produce Eve as Lilith's more docile replacement. Lilith became the "Great
Mother" of settled tribes who resisted invasions of nomadic herdsmen represented by
Adam. Early Hebrews disliked the Great Mother who is said to have drank the blood of Abel after he was slain by Cain.
Lilith's Red Sea was another version of Kali Ma's Ocean of Blood, which gave birth to all things. There may have been a connection between Lilith and the Etuscan divinity
Leinth, who had no face and who waited at the gate of the underworld along with
Eita and Persipnei, (Hades and Persephone) to receive the souls of the dead. The underworld gate was a yoni and a lily, which had no face. Admission into the underworld was often mythologized as a sexual union. The lily or lilu, (lotus) was the
Great Mother's flower - yoni, whose title formed Lilith's name.
The story of Lilith disappeared from the Bible, but her daughters, the lilim, haunted men for over a thousand years. The lilim were thought responsible for nocturnal emissions and the Jews still made amulets to keep away the lilim well into the Middle
Ages. Greeks adopted the lilim and called them, Lamiae, Empusae, or Daughters of
Hecate. Christians also adopted them and called them harlots of hell or succubae.
They believed that Lilith laughed every time a Christian man has a wet dream. The
Daughters of Lilith were supposedly very beautiful and presumed to be so expert at lovemaking that after an experience with one, a man couldn't be content with a mere mortal woman.

"You gotta give it to Lilith she was a hell of a woman
Said she'd rather fuck demons on the beach than lie under the belly of that whiner Adam
& flew from Paradise
-Jonelle Maison
Babylonian or Sumerian Moon Goddess, patroness of Witches, demon Goddess to the
Jews and Christians, Lilith represents primal feminine sexuality. Lilith is the protectress of all pregnant women and of children and mothers. She is the Goddess of wisdom, regeneration, enticing sorcery, erotic dreams and feminine allure.
As the early pages of Genesis give two accounts of the creation of women, legend has it that Lilith was Adam's first wife. Lilith, like Adam, was created from the dust of the
Earth and had been one of the wives of Satan (or so the myth goes). She left her husband for Adam, but refused to be subservient and submissive to him, saying that they were both created from the same Earth and thus were equals. They quarreled, she left and was forced into exile.
Her name stems from a Semitic root meaning "night", and in the Talmud, she is portrayed as a long-haired demon of the night. She is considered by many to be the first liberated woman.

Suggested Mantra: Equality
The first feminist and liberationist, Lilith boldly instructs us to stand up for what we believe in, unbridled and courageous no matter what the cost.
Suggested Affirmations:
I forgive
I welcome forgiveness
I am free from judgment
I deserve to be free from guilt
I am creating the life I love
I am a forgiving and loving person
My vital energy resurfaces naturally
I am honest and truthful in all I say and do
Related essences: Patchouli, sandalwood, geranium
Related gemstones: Garnet, bloodstone, tourmaline, smoky quartz (red stones)
This Sumerian and Hebrew goddess, once honored for her wisdom, freedom, courage, playfulness, passion, pleasure and sexuality in pre-2300 B.C., was portrayed as a demon by Levite priests at the dawn of patriarchy. In Western tradition, she was the original partner of Adam, created equally together in the image of Elohin (a word for
"god", having feminine and masculine linguistic roots). Her liberationist attitude and assertive behavior was threatening to the emerging patriarchs, and led to her expulsion from Eden to be replaced by the more subservient Eve.
Proudly holding the rod and ring representing Sumerian royal authority, Lilith strives to make modern life equal for all people. She inspires us not to judge our opposite sex, to respect them as our equal, and to nurture equality in our environment.
Customarily women break loose on leap days, asking men out or proposing marriage.
But, as the Year 2002 is not a leap year, celebrate a new season instead. As we cross into Autumn, start the new cycle by making a difference, making a new start, making it matter. Internalize Lilith's bravery and dignified strength of character, and make amends with anyone you've wronged with presupposition or prejudice. Or enjoy some daring activity to its fullest without fear or guilt - like Lilith, you are the master of your destiny. Only you can achieve liberation of your inner joy and exuberant passion for life.
Start it today!

Lupercalia is a Roman ritual of purification and fertility dating from such an ancient time that even the Romans of the first century B.C.E. had forgotten its origin and to which Gods it was dedicated and even the meaning of some of its symbolism.
(Contrary to Z Budapest's statements, it was not known whether it was to Faunus and in fact I think it may have been sacred to the more ancient founding Goddess,
Rumina, the She-Wolf of Rome.) Central to the ritual is the lustration (light flogging) with a goat skin scourge (see, Gardner didn't invent it). This was often accompanied by much rowdiness and horse-play. The purpose was the purification of the people from curses, bad luck and infertility. The ritual is performed on February 15. The name of the month comes from the februa, anything used in purifying including wool
(used for cleaning), brooms, pine boughs (which make the air sweet and pure), etc.
The rite began in the cave of the She-Wolf in the city of Rome where legend had it that the founders of the city, Romulus and Remus, had been suckled by the wolf before they were found by a shepherd. The sacred fig tree grew in front of the cave.
Vestals brought to the site of the sacrifice the sacred cakes made from the first ears of the last years grain harvest. Two naked young men presided over the sacrifice of a dog and a goat. With the bloody knife, their foreheads were smeared with blood, then wiped clean with wool dipped in milk. The young men laughed and girded themselves in the skin of the sacrificed goat. Much feasting followed. Finally, using strips of the goat skin, the young men ran, each leading a group of priests, around the base of the hills of Rome, around the ancient sacred boundary of the old city called the pomarium. During this run, the women of the city would vie for the opportunity to be scourged by the young men as they ran by, some baring their flesh to get the best results of the fertility blessing (you can see why the Christian church tried so hard to get this ritual banned, but it was so popular that it continued for quite some time under the new regime.)
Except for the intrusion of foreign cults, this was the only Roman ritual where a goat was sacrificed. Dogs were only offered to Robigus (a guardian associated with crops), the Lares Praestites (the guardians of community), and Mana Genata (ancestral guardians).
Because of the cave, the fig tree, the milk, and such, I suspect the very oldest forms of this rite honored a Goddess. Unlike some of the other Roman rites like the October
Horse sacrifice, there is no other Indo-European equivalent in Vedic, Scandinavian,
Irish, or Indo-Iranian traditions.

With modifications, the Temple of Pomona performed Lupercalias and has a great time.

Goddesses
Triads involving the Gods & Goddesses are older than the Christian archetype. In the
Craft, the triad is symbolized by the Maiden, Mother and Crone.
The Maiden signifies youth, the excitement of the chase, and the newness of life and magick. In human age she would be between puberty and her twenties. She does not have a mate. Her colors are soft & light, such white, soft pink, or light yellow.
Rituals using the Maiden:
Any new beginning, or even the hopes and plans for new beginnings.
When taking on a new job, or planning to apply for a new job.
During the first steps of new ideas, whatever they are.
Whenever you plan or begin a complete turn around in your life.
Whenever you begin a new phase in your life.
On moving, in to a new house or apartment.
On entering a new school or going back to school after a delay in education.
Any journey that is connected with anticipated changes. This can be anything.
The beginning of a new relationship, love or friendship.
Plans for getting pregnant.
The birth of a child.
The first menstruation for girls.

Puberty on reaching the teens for boys.
The Mother stands for nurturing, caring, fertility; she is a woman in the prime of her life and at the peak of her power. She protects her own and will ensure that justice is done and done well. This woman is usually mated. In human age, she would be seen as a woman in her thirties to mid-forties. Her colors are warmer than that of the maiden, such as green, copper, red, light purple or royal blue.
Rituals using the Mother:
Project fruition and completion.
When childbirth is near
Strength to see matters through to the end.
Blessings and protection. This especially applies to females who are threatened by men.
Guidance in life decisions.
Marriages, or the contemplation of or desire for marriage.
Finding or choosing a mate or companion.
Gardening, the growing of any plant.
Choosing or accepting an animal. Protection of animal life.
Making choices of any kind.
Gaining or continuing peace.
Developing intuition and psychic gifts.
Spiritual direction.

The Crone
The Crone is a being of age-old wisdom. She is shrew and counsels well. She cares for the Maiden and the Mother as well as the off-spring thereof. She is logical and can be terrible in her vengeance. She stands at the door to the dimension of death. In human years, she is approximately 45 or older. The Crone is the Most difficult of the three to place in human age. The Crone's traditional colors are black, gray, purple, brown or midnight blue.
Rituals using the Crone
Ending relationships, jobs, friendships
Menopause, or coming to terms with aging.
Divorce.
A regrouping of energies needed at the end of a cycle of activity or problem.
Rest and calmness before making new goals and plans.
When the garden or plants are ready for winter.
Harassment of any kind.
Retribution on rapists, murderers, abusers.
On the death of a person or pet; of any animal or human. Contemplation at the end of your own life cycle.
When moving from a dwelling or job.
When strong protection is needed for attacks on the physical or psychic levels, or even annoyance by spirits.
To understand the deepest of mysteries.

Developing trance or communication with the guides or other spirits.

Roman mythology
The Roman goddess of wisdom, medicine, the arts, dyeing, science and trade, but also of war. As Minerva Medica she is the patroness of physicians. She is the daughter of
Jupiter. In the temple on the Capitoline Hill she was worshiped together with Jupiter and Juno, with whom she formed a powerful triad of gods. Another temple of her was located on the Aventine Hill. The church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva is built on one of her temples. Every year from March 19th - 23rd the Quinquatria was held, the primary Minerva Festival. This festival was mainly celebrated by artisans but also by students. On June 13th the minor Quinquatrus was observed.
Minerva is believed to be the inventor of numbers and musical instruments. She is thought to be of Etruscan origin, as the goddess Menrva or Menerva. Later she was equated with the Greek Athena.

Pray to the moon when she is round,
Luck with you will then abound.
What you seek for shall be found,
On the sea or solid ground.
Pallas Athena

Nemesis was the personification of divine justice and the vengeance of the gods, sometimes called the daughter of Night. She represented the righteous anger of the gods against the proud and haughty and against breakers of the law; she distributed good or bad fortune to all mortals. No one could escape her power

Egyptian mythology
Nephthys, the 'Mistress of the House' (Nebet-het or Nebt-het in the Egyptian
Language), Nephthys is the 'Friend of the Dead,' and is first mentioned in Old
Kingdom funerary literature as riding the 'night boat' of the underworld, meeting the deceased king's spirit and accompanying him into 'Lightland.' Her hair is metaphorically compared to the strips of cloth which shroud the bodies of the dead.
Nephthys is almost universally depicted as a woman with the hieroglyphic symbols of her name (a basket and a house, stacked on top of each other) situated atop her head, though she can also be depicted as a bird (most often a kite or some other form of falcon/hawk). She was associated with funerary rituals throughout ancient Egyptian history and was venerated not as Death itself, but as the companion who gives guidance to the newly deceased, and as a Lady With Wings who comforts the deceased's living relatives. Nephthys is in most myths the youngest daughter of Nut, sister of Isis and Osiris and the sister-consort of Seth. In later periods Nephthys is also considered to be the mother of Anubis, a primordial form of the lord of the dead who later became subservient to Osiris in the Egyptian cultic myth.
Nephthys had connections with life as well as death she stood at the head of the birth-bed to comfort and assist the mother giving birth (while her sister, Isis, stood at the foot to midwife the child).
To current Egyptological knowledge, Nephthys did not have her own cult or temples in Egypt until the Ptolemaic-Roman period; however, as her name is merely a title
(the same title given to the eldest woman in any ancient Egyptian household), it is possible that Nephthys may be a specialized form of another goddess; probable candidates include Bat (as she is called the 'Lady of Het,' or 'Nebt-het') and Neith with whom Nephthys is paired in the canopic shrine quadrants, as Isis is with Serket, who is sometimes seen to be an aspect of Isis.
Neith's being the 'eldest of goddesses,' along with her connection with weaving and funerary garments lends credence to this theory, as does the interchangeable depiction of Neith and/or Nephthys in symmetrical transposition on a number of Late
Period temples.
Other names: Neb-hut, Nebthet

A great mother in the Norse creation story, Amma ("grandmother") gave birth to the race of Churls, who conducted business and learned trades.
Atla is a water goddess and daughter of Ran.
Edda means great grandmother, and the term eddas ("tales of great grandmother") is the word used to describe the great stories in Scandinavian mythology. The dwarfish
Edda was the first to create offspring with her husband Ai. She gave birth to the
Thralls, the ones "enthralled" to service as food producers.
A companion of Frigg, Eir is the goddess of healing. She taught her art and the secret powers of herbs only to women, the only physicians in ancient Scandinavia.
As one of the foremost goddesses in Norse mythology, Frigg is the patroness of marriage and motherhood. She assists women in labor and is associated with the naming of children. Frigg has the reputation of knowing everyone's destiny, but never reveals it. Being the wife of the god Odin, she was known as the Queen of the
Heavens. She is the central deity in Asgard where her hall, Fensalir ("water halls") is located.
Freyja is the goddess of beauty, love and fertility, and the main deity of the Vanir. She loves music, spring and flowers, and spends much time with the fey. She is seen wearing a cloak of bird feathers, which allows the wearer to change into a falcon and a beautiful necklace of the Brisings given to her by dwarves, which the Norse still refer to as the Milky Way. Freyja is also a mediator between peace and violence, and the bride of fallen heroes. Riding her chariot pulled by cats through battlefields, she picks up half of the dead corpses, leaves the other half for Odin, and takes their souls to her hall, Sessrumnir, in Asgard.
Fulla is Frigg's handmaiden and messenger. Prayers are addressed to her for intercession with Frigg, and guidance in service.

All women that die unmarried go to Gefion the goddess of virgins. She is also the bringer of good luck and prosperity. It is traditionally claimed that she is the creator of the Island of Zealand.
A Scandinavian goddess of light, Gerd lives in a house ringed by fire and shoots flames from her hands. She is the most beautiful of creatures and the daughter of a female giant and a mortal man. The fertility god Frey became infatuated with Gerd and unsuccessfully courted her until he won her over with a spell in runes.
Hel is the goddess of death and resides in her hall, Elvidnir (misery) in the underworld of Niflheim. She is described as being half white and half black. She is responsible for plagues, sickness and catastrophes.
The youthful goddess of infatuation, Hnossa is the daughter of Freya. Her name means "jewel."
Idun is the goddess of eternal youth and the keeper of the golden apples the Norse gods eat to remain young.
Imd is a Scandinavian water goddess and the daughter of Ran.
The goddess of forbidden love, Lofn encourages illicit unions.
The servant of Hel, Modgud is the maiden that stands guard on a gold-paved bridge on a path leading to the underworld.
A mother in the Norse creation myth, Mothir gave birth to the Jarls or leaders, the ones who hunted, fought, and attended school.
The goddesses of the destinies of both gods and men are the three sisters called Urd

(fate), Verdandi (necessity) and Skuld (being).
The goddess of night, Nott, is the mother of the earth, Jord, and of the day as well.
She rides forth each evening on her horse Frostymane, from whose foaming mouth the dew falls.
Ran is goddess of the sea and storms, and wife to the sea god Aegir. She collects the drowned in her net and takes them to her hall located at the bottom of the ocean.
Saga, the all-knowing goddess, is an aspect of Frigg in some mythology. She lives at
Sinking Beach, a waterfall of cool waves where she offers her guests drinks in golden cups. Her name, which means "omniscience," is applied to the epic heroic tales.
Sif is the golden haired wife of Thor and the goddess of crops and fertility.
Sjofn is the goddess to inspire human passions.
Sjojungru is a Scandinavian sea goddess.
Snotra is the Scandinavian goddess of wisdom.
Valkyries are beautiful maidens that help Odin choose which brave warriors will be slain on the battlefield so they may then serve Odin. They are also Odins messengers, and when they ride forth on their winged horses, their armor shines and flickers causing the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights).

"The Witches' Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"May Brigit give blessing
To the house that is here;
Brigit, the fair and tender
Her hue like cotton-grass,
Rich-tressed maiden
Of ringlets of gold."
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust whose feet are the host of heaven, whose body encircles the universe:
"I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me. For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe. From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return. Let My worship be in the heart tha rejoices, for behold -- all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of desire." from "The Witches' Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"Brid: Black the town yonder,
Black those that are in it;
I am the White Swan,
Queen of them all.
Son: I will voyage in God's name
In likeness of deer, in likeness of horse,
In likeness of serpent, in likeness of king.
More powerful will it be with me than with all others."

From "The Witches Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"Hail, golden Brighid, inspirer of us all,
Mother of healing, mistress of the arts,
Lady of every skill -- on thee we call
To pour thy magic into human hearts.
Bestow thy blessing on the poet's pen,
The craftsman's chisel, and the healer's hand;
And guide the work of women and of men
To bring thy beauty into this our land!"
SS ong of Ishtar
From "The Witches' Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"I the mother have begotten my people, and like the young of the fishes they fill the sea.
The gods concerning the spirits were weeping with me,
The gods in seats seated in lamentation covered their lips for the coming evil.
Six days and nights passed,
The wind, the deluge, storm overwhelmed."
From "The Witches' Goddess" by Janet and Stewart Farrar
"Thou art mighty, thou hast sovereign power, exalted is thy name!
Thou art the light of heaven and earth,
O valiant daughter of the Moon god.
Ruler of weapons, arbitress of the battle!
Framer of all decrees, wearer of the crown of dominion...
Thou judgest the cause of men with justice and righteousness,
Thou lookest with mercy on the violent man and thou settest right the unruly every morning.
O goddess of men, O goddess of women,
Thou whose counsel none may learn,
Where thou lookest in pity, the dead man lives again, the sick is healed,
The afflicted is saved from his affliction, when he beholdeth thy face!
O exalted Ishtar, that givest light unto the four quarters of the world!"

"Her power is to open what is shut
Shut what is open...
She gleams in the wildwood where you have not dared to walk. Wild yew & blackberries tight, dried meat of skinny winter deer, these she holds out, like a key.
Her door cannot be found, it is close-shut, it crumbles it wafts in wind. Her power is to raise the pale green grass of spring, the pale wildflower carpets which fly starward like primroses w / dogs asleep on them. Her power is in spittle
& in the lentil, it rises like smoke from the reopened furrow. She terraces the hills w / her glance, her white breast gleams in mossy caves you remember where the smoke curled on the greenwood fires...."
From "Lord of the Rings" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Note: In my opinion, Tinuviel is extremely similar to the Lady of the Flowers in Celtic tradition.
"The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlock-umbels tall and fair, and in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinuviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.
There Beren came from mountains cold,
And lost he wandered under leaves
And where the Elven-river rolled

He walked alone and sorrowing.
He peered between the hemlock-leaves
And saw in wonder flowers of gold
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,
And her hair like shadow following.
Enchantment healed his weary feet
That over hills were doomed to roam;
And forth he hastened, strong and fleet,
And grasped at moonbeams glistening.
Through woven woods in Elvenhome
She lightly fled on dancing feet,
And left him lonely still to roam
In the silent forest listening.
He heard there oft the flying sound
Of feet as light as linden-leaves,
Or music welling underground
In hidden hollows quavering...
Now withered lay the hemlock-sheaves,
And one by one with sighing sound whispering fell the beechen leaves
In the wintry woodland wavering.
He sought her ever, wandering far
Where leaves of years were thickly strewn,
By light of moon and ray of star
In frosty heavens shivering.
Her mantle glinted in the moon,
As on a hill-top high and far
She danced, and at her feet was strewn
A mist of silver quivering.
When winter passed, she came again,
And her song released the sudden spring,
Like rising lark, and falling rain,
And melting water bubbling.
He saw the elven flowers spring
About her feet, and healed again,
He longed by her to dance and sing
Upon the grass untroubling..."

Snow-white! Snow-white! O Lady clear!
O Queen beyond the Western Seas!
O Light to us that wander here
Amid the world of woven trees!
Gilthoniel! O Elbereth!
Clear are thy eyes and bright thy breath,
Show-white! Snow-white! We sing to thee
In a far land beyond the Sea.
O stars that in the Sunless Year
With shining hand by her were sown,
In windy fields now bright and clear
We see your silver blossom blown!
O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
We still remember, we who dwell
In this far land beneath the trees,
Thy starlight on the Western Seas.
A Elbereth! Gilthoniel!
O menel palan-diriel
Le nallon si di'nguruthos!
A tiro nin, Fanuilos!
Oh Silver Wind that crosses over ocean, wood, and snow
Keep watch upon my wandering heart
For my Lady Fair will carry it wherever she may go
And it won't be mine if we should part
I see her in the morning mist that rises to the sun
And in life's song I hear her speak
Always I will find her there as long as time may run
For she's the one my heart will seek.
May the many paths I walk by day and dream by moonlit night
Guide me as I move my feet
To the ancient Crossroads where in heaven's light

I and my Lady Fair will meet.
"I am a stag of seven tines
I am a flood across a plain
I am a wind on a deep lake
I am a teardrop the sun lets fall
I am a hawk above the cliff
I am a thorn beneath the nail
I am a wonder among flowers
I am a wizard: Who but I
Sets the cool head aflame with smoke?
I am a spear that roars for blood
I am a salmon in a pool
I am a lure from paradise
I am a hill where poets walk
I am a boar ruthless and red
I am a breaker threatening doom
I am a tide that drags to death
I am an infant: Who but I
Peeps from the unhewn dolmen arch?
I am the womb of every holt
I am the blaze on every hill
I am the queen of every hive
I am the shield for every head
I am the tomb of every hope.
I am the hope reborn anew
I am a flame that leaps from ash
I am a priestess: Who but I
Sleeps in the Earth and then awakes?"
"I am Taliesin,
Divine Child of the Mother.
I speak in riddles
From the Fountain of Vision.
My words are for those
Who understand
The roots of trees,

The secrets of earth.
Let me tell how the sun
Gilded the Hero's face;
Receive from me the secret
Of my Mother's seven names.
Three times seven and then three
Were the number of her priestesses;
Two times seven and then two
Were the number of her poets.
Twelve shadows she had
And six faces;
Nine were the maidens
Who breathed above her Cauldron
To prevent it from boiling.
Five were the number
Of her skirts in heaven,
Only the God
Might raise them all.
Four kept watch
At the tower of the Winds
Two were her progeny
Except for myself.
But I am first.
The last of the poets
To sing her praise:
My tongue silvered
My brow radiant,
My throat pure,
My dreams of her."
The Morrigan is a goddess of battle, strife, and fertility. Her name translates as either
"Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen," and both epithets are entirely appropriate for
Her. The Morrigan appears as both a single goddess and a trio of goddesses. The other deities who form the trio are Badb ("Crow"), and either Macha (also connotes "Crow") or Nemain ("Frenzy"). The Morrigan frequently appears in the ornithological guise of a hooded crow. She is one of the Tuatha De Danaan (Tribe of the Goddess Danu) and
She helped defeat the Firbolgs at the First Battle of Mag Tuired and the Fomorians at the Second Battle of Mag Tuired. (C) 1996 by Danielle Ní Dhighe

Pele is my Goddess
She has long and fiery hair
It serves her for her bodice
What else should a Goddess wear?
Her heart beat breaks the planet open, lays it's juices bare;
One breath from Madame Pele
Will vulcanize the air.
Oh, Pele, Pele, Pele, Pele,
Dance across the Heavens gaily
Spread your lava daily
Everywhere
Polynesian Gods assemble,
Pele makes the islands tremble
Makes the oceans boil
And whispers brimstone on the air.
Madame Pele gaily tinkers, syrup rock and pudding clinkers
Making heavy drinkers
Everywhere.

Early spring--
Leo finally begins its ascent into the night.
If that lion could roar, would I be able to see its breath, a cloud of tiny stars in the indescribable sky?
Far below, mottled purple fingers of skunk cabbage stab at me through frozen mud.
Freeze
Thaw
Freeze
Thaw
My sap begins to run sluggish and slow, restless and silently roaring while the air unfolds.
This is not like birth, not a sharp simple pain.
This is an excavation, tedious and frustrating, a dipping in and out like summer pond feet dangling from the end of a dock.
Persephone, how do you manage to climb all those stairs?

Greek mythology
Persephone is the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology. She is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. Persephone was such a beautiful girl that everyone loved her, even Hades wanted her for himself. When she was a little girl, she and the Oceanids were collecting flowers on the plain of Enna, when suddenly the Earth opened and Hades rose up from the gap and abducted her. None but Zeus had noticed it.
Broken-hearted, Demeter wandered the Earth, looking for her daughter until Helios, the all-seeing, revealed what had happened. Demeter was so angry that she withdrew herself in loneliness, and all fertility on Earth stopped. Finally, Zeus sent Hermes down to Hades to make him release Persephone. Hades grudgingly agreed, but before she went back he gave Persephone a pomegranate to eat, thus she would always be connected to his realm and had to stay there one-third of the year. The other months she remained with her mother. When Persephone was in Hades, Demeter refused to let anything grow and winter began. This myth is a symbol of the budding and dying of nature. In the Eleusinian mysteries, this happening was celebrated in honor of
Demeter and Persephone, who was known in this cult as Kore.
The Romans called her Proserpina.

Greek mythology
In Greek mythology, Rhea is the mother of the gods, daughter of Uranus and Gaia.
She is married to her brother Cronus and is the mother of Demeter, Hades, Hera,
Hestia, Poseidon and Zeus.
Cronus, jealous of the future power of his children and to secure his dominion, ate his own children but Rhea managed to rescue one son, Zeus. She hid him in the Dictean
Cave in Crete and gave Cronus a stone wrapped in the clothes of the infant, which he swallowed. Thus Rhea succeeded in making him believe that he had killed all of his children. When Zeus reached maturity he overpowered and dethroned his father and made Cronus disgorge his siblings.
Rhea is identified with mother goddess Cybele from Asia Minor and is also known as
Rhea Cybele and Magna Mater ('great mother'). She was worshiped with orgiastic rites. Rhea is depicted between two lions or on a chariot pulled by lions.
Other names: Dindumene

Aetna
Aetna is the Roman mountain goddess after whom the Italian volcano Mount Etna is named.
Angerona
The Roman goddess of the winter solstice, Angerona is shown with a bandaged mouth with a finger to her lips commanding silence. Her feast the Divalia or
Angeronalia was celebrated on December 21.
Antevorta
Antevorta is the Roman goddess of prophecy.
Aurora
The Roman goddess of dawn.
Bellona
The serpent haired goddess Bellona is often described as the feminine side of the god
Mars. She represents conflict as well as peace in war.
Bona Dea
The "good goddess," Bona Dea became the most popular name by which the goddess
Fauna or Fatua was known in Rome. She is worshipped only by women, and only in secrecy at rites in early December. Led by Vestal priestesses, these rites were held at the home of a high-ranking Roman matron. The room was decorated with vine branches and with wine flowing freely, it is thought these events were rather rowdy.
Camenae
These Roman water spirits dwell in freshwater springs and rivers, their most notable haunt being the sacred spring at the Porta Capena, just outside of Rome. Their name means "foretellers." Their festival, the Fontinalia, was celebrated on October 13 by tossing good luck wreaths into wells.
Ceres
The goddess Ceres is the force of crop growth personified and celebrated by women in secret rituals.
Concordia
Concordia is the Roman goddess of peace and in art shown as a heavyset matron

holding cornucopia in one hand and an olive branch in the other.
Devera
Devera is the Roman goddess that rules the brooms used to purify ritual sites.
Diana
Diana is the mother of wild animals and forests, and a moon goddess. Oak groves are especially sacred to her. She is praised for her strength, athletic grace, beauty and her hunting skills. With two other deities she made up a trinity: Egeria the water nymph, her servant and assistant midwife; and Virbius, the woodland god.
Disciplina
Disciplina is the Roman goddess of discipline.
Edusa
Edusa is the Roman goddess who oversees the weaning of infants.
Felicitas
Felicitas is the goddess of good fortune, not to be confused with Fortuna.
Flora
Flora is the embodiment of the flowering of all of nature, including human nature.
The female body was honored at the Floralia, the festival of nude women celebrated until the 3rd century A.D., when Roman authorities demanded revelers must wear clothes. Flora is the queen of all plants. Romans called her the secret patron of Rome, without whose help the city would die.
Fons
Fons is the Roman goddess of fountains.
Fortuna
The goddess Fortuna controls the destiny of every human being. She is the goddess who permits the fertilization of humans, animals and plants.
Fraud
Fraud is the Roman goddess of treachery.
Juno
The Roman supreme goddess is Juno, married to the ruling god, Jupiter. She is believed to watch and protect all women. Every year, on the first of March, women hold a festival in honor of Juno called the Matronalia. To this day, many people

consider the month of June, which is named after the goddess who is the patroness of marriage, to be the most favorable time to marry. The peacock is sacred to Juno.
Minerva
Minerva is the goddess of wisdom, commerce, crafts, and inventor of music. Ovid called her the "goddess of a thousand works." The Romans celebrated her worship from March 19 to 23 during the Quinquatrus, the artisans' holiday.
Pallor
Pallor is the Roman goddess of fear.
Panacea
Panacea is a Roman goddess of health.
Potina
Potina is the goddess honored as the spirit of weaving and of drinking.
Proserpine
Proserpine is the counterpart of the Greek goddess, Persephone. She was kidnapped by Pluto and taken to his underworld and made queen of the dead.
Providentia
Providentia is a Roman goddess whose name means "forethought."
Puta
Puta is the Roman goddess of tree pruning.
Salus
Salus is a Roman goddess of health.
Tellus Mater
The Roman "Mother Earth" is the constant companion of Ceres, and the two of them are patrons of vegetative and human reproduction. Tellus is also the mother death goddess since the dead are returned into her womb, the earth.
Tempestates
Tempestates is the Roman goddess of wind and storm.
Unxia
Unxia is the Roman goddess of wedding anointment.

Sentia
Sentia is the Roman goddess who heightens feelings.
Venus
As the goddess of love, Venus is the "queen of pleasure" and mother of the Roman people. She is married to Vulcan, the lame god of the forge. She is also associated with her lover, Mars the god of war. She is also a nature goddess, associated with the arrival of spring. Venus is the bringer of joy to gods and humans.
Verplace
Verplace is the Roman goddess of family harmony.

Greek goddess of the moon. Daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia. Sister of
Helios (sun) and Eos (dawn). Mother of Pandia by Zeus, and of fifty daughters by
Endymion. She rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by two white horses. Also a tutelary deity of magicians. Selene was sometimes identified with Artemis as a moon goddess. She became synchronized with Hekate in later Greek mythology. The
Romans equated her with Luna.

The Greek Goddess of the Full Moon, Selene is daughter of Hyperion and Theia and one of the deities of light during the dynasty of the Titans. She represents the full moon phase of the lunar cycle, along with Artemis (the crescent new moon) and
Hecate (the waning moon), Like her brother Helius, she drives a chariot through the sky each night; hers is usually drawn by two horses.
By Zeus, she is the mother of Pandia (All-bright) and Ersa (Dew). By Endymion, she is mother of 50 daughters, who represent the 50 lunar months that elapse between each Olympiad. The days of the full and new moon were set aside for her worship.
As the myth goes, Selene saw Endymion, a shepherd, asleep in a cave on Mt. Latmus one night. She fell in love with him, and began to neglect her duties to lie beside him as he slept. In some stories, Zeus grants Endymion perpetual sleep with perpetual youth, so that Selene would resume her duties. In others, Selene herself puts him to sleep.
Selene is often closely identified with Artemis and Hecate, both of whom are moon goddesses as well. It is said that this was the name the Triple Goddess Hecate was honored by when she was in the realm of heaven. Selene is of great importance in magick, spells and enchantments.

Selene is the Greek Moon Goddess and teacher to Magicians, and sorcerers. She is shown as a beautiful, pale woman in a chariot drawn by either two white horses or a mule.

The Goddess we usually call Crone is shown with a young and a middle-aged face as well. In Goddess spirituality, the idea that the Divine has many faces is well accepted.
We're comfortable with the notion that the Divine appears in different ways to different people. One of the best characteristics of Goddess religion, in fact, is this acceptance that others' visions are as valid as your own most precious beliefs. You don't have to make a strong argument for ecumenism among truly devoted Goddess worshipers.
For me, though, it was one thing to acknowledge the many-paths-up-the-mountain argument in the abstract. It was something entirely different to realize it through direct experience. When I was a Goddess worshiper, I paid lip service to ecumenism, but I didn't really believe it. I disdained the patriarchal religions, especially the one that dominates my own culture. I truly believed that any woman who practiced
Christianity, Judaism or Islam was little more than an obliging doormat. And, even though I didn't express it openly, I felt that anyone who chose to follow these faiths was misguided, incorrect, and maybe just a little cowardly not to break free of them. I was even a little smug about it.
I don't think Goddess cares for self-righteousness, and She had a way of dealing with my attitude. My love of nature, that had brought me to Goddess in the first place, led me to the writings of Matthew Fox. Now, how a feminist Goddess follower ever looked at his writings in the first place, those of a Christian, and, on top of that, a guy, still amazes me. It happened, as miracles seem to, inexplicably. I read Fox's book called Original Blessing, and was captivated from the first paragraph. Fox spoke of the
Word of God. The Word was not just blind acceptance of some ancient mythology, but a living force of Creation. And Creation itself was not some static event in the inconceivable past, but a dynamic, moving, ever-new process. The Word was alive. It was awe, joy, mystery, and ecstasy. I could feel it. I saw the Word in everything, from tree branches against the gray morning sky to my hands grasping a pencil. My life of spirit became deeper and richer. Before I had the chance to catch my breath, I was talking to an Episcopal priest about being baptized. Goddess, clearly, has a sense of humor. Little Ms. Smarty Pants who had all the answers woke up one day and found herself turned into a Christian.
Goddess used to be absolutely real for me. Now the Word fills my vision. I don't see this as one supplanting the other. It's more of a transformation, where Goddess worshiper became Creation-centered Christian like Snake Woman shedding Her skin.
In no way do I feel I've turned away from Goddess. Goddess is just no longer how I

conceive of the Mystery. It's just a matter of what I see when I look toward the inexpressible. This spiritual shape-shifting has made the unity of all light-seeking faiths real for me. We really are all one. As if we all hear the Cosmic sound and sing back a different note in the harmony.
So, here I am, in my new skin, still in SisterSpirit, still participating in circle, still loving Goddess, really, but now as a Christian, with a different perspective, with added dimension, and reveling in every aspect of the irony. If you don't believe She changes everything She touches, you'd better look behind you. May the peace of the
Christ be ever in our hearts. Om. Amen. Blessed be.

Hohkma (Hebrew), Sapienta (Latin), Mother-Of-All (Gnostic), Holy Spirit (very early
Christians), Wisdom (what the other names mean).
World, She carries a golden cup. She is also often shown wearing a red gown, and pregnant. to Mary.
(step-son).
Grandmother (Native American), Inanna (Sumerian), Tara (Tibetan) Yemaya
(African-Caribbean), Amaterasu (Japanese), Pachamama (Incan), Estsanatlehi,
Changing Woman (Navajo and Apache), Danu (Celtic).
Christianity, She was once very important, but because of the efforts of men who had a very serious problem with the female force in nature and themselves She has all but been expunged from modern Bibles. She was the veiled holy spirit of wisdom, pregnant with knowledge and inviting us to drink deeply from Her cup. Old Jewish literature tells of Her role as God's co-creator, "She reaches out from one end of the earth to the other with full strength and orders all things well Herself unchanging, she makes all things anew." without Her God is powerless. She shares God's throne, and is his creative breath. The Shakers recognized her in the rhyme: "Wisdom holds the Mother's seat, and is the Father's helper-meet." Yes, it's time that Mrs. God got
Her due!

Gnosticism (Gnost = knowledge) was one of the very earliest forms of Christianity being some what older then what became the Roman Catholic Church, and one of it's chief rivals during the first part of the first millennium. They sought communion with Sige (Silence) who dwelt at the beginning of all things and gave birth to Sophia
(Wisdom or Knowledge), The Gnostic Great Mother, who was both spouse and mother of God. (Hey! it's how they thought back then, read your Joseph Campbell.)
What became the orthodox church especially hated the Gnostic feminine imagery.
Followers of Paul denounced the Gnostics as the spawn of Satan and ravening wolves used against other Christians of a different type in those times, and for that matter today against other religions that they don't like today.
Starting mainly in the 4th and going through the 8th the Paulist church persecuted any Gnostic minorities that they could find, killing them in the thousands.
Church fathers of the Paulist type were very upset and angry by the Gnostics admitting women to ecclesiastical rank. Tertullian reported with horror that "All initiates, men and women alike might be elected to serve as priest, bishop, or prophet.
Beyond that the women teach, engage in discussion; they exorcise; they cure. They even baptize and in all way have equally, they pray equally -- even Pagans, if any happen to come.They also share the kiss of peace with all who come."
Some sects of Gnosticism even went so far as to say that there were twelve female apostles lead by the beloved of Jesus Mary Magdalene, and that while Jesus was the real God made flesh, Mary Magdalene was the real Goddess also made flesh, most of their gospels pertaining to this were destroyed by the early Paulist, though some have survived.
In return for what the other Christians had to say about them the Gnostics said that the God of the Roman church was not the real God but was a devilish demiurge who only wanted to entrap human souls in lies, illusion, and evil.
But what about some of these differences that are to be found between the Gnostics take a short look at the Gnostic version of the Garden of Eden myth next.
The Gnostics said that Sophia was born from the primordial female power Sige
(Silence). And that she (Sophia) was God's mother, "the great revered Virgin in whom the Father was concealed from the beginning before He had created anything. Sophia gave birth to a male spirit, Christ, (who only much later came to earth in human

form) and a female spirit Achamoth (who later came to earth as Mary Magdalene).
These two gave birth to the elements and the terrestrial world, then brought forth a new god named Jehovah, Son of Darkness, along with five planetary spirits later regarded as emanations of Jehovah: Iao, Sabaoth, Adonai, Eloi, and Uraeus. These spirits produced archangels, angels, and finally men and women.
Jehovah forbade men to eat the fruit of knowledge, but his mother Achamoth sent her own spirit to earth in the form of the serpent Ophis to teach men kind to disobey the jealous god. The serpent was also called Christ, who taught Adam to eat the fruit of knowledge despite Jehovah's prohibition.
Sophia sent Christ again to earth in the shape of one of Her totems the dove, to enter the man Jesus at his baptism in Jordan. After Jesus died, Christ left his body and returned to heaven to help collect souls.
But not all of Sophia was taken out of the final version of the Bible by the Paulist, some was able to slip past i.e. from the 8th and 9th chapters Proverbs we see the early conflict between followers of Sophia and those of God. Maybe the divorce was going on at this time?:
Doth not Sophia cry? and understanding put forth her voice? She standeth in the top of high places, by way in the places of the paths. She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in of the doors. Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. O ye simple, understand Sophia: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things for Sophia is better then rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to Her. I Sophia dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding; I have strength. By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all judges of the earth. I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. I lead the way into righteousness, jin the midst of the paths of judgment: that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For who so findeth me findeth life. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
Then we get:
Sophia hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: she hath killed her beasts: she hath mingled her wine: she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city. Who so is simple, let him turn in hither; as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to

him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled, but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased a foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high place of the city, temples to call passengers who go right on their ways: who so is simple, let him turn in hither.
But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and her guests are in the depths of hell.
Sounds like the nasty sort of thing that goes on in a lot of divorces to me. Or at least a heated PR battle.
Lets say that the campaign to bring Sophia (or Sapienta or Hohkma or Goddess which ever) is a success, what are some of the effects that it might have? I mean other then the religious aspects, I mean also the political or more mundane aspects, because as it the power is in the hands of men, well, with Sophia back thinks would have to loosen up more then a little bit, so what are some of the changes that could take place?
Sure they have nuns, but that does not count because even they have to have a Priest that is over them (I think I'm really not sure about the details). So with the return of
Sophia we could see also the Catholic Priestess who would have her very on sacraments and everything (see following message) and to be sure they could also become bishops and cardinals I understand that such things were quite common way back when.
And Pope? There was Pope Joan, but she had to be in disguise to do that. And all that
Pope stuff did not start till well after the last of the Sophiaist had been offed.
But I know the perfect compromise, there is a lot of controversy in the Roman
Catholic church right now between people who think that Priest should be able to marry, and those that think things should stay just as they are. But if you let Priest marry who knows what would happen! After all nobody can understand anybody else's choices in books or mates, and if you're Catholic what would you do if Father
Dan showed up one day married to a Yahway's Witness or a nice Jewish girl?! You know what gossips church people can be, well here's the solution, let them get married, but only to Priestesses, sure that cuts down the field a lot but hey! that's tough, it comes with the territory.
Now here's a group that needs some work, ever seen some of the more hard-core

groups with the men in their Penta-Pimp suits and the poofyed up hair-dos and their drab mousey wife’s who never seem to say anything? I think there is more then room for a little loosening up to be done there, and in the more average protestant churches too.
Along with the minister have a womanizer, yeah that would work, maybe having another power would help cut down on the power tripping that often takes place.
And just think, one more person to gossip about!
Sorry, I really don't know enough about Judaism to talk about changes that might take place with the return of a Goddess figure, but I'm sure it would have to mean something, right?
One thing that is to be found in all Christian religious groups is the male-force version of the leader, no matter if he is called Priest, minister or what, who is let's face it more matter how you might like to not look at it, is for the most part a political figure, somebody in charge, so that you have a lot of religion but very, very little if any real spirituality.
Perhaps that could be fixed with the return of Sophia because with the return of a
Female element to a religion you open up the door to the possibility of the Christian
Shaman, something that the world has yet to see, this person could be ether male or female and well I think this needs it's own message.
Even if you are not Catholic yourself I am sure that you are at least somewhat familiar with each of the seven sacraments that a priest can perform as part of his office. Just for the record they are listed below.
The seven sacraments that a priest of the Roman Catholic church can perform are:
1. Baptism 2. Communion (eucharist) 3. Confirmation 4. Marriage 5. Priesthood 6.
Sacrament of the Sick (formerly known as 'last rites') 7. Reconciliation (confession)
Now, what would be the case if a campaign to return Sophia to Judeo-Christianity were to succeed? There would be no need to take anything away from the priests, or even for them to share the seven sacraments for that matter, I think that the priestess would have plenty to do with the seven sacraments of the Priestesshood:
1. Pre-Baptism (sacred midwifery) To attend in a number of ways to the spiritual and physical needs of pregnant women, blessing the child, doing some rite at the birth

etc.
2. Blessing the Cup. Rite by which a cup of milk or water is imbued with the essence of Sophia.
3. Bake the Love in. Rite in which an entire meal is imbued with the essence of
Sophia.
4. Match-Making. Something that is badly needed before the Priest can do the marriage bit. a number of ways in which the compatibility is tested between two people, also the aiding of finding a suitable match. ("Nu! have I got a girl for you!")
5. Nag. Sort of like confession, only while one is told to the priest this one is told to you by the priestess, sort of like nagging, but in a good way, a way of pointing out where some improvement could be made, all under the influence of Sophia and not the good Mother herself naturally. Maybe it could start out by the Priestess saying something like "Watch it buster, for you have sinned" or something like that.
6. Tidy-Up. Rite to "clean-up" the spiritual "being" of the person in question, sort of like all that aura cleaning that the New Agers do.
7. Make-Over. Training that lets the Priestess note changes that would be helpful if they were made in an individual, sort of like that Hail Mary thing, only the Priestess would assign things of a more tangible form. Like giving me one week with no beer drinking, or such like.
The White Goddess. Robert Graves.
Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity. (2 vols.) Francis Legge.
The Gnostic Religion. Hans Jonas.
Venus in Sackcloth. Marjorie Malvern.
Myths to Live By. Joseph Campbell.
The Gnostic Gospels. Elaine Pagels.
When God Was a Woman. Merlin Stone.
The Lady Was a Bishop. Joan Morris.
Spiral Dance. Starhawk.
The Book of Goddesses and Heroines. Patricia Monagham.
The Goddesses and the Tree. Ellen Cannon Reed.
Urban Shaman. Serge Kahili King.
Growing the Tree Within. William Gray.
The Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets. Barbara G. Walker.

The Dark Mother is the most misunderstood of the triple aspects of the Goddess. Her color is Black and she absorbs everything, including light and life. The dark of the
Moon is Her time, the Abyss and darkness of space is Her home. Her number is nine, symbolizing wisdom and sacred magick. Nine is also the number of completion and the completion of beginnings is the Crone's place in the cycle of birth-life-death.
The greatest fear in Western Society is the fear of death and so many have turned away from this face of our Mother. We see this in our fevered need for eternal "youth and beauty" (as defined by society) and in the medical community's fight against aging and death. Who among us had not had a friend or family member kept "alive" on life support long after the soul has left the body to resume its journey?
We also see this turning away in the way this country treats its elderly. At a time of life in which a person should be venerated for wisdom and knowledge they could pass on to the young ones among us, the elderly are at best "taken care of" (read: loss of privacy, dignity and freedom) or at worst completely ignored. Advanced age should be a time to look forward to in our lives. We should be able to look back and remember all that has happened to us with wisdom and good humor. We should be given the chance to relax and rest and contemplate our lives in preparation of a joyful reunion with the Dark Mother, come to take us into Her starry womb once more.
Instead, because we don't build a comfortable relationship with the Crone early in our lives, near the end all we feel is frustration and fear.
How do we build a relationship with the Crone, this Dark Mother who upholds the laws of life and death with a rigorous need for balance that may seem so many times harsh to us? Forest we must realize that Death is not the only domain of the Crone.
Endings of all sorts fall under Her sway, and endings always lead to new beginnings.
You can get in touch with the Crone during many transitional periods in your life; during the ending of relationships or jobs, when you need to regroup your energies, at the end of a project or problem, even when you are getting your garden ready for the winter. The Dark Mother also covers trance states, spirit communication, and prophecy. Menopause is also a time to learn about the Crone aspect of the Goddess.
Crone magick is not all that different from Her other three aspects, one must simply remember that the Crone is not a Goddess of birth, but the harvesting and resting of all life. One may use meditation, candle burning and other general tools of magick to draw Her energies near. Her power may be called upon with dark candles such as

black, dark blues, or deep purples. Another of Her magickal domains is retribution, but you must be certain that you are justified in your need. Do not ask for revenge
(remember the Low of Three!), do not be specific in anything that you want done.
Simply lay the problem before Her and allow Her to decide whether or not there has been a true imbalance of justice.
At the Winter Solstice, you can burn white, red and black candles to be reminded that everything is born, lives and dies to be born again.
In the end, all must confront the Dark Mother, willing or unwillingly. How much better it would be to realize that She is not to be dreaded, a figure in black come to take us away from all we know and love, but a loving Goddess come to take us home so that we may rest and revive and begin our journey on the Wheel of Life once more.

The Dark Goddess is no lightweight. She promises trouble, an end to form as we have know it, the death of the ego. Her mythology suggests that she is venomous, wrathful, outraged, awake and on fire. She is impersonal, yet she erupts form deep within the human psyche with unexpected passion and rage. She is transformation in the extreme, and her power is regenerative and healing. Like a trickster, she frees us from the trappings that bind us to your tiny personal worlds; like a knife she cuts away all that is inessential and untruthful. She shatters structure, disintegrates the personality, destroys form. She liberates and saves, heals and frees.
There is an inherent problem with the reappearance of the Dark Goddess in the world today, and more personally in women's individual lives. When she was repressed, and her priestesses disempowered, she was also "demonized" by the new ruling elite. What had always belonged to Her was the power to interpret and carry out "natural law" in individual and community lives. The powers of life and death were hers, and we humans approached her with awe and respect. When female roles were replaced by male priests and shamans and temples became places where rules and regulations were made and held as 'commandments', the Dark Goddess was maligned and made evil.
Women carry this malignant definition of female power in our cells today. When the
Dark Goddess begins to erupt in us, instead of rage at the wrongs that have been done, many women feel guilty and ashamed, as if something 'demonic' were awakening within them. What is this terrible force that makes a woman scream at her lover, rage at the authorities, and rail at God? When the Dark Goddess enters into the lives of even the most 'ordinary' women, She turns them into troublemakers.
Certainly the world around us defines Her presence as demonic and destructive. Little old ladies march for abortion; mothers and housewives leave the fold and take up with 'uppity' women; women of all ages and types stop being 'nice'. If ever there was a revolutionary deity, the Dark Goddess is it!
I love the Dark Goddess – worship her, pledge allegiance to the changes She would bring in my life and others – yet when She visits my life, I feel as if I am in an earthquake, a volcano, a tidal wave of terrible proportions. And through Her visitations come the ability to "feel" – on a visceral level, in the body – the creative what isn't quite yet, She forces us to jump the inevitable gap between the past and the future.

Transformation always involves a death of the old, a moment of total, unknown voidness when we are naturally afraid, and a breathless leap into the renewal when we are "reborn". It is imperative that we surrender to the death and let go into the unknown before we can experience and appreciate the rebirth. It is this amazing doorway between death and rebirth that the Dark Goddess guards.

In order to understand the nature of the All-Mother, we must first understand our own origins. Each of began our individual life as a single, fertilized cell or zygote. In the process of its innumerable divisions and multiplications, that cell kept dividing up and redistributing the very same protoplasm. That protoplasm which now courses through all of the several trillion cells of your adult body is the very same substance which once coursed through the bossy of that original zygote. For when a cell reproduces, the mother cell does not remain intact, but actually becomes the two new daughter cells. And this is why, no matter how many times a cell fissions in the process of embryological development, all the daughter cells collectively continue to comprise but one single organism. We may imagine that, should our cells have consciousness akin to our own, they may very well fancy themselves to be independent entities living and dying in a world that to them would seem to be merely an inanimate environment. But we know them to be in fact minute components of the far vaster living beings that we ourselves are.
Over four billion years ago, life on Earth began, as do we all, with a single living cell containing a replicating molecule of DNA. From that point on that original cell, the first to develop the awesome capacity for reproduction, divided and redivided and subdivided its protoplasm into the myriads of plants and animals, including ourselves, which now inhabit this third planet from the Sun.
But no matter how many times a cell fissions in the process of embryological development, all the daughter cells collectively continue to comprise but one single organism. All life on Earth comprises the body of single vast living being — Mother
Earth Herself. The Moon is Her radiant heart, and in the tides beat the pulse of Her blood. That protoplasm which coursed through the body of that first primeval ancestral cell is the very protoplasm which now courses through every cell of every living organism, plant or animal, of our planet. And the soul of our planetary biosphere is She whom we call Goddess.
"First life on my sources
First drifted and swam
Out of me are the forces
Which save it or damn
Out of man and woman
And wild-beast and bird"

Name Aspect Origin
Aphrodite Mother Greece
Symbols and Titles
Ariadne
Artemis
Astarte
Athena
Bast
Brigid
Cerridwen Crone Wales
Demeter
Diana
Hathor
Hecate
Inanna
Ishtar
Isis
Mother Crete
Maiden Greece
Mother Greece
Maiden Greece
Maiden Egypt
Mother Ireland
Mother Greece
Maiden Rome
Maiden Egypt
Crone Greece
Mother Sumer
Mother Babylon
Mother Egypt
Goddess of Love and Beauty, Most
Beautiful, born from the Sea
Silver Thread, the Deep Sea, Guide of
Souls through the Labyrinth
Moon Goddess, Virgin Goddess of the
Hunt
The Star, Goddess of Fertility and Love
The White Owl, the Shield. Born from
Her father’s head
Feline Goddess, Goddess of Beauty and
Dance
Goddess of the Forge, Smithcraft, Healing, and Poetry
The Cauldron, Goddess of Mysteries,
Creation, and Inspiration
Grain, the Fruitful Earth, Mother to
Persephone
The Moon, Bow and Arrow, Mother of
Aradia
Crescent Moon, Cow Goddess
The Cave, the cauldron, Wise Woman,
Crone of Wisdom
Queen of Heaven, Goddess of Descent and
Resurrection
River of Life, Lady of Victory, King Maker
Solar Disc, Crescent Moon, Throne,
Mother of All Beings

Kali
Kwan Yin
Rhiannon
Sekhmet
Tara
Crone
Mother
Maiden
India
China
Celtic
Mother Egypt
Mother India, Tibet
Destroyer of Illusions, Wearer of Skulls,
Dances Upon the Burning Ground
Lotus, Goddess of Peace, Love,
Compassion, and Mercy
Goddess of Death and Rebirth, the Great
Queen, Horse Goddess, with three birds
She releases the living from life and resurrects the dead
Lionheaded Goddess of Strength, Warrior
Goddess
Mother of All Activities, Goddess of
Twenty-One Aspects

With the coming of each spring we begin to feel the returning pulse of life all around us. The earth and all that is living upon her is waking from a wintry sleep and is bursting with life. As we walk outside and feel the chill of a beautiful spring morning, look around at the spring flowers blooming, and listen for the birds singing... something special happens to all of us. All of these wonderful sensations have been felt by all of the Goddess's children throughout time. Our ancestors celebrated the turning of the wheel and the coming of spring with many stories and myths that reflect the importance of this time of the year.
One of my personal favorites is the Homeric "Hymn to Demeter". The Homeric
"Hymn to Demeter" was originally an oral epic sung to the ancient audience telling of the kidnapping of Persephone by Aidoneus or Hades. I would like to share this myth with you and wish all of you a most wonderful and blessed spring.
Many years ago, when the earth was not so old and the Goddesses and Gods walked among mortals, the maiden Persephone, daughter of Demeter, gathered flowers in a meadow. In the meadow there grew a beautiful narcissus. Because of it's great beauty, Persephone approached the plant . When she reached out to pluck the beautiful flower, the earth split asunder and Aidoneus, lord of the underworld, came out and grabbed her. Persephone cried to her father Zeus and to her mother
Demeter... yet to no avail. The mountains echoed her cry and a great pain struck
Demeter as she heard her child crying.
Demeter sought out her daughter. She searched and searched, yet no one would tell her what had happened to her daughter. Demeter, struck with grief, drank neither ambrosia nor the sweetness of nectar for nine days. This was most unusual, as it is the way of the Goddesses and Gods to drink ambrosia and nectar. On the tenth day of her wandering Demeter met Hecate, who told her of hearing the screams, but could not tell her who had taken Persephone. Demeter said nothing but immediately searched out Helios, who sees the doings of all the Gods and mortals.
Demeter questioned Helios and learned that Aidoneus had taken her daughter. Helios then told Demeter that Zeus, father of Persephone, had allowed his brother Aidoneus to take Persephone as his wife. He continued by telling Demeter that she should be happy, as Aidoneus was a good husband and not an unsuitable son-in-law. Demeter, already filled with grief, lamented all the more for her daughter, and so she shrouded herself in clouds and left Olympus to wander disguised among mortals.

In her wandering, Demeter came to the city of Eleusis and here she found refuge with
Queen Metaneria. While residing there, Demeter came to care greatly for the prince
Demophon. Desiring to bestow immortal life upon the child, each night she hid him in the fire and fed him the nectar and ambrosia of the Gods. When the queen found out what was going on she was very much frightened. At that moment, the Goddess
Demeter revealed herself in all her glory to the mortals. She commanded that they should build a temple dedicated to her worship and instructed them in the secret rituals for her worship.
Demeter stayed in her temple in Eleusis, away form the home of he Goddesses and
Gods, for many days as she mourned for her daughter. She caused this time to be the most terrible and oppressive year for humans upon the nourishing earth. Demeter allowed no seed to grow and the fields were plowed in vain. By these deeds, she could have destroyed the mortal race and deprived the Goddesses and Gods of the most glorious sacrifices. Zeus, fearing the loss of sacrifices, sent many an ambassador to summon Demeter, yet she refused to return to Olympus. Demeter told the ambassadors that she would not return to Olympus nor allow the seeds of the earth to grow again until she saw her daughter.
When Zeus heard this, he sent Hermes to lead Persephone out of the underworld.
When Persephone learned that she would be returning to see her mother she was overjoyed. However, before she left, Aidoneus gave her a pomegranate and bade her to eat it. Persephone did so, not knowing that Aidoneus had worked magick upon it so that if she ate of it she would be compelled to return to the underworld. In light of this, Zeus decided that Persephone would spend one third of the year with Aidoneus in the darkness of the underworld and the other two thirds with her mother,
Demeter.
As a result, each year Persephone returns to the underworld and Demeter mourns for her daughter. All life that is upon the earth retreats and awaits the return of
Persephone. Each year we yearn, along with Demeter, for the return of Persephone.
As the time approaches, we all smell the air, listen for the birds and look for the blooming flowers.
Blessed Be and Welcome Return Persephone!

She is the ruler of the tides of flux and reflux. The waters of the Great Sea answer unto her, likewise the tides of all earthly seas, and she ruleth the nature of woman.
One of the most significant archetypal symbols of the Goddess is the Moon. The
Triple Goddess is seen in the Moon as Maiden (Waxing Moon), Mother (Full Moon), and Crone (Waning Moon). The Moon Goddess has been known by many different names in many different cultures. It is said that the Moon Goddess created time and measurement. Ancient calendars were based on the Moon's phases. She is usually seen as the protector of women, and she rules magick and childbirth. In ancient
Thessaly, the Moon Goddess was invoked in a rite called "drawing down the moon", which we still practice today.
The Moon Goddess has many different names in many different cultures. In Finland, the Divine Creatress was called Luonnotar. In Scandinavia, She was Mardoll, or "The
Moon Shining Over the Sea". Gala or Galata is the original Moon-Mother of Gaelic tribes. In Britain, an early name for the Moon Goddess was Albion, or "Milk-White
Moon-Goddess". To the Aztecs, the Moon Goddess was Mictecaciuarl, the devoured of the dead, and She had the same role among the Maoris and the Tartars. Several cultures believed that the Moon was the "Land of the Dead". In Africa, She is
Akua'ba, in China Queen of Heaven, and to the Ancient Romans she was Luna.
Greek/Roman Moon Goddesses include Artemis, Hecate, Bendis, Brizo, Callisto,
Selene, Prosymna, Diana, and Luna.
Artemis was daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo. She was the Lady of the Beasts, Who roams the forest with her band of nymphs, protecting pregnant beasts and their young. The Greeks assimilated her to a mistress of wild beasts. Bears were sacred to her, and the guinea-fowl were her birds. Her name possibly means
"high source of water" (the moon being regarded as the source and ruler of all waters).
She was the mistress of magick, enchantment, and sorcery. She was a protector of youth, especially of girls, and was called upon as Artemis Eileithyia by women in childbirth. She is often depicted with a hound, and carrying a bow and arrows. One of her forms was Callistro. Other names for her include Delia, Phoebe, Pythia, and
Parthenos. She was considered virginal, which means that she was her "own woman" and did not have a consort, however this did not mean that she was celibate. She is the Roman equivalent of Diana. Her tarot associations include nines, the High
Priestess, and Temperance. Her gemstones are quartz, moonstone, pearl, and crystal.
Sacred to her are the herbs mandrake, damiana, almond, mugwort, and hazel. Her

animals are the horse, dog, elephant, and centaur. Other associations of Artemis are magickal weapons, perfumes, sandals, bow and arrow, and menstrual blood. Her
Festival is celebrated on February 12.
Hecate was a Moon Goddess, Underworld Goddess and Goddess of Magick. She was the daughter of Perses and Asteria. Other traditions say she was the daughter of Zeus and Hera. She protected flocks and sailors, and was associated with crossroads. Her tarot associations are threes and the High Priestess. Her gemstones include star sapphire, pearl, moonstone, and crystal; her plants include cypress, opium poppy, almond, mugwort, hazel, and moonwort. Animals which are sacred to her are dogs.
Other associations include perfumes, myrrh, civet, and magickal weapons.
Bendis was a Moon Goddess and wife of the Sun God Sabazius, and was worshipped with orgiastic rites. Thracians made her popular in Attica, and in 430 BC her cult became a state ceremonial in Athens, with torch races at the Piraeus.
Brizo was a Moon Goddess of Delos, to whom votive ships were offered. The name
Brizo may be a form of Brighid.
Selene was a Moon Goddess and daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios
(the Sun) and Eos (the Dawn). She was wooed and won by Zeus and by Pan. She also fell in love with Endymion and visited him nightly while he slept. (Zeus granted the mortal Endymion immortality on the condition that he remained eternally asleep.)
She is also called Luna.
Prosymna is the Greek Goddess of the New Moon. She is also known as Persephone, and is given the title of Demeter as the Earth Mother in her Underworld aspect.
Diana was the Roman equivalent of the Greek Moon and Nature Goddess Artemis, and rapidly acquired all her characteristics. She is the Goddess of light, mountains, and woods. She was invoked to protect the harvest against heavy storms. Diana, whose name means "light", was originally the Italian Goddess of the Sun, Moon, and
Open Sky. She also bestowed sovereignty and conception. Her feast day is August 15.
Christians adopted her as St. Anne, Mary's mother, the "Grandmother of God".

In this ritual the Greek Goddess Nemesis, a deity of fate and vengeance, is seen in the role of being the complementary opposite of ones ego referring to the inner self as the center of Both personalities. Habits and actions taken against ones real desires create the opposite to the same degree and thereby form an anti-personality of ones ego, which in this case is identified with the principle of Nemesis.
Disturbances on the plane of reality due to actions against ones subconscious desires can be eliminated by ritual union with this personal demon-sister/brother and enable one to reach ones inner self, which is defined as the mean value of Both the personalities.
The effect of this ritual, if performed correctly, would by definition be fatal.
Therefore the operation is strictly limited to the part of the psyche which the magician wishes to explore. A sigil representing this portion of the psyche is forcibly activated during the ritual in order that the magician may seek answers to his problems within the chosen area in the personality. No specific wishes or desires can be used for this purpose, only general ones. This is a necessary restriction to avoid being overwhelmed by any unpleasant effects. The magician should be aware of this when constructing the sigil.
Nemesis Conjuration:
1. Banishing.
The head may rest on the lower part of the arms, and the face should be covered by the cowl of the robe.
4. The incantation is given while visualizing a winged figure of opposite sex who approaches the magician. The figure wears the chosen sigil on his/her breast and is
Both beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
5. Incantation:

Start hyperventilation during the reading out of the incantation.
The visualized figure with the sigil coming closer and closer to finally melt into your own body. When this point is reached shout out:
(I move the wings of the secret wisdom within me!)
6. Banishing and/or laughter.

Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe:
"I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters,
I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.
For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.
From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.
Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold -- all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.
And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the
Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find without.
For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am that which is attained at the end of Desire."

To understand the concept of Goddess requires more than the ability to visualize God as a woman. The Goddess concept is built around the myth and mystery of the relationship between God and Goddess, and beneath that, and part of it, Her
Threefold Aspect, Maiden, Mother and Crone.
One of the oldest recognized Goddess forms is the first Greek Goddess - Gaia, the
Earth Mother; the Universal Womb; Mother of All. The most ancient Goddesses were most often Earth and Mother Goddesses. The were worshiped and revered as bearers of life, fat, healthy, pregnant and fruitful. As the Goddess concept developed, then came the Harvest Goddesses, who were also Earth Goddesses. Understand that this was a time when people did not even understand the basic mechanics of procreation.
Life was very sacred and mystical indeed!
Gradually, myth and mystery developed and revealed themselves, creating the legend which we honor in the modern Wiccan Craft.
We recognize the Goddess as the mother of all, including her Mighty Consort, the
God. To Her he is Lover and Son, and together they form the Ultimate, the
Omniverse, the Dragon, the Mystery.
Now that is a pretty tough concept all things considered. Especially in our society as it sounds rather incestuous. From a mundane perspective, it gets worse as the Wheel of the Year Turns, and the Oak and Holly Kings battle, eternal rivals and sacrificial mates.
In the pages that follow, we will explore the Goddess foundation concepts and try to reach an understanding of the basis of the Mystery.
I don't want to get off into all the names of all the Goddesses in all the mythology in all of history. While that is certainly a noble endeavor, it is not the objective here.
What I do want to do is look at the Goddess, in whole and in part, and see just who and what she is.
First and foremost, the Goddess is the symbol of the Cycle of Everlasting. She is constant, ever present, ever changing, and yet always the same. She could be compared in that respect to the oceans.
As a part of that, she is that from which we have come, and to which we will return.

She is the Universal Mother, the Cosmic Womb. While those are largely symbolic images, as opposed to literal ones, they are important to bear in mind about any aspect of the Goddess. She never harms, she is Mother.
One of the most difficult throwback mentalities to dispel in a student is the difference between "dark and light" and "bad and good". Societally, and often religiously, we are trained to see bad and dark and evil as being the same. Hence, we are also taught to hate and fear our own mortality. All too often I see practicing Wiccans, who ought to concept.
The Goddess is dark, she is light, she is birth, she is death, and she rejoices in all things. With death comes joy, for with death comes renewal. With life comes joy, for with life comes promise. With growth comes joy for with growth comes wisdom.
Sorrow and fear are not a part of her, not the way we feel those emotions. She is incapable of sorrow without joy, she fears nothing, because fear is not real. It is a creation of the mind.
Whether you see the Goddess as a Warrior Queen, or like the Good Witch of the
North in the Wizard of Oz, she is the Goddess. And she has many parts and facets need her to be in order to establish a relationship with her. But none of that changes
"I greet thee in the many names of the Threefold Goddess and her Mighty Consort.
Athe, malkuth, ve-guburah, ve-gedulah, le-olam, Amen. Blessed Be."
So here, at the Circle Door, greeted by the High Priest or Priestess we first see mentioned the Threefold Goddess. Full-sized covens have three priestesses who take the specific roles of Maiden, Mother and Crone, the High Priestess being Mother. represent Enchantment, Ripeness and Wisdom.
Taking first things first is usually best, so we shall start with a look at one side of the
Maiden.
Quoting The Myth of the Goddess as found in Gardenarian Wicca (Gerald B.
Gardner, The Meaning of Witchcraft, Aquarian Press, London, 1959.):
Now Aradia had never loved, but she would solve all the Mysteries, even the Mystery

of Death; and so she journeyed to the Nether Lands.
The Guardians of the Portals challenged her, "Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught may ye bring with ye into this our land."
So she laid down her garments and her jewels and was bound, as were all who enter the Realms of Death the Mighty One. Such was her beauty that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying, "Blessed by thy feet that have brought thee in these ways.
Abide with me, let me place my cold hand on thy heart." She replied "I love thee not.
Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?"
"Lady," replied Death, "it is Age and Fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither, but when men die at the end of time I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may return. But thou, thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me."
But she answered, "I love thee not."
Then said Death, "An' thou receive not my hand on thy heart thou must receive
Death's scourge."
"It is Fate; better so", she said, and she knelt, and Death scourged her and she cried "I feel the pangs of love."
And Death said, "Blessed be" and gave her the Fivefold Kiss, saying "Thus only may ye attain joy and knowledge."
And he taught her all the Mysteries. And they loved and were one, and he taught her all the Magicks.
For there are three great events in the life of Man: Love, Death and Resurrection in a new body, and Magick controls them all. For to fulfill love you must return again at the same time and place as the loved one, and you must remember and love them again. But to be reborn you must die, and be ready for a new body; and to die you must be born; and without love you may not be born. And these be all the Magicks.
So there in the Gardnerian Myth of the Goddess we have her Maiden aspect, seeking, searching and opening herself to the mysteries. But it is well to remember that the
Goddess herself is a mystery, and the primary gift of the Goddess is intuitive Wisdom.
Beltaine (Bealtain) is the only Sabbat where the Goddess is entirely devoted to the

Maiden. Here, she revels in the enchantment, in the joy of coming into fullness and mating with the God. Here, she is maiden bride and we can most easily understand that facet of the Maiden aspect. I should probably note here that some see this festival as maiden turning into mother, with the maiden being in full at Candlemas, but I do not agree with that.
Youth, newness, innocence and beauty are fundamental facets of the Maiden aspect.
But beneath those are seeking, and love, and love of seeking. There is more to understand of the Maiden though. Enchantment does not end with maidenhood, it is simply the beginning of the Mystery of Life, for that, above all, is what the Goddess stands for.
In Circle, in the Balanced Universe, the Maiden takes her place in the East. In examining this most comfortable quarter, you learn more about the Maiden Aspect.
East (Air) rules the free mind and intellect. It is the place to seek the ability to learn and to open spiritually, to open your mind and find answers. It is a masculine quarter, ruled by intellect, and analytical logic, but she brings to it an intuition which is required to use these to best advantage.
"The river is flowing, flowing and growing, the river is flowing back to the sea.
Mother carry me, a child I will always be. Mother carry me, back to the sea."
This Circle chant, sung in joy, sung in sorrow, is a cry to the Mother Aspect for comfort and warmth, a power chant calling upon the steady power and fullness of the
Mother and a plea for guidance. While the Earth Mother, and the fully aspected
Goddess are placed North in the Earth quarter, the Mother aspect alone belongs in the west.
Comfort and love rule here. Emotions, sorrow, joy, tears, these belong to the ripeness of the Mother. Caring and loving for all her children, watching in pain and pride as they struggle to gain their own, knowing full well she could reach out and do it for them, but being both bound and desirous to let them do it for themselves.
There is a considerable difference, as you might have interpreted from the above, between the Earth Mother and the Mother Aspect of the Goddess. That is why we've started with her quarter, because it reveals the limitations of the Aspect.
The Mother aspect is ripeness, the ancient bearing of fruit, child and grain. She represents emotion and sexuality. The Goddess in that aspect is most of the altar (as discussed in the Great Rite lesson.) It is interesting to note the practice in numerous ancient cultures of lovemaking or outright sex magick in cornfields to help make the

corn grow.
The Dark Mother should also be placed here, although culturally, I have a tendency to think of the Dark Mother as more in keeping the Crone Aspect. It is a bit of work to see the Dark Mother in the West, to separate Dark Mother from Crone, but it is worthwhile. If you have any background with the tarot I would suggest you take it in that context, it is beyond the scope of this text.
Our exploration of the Goddess and her Aspects brings us now to the Crone. For me, the Crone is the most fascinating of the Aspects of the Goddess. Partly I suppose because she is the most mysterious and paradoxical.
"Blessed Goddess, old and wise, open mine, thy child's, eyes. Speak to me in whispered tones that I may know the rune of Crones."
With life and growth comes age and wisdom, and the Crone is this in part. She holds fire and power, which wisely used can be of great benefit, but hold great danger for the unaware. Hers are the secrets of death and of life, and the mystery beyond the mystery.
Part of the pleasure in knowing the Crone aspect is that while, unlike the fully aspected Goddess, she is not also Maiden and Mother, she does retain the experiences of both those Aspects in order to be Crone. The Crone, wizened though she is, must still be able to reach into herself and recall the innocent joys and high passions of the
Maiden and the love and warmth of the Mother. To be Crone and to not have forgotten, to still be able to experience Maiden and Mother is, to me, very appealing.
More importantly, to be comfortable in that Aspect, where you have truth and beauty without being desirous of them is an admirable quality.
Crone is the least paralleled Aspect of the Goddess to our human society. We discard our old and wise, not understanding their value as teachers and models, and fearing their appearance as a reminder of our own mortality.
Knowing Crone is a door we much each open for ourselves for to know and love her is to cast aside a great many of our cultural and societal malteachings.
While the individual Aspects of Threefold Goddess are certainly valid concepts and paths to knowing Goddess, I should caution that most mythological Goddess figures are composite Goddesses. Earth Mother Goddess figures are fully aspected Goddess by definition because they represent the full cycle of the Wheel. Most other Goddess

figures can be classified as having a dominant (or operative) aspect and recessive
(promised, or in some cases past) aspect. Future and past should not be taken literally, mythological Goddess figures are always whatever they are eternally, they do not tend to change (ie age).
Maiden Goddesses possessing their operative in the Huntress or Warrior aspects most often have a promise of Crone. Maiden Goddesses expressing their dominance in beauty and/or love usually have their recessive aspect as Mother. For example,
Athena is a Maiden Goddess with Crone attributes (the combination produces many
Mother-type qualities, and this results in the Crone aspected Maiden being the most complete of the Mythological Goddesses, with the exception of Earth Mother
Goddesses.) Aphrodite is of course a Maiden Goddess with Mother attributes.
Similarly, Dark Mother Goddess figures mostly find their promise in Crone and Light
Mother figures their recessive in Maiden. Crone recessives work the same way, although sometimes it takes a bit of close examination to find the "hidden" aspect.
One should note that this is not a formula, rather a tool to assist in examining and understanding Goddess figures and creating one's own personal spiritual link with
Goddess. It is also a useful consideration when invoking a specific Goddess with purpose in ritual. The purpose of this course has been to open avenues of approach in discovering and developing a relationship with Goddess. For me personally, I do not
"believe" in the reality of mythological Goddess figures as they were presented, but I do believe they are a valid way to establish communication with Goddess. I also believe Goddess will appear in whatever form we are most ready to accept. The real
Goddess, by my belief is an entity beyond my comprehension, perhaps composed of light, most assuredly unlike anything I could ever imagine in true form. However, I do find mythological Goddess figures highly useful for ritual, and of some help in my personal relationship with Goddess. I hope you will too.

As the Maiden, I saw through your eyes as a child
Spring rains, green forests, and animals wild!
I saw you run freely on the Earth with bare feet!
I watched as you danced in the winds, blowing free!
I was there as you grew, getting stronger each day!
I brought you rainbows, chasing grey skies away!
I was there in your laughter - I was there in your tears!
I was the acceptance you gained from your peers!
I saw your first love and I felt your first blush,
As passion first stirred in the night's gentle hush!
I am there with you always in the fresh morning dew!
I bring you the crispness of beginnings anew.
As the Mother, I bore all the labor distress
Of birthing your child, and I felt the caress
Of your hand on the face of the new life so dear.
I heard its first cry, and I eased your fear!
I provided the milk which you fed from your breast
Till the baby grew strong, and with health it was blessed.
As she took her first step, I was there in your smile!
I was there while you nurtured your beautiful child!
On the first day of school, when the doors opened wide
I was there in your fear - I was there in your pride.
I am there with you always in the bright full of moon!
I bring you fertility - abundance in bloom.
As the Crone, I brought blessings of wisdom with age
[Wisdom not found by the turn of a page].
I was there as you taught the correct way to live:
To love and to trust - to take and to give!
I was there in the twinkle of your aged eye!
I was there in your thoughts of the years flying by!
I was there when you taught the Mysteries of old!
I was there in the fire warming you in the cold!
In the weariness of age, I was there with you, too--
I brought well-deserved rest and peace unto you!
I am there with you always in the darkness of night!
I complete your life cycle, guiding you toward the light.

Maid, Mother and Crone - We are all One -
Yet We are all separate, as each role is done.
We do not leave you - We're always there
As you walk through this life with your worries and cares;
As you dance in the spiral, We live inside -
Deep in your spirit - where nothing can hide!
No matter your path, no matter it's length -
We give you courage and We give you strength.
We are there to support you every hour of day
And deep in the night, when dreams take you away.
Our gifts We give freely, for you are our Child--
Yes, We are the Lady: Wise, Pure, and Mild!

Aditi: ('Limitless') Hindu Mother Goddess, self-formed, the Cosmic Matrix. Mother of the Sun God Mitra and the Moon God Varuna.
Ambika: Hindu, 'the generatrix,' wife of Shiva or of Rudra.
Annapurna: Hindu. Goddess who provides food; she lives on top of Mount
Annapurna.
Aphrodite: ('Foam-Born') Greek Goddess of sexual love. She was born of the bloody foam of the sea where Cronus threw the genitals of his father Uranus after castrating him. Married, on Zeus's orders, to the lame Smith God Hephaestus, and unfaithful to him with the war God Ares. She was in fact an ancient East Mediterranean Goddess and can be equated with Astarte.
Arachne: Greek Spider Goddess. A Lydian girl skilled in weaving, she dared to challenge Athene to compete with her. The contest was held, and Arachne's work was faultless: impudently, it portrayed some of the Gods' less reputable deeds, including Athene's father Zeus abducting Europa. Furious, Athene turned her into a spider, doomed eternally to spin thread drawn from her own body. But the Spider
Goddess is more archetypal than this story suggests: spinning and weaving the pattern of destiny like the Moerae or the Norns, and enthroned in the middle of her spiralpathed stronghold like Arianrhod. Athene here represents Athenian patriarchal thinking, trying to discipline earlier Goddess-concepts.
Aradia: Italian (Tuscany) Witch Goddess, surviving there into this century. Daughter of Diana and Diana's brother Lucifer (i.e. of the Moon and Sun), she came to Earth to teach the witches her mother's magic.
Ariadne: Cretan and Greek. The daughter of King Minos of Crete, who with her cunning thread helped Theseus find his way into the labyrinth to kill the Minotaur, and out again. She eloped with him, but he abandoned her on the island of Naxos. She was consoled by Dionysus, who in her Naxos cult was regarded as her consort.
Arianrhod: ('Silver Wheel') Major Welsh Goddess. Mother of Llew Llau Gyffes by her brother Gwydion. Her consort Nwyvre ('Sky, Space, Firmament') has survived in name only. Caer Arianrhod is the circumpolar stars, to which souls withdraw between incarnations; she is thus a Goddess of reincarnation. Honored at the Full
Moon.

Artemis: Greek Nature and Moon Goddess. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin sister of Apollo (though a day older). She probably absorbed a pre-Indo-European Sun
Goddess, and her twinning in classical legend with the Sun God Apollo may stem from this. The Greeks assimilated her to a pre-Greek mistress of wild beasts. Bears were sacred to her, and she was associated with the constellation Ursa Major.
Astarte: Canaanite version of Ishtar; fertility goddess. Chief goddess of Tyre and
Sidon. Astarte was also the Greek form of the name Ashtart. Tends to merge with
Asherat and Anat, and with the Egyptian Hathor. She came to Egypt; Rameses II built a temple honoring her, and she and Isis were said to be firm friends.
Athena: Greek, a Warrior Goddess, yet also one of intelligence and the arts of peace.
Protector of towns, above all of Athens.
Banshee: (Bean Sidhe , 'Woman Fairy') Irish. Attached to old Irish families ('the O's and the Mac's'), she can be heard keening sorrowfully near the house when a member of the family is about to die. Still very much believed in, and heard.
Bast: Egytian Cat Goddess of Bubastis in the Delta. Originally lion-headed, she represented the beneficent power of the Sun, in contrast to Sekhmet who personified its destructive power.
Bean-Nighe: ('Washing Woman') Scottish and Irish. Haunts lonely streams washing the bloodstained garments of those about to die.
Befana: ('Epiphany') Italian Witch Fairy who flies her broomstick on Twelfth Night to come down chimneys and bring presents to children.
Binah: ('Understanding') Hebrew. The Supernal Mother, third Sephirah of the
Cabalistic Tree of Life. She takes the raw directionless energy of Chokmah, the
Supernal Father (the second Sephira), and gives it form and manifestation; she is thus both the Bright Mother, Aima (nourishing) and the Dark Mother, Ama (constricting).
Bona Dea: ('Good Goddess') Roman Earth Goddess of Fertility, worshipped only by women; even statues of men were covered where her rites took place.
Brighid, Brigid, Brigit, Brid: Irish Goddess of Fertility and Inspiritation, daughter of the Dagda; called 'the poetess.' Often triple ('The Three Brigids'). Her characteristics, legends and holy places were taken over by the historical St Bridget.

Cailleach Beine Brick: A Scottish legendary witch probably recalling an earlier local goddess.
Callisto: ('Most Beautiful') Greek Moon Goddess, to whom the she-bear was sacred in
Arcadia. Envisaged as the axle on which everything turns, and thus connected with the Ursa Major constellation. Linked with Artemis, often called Artemis Callisto.
Carman: Irish. Wexford Goddess, whence Gaelic name of Wexford, Loch Garman
(Loch gCarman).
Cerridwen: Welsh Mother, Moon and Grain Goddess, wife of Tegid and mother of
Creirwy (the most beautiful girl in the world) and Avagdu (the ugliest boy). Owner of an inexhaustible cauldron called Amen, in which she made a magic draught called
'greal' ('Grail?') from six plants, which gave inspiration and knowledge. Mother of
Taliesen, greatest of all Welsh bards. Most of her legends emphasize the terrifying aspect of the Dark Mother; yet her cauldron is the source of wisdom and inspiration.
Cliona of the Fair Hair: Irish. South Munster Goddess of great beauty, daughter of
Gebann the Druid, of the Tuatha De Danaan. Connected with the O'Keefe family.
Clota: Scottish. Goddess of the River Clyde.
Cybele: Greek. Originally Phrygian, finally merged with Rhea. Goddess of Caverns, of the Earth in its primitive state; worshipped on mountain tops. Ruled over wild beasts. Also a Bee Goddess.
Dakini: Hindu. One of the Six Goddess Governing the Six Bodily Substances; the others being Hakini, Kakini, Lakini, Rakini and Sakini.
Dana, Danu: The major Irish Mother Goddess, who gave her name to the Tuatha De
Danann ('Peoples of the Goddess Dana'), the last but one occupiers of Ireland in the mythological cycle.
Demeter: ('Earth-Goddess-Mother') Greek goddess of the fruitful Earth, especially of barley. Daughter of Cronus and Rhea. Her brother Zeus, tricking her in the form of a bull, made her the mother of Persephone.
Diana: Roman equivalent of the Greek Moon and Nature Goddess Artemis, and rapidly acquired all her characteristics. Like Artemis, classically regarded as virgin but originally a Sacrificial-Mating Goddess.

Dione: Phoenician/Greek. Also known as Baltis. A Nature or Earth Goddess, overlapping with Diana and Danae. Daughter of Uranus and Gaia. Married her brother Cronus, who gave her the city of Byblos.
Discordia: Roman Goddess of Discord and Strife, who preceded the chariot of Mars.
Greek equivalent Eris.
Ereshkigal: ('Queen of the Great Below') Assyro-Babylonian Goddess of the
Underworld, sister of Ishtar (Inanna). Known as 'Star of Lamentation,' or sometimes simply as Allatu ('The Goddess').
Eris: Greek goddess of Discord.
Erin: Irish. One of the Three Queens of the Tuatha De Danann, daughters of the
Dagda, who asked that Ireland be named after them.
Frigg, Freya: ('Well-Beloved, Spouse, Lady') Most revered of the Teutonic Goddesses.
Wife and sister of Odin.
Gaia: ('Earth') The 'deep-breasted,' the primordial Greek Earth Mother, the first being to emerge from Chaos. She was regarded as creating the universe, the first race of gods, and humankind.
Glaisrig, Glaistig: A Scottish Undine, beautiul and seductive, but a goat from the waist down (which she hides under a long green dress). She lures men to dance with her and then sucks their blood. Yet she can be benign, looking after children or old people or herding cattle for farmers.
Gorgons, The: Greek. Three daughters of Phorcys and his sister Ceto. Winged monsters with hair of serpents, they turned men to stone by their gaze. They were
Euryale and Stheno, who were immortal, and Medusa who was mortal and killed by
Perseus.
Grian: ('Sun') Irish. A Fairy Queen with a court on Pallas Green Hill, Co. Tipperary.
Also a general Goddess symbol.
Gruagach, The: ('The Long-Haired One') Scottish. Female fairy to whom the dairymaids used to pour libations of milk into a hollow stone. Gwenhwyfar,
Guinevere, Gueneva: Arthur's queen. Traces of Triple Goddess.
Hathor: Egyptian. An ancient Sky Goddess; Ra's daughter by Nut, or his wife;

sometimes the wife or mother of Horus the Elder, Goddess of pleasure, joy, love, music and dancing. Protectress of women and embodiment of the finest female qualities.
Hecate: Greek, originally Thracian and pre-Olympian; at the same time a Moon
Goddess, and Underworld Goddess and a Goddess of magic.
Hel, Hela: Teutonic Goddess of the kingdom of the dead, not considered as a place of punishment. Daughter of Loki and Angurboda, and sister of the Midgard serpent of the ocean encircling the Earth, and of the devouring Fenris-wolf. Half her face was totally black.
Hestia: ('Hearth') Greek. First daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and oldest of the
Olympians. Goddess of domestic fire and of the home in general. Poseidon and
Apollo both wanted to marry her but she placed herself under Zeus' protection as eternally virgin. She received the first morsel of every sacrifice. Roman equivalent
Vesta.
Inanna: ('Lady of Heaven') Sumerian Queen of Heaven, Mother Goddess to whom the
Semitic Ishtar was assimilated.
Isis: Egyptian. The most complete flowering of the Goddess concept in human history. Daughter of Earth God Geb and Sky Goddess Nut.
Kali: Hindu, Tibetan, Nepalese. Often called Kali Ma ('the Black Mother'). A terrible but necessary destroyer, particularly of demons, but also a powerful creative force, much misunderstood in the West.
Kundalini: ('Coiled') Hindu. The feminine Serpent Force, especially in its relation to organic and inorganic matter; the universal life-force of which electricity and magnetism are mere manifestations. Envisaged as moving in a left-handed spiral, when aroused in the human body, from the base of the spine up to the brain.
Lady of the Lake: Arthurian. In some legends Vivienne (or Viviane); in others,
Vivienne was the daughter of the Lady of the Lake by Dylan, son of Arianrhod and
Gwydion. In Thomas Mallory, the Lady of the Lake is called Nimue.
Lakshmi: Hindu Goddess of good fortune and plenty, and the personification of beauty.
Leannan Sidhe: Irish fairy lover, succubus. In the Isle of Man she is malevolent and

vampiric.
Lilith: In Hebrew legend, she was Adam's first wife, who would not subordinate herself to him and was turned into a demoness.
Lorelei: German. A beautiful siren who sat on a cliff above the Rhine, luring boatmen to their death with her songs.
Luna: The Roman Moon Goddess, identified with Diana and the Greek Selene.
Malkuth: ('The Kingdom') Hebrew. Personification of Earth, of the Earth-soul; the goddess in actual manifestation.
Mary Magdalene: Hebrew. Held in Christian tradition to have been a reformed prostitute; but there are no biblical grounds for this whatsoever.
Maya: Hindu. The Goddess of Nature, the universal creatress.
Medusa: Greek. The only mortal member of the three Gorgons. Her hair was turned to serpents by Athene because she dared to claim equal beauty with hers. Her gaze turned men to stone.
Minerva: Roman. Wife of Jupiter, forming a triad with his other wife, Juno.
Morgan: ('Of the Sea') Arthur's half-sister Morgan le Fay; but would seem to be a much older Goddess, possibly the Glastonbury Tor one, for her island is Avalon.
Neith: Egyptian. A very ancient Delta Goddess, protectress of Sais; her emblem was the crossed arrows of a predynastic clan.
Nemesis: Greek. Daughter of Erebus and Nyx. Goddess of divine anger, against mortals who offended the moral law, broke taboos or achieved too much happiness or wealth.
Nicneven: Scottish Samhain Witch Goddess. Tradition places her night according to the old (Julian) calendar, on 10 November.
Nimue: Arthurian. Thomas Mallory's name for the Lady of the Lake.
Nostiluca: Gaulish Witch Goddess.

Oshun and Oya: Nigerian, Yoruba tribe and Brizilian Voodoo. Sisters, daughters of
Yemaja, and wives of the Thunder God Shango. Oshun was beautiful and Oya plain, and there was jealousy between them. Goddesses respectively of the rivers Oshun and
Niger.
Pandora: ('Gift of All') The Greek Eve, fashioned in clay by Hephaestus on Zeus' orders to punish Prometheus for having stolen fire from heaven. Her name means that each God or Goddess gave her an appropriate gift. Zeus gave her a box which she must not open. She did open it, and all the evils that plague humankind came out of it. All that was left at the bottom was Hope.
Persephone: Greek and Phoenician. Originally a purely Underworld Goddess, became a corn-seed Goddess, daughter of Demeter.
Pythia: ('Pythoness') Greek. Serpent Goddess, daughter of Gaia.
Rhiannon: ('Great, or Divine, Queen'). Welsh fertility and Otherworld Goddess.
Sarasvati: Hindu. Wife of Brahma, born of his body. Goddess of speech, music, wisdom, knowledge and the arts.
Sekhmet: ('The Powerful') Egyptian Lioness-Goddess, Eye of Ra who was her father.
Wife of Ptah as Goddess of the Memphite triad, and mother of Nefertum, God of the setting Sun (later replaced by Imhotep).
Selene: Greek Moon Goddess, daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of
Helios (the Sun) and Eos (Dawn); though sometimes said to be the daughter of
Zeus or of Helios.
Sophia: ('Wisdom') A Gnostic Aeon; but Wisdom personified as female was earlier also characteristic of Hebrew and Greek-Hebrew thinking.
Tailtiu: Irish. Foster-mother of Lugh, who instituted the Tailtean Games, central event of the Festival of Lughnasadh (1 August), in her memory.
Tara: ('Radiating') Hindu Star Goddess, wife of Brihaspati (identified with the planet
Jupiter), teacher of the Gods.
Tenemit: Egyptian Underworld Goddess, who gave ale to the deceased.
Tiamat: Assyro-Babylonian Primordial Sea Mother Goddess, the mass of salt waters,

who with her mate Apsu (the sweet waters) begat the original chaotic world and who also symbolized it and ruled it.
Ulupi: Hindu. A Serpent Goddess, one of the Nagis, dwelling in Patala, the lowest level of the Underworld.
Valkyries, The: Teutonic. In late Scandinavian myth, they brought the souls of those slain in battle to Odin.
Venus: Roman. Originally a Goddess of Spring and protectress of vegetation and gardens, was a minor deity till she became assimilated to the Greek Aphrodite in the second century BC.
Vesta: ('Torch, Candle') Roman Goddess of fire, both domestic and ritual. Daughter of
Saturn and Ops. Domestically she presided over the hearth and the preparation of meals.
Virgin Mary, The: Mother of Jesus.
Vivienne, Viviane: Arthurian. Sometimes referred to as the Lady of the Lake, sometimes as the Lady's daughter.
Yesod: ('Foundation') Hebrew. Ninth Sephira of the Cabalistic Tree of Life, sphere of the Moon and of the astral plane.
Zobiana: A medieval Witch Goddess name.

Classical Persephone
Persephone, also known as Kore or Proserpina, is known alternately as the Goddess of new, growing things, or as a terrible goddess of the dead. The daughter of Demeter
(earth) and Zeus (sky), she has over time developed many aspects.
Persephone and Kore were originally separate, distinct figures in the Greek pantheon.
Kore ("girl" or "maiden") is described as a young, beautiful girl, and Persephone
(meaning "she who destroys the light") as a dark, brooding woman of terrifying aspect, akin to Kali. Late in the evolution of the Greek pantheon the two aspects were combined into the fair, sad figure of a woman so well known in romantic poetry and art.
As the classical story goes, Persephone was out gathering flowers in a meadow when she is seen by Hades, god of the underworld. Smitten by her beauty, he seizes her just as she is plucking a narcissus, and carries her off into the earth.
Her mother, stricken by her loss, abandons her divine duties in the search for her missing daughter, and the earth falls barren. Fruit withers on the trees, green leaves turn and fall, and the animals either die or fall into hibernation. This continues until
Zeus intervenes, and demands the return of Persephone to her mother unless she had, by some word or deed, consented to her abduction.
During her brief stay in the underworld Persephone eats of a pomegranate and, wittingly or not, commits herself. For as many seeds as she has eaten, she is compelled to spend an equal number of months each year with her new mate in his dark realm. The months of her absence from the earth mark the winter season as her mother falls into a deep, seasonal grief.
Persephone as the maiden is symbolic of youth, beauty, fertility and desire. The story of her seduction is also the story of transition from "girlhood" into "womanhood."
The union of Persephone and Hades is a wedding of life/death, consummated
(interestingly enough) by the eating of seeds grown in darkness.
Persephone Between the Worlds, Goddess in the Kingdom of Death
When the earth falls into darkness and cold, it is said that the Goddess spends this

time in the Kingdom of Death. For in love She ever seeks Her other Self, and walks a part of Her cycle in the shadows.
The Guardian of the Gate challenged Her, and She stripped Herself of all the clothing and jewels She wore, for nothing may be brought into that land. For love, She was bound as all who enter there must be and brought before Death Himself.
He loved Her, as He forever would, and knelt at Her feet. He lay His sword and crown there, stood, and kissed Her, saying:
"Do not return to the living world, but stay here with Me, and have peace and rest and comfort. It is the fate of all that lives to die. Everything passes, everything fades into the darkness. I bring comfort and consolation to all who pass the gates. But You are my heart's desire, return not, but stay here with Me."
She smiled Her dark, lovely smile, took up His crown and placed it upon Her own head, saying:
"Here is the circle of rebirth. Through You all passes out of life, and through Myself all may be born again. Even death is not eternal. Mine is the mystery of the dark womb, that is the cauldron of rebirth. Enter into Me and know Me, and You will be free of all fear. For as life is but a journey into death, so death is but a passage back to life, and in Me the circle is ever turning."
In love, He entered into Her, and so was reborn into life. As He is known as Lord of
Shadows, the comforter, consoler, the opener of gates, the eternal King, so She is the
Rose in the Darkness, the deep abiding mother; from Her all things proceed, and to
Her they return again. In Her are the mysteries of death, of birth, and the fulfillment of all love.

pulling loving energy toward yourself. powerful entity and a protectress of Witches in general. with past life memories and difficulties as well as for contacting the Star People. magnificent garden, Astarte will assist in your desire. at work? Call on Athena to help you. as walking down a dark alley. Call on her essence in the form of a giant panther to see you through to your destination. is strong and wise. Call on her to help protect your children in a tough situation.
Ce rridwen
Mother aspect of the Crone. children are involved. a seductress (as she enchanted her brother Lucifer to beget Aradia in the form of a cat) as well as a mother figure for Witches.

bounties of Mother Earth.
Valkryies. important for the Witch. Hathor was cunning as well as beautiful. issue, Hera is the Goddess to seek. Just remember that she has a vindictive side. apartment hunting. Safety in the home and family unit. one being. should be called if a woman is in fear of physical danger. Her power is truly awesome. you have ever read any of Zacharia Sitchin's work, you may change your mind. In my opinion, Lilith was a Star woman bred with Adam. This would make her a Goddess of
Higher Intelligence or a representation of the Star People. situation. She plays no favorites and will dispense justice to all parties involved. Be sure your own slate is clean in the situation before you call her.
Merlin. It was from him she learned her magick. She was also doubled with The Lady
Of The Lake.

pantheon used. present and future.
Demeter. answer to any problem. battle to heaven.

The Romans left a likeness of Her for posterity— She was shown as a grotesque woman with a pale and ghastly look, Her eyes afire, Her garment ripped and torn, and women look pale and ghastly when concealing a chilly dagger in their bosoms.
Her genealogy is from the Greeks and is utterly confused. Either She was the twin of
Ares and the daughter of Zeus and Hera; or She was the daughter of Nyx, goddess of night (who was either the daughter or wife of Chaos, or both), and Nyx's brother,
Erebus, and whose brothers and sisters include Death, Doom, Mockery, and
Friendship. And that She begot Forgetfulness, Quarrels, Lies, and a bunch of gods and goddesses like that.
One day Mal-2 consulted his Pineal Gland* and asked Eris if She really created all of those terrible things. She told him that She had always liked the Old Greeks, but that they cannot be trusted with historic matters. "They were," She added, "victims of indigestion, you know."
Suffice it to say that Eris is not hateful or malicious. But She is mischievous, and does get a little bitchy at times.
*The Pineal gland is where each and every one of us can talk to Eris. If you have trouble activating your Pineal, then try the appendix which does almost as well.
Reference: Dogma I, Metaphysics #3, "The Indoctrine of the Pineal Gland"

"The Goddess" refers to the female divine principle, or a supreme deity worshipped by many people around the world for thousands of years until She was silenced by patriarchal religions. In recent years the Goddess has experienced a resurgence in popularity, by feminists seeking a spiritual dimension to their political causes, by those interested in the ancient earth religions, including Pagans and Wiccans, and by everyday women and men who feel that something is missing in today's prominent organized religions.
The Goddess is difficult to define or sum up in a few paragraphs, but versatility is one of Her most outstanding traits. For some people, She is the feminine side of God. For others, She is the only god. She is not necessarily one person, but a multifaceted force of energy which expresses itself in a variety of forms and can go by many different names. She has been called Ishtar, Astarte, Inanna, Lillith, Isis, Maat, Brigid,
Cerridwen, Gaia, Demeter, Aphrodite, Venus, Artemis, Athena, Kali, Lakshmi, Quan-
Yin, Pele and even Mary, among many others. Many symbols, such as serpents, birds, the moon and the Earth, have been attributed to Her. from Her and everything returns to Her. She is alive within everything, living and unliving, on Earth and in the heavens. She is not distant and untouchable, like the
She is virgin and whore. She is you, She is me, She is everyone and everything.
The Goddess is great because She can be whatever you want Her to be. But most followers of the Goddess do share a few common beliefs. Starhawk, a modern day witch and author of The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great
Goddess, writes that the three core principles of Goddess religion are immanence, interconnection and community. Immanence means that the Goddess is embodied in the Earth and in us. Nature, culture and life are sacred. We must take action to preserve the Earth and to live with integrity and responsibility. Interconnection means that all beings are interrelated and that we are linked with the cosmos. We should strive towards compassion and justice. With community, growth and transformation come through intimate interactions and common struggles. Basically, though, the law of the Goddess is love- unconditional love. She has no commandments to follow. She does not demand sacrifice.
Goddess religion has been criticized for a number of reasons, most of which stem

from misinformation about it. One complaint is that it is practiced by man-hating, radical feminist lesbians. My guess is that most people who recognize the Goddess would support women's rights, but wouldn't necessarily consider themselves feminists, or at least radical feminists. But some might. Also, people interested in the
Goddess come from all sexual orientations, whether it be hetero, bi or homosexual.
There is no criteria for loving the Goddess. You just have to have an open mind, heart and spirit.
I would not call Goddess religion male-bashing, although I would call it patriarchy bashing, which is not the same thing. Both women and men can be guilty of giving in to patriarchy. Goddess religion is open to people of both sexes, though. More information on how the Goddess appeals to men can be found further down the page.
The last misconception of Goddess religion I will discuss actually comes from feminists. They say that the Goddess is a sexist model because the symbolism associated with her is similar to traditional feminine ideals like motherhood, nurturance and fertility, which have been used to keep women "in their place." They also cite that Goddess symbolism points out differences between men and women in terms of the female body, intuition, menstruation, etc. These criticisms probably come from the school of feminism that believes that women and men should be regarded as equals under all circumstances and any differences between the sexes aren't important. Although Goddess symbolism does include many references to fertility, menstruation and mothering, the whole point is to place these qualities in a positive light. The Goddess shows women that they should not be ashamed of their bodies and their sexuality because it is beautiful, sacred and powerful. In fact, when evidence of past Goddess worship was first discovered, the male scholars of the time simply dismissed it all as "fertility cults." Obviously, this view is quite limiting. Many female deities were known as lawmakers, inventors, healers, huntresses, and brave warrior women. They were highly respected and revered. Other goddesses, such as the Greek Artemis, were regarded as virgin goddesses, not meaning that they were virgins, but that they were never married or tied down to a man. Clearly, the Goddess does not have to conform to stereotypical gender roles. Again, she can be whatever you want Her to be.
Back to the top
Recognizing the Goddess can have a profoundly positive affect on one's life, especially those who feel stifled, let down and ignored by patriarchal religions
(Christianity, Judaism and Islam). These religions offer few stories about women, and when women are in the stories, they are almost always in relation to a man. These stories lack positive female imagery, portraying women as weak, inferior and unclean.

She is always portrayed as dependent on man. She does not belong to herself, but to her father or husband. In addition, unmarried women are defined by their sexuality.
They are either "good little virgins", or "evil temptresses."
Such limiting roles offer few role models for young women trying to find their place in the world. Many girls suffer from low self-esteem and a negative self-image, because to them, what is there to be proud about? They're "just a girl." They're not special or sacred. All the gods, prophets and disciples are male. Patriarchal religions constantly refer to the Divine in male terms, such as "Lord", "Father","He" and "Him."
Many churches still refuse to ordain women as priests and ministers.
Carol Christ, author of "Why Women Need the Goddess," part of Woman Spirit
Rising: A Feminist Reader is Religion, which she co-edited, agrees. She states,
"Religions centered on the worship of a male God create moods and motivations that keep women in a state of psychological dependence on men and male authority, while at the same time legitimating the political and social authority of fathers and sons in the institutions of society,". She also says, "Even people who no longer believe in God or participate in the institutional structure of patriarchal religion still may not be free of the power of the symbolism of God the Father,". Indeed, people who don't practice a set religion but grow up in mainstream society have absorbed ideas that male power is superior and beneficial and female power is inferior and dangerous.
Women are not taught to love their bodies, to follow their intuition or to trust themselves.
The Goddess, however, can liberate the minds, bodies and spirits of women. Starhawk sums it up beautifully in The Spiral Dance, "The Importance of the Goddess symbol for women cannot be overstressed. The image of the Goddess inspires women to see ourselves as divine, our bodies as sacred, the changing phases of our lives as holy, our aggression as healthy, our anger as purifying and our power to nurture and create but also to limit and destroy when necessary, as the very force that sustains all life.
Through the Goddess, we can discover our strength, enlighten our minds, own our bodies and celebrate our emotions. We can move beyond narrow constricting roles and become whole,".
Some people ask, "Isn't Goddess religion just reverse sexism?" The answer is definitely
"No!" In fact, many practitioners of Wicca also recognize a male hunter God. The
Goddess is female in essence, but She works in women and men. One of the characteristics of the Goddess is that She is the Creator. This role is naturally much better fulfilled by a female image of the Divine, since women do give birth. The
Goddess provides unconditional love and nurturance, like only a mother can. Also,

the menstrual cycle of women's bodies is directly connected to the cycles of the moon, and is similar to the cycle of the Earth's seasons, and all life on Earth.
Obviously, female imagery is best suited to the characteristics of the Goddess.
Males may feel just as out-of-touch with patriarchal religions as women do, and can receive liberation through the Goddess. In the major religions today, males are expected to be the leader of the household, providing discipline, order and financial support, a role some guys aren't comfortable with. Guys also often feel out of touch with their emotions and feel unable to express their feelings well because they have been taught not to. By invoking the Goddess, men can reconnect with this hidden side of themselves. Starhawk says, "The symbol of the Goddess allows men to experience and integrate the feminine side of their nature, the deepest and most sensitive aspect of self. The Goddess does not exclude the male, She contains him, as a pregnant woman contains her male child," (The Spiral Dance.)

I have chosen me an island.
I fear not at all: not men, fate, gods, laughter, money.
I will win the Ordeal x.
I seek the secret fourfold word.
I shall know and destroy the traitors.
Success is my proof.
I grasp the double wand of power.
I will the first ordeal silver.
I will the second ordeal gold.
I will the third, ordeal stones of precious water.
I will the fourth ordeal ultimate sparks of the intimate fire.

Apollo, in Greek mythology, son of the god Zeus and Leto, daughter of a Titan. He was also called Delian from Delos, the island of his birth, and Pythian, from his killing of Python, the fabled serpent that guarded a shrine on the mountains of
Parnassus.
In Homeric legend Apollo was primarily a god of prophecy. His most important oracle was at Delphi, the site of his victory over the Python. He sometimes gave the gift of prophecy to mortals whom he loved, such as the Trojan princess Cassandra.
Apollo was a gifted musician, who delighted the gods with his performance on the lyre. He was also a master archer and a fleet-footed athlete, credited with having been the first victor in the Olympic games. His twin sister, Artemis, was the guardian of young women, and Apollo was the special protector of young men. He was also the god of agriculture and cattle and of light and truth. He taught humans the art of healing.
Some tales depict Apollo as pitiless and cruel. According to Homer's Illiad, Apollo answered the prayers of the priest Chryses to obtain the release of his daughter from the Greek general Agamemnon by shooting fiery, pestilence- carrying arrows into the
Greek army. He also abducted and ravished the young Athenian princess Creusa and abandoned her and the child born to them. Perhaps because of his beauty and perfect physique, Apollo was represented in ancient art more frequently than any other deity.

Ares, god of war and son of Zeus, king of the gods, and his wife, Hera. Aggressive and sanguinary, Ares personified the brutal nature of war. He was unpopular with both gods and humans. Among the deities associated with Ares were his consort,
Aphrodite, goddess of love, and such minor deities as Deimos (Fear) and Phobos
(Rout), who accompanied him in battle. Although fierce and warlike, Ares was not invincible, even against mortals.
The worship of Ares, believed to have originated in Thrace, was not extensive in ancient Greece, and where it existed, it lacked social or moral significance. Ares was an ancestral deity of Thebes and had a temple at Athens, at the foot of the Areopagus, or Hill of Ares.

Lady Precious Green, wife of Tlaloc. Goddess of storms and water. Personification of youthful beauty, vitality and violence. In some illustrations she is shown holding the head of Tlazolteotl, the goddess of the witches, between her legs. Chalchihuitlcue is the whirlpool, the wind on the waters, all young and growing things, the beginning of life and creation.
Co atlicue
Earth monster. In the darkness and chaos before the Creation, the female Earth
Monster swam in the waters of the earth devouring all that she saw. When the gods
Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca decided to impose form upon the Earth, they changed themselves into serpents and struggled with the Earth Monster until they broke her in two. Coatlicue's lower part then rose to form the heavens and her upper part descended to form the earth. Coatlicue has an endless, ravenous appetite for human hearts and will not bear fruit unless given human blood.
The corn god, the giver of food, god of fertility and regeneration. Cinteotl is protected by the rain gods Tlaloc and Chalchihuitlcue.
The Old, Old Coyote. Associated with gaiety and sex. A god of spontaneity, of ostentatious ornament, of unexpected pleasure and sorrow. A trickster and troublemaker. Considered unlucky.
God of war, son of Coatlicue. Principal god of the Aztecs. When Coatlicue became pregnant with Huitzilopochtli, her daughter Coyolxauhqui incited her brothers, the
Centzon Huitznahua (the Four Hundred Stars) to destroy Coatlicue, because her pregnancy brought disgrace on the family. Still in the womb, Huitzilopochtli swore to defend his mother and immediately on being born put on battle armor and war paint.
After defeating the Four Hundred Stars, Huitzilopochtli slew his sister and cast her down the hill at Templo Mayor where her body broke to pieces on striking the bottom. Priests at Templo Mayor killed prisoners in the same way, these sacrifices being replicas of mythical events designed to keep the daily battle between day and night and the birth of the God of War ever in the minds of the people. Often

The Twisted Obsidian One, the God of the Curved Obsidian Blade. God of darkness and destruction. Blinded and cast down from the heavens, Itzcoliuhqui strikes out randomly at his victims.
Obsidian Butterfly. Beautiful, demonic, armed with the claws of a jaguar. The female counterpart of Itzcoliuhqui.
Below the world of living men there are nine underworlds, the lowest of which is
Mictlan, the Land of the Dead ruled by Mictlantechupi and his consort
Mictlancihuntl. Souls who win no merit in life come here after death, but they do not suffer as in the Christian hell. Instead they merely endure a rather drab and colorless existence before passing again into the world of the living. As a man disappears into the West, the direction of the dead, the seeds of his rebirth are sown.
"God of the Near and Close," "He Who Is at the Center," the god above all, the being both male and female who created all life and existence. Ometeotl is dualistic, embodying both male and female, light and dark, positive and negative, yes and no.
Ometoetol occupies Omeyocan, the highest of the Aztecs' thirteen heavens, and the four heavens immediately below Omeyocan are a mystery about which no one knows very much. Below the five highest heavens is a region of strife and tempest, where
Ometeotl breaks into his many facets or aspects.
The Feathered Serpent. The Precious Twin who lifts the sun out of darkness, god of the winds and the breath of life, First Lord of the Toltecs. Lawgiver, civilizer, creator of the calendar. Demons tempted Quetzalcoatl constantly to commit murder and human sacrifice, but his love was too great for him to succumb. To atone for great sins, Quetzcoatl threw himself on a funeral pyre, where his ashes rose to the heavens as a flock of birds carrying his heart to the star Venus. A frieze in the palace at
Teotihuacan shows his first entry into the world in the shape of a chrysalis, from which he struggles to emerge as a butterfly, the symbol of perfection. Quetzalcoatl is by far the most compassionate of the Aztec gods – he only demands one human
Hui tzilopotchli
The Prince of This World, the Mirror that Smokes, the One Always at the Shoulder, the Shadow. A trickster, revered particularly by soldiers and magicians. The name

refers to the black obsidian mirrors used by magicians which become cloudy when scrying. A god of wealth and power, Tezcatlopoca's favors can only be won by those willing to face his terrors. Ruler over the early years of a man's life.
Lord of all sources of water, clouds, rain, lightning, mountain springs, and weather.
Tlal ocan
Kingdom of Tlaloc, a heaven of sensual delights, of rainbows, butterflies and flowers, of simple-minded and shallow pleasures. Souls spend only four years here before returning to the land of the living. Unless it strives for higher and nobler things while living, a soul is destined for this endless round of mortal life and Tlalocan. When a life had been particularly evil, a soul might journey instead to Mictlan.
The land of the fleshless. The Land of the Black and Red, the colors signifying wisdom. A paradise for those who successfully follow the teachings of Quetzalcoatl.
Those souls who come to Tlillan-Tlapallan have learned to live without fleshly bodies, a state greatly to be desired.
Eater of filth, devourer of sins, goddess of witches and witchcraft. Tlazolteotl has power over all forms of unclean behavior, usually sexual. Confessing sins to
Tlazolteotl, one is cleansed. The goddess has four forms or aspects, corresponding to the phases of the moon: a young and carefree temptress, the lover of Quetzalcoatl; the
Goddess of gambling and uncertainty; the Great Priestess who consumes and destroys the sins of mankind; and frightful old crone, persecutor and destroyer of youth.
God of the Sun. Poor and ill, Tonatiuh cast himself into the flames, and being burnt up, was resurrected. Daily Tonatiuh repeats his passage across the heavens, down into darkness, and back again into the sky. With him Tonatiuh carries all brave warriors who have died in battle and all brave women who have died in childbirth. The greatest heroes Tonatiuh carries with him to the greatest heights. In Tonatiuhican, the House of the Sun, dwell those who have won even greater enlightenment than those who dwell in Tlillan-Tlapallan.
Xipe Tote c
Lord of the Spring, god of newly planted seed and of penitential torture. A pockmarked savior who tears out his eyes and flays himself in penance to the gods, thus persuading the gods to give maize to men. Giving up his pockmarked skin, Xipe

Totec is then clad in robes of gold.
Lord of fire, Lord of the Pole Star, pivot of the universe, one of the forms of the
Supreme Deity. The lord of every flame, from those which burn in the temples to those which burn in the lowliest huts.
The god with backward feet who brought Man as well as Fire from the underworlds.
Bringer of misfortune. The evil aspect of the star Venus. Quetzalcoatl's deformed twin.
The preceding information was compiled and is copyrighted 1994 by D.W. Owens.
Distribution is allowed if credit is given.

Roman mythology
The Roman god who presides over the storing of grain. Since the grain was stored in holes underneath the Earth, Consus' altar was also placed beneath the Earth near the
Circus Maximus. It was uncovered only during the Consualia, his festival on August
21st and December 15th. One of the main events during this festival was a mule race
(the mule was his sacred animal). Also, on this day farm and dray horses were not permitted to work and attended the festivities. He is closely connected with the fertility goddess Ops (also known as Ops Consiva). Later he was also regarded as god of secret counsels.

Dionysus, in Greek mythology, god of wine and vegetation, who showed mortals how to cultivate grapevines and make wine. He was good and gentle to those who honored him, but he brought madness and destruction upon those who spurned him or the orgiastic rituals of his cult. According to tradition, Dionysus died each winter and was reborn in the spring. To his followers, this cyclical revival, accompanied by the seasonal renewal of the fruits of the earth, embodied the promise of the resurrection of the dead.
The yearly rites in honor of the resurrection of Dionysus gradually evolved into the structured form of the Greek drama, and important festivals were held in honor of the god, during which great dramatic competitions were conducted. The most important festival, the Greater Dionysia, was held in Athens for five days each spring.
It was for this celebration that the Greek dramatists Aeschylus, Sophocles, and
Euripides wrote their great tragedies. After the 5th century BC, Dionysus was known to the Greeks as Bacchus.

Eros was the god of love in Greek mythology. He was represented as one of the primeval forces of nature, the son of Chaos, and the embodiment of the harmony and creative power in the universe. Soon, however, he was thought of as a handsome and intense young man, attended by Pothos ("longing") or Himeros ("desire"). Later mythology made him the constant attendant of his mother, Aphrodite, goddess of love.
In Greek art Eros was depicted as a winged youth, slight but beautiful, often with eyes covered to symbolize the blindness of love. Sometimes he carried a flower, but more commonly the silver bow and arrows, with which he shot darts of desire into the bosoms of gods and men.

Hades, in Greek mythology, is the god of the dead. He was the son of the Titans
Cronus and Rhea and the brother of Zeus and Poseidon. When the three brothers divided up the universe after they had deposed their father, Cronus, Hades was awarded the underworld. There, with his queen, Persephone, whom he had abducted from the world above, he ruled the kingdom of the dead. Although he was a grim and pitiless god, unappeased by either prayer or sacrifice, he was not evil. In fact, he was known as lord of riches, because both crops and precious metals were believed to come from his kingdom below ground.
The underworld itself was often called Hades. It was divided into two regions: Erebus, where the dead pass as soon as they die, and Tartarus, the deeper region, where the
Titans had been imprisoned. It was a dim and unhappy place, inhabited by vague forms and shadows and guarded by Cerberus, the three-headed, dragon-tailed dog.
Sinister rivers separated the underworld from the world above, and the aged boatman
Charon ferried the souls of the dead across these waters.
Somewhere in the darkness of the underworld Hades' palace was located. It was represented as a many-gated, dark and gloomy place, thronged with guests, and set in the midst of shadowy fields and an apparition-haunted landscape. In later legends the underworld is described as the place where the good are rewarded and the wicked punished.

Greek mythology
Heracles is the son of the god Zeus and Alcmene. His gift was fabulous strength; he strangled two serpents in his cradle, and killed a lion before manhood. Heracles' main antagonist was Hera. She eventually drove him mad, during which time he killed his own children and his brother's. He was so grieved upon recovery that he exiled himself and consulted the oracle of Apollo. The oracle told him to perform twelve labors
These Twelve Labors were:
Kill the lion of Nemea. He strangled it without further ado.
Kill the nine-headed Hydra. Two new heads would grow on the Hydra from each fresh wound, and one was immortal. Heracles burned the eight and put the immortal one under a rock.
Capture the Ceryneian Hind. After running after it for many months, he finally trapped it.
Kill the wild boar of Erymanthus. A wild battle, but pretty straightforward:
Heracles won.
Clean the Augean Stables of King Augeas. He succeeded only by diverting a nearby river to wash the muck away.
Kill the carnivorous birds of Stymphalis.
Capture the wild bull of Crete.
Capture the man-eating mares of Diomedes.
Obtain the girdle of Hippolyta, the queen of the Amazons.
Capture the oxen of Geryon.
Take the golden apples from the garden of the Hesperides, which was always guarded by the dragon Ladon. Heracles tricked Atlas into getting he apples by offering to hold the Earth for Atlas.
When he returned with the apples, Heracles asked him to take the Earth for a moment so he could go get a pillow for his aching shoulders. Atlas did so, and
Heracles left with his apples.
Bring Cerberus, the three-headed dog of Hades, to the surface world.
Heracles was now free to return to Thebes and marry Deianira. Later the centaur
Nessus tried to abduct Deianira; Heracles shot him with a poisoned arrow. The dying
Nessus told Deianira to keep his blood, as it would always preserve Heracles' love.
When Deianira later feared she was being supplanted by Iole, Deianira sent Heracles a garment soaked in Nessus' blood. It poisoned Heracles, who was taken to Olympus

and endowed with immortality after death.
Other names: Herakles, Hercules.

Hermes, messenger of the gods, was the son of the god Zeus and of Maia, the daughter of the Titan Atlas. As the special servant and courier of Zeus, Hermes had winged sandals and a winged hat and bore a golden Caduceus, or magic wand, entwined with snakes and surmounted by wings. He conducted the souls of the dead to the underworld and was believed to possess magical powers over sleep and dreams.
Hermes was also the god of commerce, and the protector of traders and herds. As the deity of athletes, he protected gymnasiums and stadiums and was believed to be responsible for both good luck and wealth. Despite his virtuous characteristics,
Hermes was also a dangerous foe, a trickster, and a thief.
On the day of his birth he stole the cattle of his brother, the sun god Apollo, obscuring their trail by making the herd walk backward. When confronted by
Apollo, Hermes denied the theft. The brothers were finally reconciled when Hermes gave Apollo his newly invented lyre.
Hermes was represented in early Greek art as a mature, bearded man; in classical art he became an athletic youth, nude and beardless.

Ares, exceeding in strength, chariot-rider, golden-helmed, doughty in heart, shieldbearer, Savior of cities, harnessed in bronze, strong of arm, unwearying, mighty with the spear, O defense of Olympus, father of warlike Victory, ally of Themis, stern governor of the rebellious, leader of righteous men, sceptered King of manliness, who whirl your fiery sphere among the planets in their sevenfold courses through the aether wherein your blazing steeds ever bear you above the third firmament of heaven; hear me, helper of men, giver of dauntless youth! Shed down a kindly ray from above upon my life, and strength of war, that I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice from my head and crush down the deceitful impulses of my soul. Restrain also the keen fury of my heart which provokes me to tread the ways of bloodcurdling strife. Rather, O blessed one, give you me boldness to abide within the harmless laws of peace, avoiding strife and hatred and the violent fiends of death.

Hades, God of the Underworld:
Hades, also called Aidoneus, was the son of Rhea and Cronus (the lord of the Titans who ate everyone, including his own family, eventually). Fortunately, Hades was saved by his brother Zeus, who later gave Hades the underworld as his share of an inheritance. He was married to Persephone, who was condemned by Zeus to spend one third of each year in the underworld with Hades, for eating the fatal
Pomegranate's seeds (which was the symbol of marriage). Hades has also been portrayed as Pluto. Homer said that to pray to him, one struck the ground with bare hands or rods. Black ewes or rams were sometimes sacrificed to him. Plants sacred to the God of the Underworld will always be Cypress and the Narcissus, and of course, the mint plant, which reminds him of a special Nymph.

Gatherer of the dead. Anguta carries the dead down to the underworld, where they must sleep with him for a year.
The moon, brother to the sun whom Moon chases across the sky. Aningan has a great igloo in the sky where he rests. Irdlirvirissong, his demon cousin, lives there as well.
The moon is a great hunter, and his sledge is always piled high with seal skins and meat.
The Red Man or Woman evoked in spells to cure the ill. Asgaya Gigagei is either male or female, depending on the sex of the patient.
The Earth, Sacred Mother of every living creature. The Pawnee were hunters. When told to abandon hunting and settle down to farming, their priest replied: "You ask me to plow the ground! Shall I take a knife and tear my mother's bosom? Then when I die she will not take me to her bosom to rest. You ask me to dig for stone! Shall I dig under her skin for her bones? Then when I die I cannot enter her body to be born again. You ask me to cut grass and make hay and sell it, and be rich like white men!
But how dare I cut off my mother's hair? It is a bad law and my people cannot obey it."
"The One Who Contains Everything." The Supreme God, the Creator of All. Before the creation there was only Awonawilona; all else was darkness and emptiness. Both male and female, Awonawilona created everything from himself and taking form became the maker of light, the Sun.
Demon gods. Giand heads without bodies which fly about in storms. They find men very tasty.
Breathmaker taught men to fish and dig wells, and made the Milky Way. When the virtuous die, they follow the Milky Way to a glorious city in the western sky.

A trickster, a clown. The creator and teacher of men. Like Loki, Coyote is always lurking about, causing trouble and playing pranks. To the Zunis, Coyote is a hero who set forth the laws by which men may live in peace. The Pomo Indians maintain that
Coyote created the human race and stole the sun to keep them warm. The Montana
Sioux say that Coyote created the horse. The Chinook tell how Coyote and Eagle went to the land of the dead to bring back their dead wives. On reaching the land of the dead, they found a meeting lodge lit only by the moon which lay on the floor.
Every night an old woman would swallow the moon and the dead would appear in the meeting lodge. Recognizing their wives among the spirits of the dead, the two gods devised a plan. The next day, after the old woman had vomited up the moon and the dead had disappeared, Coyote built a huge wooden box and placed in it leaves of every kind of plant. Coyote and Eagle then killed the old woman, and Coyote donned her clothes. When the time came, Coyote swallowed the moon. The dead appeared, but Eagle had place the box outside the exit. When Coyote vomited up the moon, the dead filed out and were trapped in the box. Coyote pleaded to be allowed to carry the box, and Eagle gave it to him. But Coyote couldn't wait to see his wife and opened the box. The spirits of the dead rose up like a cloud and disappeared to the west. So it is that people must die forever, not like the plants which die in winter and are green again in a season.
Spirits of maize, beans and gourds who live together in a single hill. Searching for dew, the maize spirit Onatha was captured by the evil spirit Hahgwehdaetgah who took her off to the underworld. Sun rescued her, and ever since she has remained in the cornfields until the corn is ripe.
First Woman's adopted daughter. To punish mankind for pride, First Man and First
Woman sent a plague of monsters to kill and devour them. The time came when First
Woman repented of the evils she and First Man had visited upon men, and she sought a means for their deliverance. First Woman discovered the infant Estanatlehi lying on the ground near First Woman's mountain, and took her in. The infant Estanatlehi grew to adulthood in four days. Making love with the Sun, she gave birth to the Twin
Brothers who after many adventures slew the monsters.
An evil star who drives the sun down out of the sky and send his daughter to hinder
Morning Star from the sun back up again.

In the beginning, First Man and First Woman ascended from the underworld together with Coyote, leading the people through trials and tribulations into the surface world which became their home. Deciding that the sky was too empty with only Sun and Moon, First Man, First Woman and Coyote gathered up glittering stones and placed them in the sky to serve as stars.
Supernatural beings who dwell inside mountains. The can sometimes be heard dancing and beating drums. Because they can heal and drive away disease, they are worshipped. In the ritual dances of the Chiricahua Apache masked dancers painted a different color for each point of the compass represent all the Gahe except the Grey
One. The Grey One, though he appears as a clown, is really the mightiest of all the
Gahe.
The Creator, or more exactly, the creator force. Generally benevolent, but often whimsical. Gluskap created the plains, the food plants, the animals and the human race from the body of the Mother Earth. His rival was his wolf brother Malsum, who made rocks, thickets and poisonous animals. After a long struggle Gluskap killed
Malsum and drove his evil magic under the earth. Gluskap drove away monsters, fought stone giants, taught hunting and farming to men, and gave names to the stars.
His work done, Gluskap paddled towards the sunrise in a birch bark canoe. Some day he may return.
Thunder god, god of the sky. The Rainbow is his consort. With his fire arrows, Hino destroys evil beings.
The demon cousin of the moon. Sometimes Irdlirvirissong comes out into the sky to dance and clown and make the people laugh. But if anyone is nearby, the people must restrain themselves or the demon clown will dry them up and eat their intestines.
Nature spirits which inhabit and control everything -- animal spirits, spirits of departed ancestors, spirits of natural resources such as wind, rain and thunder. Their exact number is not known, but at least five hundred appear in the mythologies of the different villages.
Ka nati
"The Lucky Hunter." Sometimes called First Man. He lives with his wife Selu ("Corn")

in the east where the sun rises, and their sons, the Twin Thunder Boys, live in the west.
The Great Spirit, the Supreme Being. The Uncreated, the Father of Life, God of the
Winds. The Great Spirit is present in some way in nearly every North American
Indian mythology.
The Great Hare. A trickster. A shape-shifter. Creator of men, the earth, deer, water and fish. Michabo drives away cannibal spirits. In the House of Dawn, Michabo is host to the souls of good men, feeding them succulent fruits and fish.
A protector who leads the sun upward into the sky. A soldier god.
Elder Twin Brother.
Sky spirit. In the beginning, Nesaru had charge over all creation. Displeased with a race of giants in the underworld who would not respect his authority, Nesaru sent a new race to the underworld to replace them and sent a flood which destroyed the giants without destroying the new men. When the new men cried out to be released from the underworld, Nesaru sent the Corn Mother for their deliverance.
"Grandmother." The Sacred Earth Mother. Nokomis nurtures all living things.
A creator god. Beneficiant and venerated.
"Stonecoat." The name comes from his coat which was made of pieces of flint. Equally good and evil, Ocasta was one of the Creator's helpers. Ocasta created witches and drifted from village to village stirring up turmoil. Some women trapped Ocasta, pinning him to the ground with a stick through his heart. The men cremated the dying Ocasta, who while burning on his funeral pyre taught them songs and dances for hunting, fighting wars and healing. Some of the men were granted great power and became the first medicine men.

The Creator who lived in Olelpanti (Heaven) with two old women. When the first people destroyed the world with fire, Olelbis sent wind and rain to quench the flames, and repaired the earth. Olelbis intended men to live forever. When they grew old, they were to climb to heaven and join Olelbis in paradise. Olelbis set two vultures to the task of building a ladder to Olelpanti for men to ascend, but Coyote persuaded them to stop work.
Like Coyote and Michabo, a trickster god. Through a sly trick, Rabbit brought fire to man.
Another trickster god. Very greedy, forever seeking food. Raven stole the moon from a miser and placed it in the sky.
Goddess of the sea and the creatures of the sea. A one-eyed giant. A frightful old hag, but she was young and beautiful when her father threw her in the sea as a sacrifice. A sorcerer wishing to visit Sedna must pass through the realms of death and then cross an abyss where a wheel of ice spins eternally and a cauldron of seal meat stews endlessly. To return he must cross another abyss on a bridge as narrow as a knife edge.
"Corn." Sometimes known as First Woman. Kanati's wife. Selu created corn in secret by rubbing her belly or by defecating. Her sons, the Twin Thunder Boys, killed her when they spied upon her and decided she was a witch.
Sun god. The Pawnee performed their famous Sun Dance for Shakura's sake. Young warriors attached themselves to tall poles with strips of hide which were tied to sharp stakes. The stakes were driven through the skin and flesh on the chest. The young brave would then support his entire weight with the hide ropes as he slowly circled the pole following the sun's movement in the sky. This lasted until the sun went down or the stakes ripped out of the brave's flesh.
God of the underworld, the opposite of North Star. Magical and feared.

A goddess. When Sun's daughter was bitten by a snake and taken to the Ghost
Country, Sun hid herself in grief. The world was ever dark, and Sun's tears became a flood. At last the Cherokee sent their young men and women to heal Sun's grief, which they did with singing and dancing.
A beautiful young maiden carrying a torch who is chased through the sky by her brother Aningan, the moon. The planet Jupiter is the mother of the sun and very dangerous to magicians. If they are careless, she will devour their livers.
The earth god, master of hunting to whom all deer belong.
The Power Above, creator of the heavens and the earth. In the beginning Tirawa-
Atius called the gods together to announce his plan to create the human race and promised the gods a share of power for their help. Shakura the Sun was assigned to provide light and heat, Pah the Moon was assigned the night, and Tirwara-Atius placed the Evening Star, the Mother of All Things in the west. The Morning Star he set to guard the east. After the gods had raised dry land from the watery chaos,
Tirawa Atius told Sun and Moon to make love, and they gave birth to a son. He then told Evening and Morning Star to make love, and they gave birth to a daughter. So the human race was made. All would have been well if Coyote had not stolen a sack of storms from Lightening. Opening the sack, Coyote loosed the storms and so brought death into the world.
Youngest Twin Brother.
Thoume' taught the people to make clothing and fire, and how to make love. After making the moon and the sun, Thoume' sent the trickster god Kutnahin to teach medicine and food preparation to men. Kutnahin traveled through the world disguised as a derelict covered with buzzard dung.
The good spirit, representing everything in nature good and helpful to man.
The sons of Kanati and Selu. Kanati and Selu live in the east, the Twin Thunder Boys live in the west. When thunder sounds, the boys are playing ball.

Black Bear. A guardian. Symbol of long life, strength and courage.

Pan, god of woods, fields, and fertility, was the son of Hermes, messenger of the gods, and a nymph. Part animal, with the horns, hoofs, and ears of a goat, he was a rollicking deity, the god of the shepherds and the goatherds. A wonderful musician, he accompanied, with his pipe of reeds, the woodland nymphs when they danced. He invented this pipe when the nymph Syrinx, whom he was pursuing, was transformed into a bed of reeds to escape him; Pan then took reeds of unequal length and played on them. The god was always wooing one of the nymphs by playing on his pipes, but was always rejected because of his ugliness. Pan's haunts were the mountains and caves and all wild places, but his favorite spot was Arcady, where he was born.
The word panic is supposed to have been derived from the fears of travelers who heard the sound of his pipes at night in the wilderness.

Aztec mythology
Quetzalcoatl meaning 'Feathered Snake.' One of the major deities of the Aztec,
Toltecs, and other Middle American peoples. He is the creator sky-god and wise legislator. He organized the original cosmos and participated in the creation and destruction of various world periods. Quetzalcoatl ruled the fifth world cycle and created the humans of that cycle. The story goes that he descended to Mictlan, the underworld, and gathered the bones of the human beings of the previous epochs.
Upon his return, he sprinkled his own blood upon these bones and fashioned thus the humans of the new era. He is also a god of the wind (he wind-god Ehecatl is one of his forms), as well as a water-god and fertility-god.
He is regarded as a son of the virgin goddess Coatlicue and as the twin brother of
Xolotl. As the bringer of culture he introduced agriculture (maize) and the calendar and is the patron of the arts and the crafts.
In one myth the god allowed himself to be seduced by Tezcatlipoca, but threw himself on a funeral pyre out of remorse. After his death his heart became the morning-star, and is as such identified with the god Tlahuizcalpantecuhtli. In dualistic Toltec religion, the opposing deity, Tezcatlipoca ('Smoking Mirror'), a god of the night, had reputedly driven Quetzalcoatl into exile. According to yet another tradition he left on a raft of snakes over the sea. In any case, Quetzalcoatl, described as light-skinned and bearded, would return in a certain year. Thus, when the Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés appeared in 1519, the Aztec king, Montezuma II, was easily convinced that Cortés was in fact the returning god.
The Aztec later made him a symbol of death and resurrection and a patron of priests.
The higher priests were called Quetzalcoatl too. The god has a great affinity with the priest-king Topiltzin Ce Acatl Quetzalcoatl, who ruled the Toltecs in Tula in the 10th century. The cult of Quetzalcoatl was widespread in Teotihuacan (50 km northeast of
Mexico City), Tula (or Tullán, capitol of the Toltecs in middle Mexico), Xochilco,
Cholula, Tenochtitlan (the current Mexico City), and Chichen Itza.

Recent years have seen the appearance of several 'Necronimica', books from various sources each purporting to be renderings of the dreaded tome itself! They have ranged from Sumerian scribblings to ye writings of Dr. John Dee (now reincarnated as Robert
Turner, apparently). Also, following August Derleth's attempt to cohere the Cthulhu
Mythos into an identifiable cosmology, several occultists (notably Kenneth Grant) have attempted to work the Great Old Ones into an 'identifiable' system of one kind or another.
While such attempts display the Western occultists' penchant for building up symbolic metastructures, I feel that such systemizations of the Great Old Ones are a misappropriation of Lovecraft's original sense of them. Their very nature is that they are ''primal and undimensioned' - they can barely be perceived, and forever 'lurk' at the edges of awareness.
The most powerful energies are those which cannot be clearly apprehended or conceived of. They remain intangible and tenuous. Very like the feeling of awakening from a nightmare terrified, but unable to remember why. Lovecraft understood this very well, probably because most of his writings evolved from his dreams.
The Great Old Ones gain their power from their elusiveness and intangibility. Once they are formalized into symbol systems and related to intellectual metasystems, some of their primal intensity is lost. William Burroughs puts it this way:
“As soon as you name something you remove its power. If you could look Death in the face he would lose his power to kill you. When you ask Death for his credentials, his passport is indefinite.''
--The Place of Dead Roads
Pr imal Speech
The Great Old Ones can be thought of as primal archetypes of experience, represented in various creation myths as the Giants or Titans. Differing orders of deities throughout history reflect the development of human consciousness - the evolution of a psychocosm. From the zoomorphic animal-human deities of the Pagan
Aeon to the Monotheist deity as a reflection of the state's ideal citizen. The Great Old
Ones have little, if anything in the way of human attributions; no distinct spheres of influence or human morality. Lovecraft made it very clear that the Great Old Ones have their own purposes, and those that summon them, do so at their peril.

The Great Old Ones are atavisms of the pre-human strata of consciousness, dim perceptions of the era when the primitive 'dragon brain' was the seat of awareness. In his writings, Lovecraft continually alludes to the non-conceptual nature of the Old
Ones, and to the primitive methods of summoning them to Earth - blood sacrifice, incense, sexual magick (especially incestuous interbreeding) and Primal, or monstrous speech. All these methods act very powerfully upon the 'reptilian' areas of the brain; the activity of which governs the basic behavior patterns - sex, hunger and the flightfight response.
Of particular interest in Lovecraft's mention of primal speech; the kind of glossolalia which can be heard at both Revivalist meetings and Voudou gatherings. When ordered speech is replaced with gibbering, grunting and other non-ordered noises, then patterning, inflection and tone/volume become the means for carrying a message. In ritual, this deliberate 'blocking' of verbal communication with 'static' can be a powerful means of assisting others into a state of possession, during which the body is controlled by 'Nameless' Gods who can only gibber and flail 'their' limbs about - a state somewhat reminiscent of the flopping of lizards, actually Seeing someone in this state brings to mind Lovecraft's description of Azathoth as:
“A blind idiot god, the monstrous Nuclear Chaos.''
The value of such an experience is debatable. Full possession by a deity appears to be rare in Western magick, implying as it does, a total dis-inhibition which most people seem unwilling to tolerate. These rites of the Nameless Gods serve to hurl the consciousness backwards into a level of awareness where the sense of being an individual 'I' is blurred. Memories of such a state will, of necessity, be at best fractured, or even totally absent, a phenomena not uncommon with possession experiences.
To conclude then, the Great Old Ones can indeed be summoned, but the means of doing so requires an approach which is very different to the established styles of
Western magick.

Moondgoddess, wife of the sun. Only Auchimalgen cares anything for the human race, all the rest of the gods being utterly malevolent. Auchimalgen wards off evil spirits and turns red when some important person is about to die.
The gods of the four points of the compass, who hold up the sky. The lords of the seasons.
Bat god, demon of the underworld.
"Lightening," "the Cutter," "Lord of the nine generations." Rain god. One of the four
Bacabs, the Lord of the East. Portrayed as a red man with a long nose. Revered particularly by farmers.
Cupara and his wife are the parents of the sun, for whom they created the moon from mud to be his mate. The children of the sun and moon are the animals, and among the animals is the sloth, who was the ancestor of the Jivaro.
God of merchants and cacao growers. Black faced with a huge nose.
Goddess of night. Evaki places the sun in a pot every night and moves the sun back to its starting point in the east every day. Evaki stole sleep from the eyes of the lizards and shared it with all the other living creatures.
"Eyes and mouth of the sun." The Great God without Form, existing only in spirit.
The chief god of the Mayan pantheon.
God of thunderstorms and the whirlwind. His name gave us the word "hurricane." At the behest of his friend Gucumatz, son of the Sun and the Moon, Hurakan created the world, the animals, men and fire.

Son of the creator Viracocha. After the Great Flood and the Creation, Viracocha sent his son Imaymana Viracocha together with his brother Tocapo Viracocha to visit the tribes and see if they still followed the commandments they had been given. As they went, Imaymana and Tocapo gave names to all the trees, flowers, fruits and herbs, and taught the people which of these could be eaten, which could cure, and which could kill.
Sun god. Inti's image is a golden disk with a human face surrounded by bright rays.
Every day Inti soars across the sky to the western horizon, plunges into the sea, and swims under the earth back to the east. Inti's sons are Wirakocha, Pachacomac, and
Manco Capac.
"Lizard House." Sky god and healer, son of Hunab Ku. Founder of the Mayan capital city of Mayapan. God of drawing and letters, patron of learning and the sciences.
Itzamna can bring the dead back to life. His symbol is a red hand to which the ill pray for healing.
"Lady Rainbow." Consort of Itzamna. Goddess of the moon, of weaving and of medicine. Her hands and feet are claws, and there are snakes in her hair. Except for
Hunab Ku, all the other gods are the progeny of Ix Chel an Itzamna.
Goddess who rules the paradise of the blessed, who are served magnificent food and drink in the shade of the tree Yaxche. For reasons completely obscure, Ixtab is portrayed as a hanged woman with a noose around her neck.
Kami and Keri were born into the sky world as the sons of the jaguar Oka and a woman created by magic. Their mother was killed by Mero, the jaguar's mother, and in revenge, Kami and Keri burned her and themselves up in a great fire. Bringing themselves back to life, they came to earth as human beings where the separated the heavens from the earth, stole fire from the eyes of Fox, and made the rivers with water stolen from the Great Snake. After teaching humans how to live together, their work was done, and they climbed to a mountain peak where they disappeared.

The great god Wirkocha disguised as a traveler in rags. A trickster, a prankster. No one knew who he was, and the people he passed called him names. Yet as he walked, he created. With a word he made the fields and terraced hillsides. Dropping a reed blossom, he made water flow.
"The Feathered Serpent.) Serpent god. The city of Quirigua was dedicated to his service. Roughly similar to Quetzalcoatl of the Aztecs. He is said to have built the great city of Chicen Itza.
Goddess of the moon. Protector of married women. Her image is a silver disc with a human face.
The son of Inti, also a solar god. The youngest of four brothers, Manco Capac defied the eldest brother who greedily demanded all of creation for himself. Sealing the eldest brother forever in a cave, Manco Capac murdered another and frightened the third into fleeing, never to be seen again. Thus gaining power over all the world,
Manco Capac founded the city of Cuzco and was worshiped as the Son of the Sun.
God of lakes and seas. Ngurvilu prowls about the waters in the form of a wild cat. It's tail ends in a huge claw, with which Ngurvilu might attack any human out of sheer maliciousness.
God of the earth, creator god. Prior to the Incan conquest, the Peruvians worshiped
Pachamac as the supreme being. For political purposes, the Incas were forced to adopt
Pachamac into their own pantheon, but his position was never very secure. The great
Inca Atahualpa treated Pachamac's priests with cold indifference, explaining to the
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro that the god's oracle had made three ruinously inaccurate prophecies. The Great Sun King even incited the Spaniards to defile and loot the god's temple. They accepted the invitation enthusiastically.
God of fire, thunder, and war, chief of all the gods. Aided by brigades of evil spirits,
Pillan causes earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, blights crops, creates storms and sends war.

God of death. A god of insatiable greed. The Incas sacrificed over a hundred children a year to Supai and still he would not leave them alone.
The great god Viracocha in human form, traveling in disguise as an old man with a staff, preaching virtue to the people, working miracles, sleeping in the fields with nothing but his tunic for cover. Failing more often than succeeding, widely despised,
Tonapa departed across the sea.
God of thunder and lightening. A bulky young man with wavy hair. Tupan likes to visit his mother often, and when he does the passage of his boat causes storms. The
Tupinamba respect but do not worship Tupan.
Literally, Sea-Foam. The Creator. The teacher of the world. After the Great Flood, which covered even the highest mountains and destroyed all life, Virococha molded new people out of clay at Tia Huanaco. On each figure of clay he painted the many features, clothes and hairstyles of the many nations, and gave to them their languages, their songs and the seeds they were to plant. Bringing them to life, Viracocha ordered them to travel underground and emerge at different places on the earth. Then
Viracocha made the sun and the moon and the stars, and assigned them to their places in the sky. Raising up smaller Viracocha, the God ordered them to go about the world and call forth the people, and see to it that they multiplied and followed the commandments they had been given. Some of the little viracocha went south, some went southeast, while the God's two sons traveled northeast and northwest.
Viracocha himself traveled straight north. Some tribes had rebelled, and these
Viracocha punished by turning the people into stone. At Pucara, forty leagues north of Cuzco, Viracocha called down fire from the sky upon those who had disobeyed his commandments. Arriving at last at Cuzco and the seacoast, Viracocha gathered together his two sons and all the little viracocah, and they walked across the water until they disappeared.

Amen (Amon, Amun, Ammon, Amoun)
Amen's name means "The Hidden One." Amen was the patron deity of the city of
Thebes from earliest times, and was viewed (along with his consort Amenet) as a primordial creation-deity. He is represented in five forms: (1) a man, enthroned; (2) a frog-headed man (as a primordial deity); (3) a cobra-headed man; (4) an ape; (5) a lion. His sacred animals were the goose and the ram, though he was not depicted as them.
Up to Dynasty XII Amen was unimportant except in Thebes; but when the Thebans had established their sovereignty in Egypt, Amen became a prominent deity, and by
Dynasty XVIII was termed the King of the Gods. His famous temple, Karnak, is the largest religious structure ever built by man. According to E.A.Wallis Budge's Gods of the Egyptians, Amen by Dynasy XIX-XX was thought of as "an invisible creative power which was the source of all life in heaven, and on the earth, and in the great deep, and in the Underworld, and which made itself manifest under the form of Ra."
Amen was self-created, according to later traditions; according to the older Theban traditions, Amen was created by Thoth as one of the eight primordial deities of creation (Amen, Amenet, Heq, Heqet, Nun, Naunet, Kau, Kauket).
During the New Kingdom, Amen's consort was Mut, "Mother," who seems to have been the Egyptian equivalent of the "Great Mother" archetype. The two thus formed a pair reminiscent of the God and Goddess of other traditions such as Wicca.
See also: Amen-Ra, Mut, Thoth.
Amen-Ra
A composite deity, invented by the priests of Amen as an attempt to link New
Kingdom (Dyn. XVIII-XXI) worship of Amen with the older solar cult of the god Ra.
See also: Amen, Ra.
Amset (Imsety, Mestha, GD: Ameshet)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Amset was represented as a mummified man. He was the protector of the liver of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Isis.

See also: Four Sons of Horus, Isis.
Anubis (Anpu, GD: Ano-Oobist)
Anubis (the Greek corruption of the Egyptian "Anpu") was the son of Nephthys: by some traditions, the father was Set; by others, Osiris. Anubis was depicted as a jackal, or as a jackal-headed man; in primitive times he was probably simply the jackal god.
Owing to the jackal's tendency to prowl around tombs, he became associated with the dead, and by the Old Kingdom, Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming, who had embalmed the dead Osiris, thus helping preserve him in order to live again. Anubis was also worshipped under the form "Wepuat" ("Opener of the
Ways"), sometimes with a rabbit's head, who conducted the souls of the dead to their judgment, and who monitored the Scales of Truth to protect the dead from deception and eternal death.
See also: Nephthys, Osiris, Set.
Bast (Bastet)
A cat-goddess, worshipped in the Delta city of Bubastis. A protectress of cats and those who cared for cats. As a result, an important deity in the home (since cats were prized pets) and also important in the iconography (since the serpents which attack the sun god were usually represented in papyri as being killed by cats).
She was also worshipped as the consort of Ptah-seker-ausar; and is joined with
Sekhmet and Ra (a very unusual combination of male and female deities) to form
Sekhmet-bast-ra, also worshipped as Ptah-seker-ausar's spouse, and viewed as a deity of the destructive, purifying power of the sun.
See also: Ptah, Ra, Sekhmet.
Bes
A deity of either African or Semitic origin; came to Egypt by Dynasty XII. Depicted as a bearded, savage-looking yet comical dwarf, shown full-face in images (highly unusual by Egyptian artistic conventions). Revered as a deity of household pleasures such as music, good food, and relaxation. Also a protector and entertainer of children.
However, many texts point to the idea that Bes was a terrible, avenging deity, who was as swift to punish the wicked as he was to amuse and delight the righteous.

Duamutef (GD: Thmoomathph, Tuamutef)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Duamutef was represented as a mummified man with the head of a jackal. He was the protector of the stomach of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Neith.
See also: Four Sons of Horus, Neith.
Four Sons of Horus
The four sons of Horus were the protectors of the parts of the body of Osiris, and from this, became the protectors of the body of the deceased. They were: Amset,
Hapi, Duamutef, and Qebhsenuef. They were protected in turn by the goddesses Isis,
Nephthys, Neith, and Serket.
See also: Amset, Duamutef, Hapi, Isis, Neith, Nephthys, Qebhsenuef, and Serket.
Geb (Seb)
The god of the earth, son of Shu and Tefnut, brother and husband of Nuit, and father of Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. In the earliest stages of Egyptian history his name was Geb; in later forms of the language it became Seb, but the old pronunciation has become so common in popular works on the subject that it is used herein. His sacred animal was the goose, and he was often referred to as the "Great Cackler". He is generally represented as a man with green or black skin - the color of living things, and the color of the fertile Nile mud, respectively. It was said that Seb would hold imprisoned the souls of the wicked, that they might not ascend to heaven.
Hadit: SEE Hor-behedet.
Hapi (GD: Ahephi)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Hapi was represented as a mummified man with the head of a baboon. He was the protector of the lungs of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Nephthys.
The name Hapi, spelled identically in most but not all cases, is also the name of the god who was the personification of the River Nile, depicted as a corpulent man (fat signifying abundance) with a crown of lilies or papyrus stems.

See also: Four Sons of Horus, Nephthys.
Hathor (Het-heru, Het-Hert)
A very old goddess of Egypt, worshipped as a cow-deity from earliest times. The name "Hathor" is the Greek corruption of the variants Het-Hert ("the House Above") and Het-Heru ("the House of Horus"). Both terms refer to her as a sky goddess. The priests of Heliopolis often referred to her as Ra's consort, the mother of Shu and
Tefnut. Like Isis, Hathor was considered by many to be the goddess "par excellence" and held the attributes of most of the other goddesses at one time or another. Like Isis and Mut, Hathor was a manifestation of the "Great Mother" archetype; a sort of cosmic Yin.
She had so very many manifestations that eventually seven important ones were selected and widely worshipped as the "Seven Hathors": Hathor of Thebes, Heliopolis,
Aphroditopolis, Sinai, Momemphis, Herakleopolis, and Keset.
The Greeks identified her with Aphrodite, and this is not too far off, as she represented, in the texts, everything true, good, and beautiful in all forms of woman; mother, wife, sister, and daughter; also the patron of artists of every kind, and of joyful things, festivals, and happiness. The star Sirius (called by the Egyptians Sepdet) was sacred to her.
See also: Isis, Mut, Ra, Shu, Tefnut.
Heru-ra-ha
A composite deity in Crowley's quasi-Egyptian mythology; composed of Ra-Hoor-
Khuit and Hoor-par-kraat. Apparently without basis in historical Egyptian mythology, but the name, translated into Egyptian, means something approximating
"Horus and Ra be Praised!"
See also: Ra-Hoor-Khuit, Hoor-pa-kraat.
Hor-akhuti (Horakhty)
"Horus of (or in) the Horizons," one of the most common titles of Horus, especially when in his function as a solar deity, emphasizing his reign stretching from one horizon to the other.

See also: Horus, Ra, Ra-Hoor-Khuit.
A form of Horus worshipped in the city of Behdet, shown in the well-known form of a solar disk with a great pair of wings, usually seen hovering above important scenes in Egyptian religious art. Made popular by Aleister Crowley under the poorly omnipresence of Ra and Horus. As Crowley says in Magick in Theory and Practice, expression of the god - seen almost everywhere, yet at the same time small and outof-the-way.
See also: Horus.
Hor-pa-kraat (Horus the Child, GD: Hoor-par-kraat)
Horus, the son of Isis and Osiris, distinguished from Horus the Elder, who was the old patron deity of Upper Egypt; but the worship of the two gods became confused early in Egyptian history and the two essentially merged. Represented as a young boy with a child's sidelock of hair, sucking his finger.
The Golden Dawn attributed Silence to him, presumably because the sucking of the finger is suggestive of the common "shhh" gesture.
See also: Horus.
Horus (Her)
One of the most important deities of Egypt. Horus as now conceived is a mixture of the original deities known as "Horus the Child" and "Horus the Elder". As the Child,
Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis, who, upon reaching adulthood, becomes known as
Her-nedj-tef-ef ("Horus, Avenger of His Father") by avenging his father's death, by defeating and casting out his evil uncle Set. He then became the divine prototype of the Pharaoh.
As Horus the Elder, he was also the patron deity of Upper (Southern) Egypt from the earliest times; initially, viewed as the twin brother of Set (the patron of Lower Egypt), but he became the conqueror of Set c. 3000 B.C.E. when Upper Egypt conquered

Lower Egypt and formed the unified kingdom of Egypt.
See also: Hor-pa-kraat, Horus the Elder, Isis, Osiris, Set.
Horus the Elder (Her-ur, Aroueris)
Horus, the patron god of Upper Egypt from time immemorial; distinguished from
Horus the Child (Hor-pa-kraat), who was the son of Isis and Osiris; but the two gods merged early in Egyptian history and became the one Horus, uniting the attributes of both.
See also: Hor-pa-kraat, Horus.
Isis (Auset)
Perhaps the most important goddess of all Egyptian mythology, Isis assumed, during the course of Egyptian history, the attributes and functions of virtually every other important goddess in the land. Her most important functions, however, were those of motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick, and the working of magical spells and charms. She was believed to be the most powerful magician in the universe, owing to the fact that she had learned the Secret Name of Ra from the god himself.
She was the sister and wife of Osiris, sister of Set, and twin sister of Nephthys. She was the mother of Horus the Child (Hor-pa-kraat), and was the protective goddess of
Horus's son Amset, protector of the liver of the deceased.
Isis was responsible for protecting Horus from Set during his infancy; for helping
Osiris to return to life; and for assisting her husband to rule in the land of the Dead.
Her cult seems to have originally centered, like her husband's, at Abydos near the
Delta in the North (Lower Egypt); she was adopted into the family of Ra early in
Egyptian history by the priests of Heliopolis, but from the New Kingdom onwards (c.
1500 BC) her worship no longer had any particular identifiable center, and she became more or less universally worshipped, as her husband was.
See also: Amset, Hor-pa-kraat, Horus, Nephthys, Osiris, Ra, Set.
Khephra (Keper)
The creator-god, according to early Heliopolitan cosmology; considered a form of Ra.
The Egyptian root "kheper" signifies several things, according to context, most

notably the verb "to create" or "to transform", and also the word for "scarab beetle".
The scarab, or dung beetle, was considered symbolic of the sun since it rolled a ball of dung in which it laid its eggs around with it - this was considered symbolic of the sun god propelling the sphere of the sun through the sky. In later Heliopolitan belief, which named the sun variously according to the time of the day, Khephra was the nighttime form of the sun.
See also: Ra.
Khonsu (Chons)
The third member (with his parents Amen and Mut) of the great triad of Thebes.
Khonsu was the god of the moon. The best-known story about him tells of him playing the ancient game "senet" ("passage") against Thoth, and wagered a portion of his light. Thoth won, and because of losing some of his light, Khonsu cannot show his whole glory for the entire month, but must wax and wane.
See also: Amen, Mut, Thoth.
Ma'at (Ma)
The wife of Thoth, Ma'at's name means "Truth", "Justice", and perhaps even "Tao". It cannot readily be rendered into English but "truth" is perhaps a satisfactory translation. Ma'at was represented as a tall woman with an ostrich feather in her hair.
She was present at the judgment of the dead; her feather was balanced against the heart of the deceased to determine whether he had led a pure and honest life. All civil laws in Egypt were held up to the "Law of Ma'at", which essentially was a series of old conceptions and morals dating to the earliest times in Egypt. A law contrary to the
Law of Ma'at would not have been considered valid in Egypt.
See also: Thoth.
Min (Menu, Amsu)
A form of Amen depicted holding a flail (thought to represent a thunderbolt in
Egyptian art) and with an erect penis; his full name was often given as Menu-ka-mutef ("Min, Bull of his Mother"). Min was worshipped as the god of virility; lettuces were offered as sacrifice to him and then eaten in hopes of procuring manhood; and he was worshipped as the husband of the goddess Qetesh, goddess of love and femininity.

See also: Amen, Qetesh.
Mut (GD: Auramooth)
The wife of Amen in Theban tradition; seen as the mother, the loving, receptive, nurturing force (similar to Yin) behind all things, even as her husband was the great energy, the creative force (similar to Yang). The word "mut" in Ancient Egyptian means "mother". She was also the mother of Khonsu, the moon god.
See also: Amen, Khonsu.
Neith (Net, Neit, GD: Thoum-aesh-neith)
A very ancient goddess worshipped in the Delta; revered as a goddess of wisdom, often identified with Ma'at; in later traditions, the sister of Isis, Nephthys, and Serket, and protectress of Duamutef, the god of the stomach of the deceased.
See also: Duamutef, Ma'at.
Nephthys (Nebt-het)
The sister and wife of Set, and sister of Isis and Osiris; also the mother (variantly by
Set or by Osiris) of Anubis. She abandoned Set when he killed Osiris, and assisted Isis in the care of Horus and the resurrection of Osiris. She was, along with her sister, considered the special protectress of the dead, and she was the guardian of Hapi, the protector of the lungs of the deceased.
See also: Hapi, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Set.
Nuit (Nut)
The goddess of the sky, daughter of Shu and Tefnut, sister and wife of Geb, mother of
Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. Described by Crowley in his Magick in Theory and as a woman with blue skin, and her body covered with stars, standing on all fours, leaning over her husband, representing the sky arched over the earth. Her only that Hadit was often depicted underneath Nuit - one finds Nuit forming the upper frame of a scene, and the winged disk Hadit floating beneath, silently as

always. This is an artistic convention, and there was no marriage between the two in ancient Egyptian legend.
See also: Geb, Hor-behedet (Hadit), Shu.
Osiris (Ausar)
The god of the dead, and the god of the resurrection into eternal life; ruler, protector, and judge of the deceased, and his prototype (the deceased was in historical times usually referred to as "the Osiris"). His cult originated in Abydos, where his actual tomb was said to be located.
Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, thus the brother of Set, Nephthys, and Isis, who was also his wife. By Isis he fathered Horus, and according to some stories,
Nephthys assumed the form of Isis, seduced him thus, and from their union was born
Anubis.
Osiris ruled the world of men in the beginning, after Ra had abandoned the world to rule the skies, but he was murdered by his brother Set. Through the magic of Isis, he was made to live again. Being the first living thing to die, he subsequently became lord of the dead. His death was avenged by his son Horus, who defeated Set and cast him out into the desert to the West of Egypt (the Sahara).
Prayers and spells were addressed to Osiris throughout Egyptian history, in hopes of securing his blessing and entering the afterlife which he ruled; but his popularity steadily increased through the Middle Kingdom. By Dynasty 18 he was probably the most widely worshipped god in Egypt. His popularity endured until the latest phases of Egyptian history; relief's still exist of Roman emperors, conquerors of Egypt, dressed in the traditional garb of the Pharaohs, making offerings to him in the temples.
See also: Anubis, Geb, Horus, Isis, Nephthys, Ra, Set.
Pharaoh (deified kings)
From earliest times in Egypt the pharaohs were worshipped as gods: the son of Ra, the son of Horus, the son of Amen, etc. depending upon what period of Egyptian history and what part of the country is being considered. It should be noted that prayers, sacrifices, etc. to the pharaohs were extremely rare, if they occurred at all - there seems to be little or no evidence to support an actual cult of the pharaoh.

The pharaoh was looked upon as being chosen by and favored by the gods his fathers.
The pharaoh was never regarded as the son of any goddesses, but rather as the son of the Queen his mother, fathered by the god, incarnate as his earthly father. (A few seeming exceptions to this include a sculpture of Pharaoh Tutankhamen being embraced by his "parents" Amen and Mut, but the intent here seems to be to compare the king with their son Khonsu, rather than to actually claim that Mut was his mother.)
See also: Amen, Khonsu, Mut.
Ptah
Worshipped in Memphis from the earliest dynastic times (c.3000 BC), Ptah was seen as the creator of the universe in the Memphite cosmology. He fashioned the bodies in which dwelt the souls of men in the afterlife. Other versions of the myths state that he worked under Thoth's orders, creating the heavens and the earth according to
Thoth's specifications.
Ptah is depicted as a bearded man wearing a skullcap, shrouded much like a mummy, with his hands emerging from the wrappings in front and holding the Uas (phoenixheaded) scepter, an Ankh, and a Djed (sign of stability). He was often worshiped in conjunction with the gods Seker and Osiris, and worshipped under the name Ptahseker-ausar.
See also: Osiris, Seker, Thoth.
Qebhsenuef (Kabexnuf, Qebsneuef)
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Qebhsenuef was represented as a mummified man with the head of a falcon. He was the protector of the intestines of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Serket.
See also: Four Sons of Horus, Serket.
Qetesh
Originally believed to be a Syrian deity, Qetesh was an important form of Hathor, specifically referred to in the latter's function as goddess of love and beauty. Qetesh was depicted as a beautiful nude woman, standing or riding upon a lion, holding flowers, a mirror, or serpents. She is generally shown full-face (unusual in Egyptian

artistic convention). She was also considered the consort of the god Min, the god of virility.
See also: Hathor, Min.
Ra
Ra was the god of the sun during dynastic Egypt; the name is thought to have meant
"creative power", and as a proper name "Creator", similar to English Christian usage of the term "Creator" to signify the "almighty God." Very early in Egyptian history Ra was identified with Horus, who as a hawk or falcon-god represented the loftiness of the skies. Ra is represented either as a hawk-headed man or as a hawk.
Owing to the fact that the sun was a fire, the Egyptians realized that in order to travel through the waters of Heaven and the Underworld, it required a boat, and so Ra was depicted as traveling in a boat. During the day the boat was a great galley called
Madjet ("becoming strong") and during the night, a small barge called Semektet
("becoming weak").
During dynastic Egypt Ra's cult center was Annu (Hebrew "On", Greek "Heliopolis", modern-day "Cairo"). In Dynasty V, the first king, Userkaf, was also Ra's high priest, and he added the term "Sa-Ra (Son of Ra)" to the tutelary of the pharaohs.
Ra was father of Shu and Tefnut, grandfather of Nut and Geb, great-grandfather of
Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys, and great-great-grandfather to Horus. In later periods
(about Dynasty 18 on) Osiris and Isis superseded him in popularity, but he remained
"Ra netjer-aa neb-pet" ("Ra, the great God, Lord of Heaven") whether worshipped in his own right or, in later times, as half of the Lord of the Universe, Amen-Ra.
See also: Amen, Amen-Ra, Geb, Horus, Isis, Nephthys, Nut, Osiris, Set, Shu, Tefnut.
Ra-Hoor-Khuit
"Ra, who is Horus of the Horizons." An appellation of Ra, identifying him with
Horus, showing the two as manifestations of the singular Solar Force. The spelling
"Ra-Hoor-Khuit" was popularized by Aleister Crowley, first in the Book of the Law
(Liber AL vel Legis).
See also: Hor-akhuti, Horus, Ra.

Seb: See Geb.
Sebek
The crocodile-god, worshipped at the city of Arsinoe, called Crocodilopolis by the
Greeks. Sebek was worshipped to appease him and his animals. According to some evidence, Sebek was considered a fourfold deity who represented the four elemental gods (Ra of fire, Shu of air, Geb of earth, and Osiris of water). In the Book of the
Dead, Sebek assists in the birth of Horus; he fetches Isis and Nephthys to protect the deceased; and he aids in the destruction of Set.
Seker
A god of light, protector of the spirits of the dead passing through the Underworld en route to the afterlife. Seker was worshipped in Memphis as a form of Ptah or as part of the compound deities Ptah-seker or Ptah-seker-ausar. Seker was usually depicted as having the head of a hawk, and shrouded as a mummy, similar to Ptah.
See also: Ptah.
Sekhmet
A lioness-goddess, worshipped in Memphis as the wife of Ptah; created by Ra from the fire of his eyes as a creature of vengeance to punish mankind for his sins; later, became a peaceful protectress of the righteous. She was worshipped with Bast and Ra as a compound deity, Sekhmet-bast-ra, and was considered the consort of Ptah-sekerausar.
See also: Bast, Ptah, Ra, Seker.
Serket (Serqet, Selket)
A scorpion-goddess, shown as a beautiful woman with a scorpion poised on her head; her creature struck death to the wicked, but she was also prayed to save the lives of innocent people stung by scorpions; she was also viewed as a helper of women in childbirth. She is also depicted as binding up demons that would otherwise threaten
Ra, and she sent seven of her scorpions to protect Isis from Set.
She was the protectress of Qebhsenuef, the son of Horus who guarded the intestines of the deceased. She was made famous by her statue from Tutankhamen's tomb,

which was part of the collection which toured America in the 1970's.
See also: Isis, Qebhsenuef, Ra, Set.
Set
Originally, in earliest times, Set was the patron deity of Lower (North) Egypt, and represented the fierce storms of the desert whom the Lower Egyptians sought to appease. However, when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and ushered in the
First Dynasty, Set became known as the evil enemy of Horus (Upper Egypt's dynastic god).
Set was the brother of Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys, and husband of the latter; according to some versions of the myths he is also father of Anubis.
Set is best known for murdering his brother and attempting to kill his nephew Horus;
Horus, however, managed to survive and grew up to avenge his father's death by establishing his rule over all Egypt and casting Set out into the lonely desert for all time.
In the 19th Dynasty there began a resurgence of respect for Set, and he was seen as a great god once more, the god who benevolently restrained the forces of the desert; but this was short-lived and by around Dynasty 20 or 21 Set became once more dreaded as the god of evil.
See also: Anubis, Horus, Isis, Osiris, Nephthys.
Shu
The god of the atmosphere and of dry winds, son of Ra, brother and husband of
Tefnut, father of Geb and Nuit. Represented in hieroglyphs by an ostrich feather
(similar to Ma'at's), which symbol he is usually shown wearing on his head. He is generally shown standing on the recumbent Geb, holding aloft his daughter Nuit, separating the two. It was said that if he ever ceased to interpose himself between earth and sky, life would cease to be on our world - a very accurate assessment, it would seem. The name "Shu" appears to be related to the root "shu" meaning "dry, empty." Shu also seems to be a personification of the sun's light. Shu and Tefnut were also said to be but two halves of one soul, perhaps the earliest recorded example of
"soul mates."
See also: Geb, Nuit, Ra, Tefnut.

Tefnut
The goddess of moisture and clouds, daughter of Ra, sister and wife of Shu, mother of
Geb and Nuit. Depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, which was her sacred animal. The name "Tefnut" probably derives from the root "teftef", signifying "to spit, to moisten" and the root "nu" meaning "waters, sky."
See also: Geb, Nuit, Ra, Shu.
Thoth (Tahuti)
The god of wisdom (Thoth is the Greek corruption of the original Egyptian Tahuti),
Thoth was said to be self-created at the beginning of time, along with his consort
Ma'at (truth). The two produced eight children, of which the most important was
Amen, the hidden one, who was worshipped in Thebes as the Lord of the Universe.
Thoth was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis bird, and carried a pen and scrolls upon which he recorded all things. He was shown as attendant in almost all major scenes involving the gods, but especially at the judgment of the deceased.
It was widely believed that Thoth invented the magical and hermetic arts, and thus the Tarot deck, especially its revision by Aleister Crowley, is often referred to as the
"Book of Thoth".
See also: Amen, Ma'at.
Part II - Frequently asked Questions (per se)
In Liber AL, there are some Egyptian names that look funny. What's the deal?
Crowley, it seems, tried as much as possible to use the original Egyptian pronunciations of divine names, rather than use their popular Greek corruptions.
Some of these (e.g. Hadit) have since been revised in the light of better knowledge of
Egyptian, but his attempt was in general a good one.
Was there any Egyptian gematria?
Put simply, no. If there was a standard order used by the Egyptians for their alphabet, it has been lost. And unlike Hebrew, but like English, the symbols used to express numbers in Ancient Egyptian were not used for letters.

However, since the phonetics of Egyptian closely parallel Hebrew, it is possible to transliterate Egyptian names and phrases into the Hebrew alphabet for gematric computations much more readily than English.
What's the deal with all these 'hyphenated' gods like Amen-Ra, Ra-Hoor-Khuit,
Ptah-Seker-Ausar, etc.?
Most hyphenated gods' names are explained thusly:
In ancient Egypt, different cities often had completely different conceptions of cosmology. As the influence of a city grew, so often did the influence of its mythos. It became necessary to reconcile different gods who served similar roles, and so the priests took the enlightened viewpoint that the "gods" were merely one entity manifesting under different names and/or forms. The one entity was referred to by a compound name, such as Amen-Ra or Ptah-Seker-Ausar.
However, some hyphenated gods' names are merely hyphenated to make them easier to read, for example, Her-nedj-tef-f, from the Egyptian words Her "Horus", nedj
"avenger", tef "father", and -f "his", thus "Horus, the avenger of his father."
In the case of Ra-Hoor-Khuit, we have both explanations in force: Ra "Ra", Hoor
"Horus", khuit "of the horizons", thus "Ra, who is like Horus of the Horizons".

counterpart is Astarte. A vegetation God. Roman counterpart is Venus. protect both home and person.
Arts. healing.
Light.
Yggdrasil to obtain second sight. His familiars are the Raven and the Wolf. In his youth he is depicted as a terrible God and in his old age, as a God of wisdom and psychic sight. afterlife. personal abandon.

hands.
Shiva can be both kind and terrible. including farmers and sailors. and wisdom.

Roman mythology
Vulcan, the Roman god of fire, especially destructive fire, and craftsmanship. His forge is located beneath Mount Etna. It is here that he, together with his helpers, forges weapons for gods and heroes. Vulcanus is closely associated with Bona Dea with whom he shared the Volcanalia, observed on August 23rd. This festival took place during the height of the Mediterranean drought and the period of highest risk of fire. On the banks of the river Tiber, fires were lighted on which living fish were sacrificed. His temples were usually located outside the cities, due to the dangerous nature of fire. In 215 B.C.E. his temple on the Circus Flaminius was inaugurated. In
Ostia he was the chief god as the protector against fire in the grain storages. He is identified with the Greek Hephaestus.

Zeus the god of the sky and ruler of the Olympian gods. Zeus was considered the father of the gods and of mortals. He did not create either gods or mortals; he was their father in the sense of being the protector and ruler both of the Olympian family and of the human race. He was lord of the sky, the rain god, and the cloud gatherer, who wielded the terrible thunderbolt. His breastplate was the aegis, his bird the eagle, his tree the oak.
Zeus presided over the gods on Mount Olympus in Thessaly. His principal shrines were at Dodona, in Epirus, the land of the oak trees and the most ancient shrine, famous for its oracle, and at Olympia, where the Olympian Games were celebrated in his honor every fourth year. The Nemean games, held at Nemea, northwest of Argos, were also dedicated to Zeus.
Zeus was the youngest son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea and the brother of the deities Poseidon, Hades, Hestia, Demeter, and Hera. According to one of the ancient myths of the birth of Zeus, Cronus, fearing that he might be dethroned by one of his children, swallowed them as they were born. Upon the birth of Zeus, Rhea wrapped a stone in swaddling clothes for Cronus to swallow and concealed the infant god in
Crete, where he was fed on the milk of the goat Amalthaea and reared by nymphs.
When Zeus grew to maturity, he forced Cronus to disgorge the other children, who were eager to take vengeance on their father. In the war that followed, the Titans fought on the side of Cronus, but Zeus and the other gods were successful, and the
Titans were consigned to the abyss of Tartarus. Zeus henceforth ruled over the sky, and his brothers Poseidon and Hades were given power over the sea and the underworld, respectively. The earth was to be ruled in common by all three.
As husband to his sister Hera, he is the father of Ares, the god of war; Hebe, the goddess of youth; Hephaestus, the god of fire; and Eileithyia, the goddess of childbirth.
Zeus is described as falling in love with one woman after another and resorting to all kinds of tricks to hide his infidelity from his wife. Stories of his escapades were numerous in ancient mythology, and many of his offspring; such as, Hercules, were a result of his love affairs with both goddesses and mortal women. His many affairs with mortals are sometimes explained as the wish of the early Greeks to trace their lineage to him.