Lady Victoria Eclectic Pagan's blog: "Gods and Goddesses"

Baba Yaga - is a Slavic Crone of ancient Russia and the Baltic Regions, where the Goddess Culture for thousands of years in the region known as Old Europe. Baba Yaga is often seen as the gruesome Witch, who has a reputation of scaring forest dwellers and eat children for trespassing. Her house, like any good place of worship is said to move on it's own. Her lawn is covered in skulls and these were all who did not approach her with proper respect. Baba Yaga is a Goddess of Life, Death, and ultimately Rebirth, as she tested those who came to here. As a harvest Goddess, she plants us, raises us, cuts us down, stores us through the winter's night, and finally replants us. She represents that which is feared and that which we fear. Thinking on the Goddess Baba Yaga, remember what we fear will kill us if we turn our backs to it. It is better to face our fears no matter how gruesome, then to find our energy scattered and unable to return. Goddess of death and regeneration. Baba Yaga can appear as either an old crone or a beautiful young woman. Baba Yaga lives in darkness and eats people, but she has the gift of prophecy as well. "Grandmother Bony-shanks". A terrifying Witch who flew through the air in a mortar using the pestle as a rudder and sweeping away her tracks with a broom. She lived in a revolving house which stood on chicken legs. Her fence was made of human bones and was topped with skulls. The keyhole was a mouth filled with sharp teeth. She would aid those who were strong and pure of heart and eat those who were not. She is seen as a Goddess of death and initiation. Goddess of death and regeneration. Baba Yaga can appear as either an old crone or a beautiful young woman. Baba Yaga lives in darkness and eats people, but she has the gift of prophecy as well. Bereginy - Traditionally "covens" of old women performed the rituals and sacrifices for these river bank nymphs. Bóginki means "little Goddess". They were said to steal human babies and leave behind changelings called Odmience in Polish, Oborotni in Russian.These spirits were the original spirits of life and predate the sky deities. They are the forerunners of the Rusalki Bolotnyi - swamp, female bog spirit Dennitsa - Slavonic morning star Goddess, her sister Vechernyaya being the evening star. Together they help Zorya, the Dawn tend the Sun's white horse. Some say that Dennitsa is the wife of Myestyas, the Male moon. The Sunrise, opens the gates of the heavens in the morning to allow the Sun to make its journey across the skies. Wieczorniaia (Polish) is the Sunset, and welcomes the Sun back after the day's journey is completed, closing the gates behind him. It is to the crone aspect, Polnoca, that the Sun ultimately returns, as she is death and rebirth; he "dies" each day, is rejuvenated in her arms to be reborn and return in the morning. Devana - Goddess of the hunt. Young, beautiful, she rode a swift horse through the forest of the Elbe and the Carpathians, with a pack hounds. A name form of Diana. Dimste - Household Goddess. Dodola from "doit" - to give milk. A South Slavic cloud/rain goddess. Rain was thought to be a form of divine milk, sometimes thought to be from Dodola, sometimes the milk of Mokosh. Often, the clouds were perceived to be heavenly women or even cows. In Serbia, the rites of Dodola were kept up until quite recently: During a drought a girl, called Dodola, clad only in greenery and flowers was led through the village while her companions sang "Dodola" songs: We pass through the village, and the clouds across the sky. We go quicker, and the clouds go quicker, But the clouds have overtaken us and have bedewed the fields. We go through the village, and the clouds across the sky, and see, a ring drops from the clouds. Afterwards, the girl dances and spins while the woman douse her with water. This practice is thought to convince the heavenly women, clouds, to rain upon the earth, represented by the greenery. Domawiczka - Female Domovoi or wife of the Domovoi. May be the same as the Kikimora. There are very few reports on this spirit, but they usually involve her rewarding anyone who bathes or finds her baby. Dogoda - The gentle West wind. Dugnai - House Goddess, who prevents the dough from spoiling. Dziewona - (See Devana) This huntress was said to run throughout the Carpathian forests. A version of Diana whose legend is probably due to contact with the Romanians. Gabija - Goddess of Fire and the Hearth Giltine - the Death Goddess Grauduse - Dangerous Baltic Sea Goddess who drowned people Gyvate - biological fertility, life, immortality Junda - Goddess of War Jurata - A Baltic Sea Goddess who took the form of a mermaid. She was said to live in an underwater palace made of amber polished to look like gold. The mighty Perun fell in love with her beauty, but Jurata had eyes only for a human fisherman. The jealous God of Thunder send down a bolt of lightning which killed both Jurata and her fisherman. When pieces of amber wash ashore, they are said to be pieces of Jurata's ruined palace. Another version of this myth has her palace and lover destroyed by her own sea father who disapproved of her romance with a mere mortal. During storms it is said one may still here her lamenting over the loss of her lover. Folk tales tell us that Jurata fell in love with a human fisherman, much to the jealous ire of Piórun, the God of Thunder. He caused a great lightning storm, which chained the fisherman to the bottom of the sea and caused Jurata's amber palace to shatter. It is said that to this day, any time there is a lightning storm on the Baltic, you can hear the fisherman's cries, and small pieces of Jurata's amber palace wash up on the shore. Karta - Latvian Goddess of Fate and Destiny Kaupole - Goddess of Vegetation Kikimora - The Domestic Goddess (in some places, wife of the house-god Domovoi). If the housewife was lazy, Kikimora gave trouble and tickled the children at night. She was placated by washing pots and pans in fern tea. Female house spirit who usually lives in the cellar or behind the stove. She comes out at night to spin and will look after the housework and the chickens if the home is well tended. If the household is a sloppy one she will wine, whistle and tickle the children at night. She is sometimes married to the domovik. To appease an angry Kikimora, you should wash all your pots and pans in a fern tea. She appears as an average woman with hair down (Slavic women always kept their heads covered) or sometimes with chicken feet. She would occasionally appear, spinning, to one about to die. Krimba - A house Goddess Krumine - Goddess of blossoming vegetation and corn ears Koliada - spirit of the winter solstice Kupalo - spirit of the summer solstice, associated with Kupalo's Day (June 24) A goddess of water, sorcery and herbal lore. Kuplula personifies the magical and spiritual power inherent in water, and Kupula's devotees worshiped her with ritual baths and offerings of flowers cast upon water. Since fire as well as water has powers of purification, her worshipers also danced aroudn and leaped over huge bonfires. Frequently her effigy was burned or cast into pools of water. Kupula's cult preserved an extensive lore of magical plants and herbs which gave men the power to read minds, control evil spirits, find hidden treasures, and win the love of beautiful women. Although many references are made to this deity either being a water Goddess or another version of the sacrificial god, Jarilo, Kupalo is a "seasonal" deity of the Summer Solstice. It was customary in Slavic culture to create an effigy named after the holiday which they were welcoming in. At the end of the holiday, the effigy was torn apart and tossed into the fields. A goddess of water, sorcery and herbal lore. Kuplula personifies the magical and spiritual power inherent in water, and Kupula's devotees worshiped her with ritual baths and offerings of flowers cast upon water. Since fire as well as water has powers of purification, her worshipers also danced around and leaped over huge bonfires. Frequently her effigy was burned or cast into pools of water. Kupula's cult preserved an extensive lore of magical plants and herbs which gave men the power to read minds, control evil spirits, find hidden treasures, and win the love of beautiful women. Lada - Variously thought to be the mother of Lel' and Polel', a god of the underworld and marriage, or not a deity at all; Rybakov considers her the goddess of spring and mother of Lelia Lada is the Slavic goddess of love and beauty. In Russia, when a couple is happily married, it is said they "live in lada", in love. Lad is also a word meaning "peace, union, harmony" as in the proverb "When a husband and wife have lad, they don't require klad (Treasure)" - Ralston, p.105. She is said to reside in the underworld, vrij, until the Vernal Equinox. Maslenica, when she returns, bringing the lark and springtime with her. Like Jarilo, Lada is often portrayed as a goddess who is born and dies yearly. Her sacred tree is the lime/linden, supposedly because its leaves are shaped like hearts. As a Slavonian love song goes: "As the bee is drawn by the linden-bloom (or lime-perfume), My heart is drawn by thee." - Leland, p.138 One story has her married to Swarog who without her could not have created the world. Other sources give her a brother/lover named Lado which would make them divine twins such as Freya and Frey. There is also some mention of her two sons, Lel & Polel, and occasionally that of a daughter, Liuli. Laima - Goddess of Fate Laumes - the Fey Women Lazdona - Hazelnut Tree Goddess Lelia - possibly the daughter of Lada Leshachikha - Slavonic forest Goddess, wife of the forest god the Leshy and mother of Leshonki. The Leshies died in October and revived in Spring. They were jealous of their territory, leading those who entered it astray- but almost releasing them in the end. The spell against them was to take off your clothes under a tree and put them back on again backwards. Female Leszi. Sometimes an ugly woman with large breasts, sometimes a naked young girl - or a woman in white as tall as the trees. Linksmine - Goddess of Good Cheer, invoked at banquets Morana - Her name derived from the ancient slavic word "mor" meaning death, she is the Goddess of winter and death, wife to Tchernobog or Chrt, mother to Bjesomar, rules the depths of Temnava with her husband, she then comes out to the world at the beginning of every winter only to be defeated by Vesna at the beginning of every spring. Marzanna - Goddess who helped the growth of fruit. Death and winter personified. the Marzanna appeared as an old woman dressed in white. Annually, an effigy of her was made, escorted to the edge of the village and thrown out. In Poland it was burned then "drowned". This was customary as both the fire of the sun, and the rainwaters were needed for the fertility of the crops. Matergabia - Goddess directing the housekeeping, to whom one offered the first piece of bread from a new batch. Matka or Mata Syra Zjemlja - Earth Goddess. In some regions, in August, she was invoked protectively facing East, West, South and North, with libations of hemp oil. She could prophesy, if one could understand her. The oath in her name was binding and incontestable. As late as this century, Russian peasant women performed a rite to her to ward of plague, nine virgins and the widows, clad only in their shifts, would plough a furrow round the village, shrieking. Any man who met them was struck down mercilessly. Not a name, but a title which means Moist Mother Earth. An earth goddess. The most ancient and possibly the most important of the Slavic gods. Ever fruitful and powerful, Mati Syra Zemlia was worshiped well into the twentieth century. Mother Earth was an oracle whom anyone could consult without any need for a priest or shaman as a go-between. The Slavs felt the profoundest respect for Mother Earth. Peasants settled property disputes by appealing to Mother Earth to witness the truth of their claims, and oaths were sworn in her name."...Matushka Zemlia, Mother Earth, giving suck from bountiful breasts to countless children. When the peasants spoke of Matushka Zemlia, their eyes, usually dull and expressionless, were flooded with love, like the eyes of children who see their mother at a distance." - Shmarya Levin Moist Mother Earth, seems to have never been personified as other Earth Goddesses were (given human form), but worshiped in her natural form. She may, however, be the same Goddess as Mokosh. Along with the ancestral worship shown in the belief in household spirits, Earth worship was most adamantly clung to despite the Christianizing of the Slavic world. She had absolute sanctity and no one was allowed to strike her or begin farming until her birthgiving time at Maslenica. Memorial day and Assumption day (sorry - I have no dates as of yet) were her name days so no plowing or digging could be done then. Anyone spitting on the Earth had to beg her forgiveness. Property disputes were settled by calling her to witness the justice of the claims. Oaths and marriages were confirmed by swallowing a clump of earth or holding it on the head. Boundaries were measured while walking them with a clump of earth on the head. Villages were protected from cattle plague & epidemic by plowing a furrow around them to release Mother Earth's power. If no priest was present, sins were confessed to the earth and into the 20th century survived the custom of begging the Earth's forgiveness prior to death. Earth worship was transferred to the cult of Mary and is why she is such a central part of Slavic Christianity. Unlike other nature deities, Mata Syra Zemlja was never personified as a Goddess with human features. In the early 1900's to save their village from plague of cholera the older women circled the village at midnight quietly getting the younger women to come out. Without the men's knowledge, they chose nine maidens and three widows who were led out of the village and undressed down to their shifts. The maidens let their hair down, white shawls covered the heads of the widows. They armed themselves with ploughs and items of frightening appearance such as animal skulls.The maidens took up scythes and the entire procession marched around the village, howling and shrieking, while ploughing a deep furrow to release the spirits of the Earth. Any man who came upon the procession was felled by the maidens "without mercy". Not a name, but a title which means Moist Mother Earth. An earth goddess. The most ancient and possibly the most important of the Slavic gods. Ever fruitful and powerful, Mati Syra Zemlia was worshiped well into the twentieth century. Mother Earth was an oracle whom anyone could consult without any need for a priest or shaman as a go-between. The Slavs felt the profoundest respect for Mother Earth. Peasants settled property disputes by appealing to Mother Earth to witness the truth of their claims, and oaths were sworn in her name. Mat' syra zemlia - Moist Mother Earth, personification of the earth as a female deity Medeine - Goddess of Woods and Trees Medziojima - Goddess of the Hunt, portrayed with a masculine face, a bow and bear-skin. Milda - Goddess of Love and Freedom, portrayed as a nude woman who drives a chariot pulled by doves Mjésjac - The Moon Deity- Sometimes seen as "The Sun's old bald uncle", sometimes his wife who grows older every winter as she moves away from her husband across the sky. In the summer, her youth returns and they are once again re-united and remarried. Mokosh - The goddess who both gives and takes life, the spinner of the thread of life, the giver of the water of life. Mokosh later became PARASKEVA-PIATNITSA, a goddess of spinning, water, fertility, health with marriage. Mokosh' only female deity included among Vladimir's idols, possibly associated with Moist Mother Earth (14); Rybakov associates her with fertility, bounty, moisture, women's work, the protection of maidens (16), October 28 (Saint Paraskeva-Friday). The goddess who both gives and takes life, the spinner of the thread of life, the giver of the water of life. Mokosh later became PARASKEVA-PIATNITSA, a goddess of spinning, water, fertility, health with marriage. Mokosz - Her name means "moisture" and she may be the personified version of Mati Syra Ziemlja (Moist Mother Earth). Images of her survive to this day in Russian embroidery with arms raised, flanked by two horsemen. She is usually described as having a large head & long arms. In Onolets, she was believed to walk abroad or spin wool at night and if a sheep mysteriously lost it's hair, it meant that Mokosh had sheared them. Mokosh is associated with weaving, spinning, and perhaps that is why she is seen as the Goddess of fate. She is also seen as a Goddess of fertility and bounty. Some sources say she rules over occult knowledge and divination. She is also sometimes referred to as wife of Swarog which would then create a marriage of "heaven" and "earth". Rybakov called her the Great Mother Goddess of the Slavs. 16th century church chronicles contain a question posed to women parishioners "Did you not go to Mokosz?" It was believed that if Mokosz were pleased with the women's offerings, she would help the women with their laundry. This helps to support some people's theory that Mokosz was actually a water Goddess. As a wandering goddess, she is thought to be tied into the fertility of the earth and rain is sometimes called "Mokosz milk." Mokosz has survived in the legends of Mokosha - minor female spirits who punish women for spinning on Friday, Mokosh sacred day. Her worship was transfered to that of St. Paraskeva-Friday. Mokosh' Feast Day - Mokosh was honored on the Friday between Oct 25 and Nov 1. She was given offerings of vegetables and vegetables seem to have been the focal point of the day. One reference fixes this date on Oct 28. Mokosz Myestyas - Usually a Moon goddess but sometimes represents as the Sun's beautiful wife, who he remarries each Spring and abandons each winter. Nijole - Goddess of the Underworld Numeja Household Goddess Oynyena - Maria Assistant and counselor of the thunder god Peroun. Probably an early fire goddess. Perchta - Fertility goddess, Bride of the Sun. Her feast was celebrated at Salzburg as late as 1941 by wearing of masks, those of beauty for spring and summer, those without beauty for autumn. Pergrube - Agricultural Goddess Poludnitsa - North Russian field goddess. Tall, young and beautiful, dresses entirely in white. If she found anyone harvesting at midday, she would pull his or her hair out, and she would lose little children in the corn. Psezpolnica in Serbian (poh-wood-NEET-sah) Lady Midday, from "Poluden" - noon. She may appear as a 12-yr old girl, a beautiful woman or an old hag but is only seen at the hottest part of a summer's day. She is known to steal children or lead them astray in the fields and Russian mothers threaten their children with "Be good or the Poludnica will get you. She sometimes pulls the hair of farm workers or attacks women who have just given birth and wander out at noontime. She carries a scythe and will stop people in the field to either ask difficult questions or engage them in conversation. If the person fails to answer a question or tries to change the subject of the conversation, the Poludnica will strike them with illness or cut off their head (Poland). The Wends, German Slavs, called her pscipolnitsa and pictured her as carrying shears, a symbol of death. When not in the fields or streets, the Poludnica was said to float on the winds. Marija Gimbutas calls her "sunstroke" personified. It is thought that the Poludnica was the explanation for the dangers of working in the noon heat and remained a part of more recent legend because of her usefulness in scaring children away from valuable crops. Polunocnica - "lady midnight". A "demon" said to torment children in the middle of the night. May have originally been the third Zorya of midnight Poluvirica - "female half-believer". This forest spirit probably had an earlier name but was later called poluvirica due to the belief that non-Christians returned after death as various home and forest spirits. She appears naked, with a long face, long hanging breasts and three braids of hair down her back. She is usually seen carrying a child. Ragana - Witch Goddess Ragutiene - Goddess of Beer Rasa - Goddess of Morning Dew Rugiu BobaRugiu Boba - Old One of the Rye. Rusalka - Female water Spirit. These souls of unbabtized babies or drowned maidens became beautiful pale girls with long flowing hair. They wear white or are sometimes naked, usually with poppies in their hair. They lived in the waters during the winter, but moved to the forests and fields during Rusal'naia week (hence the name) where they could often be seen perched in trees. A danger to humans, the Rusalki may lead cattle astray, steal children, fall upon people from the treetops and tickle them to death or kidnap young lads to take as lovers. They love to come out in the moonlight to sing and dance the khorovod (circle dance). If they find someone bathing near where they dance, often, they will drown them. Tying ribbons to trees in which they were known to perch is one way to appease them. Linens and scarves, as well as eggs were also left as offerings. Before these nature spirits were associated with the souls of the "unclean" dead, it is believed they were the spirits who brought moisture to forest and field. Rozhanitsy - minor goddess of birth; Rybakov associates her with the harvest (September 9) Saule - The Sun Goddess Vaiva - Goddess of the Rainbow Varuna - Goddess of the Tides and Changing Moon VED'MA - A demon goddess who flies over the clouds and mountains on a broom or rake. Ved'ma causes storms, keeps the water of life and death, and knows the magical properties of plants. Ved'ma can be young and beautiful or old and ugly as she pleases. Veju Motina - Mother of the Four Winds Valiuona - Goddess of the Shades of the Dead Velyke - Easter Goddess Vesna - Female fairy-like spirits who live in the wilderness and sometimes clouds. They were believed to be the spirits of women who had been frivolous in their lifetimes and now floated between here and the afterlife. They sometimes appear as the swans, snakes, horses, falcons, or wolves that they can shapeshift into but usually appear as beautiful maidens, naked or dressed in white with long flowing hair. It is said that if even one of these hairs is plucked, the Wila will die, or be forced to change back to her true shape.A human may gain the control of a Wila by stealing feathers from her wings.Once she gets them back, however, she will disappear. The voices of the Wila are as beautiful as they, and one who hears them loses all thoughts of food, drink or sleep, sometimes for days. Despite their feminine charms, however, the Wila are fierce warriors. The earth is said to shake when they do battle. They have healing and prophetic powers and are sometimes willing to help mankind. Other times they lure young men to dance with them, which according to their mood can be a very good orvery bad thing for the lad. They ride on horses or deer when they hunt with their bows and arrows and will kill any man who defies them or breaks his word. Fairy rings of deep thick grass are left where they have danced which should never be trod upon (bad luck). Offerings for Wila consist of round cakes, ribbons, fresh fruits and vegetables or flowers left at sacred trees and wells and at fairy caves. "Spring". A Vernal Goddess. Wila, Vily, Vile, Veles - Female fairy-like spirits who live in the wilderness and sometimes clouds. They were believed to be the spirits of women who had been frivolous in their lifetimes and now floated between here and the afterlife. They sometimes appear as the swans, snakes, horses, falcons, or wolves that they can shapeshift into but usually appear as beautiful maidens, naked or dressed in white with long flowing hair. It is said that if even one of these hairs is plucked, the Wila will die, or be forced to change back to her true shape.A human may gain the control of a Wila by stealing feathers from her wings.Once she gets them back, however, she will disappear. The voices of the Wila are as beautiful as they, and one who hears them loses all thoughts of food, drink or sleep, sometimes for days. Despite their feminine charms, however, the Wila are fierce warriors. The earth is said to shake when they do battle. They have healing and prophetic powers and are sometimes willing to help mankind. Other times they lure young men to dance with them, which according to their mood can be a very good or very bad thing for the lad. They ride on horses or deer when they hunt with their bows and arrows and will kill any man who defies them or breaks his word. Fairy rings of deep thick grass are left where they have danced which should never be trod upon (bad luck). Offerings for Wila consist of round cakes, ribbons, fresh fruits and vegetables or flowers left at sacred trees and wells and at fairy caves. Zemyna - the Earth Goddess ZORIA - (Also ZARIA) The heavenly bride, goddess of beauty and morning. At down her worshippers greeted her as "the brightest maiden, pure, sublime, honorable." Zorya - Warrior Goddess, in association with the Sun god Perun. Protectress of warriors. Priestess/goddess of Bouyan, a happy island with a river whose water cures all ills, below the river was land of the dead. These daughters of Dazhdbog are the Auroras of dawn and dusk, and sometimes have a third sister, midnight (perhaps, Polunocnica). They are the Guardians of the God or hound, which is chained to the constellation, Ursa Major. Like the Fenris wolf of the Norse mythos, this creature will destroy the world if it ever breaks free. Each morning, Zorya Utrenyaya opens the gates of Dazhdbog's Eastern palace so he may ride across the sky. In the evening, Zorya Vechernyaya closes the gates after her father's daily ride is finished. Their other two sisters, Zezhda Dennitsa and Vechernyaya Zezhda, the morning star and evening star are the caretakers of their father's horses and are sometimes considered to be the same two goddesses. These Goddesses, associated with Venus, are sometimes merged into one warrior Goddess, Zorya, who hides and protects warriors with her veil Zorya - Utrennyaya Dawn Goddess, opening the gates of Heaven each morning for the Sun to start his journey. One myth says that the three Zoryas, of evening, morning, and midnight, might have charge of a dog tied by an iron chain to the constellation Ursa Minor. When the chain braks, the world will come to an end. Zorya - Vechernyaya Sunset goddess, closeing the gates of Heaven after the Sun has completed his daily journey Zvoruna - Lithuanian dog Goddess, protector of animals and Patroness of the hunt. Zverune - Goddess of Wild Beasts.

Amphitrite - Sea Goddess. Ananke - Necessity. Neo-Platonic-Pythagorean Goddess Who governed the world according to Karmic Law. Aspect of the Triple Goddess with Dike and Heimarmene. Aphrodite - Goddess of Love. Arachne - Goddess of Spinning, Weaving, Thread arts. Spinner of the Web of Fate. Artemis - Amazonian Moon Goddess of the Hunt. Athene - Goddess of Wisdom. Baubo - Greek Goddess of Laughter. Buto - Serpent Goddess aka Uazit. Cer (Ker) - Goddess of violent death. Ceto - Sea Goddess. Circe - Death Goddess, falcon Her bird. Pure Mother Bee. Poppy Her flower. Coronis - Crow Goddess Daphne - Laurel Goddess. Oleander Her plant. Demeter - Doorway of the Mysterious Feminine. Eos - Birth Goddess, Rosy-fingered Dawn. Eurynome - Mediterranean Dove Goddess, Universal One, Pelasgian Creatress Who danced alone on the primordial ocean of Chaos until She brought the elements to order. Eurydice - Greek Mother of Fate, the Orphic name for Goddess of the Underworld. Snakes were Her sacred animals, and constant companions. . Gaea - Mother Earth, Mother of the Gods, the Deep Breasted One, Oldest of Divinities. Galatea - Milk-giving Goddess. She Who made the Wheel of the Stars with Her Milk. Hebe - Maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess, Hebe.Hera.Hecate. She governed the Tree of Life with itÕs Magic Apples of Immortality. Goddess of Youth. Hecate - Moon Goddess, Protectress of childbirth. Her totem was a Frog. Wise Crone of the Hebe.Hera.Hecate triple Goddess. She is worshipped where three roads meet. Goddess of Magic and Prophecy. Protectress of travelers. Monkshood (Wolfbane) Her plant. Goddess of the Dark of the Moon, the black nights when the Moon is hidden. Often depicted with a basket. Henna sacred to Her, and willow, Her tree. Hera - Great Mother of the Triple Goddess, Hebe, Hera, Hecate. Pomegranate Her fruit. Protectress of married women. Cow and Peacock are sacred to Her. Cuckoo, as the rainbird was sacred to Her. Lily, Her flower. Hestia - Goddess of the Hearth. Hygeia - Health. She and Her Sister Goddess Panacea sprang from the milk of the Goddess Rhea. Io - Moon. The White Cow Goddess Who Mothered the Ionians. Iris - Goddess of the Rainbow. Source of the waters from on high, Mother of Love. Bridge between Heaven and Earth. Messenger of the gods. Gathered the souls of women. Iris is Her flower. Kore - Holy Virgin, Inner Soul of Mother Earth. One of the earliest designations of the Female Spirit of the Universe. Leda - Goddess Who gave birth to the World Egg. Swan is Her totem. Leto - Greek Mother of the Moon and Sun (Artemis and Apollo). Maia - Grandmother of Magic, Mother of Greeks Enlightened One, Hermes. White Goddess. Her tree the Hawthorne, also called the May tree. Nike - Pre-Hellenic Victory Goddess of Samothrace. Oenothea - Wine Goddess. Dispenser of Immortality, keeping gods and men alive with Her Magic Ambrosia. Pandia - All Goddess, one of three daughters of the Moon in Greece. A title of the female Trinity. Her two sisters were Erse and Nemea. Pandora - All Giver, title of Earth Goddess Rhea. She poured out blessings from Her honey-vase called a pithos. Pangaea - Universal Gaea, title of the Earth Mother at Her mountain shrine in Thrace. She was called Ida, Olympia, Panorma, Universal Mountain Mother. Penelope - She Whose Face is Veiled. Greek Goddess of Fate. The Weaver. Persephone - Queen of the Underworld. Pitys - Fir tree Goddess. Satyrs wore fir twigs in Her honor. Selene - Variant of Semele -Moon Goddess Semele - Mother of Dionysus. Associated with both the Earth and the Moon. Themis - Pre-Hellenic Creatress. Tyche - Greek Fortune, Goddess of Destiny.

Airmed Goddess of the Tuatha de Danaan, the most ancient deities of Ireland. She had great magical powers and herb craft was Her specialty. Ardwinna Continental Celtic Goddess of the Wildwood. She demanded a fine for every animal killed in Her wood, which She was said to oversee mounted on a wild boar. Artio Great Goddess of wildlife in Celtic Gaul and Britain. Achtland Pan-Celtic, A Goddess queen whom no mortal man could satisfy, she took a giant from the faery realm as her mate. Legend says that she took great pleasure combing his long, fair hair. Adsullata British, A Goddess of hot springs who came to Brittany from Celtic Gaul. She is the origin of the Anglo-Celtic sun Goddess Sul, and was most likely a minor sun Goddess in her own right before the time when the Celts relegated the majority of their sun images to male deities, and moon images to female ones. Aerten Cornish, Anglo-Celtic, Welsh, Also spelled Aerfen, or Aeron. A Goddess of fate who presided over the outcome of war between several Celtic clans. Agrona Welsh, Anglo-Celtic, Goddess of slaughter and war often equated with the Morrigan. Aife Scottish, Also spelled Aoife. Aife was a Goddess and queen of the Isle of Shadow, an honor she shared with her rival and sister Scathach. Aine AN-yuh, Ireland, a woman of the Leanan Sidhe (Sweetheart of the Sidhe). Some said she was the daughter of Manannan, some said she was the Morrigan herself. Andarta Gallic, Fertility Goddess and patron Goddess of the Vocontii tribe. Andraste Romano-Celtic; British; Anglo-Celtic; Continental Europe, The patron Goddess of the Iceni tribe. Anu Ireland, goddess of plenty and Mother Earth. Greatest of all Irish goddesses, deity of cattle, health, fertility, prosperity, and comfort. Aoibhell Evill, Ireland; another woman of the Sidhe, she made her dwelling in Craig Liath. Ariande Continental European, This Goddess of ancient Crete is the only Greek deity known to have been worshipped in Celtic Gaul. Arianrhood Wales. "Silver Wheel"; "High Fruitful Mother"; star goddess; sky goddess; virgin; goddess of reincarnation; Full Moon goddess. Her palace was called Caer Arianrhod (Aurora Borealis). Keeper of the circling Silver Wheel of Stars, a symbol of time or karma. This wheel was also known as the Oar Wheel, a ship which carried dead warriors to the Moonland (Emania). Mother of Lleu Llaw Gyffes and Dylan by her brother Gwydion. Her original consort was Nwyvre (Sky or Firmament). Mother aspect of the Triple Goddess in Wales. Honored at the Full Moon. Beauty, fertility, reincarnation. She is the "virgin queen" who dwells in the spiral castle and controls the tides. Arnamentia Anglo-Celtic, Romano-Celtic, British, Water Goddess known only from inscriptions. Aveta Romano-Celtic Gallic, Goddess of birth and midwifery. Banba Irish Earth Goddess. Land Unplowed for a Year. Ban Naomha Irish Fish Goddess. Becuma Irish Goddess of the Magic Boat. Blancheflor White Flower, Celtic Lily Maid Who represented the Maiden aspect of the triple Goddess. The red flower stands for the Mother and the black bird for the Crone, according to the three sacred colors of the Gunas. Branwen Goddess of Regeneration Who kept the Cauldron of Regeneration. Alder was Her tree. The White Bosomed One. Welsh Love goddess. Venus of the Northern Sea. The crow is Her animal. She is the White Crow. Bodua Continental Celtic War Goddess. Badb Bibe, Ireland, goddess of enlightenment, inspiration, life, wisdom. Sister of Macha, the Morrigan, and Anu, the name of this goddess means "boiling," "battle raven," and "scald-crow." Belisama Celtic, Goddess of light and fire, the forge and of crafts. She is the wife of the god Belenus (Beli) and the Goddess of the Mersey River. Blodeuwedd Wales. "Flower Face"; "White Flower". Lily maid of Celtic initiation ceremonies. Also known as the Nine-fold Goddess of the Western Isles of Paradise. Created by Math and Gwydion as a wife for Lleu. She was changed into an owl for her adultery and plotting Lleu's death. The Maiden form of the Triple Goddess; her symbol was the owl; goddess of the Earth in bloom. Flowers, wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations Boann (b00-an)/BOANNAN/BOYNE Ireland. Goddess of the river Boyne; mother of Angus mac Og by the Dagda. Once there was a well shaded by nine magic hazel trees. These trees bore crimson nuts which gave knowledge of everything in the world. Divine salmon lived in the well and ate the nuts. No one, not even the high gods, was allowed to go near the well. But Boann went anyway. The well waters rose to drive her away, but they never returned. Instead they became the River Boyne and the salmon became inhabitants of the river. Other Celtic river goddesses: Siannan (Shan- non), Sabrina (Severn), Sequana (Seine), Deva (Dee), Clota (Clyde), Verbeia (Wharfe), Brigantia (Braint, Brent). Healing. Brigit Ireland, Wales, Spain, France. "Power"; "Renown"; "High One"; "Fiery Arrow or Power" (Breo-saighead). Daughter of the Dagda; called the poetess. Often called The Triple Brigids, Three Blessed Ladies of Britain, The Three Mothers. Another aspect of Danu; associated with Imbolc. She had an exclusive female priesthood at Kildare and an ever-burning sacred fire. The number of her priestesses was nineteen, representing the nineteen-year cycle of the Celtic "Great Year". Her kelles were sacred prostitutes and her soldiers brigands. Goddess of fire, fertility, the hearth, all feminine arts and crafts, and martial arts. Healing, physicians, agriculture, inspiration, learning, poetry, divination, prophecy, smithcraft, animal husbandry, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge. She was originally a goddess of the land of Leinster and daughter of the Dagda. Britannia Romano-Celtic British, Tutelary Goddess. The genia loci of Britain who first appears on the coinage of Antoninius Pius in the 2nd century AD. She became the symbol of the British Empire after being partly syncretized with the war goddess Minerva. Canola Ancient Irish Goddess. Inventor of the Irish harp. Carman Irish Goddess of Sterility. Cessair (Kesara) Early Irish Earth goddess. When Ireland coalesced out of the Underworld, the first beings to reach it were the followers of Cessair, a chieftain Who brought with Her 50 women and 3 men. Cailleach Bheur Scottish, Irish, Manx, Great Goddess in her Destroyer aspect; called "Veiled One". Another name is Scota, from which Scotland comes. In parts of Britain she is the Goddess of Winter. She was an ancient Goddess of the pre-Celtic peoples of Ireland. She controlled the seasons and the weather; and was the goddess of earth and sky, moon and sun. Cerriwden Wales. Moon Goddess; Great Mother; grain goddess; goddess of Nature. The white corpse-eating sow representing the Moon. Wife of the giant Tegid and mother of a beautiful girl Creirwy and an ugly boy Avagdu. Welsh Bards called themselves Cerddorion (sons of Cerridwen). The Bard Taliesin, founder of their craft, was said to be born of Cerridwen and to have tasted a potent brew from her magic cauldron of inspiration. This potion known as 'greal' (from which the word Grail probably came), was made from six plants for inspiration and knowledge. Gwion Bach (later called Taliesin) accidentally drank the remaining three drops of the liquid. Her symbol was a white sow. Death, fertility , regeneration, inspiration, magic, astrology, herbs, science, poetry, spells, knowledge. She appears as a Goddess of Inspiration, a sorceress, a Fairy woman, shapeshifter, and crone. Cliodna Irish, Scottish, Goddess of beauty and the otherworld. A Tuatha sea and Otherworld Goddess who often took the form of a sea bird and, as such, symbolized the Celtic afterlife. Clota Scottish, Popular Goddess of the River Clyde. Condwiramur Welsh, Cornish, An archetypal guardian of the feminine mysteries and a Goddess of sovereignty who appears briefly in the Grail legends as the wife of Sir Percival. Corra Scottish, A Goddess of prophecy who usually appeared in the form of a crane. Coventina Anglo-Celtic, Scottish, British, Tutelary and water Goddess of uncertain affinities. Cred Irish, Scottish, Also Creide. This faery queen Goddess is associated with Dana's mountains, the Paps of Any. Creddylad Welsh, Daughter of the sea god Llyr. Cyhiraeth Welsh, Once a Goddess of streams, she later bacame thought of as a faery spirit who was a portent of death. Damara Anglo-Celtic, An English fertility Goddess associated with Bealtaine. Damona Gaul, Goddess of fertility and healing; her name means "divine cow". Cow Goddesses were linked to fertility and abundance. Divona Gaul, A fertility Goddess associated with water and known only from inscriptions. Druantia Breton, "Queen of the Druids", Mother of the tree calendar; Fir Goddess. Fertility, passion, sexual activities, trees, protection, knowledge, creativity. Dana Eponymous Great Mother of the Danes and the Irish Tuatha De Danaan, people of the Goddess Dana. Danu - aka Anu, Ana, Cat Ana, Aine Ancient Ancestress Goddess of Ireland. Dictynna Lawgiving Goddess of Mount Dicte. Eriu The Lady Eire - ancient Irish Goddess, Controller of the western apple garden of immortality. Epona Pan-Celtic, "Divine Horse"; "The Great Mare"; Goddess of horses; Mother Goddess. Fertility, maternity, protectress of horses, horse-breeding, prosperity, dogs, healing springs, crops. Elaine Wales, Britain. Maiden aspect of the Goddess. ERIN Ireland. One of the three queens of the Tuatha Da Danann and a daughter of the Dagda. Flidais Ireland. Goddess of forests, woodlands, and wild things; ruler of wild beasts. She rode in a chariot drawn by deer. Shape-shifter. Great Mother The Lady; female principal of creation. Goddess of fertility, the Moon, Summer, flowers, love, healing, the seas, water. The index finger was considered the "mother finger," the most magi- cal which guided, beckoned, blessed and cursed. Macha (maax-ah) Ireland. "Crow"; "Battle"; "Great Queen of Phantoms"; Mother of Life and Death; a war goddess; Mother Death; originally a Mother Goddess; one of the aspects of the triple Morrigu. Also called Mania, Mana, Mene, Minne. Associated with ravens and crows. She was honored at Lughnassadh. After a battle, the Irish cut off the heads of the losers and called them Macha's acorn crop. Protectress in war as in peace; goddess of war and death. Cunning, sheer physical force, sexuality, fertility, dominance over males. Margwase Wales, Britain. Mother aspect of the Goddess. THE Morrigu (moor-rig-oo)/MORRIGAN (mor-ee-gan)/MORRIGHAN/MORGAN (moor-gan) Ireland, Wales and Britain. "Great Queen"; "Supreme War Goddess"; "Queen of Phantoms or Demons"; "Specter Queen"; shape-shifter. Reigned over the battlefield, helping with her magic, but did not join in battles. Associated with crows and ravens. The Crone aspect of the Goddess; Great Mother; Moon Goddess; Great White Goddess; Queen of the Fairies. In her Dark Aspect (the symbol is then the raven or crow) she is the goddess of war, fate and death; she went fully armed and carried two spears. The carrion crow is her favorite disguise. With her, Fea (Hateful), Nemon (Venomous), Badb (Fury), and Macha (Battle) encouraged fighters to battle madness. Goddess of rivers, lakes, and fresh water. Patroness of priestesses and witches. Revenge, night, magic, prophecy. Morgan Le Fay Death Goddess. Wells were sacred to Her. aka Morrigan, Mara, Fata Morgana. Raven Her bird. Shamrock Her plant. Nimue Moon Goddess of Fate. Niamh Ireland. "Brightness"; "Beauty". A form of Badhbh who helps heroes at death. Rhiannon (hri-an-non) Wales. "The Great Queen". Goddess of birds and horses. Enchantments, fertility, and the Underworld. She rides a swift white horse. Scathach/Scota/Scatha/Scath Ireland, Scotland. "Shadow, shade"; "The Shadowy One"; "She Who Strikes Fear". Underworld goddess of the Land of Scath; Dark Goddess; goddess in the Destroyer aspect. Also a warrior woman and prophetess who lived in Albion (Scotland), probably on the Isle of Skye, and taught the martial arts. Patroness of blacksmiths, healing, magic, prophecy, martial arts. Sinclair Sacred Light. Sulis Also known as Sul or Sol (Norse). Ancient Celtic Sun Goddess, worshipped especially on hilltops overlooking springs. The Springs at Bath were originally known as Aquae Sulis (Waters of the Sun). Tephi Ireland. Goddess of Tara and co-founder with Tea. White Lady Known to all Celtic countries. Dryad of Death; identified with Macha; Queen of the Dead; the Crone form of the Goddess. Death, destruction, annihilation.

Acca Larentia - the Holy Harlot or High Priestess. Alemona - Roman Goddess Who guards the fetus. Anna - Perenna Ancient Etruscan/Roman Goddess of the Year. She had two faces, Prorsa and Postverta, who looked forward and back in time. She ruled both prophecy of the future and history of the past. Ruler of Human and Vegetative reproduction. Her festival of March 15 was one of merrymaking and promiscuity. A fertility festival celebrating the fruitful Earth. Antevorta - Goddess of Prophecy. Aurora - Goddess of Dawn Bona Dea - Good Goddess. She was worshipped only by women and only in utter secrecy at rites in early December. Conducted by the Vestal priestesses, these celebrations were held at the home of a high-ranking matron, decorated with vine branches and freely flowing wine in honor of this Goddess of Abundance and Prophecy. Candelifera - Goddess Who assists at births. Carmenta - Goddess of writing and the alphabet, Prophecy and Midwifery. Carna - Goddess of food assimilation and survival. Carya - pre-hellenic goddess of walnut trees. Ceres (Demeter) - Goddess of the harvest. Cotys - Thracian Moon Goddess. Diana - Queen of Heaven. Patroness of childbirth, nursing and healing. Mother of Animals, Lady of Wild Creatures and Goddess of wild woodlands, forests, hunting. Often depicted with a basket. Oak groves were sacred to Her. Gunnlod - Norse Earth Goddess Feronia - Wolf Mother worshipped by the Sabines before the foundation of Rome. Flora - Goddess of Spring. The Flourishing One, honored annually on May Day. Lady of Pleasure. Juno - Great Mother, Goddess of Fate. Preserver, Queen of Heaven, Celestial Light. Her totem was the Peacock. Her flower, the Lily. Pomegranate Her fruit. Malachite Her stone. Lilies sprang form Her milk. Figs are Her sacred fruit. Lara - Shortened form for the Roman Goddess Acca Larentia, Mother of the Lares or household spirits. Lat - Eponymous, milk-giving Lunar Goddess, Mother of Pre-Roman Latium, Mother of the World Egg and the Sun. From the Moon came water, milk, blood, plant sap and all life-supporting fluids Lucina - Goddess of Childbirth. Lupa - The Great Wolf Bitch. Sacred Roman She Wolf, nurse of the foundling twins Romulus and Remus. Lupa's temple harlots were lupae, sometimes called Queens or High Priestesses. Her greatest festival was the annual Lupercalia, celebrated in the Grotto of the She-Wolf, with orgiastic rites to insure the year's fertility. Mensa - Goddess of Measurement, numbers, calendars, calculations, tables and record keeping. Minerva - Goddess of Wisdom and the Moon. Her totem animal was the owl. Scales of Judgment. Celestial virgin dispensing the fates of men. Pomona - Apple Mother. Goddess of fruit trees. Roman banquets ended with apples, as an invocation of Her good will. Protectress of orchards and gardens. Proserpina - Queen the the Underworld. Roman version of Persphone. Tellus - Earth Goddess. Venus - Great Goddess in Her sexual aspect. Birth and Death Goddess. Swallow and Dove, Her sacred birds. Pansy and Rose, Her flowers. Rosemary and Verbena, Her herbs. Cypress Her tree. Copper sacred to Her. Narcissus, Myrtle and Peach are sacred to Her. Also associated with Ambergris, Apple, Camomile, Catnip, Daffodil, Freesia, Rose Geranium, White Ginger, Hyacinth, Lilac, Magnolia, marjoram, Mugwort, Palmerosa, Plumeria, Spider Lily, Thyme, Tuberose, Tulip, Vanilla, Vetivert, Wood Aloe, Yarrow and Ylang-ylang. Vesta - Roman name for Hestia, Goddess of the Hearth and the Altar. Guardian of Innermost things. Rome's oldest Goddess-matriarch. Guardian of flocks and herds. Quartz Her sacred stone.

Angrboda - Loki's wife and mother of the Wolf Fenrir, the Midgard Wyrm called Jormungand, and Hel. Amma - Norse Grandmother Goddess Who gave birth to the race of Freemen. Angerboda - The Hag of the Iron Wood. aka Hel. Bestla - The etin-mother of Odin, Hoenir, and Lodurr. She is believed by many to be the sister of Mimir. She may have been a Yew-goddess. Earth - She is the mother of Thor by Odin, the daughter of the Goddess Night and her husband Annarr ("the second"). She was first made out of the corps of the hermaphroditic etin Ymir. Other than "Mother Earth", one might think of her as the Mother of Midgard. Edda - Great Grandmother, Norse Mother Earth. Also the word for sacred poetry inspired by Her. Icelandic sagas or Eddas usually opened with an invocation to this Goddess, Who gave birth to the oldest third of the human race. Fulla - Her name means "full" and is the Goddess of riches and fruitfulness. She is said to be Frigg's sister as well as handmaiden. She shares secret rede with Frigg and carries her casket / cup indicating that she is responsible for the jewels of other Goddesses as well as the gold and blessings Frigg wishes to bestow. Frid - Goddess of peace and beauty. Also lives on the mountain "Lyfja". It is her name we invoke when we meet someone in peace. Frigg was the Norse goddess of love and fertility. In some accounts she was Odin's wife, making her foremost among the Aesir goddesses. She was the mother of Balder and gave her name to Friday. Freya/Freyia - Great Goddess of northern Europe. Leader of the primal matriarchs called Afliae, Powerful Ones or D’sir, Divine Grandmothers. Norse Goddess of Love and Beauty. Arainbow was Her jeweled necklace. She rode a chariot drawn by cats. Sometimes depicted as the Sow, Mistress of the gods. She is the Chief Valkyrie in Her falcon cloak. Ruler of death, She chose from the dead spread across battlefields, taking them to Her palace Sessrumnir, meaning “rich in seats”. In time they might be born once more through the nurturance of the moist Earth, another aspect of Freya. She was also a helpful deity to women in labor. Hopeful lovers worshipped Her. Goddess of sexuality and making magic with love prayers. Amber is her gem. She traveled throughout the heavens either in a chariot with a retinue of cats or on the golden boar, Hildeswin. The runes of Her sword signify power, fertility, and birth. Yew is sacred to Her. Gefjon - Her name means "the giver" and is married to Odin's son Skjöldr. Goddess of young and shy women, unmarried women, and fruitfulness. She is also a Seeress. She is the one to call upon when a woman is forced against her will. Gerdr - Wife of Freyr, an etin-maid won for him by the magical force of his servant Skirnir. She is a Goddess of fruitfulness and is an embodiment of the earth. Gna - Goddess of messages. She is good to call on to make sure items sent by airmail get to their destination on time. Gunnlod - Norse Earth Goddess Hlin - Goddess of refuge. Protects those Frigg wishes to save from certain dangers. Hella, Halja, Hel - Goddess and queen of the underworld, of the dead that has not gone to Odin or Freja, and of the unborn. Her realm is not like the Hell of the Christians, but there is a section set aside for oath-breakers and other wrongdoers where their bones are gnawed upon by the great wyrm. She is the daughter of Loki by his eating an evil woman's half-burned heart and he thus became pregnant and gave birth to every female monster in the world. Elder is Her tree and holly is Her plant. Hlíf - Goddess of protection. Also lives on the mountain "Lyfja". Idun - The Renewing One. In Her western garden grew the apples of Immortality. Jarnsaxa - Her name means "Iron Knife" and is Thor's etin-mistress. She is the mother of Thor's two sons, Modi and Magni. She is very strong and very beautiful. Lorride - Second daughter of Thor and Sif. Where her sister is dark, Lorride is fair with reddish-gold hair and has her sister's strength. She is a traveler like her father and Odin. Although she is not aggressive, she will not turn from a fight. Löfn - Goddess of illicit unions. Night Daughter of the Jotunn Narvi. She married three times. By her second husband Annar, she bore the Goddess Earth, and by her third husband, who was related to Odin and his brothers, she bore the child called Day. She was dark and swarthy like the rest of her family, but her son, Day, was radiant and fair. During the creation, Odin took Night and her son Day, sat them in horse-drawn chariots, and set them in the sky to ride round the world every two half-days. Night leads the way with her frosty-maned horse named Hrimfraxi and Day follows with his horse named Skinfraxi who has a gleaming mane that lights up the sky and earth alike. Nerthus - Goddess of peace, fertility, witchcraft, wealth, the sea & rivers, purification. She is also known as the Earth Mother. Erce is her old English name, known as the goddess of blessings. Nanna - Wife of Balder and mother of Forseti. Moon goddess. She died of grief when her husband Balder died. Ostara - The Germanic Goddess of Springtime Her name may also be seen in other spellings: Eostra, Eostrae, Eostre, Eástre, Austra. Eostra (Ostara) has fared somewhat better, although there is little direct evidence of her and her followers. All cultures living in temperate (or winter dominated) climates celebrate the coming of spring with major rituals and festivals. One of the most important of spring festivals among pre-Christian Germanic tribes apparently was dedicated to the goddess Ostara, whose name suggests "east" and thus "dawn" and "morning light." The veneration (if now only playful) of rabbits and hares. The decoration of eggs (obvious fertility symbols).Place names suggest that Ostara was venerated throughout ancient Germany and Denmark. Ran - Wife of God of the sea. She dragged drowning men down with a net. Rind Etin-mother of Vali, by Odin. Sigyn - Loki's faithful wife, who stayed by him in his exile and strives to catch the serpents venom in a bowl to keep it from falling in his face. She did not have to go with him but her faithfulness would not allow her to do otherwise. Sjöfn - Goddess of the heart and passion. She gets leave from Odin and Frigg for folk to come together, men and women, although it is banned or otherwise denied. She is said to be extremely mild and good. Snorta - Goddess of wisdom and prudence. She is especially concerned with good manners and proper behavior. Syn - Goddess of defense. She is the keeper and defender of the door at the Thing. She is the warder of magical workings and of the home. Skadi - Frequently referred to as the goddess of skis or snow shoes, she travelled on skis, carried a bow, and hunted. She was the daughter of the giant Thiazi [Old Norse Þjázi, variant Thiassi]. Thiazi was the son of a very rich giant named Alvaldi [Olvaldi]. When Alvaldi died Thiazi and his brothers Idi and Gang divided their inheritance by each taking a large mouthful of gold. After Thiazi was killed by the Aesir as related in the section on Idun, Skadi took up arms and went to Asgard for vengence. The Aesir offered her compensation for the death of her father - she was allowed to choose a husband from among the gods. There was only one small catch, she had to pick her new husband based only on the appearance of his feet. She picked Njord by mistake, assuming the best looking feet must have belonged to the god Balder. Sif is the Goddess of crops and fertility; wife of Thor and mother of Ull. Saga ancient Norse Goddess, Speaker, Sayer. Goddess of sacred poetry, charms, words of power. Sunna - Sol Goddess of everything in the light, foe to all wights who dog the dark death-paths - etins, trolls, and ill-willing ghosts. She is the sister of Mani (Moon). The Norns (Urd, Verdande, and Skuld) - are the Norse equivalent of the greek Fates. It is they who determine the orlogs (destinies) of the Gods and of Man, and who maintain the World Tree, Yggdrasil. Trude - Daughter of Thor and Sif, her name means "strength". She is a Goddess of strength, battle, the hearth, and the labors of organized agriculture. She has great strength and likened to a giantess. Rocks and stones turned by the plow in the field are sacred to her. Ullin - As Zisa is the female counterpart to Týr, so Ullin is to Ullr. Goddess of hunting, skiers and is associated with wintertime as is Ullr. She is sometimes blended into the etin-maid Skadi who was elevated to Goddess for her bravery. Urd - Norse Earth Goddess. Vár - Goddess of troth. She takes revenge on broken promises. Vör - Nothing is hidden from her. She is both wise and inquiring. Zisa, Cisa - Some claim her to be the female counterpart to the God Tyr. Some say as his wife, some say as his sister, others say as his feminine aspect. Because her emblem is a ship, some believe she is connected to the passage into the otherworld. Goddess of order and stability, and is associated with Honor, courage, justice, loyalty, and truthfulness.

Morrigan Morrigan is a triple aspect goddess. While this implies a virgin, a mother and a crone figure (in this case, Nemain as the virgin, Macha as the mother and Badb as the crone), Morrigan is sometimes portrayed as three crones. As Debi has also said, she is an immensely strong figure, and as a protectress she "empowers an individual to confront challenges with great personal strength, even against seemingly overwhelming odds." Samhain is a hugely powerful time of year for Wiccans. It is the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. It celebrates the fact that through death comes new life - whether or not they believe in reincarnation, Wiccans share the belief that at this time of the year the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. Indeed it is these "between" times that are so powerful in this religion. Dawn and dusk are between night and day and are important for that. That is why the Morrigan - a Goddess associated with battles and war and death - is the appropriate Goddess for Samhain. An ending means a new beginning. Some Wiccans do not choose to associate themselves with the Morrigan because of her links with death, but a large number (myself included) choose her as the face of their Goddess for this very reason. She celebrates the circle of life. It is at this point I want to remind you of the way Wicca works. We do not believe in countless different religions or Gods and Goddesses - we merely believe that each deity is a different representation of the same. One God, one Goddess. When I say people choose the Morrigan as the face of their Goddess, I mean that they choose her to represent The Goddess as a whole. Traditions such as trick or treating have their roots in ancient customs. Some Wiccans believe that when you open your door on All Soul's / All Hallow's eve you must share what you have with whoever is there because they are the souls of the dead returning (disguised as the living) to ask that you remember and honor them. Pumpkins were carved and set out as lanterns to light their way back to their homes. By sharing food and honoring the dead - setting a place at the table for those who had died, for example - one would garner support from beyond the grave. There are countless myths associated with the Morrigan. One of them is the one I wrote about on Debi's page - recounted in the Mabinogion (Welsh legends). As a child, Setanta killed the great watch dog of his king, Cu. Enraged, Cu demanded to know who would guard his castle and flocks now. Setanta offered himself, and was "reborn" - or renamed at least - Cuchulainn - literally, "Hound of Cullen". The legends of the Morrigan are closely entwined with those of Cuchulainn. In one story, she attempted to seduce him. When he rejected her, she changed into an eel, then a wolf, then a red cow in her attempts to wreak revenge on him. Morrigan is also associated with Cuchulainn's downfall and death. When he became Cuchulainn, he was bound by two "geasa" - or oaths. The first forbade him from eating the flesh of a dog, since his name (literally "Hound of Cullen") was given when he replaced the great hound of Cu. The second stated that Cuchulainn could not refuse food when offered it from someone's hearth fire. In this way, he could not refuse when offered dog's meat by the Morrigan at her hearth fire. Even as he ate, his limbs were slowly paralyzed, and - unable to defend himself - he was killed shortly afterwards by Lugaid of Erin. The Morrigan is sometimes seen as The Washerwoman. She sits by the river, wringing out the garments on the rocks. Any soldier whose garments are amongst those she washes is doomed to die the following day. Badb, however - the crone aspect of the Morrigan - is associated with the Cauldron of Regeneration, where souls are kept until they can be reborn. Death doesn't just have to be about endings - it is about new beginnings as well.

Morrigan Morrigan is a triple aspect goddess. While this implies a virgin, a mother and a crone figure (in this case, Nemain as the virgin, Macha as the mother and Badb as the crone), Morrigan is sometimes portrayed as three crones. As Debi has also said, she is an immensely strong figure, and as a protectress she "empowers an individual to confront challenges with great personal strength, even against seemingly overwhelming odds." Samhain is a hugely powerful time of year for Wiccans. It is the end of the old year and the beginning of the new. It celebrates the fact that through death comes new life - whether or not they believe in reincarnation, Wiccans share the belief that at this time of the year the veil between the worlds is at its thinnest. Indeed it is these "between" times that are so powerful in this religion. Dawn and dusk are between night and day and are important for that. That is why the Morrigan - a Goddess associated with battles and war and death - is the appropriate Goddess for Samhain. An ending means a new beginning. Some Wiccans do not choose to associate themselves with the Morrigan because of her links with death, but a large number (myself included) choose her as the face of their Goddess for this very reason. She celebrates the circle of life. It is at this point I want to remind you of the way Wicca works. We do not believe in countless different religions or Gods and Goddesses - we merely believe that each deity is a different representation of the same. One God, one Goddess. When I say people choose the Morrigan as the face of their Goddess, I mean that they choose her to represent The Goddess as a whole. Traditions such as trick or treating have their roots in ancient customs. Some Wiccans believe that when you open your door on All Soul's / All Hallow's eve you must share what you have with whoever is there because they are the souls of the dead returning (disguised as the living) to ask that you remember and honor them. Pumpkins were carved and set out as lanterns to light their way back to their homes. By sharing food and honoring the dead - setting a place at the table for those who had died, for example - one would garner support from beyond the grave. There are countless myths associated with the Morrigan. One of them is the one I wrote about on Debi's page - recounted in the Mabinogion (Welsh legends). As a child, Setanta killed the great watch dog of his king, Cu. Enraged, Cu demanded to know who would guard his castle and flocks now. Setanta offered himself, and was "reborn" - or renamed at least - Cuchulainn - literally, "Hound of Cullen". The legends of the Morrigan are closely entwined with those of Cuchulainn. In one story, she attempted to seduce him. When he rejected her, she changed into an eel, then a wolf, then a red cow in her attempts to wreak revenge on him. Morrigan is also associated with Cuchulainn's downfall and death. When he became Cuchulainn, he was bound by two "geasa" - or oaths. The first forbade him from eating the flesh of a dog, since his name (literally "Hound of Cullen") was given when he replaced the great hound of Cu. The second stated that Cuchulainn could not refuse food when offered it from someone's hearth fire. In this way, he could not refuse when offered dog's meat by the Morrigan at her hearth fire. Even as he ate, his limbs were slowly paralyzed, and - unable to defend himself - he was killed shortly afterwards by Lugaid of Erin. The Morrigan is sometimes seen as The Washerwoman. She sits by the river, wringing out the garments on the rocks. Any soldier whose garments are amongst those she washes is doomed to die the following day. Badb, however - the crone aspect of the Morrigan - is associated with the Cauldron of Regeneration, where souls are kept until they can be reborn. Death doesn't just have to be about endings - it is about new beginnings as well.

Pallas Athena and Arachnae The story of Arachnae is really a subsection of the stories surrounding Pallas Athena of the Greek Pantheon. Athena was the Goddess of Wisdom, patroness of arts and crafts, and a fearsome warrior. While her male counterpart, Ares, focused on the blood lust of war, Athena espoused logic, reason and justice. She was represented by an Owl and is associated with the olive tree. Athena and her uncle, Poseidon, fought to see who would be chosen as the benefactor of the capital city of Attica. Each was to give a gift, and who evers gift was considered better would be chosen as patron. Poseidon struck the rock with his trident and from the resulting hole poured forth salty water. This represented his gift - a strong navy and new trade routes. This was a valuable gift indeed. Athena struck the rock with her spear and an olive tree sprang forth. This represented the region's prime trade - olive oil was used in cooking, as lamp fuel, and in cosmetics, soaps and medicines. Athena's gift was considered the greater and the city was named Athens in her honor. While she was a virgin goddess, her favors were reserved for men. Athena may have been an empowered female but that did not mean she was going to empower other females in her likeness. Quite the contrary. Athena was, in fact, a jealous goddess, allowing no competition or rivals to enter into her sphere. On one occasion, a nymph happened to catch sight of her nude body as she bathed. As punishment for seeing her naked, Athena removed the nymph's power of sight. To temper the harshness of the punishment, Athena gave the nymph the ability to see the future. Such lenience would not have been shown to a woman. Athena chose to support various men throughout Greek history. These included Achilles, whom she helped win the Battle of Troy and Hercules (Herakles), whom she helped in his twelve labors, set as punishment for the murder of his wife and children. Women such as Medusa attracted a less sympathetic side of Athena. Threatened by the young woman's beauty - which rivaled her own - Athena changed Medusa into a gorgon, a creature whose head was covered not with hair but with snakes. A creature whose visage was so hideous that a single glance at her turned men to stone. Athena then aided Perseus in his task to capture Medusa's head. He used a mirror so that Medusa saw her own appearance and became stone, whereupon he was able to look upon her safely. This brings us to Arachnae. Athena's pastimes included the art of weaving. When news reached her of a young woman, possibly a princess, named Arachnae, who had been bragging of her talent as a weaver, she sent for her and challenged her to a contest. When it transpired that Arachnae's weaving in fact was comparable to Athena's own, Athena's vengeance knew no bounds. She turned Arachnae into a spider, forcing her to spend the rest of her life hanging from a tree, spinning her web.

Kali Meditations The World Turn away from the outer world. Turn inward, and feel the Kundalini that arises in you. The World as it is. Let it be... You are in India. You have come to find illumination, but all you see is the world. All around you, children cry out with hunger, their chests shrunken, their bellies bloated. A woman lies under a leafless tree, barely moaning, weak with fever, too weak to call out for help. The sickness, and the pain, and the hunger are palpable. You begin to feel sick. You too are in pain. You too are hungry. You feel an urge to run away from all of these people who press you on all sides, pushing on you with their agonies.. You walk past the crying, bloated children, past the moaning woman, through the whole throng of people. You keep walking, further and further away. Now the cries and the moans are barely audible. As you walk, the sun falls behind the hills. Night comes, and a few tentative stars begin to shine. As you watch, the moon rises. She is a tiny silver crescent like the horns of the sacred cow. She is surrounded by glittering stars... Now you pass through empty streets. You have no goal in your mind. You let the Goddess direct your steps, taking you where she will. Ahead is a deserted area, surrounded by a high stone wall. The stone is dark, and the stone wall is cold and moist, yet you feel a warmth and a light coming from inside the walled area. In front of you, you see a gate... Suddenly you feel a gust of fear, as if you have been touched by an icy cold wind. But it is not your body that has been chilled. Slowly, with growing sense of dread, you pass through the gate... Cremation Ground You are in a cremation ground, a place where bodies are taken for burning... All around you are partially decomposed bodies, which have not yet been fed to the flames. This is an ancient place, and the ground is covered with bones as far as you can see, countless bones, gleaming white bones, heaps of bones, human bones. Human skulls grin at you in the moonlight, as if they share a secret that you do not know... Your heart pounds as you walk slowly through the cremation grounds... Ancient, brittle bones crunch under your feet. They splinter, and the splinters pierce your skin, and you begin to bleed as you walk. You are only distantly aware of this. You keep walking as if you are possessed.. Around you the night air is also pierced, pierced with the eerie cries of feeding jackals, the throaty laugh of feasting hyenas. The air is filled with the soft, gentle sounds of black feathers brushing against the black night. The air is filled with the harsh croak of carrion crows, the cries of ravens, the deep-throated rumbling of vultures with blood on their feathers, blood on their bald heads... Your gaze is drawn to one of the partially decomposed bodies, and you see that amongst the rotting flesh, there are millions upon millions of teeming white maggots. The lesson is obvious, if you think about it... The living feed on the dead. Life feeds on death. There is no escape from this truth... If you live, you live on the life force of the dead - whether it is another animal, or a living, respiring plant. This is the inescapable truth. But it is hard to see yourself as a source of food for another being. These are not deer or cattle being consumed here in the cremation ground. They are people. Ultimately, they are you.. How can you live knowing this? How can you live well without knowing this? The World as it is. The truth is what it is... You continue to walk through the bones. The jackals slink away as you approach; the hyenas threaten before melting away, the ravens look at you with yellow unblinking eyes as they fly away into the night. You realize that you,and the jackal, and the hyena, and the raven are all one, are all sisters. They no longer seem so alien, or so disgusting, or so fearful... The Fire Curious, you approach a cremation pit in which the fire is still burning... A partially burned corpse lies upon a bed of glowing red-orange coals... Here the air is filled with the smell of burning flesh, burning human flesh... The fire will remove the remaining physical body. Fire is purification... Soon only the pure white bones will remain to glisten in the moonlight... Soon this skull will be liberated from the bounds of the flesh. Soon it will join the other skulls, grinning in the moonlight... As you watch the flames, you become aware that you are not alone here... Another woman is walking here at night, here in the cremation ground... This woman is old. She walks slowly, and painfully, as if crippled with arthritis. She is clothed in a red sari with silver trim. Her unbound hair is long, and as white as the gleaming bones. She comes near you, looks carefully straight into your eyes, and she smiles radiantly. But she says nothing at all... As you watch, she turns away from you and walks straight into the fire pit... Her bare feet step lightly over the glowing crimson coals. As she walks, her steps become less slow and painful. Her steps are sure. She reaches the very center of the fire pit... The woman steps on to the burning body. You see her standing on the remains of the corpse. She turns back to face you. She is still smiling. She lowers herself into the lotus position and begins to meditate. The fire creeps up to her, eagerly, like fat little puppies wanting to play. Little flames begin to fondle the silver trim of her red sari. Soon the sari catches fire, and the little flames begin to dance up her body. She is still smiling, deep in meditation, deep in bliss. The flames creep higher... They ignite her flowing hair, and the pure white mass turns flaming red and orange. Flames wreathe her smiling face, for she is still smiling, still deep in unbroken meditation. Her skin begins to smoke, and to blacken. Her sari is completely consumed; she is naked under the moonlight. A black cloud of smoke settles around her head. It forms a mass of black, tangled, disheveled hair. She lifts her arms to the night sky, and you see that she has four. Each hand carries a familiar symbol: a trident, a severed head, a sword, a bowl full of blood.. As you watch, transfixed, Kali rises to her feet and dances among the flames, dancing upon the blissful, prostrate body of her husband, the Lord Shiva. Watch Kali dance. This is what you have come so far to see... With an open hand, Kali beckons you to join her. You are drawn irresistibly to the Terrible Mother. You walk forward. Your bare foot touches a live coal. Pain shoots through your whole body. But Kali is inside you now as well as outside of you. You find that the pain does not really matter; it is only physical, only a limitation of this Earth, only one of Maya's illusions. You take another step, and then another. You walk straight into the burning heart of the fire. Your own sari catches fire, yet your heart remains calm. Your sari burns away, and now you too are naked like Kali, free, like Kali. Your own hair catches fire, and turns into smoke. Your own skin begins to blacken. And you know... Now you too are Kali. Know this, and dance among the flames. Dance with the Terrible Mother, here in the cremation ground... The dance is over. Kali takes your hand, and together you walk out of the fire pit. The woman Kali is no longer old. Her steps are easy and light, no longer halting. Her hair is a glossy rich black. She is transformed into a beautiful young woman. You feel that Kali's fire has transformed you as well. What is it that you transformed into? Do you need a mirror to see it? Then look deep into Kali Ma's three eyes... You will see yourself mirrored within... Slaying the Demon In the distance you hear bells, drums, sweet music. Women are chanting the praises to Kali, and praises to Durga, the mother of Kali. You are drawn to this powerful sound. Kali bids you to follow your heart, and to go and seek the truth about yourself. The Terrible Mother bids you to go from her side and find healing... You are loathe to leave Kali Ma, but you know that you must. You turn away from her radiant blackness, her terrible beauty. You seek the source of the chanting. It comes from the South, from a vast temple. As you go closer, the music becomes louder, sweeter, the drum beats more insistent... You feel the holy ecstasy of the chanters... The chanters are women, dressed all in red. Love shines out of their eyes... Power radiates from their hearts. They are priestesses of Kali Ma. One of them looks up and sees you... "Ah, you have come at last! Mother told us to expect you. Sit down and listen to my words.. "Kali deals in death, but she is not evil. Often, it is evil which she kills. The severed head that she carries belongs to an evil Demon whom she slew in battle when none of the Gods could defeat him. Now the Demon's head is a symbol of the death of evil.. "The severed head is also a symbol for the slaying of the human ego. Are these two symbols so different? What does your ego do for you? What does your ego do _to_ you? Your ego may block your spiritual evolution. This is when Kali steps in, sword in hand. She is here to help you.. "But Kali seldom uses her sword herself; it is you who must pick it up and use it. Kali offers healing. But her healing is not the gentle administration of herbs, not the gentle binding of wounds. Kali is like the surgeon facing a patient with a gangrenous leg. The patient is attached to her leg; she does not want to let go of it even if it is clearly rotten, even if it is black and bloated, even if it is spreading poison and death throughout the rest of the body.. "Letting go of such ego-bound attachment is such a difficult decision! But if the woman will not let go, she will die. She will be reborn of course, but she will not progress up the great spiral; she will merely be sent back to the same level to try again. How many life times will she refuse this challenge? How many life times will she refuse to learn this lesson? How many life times will she refuse to let go? "Think! What part of you is rotten? What part of you is black and bloated, spreading poison that is eating up your spirit, bit by bit, so slowly that you do not even see it? What is the source of the poison that courses within you? "Which of Maya's illusions holds you in thrall? Is is material wealth? Is it pride? Is it another human soul? Have you bound yourself to another so tightly that your own self is lost? "Seek the source of the poison! Find this source! "And when you find it, Kali's sword stands ready to heal you." The Mountain The Priestess of Kali continues speaking to you. "Here is a lesson that may help you. Sit and meditate: You have decided to climb a mountain. At first the going is easy; the trail is well-marked and you walk over gentle, nearly flat ground. You walk up and up, journeying higher and higher. As you ascend, the trail becomes less well marked, the ground rockier, the scenery more intense, the air thinner. Now walking requires exertion. You feel your muscles cramp and protest; your lungs strain, your head aches... "Still, the mountain continues to rise. Still, you must continue to climb... Now the trail has disappeared entirely and you must scramble up over the rocks, making your own path, seeking only to go higher and higher. Your route becomes steeper and steeper. You reach a place where there is only a solid wall of rock, a steep cliff face. Still you must climb higher.. "You feel for cracks in the rock face where you can find a foothold, or a handhold. Each move must be thought out; each move seems to take forever... Though your progress is slow, and your heart pounds, you are still rising... The rock wall looms steeper yet. You must strain to find a space for even a toe or a single finger to grip. You begin to wonder: how long can I continue upward? Still, the mountain continues to rise, so you must continue your climb.. "You look down. Below you there is only space. The ground so far below, so lost in the gray mist that it might not even be there anymore. You look up. Above you there is only rock, overhanging rock, sheer rock with no place for you to grip with even a single finger.. "You are frozen to the rock face. You cannot climb up. You cannot climb down. For a frozen time you hang, suspended, terrified. There seems to be no end to this mountain. Perhaps there is no end to this mountain.. "What can you do? Slowly, very deliberately, you let go your hold on the mountain. The feeling of release when yu finally do let go is pure bliss.. "Ask yourself: What mountain are you still trying to climb?" The Dakini Temple You are back in the temple of Kali, back with the chanting priestesses... Your priestess motions for you to be silent, and to look around the temple. It is time for you to do pooja, which is personal worship.. You approach an image of Kali, a great bronze statue, huge, ornate, well-detailed. Kali is trimmed in gold. Her image is nearly covered with mounds of flowers left by other worshippers: red roses, scarlet hibiscus, crimson opium poppies. Brightly colored malas wreath Her image... The air is so heavy with the scent of incense, rose, nag champa, and patchouli, that you can scarcely breath. You choose an incense, and offer it to Kali. You lay flowers at her feet, beside an ornate sword... Kali herself is a blue so deep as to be seen as black. All of the colors of the rainbow are lost within her radiant blackness.. Her three eyes stare deeply into your spirit as you light the ghee lamp and offer the five sacred flames to the Goddess. It is said that one of Kali's eyes gazes upon the past, her second eye gazes upon the present, and her third eye, the eye in her forehead, gazes into the future. Kali can see all time at once. Her name itself means "time", and like time she devours all things, and yet Kali herself is timeless. She can see into your heart: how you came to be, what you are now, what you may become. She sees what part of yourself that you offer her now, as you pick up the sword of Kali and begin to dance.. Your dance done, your pooja complete, you spiral away from the center and examine the rest of the temple. You see that this is a Dakini Temple, for all around Kali, the gray stones walls are alive with dancing images of Dakinis, embodiments of female power and wisdom. The breasts and hips of the Dakinis are carved full and round. Their scupltured eyes glint, their mouths smile, their bodies seem to writhe in the fire light. There are 64 Dakinis here, each one an expression of an archetypal energy found in all women, each one found in you. You are in the Center, you are the Center. The 64 Dakinis circle around you. They dance and spin around you, faster and faster still. Their forms shimmer, and become a blur.. They dissolve into gray mist. The Dakini temple itself dissolves. And you yourself dissolve..

Kali - The Black Goddess As children, we are taught to fear the dark. The bad guys wear black hats; we should stay away from dark places; the enemy of Christianity is the "Prince of Darkness." All our lives we are taught that the way to goodness is to strive towards the light, away from the dark which is bad.. But is the dark bad? Isn't it more likely that the dark is something that we need? There can be no light without the darkness; each day has a night in which we rest to refuel ourselves, to regain our energy. As such, the dark is represented as a place and time for renewal. Surely it would stand to reason, then, that we need the dark side of ourselves; but if that is the case, why do so many of us strive to rid ourselves of this aspect, to deny it and put it away? And in so doing, might we not be causing inner turmoil in ourselves as we deny something that is really needed by our souls, minds, and hearts? Repression of a thing is almost never good, and can perhaps lead to an eruption of our emotions and feelings, perhaps violently, as time goes by. Our Judeo-Christian society has tried to teach us to repress anger, not to be demonstrative in our sexuality, and not to show too many emotions; we need to be calm, cool and collected, and mold ourselves into a person that is accepted in today's society. But in so doing, have we not tried to push away aspects of ourselves that we need to express? Perhaps this is one reason why psychiatry is a booming business.. Any of us that really look inward at our spirits, our souls, know that we are not all goodness and light. We each have dark aspects and things that we hide from the world, since we have been taught that these things are bad. They are pushed away into the dark; death is considered the ultimate dark and bad circumstance. Yet many cultures do not look at death that way. They simply see death as a gateway to another life, a part of the natural cycle, the circle that never stops turning.. In recent years, however, more and more books on exploring the "Dark Goddess" aspect of ourselves have appeared. The Dark Goddess aspect is recognized as a product of ancient civilizations that acknowledged death and darkness as being part of the whole.. The dark goddess lives in us all; suppressed and denied she will at some point leak out as hostility and sarcasm, nagging and put downs. Suppressed too far, she can manifest herself by turning her destructive energy inwards, creating depression and disease.. To bring dark into the light and light into the dark of our psyches can be a frightening experience. To acknowledge intense emotions such as anger, despair, grief and fear, especially if we relate this to mothering, can be earth-shattering. But if you remember your own mother, was she all sweetness and light? It can be terribly burdensome trying to live up to the expectations our society puts upon us as parents, to be perfect and raise the perfect well-behaved child. There is nothing really in our culture that validates the more intense emotions. Some cultures, though, are not saddled with the uncertainty and feelings of failure that fall upon our shoulders when we cannot live up to our own and other's expectations. For example, the Hindu societies worship and adore Kali, who is a triple Mother Goddess of creation, preservation, and destruction. She is the ultimate example of the terrible mother as she gives life, but also takes it away.. 'Kal' means darkness, which Kali takes away. As all colors of the spectrum mix into black, black still remains black. Kali, the Dark and Unknowable, takes darkness away, yet she herself remains unchanged.. She symbolizes the eternal night of death, a night that is free of illusion. She is formless void, yet full of potential. Her paramount place of worship is the cremation ground, usually in the dead of night during the waning moon. For those adept at her worship, the entire earth becomes the cremation ground, Kali the pyre. "Kal" means time and "i" the cause; therefore, Kali is the Cause of Time and is beyond time; she activates our consciousness so that it may perceive. Her garland which is made up of human skulls is seen as the heads of impure thoughts which she has severed from her worshippers. She slices away conflicting thoughts and silences the loud roar of mental conflict; she cuts away the sorrow of egotistical attachments; she takes the things to herself and makes of them a garland. She wears all karma as an ornament, therefore, while ending the ceaseless myriad voices of the active mind, leaving her devotees to experience inner peace in the absorption of solitude. She places her worshipers in the balance of divine meditation. Giving up all their difficulties, their petty disagreements, their attitudes, even the ego itself to Kali, her devotees experience divine peace and delight.. Kali is most often depicted standing or dancing upon the corpse of Lord Shiva. She is the recognizable form of awareness or consciousness. However, consciousness is the observer of all action; this is why Lord Shiva is shown as a lifeless corpse, still, with fixed eyes, trained on the image of the Divine Mother. That Consciousness (Shiva) witnesses the dance of Nature (Kali).. She dances to get Lord Shiva's attention, to attract him. However, Shiva does not forget that it is Nature that is dancing, and he remains the silent observer. Kali is nature personified; she is all of Nature, not just of the dark forces. As Mother Nature she dances upon the form of Consciousness. She is often associated with the Tamas, which means darkness, but not in the sense of ignorance. There is a darkness which exposes the light, and as personification of Tamas, Kali is the Energy of Wisdom. Her darkness spreads over the world to make seekers oblivious to the transient externals, to cover worldly desire. Pure Consciousness knows that the world continues according to its nature in a cyclical flow--the wheel of life continues to go on of its own accord. When one can reside within, and without attachment to the changing externals, then the supreme truth may be realized. When Kali takes away the darkness of the outside world, she helps to illumine the inner world. This is her Grace. With Kali's love we can become unattached and free...