Dria El
June 11th, 2001, 09:28 PM
The Goddess
The Goddess is also known as the Great Mother, the Lady, and Gaia or Earthmother. Her realms of influence include fertility, summer, flowers and plants, love, healing, arts and the sea. Her directions are North and West and her elements are Earth and Water. In many pantheons the Goddess is a lunar deity (Moon goddess) while the God is symbolized by the Sun (solar). This tie to the moon is why the esbats, or monthly full/new moon meetings are primarily invoking the Goddess. The sabbats are generally solar holidays where the God takes precedence.
Also the Goddess is seen as a triple entity in the Four pantheons I will be putting forth for discussion. These aspects are Maiden, Mother, Crone, each corresponding with a certain phase of the moon.
Maiden=crescent moon (1st quarter)
Mother=full moon
Crone=dark or new moon
In Egyptian mythology there are three goddesses that have moon aspects. These are Selene-(maiden aspect), Isis-Queen of the Living (mother aspect) , and Nephthys-Queen of the Dead (crone aspect). Isis and Nephthys are interesting to me for they are sisters and opposites. Isis married Osiris, and Nephthys was Osiris' mistress. They each produced a child by Osiris, Horus--a sun god by Isis and Anubis--god of the underworld by Nephthys. Isis is the Queen of the Living while Nephthys is Queen of the Dead. Isis is a Full moon goddess while Nephthys is a Dark Moon Goddess. Each of their powers and abilities balance the others.
As in the Egyptian myths, in Greek there is no one Goddess that represents all three phases. The new moon phase is goverened by Artemis (maiden), the full moon by Selene (mother) and the dark moon phases by Hecate.
Artemis is a virgin goddess. She is the twin sister of Apollo by Leto and Zeus. She oversees the hunt, is a protector of young women, and is considered to be a goddess of fertility and childbirth.
Selene symbolizes the mother aspect of the triple goddess. She governs the time of the full moon--and is a protectress of marriage and brides as well as new lovers. She is also concerned with magick, spells and enchantments.
Hecate is the face of the Crone aspect of the triple goddess. She is considered to be the Goddess of the Crossroads and the underworld. Hecate is a patron goddess of the Amazons, a shapeshifter, and is sometimes called the Wise Woman. Her symbols were the key and the cauldron.
The three Celtic goddesses that symbolize the phases of the moon are Blodeuwedd (maiden--new moon), Arianrhod (mother--full moon) and Cerridwen (crone--dark moon).
Blodeuwedd is the maiden aspect of the triple goddess. She is a goddess of blooming earth, wisdom, lunar mysteries, and initiations. Her name literally means flower face. Blodeuwedd was created from flowers by Math and Gwydion (master enchanters) to be a wife for Llew Llaw Gyffes (also known as the God Lugh). When she became dissatisfied with him as a husband, she tried to arrange his death by assasination. As a punishment for her betrayal, she was turned into an owl. That is why her symbol is that of the owl.
Arianrhod is a symbol of the mother aspect of the triple goddess. Also called lady of the Silver Wheel. She is a goddess of beauty, fertility, reincarnation, and cycles. She is also the mother of Llew Llaw Gyffes.
Cerridwen symbolizes the crone aspect. She is called a Great Mother Goddess, and mother of the bard Taliesin. She oversees death and reborth, fertility, inspiration, magick & spells, as well as the sciences and knowledge. Her cauldron is considered to be a source of a potion called greal which bestowen knowledge and wisdom to the recipient.
For the Hindus the triple goddesses were Durga, Uma and Parvati. For this particular trinity they are all of the mother aspect.
Durga is a warrior goddess. Pictures of Durga show her as a ten armed woman that rides the back of a tiger while carrying a sword, trident and drum, as well as a bowl of blood. Durga is most known for sysmbolizing the wrath of a mother protecting her young. Her other realms of influence include death and destruction, power, protection and defense.
Parvati is a Himalayan/Hindu goddess. A mother goddess married to Shiva (who is called the Lord of the Dance) She represents the union of god and goddess, man and woman, and desire and ecstasy.
Uma is an earth/corn goddess. Also considered a goddess of light and beauty, and a mediator between the gods. She oversees light and beauty, fertility, the harvest, crops, and the earth.
The Goddess is also known as the Great Mother, the Lady, and Gaia or Earthmother. Her realms of influence include fertility, summer, flowers and plants, love, healing, arts and the sea. Her directions are North and West and her elements are Earth and Water. In many pantheons the Goddess is a lunar deity (Moon goddess) while the God is symbolized by the Sun (solar). This tie to the moon is why the esbats, or monthly full/new moon meetings are primarily invoking the Goddess. The sabbats are generally solar holidays where the God takes precedence.
Also the Goddess is seen as a triple entity in the Four pantheons I will be putting forth for discussion. These aspects are Maiden, Mother, Crone, each corresponding with a certain phase of the moon.
Maiden=crescent moon (1st quarter)
Mother=full moon
Crone=dark or new moon
In Egyptian mythology there are three goddesses that have moon aspects. These are Selene-(maiden aspect), Isis-Queen of the Living (mother aspect) , and Nephthys-Queen of the Dead (crone aspect). Isis and Nephthys are interesting to me for they are sisters and opposites. Isis married Osiris, and Nephthys was Osiris' mistress. They each produced a child by Osiris, Horus--a sun god by Isis and Anubis--god of the underworld by Nephthys. Isis is the Queen of the Living while Nephthys is Queen of the Dead. Isis is a Full moon goddess while Nephthys is a Dark Moon Goddess. Each of their powers and abilities balance the others.
As in the Egyptian myths, in Greek there is no one Goddess that represents all three phases. The new moon phase is goverened by Artemis (maiden), the full moon by Selene (mother) and the dark moon phases by Hecate.
Artemis is a virgin goddess. She is the twin sister of Apollo by Leto and Zeus. She oversees the hunt, is a protector of young women, and is considered to be a goddess of fertility and childbirth.
Selene symbolizes the mother aspect of the triple goddess. She governs the time of the full moon--and is a protectress of marriage and brides as well as new lovers. She is also concerned with magick, spells and enchantments.
Hecate is the face of the Crone aspect of the triple goddess. She is considered to be the Goddess of the Crossroads and the underworld. Hecate is a patron goddess of the Amazons, a shapeshifter, and is sometimes called the Wise Woman. Her symbols were the key and the cauldron.
The three Celtic goddesses that symbolize the phases of the moon are Blodeuwedd (maiden--new moon), Arianrhod (mother--full moon) and Cerridwen (crone--dark moon).
Blodeuwedd is the maiden aspect of the triple goddess. She is a goddess of blooming earth, wisdom, lunar mysteries, and initiations. Her name literally means flower face. Blodeuwedd was created from flowers by Math and Gwydion (master enchanters) to be a wife for Llew Llaw Gyffes (also known as the God Lugh). When she became dissatisfied with him as a husband, she tried to arrange his death by assasination. As a punishment for her betrayal, she was turned into an owl. That is why her symbol is that of the owl.
Arianrhod is a symbol of the mother aspect of the triple goddess. Also called lady of the Silver Wheel. She is a goddess of beauty, fertility, reincarnation, and cycles. She is also the mother of Llew Llaw Gyffes.
Cerridwen symbolizes the crone aspect. She is called a Great Mother Goddess, and mother of the bard Taliesin. She oversees death and reborth, fertility, inspiration, magick & spells, as well as the sciences and knowledge. Her cauldron is considered to be a source of a potion called greal which bestowen knowledge and wisdom to the recipient.
For the Hindus the triple goddesses were Durga, Uma and Parvati. For this particular trinity they are all of the mother aspect.
Durga is a warrior goddess. Pictures of Durga show her as a ten armed woman that rides the back of a tiger while carrying a sword, trident and drum, as well as a bowl of blood. Durga is most known for sysmbolizing the wrath of a mother protecting her young. Her other realms of influence include death and destruction, power, protection and defense.
Parvati is a Himalayan/Hindu goddess. A mother goddess married to Shiva (who is called the Lord of the Dance) She represents the union of god and goddess, man and woman, and desire and ecstasy.
Uma is an earth/corn goddess. Also considered a goddess of light and beauty, and a mediator between the gods. She oversees light and beauty, fertility, the harvest, crops, and the earth.