Category: Deities

The Magickal Day of Wednesday

Egyptian God

The Magickal Day of Wednesday

 

Wednesday is named for Woden himself, although the Romans called it dies Mercurii. This is a day associated with the color purple, the planet Mercury, and the metal quicksilver – which is also called mercury. See a pattern here?

 

When it comes to deities… yes, Mercury! However, there are a few other gods associated with Wednesday, including Odin and Hermes, Athena, and Lugh. Gemstones like adventurine and agate come in handy as well, as do plants such as aspen trees, lilies, lavender and even ferns.

 

Business and job-related issues, communication, loss and debt, traveling, and journeys are all tied in to Wednesday. This is a good day to do a working to open up lines of communication – especially if your own actions are preventing you from being an effective speaker or listener. Go someplace new or return to an old favorite stomping ground, step up your game, and settle up your accounts.

Source

Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article published on ThoughtCo

 

 

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Venus

The OfferingVenus

“Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and military victory. She played a key role in many Roman religious festivals. From the third century BC, the increasing Hellenization of Roman upper classes identified her as the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite which in turn is the copy and the equivalent of the Phoenician goddess Astarte. Roman mythology made her the divine mother of Aeneas, the Trojan ancestor of Rome’s founder, Romulus. Venus was offered official (state-sponsored) cult in certain festivals of the Roman calendar. Her sacred month was April (Latin Mensis Aprilis) which Roman etymologists understood to derive from aperire, “to open,” with reference to the springtime opening of trees and flowers. Veneralia (April 1) was held in honour of Venus Verticordia (“Venus the Changer of Hearts”), and Fortuna Virilis (Virile or strong Good Fortune), whose cult was probably by far the older of the two. Vinalia urbana (April 23), a wine festival shared by Venus and Jupiter, king of the gods. Venus was patron of “profane” wine, for everyday human use. Jupiter was patron of the strongest, purest, sacrificial grade wine, and controlled the weather on which the autumn grape-harvest would depend. At this festival, men and women alike drank the new vintage of ordinary, non-sacral wine in honour of Venus, whose powers had provided humankind with this gift”

 

– Wikipedia

Persephone

Beltane - May QueenPersephone

“In Greek mythology, Persephone, also called Kore (the maiden), is the daughter of Zeus and the harvest-goddess Demeter, and queen of the underworld. Homer describes her as the formidable, venerable majestic queen of the shades, who carries into effect the curses of men upon the souls of the dead. Kore was abducted by Hades, the god-king of the underworld. The myth of her abduction represents her function as the personification of vegetation which shoots forth in spring and withdraws into the earth after harvest; hence she is also associated with spring and with the seeds of the fruits of the fields. Similar myths appear in the Orient, in the cults of male gods like Attis, Adonis and Osiris, and in Minoan Crete. Persephone as a vegetation goddess (Kore) and her mother Ceres were the central figures of the Eleusinian mysteries that predated the Olympian pantheon, and promised to the initiated a more enjoyable prospect after death. The mystic Persephone is further said to have become by Zeus the mother of Dionysus, Iacchus, or Zagreus. The origins of her cult are uncertain, but it was based on very old agrarian cults of agricultural communities. Persephone was commonly worshiped along with Demeter, and with the same mysteries. To her alone were dedicated the mysteries celebrated at Athens in the month of Anthesterion. Her common name as a vegetation goddess is Kore and in Arcadia she was worshipped under the title Despoina “the mistress”, a very old chthonic divinity. Plutarch identifies her with spring and Cicero calls her the seed of the fruits of the fields. In the Eleusinian mysteries her return is the symbol of immortality and hence she was frequently represented on sarcophagi.”

 

– Persephone

Let’s Talk Witch – Who is the Goddess?

SPRING ~ Fairy w. Frog

Who is the Goddess?

For those of you who came to Wicca from Christianity or any of the other Abrahamic faiths, the Goddess may be hard to grasp. You may have felt an emptiness when you look at divinity a lack of the feminine. You may have felt her presence even though you may have been told she doesn’t exist.

 

Making the Goddess nonexistent has been the goal of Christianity and other Abrahamic Faiths for centuries. It has been done for many reasons, but mostly to enforce a patriarchy.

 

Well with our culture’s renewed interest in futures of old, we have what was hidden from us, the Goddess. Humanity has not always shunned the Goddess. At one point in our history and several cultures, she was revered. Now we can begin to connect with the Goddess once again.

 
Now we will talk about the Goddess. The Goddess can be seen as a single being, or as a polytheistic way, as in many separate Goddess. Alternatively, You can see her as many faces but all of one being.

 
You can also see her as a thought form. Being energy created by the thoughts of many people over a long period of time, or as an archetype. The Goddess is typically associated with the moon, but other cultures, she can be associated with the sun.

 
What is the symbol is the sun and what does it mean? It is the symbol of the Triple Goddess. The Triple Goddess is either one Goddess made of three Goddesses or three separate Goddesses. The Triple Goddess concept has its roots in the Celtic and Greek pantheon. It also can be applied to other pantheons.

 
The first crescent on the left is the Maiden Goddess. She is youth, inspiration, new beginnings, growth, and optimism. Any Goddess with these attributes can be considered a Maiden Goddess.  Her color is white.

 
Some Maiden Goddesses examples are Hathor, Egyptian Goddess of love, music, and sex. Athena, Greek Goddess of war and wisdom. Diana, Roman Goddess of the Moon. Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon and hunt. Hestia, Greek Goddess of the hearth and home.

 
The middle moon is the Mother Goddess. The mother represents fertility, protectiveness, motherhood, home, and sexuality. Her color is red.

 
Some of the Mother Goddesses are Isis, Egyptian Goddess of Magick. Demeter, Greek Goddess of the harvest. Gaia, Greek Goddess and titan of the earth. Hera, Greek Goddess of marriage and childbirth. Frigg, Norse Goddess of marriage, physical love and children.

 
The third crescent moon is the Crone Goddess. She represents wisdom, endings, prophecy, sorrow and death. Her color is black. A few of the Crone Goddesses are Sekhmet, Egyptian Goddess of war and fire. Hel, Norse Goddess of death. Cerridwen, Celtic Goddess of wisdom.

 
This cycle of Maiden, Mother, Crone plays out not only in the lives of women, but every month in the waxing and waning of the moon, which is sacred to the Goddess.

 

 

Wicca: A Year and A Day in Magick The Complete Beginners Guide
Lady Nephthys

 

About the Goddess Maia

Spring FantasyAbout the Goddess Maia

Maia, in ancient Greek religion, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes.
Maia is the daughter of Atlas and Pleione the Oceanid,mand is the oldest of the seven Pleiades. They were born on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia, and are sometimes called mountain nymphs, oreads; Simonides of Ceos sang of “mountain Maia” (Maiados oureias) “of the lovely black eyes.” Because they were daughters of Atlas, they were also called the Atlantides.

 
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Maia embodied the concept of growth, as her name was thought to be related to the comparative adjective maius, maior, “larger, greater.” Originally, she may have been a homonym independent of the Greek Maia, whose myths she absorbed through the Hellenization of Latin literature and culture.

 
In an archaic Roman prayer, Maia appears as an attribute of Vulcan, in an invocational list of male deities paired with female abstractions representing some aspect of their functionality. She was explicitly identified with Earth (Terra, the Roman counterpart of Gaia) and the Good Goddess (Bona Dea) in at least one tradition. Her identity became theologically intertwined also with the goddesses Fauna, Magna Mater (“Great Goddess”, referring to the Roman form of Cybele but also a cult title for Maia), Ops, Juno, and Carna, as discussed at some length by the late antiquarian writer Macrobius. This treatment was probably influenced by the 1st-century BC scholar Varro, who tended to resolve a great number of goddesses into one original “Terra.” The association with Juno, whose Etruscan counterpart was Uni, is suggested again by the inscription Uni Mae on the Piacenza Liver.

 
The month of May (Latin Maius) was supposedly named for Maia, though ancient etymologists also connected it to the maiores, “ancestors,” again from the adjective maius, maior, meaning those who are “greater” in terms of generational precedence. On the first day of May, the Lares Praestites were honored as protectors of the city,[18] and the flamen of Vulcan sacrificed a pregnant sow to Maia, a customary offering to an earth goddess[19] that reiterates the link between Vulcan and Maia in the archaic prayer formula. In Roman myth, Mercury (Hermes), the son of Maia, was the father of the twin Lares, a genealogy that sheds light on the collocation of ceremonies on the May Kalends.[20] On May 15, the Ides, Mercury was honored as a patron of merchants and increaser of profit (through an etymological connection with merx, merces, “goods, merchandise”), another possible connection with Maia his mother as a goddess who promoted growth.

Let’s Talk Witch – Who is the Goddess?

In between the worldsWho is the Goddess?

For those of you who came to Wicca from Christianity or any of the other Abrahamic faiths, the Goddess may be hard to grasp. You may have felt an emptiness when you look at divinity a lack of the feminine. You may have felt her presence even though you may have been told she doesn’t exist. Making the Goddess nonexistent has been the goal of Christianity and other Abrahamic Faiths for centuries. It has been done for many reasons, but mostly to enforce a patriarchy.

Well with our culture’s renewed interest in futures of old, we have what was hidden from us, the Goddess. Humanity has not always shunned the Goddess. At one point in our history and several cultures, she was revered. Now we can begin to connect with the Goddess once again.

Now we will talk about the Goddess. The Goddess can be seen as a single being, or as a polytheistic way, as in many separate Goddess. Alternatively, You can see her as many faces but all of one being.

You can also see her as a thought form. Being energy created by the thoughts of many people over a long period of time, or as an archetype. The Goddess is typically associated with the moon, but other cultures, she can be associated with the sun.

What is the symbol is the sun and what does it mean? It is the symbol of the Triple Goddess. The Triple Goddess is either one Goddess made of three Goddesses or three separate Goddesses. The Triple Goddess concept has its roots in the Celtic and Greek pantheon. It also can be applied to other pantheons.

The first crescent on the left is the Maiden Goddess. She is youth, inspiration, new beginnings, growth, and optimism. Any Goddess with these attributes can be considered a Maiden Goddess.  Her color is white.

Some Maiden Goddesses examples are Hathor, Egyptian Goddess of love, music, and sex. Athena, Greek Goddess of war and wisdom. Diana, Roman Goddess of the Moon. Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Moon and hunt. Hestia, Greek Goddess of the hearth and home.

The middle moon is the Mother Goddess. The mother represents fertility, protectiveness, motherhood, home, and sexuality. Her color is red.

Some of the Mother Goddesses are Isis, Egyptian Goddess of Magick. Demeter, Greek Goddess of the harvest. Gaia, Greek Goddess and titan of the earth. Hera, Greek Goddess of marriage and childbirth. Frigg, Norse Goddess of marriage, physical love and children.

The third crescent moon is the Crone Goddess. She represents wisdom, endings, prophecy, sorrow and death. Her color is black. A few of the Crone Goddesses are Sekhmet, Egyptian Goddess of war and fire. Hel, Norse Goddess of death. Cerridwen, Celtic Goddess of wisdom.

This cycle of Maiden, Mother, Crone plays out not only in the lives of women, but every month in the waxing and waning of the moon, which is sacred to the Goddess.

 
Wicca: A Year and A Day in Magick The Complete Beginners Guide
Lady Nephthys

 

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God of the Day for Friday, February 24th is Adonis

IsisAdonis

Greek God of beauty and desire

Adonis was the god of beauty and desire in Greek mythology. He was originally worshipped in Phoenicia (which is now the modern-day Lebanon) but he was adopted by the Greeks later.

He was the son of Theias, the king of Syria. His mother was Myrrha (who was also known by the name Smryna) and she was actually Theias’ daughter. In the myth, Myrrha fell in love with her father and tricked him into having sex with her, which is how Adonis was conceived.

When King Theias found out that his daughter had tricked him he tried to find her and kill her. Myrrha begged the gods for mercy and they transformed her into a myrrh tree.

In tree form, she gave birth to Adonis. At some point, Aphrodite came along and fell in love with him. She protected Adonis and let Persephone take care of him and raise him.

Later on, Aphrodite and Persephone would have a dispute over Adonis because both of the goddesses wanted him and Persephone refunded to give him back. In the end, Zeus had to get involved and settle the argument once and for all.

Zeus told the goddesses that a third of a year should be given to both of them and the other would be for Adonis to decide. Adonis chose to be with Aphrodite for two thirds a year.

Adonis died after being attacked by a wild boar that was sent by Artemis. Artemis was jealous of his hunting skills and wanted to punish him. Another version of that story says that Ares, the god of war, sent the boar to kill Adonis, because he was Aphrodite’s lover.

After the death of Adonis, Aphrodite then let nectar flow over his blood and the anemone flower sprouted.
Roles and Responsibilities of Adonis

From his blood sprinkled with nectar sprung the short lived flower named Anemone and the Adonis river.
He spent one third of the year with Persephone and two thirds of the year with Aphrodite to settle the dispute between the two goddesses.
He was a hunter and was said to have been envied by Artemis which led to his demise.
He was said to be a fertility god.

Appearance and Personality of Adonis

He was said to be an extremely beautiful young man and the most beautiful among men.
Not much of his personality was talked about.

Facts about Adonis

He was a product of incest. Apparently, her mother was struck by Eros instructed by Aphrodite to love his father because of her father bragging that his daughter was more beautiful than Aphrodite.
He was born in a Myrrh tree (his transformed mother).
Aphrodite fell in love at first sight and hid him away with Persephone.
Persephone also loved him as he grew up.
Artemis was said to have killed him by sending a boar.
Other sources say that he was killed by Ares who was transformed into a boar when Persephone taunted him that his beloved had a mortal lover.
He was said to come back to life.
He was also said to be a god of vegetation.
Mostly women worshipped him.
Adoniscries were women’s laments.
There was an Adonis garden adorned with potted flowers surrounding his statue.
His blood was said to have formed the Adonis river which turns to red and fades when he came back to life.

 

Source
Adonis: https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net – Greek Gods & Goddesses, November 24, 2016

Brighid – Hearth Goddess of Ireland


Imbolc/Candlemas CommentsBrighid – Hearth Goddess of Ireland

Origins of Brighid

In Irish mythological cycles, Brighid (or Brighit), whose name is derived from the Celtic brig or “exalted one”, is the daughter of the Dagda, and therefore one of the Tuatha de Dannan. Her two sisters were also called Brighid, and were associated with healing and crafts. The three Brighids were typically treated as three aspects of a single deity, making her a classic Celtic triple goddess.
Patron and Protector

Brighid was the patron of poets and bards, as well as healers and magicians. She was especially honored when it came to matters of prophecy and divination. She was honored with a sacred flame maintained by a group of priestesses, and her sanctuary at Kildare, Ireland, later became the home of the Christian variant of Brighid, St. Brigid of Kildare. Kildare is also the location of one of several sacred wells in the Celtic regions, many of which are connected to Brighid. Even today, it’s not uncommon to see ribbons and other offerings tied to trees near a well as a petition to this healing goddess.

Celebrating Brighid

There are a variety of ways to celebrate the many aspects of Brighid at Imbolc. If you’re part of a group practice or a coven, why not try Honoring Brighid With a Group Ceremony? You can also incorporate prayers to Brighid into your rites and rituals for the season. Having trouble figuring out what direction you’re headed? Ask Brighid for assistance and guidance with a Brighid’s Crossroads Divination Ritual.
Brighid’s Many Forms

In northern Britain, Brighid’s counterpart was Brigantia, a warlike figure of the Brigantes tribe near Yorkshire, England. She is similar to the Greek goddess Athena and the Roman Minerva. Later, as Christianity moved into the Celtic lands, St. Brigid was the daughter of a Pictish slave who was baptized by St. Patrick, and founded a community of nuns at Kildare.

In addition to her position as a goddess of magic, Brighid was known to watch over women in childbirth, and thus evolved into a goddess of hearth and home. Today, many Pagans honor her on February 2, which has become known as Imbolc or Candlemas.

Winter Cymres at the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, calls her a “complex and contradictory” sort of deity. Specifically, “She possesses an unusual status as a Sun Goddess Who hangs Her Cloak upon the rays of the Sun and whose dwelling-place radiates light as if on fire. Brigid took over the Cult of the Ewes formerly held by the Goddess Lassar, who also is a Sun Goddess and who made the transition, in the Isles, from Goddess to saint. In this way Brigid’s connection to Imbolc is completed, as the worship of Lassar diminished, only to be revived later in Christian sainthood.”

Crafts to Honor Brighid

In many Pagan traditions today, Brighid is celebrated with crafts that honor her role as the protector of the hearth. You can make a Brighid corn doll, as well as a Bride’s Bed for her to sleep in. Perhaps the best known decoration is the Brighid’s Cross, whose arms represent the place where a crossroads comes together, the space between light and dark.
Brighid and Imbolc

Like many Pagan holidays, Imbolc has a Celtic connection, although it wasn’t celebrated in non-Gaelic Celtic societies. The early Celts celebrated a purification festival by honoring Brighid. In some parts of the Scottish Highlands, Brighid was viewed as a sister of Cailleach Bheur, a woman with mystical powers who was older than the land itself. In modern Wicca and Paganism, Brighid is sometimes viewed as the maiden aspect of the maiden/mother/crone cycle, although it might be more accurate for her to be the mother, given her connection with home and childbirth.

 

 

 
By Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Originally published on & owned by About.com


About the Greek Goddess, Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth

I'll put a spell on you About the Greek Goddess, Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth

 

The Greek goddess Hestia watched over domesticity and the family, and was honored with the first offering at any sacrifice made in the home. On a public level, Hestia’s flame was never allowed to burn out. The local town hall served as a shrine for her — and any time a new settlement was formed, settlers would take a flame from their old village to the new one.

Hestia the Hearthkeeper

As the equivalent of the Roman Vesta, Hestia was known as the virginal daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and sister of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. She tended the fires of Mount Olympus, and because of her devotion to her duty as hearthkeeper, she managed to stay out of a lot of the shenanigans of the other Greek gods. She doesn’t appear in too many of the Greek myths or adventure stories.

Hestia took her role as a virgin seriously as well, and in one legend, the lustful god Priapus tried to take advantage of her. As Priapus crept to her bed, planning on raping Hestia, a donkey brayed loudly, waking the goddess.

Her screams woke the other Olympians, much to Priapus’ great embarrassment. In some stories, it is said that Priapus believed Hestia to be a nymph, and that the other gods hid her by turning her into a lotus plant.

Ovid describes the scene in Fasti, saying, “Hestia lies down and takes a quiet, carefree nap, just as she was, her head pillowed by turf. But the red saviour of gardens, Priapos, prowls for Nymphai and goddesses, and wanders back and forth. He spots Vesta… He conceives a vile hope and tries to steal upon her, walking on tiptoe, as his heart flutters. By chance old Silenus had left the donkey he came on by a gently burbling stream. The long Hellespont’s god was getting started, when it bellowed an untimely bray. The goddess starts up, frightened by the noise. The whole crowd fly to her; the god flees through hostile hands.”

Hospitality and Sanctuary
As a hearth goddess, Hestia was also known for her hospitality. If a stranger came calling and seeking sanctuary, it was considered an offense against Hestia to turn the person away. Those who followed her were obligated to provide shelter and food to anyone truly in need. It was also emphasized that female guests given sanctuary were not to be violated — again, a grave offense against Hestia.

Because of her role over the hearth, she was allocated a special role in household ritual. Cicero, the first-century Roman rhetorician, wrote, “The name Vesta comes from the Greeks, for she is the goddess whom they call Hestia. Her power extends over altars and hearths, and therefore all prayers and all sacrifices end with this goddess, because she is the guardian of the innermost things. Closely related to this function are the Penates or household gods.”

Plato points out that Hestia is theologically significant because she is the one who is invoked, and to whom sacrifices are made, before any other deity in ritual.

Honoring Hestia Today
Hestia is traditionally represented by an image of a lamp with a perpetual flame. Today, some Greek reconstructionists, or Hellenic Pagans, continue to honor Hestia and all that she stands for.

To honor Hestia in your own rituals, try one or more of the following ideas:

Early worshipers offered young cows to Hestia, but that may not be practical for you. Instead, offerings of wine, olive oil, and fresh fruit are an acceptable substitute.
Keep a candle dedicated to Hestia burning on your hearth or mantle – if you don’t have a fireplace, your kitchen can be representative of the hearth.
When you’re working on any sort of domestic, home-focused project, honor Hestia with prayers, songs, or hymns.
 

Author

 

Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
© 2017 About, Inc. — All rights reserved.

 

Deity of the Day for August 23rd – Eos The Dawn Goddess

Deity of the Day

Eos

The Dawn Goddess

Areas of Influence: Eos, Goddess of the dawn in ancient Greece was one of the Titans.

Every morning she awoke and used her rosy fingers to open the gates of heaven. This enabled her brother Helios (the sun God) to ride his chariot across the sky. She also brought forth the hope of a new day.

The dew was said to be her tears.

This female deity is most noted for her insatiable appetite for young men. Her desire is said to have been the result of a curse, placed upon her by Aphrodite, when she discovered her affair with Ares. She also kidnapped four lovers: Cephalus, Clitus, Ganymede and Tithonus. The later was a Trojan prince whom she begged Zeus to grant immortality. What she forgot to ask for was eternal youth. Eventually he shrivelled up with old age and she turned him into a grasshopper.

Her love for Orion was unrequited.

Origins and Genealogy: She was daughter of the Titans Theia and Hyperion. She had two close siblings Helios (the sun) and Selene (the moon).

With Aeolus the keeper of the winds, she bore four sons these became the winds of the cardinal directions.

Strengths: Passion.

Weaknesses: Insatiable desire.

Roman Equivalent: Aurora.

 

Source

Goddess-Guide.com

Honoring Diana Today

ᑕᙓᒪ♈ᓰᑕ ᙅᖇᗝᙡ

Honoring Diana Today

How can you honor Diana today, as a modern Pagan? There are a number of ways you can celebrate Diana in her many aspects. Try one or more of these as part of your magical practice:

Are you a Pagan who is also a hunter? Honor Diana before you set out, by making an offering to her of bread or fruit, or clay images. She seems to appreciate song as well – why not sing a song in her honor, asking for assistance with your hunt?

If your hunt is successful, make sure you thank Diana afterwards. You can do this by singing her praises as you dress your kill.

If you’re pregnant, and want her to watch over you in childbirth, create an altar to Diana. Include requests for protection on a small clay tablet tied with ribbon, or images of motherhood and children.

Write prayers to Diana on ribbons or strips of fine cloth, and tie them to trees in the forest.

Celebrate Diana at the time of the full moon with an altar full of candles designated in her name, or by calling upon her in a Drawing Down the Moon ritual.

Author

Patti Wigington, Paganism/Wicca Expert
Article originally published on About.com

Deity of the Day for August 7th: Airmed (Celtic)

Deity of the Day

Airmed

(Celtic)

Airmid, also known as Airmed or Airmeith, is the Celtic Goddess of the Healing Arts. She was also a member of the Tuatha De Danaan, the most ancient race of deities in Ireland and just as they did, she had great magickal powers. When the Goddess Danu first created the Tuatha De Danaan, she made sure that its members were very powerful gods, filled with great wisdom and skilled in every possible area of expertise.

Some people believe that the Tuatha De Danaan was comprised of Druids, who were extremely knowledgeable in both prophecy and magick. When the members of the Tuatha De Danaan decided to study something, not only did they simply learn about it, they actually went much farther, by deeply immersing themselves in that particular field to the point where they became the greatest experts in the world. They believed strongly in the three components of life: the Earth, the Mysteries, and the Spirit realm and that they were all of equal importance.

Airmid was the daughter of Diancecht, the God of Medicine, and the Chief Physician and Magician of the Tuatha De Danaan. She also had four brothers: Miach, Cian, Cethe, and Cu, and they all followed closely in their father’s footsteps. Airmid also had a sister named Etan, who was a poet who was also married to Oghma. Coming from that kind of a heritage, there can be little doubt that Airmid and her brothers excelled in the healing arts.

When the Fir Bolgs first arrived in Ireland, the Tuatha De Danaan fought against them in a great war, protecting its people and land from invasion. During the first battle, the Tuatha defeated the Fir Bolgs and killed their king, Eocchid MacEric. Nuada, the King of the Tuatha De Danaan was also seriously injured in that battle when his arm became severed from his body.

Since Diancecht was the Chief Physician of the Tuatha De Danaan, he was immediately called upon to attend to Nuada’s wounds, and he brought Airmid and Miach with him to assist. While Diancecht was working upon Nuada, it became increasingly clear that Airmid’s and Miach’s skills as healers were much greater then those of their father.

While Diancecht had decided to replace Nuada’s severed arm with one that he had constructed from silver, Airmid was actually able to regenerate the King’s own arm to perfect working order. Then Miach, using his amazing surgical skills, took the regenerated arm and re-attached it to the King’s body. These actions were extremely important to the Tuatha De Danaan and especially to Nauda, because according to its laws, no one could ever be its king, whose body was not completely whole. If Nuada’s arm had not been re-attached to his body, through Airmid and Miach’s amazing skills, then his reign as King would have ended.

Airmid, Miach and Diancecht built the Well of Slaine in Ireland, which was also known as the Well of Health. They then caste spells over it, so that the well’s magickal waters could not only restore life to those warriors who had been killed in battle; it could actually return them all to perfect health. When a wounded warrior was brought to the well his body was immediately immersed in its waters, which not only brought him back to life, but also made him well enough to return to the battle.

However, during the second Battle of Moytura, things did not go well for the Tuatha De Danaan because their enemies had filled the Well of Slaine with stones. That made it impossible for them to bring their warriors bodies back to life, and the well soon became known as the “Heapstown Cairn.”

Airmid’s brother Miach was an extremely talented healer, and when Diancecht realized that his son’s abilities were so greatly superior to his own he became extremely jealous. Soon, that jealousy began to turn into rage, and that rage became so great that he drew his sword and slashed Miach quite badly. Miach, however, using his superior medical knowledge and magickal skills, immediately healed the wound.

That just made Diancecht’s anger grow even greater, and for a second time he drew his sword, this time cutting Miach through to the bone. Just as quickly, however, Miach was able to heal himself once more.

It was at that point that Diancecht finally lost what little control he had left over his rage and, once again taking his sword in his hand, he sliced directly into his son’s brain tissue. What happened then was truly miraculous. Miach showed himself to be the outstanding physician that he was, and he actually was able to heal himself one more time.

Finally, it became extremely clear that Diancecht’s hatred of his son had reached the point of no return. Slowly, Diancecht drew his sword and then, for the final time, he struck his son in the head, this time severing Miach’s brain completely from his skull. It was then that Diancecht just walked away, leaving his wounded son who was no longer able to heal himself lying there on the ground to die. Legend has it, that when Diancecht looked down upon his dying son, he never once exhibited even the slightest bit of remorse.

Airmid also had great magickal powers and herb craft was her specialty. Miach had taught her well, and she knew the different uses of each and every plant. When Airmid buried her brother it was with great sorrow. She missed him dearly, since they had always been so very close, and she frequently would go to visit his grave. One day, when she arrived at Miach’s grave, she was amazed to find 365 healing herbs growing on and around his grave, with one herb for every joint and organ of his body.

Methodically, Airmid began to gather up the herbs. Then, quite amazingly, the herbs began to speak to her, telling her of the full range of their healing powers. Airmid then took the herbs and separated each from the other. Then she arranged them systematically upon her cloak, each according to its own particular use or special properties. With the knowledge she had gained from the herbs, she then proceeded to use it to heal people who needed medical attention.

Amazingly, Diancecht’s obsessive hatred for his son did not end with Miach’s death. Still consumed by his enormous rage, Diancecht went over to Airmid’s cloak and overturned it, scattering all the herbs into the wind; thereby making certain that no one except Airmid would ever know the use of the herbs’ healing properties or the secret of how to achieve immortality which was made possible through the herbs proper use.

Even though Diancecht was her father, Airmid found herself unable to have any feelings for him, and refused to have anything to do with him. In fact, she found it so impossible to even go anywhere near him, that she travelled far away to a place where she would never have to see him again.

It is believed that Airmid still works as a Physician, high in the mountains of Ireland, spending much of her time healing Faeries, Elves and humans; bringing them all back to good health through her practical knowledge and amazing magickal skills.

Hathor

White Wolf Lady
Hathor

House of the Face or House of Horus

Hathor is the Egyptian sky Goddess, daughter of Ra by Nut and sometimes the wife and/or mother of Horus the Elder. Hathor was Egypt’s Goddess of love, music, pleasure, and dancing. As the embodiment of the ultimate female, Hathor was the protector of all women and supervised women’s toilet (makeup). Her symbols are the bronze mirror, girdle, lamp, ad all seductive scents including rose, myrtle, and benzoin. The lynx, cow, and sparrow are under her protection.

Deity of the Day for July 26th is Bellona, the Roman Goddess of War

Deity of the Day

Bellona

the Roman Goddess of War

Discover the legends and myths and religious beliefs surrounding Bellona, the Roman goddess of war and the war-cry. She was believed to have inspired a warlike frenzy, in which Roman legionnaires would fight in a nearly uncontrollable, rage and fury. Dies Sanguinis (Day of Blood) was a festival held in Ancient Rome on the 24th March, called Bellona’s Day, when devout adherents and priests of the cult of Bellona cut themselves and drank the sacrificial blood to propitiate the goddess. Her name is derived from the Latin word ‘bellum’ meaning war. The Greek counterparts of Bellona were Enyo and Eris.
Bellona, the Roman goddess of war
Bellona, the Roman goddess of war was believed to have been introduced to Roman soldiers during campaigns in Asia Minor under General Pompey and Sulla during the last century of the Roman Republic. Her cult also introduced the ferocious, masochistic and orgiastic rites (similar to those of the goddess Cybele) performed by Asian priests. Bellona is often depicted wearing a plumed helmet and armed with a spear and a torch. In the picture by Rubens of Bellona she carries a shield, called the Aegis, displaying the head of Medusa, the gorgon an attribute that is usually associated with Minerva
Temple of Bellona
The first temple to Bellona was built in the year 296 by the consul Appius Claudius and it was erected by the Circus Flaminius, located in the southern end of the Campus Martius. Campus Martius was located outside the city walls of Rome and was dedicated to Mars, the Roman god of war, with an ancient altar and became closely linked to soldiers and the army. Events, rituals and festivals associated with underworld deities were held in the Campus Martius. The festival in honor of Bellona was celebrated on June 3. Bellona also had had several shrines in Rome and another temple was dedicated to her in Ostia Antica, the harbour city of ancient Rome. Priests of Bellona would perform furious dances using weapons and armor in honor of the goddess of war and were known to wound and gash themselves in a frightful manner.
Priests of Bellona – the Bellonarii and Belladonna
The priests of Bellona were called the Bellonarii who practised a variety of masochistic rituals. These rites took place on the 24 March and on the day that was called the dies sanguinis meaning the “day of blood”. On the dies sanguinis, the “day of blood” the Bellonarii mutilated their own arms and legs with sharp knives, collecting the blood to either drink or offer to Bellona to invoke the war fury. The bellonaria plant (solanum) was used by priests at this festival. Its seeds were eaten by priests to induce hallucinogenic, prophetic and oracular states. The name Belladonna, deadly nightshade, is a corruption of the word bellonaria. Another festival called Megalesia was celebrated between April 4 – 10 in honor of Cybele, the fertility goddess. Her eunuch priests, called the Galli, also practised mutilation leading to incorrect historical connections between the worship of two goddesses and their festivals.
The Worship of Bellona, the Roman goddess of war
The Romans were highly practical and believed that their gods and goddesses controlled everything in their lives and therefore every occupation and task had its presiding Roman goddess or god. Bellona the Roman goddess of war was worshipped in the same way as any other Roman divinity with prayers and making vows, dedicating altars, sacrificing blood, animals, birds and offerings of milk, honey, grain, fruit, cakes, flowers, perfumes and wine. Black victims to the deities of the Underworld. The sex of a sacrificial animal had to correspond to the sex of the goddess to whom it was offered. The blood sacrifices made to Bellona, the goddess of war, would therefore have been a black ewe, cow or heifer, sow, hen or other female birds and conducted outside a temple. An even darker side to Bellona is revealed in relation to blood offerings as the earliest sacrifices are said to have been human.

 

Reference:

Tales Beyond Belief

Deity of the Day for July 14th is Pele, Hawaiian Goddess

Deity of the Day

Pele

Hawaiian Goddess

In the Hawaiian religion, Pele (pronounced /ˈpeɪleɪ/ pay-lay or [ˈpɛlɛ] pel-lə), the Fire Goddess, is the goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes and the creator of the Hawaiian Islands. Often referred to as “Madame Pele” or “Tūtū Pele” as a sign of respect, she is a well-known deity within Hawaiian mythology, and is notable for her contemporary presence and cultural influence as an enduring figure from ancient Hawaii. Epithets of the goddess include Pele-honua-mea (“Pele of the sacred land”) and Ka wahine ʻai honua (“The earth-eating woman”).

Legends

There are several traditional legends associated with Pele in Hawaiian mythology. In addition to being recognized as the goddess of volcanoes, Pele is also known for her power, passion, jealousy, and capriciousness. She has numerous siblings, including Kāne Milohai, Kamohoaliʻi, Nāmaka and numerous sisters named Hiʻiaka, the most famous being Hiʻiakaikapoliopele (Hiʻiaka in the bosom of Pele). They are usually considered to be the offspring of Haumea. Pele’s siblings include deities of various types of wind, rain, fire, ocean wave forms, and cloud forms. Her home is believed to be the fire pit called Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit caldera of Kīlauea, one of the Earth’s most active volcanoes; but her domain encompasses all volcanic activity on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi.

Pele shares features similar to other malignant deities inhabiting volcanoes, as in the case of the devil  as responsible for the eruptions of the volcano.

Expulsion version

In one version of the story, Pele is the daughter of Kanehoalani and Haumea in the mystical land of Kuaihelani, a floating free land like Fata Morgana. Kuaihelani was in the region of Kahiki (Kukulu o Kahiki). She stays so close to her mother’s fireplace with the fire-keeper Lono-makua. Her older sister Nā-maka-o-Kahaʻi, a sea goddess, fears that Pele’s ambition would smother the home-land and drives Pele away. Kamohoali’i drives Pele south in a canoe called Honua-i-a-kea with her younger sister Hiʻiaka and with her brothers Kamohoaliʻi, Kanemilohai, Kaneapua, and arrives at the islets above Hawaii. There Kane-milo-hai is left on Mokupapapa, just a reef, to build it up in fitness for human residence. On Nihoa, 800 feet above the ocean she leaves Kane-apua after her visit to Lehua and crowning a wreath of kau-no’a. Pele feels sorry for her younger brother and picks him up again. Pele used the divining rod, Pa‘oa to pick a new home. A group of chants tells of a pursuit by Namakaokaha’i and Pele is torn apart. Her bones, KaiwioPele form a hill on Kahikinui, while her spirit escaped to the island of Hawaiʻi.:157 (Pele & Hi’iaka A myth from Hawaii by Nathaniel B. Emerson)

Flood version

In another version, Pele comes from a land said to be “close to the clouds,” with parents Kane-hoa-lani and Ka-hina-liʻi, and brothers Ka-moho-aliʻi and Kahuila-o-ka-lani. From her husband Wahieloa (also called Wahialoa) she has a daughter Laka and a son Menehune. Pele-kumu-honua entices her husband and Pele travels in search of him. The sea pours from her head over the land of Kanaloa (perhaps the island now known as Kahoʻolawe) and her brothers say:

O the sea, the great sea!
Forth bursts the sea:
Behold, it bursts on Kanaloa!

The sea floods the land, then recedes; this flooding is called Kai a Kahhinalii (“The sea of Ka-hina-liʻi”), as Pele’s connection to the sea was passed down from her mother Kahinalii.:158

Pele and Poliʻahu

Pele was considered to be a rival of the Hawaiian goddess of snow, Poliʻahu, and her sisters Lilinoe (a goddess of fine rain), Waiau (goddess of Lake Waiau), and Kahoupokane (a kapa maker whose kapa making activities create thunder, rain, and lightning). All except Kahoupokane reside on Mauna Kea. The kapa maker lives on Hualalai.

One myth tells that Poliʻahu had come from Mauna Kea with her friends to attend sled races down the grassy hills south of Hamakua. Pele came disguised as a beautiful stranger and was greeted by Poliʻahu. However, Pele became jealously enraged at the goddess of Mauna Kea. She opened the subterranean caverns of Mauna Kea and threw fire from them towards Poliʻahu, with the snow goddess fleeing towards the summit. Poliʻahu was finally able to grab her now-burning snow mantle and throw it over the mountain. Earthquakes shook the island as the snow mantle unfolded until it reached the fire fountains, chilling and hardening the lava. The rivers of lava were driven back to Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. Later battles also led to the defeat of Pele and confirmed the supremacy of the snow goddesses in the northern portion of the island and of Pele in the southern portion.

Historical times[edit]

Pele belief continued after the old religion was officially abolished in 1819. In the summer of 1823 English missionary William Ellis toured the island to determine locations for mission stations.:236 After a long journey to the volcano Kīlauea with little food, Ellis eagerly ate the wild berries he found growing there.:128 The berries of the ʻōhelo (Vaccinium reticulatum) plant were considered sacred to Pele. Traditionally prayers and offerings to Pele were always made before eating the berries. The volcano crater was an active lava lake, which the natives feared was a sign that Pele was not pleased with the violation.:143 Although wood carvings and thatched temples were easily destroyed, the volcano was a natural monument to the goddess.

In December 1824 the High Chiefess Kapiʻolani descended into the Halemaʻumaʻu crater after reciting a Christian prayer instead of the traditional one to Pele. She was not killed as predicted, and this story was often told by missionaries to show the superiority of their faith.[10] Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809–1892) wrote a poem about the incident in 1892.

When businessman George Lycurgus ran a hotel at the rim of Kīlauea, called the Volcano House, he would often “pray” to Pele for the sake of the tourists. Park officials took a dim view of his habit of tossing items such as gin bottles (after drinking their contents) into the crater.

Plantation owner William Hyde Rice published a version of the story in his collection of legends.In 2003 the Volcano Art Center had a special competition for Pele paintings to replace one done in the early 20th century by D. Howard Hitchcock displayed in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park visitors center. Some criticized what looked like a blond caucasian as the Hawaiian goddess. Over 140 paintings were submitted, and finalists were displayed at sites within the park. The winner of the contest was Pahoa, Hawaii artist Arthur Johnsen. This version shows the goddess in shades of red, with a digging stick in her left hand (theʻōʻō, for which the currently erupting vent was named), and an embryonic form of Hiʻiaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele in her right hand. The painting is now on display at the Kīlauea Visitor Center on the edge of the Kīlauea crater.

 

Reference

Wikipedia