Athena Greek Goddess: Origins, Symbols, and Mythology

Athena is among the most well-known Greek goddesses, revered for her wisdom, courage, and strength. She is often depicted as a fierce warrior, with a spear and shield in hand and a helmet on her head. Athena was also the goddess of crafts, weaving, and strategy and was often associated with the owl, considered a symbol of wisdom.

Athena played a significant role in Greek mythology, and her legend has been passed down through generations. According to legend, Athena was born fully grown and armored from the head of Zeus after he swallowed her mother, Metis. She was the favorite daughter of Zeus, and her intelligence and wisdom made her one of the most respected and revered goddesses in Greek mythology.

Today, Athena is still celebrated and admired for her many attributes, and her legacy lives on in the modern world. From literature to art, her influence can be seen in many different forms, and her story inspires people worldwide.

Athena, a Greek Goddess Birth Story

According to Greek mythology, Athena was born from the head of her father, Zeus. The story goes that Zeus had swallowed his wife, Metis, who was pregnant with Athena, fearing the child would be more powerful than him. However, Metis had already given birth to Athena inside Zeus’s stomach. When the time came, Zeus began to feel a tremendous headache, and Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking, split open Zeus’s head with an axe. Athena emerged fully grown, dressed in armor and holding a spear. This unique birth made Athena the only virgin goddess in Greek mythology.

As the goddess of wisdom, Athena was a patron of Athens and was known as the city’s protector. She was also associated with various other entities, such as warfare, handicrafts, and strategic warfare. Her birth story is one of the most iconic stories in Greek mythology, and it symbolizes the importance of wisdom and strategy over brute force.

Athena’s birth story is also significant because it highlights the role of women in Greek mythology. Even though Athena was born from Zeus’s head, she was still regarded as one of the Greek pantheon’s most potent and respected gods. This is a testament to the importance of women in ancient Greek society, and it shows that women could hold positions of power and influence, even in a male-dominated society.

In conclusion, Athena’s birth story is a compelling and iconic tale in Greek mythology. It highlights the importance of wisdom and strategy over brute force and symbolizes women’s role in ancient Greek society. Athena remains one of the most revered and respected goddesses in Greek mythology, and her legacy continues to inspire people today.

Powers and Symbols

Athena is one of the most important goddesses in Greek mythology. She is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, strategic warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, arts, crafts, and skill. Her powers and symbols are an integral part of her mythology, and they help to define her character and her place in the pantheon of Greek gods and goddesses.

Powers

Athena’s powers are vast and varied. She is known for her intelligence, wisdom, and strategic thinking, making her a formidable battle opponent. She is also known for her strength and courage, which make her a fierce protector of her people. Athena’s powers are often associated with her role as a goddess of war, but they also extend to the arts, crafts, and skill. She is often depicted as a patron of weavers, potters, and other craftsmen.

Symbols

Athena’s symbols are a reflection of her powers and her character. The most famous of these symbols is her shield, representing her role as a protector of her people. The shield is often adorned with the head of the Gorgon, a creature from Greek mythology that turned people to stone. This symbol is known as the Gorgoneion, which was believed to have the power to ward off evil.

Another important symbol of Athena is the olive tree. According to legend, Athena created the olive tree as a gift to the people of Athens, and it has since become a symbol of peace, prosperity, and wisdom. Athena is also associated with the owl, known for its wisdom and intelligence. The snake or serpent is another important symbol of Athena, representing her connection to the earth and the natural world.

Athena is also often depicted wearing a helmet, representing her warrior role. The helmet is often adorned with the image of a serpent or spider, both symbols of wisdom and intelligence. Finally, Athena is often depicted holding a trident, representing her power over the sea.

In conclusion, Athena’s powers and symbols are essential to her mythology and help define her character and place in Greek mythology. Her intelligence, wisdom, and strategic thinking make her a formidable opponent in battle, while her role as a patron of the arts, crafts, and skill makes her a beloved goddess of the people. Her symbols, including the shield, the olive tree, the owl, the snake, the helmet, and the trident, are all critical reflections of her powers and character.

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Goddess of the Day – Hecate or Hekate

Hecate or Hekate

Then the earth began to bellow

And howling dogs in glimmering light advance

Ere Hekate came

-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.

Gods – Celtic Cernnunos

Celtic God Cernnunos

The God In The Wild Wood

At the Sacred Centre, in the Grove of all Worlds, He sits with legs crossed beneath an ancient Oak. Entranced, connecting the three worlds Earth, Sea, and Sky, and the worlds behind the worlds, the god and the Great Tree are One, His immense limbs widespread, stretching into distant sky and starry space.
His massive trunk, spine of the Middleworld, is the heart of the Ancient Forest around which all Life, all worlds turn; His limitless root web growing deep into secret earth and Underworld; above him the great turning circles of Sun, Moon, and Stars. All around Him subtle movements of the leaves in melodious, singing air; everywhere the pulsing, gleaming Green awash in drifts of gold and shimmering mist; beneath Him soft moss creeping over the dark, deep, moist of spawning earth. At His feet is the great Cauldron from which the Five Rivers Flow.

Through the forest stillness they come, whispering wings and secret glide, rustling leaves, and silent step, the first Ancestors, the Oldest Animals, to gather around Him: Blackbird, Keeper of the Gate; Stag of Seven Tines, Master of Time; Ancient Owl, Crone of the Night; Eagle, Lord of the Air, Eye of the Sun; and Salmon, Oldest of the Old, Wisest of the Wise leaping from the juncture of the Five Springs. He welcomes them and blesses them, and they honour Him, Cernnunos of the nut brown skin and lustrous curling hair; the god whose eyes flash star-fire, whose flesh is a reservoir of ancient waters, His cells alive with Mystery, original primeval essence. Naked, phallus erect, He wears a crown of antlers limned in green fire and twined with ivy. In his right hand the Torq of gold, testament of his nobility and his sacred pledge; in his left hand the horned serpent symbol of his sexual power sacred to the Goddess. Cernnunos in His Ancient Forest, His Sacred Temple, His Holy Grove, Cernnunos and His children dream the Worlds.

The Origins of Cernnunos

Cernnunos, a nature and fertility god, has appeared in a multitude of forms and made himself known by many names to nearly every culture throughout time. He is perhaps best known to us now in his Celtic aspects of the untamed Horned God of the Animals and the leaf-covered Green Man, Guardian of the Green World, but He is much older. Cernnunos worked his magic when the first humans were becoming. Our prehistoric ancestors knew him as a shape-shifting, shamanic god of the Hunt. He is painted in caves and carved everywhere, on cliffs, stones, even in the Earth Herself. Humans sought to commune with Him and receive his power and that of his animal children by dressing themselves in skins and skulls, adorning themselves with feathers and bones, by dancing His dance. Yet He is older still. In the time of the dinosaurs, the great swamps and subtropical forests of cycads, seed ferns and conifers, and later in the time of the deciduous plants and flowers, when the pollinators came and the first tiny mammals were creeping up from beneath the ground, Cernnunos was the difference and diversity of life, the frenzy and ferment of evolution. But, He is much older still. He is oldest of the Ancient Ones, first born of the Goddess. At the time of First Earth, Cernnunos grew in the womb of the All Mother, Anu, waiting to be born, to come forth to initiate the everlasting, unbroken Circle of Life.

The Many Faces & Natures Of Cernnunos

Cernnunos, as The Horned God, Lord of the Animals is portrayed as human or half human with an antler crown. Though he wears a human face his energy and his concerns are non-human. He is protector of animals and it is Cernnunos who is the law-sayer of hunting and harvest. While He is recognized most often through his connection to animals and our own deeply buried, dimly recalled, instinctual animal natures, Cernnunos is also a tree, forest, and vegetation god in his foliate aspect of The Green Man, Guardian of the Green World. His branching antlers symbolize the spreading treetops of the forest as well as his animal nature. As Master of the Sacrificial Hunt, His is the life that is given in service of new life. His wisdom is that the old must pass away to make way for the new.

In his Underworld aspect Cernnunos is The Dark Man, the god who dwells in the House Beneath the Hill, the Underworld. He is the one who comforts and sings the souls of the dead to their rest in the Summerlands of the Otherworld. Cernnunos, as Master of the Wild Hunt, who pursues the souls of evil doers, is not associated with a biblical or even modern morality, but with the protection and continuance of the Land and Nature and the spirits that dwell therein.

Pan, lusty Satyr god of the Greeks is another aspect of the Horned God. ‘Pan is a proud celebration of the liberating power of male erotic energy in its purest and most beautiful form.’ (5) He is portrayed as playful and cunning, but He also has a darker, dangerous nature. The panic or terror often associated with Pan is not related to human violence, but to the Life and Death of the natural world. In this form he is called the “All Devourer.” However, Pan, as Protector of the Wilderness and as a god prone to fits of madness and violence, can induce panic or wild fear in those who threaten his domain.

Cernnunos appears again in Elizabethan England, and is mentioned by Shakespeare, as Herne the Hunter, the demon and guardian of Windsor Forest, the Royal Wood. In this aspect it is said that he appears as Guardian of the Realm during times of National emergency and crisis. In modern times he is often called the God of the Witches and embodies uncorrupted masculine energy. A masculine energy that is fully-developed and in balance with the natural world

Cernnunos & The Sacred Wheel Of The Year

We celebrate and honour Cernnunos as the Green Man in spring and summer, the light half of the year and as the Dark One or the Dark God in autumn and winter, the dark half of the year. He appears in spring as the young Son, child of the Goddess, embodiment of the budding, growing, greening world. In summer He is the Green Man, vibrant, pulsing with life essence, the consort of the Green Lady Goddess. It is in autumn, the dying time, that perhaps we see the Horned God most clearly. He is the sacrificed one, who, wounded unto death begins his journey to the Underworld, returning to the Earth from which he was born and where the seeds of light released from his decaying body will quicken Her womb with a new Sun once again.

The Path To Cernnunos

The path to Cernnunos is both through the natural world: seeking out the wild places and a deep understanding of the processes of growth, bounty, decay, rest, and rebirth, and through Otherworld journeys to the Middleworld forest of which he is guardian. One may experience this both actually and symbolically by following the path that disappears over the horizon into the distance and moves away from the ‘civilized’ world and into the heart of the Wild Wood. Often experienced as traveling away from the centre to the perimeter, this is in actuality a return to the Centre. When the seeker reaches the god’s forest the track ends, and her/his pathways are found by other means. After entering the Wildwood the seeker cannot be followed, nor can s/he follow another. Whatever pathways are discovered disappear in passing, and the Wood is trackless once again, for each one’s way is different. In the Forest of Cernnunos there is a stillness, an otherworldly feeling, as if one has passed out of time. Here the mind is not supreme. It is instinct, the innate wisdom of the body that guides us to Him.

The Way Of Cernnunos

The way of Cernnunos is the way of the shaman or any person who truly seeks Communion with the Land. Yet, one cannot speak of Cernnunos without speaking of Anu or Don, the All Mother who gave Him birth. The way of Cernnunos is through the One. Like Her, Cernnunos is a Being or Power that existed before time and before the gods, the Shining Ones. Together they are First Mother and First Father, All Mother and All Father who brought the gods into being. Limitless and everlasting His energy permeates Her matter through every aspect of life to the sub-atomic. As Lord of the Dance He is present in the billions and billions of infinitely small movements that make up the seemingly chaotic Dance of Life, the Dance of Making and Unmaking. He is truly the Life that never, never dies, for even as nothingness he is self-originating. He is triple as She is triple. He is Cernnunos: Father, Son, and Wild Spirit.

Cernnunos Chant

Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Stag Horned Hunter, Hunted One
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Cer-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Greenwood Lord of Life and Death
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Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Herne and Pan and Every Man
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Gods – Buddha Was Not a God

Buddhism Source: buddhism.info

The negative connotation associated with the term ‘atheist’

To be labeled an atheist or godless often has an insulting and derogatory connotation.

It implies that one denies worship, denies morals, denies any spiritual or social obligation and denies a religious life. This in no way describes the teachings of Buddha.

The terms atheist and godless are also often associated with one who subscribes to an entirely materialistic belief system, a doctrine that knows nothing beyond worldly senses and the slight, temporary happiness it can bestow.

Buddhism advocates nothing of the sort. Both Buddhists and followers of other religions believe that true and lasting happiness cannot be found in the material world.

In only one sense can Buddhism be described an atheistic religion – Buddhism denies existence of a Creator God, being an eternal omnipresent God who created the world and who can miraculously save others.

Unlike some other beliefs, Buddhists do not believe that a certain god will appear in this world at some future date to destroy the wicked, unsaved people and to protect the good ones.

Similarly, in Buddhism, there is no belief that someone can wash away their sins simply by asking for forgiveness.

Buddhists believe that redemption is only possible when people sincerely realize that what they are doing is wrong and then subsequently try to change their ways and do good.

It is only through this process that a sinner can counter the bad Karma that has accrued to them based on their evil deeds.

Although Buddhism does not depend on a Creator God, Buddhism emphatically recognizes the existence of moral and spiritual values.

Moreover, Buddhists believe in humanity – we believe that each human being is precious and important and that everyone has the potential to develop into a perfect human being.

The problems with religions based on Creator Gods

All theistic religions consider their concept of God to have ultimate authority over humans.

This supposed sacred authority can be dangerous as it can blindly strip us of our individuality and freedom.

These God-religions attempt to make you a follower and preach that the only true path to salivation is through God.

Under these theistic religions, it is possible for a person to have led a perfectly righteous and virtuous life, but still be condemned to eternal hell since he or she didn’t believe in the existence of a particular group’s idea of God.

On the other hand, someone may have led a life of sin, yet made a repentance before death, and thus that person can be forgiven and ‘saved.’

Buddhists believe there is no rational justification for this type of teaching.

However, as we discussed in detail in Buddhist Views on Religion, Race and Tolerance, it is critically important that we show respect and tolerance to everyone regardless of their religions views.

The benefits of religions based on Creator Gods

Although Buddhism has succeeded as a peaceful religion without incorporating a creator-god, we cannot overlook the fact that the believe in God has done a great service to mankind.

First, the believe in God has helped people control their animal nature.

Secondly, much help and charity has been given to others in the name of god. Many people also find inspiration and protection when the belief of god is in their mind.

Given these benefits, it is easy to see why so many people find the god concept so desirable.

Buddha was not a god

Unlike most other religions, Buddhism does not claim to have originated from heaven.

Buddha never said that he was the son of God, the messenger of God or a reincarnation of a God.

In fact, Buddha emphasized himself that he was not a god, rather he declared himself a simply a human being who was “full awake” and aware of the true nature of existence.

Buddha asked not to be worshiped by his followers but encouraged his followers to look deeply inside their own minds to answer fundamental questions about life, death and happiness. As such, Buddhists do not worship Buddha as a god or deity.

Although many Buddhists have statues and other Buddhism symbols in their homes and place of worship, this is done only as a reminder of our ability to have wisdom and compassion like the Buddha.

As we discussed in The Importance of Prostrating in Buddhism, prostrating or bowing before such figures can be very beneficial in your practice. However, such acts are not done to worship Buddha or the figure itself, but rather to show respect, gratitude and recognition.

Buddhist views of miracles, angels and praying

Often times people’s belief in their Creator God is confirmed or renewed because they prayed in a time of need and their prayer was answered.

Here, correlation doesn’t prove causation. Buddha rejected all of these as foolish and warned about the futility of taking refuge in the hills, woods or shrines when people are full of fear.

If miracles were possible, then there would be no need for hospitals and cemeteries.

Buddhists also don’t expect the gods to do things for us or the angels and guardians to protect us.

If you believe in these things, Buddhism teaches that you will suffer because you will always be waiting for the right day, the right month or the right year for your miracle.

Instead of praying to supernatural beings, Buddhists seek a practical means of conquering birth, aging, pain and death by destroying their mental defilements which cause greed, anger and delusion.

Buddhism doesn’t entice people into living a fool’s paradise, nor does it scare people with imaginary fears.

The traditional concepts of heaven and hell

From a Buddhist point of view, there is no such thing as the traditional concept of heaven and hell, being a permanent, eternal placed created by a God.

Buddhists believe that such a belief is ignorant, unreasonable and foolish to believe that there is an eternal heaven above the clouds or hell under the oceans.

Furthermore, Buddhists believe that it is unreasonable to condemn anyone to eternal hell for their human weakness.

The Buddhist concept of heaven and hell

However, Buddhism does have its own concept of heaven and hell.

Unlike other religions, these places are non-permanent, mental states of mind.

In other words, Buddhist believe that wise people make their own heaven while foolish people create their own hell.

Put yet another way, Buddhists define heaven as a temporary place where those who have done good deeds experience more sensual pleasures.

Hell is another temporary place where those who do evil experience more physical and mental suffering.

Hell is simply a place where one experience painful sensations due to suffering and heaven is a place where one experiences joyful and happy sensations.

However, these mental places are not permanent and there is no God involved. Each person experiences pleasure or pain, heaven and hell, according to their good and bad Karma.

Why do we experience heaven and hell?

According to Buddhists, people experience the fire and misery of hell in this world due to their anger, greed and ignorance. As we can all relate, human beings experience a mixture of both pain and happiness.

In other words, one experiences more pleasure or happiness in this world, then that place is a heaven to those who enjoy their worldly life in that place and time.

When there is more suffering, then that place is a hell to those who suffer. From a Buddhist point of view, if you are in hell, then you can get yourself out by creating good merit and Karma. T

here are no locks on the gates of hell. Hell is only a temporary place and there is no reason for humans to suffer there forever.

Buddha as the Enlightened One

Although Buddha was just a man, he was not an ordinary man like us. He was an extraordinary and incomparably person.

As such, Buddha is considered the Enlightened One, the most compassionate and wise person who ever lived in this world.

For this reason, people take refuge in the Buddha as a teacher or master who has lived and shown the real path of inner peace.

While people may show their respect and gratitude toward Buddha, they do not pray to Buddha with the illusion that he is a god who will reward or punish them. Nor do they ask for material favors through Buddha.

They simply pay homage to a great religious teacher. Those who recite verses from his teachings do so as a means of recalling his great virtues and good qualities in order to get inspiration, confidence and guidance for themselves.

This is all done so that we can try to be like him.

In Buddhism, salvation can only come from within

In some religions, people seek protection in certain objects which they believe are inhabited by spirits.

Buddhists however, know that the only protection they can have is through a complete understanding of their own natures and eradicating their base instincts.

When Buddhists seek refuge in Buddha, it simply means that they accept Buddha and his teachings as the means through which they can end their suffering.

Whether you call Buddhism a religion, philosophy or a way of life, Buddhism is practical, rational and presents a realistic view of life and the world as it exists today.

In the here and now, we should look into our own actions, speech, and Karma. By doing good, you inherit goodness; by doing bad, you inherit badness.

If we can understand that good and bad, right and wrong all lie within us, then we won’t have to go looking for those things somewhere else.

Put another way, if we lose our inner peace here, we must look to find or restore it where we lost it – within ourselves.

Even if you don’t find it at first, keep looking where you dropped it. Usually, we lose it within ourselves and then go looking outside of ourselves for the answers, but we’ll never find it over there.

Goddess/Muse – Calliope

THE MUSE CALLIOPE IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

THE MUSE CALLIOPE

Calliope is a famous name from Greek mythology, for Calliope was one of the Younger Muses, the beautiful goddesses who would inspire writers, artists and artisans.

Calliope the Muse of Epic Poetry, and hers was a name invoked by many writers and poets in antiquity; for they would give praise to the Muse for their ability to bring forth words of great eloquence.

CALLIOPE DAUGHTER OF ZEUS

As one of the Younger Muses, Calliope is the daughter of Zeus and the Titan goddess Mnemosyne; making her sister to Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Thalia, Polyhmnia and Ourania.

Calliope was named as the eldest of the Younger Muses, conceived on the first night that Zeus lay with Mnemosyne.

CALLIOPE GODDESS OF MUSIC

Calliope was a Greek goddess of music, song and dance, and was specifically named as the Muse of Epic Poetry. In this role, Calliope was normally depicted with a writing tablet in her hand.

Calliope was also said to be the muse who bestowed the gift of eloquence about mortal kings, coming to them when they were a baby, and anointing their lips in honey.

As a result of Calliope’s actions, when adults, the anointed ones would spout gracious words, and utter true judgements.

Calliope was also considered to be the leader of the Muses, the wisest of the sisters, and also the most assertive.

CALLIOPE MOTHER OF ORPHEUS

Stories from Greek mythology would tell of the marriage of Calliope to the Thracian king Oeagrus, with the wedding taking place at Pimpleia. The marriage of Calliope and Oeagrus was said to have brought forth two notable individuals Orpheus and Linus. Orpheus was the great musical hero of Greek mythology, and Linus was the inventor of rhythm and melody; alternatively the father of Orpheus and Linus is named as the Olympian god Apollo.

Initially, Calliope and Orpheus were said to reside at Pimpleia, but later Calliope and her son were to be found with the other Younger Muses upon Mount Parnassus. For here Apollo visited to continue the musical training of Orpheus, which had been commenced by Calliope.

CALLIOPE IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY

Calliope was rarely spoken of as an individual but she is named as present, and spoken to by Thetis, when the Muses sang their dirges during the funeral rites of Achilles. Calliope was also certainly present when the Younger Muses were victorious in their contests with the Sirens and Pierides. Indeed, Calliope was said to be the Muse who caused the Pierides to be transformed into magpies after they had had the impudence to challenge Calliope and her sisters.

Fertility Deities of Beltane c. 2017

Fertility Deities of Beltane

Beltane is a time of great fertility — for the earth itself, for animals, and of course for people as well. This season has been celebrated by cultures going back thousands of years, in a variety of ways, but nearly all shared the fertility aspect. Typically, this is a Sabbat to celebrate gods of the hunt or of the forest, and goddesses of passion and motherhood, as well as agricultural deities. Here are a list of gods and goddesses that can be honored as part of your tradition’s Beltane rituals.

Artemis (Greek): The moon goddess Artemis was associated with the hunt and was seen as a goddess of forests and hillsides. This pastoral connection made her a part of spring celebrations in later periods.

Bes (Egyptian): Worshiped in later dynasties, Bes was a household protection god, and watched over mothers and young children. He and his wife, Beset, were paired up in rituals to cure problems with infertility.

Bacchus (Roman): Considered the equivalent of Greek god Dionysus, Bacchus was the party god — grapes, wine, and general debauchery were his domain. In March each year, Roman women could attend secret ceremonies called the bacchanalia, and he is associated with sexual free-for-alls and fertility.

Cernunnos (Celtic): Cernunnos is a horned god found in Celtic mythology. He is connected with male animals, particularly the stag in rut, and this has led him to be associated with fertility and vegetation. Depictions of Cernunnos are found in many parts of the British Isles and western Europe. He is often portrayed with a beard and wild, shaggy hair — he is, after all, the lord of the forest.

Flora (Roman): This goddess of spring and flowers had her own festival, Floralia, which was celebrated every year between April 28 to May 3. Romans dressed in bright robes and floral wreaths, and attended theater performances and outdoor shows. Offerings of milk and honey were made to the goddess.

Hera (Greek): This goddess of marriage was the equivalent of the Roman Juno, and took it upon herself to bestow good tidings to new brides. A maiden about to marry could make offerings to Hera, in the hopes that she would bless the marriage with fertility. In her earliest forms, she appears to have been a nature goddess, who presides over wildlife and nurses the young animals which she holds in her arms.

Kokopelli (Hopi): This flute-playing, dancing spring god carries unborn children upon his own back, and then passes them out to fertile women. In the Hopi culture, he is part of rites that relate to marriage and childbearing, as well as the reproductive abilities of animals. Often portrayed with rams and stags, symbolic of his fertility, Kokopelli occasionally is seen with his consort, Kokopelmana.

Pan (Greek): This agricultural god watched over shepherds and their flocks. He was a rustic sort of god, spending lots of time roaming the woods and pastures, hunting and playing music on his flute. Pan is typically portrayed as having the hindquarters and horns of a goat, similar to a faun. Because of his connection to fields and the forest, he is often honored as a spring fertility god.

Priapus (Greek): This fairly minor rural god has one giant claim to fame — his permanently erect and enormous phallus. The son of Aphrodite by Dionysus (or possibly Zeus, depending on the source), Priapus was mostly worshiped in homes rather than in an organized cult. Despite his constant lust, most stories portray him as sexually frustrated, or even impotent. However, in agricultural areas he was still regarded as a god of fertility, and at one point he was considered a protective god, who threatened sexual violence against anyone — male or female — who transgressed the boundaries he guarded.

Sheela-na-Gig (Celtic): Although the Sheela-na-Gig is technically the name applied to the carvings of women with exaggerated vulvae that have been found in Ireland and England, there’s a theory that the carvings are representative of a lost pre-Christian goddess. Typically, the Sheela-na-Gig adorns buildings in areas of Ireland that were part of the Anglo-Norman conquests in the 12th century. She is shown as a homely woman with a giant yoni, which is spread wide to accept the seed of the male. Folkloric evidence indicates that the figures are theory that the figures were part of a fertility rite, similar to “birthing stones”, which were used to bring on conception.

Xochiquetzal (Aztec): This fertility goddess was associated with spring, and represented not only flowers but the fruits of life and abundance. She was also the patron goddess of prostitutes and craftsmen.

Source: Patti Wigington Published on ThoughtCo

Goddesses- Egyptian Maat Goddess of Truth, Justice and Morality

Maat The Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Truth, Justice and Morality

Maat, also known as Ma’at or Mayet, was a female goddess in the ancient Egyptian religion who represented truth, justice, balance and morality. The daughter of the Egyptian sun deity Ra and wife of the moon god Thoth, she served a kind of spirit of justice to the Egyptians. She decided whether a person would successfully reach the afterlife, by weighing their soul against her feather of truth, and was the personification of the cosmic order and a representation of the stability of the universe. The earliest writings where she is mentioned date back to the Old Kingdom of Egypt more than 2,300 years ago.

The Egyptian culture was centered on order, everything had its due place in the world. This included religion, society and seasonal changes. The goddesses Ma’at came to represent the concept of balance and order because many Egyptians needed to explain the world around them. She was the one that kept the stars in motion, the seasons changing and the maintaining of the order of Heaven and Earth. The opposing force of this was known in ancient terms as “isfet” or chaos. Ancient Egyptians considered the desert beyond the Nile River to be chaotic; whereas, the area close to the Nile was considered orderly. Together, these two forces brought balance to the world in which they lived and was an important part of everyday Egyptian life

Ma’at is usually depicted in the form of a woman seated or standing with outstretched wings attached to both her arms. In other instances she is seen holding a scepter in one hand and an ankh (the symbol of life) in the other. Her statue was a stone platform depicting a stable foundation on which order was built. A common symbol associated with her is an ostrich feather, which she is almost always shown as wearing in her hair. Often, the Feather of Ma’at was a distinctive feature of her headdress. Less frequently images of the goddess showed her without a head, instead replaced by the feather. In other images the feather alone conveyed her presence. This feather has come to symbolize her being, as well as the representation of balance and order, it became a hieroglyph for “truth.”

Ma’at was associated with the law in ancient Egypt. From the 5th dynasty (c. 2510-2370 BC) onwards, the Vizier responsible for justice was called the Priest of Maat and in later periods judges wore images of her. The ‘Spirit of Maat’ was embodied by the chief judge in charge of the Egyptian law courts. He had a dual role, serving as both a priest and working directly in the law courts and justice system. The “Priest of Ma’at” began court hearings whilst wearing the feather of Ma’at and all other court officials wore small golden images of the goddess as a sign of their judicial authority, also as a symbol that their judgement would be balanced and fair. Priests drew the Feather of Ma’at on their tongues with green dye, so that the words they spoke were truth. The priest would rule on the earthly punishment according to the nature of the law that had been broken. Punishments included imposing fines, corporal punishment and in extreme cases capital punishment. It was considered a crime against Ma’at if a person engaged in jealousy, dishonesty, gluttony, laziness, injustice, and ungratefulness. The guilty Egyptian was deemed to have violated the Spirit of Ma’at and would face a further judgment in the Underworld during the ceremony of justification in the Hall of the Two Truths. The ‘Spirit of Ma’at’ detailed in the wisdom literature contained practical guidance with examples and some rules applied in previous law cases. These kinds of instructional texts have been described as “Ma’at Literature”.

The Book of the Dead is a collection of funerary texts and spells from ancient Egypt designed to assist a person’s journey through the underworld, into the afterlife. Without these spells, it was believed a person could not proceed. In the book is a spell called the “Forty-Two Declarations of Purity” or the “Negative Confessions”. This spell is comprised of confessions the tomb owner believed he committed throughout his life. It was believed that any crimes committed against Ma’at should be written down as they could easily be forgiven. In the Hall of Ma’at is where the judgement of the dead was performed in which Ma’at played an important role. The ceremony, called the “Judgment of Osiris,” was named after Osiris, the god of the dead. When the dead were judged, it was the feather of Ma’at that their hearts were weighed against. If a balanced scale was struck, the deceased was deemed worthy to meet Osiris in Paradise. The weightlessness of their hearts indicated that their souls were not burdened with sin and evil. If the heart of the deceased was found to be heavier than the feather of Ma’at, it would be devoured by Ammit, the soul-eating monster depicted with the head of a crocodile, the forequarters of a lion and the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. Other gods in the judgement hall who were part of the tribunal overseeing the weighing of the heart were also pictured holding a feather but the scales always represented Ma ́at.

Ancient Egyptians worshipped many gods, one was certainly Ma’at, although Egyptian archaeologists now believe she was perhaps more of a concept or an ideal. It’s reasonable to assume her principles aided the people of Egypt in being better individuals and that she could be compared to the conscience of a person. There was a small temple dedicated to Ma’at by Hatshepsut, the fifth pharaoh of the Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt, Egypt’s first female pharaoh, at the Karnak temple complex in Luxor Egypt. Largely in ruins, it still preserves inscriptions of some of the viziers of Ramesses III and XI. A previous Ma’at temple existed in this area, indicated by reliefs and stelae belonging to the reign of Amenhotep III. The temple is inside the Precinct of Montu, the smallest of three enclosures at Ipet-Isut.

Ma’at

Ma’at (pronounced may-et) is the ancient Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, harmony, and balance (a concept known as ma’at in Egyptian) who first appears during the period known as the Old Kingdom (c. 2613 – 2181 BCE) but no doubt existed in some form earlier. She is depicted in anthropomorphic form as a winged woman, often in profile with an ostrich feather on her head, or simply as a white ostrich feather. The feather of Ma’at was an integral part of the Weighing of the Heart of the Soul ceremony in the afterlife where the heart of the soul of the dead person was weighed in the scales of justice against the feather. Historian Margaret Bunson writes:

She maintained a vital role in the mortuary rituals of Egypt where she weighed the hearts of the deceased. This mortuary role evolved over the decades into the principle of ma’at, the desired right attitude, which remained the ethical and moral foundation of the Egyptian people. (152)

NAME & SIGNIFICANCE

Ma’at is said to have been born of the sun god Ra (Atum) at the beginning of creation through the power of Heka, who was magic personified. Her name means “that which is straight” implying order, justice, and harmony. She is thought to have been present from the beginning of time when, from the primordial waters of Nun, the ben-ben (first mound of dry land) rose with Atum (or Ra, the sun god) standing upon it in the presence of the invisible Heka. In the moment that Ra spoke the world into creation, Ma’at was born. Her spirit of harmony and balance infused the creation and caused the world to operate rationally according to purpose. The principle of ma’at was the operational function of life and that of heka (magic) the power source which allowed for it. It is for this reason that she is considered more of a concept than a goddess with a specific personality and story like Isis or Hathor. Ma’at’s spirit is the spirit of all creation, and if one is in tune with that spirit, one will live well and have good reason to hope for eternal peace in the afterlife; if one refused to live in accordance with the principles of Ma’at, then one suffered the consequences which one would have brought upon one’s self. Margaret Bunson comments on this, writing:

Ma’at was the model for human behavior, in conformity with the will of the gods, the universal order evident in the heavens, cosmic balance upon the earth, the mirror of celestial beauty. Awareness of the cosmic order was evident early in Egypt; priest-astronomers charted the heavens and noted that the earth responded to the orbits of the stars and planets. The priests taught that mankind was commanded to reflect divine harmony by assuming a spirit of quietude, reasonable behavior, cooperation, and a recognition of the eternal qualities of existence, as demonstrated by the earth and the sky. All Egyptians anticipated becoming part of the cosmos when they died, thus the responsibility for acting in accordance with its laws was reasonable. Strict adherence to ma’at allowed the Egyptians to feel secure with the world and with the divine plan for all creation. (152)

Her importance is signified by one of the means by which the Egyptians wrote her name. Although she was often identified by the feather symbol, she was also designated by a plinth. The plinth was commonly seen below the thrones of deities but not used to relay their personal names. The fact that Ma’at was signified by a plinth suggests, according to Egyptologist Geraldine Pinch, that Ma’at was considered the foundation upon which Egyptian society was built (160). Her significance is also demonstrated in iconography showing her constantly at the side of Ra in his heavenly barge sailing with him across the sky during the day and helping him defend the boat against the serpent Apophis by night.

The ancient Egyptians also invoked her name in stories of a long-lost past on earth when all things were beautiful and there was no injustice. Such stories usually have to do with the time of Osiris and Isis and their just and benevolent rule of the earth before Osiris was murdered by Set. In some cases, though, it is Ma’at who rules the earth alone as Pinch notes:

Egyptian myths of a golden age included a period when Ma’at was ruler of earth. She was sometimes said to have withdrawn to the heavens because she was grieved by the wicked behavior of humanity. Ma’at could still be thought of as living with an individual like his or her good angel and accompanying that person into the afterlife. Eventually “joining Ma’at” became a euphemism for dying. (160)

It is in her mortuary role that Ma’at is best known to most people in the modern day. One of the most iconic images of ancient Egypt is the ceremony known as The Weighing of the Heart of the Soul in which Ma’at and her white feather of truth were most important.

MA’AT’S WHITE FEATHER OF TRUTH

The Egyptians believed strongly that every individual was responsible for his or her own life and that life should be lived with other people and the earth in mind. In the same way that the gods cared for humanity, so should humans care for each other and the earth which they had been provided with. This philosophy is evident in every aspect of Egyptian culture from the way they constructed their cities to the balance and symmetry of their temples and monuments. If one lived harmoniously in the will of the gods, then one was living in harmony with the concept of ma’at and the goddess who embodied that concept. One was free to live however one wanted, of course, and completely ignore the principle of ma’at, but eventually one would face the trial which awaited everyone: judgment in the Hall of Truth (also known as The Hall of Two Truths) in the afterlife. Wilkinson comments on this:

Her role was multifaceted but embraced two major aspects. On the one hand, Ma’at represesnted the universal order or balance – including concepts such as truth and right – which was established at the time of creation. This aspect is the basis of her relationship with Ra – for she is the order imposed upon the cosmos created by the solar demiurge and as such is the guiding principle who accompanied the sun god at all times…As a natural corollary of her identity with right balance and harmony Ma’at also actively represented the concept of judgement. In the Pyramid Texts the goddess appears in this role in dual form as ‘the two Ma’ats’ judging the deceased king’s right to the thrones of Geb [the rule of the earth] and in the later funerary literature it is in the Hall of the Two Truths (the dual form of Ma’at) that the judgment of the deceased occurs. The gods themselves, acting as the judges of the divine tribunal, are called ‘the council of Ma’at.’ (150)

To the Egyptians, the soul consisted of nine separate parts: the Khat was the physical body; the Ka one’s double-form; the Ba a human-headed bird aspect which could speed between earth and the heavens; Shuyet was the shadow self; Akh the immortal, transformed self; Sahu and Sechem aspects of the Akh; Ab was the heart, the source of good and evil; Ren was one’s secret name. All nine of these aspects were part of one’s earthly existence. When one died, the Akh (with the Sahu and Sechem) appeared before the god Osiris in the Hall of Truth and in the presence of the Forty-Two Judges to have one’s heart (Ab) weighed in the balance on a golden scale against Ma’at’s white feather of truth.

One would need to recite the Negative Confession (those actions one could honestly claim one had never committed in life) and then one’s heart was placed on the scale. If one’s heart was lighter than Ma’at’s feather, one waited while Osiris conferred with the Forty-Two Judges and the god of wisdom, Thoth, and, if considered worthy, was allowed to pass on through the hall and continue one’s existence in paradise; if one’s heart was heavier than the feather, it was thrown to the floor where it was devoured by the monster Ammut (the gobbler), and one then ceased to exist. No one could escape judgment, and the king of the land would have to stand before the scales of Ma’at and Osiris just as the lowest slave of field hand would also.

If one passed through judgment and avoided any of the pitfalls and traps set by demons and the forces of chaos, one arrived at The Field of Reeds, a paradise where one was greeted by those loved ones who had gone before and which was a mirror image of one’s life on earth. Margaret Bunson describes this afterlife:

Eternity itself was not some vague concept. The Egyptians, pragmatic and determined to have all things explained in concrete terms, believed that they would dwell in paradise, in areas graced by lakes and gardens. There they would eat the “cakes of Osiris” and float on the Lake of Flowers. The eternal kingdoms varied according to era and cultic belief but all were located beside flowing water and blessed with breezes, an attribute deemed necessary for comfort. The Garden of A’Aru was one such oasis of eternal bliss. Another was Ma’ati, an eternal land where the deceased buried a flame of fire and a scepter of crystal – rituals whose meanings are lost. The goddess Ma’at, the personification of cosmic order, justice, goodness, and faith, was the protector of the deceased in this enchanted realm, called Hehtt in some eras. Only the pure of heart, the uabt, could see Ma’at. (86-87)

In some images, the goddess is seen atop the scales at the moment of judgment and, in others, she is present near Osiris but she is always there even if only in the form of her feather placed on the scales. In the afterlife, she was thought to help those who had stood for her principles and lived their lives accordingly.

WORSHIP OF THE GODDESS

Although she was considered a very important deity, Ma’at had no temples and no official clergy (as was the case with Heka). She was honored by a small shrine set up in the temples of other gods. Even the one temple known to be erected in her honor by Queen Hatshepsut (1479-1458 BCE) was built within the temple precinct of the god Montu. The people venerated the goddess by living according to her principles and bringing whatever gifts they wanted to offer to her shrines in the temples of the other gods. Wilkinson writes,

Even the title ‘priest of Ma’at’ is often regarded as an honourific which may have been given to those who served as magistrates or who dispensed judicial decisions on her behalf and who apparently wore small golden images of the goddess as a sign of their judicial authority. (152)

The only “official” worship of Ma’at was when the king of Egypt made sacrifice to her upon ascending to the throne and “presented Ma’at” to the gods by offering a small image of her. In doing so, the king was asking for her help in maintaining divine balance in his rule. If the king could not achieve balance and promote harmony, then it was a clear sign that he was not fit to rule. Ma’at – and the vital concept she embodied – was crucial to the king’s success.

She was an important and all-pervasive figure in the Egyptian pantheon, even though very few stories are told of her and she had no temple or cultic following. The gods were said to live off Ma’at and, as the scholar Richard H. Wilkinson notes, most of the images of the king presenting Ma’at to the other gods at his coronation “are essentially identical to those in which the king presents food, wine, or other forms of sacrifice to the gods” (152). The gods would have, in fact, lived off Ma’at in that they were all bound by their own laws to observe harmony and balance and encourage those values in the human beings they cared for.

Temples to Ma’at were the temples of all the other gods because Ma’at was the underlying cosmic principle which made the lives of humans and gods possible. One worshiped the goddess Ma’at by living a life in accordance with the highest principles of justice, order, and harmony keeping in mind one’s neighbors and the earth one had been given to tend. Although goddesses like Hathor and Isis were more popular, and even eventually took on many of Ma’at’s attributes, she remained an important deity throughout Egypt’s history and defined the cultural values of the country for centuries.

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*First article*
By Bryan Hilliard
Published on Ancient Origins

References
“Ancient Egyptian Gods | Ma’at.” Ancient Egyptian Gods | Ma’at. http://www.kingtutone.com/gods/maat/
“Ma’at, Goddess of Egypt.” Egyptian Goddess Maat ***. http://www.landofpyramids.org/maat.htm
Seawright, Caroline. “Ma’at, Goddess of Truth, Balance, Order.” Ma’at, Ancient Egyptian Goddess of Truth and Order.
“Ancient Egypt: The Mythology – Feather.” Ancient Egypt: The Mythology – Feather. http://www.egyptianmyths.net/feather.htm
“Ancient Egypt: The Mythology – Ma’at.” Ancient Egypt: The Mythology – Ma’at. http://www.egyptianmyths.net/maat.htm

*Second article*
APA Style
Mark, J. J. (2016, September 15). Ma’at. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Ma’at/

Chicago Style
Mark, Joshua J. “Ma’at.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Last modified September 15, 2016. https://www.ancient.eu/Ma’at/.

MLA Style
Mark, Joshua J. “Ma’at.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 15 Sep 2016. Web. 13 Aug 2018.

License
Written by Joshua J. Mark, published on 15 September 2016 under the following license: Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. This license lets others remix, tweak, and build upon this content non-commercially, as long as they credit the author and license their new creations under the identical terms.

Gods – Ra Egyptian Sun God

Ra The Sun God of Egypt

The ancient Egyptians revered Ra as the god who created everything. Also known as the Sun God, Ra was a powerful deity and a central god of the Egyptian pantheon. The ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra more than any other god and pharaohs often connected themselves with Ra in their efforts to be seen as the earthly embodiment of the Sun God.

Ra Mythology

The ancient Egyptians believed that as the sun god, Ra’s role was to sail across the heavens during the day in his boat called the “Barque of Millions of Years.” In the morning when Ra emerged from the east, his boat was named, “Madjet” which meant “becoming strong.” By the end of the day the boat was called, “Semektet” which meant “becoming weak.” At the end of the day, it was believed that Ra died (swallowed by Nut) and sailed on to the underworld, leaving the moon in his place to light up the world. Ra was reborn at dawn the very next day. During his journey across the heavens during the day, he fought with his main enemy, an evil serpent named Apep, or also, The Lord of Chaos. In some stories, Ra, in the form of a cat named Mau, defeats the evil serpent, Apep. This is part of the reason why cats are so highly-revered in Egypt.

Ra created himself from the primordial chaos. He is also known as Re and Atum. His children are Shu, the God of Dry Air and Father of the Sky, and his twin sister Tefnut, the Goddess of Moisture and Wetness. As a lion-headed goddess, Tefnut is responsible for dew and freshness. Humans were created from Ra’s tears.

Although Ra was highly revered and devoutly worshiped by the ancient Egyptians, there is a story to suggest he eventually grew weak. In the Legend of Ra, Isis and the Snake, as Ra grew old, he dribbled saliva. Isis knew that Ra’s power was hidden in his secret name. Isis gathered Ra’s saliva and created a snake out of it. She set the snake in Ra’s path and it bit him. Isis wanted the power Ra had always enjoyed, but she knew she had to get him to tell her his secret name. Eventually, because of the pain he was in, Ra allowed Isis to “search through him” and in so doing, she healed him and Ra’s power was transferred over to her.

The Tree of Life is an important religious symbol to the Egyptians. The Tree of Life was located within Ra’s sun temple in Heliopolis and was considered sacred. The fruit that sprang from this tree was not available to humans, but only in aging-rituals reserved for pharaohs. The Tree of Life is also referred to as the mythical, sacred Ished tree. Eternal life came to those who ate the fruit from the Tree of Life.

Another important ancient Egyptian symbol connected to Ra is the “Bennu”. Bennu is the name of the bird that represented Ra’s soul. This bird is a phoenix and it was seated at the Tree of Life in Ra’s Sun Temple in Heliopolis. Inside the temple, on top of an obelisk, sat the Benben Stone. This pyramid-shaped stone served as a beacon to Bennu and is also an important ancient Egyptian religious symbol.

Worship of the Sun God

Solar temples were built for Ra but did not contain a statue of the god. Instead, they were created to be open to the sunlight that Ra represented. The earliest known temple built in honor of Ra exists in Heliopolis (what is now a Cairo suburb). This solar temple is known as “Benu-Phoenix” and is believed to have been erected in the exact spot where Ra emerged into creation.

Although Ra dates back to the second dynasty, he is not the oldest of the Egyptian gods. It wasn’t until the fifth dynasty that Ra became closely associated with the pharaoh. As the king and leader of Egypt, the pharaoh was seen as the human manifestation of Horus, so the two gods became connected. This new deity fusion was then referred to as “Ra-Horakhty” meaning Ra is Horus of the Horizon. Ra’s relationship with other gods did not stop there. As the powerful creator of mankind and the sun god, he also became associated with Atum to make “Atum-Ra.”

Fifth Dynasty and subsequent pharaohs were all known as “The son of Ra” and Ra became incorporated into every pharaoh’s name from then onward. During the Middle Kingdom, the new deity, Amun-Ra was formed. Amun was one of the gods who formed the Ogdoad (the assembly of eight gods who represented eight elements of creation).

The New Kingdom brought new heights of worship to Ra. Many tombs in the Valley of the Kings portray depictions of Ra and his journey through the underworld. During this time, many solar temples were built.

Eye of Ra

Present in the ancient Egyptian mythology is the Eye of Ra, shown as the sun disk with two ‘uraeus’ cobras coiled around it, next to the white and red crowns of Upper and Lower Egypt. Initially associated with Horus (similarly to the wadjet, the Eye of Horus), the Eye of Ra shifted positions in the myths, becoming both an extension of Ra’s power and a separate entity altogether.

Click here to learn more about The Eye of Ra

Ra God Facts

The ancient Egyptians worshiped Ra to such an extent above other gods that some historians have argued that ancient Egyptian religion was indeed a monotheistic one with Ra as the singular god.
Historians believe that the pyramids might represent rays of sunlight, further connecting the pharaohs with Ra, the sun god.
During Ra’s journey through the heavens he was accompanied by several other gods including Thoth, Horus, Hathor, Maat, Abtu, and Anet.
Nut, goddess of the sky and heavens, is sometimes referred to as Ra’s mother, because he emerges from her and is reborn every morning.
The morning manifestation of Ra is known as “Khepri the scarab God.”
The evening manifestation of Ra is known as the ram-headed god, Khnum.
The sacred cobra that encircled Ra’s crown symbolized royalty, sovereignty and divine authority.
The right eye of Ra represented the Sun; while the left eye of Ra represented the moon.
Ra is also closely associated with the Tree of Life myth, the Ben-Ben Stone and the Bennu Bird myths.
Ra’s glory came to an end during the time when the Roman’s conquered Egypt in 30BC.

Who is Ra?

Ra (pronounced ray) represents sunlight, warmth and growth. It was only natural that the ancient Egyptians would believe him to be the creator of the world, as well as part of him being represented in every other god. The ancient Egyptians believed that every god should illustrate some aspect of him, while Ra himself should also represent every god.

Ra’s Appearance

Ra was usually depicted in human form. He had a falcon head which is crowned with a sun disc. This sun disc was encircled by a sacred cobra named Uraeus. Ra has also been depicted as a man with the head of a beetle and also a human man with the head of a ram. The ancients also depicted Ra in full species form such as a serpent, heron, bull, lion, cat, ram, hawk, beetle, phoenix and others. His main symbol, however, is the sun disk.

3,000-year-old Goddess Figurine Found in an Italian Lake Still Bears the Handprints of Its Maker

A 3,000-year-old clay figurine thought to portray an ancient goddess has been discovered in a volcanic lake in central Italy.

Archaeologists think the object was a votive figurine that was probably crafted so prayers could be directed to it. Its features are only crudely finished, but the figurine still bears the handprints of whoever made it, as well as the impression of a fabric pattern that suggests it was originally clothed in some sort of garment.

Government archaeologists for the Etruria region and police divers made the discovery last month at Lake Bolsena, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Rome.

The east side of the lake is the location of the submerged Gran Carro archaeological site, which is thought to be the remains of an Iron Age village built in the 10th or ninth century B.C. and which later sank underwater.

The clay figurine, which measures about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long, was found in the ruins of a residence at the sunken site, and archaeologists think it was related to a domestic ritual. Similar rituals have been documented in the region in later periods, suggesting such practices are very ancient, and similar figurines have been found in Iron Age graves, according to a translated Facebook post .

“This is an exceptional discovery, one of a kind,” the archaeologists said in the post. “It shows aspects of daily life in the early Iron Age, of which little is known in southern Etruria.”

Submerged village

Geologists have established that Lake Bolsena formed between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago during eruptions of the underlying Vulsini volcano. Roman records indicate the volcano was active as recently as 104 B.C., and scientists now think the ancient village was submerged when the eastern shore sank amid seismic activity.

According to archaeologists, the sunken village containing the newfound figurine was probably built by people from the Villanovan culture, an early stage of the Etruscan civilization that preceded the founding of Rome. The thousands of artifacts found there since the 1960s include pieces of wood, household objects, jewelry and pieces of pottery, and studies of the village’s layout suggest how the Iron Age society there was organized.

The Gran Carro site is now being developed under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, which includes the creation of an underwater path for visitors, according to the Facebook post.

One of the site’s most mysterious features is the Aiola, a large pile of submerged stones that archaeologists now think was a structure built beside a geothermal spring. Recent discoveries in the San Casciano dei Bagni region, a few miles to the north, indicate such hot springs were sacred to the later Etruscans and Romans.

Explorations in 1991 showed the Aiola structure still contained fragments of wooden poles and pottery from the Iron Age, and research in 2020 showed that the stones covered an earthen mound. Coins minted during the rule of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great (who lived circa 272 to 337) have also been found at the site, indicating it was used even in late Roman times.

Source: https://www.newsbreak.com/livescience-525075/3561041417561-3-000-year-old-goddess-figurine-found-in-an-italian-lake-still-bears-the-handprints-of-its-maker?s=a99&share_destination_id=MTcxMzIwNTE2LTE3MjM3MzYyMjkyNjA%3D&pd=0BaqI8SN&hl=en_US&send_time=1723736229&actBtn=bottomBar&_f=app_share&trans_data=%7B%22platform%22%3A1%2C%22cv%22%3A%2224.31.0%22%2C%22languages%22%3A%22en%22%7D&sep=ns_foryou_recall_exp_24q3-v9%2Cns_foryou_rank_exp_24q3-v6%2Cns_foryou_model_exp_24q3-v2%2Cns_vsp-v1%2Cns_foryou_blend_exp_24q3-v6%2Cns_local_strategy_24q3_exp-v13

Spell for Sunday – Ra Egyptian God of the Sun

(YOU CAN COPY AND PASTE ANY OF THE SPELLS POSTED TO A DOCUMENT TO PRINT AND/OR SAVE ON YOUR COMPUTER)

Set Up An Altar for Ra Egyptian God of the Sun

Setting up an altar for the god Ra is a great way to invite him into your spiritual practice and life. It creates a meeting place for you and your god to connect and communicate. Any flat surface will work such as a table, nightstand, bookshelf, counter, etc. Then add things to represent Ancient Egypt and the god Ra to your altar including: crystal pyramids, a statue of Ra, the Eye of Ra symbol, candles, incense with an incense burner, sun decor, a bowl of water, etc. Cleanse and bless your Ra altar before use.

Wearing Ra Amulets Source: otherworldlyoracle.com

Traditionally, amulets were worn by Ra worshipers to invoke their beloved deity and to show their dedication. Select an amulet that means something to you, but also reminds you of the sun god’s unique qualities. Perhaps a stone the Egyptians revered such as lapis lazuli, quartz, turquoise, or onyx. More appropriately, a sunstone would make a great Ra amulet. Cleanse your new amulet, then ask Ra to imbue his power into it. I like to set my amulets on my gods’ altars to really soak up their energy. Then wear the amulet daily or during special sacred rituals in honor of Ra.

Goddess Knowledge – Gaia

The Goddess Gaia is also known by another name, Mother Earth.

Gaia existed before everything; she existed before time. Gaia, the eternal, prehistoric earth mother goddess,, is fertility incarnate, moist, mysterious, strong. She is life energy itself; everything that lives, breathing or not, overflows with her life. She is the earth and all powers of the earth. Gaia is not always a consoling goddess: standing for life and generation without thought of consequence, she has energy and a power that must be approached carefully. All bodies eventually return to her, into the black, fertile earth, to be devoured and to receive her life to live again. As goddess of the soul, Gaia reminds us that the soul develops in dark places and that ultimately soul must be rooted in the body, in earth. She is a reminder that we must ground ourselves into the reality of nature and incorporate all sides of ourselves, be the pleasant or unpleasant, light or dark.

For more information about Gaia click on this general search link: Information about Gaia

Gaia is also known as Mother Earth here is a link for more information on this name for the same Goddess: Information about Mother Earth

Link for a general search for images of Gaia:Images of Gaia

The general search for images of Mother Earth is basically the same as for Gaia.

Bast/Baset Egyptian Goddess Information

Who are the Harvest Gods and Goddesses? Archetypal meanings of Harvest deities.

Source: .triplemoonpsychotherapy.com

The practice of expressing gratitude for the harvest season and preparing for the onset of winter is a widespread and ancient tradition observed by cultures across the globe.

Festivals are held to celebrate the abundance of crops, offer thanks to Mother Earth, and bid farewell to Summer. Historically, mythologies worldwide have honored and revered various deities associated with the harvest and the Autumn Equinox. Although not a comprehensive account, this article briefly acknowledges some of the most prominent harvest and equinox deities from various cultures, listed alphabetically.

Autumnus, the Roman goddess of the Harvest

Autumnus, the fall season’s deity, embodies nature’s overflowing abundance during harvest. In addition, Autumnus is gender fluid, appearing in both male and female forms, which speaks to the inclusive and diverse nature of this season’s divine patron.

Banbha, the Celtic goddess and Earth Mother

Amidst the fall equinox celebrations, the Irish deity Banbha reigns supreme. As an Earth Mother, she presides over the culmination of the bountiful harvest. Banbha, much like the revered Greek goddess Gaia, is the protector and nurturer of all living beings and the land that sustains them.

Ceres, the Roman goddess of the Harvest, grain, and fertility

Ceres, the goddess of the harvest, was revered for her abundant generosity and for imparting essential knowledge to humanity.

In Greek mythology, she was known as Demeter. She was hailed as the deity who taught people the art of cultivating, preserving, and preparing grains and maize. Her divine powers were closely linked to the land’s fertility, and she was regarded as one of the most prominent guardians of the harvest.

Ceres’ influence and guidance ensured the earth’s bounty was always plentiful. Her legacy lives on as a symbol of abundance and fertility.

Çhicomecoatl, the Aztec goddess of abundance and corn

Çhicomecoatl, the goddess of fire and fertility, embodies vitality, community, and plenty. She is revered in Mexico, particularly during the harvest season, as the guardian of corn and all fertile things. Her emblems are hot spices, maize, and fire, representing her power and providence over the land.

Corn Mother, the goddess of the Harvest of the Indigenous Peoples of North America

With her bountiful presence, the Corn Mother embodies the qualities of abundance, vitality, and strength. Her powers of fertility and harvest are celebrated as she blesses the land with the promise of plentiful crops.

In addition to her agricultural emblems of corn and corn sheaves, she also holds the healing attributes of the earth, nurturing all who seek her aid.

Demeter, the Greek goddess of the Harvest and Agriculture

At the center of one of the most famous myths about the seasons and the Harvest lies Demeter, the goddess of grain and fertility and mother of Persephone.

When Hades, the god of the Underworld, abducted Persephone, Demeter’s anguish for her daughter resulted in a severe drought that threatened all life on Earth. With the crops perishing and humankind facing doom, Demeter embarked on a quest to rescue her daughter.

However, despite eventually reuniting with Persephone, now the goddess of the Underworld, fate demanded a sacrifice. Having consumed six pomegranate seeds, Persephone was bound to spend six months of the year in the Underworld, which begins with the Autumn Equinox when Persephone descends again into the depths.

Huichi, the Japanese goddess of the Harvest Click here to read the rest of this article

Ostara – Saxon Goddess Of Spring And Easter

Ostara

From goddessgift.com

March 12, 2023 by Liz Turnbull

Easter gets its name from the goddess Ostara, also known as Eastre. Ostara is a fertility goddess. Her annual arrival in spring is heralded by the flowering of trees and plants and the arrival of babies, both animal and human.

Table of Contents

The Origin Of Ostara

The Goddess Ostara And The Easter Bunny

More Easter Bunny Beliefs

1. Bunnies And Christianity
2. Resurrection And The Rabbit

Legacy

Ostara Symbols

1. General
2. Animals
3. Plants
4. Perfumes/Scents
5. Gems And Metals
6. Colors

Goddesses – Diana Roman

Roman Goddess Diana from gods-and-goddesses.com

Long before popular culture yielded such proficient female characters as Katniss Everdeen, Roman mythology held its own bow and arrow wielding huntress. According to the ancient Roman religion, Diana was the virgin goddess both of hunting and of wild and domestic animals themselves. Her name is derived from the Greek words diviana, dium and dius, meaning “the shining one,” “sky,” and “daylight,” respectively. Diana was considered a fertility goddess, a helper of women during conception and childbirth. It was believed that Diana could help a woman deliver a baby easily and safely. She was also associated with worship of the moon.

Name(s):	Diana
Rules over:	Animals, the Hunt
Gender:	Female
Symbols:	Bow, Quiver
Sacred animals:	Hound, Deer
Parents:	Jupiter (Father) and Latona (Mother)
Siblings:	Apollo
Greek Similar:	Artemis
Norse Similar:	Skadi

Origins

It is thought that Diana may have originated as “an indigenous woodland goddess,” or a local deity. In time, however, she was associated with the Greek goddess Artemis and came to share her mythology. Even before Rome became an empire, during the time of the Latin League of cities, she was worshiped as Diana Nemorensis, or “Diana of the Wood,” by torch-bearing processions in the sacred forests on the shores of a lake near Rome. Here, she was part of a triad, or trinity, of deities including the river spirit Egeria, a guardian of childbirth, and Virbius, the first priest of Diana’s cult. Custom held that Diana’s priests be escaped slaves, and that to attain the priesthood, they first had to kill the preceding priest in combat using only a branch broken from a tree. Other worship took place on a mountain called Tifata, located near Capua.

Symbols

In statues and artwork, Diana is depicted as carrying a bow and a quiver of arrows, often accompanied by a hound (a hunting dog) or a deer. She is typically lightly clad, perhaps with a short dress or only a draping cloth, or wearing nothing at all.

Myths and Stories

Diana’s myths closely mirror those of her Greek counterpart Artemis. For example, the Roman poet Ovid recounts Actaeon’s unfortunate encounter with her. Diana was said to be a virgin, and was lauded for her purity. Diana had been hunting in a sacred valley which no humans had ever before touched. When she became tired, she and her nymphs bathed in a cool stream. Actaeon, a hunter, got lost and stumbled upon the nude and bathing Diana. So that he could not tell others of what he had seen, Diana turned him into a deer, a stag. His own hunting hounds found him and took his life.

In a related story, Ovid again regales a tale of Diana’s sacred chastity. Diana’s loyal follower Callisto was out hunting when she was spied by Diana’s father, Jupiter. Jupiter felt lustful toward the girl, and so disguised himself as his daughter Diana. He greeted the unsuspecting Callisto with a kiss, embraced her, and then revealed his true self and raped the girl. Callisto was ashamed. The next time she saw Diana, she feared it was Jupiter in disguise yet again. Said Ovid, “If Diana had not been a maiden, she could have known Callisto’s guilt by a thousand signs. They say that the nymphs realized it.” When Diana suggested they bathe in a river, Callisto’s pregnant belly was revealed. Diana sent her away, saying, “Be off from here! Do not defile these sacred waters!” Later, Jupiter’s wife Juno turned Callisto into a bear.

Worship

The oldest temple of Diana stood on Rome’s Aventine Hill. It was thought to date to the sixth century B.C., and it housed the founding charter documents of the Latin League. Many plebians, or working class Roman citizens, worshiped Diana, and slaves could seek asylum in her temple. Diana’s festival was held on the Idus of August, or August 13.

Another important temple, the Aretemesium, was located at Ephesus. This temple was famous for its intricate artwork and great size, so much so that it was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. So well known was this temple that it and its patron goddess were mentioned five times in the Bible book of Acts. Today, little remains of the site, but fragments of its columns and statuary are on display at the British Museum.

Facts about Diana

Role in Mythology: Goddess of wild animals and domestic animals, goddess of nature, goddess of the hunt, fertility goddess, goddess of childbirth, moon goddess, protector of slaves and the lower class

Alternative Names: Diana Nemorensis

Family Relationships: Daughter of Jupiter

Symbols: Bow and quiver, hound, deer.

Greek Equivalent: Artemis

Athena – Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War

Athena – Greek Goddess of Wisdom and War Source: greekmythology.com

Athena is the Olympian goddess of wisdom and war and the adored patroness of the city of Athens. A virgin deity, she was also – somewhat paradoxically – associated with peace and handicrafts, especially spinning and weaving. Majestic and stern, Athena surpassed everybody in both of her main domains. In fact, even Ares feared her; and all Greek heroes asked her for help and advice.

Atena’s Roll

Athena’s Name
Athena’s name is closely linked with the name of the city of Athens. The Ancient Greeks debated whether she got her name after the city or the other way around. Modern scholars usually agree that the former was the case.

Athena’s Portrayal and Symbolism
In art and literature, Athena is usually depicted as a majestic lady, with a beautiful, but stern face, unsmiling full lips, grey eyes and a graceful build, emanating power and authority. She is always regally clad in either a chiton or a full armor. In the former case, she is sometimes represented with a spindle. In the latter case, she wears an elaborately crested Corinthian helmet and holds a long spear in one hand and an aegis in the other.

At the center of her aegis there’s oftentimes an image of a Gorgon’s head (Gorgoneion), symbolizing the gift she got from Perseus: the head of Medusa. Just like Medusa’s eyes, Athena’s shield can also turn her enemies to stone. As a symbol of her wisdom, there’s sometimes an owl flying in Athena’s vicinity or sitting on her shoulder; from time to time there may also be a snake or an olive branch.

Athena’s Epithets
Athena was one of the most important Olympian gods and she had many functions. Unsurprisingly, she was known under many different epithets. Some of the most famous were “Virgin,” “Pallas,” “The Unwearying One,” “The One of the City,” “The One with gleaming eyes” and “The One who fights in front.”

Athena’s Early Life

The Birth of Athena
Athena was born in most miraculous circumstances. On learning that Metis’ next child may overthrow him, Zeus swallowed his first wife who was already pregnant with Athens. When the time came, Zeus started feeling tremendous headaches. As even he couldn’t bear them, Hephaestus struck him with his axe and – lo and behold! – Athena leapt out of Zeus’ head, fully armed and with a cry so mighty and fearsome that Uranus and Gaea were shaken to their bones with terror. Zeus was delighted and full of pride.

Athena’s Childhood Friend Pallas
As a child, Athena had a friend she loved above all. Her name was Pallas and she was all but her equal in the art of war. However, one day, as they were practicing some martial exercises, Athena accidentally killed her friend. Grief-stricken and in an attempt to preserve her memory, she added her friend’s name to her own. That’s why many people know Athena as Athena Pallas.

Athena, Goddess of Wisdom

Athena, The Virgin Goddess
Just like Artemis and Hestia, Athena was never swayed by love or passion. Consequently, she never had any children. Some say that Erichthonius was an exception, but, in fact, Athena was only his foster-mother. True, Hephaestus did try to violate her, but she fought him off, so he spilled his seed over the Earth, after which Gaea was impregnated. When Erichthonius was born, Athena took him under her wing, just like she would do afterward with another cult hero, Heracles.

Athena, the Patron of Athens
Poseidon and Athena had a much-publicized quarrel over who deserves to be the patron of the most prosperous Ancient Greek city, Athens. Poseidon claimed that the city would benefit more from him than Athena and to prove this, he struck his trident into a rock, creating a seawater stream which welled up in the Temple of Erechtheion on the north side of the Acropolis. Smart as she was, Athena did nothing spectacular: she merely planted an olive tree. However, the first king of Athens, Cecrops – who was the judge of the contest – realized that the olive tree was much more beneficial, since it gave the Athenians fruit, oil and wood.

Athena, the Patroness of Handicrafts
Athena was a master artisan. As much as she was the women counterpart of Ares as a war goddess, she was also the female equivalent of Hephaestus when it came to arts and crafts. Homer says that Athena fashioned ornate and luxuriously embroidered robes for Hera and herself. Some even say that she combined her two main interests to invent the war chariot and even the warship.

Athena and the Myth of Arachne
However, the most famous myth which connects Athena with handicrafts is the story of Arachne, a mortal craftswoman who boasted that she was more skillful than Athena herself. Athena offered her a chance to repent, but after Arachne refused, she challenged her to a weaving duel. The goddess fashioned a beautiful tapestry which illustrated the gruesome fate of the mortals who had the hubris of challenging the gods. Arachne, on the other hand, chose for a subject the stories of the mortals unjustly victimized by the gods. She didn’t even have a chance to finish it: enraged and offended, Athena tore Arachne’s fabric to pieces and turned her into a spider. As such, Arachne is doomed to weave ever since.

Athena, the Helper of Heroes
As a war goddess associated with wisdom – unlike Ares who was associated with mere violence – Athena was often the main helper of Ancient Greece’s greatest heroes. Most famously, she guided Odysseus during his ten-year-long journey back to Ithaca. But, she also helped many others, such as Heracles, Perseus, Bellerophon, Jason, Diomedes, Argus, and Cadmus.

Athena: Myths and Hidden Truths

Contrary to popular belief, Athena is not a war goddess in the same sense as Ares. While both deities are associated with war, their roles are fundamentally different. Athena is revered for her strategic thinking, wisdom, and diplomacy, whereas Ares embodies the violent and chaotic aspects of war. This misconception often overshadows Athena’s connection to peace, as she sought to resolve conflicts through wisdom and negotiation rather than brute force.

Athena and musical instruments
Although more commonly associated with the arts of war and weaving, Athena was also credited with the creation of the flute and the trumpet. This demonstrates her influence on the arts and highlights her multifaceted nature as a goddess of both wisdom and creativity.

Athena and snakes
Athena’s relationship with animals is another little-known aspect of her mythology. In addition to her iconic association with the owl, symbolizing wisdom and knowledge, Athena was also linked with the serpent. The snake represents transformation, rebirth, and the ability to navigate complex challenges, reflecting Athena’s own attributes as a wise and resourceful goddess.

Athena: Wisdom, War, and the Power of the Goddess

Throughout our journey into the world of Athena, we have been deeply moved by the many facets of this fascinating goddess. Her wisdom, prowess in war, and dedication to the arts have not only inspired us but also served as a reminder of the importance of balance and harmony in life. As we delved into her stories, we felt a profound connection with the heroes who sought her guidance and the city of Athens, which revered her as their patroness. We were particularly touched by her unwavering devotion to her friend Pallas, which highlights the significance of loyalty and remembrance.

Athena’s enduring influence on both the ancient world and our modern lives has been truly captivating, and we hope that our exploration of her mythos has resonated with you, bringing a newfound appreciation for the wisdom and strength of this remarkable goddess.

Athena Sources

Homer’s “Odyssey” is an invaluable source for Athena and her deeds. If you want something briefer, read “The Homeric Hymns to Athena” (11 and 28). In Hesiod’s “Theogony” you can find the story of her birth.
Source: https://www.greekmythology.com/Olympians/Athena/athena.html

List of Lunar Deities

Source: en.wikipedia.org

A lunar deity is a deity who represents the Moon, or an aspect of it. Lunar deities and Moon worship can be found throughout most of recorded history in various forms. The following is a list of lunar deities:

African[edit]

Name	Mythology / Religion	Details
Abuk	Dinka	Goddess of fertility, morality, creativity, and love
Amesemi	Kushite	Protective goddess and wife of Apedemak, the lion-god. She was represented with a crown shaped as a falcon, or with a crescent moon on her head on top of which a falcon was standing.
Ayyur	Berber
Gleti	Dahomean
Mawu	Dahomean
Iah	Egyptian
iNyanga	Zulu	Goddess of the Moon
Khonsu	Egyptian	The god of the moon. A story tells that Ra (the sun God) had forbidden Nut (the Sky goddess) to give birth on any of the 360 days of the calendar. In order to help her give birth to her children, Thoth (the god of wisdom) played against Khonsu in a game of senet. Khonsu lost to Thoth and then he gave away enough moonlight to create 5 additional days so Nut could give birth to her five children. It was said that before losing, the moonlight was on par with the sunlight. Sometimes, Khonsu is depicted as a hawk-headed god, however he is mostly depicted as a young man with a side-lock of hair, like a young Egyptian. He was also a god of time. The centre of his cult was at Thebes which was where he took place in a triad with Amun and Mut. Khonsu was also heavily associated Thoth who also took part in the measurement of time and the moon.
Thoth	Egyptian	God of wisdom, the arts, science, and judgment
Ela-Opitan	Yoruba

American[edit]

Aztec mythology[edit]

Deity Metztli
Goddess Coyolxauhqui
God Tecciztecatl

Cahuilla mythology[edit]

Goddess Menily^[1]

Hopi mythology[edit]

God Muuya^{[citation needed]}

Incan mythology[edit]

Goddess Mama Killa
Goddess Ka-Ata-Killa
God Coniraya

Inuit mythology[edit]

Lakota mythology[edit]

Goddess Hanwi^{[citation needed]}

Maya mythology[edit]

Goddess Awilix; Xbalanque was their mortal (male) incarnation
Maya moon goddess

Muisca mythology[edit]

Goddess Huitaca
Goddess Chía

Nivaclé Mythology[edit]

Jive’cla

Pawnee mythology[edit]

God Pah^{[citation needed]}

Tupi Guarani mythology[edit]

God Abaangui
Goddess Arasy
God/Goddess Jaci (gender depends on tribe)

Voodoo[edit]

God Kalfu

Asian[edit]

Ainu mythology[edit]

God Kunnechup Kamui

Anatolian[edit]

Chinese mythology[edit]

Jie Lin, God that carries the Moon across the night sky ^[2]
Chang Xi Mother of twelve moons corresponding to the twelve months of the year
Chang’e Immortal that lives on the Moon
Tai yin xing jun (太陰星君; Tàiyīn xīng jūn) of Investiture of the Gods in taoism and Chinese folk religion^[3]^[4]
Tu’er Ye Rabbit god that lives on the Moon
Wu Gang Immortal that lives on the Moon

Elamite[edit]

God Napir

Hinduism[edit]

God Agni, invoked as a moon deity in some hymns^[5]
God Chandra or Soma, The moon god

Hurro-Urartian[edit]

God Kušuḫ (Hurrian mythology)
Goddess Selardi (Urartian mythology)

Indonesian mythology[edit]

Goddess Ratih
Goddess Silewe Nazarate

Japanese mythology[edit]

God Tsukuyomi

Korean mythology[edit]

Goddess Myeongwol^[6]

Mari mythology[edit]

God Tõlze

Philippine mythologies[edit]

Kabigat (Bontok mythology): the goddess of the moon who cut off the head of Chal-chal’s son; her action is the origin of headhunting^[7]
Bulan (Ifugao mythology): the moon deity of the night in charge of nighttime^[8]
Moon Deity (Ibaloi mythology): the deity who teased Kabunian for not yet having a spouse^[9]
Delan (Bugkalot mythology): deity of the moon, worshiped with the sun and stars; congenial with Elag; during quarrels, Elag sometimes covers Delan’s face, causing the different phases of the moon; giver of light and growth^[10]
Bulan (Ilocano mythology): the moon god of peace who comforted the grieving Abra^[11]
Bulan (Pangasinense mythology): the merry and mischievous moon god, whose dim palace was the source of the perpetual light which became the stars; guides the ways of thieves^[12]
Wife of Mangetchay (Kapampangan mythology): wife of Mangetchay who gave birth to their daughter whose beauty sparked the great war; lives in the Moon^[13]
Mayari (Kapampangan mythology): the moon goddess who battled her brother, Apolaqui^[14]
Apûng Malyari (Kapampangan mythology): moon god who lives in Mount Pinatubo and ruler of the eight rivers^[15]
Mayari (Tagalog mythology): goddess of the moon;^[16] sometimes identified as having one eye;^[17] ruler of the world during nighttime and daughter of Bathala^[18]
Dalagang nasa Buwan (Tagalog mythology): the maiden of the moon^[19]
Dalagang Binubukot (Tagalog mythology): the cloistered maiden in the moon^[20]
Unnamed Moon God (Tagalog mythology): the night watchman who tattled on Rajo’s theft, leading to an eclipse^[21]
Bulan-hari (Tagalog mythology): one of the deities sent by Bathala to aid the people of Pinak; can command rain to fall; married to Bitu-in^[22]
Bulan (Bicolano mythology): son of Dagat and Paros; joined Daga’s rebellion and died; his body became the Moon;^[23] in another myth, he was alive and from his cut arm, the earth was established, and from his tears, the rivers and seas were established^[24]
Haliya (Bicolano mythology): the goddess of the moon,^[25] often depicted with a golden mask on her face
Libulan (Bisaya mythology): the copper-bodied son of Lidagat and Lihangin; killed by Kaptan’s rage during the great revolt; his body became the moon^[26]
Bulan (Bisaya mythology): the moon deity who gives light to sinners and guides them in the night^[27]
Launsina (Capiznon mythology): the goddess of the Sun, Moon, stars, and seas, and the most beloved because people seek forgiveness from her^[28]
Diwata na Magbabaya (Bukidnon mythology): simply referred as Magbabaya; the good supreme deity and supreme planner who looks like a man; created the Earth and the first eight elements, namely bronze, gold, coins, rock, clouds, rain, iron, and water; using the elements, he also created the sea, sky, Moon, and stars; also known as the pure god who wills all things; one of three deities living in the realm called Banting^[29]
Bulon La Mogoaw (T’boli mythology): one of the two supreme deities; married to Kadaw La Sambad; lives in the seventh layer of the universe^[30]
Moon Deity (Maranao mythology): divine being depicted in an anthropomorphic form as a beautiful young woman; angels serve as her charioteers^[31]

Vietnamese mythology[edit]

Goddess Thần Mặt Trăng, the embodiment of the moon, the daughter of Ông Trời
Goddess Hằng Nga, goddess who lives on the moon

Semitic mythology[edit]

God Aglibol (Palmarene mythology)
God Almaqah (Sabaean mythology)
God Baal-hamon (Punic religion)
God Saggar (Eblaite religion)
God Sin (Mesopotamian mythology)
God Ta’lab (Arabian mythology)
God Wadd (Minaean mythology)
God Yarikh (Amorite and Ugaritic mythology)

Turkic mythology[edit]

God Ay Ata

European[edit]

Name	Mythology / Religion	Details
Arianrhod^{[citation needed]}	Welsh
Artemis	Greek	Artemis is the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt, wilderness, wild animals, chastity, and occasionally the Moon due to being mistaken for Selene.^[32]^[33] She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and the twin sister of Apollo.^[34] She would eventually be extensively syncretized with the Roman goddess Diana. Cynthia was originally an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, who according to legend was born on Mount Cynthus. Selene, the Greek personification of the Moon, and the Roman Diana were also sometimes called “Cynthia”.^[35]
Artume	Etruscan
Ataegina	Lusitanian
Sen		Mesopotamian Religion
Bendis	Thracian
Devana	Slavic	Devana was the Slavic goddess of wild nature, forests, hunting and the moon, equated with the Greek goddess Artemis and Roman goddess Diana.
Diana	Roman	Diana is a goddess in Roman and Hellenistic religion, primarily considered a patroness of the countryside, hunters, crossroads, and the Moon. She is equated with the Greek goddess Artemis (see above), and absorbed much of Artemis’ and Selenes mythology early in Roman history, including a birth on the island of Delos to parents Jupiter and Latona, and a twin brother, Apollo,^[36] though she had an independent origin in Italy.
Elatha^{[citation needed]}	Irish	Elatha was a king of the Fomorians in Irish mythology. He succeeded his father Delbáeth and was replaced by his son Bres, mothered by Ériu.
Hecate	Greek	While associated with the Moon, Hecate is not actually considered a goddess of the moon.
Hors	Slavic
Hjúki and Bil	Norse
Ilargi	Basque
Kuu	Finnish
Losna	Etruscan
Luna	Roman	Roman counterpart to the Greek Titaness Selene. Sibling to Sol and Aurora. Considered one of the 20 principal deities of Rome, having had temples on both the Aventine and Palatine hills.
Mano	Sámi
Máni	Norse	Máni is the personification of the Moon in Norse mythology. Máni, personified, is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources, and the Prose Edda, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson. Both sources state that he is the brother of the personified sun, Sól, and the son of Mundilfari, while the Prose Edda adds that he is followed by the children Hjúki and Bil through the heavens.
Mehnot	Proto-Indo-European mythology
Meness	Latvian
Myesyats	Slavic
Phoebe	Greek
Selene	Greek	Selene Titan goddess and personification of the moon. She was depicted as a woman riding sidesaddle on a horse or driving a chariot drawn by a pair of winged steeds.
Triple Goddess	Wicca

Oceanic[edit]

Malagasy mythology[edit]

God Andriambahomanana

Polynesian mythology[edit]

God Avatea
God Fati
Goddess Hina
Goddess Mahina
God Marama

Special Edition of Witchcraft/Magickal Correspondences, Rituals and Other Things for Samhain

From Flying The Hedge – SAMHAIN CORRESPONDENCES

Symbolism: death and regeneration, transformation, end of old projects, new beginnings, return, change, rest, success, plenty, knowledge

Symbols: skulls, bats, cats, leaves, nuts, seeds, barren trees and branches, pumpkins, cauldron, pentacle, crystal ball, besom or broom, witch’s hat, moon, crows/ravens, ghosts, goblins, banshees, candy/caramel apples, chocolate, Jack-o-Lanterns, costumes, Trick-or-Treats, Death, acorns, bones, gourds, scarecrowsColors: black, orange, red, silver, gold, brown, purple, yellow

Food and Drink: apples, cider, pork, hazelnuts, pomegranates, pumpkins, potatoes, squash, cranberries, turnips, beets, mugwort tea, ale, mulled wine, pies/cakes for the dead

Herbs: apple leaf, almonds, bay leaf, nettle, hemlock, cloves, cinnamon, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort, pine, rosemary, sage, wormwood, tarragon, rue, garlic, ginger, hazelnut, allspice

Deities: Hekate, The Crone, Cerridwen, Bast, Persephone, Horned Hunter, Cernunnos, Osiris, Hades, Anubis, Loki, Arawn, Dis, and any other death/underworld god or goddess

Crystals and Gemstones: black obsidian, jasper, onyx, bloodstone, smoky quartz, carnelian,

Animals: cats, especially black cats, bats, spiders, rats, wolves, snakes, ravens and crows, owls, stags, jackals, scorpions

Magic: This is the time to honor the dead. Set up an altar, serve them cakes, and let them know they are not forgotten. If you wish to communicate with deceased friends and family, this is the best time of year. The veil thins the night of Samhain, making communication easy. Do NOT, however, entice spirits, disrespect them, or perform any other magic that is anything less than respectful. I repeat, don’t do it. Samhain is also a great time to practice divination in the form of runes, scrying, tarot, tea readings, etc. Reflect over the previous year and perform blessing spells to ring in the new year. Astral projection, lucid dreaming, and hedge riding are also much easier to perform on this night but remember to be safe. Banishing magic, especially those for bad habits, are especially strong on this night.

Please note this is not a complete list but a brief overview of symbols, colors, herbs, deities, and the like. If I have missed something that you feel should make the list, please feel free to contact me via the comments or through email.

Click her for more ideas from Zenned Out for Samhain Rituals and Correspondences

The ancient Celtic celebration of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), celebrated on October 31st and November 1st, marks the end of our seasonal cycle on the Wheel of the Year. This is why it’s often referred to as the witch’s New Year. Seasonally speaking, Samhain is the third and final harvest of the season or the last rally to store and prepare for the coming Winter season.

This sacred celebration reaches much farther than harvests and is also a time when the veil between the physical and spirit world is at its thinnest. The Celtic people believed that spirits walked among them during this time, so Samhain is accepted as an ideal time to communicate and connect with the spirit realm. Here’s a fun drawing I created with ritual suggestions for Samhain. Keep scrolling to learn more about each one.

See the source image

From PaganPages.org Samhain Correspondences By Jennifer Wright

Free Pagan Magazine

Other Names:
celtic ~ Summer’s End, pronounced “sow” (rhymes with now) “en” (Ireland), sow-een (Wales) – “mh” in the middle is a “w” sound – Greater Sabbat(High Holiday) – Fire Festival Oct 31-Nov 1(North Hemisphere) – Apr 30-May 1 – The Great Sabbat, Samhiunn, Samana, Samhuin, Sam-fuin, Samonios, Halloween, Hallomas, All Hallows Eve, All Saints/All Souls Day(Catholic), Day of the Dead (Mexican), Witches New Year, Trinoux Samonia, Celtic/ Druid New Year, Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas or Old Hallowmas (Scotttish/Celtic) Lá Samhna (Modern Irish), Festival of the Dead, Feile Moingfinne (Snow Goddess), Hallowtide (Scottish Gaelis Dictionary), Feast of All Souls, Nos Galen-gae-of Night of the Winter Calends (Welsh), La Houney or Hollantide Day, Sauin or Souney ( Manx), oidhche na h-aimiléise-the night of mischief or confusion(Ireland), Oidhche Shamna (Scotland)

Rituals:
End of summer, honoring of the dead,scrying, divination, last harvest, meat harvest

Incense:
Copal, sandalwood, mastic resin, benzoin, sweetgrass, wormwood, mugwort, sage, myrrh or patchouli

Tools:
Besom, cauldron, tarot, obsidian ball, pendulum, runes, oghams, Ouija boards, black cauldron or bowl filled with black ink or water, or magick mirror

Stones/Gems:
Black obsidian, jasper, carnelian, onyx, smoky quartz, jet, bloodstone

Colors:
Black, orange, red

Symbols & Decorations:
Apples, autumn flowers, acorns, bat, black cat, bones, corn stalks, colored leaves, crows, death/dying, divination and the tools associated with it, ghosts, gourds, Indian corn, jack-o-lantern, nuts , oak leaves, pomegranates, pumpkins, scarecrows, scythes, waning moon

Foods:
Apples, apple dishes, cider, meat (traditionally this is the meat harvest) especially pork, mulled cider with spices, nuts-representing resurrection and rebirth, nuts, pomegranates, potatoes, pumpkins, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, roasted pumpkin seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, squash.

Goddesses:
The Crone, Hecate(Greek), Cerridwen(Welsh-Scottish), Arianrhod(Welsh), Caillech (Irish-Scottish), Baba Yaga (Russian), Al-Ilat(persian), Bast (Egyptian), Persephone (Greek), Hel(Norse), Kali(Hindu), all Death & Otherworld Goddesses

Gods:
Horned Hunter(European), Cernnunos(Greco-Celtic), Osiris(Egyptian), Hades (Greek), Gwynn ap Nudd (British), Anubis(Egyptian), Coyote Brother (Native American), Loki (Norse), Dis (Roman), Arawn (Welsh), acrificial/Dying/Aging
Gods, Death and Otherworld Gods

Herbs and Flowers:
Almond, apple leaf , autumn joy sedum, bay leaf, calendula, Cinnamon, Cloves cosmos, garlic, ginger , hazelnut, hemlock cones, mandrake root, marigold, mums, mugwort (to aid in divination), mullein seeds, nettle, passionflower, pine needles, pumpkin seeds, rosemary (for remembrance of our ancestors), rue, sage, sunflower petals and seeds, tarragon, wild ginseng, wormwood

Animals:
Stag, cat, bat, owl, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, heron, crow, robin

Mythical Beings:
Pooka, goblin,medusa, beansidhe, harpies

Essence:
Magick, plenty; knowledge, the night, death & rebirth, success, protection; rest, new beginning; ancestors; lifting of the veil, mundane laws in abeyance, return, change

Dynamics/Meaning:
Death & transformation, Wiccan new year,wisdom of the Crone, end of summer, honoring, thinning of the veil between worlds, death of the year, time outside of time, night of the Wild Hunt, begin new projects, end old projects

Work:
Sex magick, release of bad habits, banishing, fairy magick, divination of any kind, candle magick, astral projection, past life work, dark moon mysteries, mirror spells (reflection), casting protection , inner work, propitiation, clearing obstacles, uncrossing, inspiration, workings of transition or culmination, manifesting transformation,creative visualization, contacting those who have departed this plane

Purpose:
Honoring the dead, especially departed ancestors, knowing we will not be forgotten; clear knowledge of our path; guidance, protection, celebrating reincarnation

Rituals/Magicks:
Foreseeing future, honoring/consulting ancestors, releasing the old, power, understanding death and rebirth, entering the underworld, divination, dance of the dead, fire calling, past life recall

Customs:
Ancestor altar, costumes, divination, carving jack-o-lanterns, spirit plate, the Feast of the Dead, feasting, paying debts, fairs, drying winter herbs, masks, bonfires, apple games, tricks, washing clothes

Element:
Water

Gender:
Male

Threshold:
Midnight

From Plentiful Earth – How to pronounce Samhain

Popularized by Wicca, Samhain is a celebration that occurs around the same time as Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, and Day of the Dead — on or around October 31. This wonderful day is often celebrated as a time to commune with our ancestors and the passing spirits, as the veil between the worlds has become its thinnest. The festival of Samhain is easily most Witches’ favorite Sabbat of the year, a fact we can all agree on. However, it’s easy to strike up a war of the Witches when it comes to saying the word out loud!

We know first hand, as American Witches in the United States, how embarrassing it can be to read the ancient Gaelic word as “Sam-hayne” on paper when we’re learning and then try to say it in front of seasoned coven-mates! We’re here to save you some red cheeks and give you the confidence to talk about your favorite holiday out loud! The good news? There are 3 ways to pronounce this ancient Celtic, each from a different region of its birthplace!

3 Correct Samhain Pronunciations

How to pronounce Samhain – Video

How to pronounce Samhain in Irish Gaelic

Sow-in

How to pronounce Samhain in Welsh

Sow-een

How to pronounce Samhain in Scottish Gaelic

Sav-en

Now, pick your favorite way and say it with pride, Witch!

Remember what is not harvested by Samhain needs to be left in the fields, tress, bushes, ectara for the wild animals to forge over the cold months.

Wish you all a safe, blessed, and happy Samhain.

Samhain Gods – Yama – Hindu

Yama

Yama or Yamarāja is a god of death, the south direction, and the underworld, belonging to an early stratum of Rigvedic Hindu deities. In Sanskrit, his name can be interpreted to mean “twin”. In the Zend-Avesta of Zoroastrianism, he is called “Yima”.

According to the Vishnu Purana, Yama is the son of sun-god Surya and Sandhya, the daughter of Vishvakarma. Yama is the brother of Sraddhadeva Manu and of his older sister Yami, which Horace Hayman Wilson indicates to mean the Yamuna. According to the Vedas, Yama is said to have been the first mortal who died. By virtue of precedence, he became the ruler of the departed, and is called “Lord of the Pitrs”.

Mentioned in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism, Yama subsequently entered Buddhist mythology in East Asia, Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka as a Dharmapala under various transliterations. He is otherwise also called as “Dharmaraja”.

Hinduism

In Hinduism, Yama is the lokapala (“Guardian of the Directions”) of the south and the son of Surya. Three hymns (10, 14, and 35) in the 10th book of the Rig Veda are addressed to him. In Puranas, Yama is described as having four arms, complexion of rain cloud with wrathful expression, surrounded by garland of flames, protruding fangs, dressed in red, yellow or blue garments, holding noose and mace or sword, and riding a water-buffalo. He wields a noose with which he seizes the lives of people who are about to die.

According to Hindu itihasa, Yama is the son of Surya and Saranyu. He is the twin brother of Yami, brother of Shraddhadeva Manu and the step brother of Shani. His wife was Goddess Dhumorna and his son was Katila.

Buddhism

In Buddhism, Yama (Sanskrit: यम) is a dharmapala, a wrathful god or the Enlightened Protector of Buddhism that is considered worldly, said to judge the dead and preside over the Narakas (“Hell” or “Purgatory”) and the cycle of rebirth.

The Buddhist Yama has, however, developed different myths and different functions from the Hindu deity. In Pali Canon Buddhist myths, Yama takes those who have mistreated elders, holy spirits, or their parents when they die. Contrary though, in the Majjhima Nikaya commentary by Buddhagosa, Yama is a vimānapeta – a that has a mixed state.

In other parts of Buddhism, Yama’s main duty is to watch over purgatorial aspects of Hell (the underworld), and has no relation to rebirth. His sole purpose is to maintain the relationships between spirits that pass through the ten courts, similar to Yama’s representation in several Chinese religions.

He has also spread widely and is known in every country where Buddhism is practiced, including China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and United States.

China

In Chinese texts, Yama only holds transitional places in Hell where he oversaw the deceased before he, and the Generals of Five Paths, were assigned a course of rebirth. Yama was later placed as a King in the Fifth Court when texts led to the fruition of the underworld that marked the beginnings of systemizations.

Japan

Yama can be found in one of the oldest Japanese religious works called Nipponkoku Genpō Zenaku Ryōiki, a literary work compiled by the Monk Keikai in 822. Yama was introduced to Japan through Buddhism, where he was featured as a Buddhist divinity. He holds the same position title as other works depict him – a judge who imposes decisions on the dead who have mistreated others.

Naraka (Hindu)

Naraka in Hinduism serves only as a temporary purgatory where the soul is purified of sin by its suffering. In Hindu mythology, Naraka holds many hells, and Yama directs departed souls to the appropriate one. Even elevated Mukti-yogyas and Nitya-samsarins can experience Naraka for expiation of sins.

Although Yama is the lord of Naraka, he may also direct the soul to a Swarga (heaven) or return it to Bhoomi (earth). As good and bad deeds are not considered to cancel each other out, the same soul may spend time in both a hell and a heaven. The seven Swargas are: Bhuvas, Swas (governed by Indra), Tharus, Thaarus, Savithaa, Prapithaa, and Maha (governed by Brahma).

Naraka (Sikhism)

The idea of Naraka in Sikhism is like the idea of Hell. One’s soul, however, is confined to 8.4 million life cycles before taking birth as a human, the point of human life being one where one attains salvation, the salvation being sach khand. The idea of khand comes in multiple levels of such heavens, the highest being merging with God as one. The idea of Hell comes in multiple levels, and hell itself can manifest within human life itself. The Sikh idea of hell is where one is apart from naama and the Guru’s charana (God’s lotus feet (abode)). Without naama one is damned. Naama is believed to be a direct deliverance by God to humanity in the form of Guru Nanak. A Sikh is hence required to take the Amrit (holy nectar/water) from gurubani, panj pyare (khanda da pahul) to come closer to naama. A true Sikh of the Gurus has the Guru himself manifest and takes that person into sach khand.

Naraka (Buddhist)

Naraka is usually translated into English as “hell” or “purgatory”. A Naraka differs from the hells of western religions in two respects. First, beings are not sent to Naraka as the result of a divine judgment and punishment; second, the length of a being’s stay in a Naraka is not eternal, though it is usually very long. Instead, a being is born into a Naraka as a direct result of his or her previous karma(actions of body, speech and mind), and resides there for a finite length of time until his karma has exhausted its cumulate effect.

East Asian mythology

Mandarin Diyu, Japanese Jigoku, Korean Jiok, Vietnamese Địa ngục literally “earth prison”, is the realm of the dead or “hell” in Chinese mythology and Japanese mythology. It is based upon the Buddhist concept of Naraka combined with local afterlife beliefs. Incorporating ideas from Taoism and Buddhism as well as traditional religion in China, Di Yu is a kind of purgatory place which serves not only to punish but also to renew spirits ready for their next incarnation. This is interchangeable with the concept of Naraka.

In Japanese mythology, Enma-O or Enma Dai-O judges souls in Meido, the kingdom of the waiting dead. Those deemed too horrible are sent to Jigoku, a land more comparable to the Christian hell. It is a land of eternal toil and punishment. Those of middle note remain in meido for a period awaiting reincarnation. Others, of high note, become honored ancestors, watching over their descendants.

Related concepts

Yama and Ymir

In a disputable etymology, W. Meid (1992) has linked the names Yama (reconstructed in Proto-Indo-European as *yemos) and the name of the primeval Norse frost giant Ymir, which can be reconstructed in Proto-Germanic as *umijaz or *jumijaz, in the latter case possibly deriving from PIE *ym̥yos, from the root yem “twin”. In his myth, however, Ymir is not a twin, and only shares with Yama the characteristics of being primeval and mortal. However, Ymir is a hermaphrodite and engenders the race of giants.

In Iranian mythology

A parallel character in Iranian mythology and Zoroastrianism is known as Yima Xšaēta, who appears in the Avesta. The pronunciation “Yima” is peculiar to the Avestan dialect; in most Iranian dialects, including Old Persian, the name would have been “Yama”. In the Avesta, the emphasis is on Yima’s character as one of the first mortals and as a great king of men. Over time, *Yamaxšaita was transformed into Jamšēd or Jamshid, celebrated as the greatest of the early shahs of the world. Both Yamas in Zoroastrian and Hindu myth guard hell with the help of two four-eyed dogs.

It has also been suggested by I. M. Steblin-Kamensky that the cult of Yima was adopted by the Finno-Ugrians. According to this theory, in Finnish Yama became the god cult Jumula and Joma in Komi. According to this hypothesis, from this cult, the Hungarians also borrowed the word vara which became vár ‘fortress’ and város ‘town’. (ibid)

In Javanese culture

There is Yamadipati in Javanese culture, especially in wayang. The word adipati means ruler or commander. When Hinduism first came to Java, Yama was still the same as Yama in Hindu myth. Later, as Islam replaced Hinduism as the majority religion of Java, Yama was demystified by Walisanga, who ruled at that time. So, in Javanese, Yama became a new character. He is the son of Sanghyang Ismaya and Dewi Sanggani. In the Wayang legend, Yamadipati married Dewi Mumpuni. Unfortunately, Dewi Mumpuni fell in love with Nagatatmala, son of Hyang Anantaboga, who rules the earth. Dewi Mumpuni eventually left Yamadipati, however.

In Buddhist temples

In the Buddhism of the Far East, Yama is one of the twelve Devas, as guardian deities, who are found in or around Buddhist shrines (Jūni-ten, 十二天). In Japan, he has been called “Enma-Ten”. He joins these other eleven Devas of Buddhism, found in Japan and other parts of southeast Asia: Indra (Taishaku-ten), Agni (Ka-ten), Yama (Emma-ten), Nirrti (Rasetsu-ten), Vayu (Fu-ten), Ishana (Ishana-ten), Kubera (Tamon-ten), Varuna (Sui-ten) Brahma (Bon-ten), Prithvi (Chi-ten), Surya (Nit-ten), Chandra (Gat-ten).

Source

Wikipedia

c. 2018

Long-Lost Ancient Temple of Apollo Uncovered

A long-lost ancient temple of Apollo has been excavated after archaeologists from the Universities of Frankfurt and Kiel in Germany successfully located its whereabouts in Frangissa, near Pera Orinis in Cyprus.

The temple had been known about since 1885 but had been considered lost, a press release from the deputy culture ministry reported.

“The current research project aims to explore these complex structures, which often evolved over several centuries, and gain important insights into the functioning of ancient sanctuaries,” the press release said.

Current estimates place the temple as dating back to the Hellenistic period—a period of Ancient Greece that started in 323 B.C. and ended in 32 B.C.

“After its construction, the district underwent successive remodeling and expansion. In a later phase, transverse walls were added, altering the interior of the courtyard. Additionally, parallel flat stone bases were erected alongside the outer walls, likely serving as supports for columns and carrying the roof of a hall that surrounded all sides,” the statement from the ministry said.

In Ancient Greece, temples provided a place for worship and ritual practices, as well as providing a place for social, political, and economic functions.

In Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of sun and light and was worshiped at temples and during festivals.

“Through the exemplary investigation of the sanctuary of Frangissa, the current research project aims to explore these complex structures, which often evolved over several centuries, and gain important insights into the functioning of ancient sanctuaries,” the statement said.

Of particular interest was the discovery of fragments of terracotta—a type of ancient pot constructed from brownish-red earthenware.

These fragments belonged to a huge male terracotta figure, the press release said.

“The robe of the figure was intricately decorated with incised ornaments. Similar fragments were previously found in 1885 and taken to the Cyprus Museum,” it said. “The newly found fragments perfectly match these ancient fragments, confirming the identification of the sanctuary with the site excavated in 1885, which was previously based on various circumstantial evidence.”

Archaeologists also found a head of an archaic warrior statuette.

Excavations began in 2021, when the remains of ancient masonry were discovered. The work continued in 2022, until the temple was finally uncovered this year,

Excavations will continue in the area, to allow archaeologists to discover more about the site and the role it played in Ancient Greece.

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Athena Greek Goddess: Origins, Symbols, and Mythology

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Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os Stag Horned Hunter, Hunted One Join Us Now Cer-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os Greenwood Lord of Life and Death Join Us Now Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os Herne and Pan and Every Man Join Us Now

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The benefits of religions based on Creator Gods

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African[edit]

American[edit]

Aztec mythology[edit]

Cahuilla mythology[edit]

Hopi mythology[edit]

Incan mythology[edit]

Inuit mythology[edit]

Lakota mythology[edit]

Maya mythology[edit]

Muisca mythology[edit]

Nivaclé Mythology[edit]

Pawnee mythology[edit]

Tupi Guarani mythology[edit]

Voodoo[edit]

Asian[edit]

Ainu mythology[edit]

Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Stag Horned Hunter, Hunted One
Join Us Now
Cer-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Greenwood Lord of Life and Death
Join Us Now
Cern-nu-noh-oh-oh-oh-os
Herne and Pan and Every Man
Join Us Now