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The Return of the Mother Goddess (Part I) Author: Oba Omi Saide aka Felix Rodriguez [a WitchVox Sponsor] Posted: February 24th. 2008 At the heart of each religion and culture there is typically a supreme female symbol of divinity and motherhood. At times, due to the nature of the culture or the religion, it is hard to identify this symbol but, rest assured, she is always there. Catholics view her as the Virgin Mary, Hebrews call her Shekhinah, Buddhists call her Kwan Yin and Muslims refer to her as Fatima. To the Yoruba people of western Nigeria and their descendants the world over, she is referred to as Yemonya, Iyemalla or as she is most commonly known, Yemaya and, simply put, she is Mother Nature. Though there are millions of Yoruba devotees around the world, her worship in the past few decades has also spread like wildfire among Wiccans and all Pagans on both sides of the Atlantic. Such is her following that the mention of her name alone in Yoruba or neo-pagan communities will conjure up deep emotional responses from both women and men. An animistic and polytheistic faith, the Yoruba faith (also known as Orisha-worship) is filled with a host of divinities. Though there are varying theories as to the exact number of gods, or Orishas, most educated estimates place the number at 401. The 401 divinities that comprise the Yoruba pantheon include 200 that sit to the right of God, 200 that sit to the left of God and Elegba (the Messenger of God) sits in the middle. Each one of these 401 divinities is the deification of a specific aspect of nature. Most Orisha worshippers argue they are monotheistic and that the Orishas are not gods in the strictest sense but rather they are the fragments of the One Supreme Creator known as "Oloddumare." (The word Oloddumare translates to mean "Owner of Everything.") Of all the divinities in this pantheon, Yemaya holds a very special place. With one notable exception, Obatala -the "Father"- she is either the mother or the grandmother of all the other Orishas. Due to her love and devotion to all her children, one well-known myth says that all the divinities conspired to give her the title of "Mother of the World." It is in this last guise that she also becomes the mother of humanity. As she holds the title of “mother” or “grandmother” with this host of deities, it comes as no surprise that she is the ultimate personification of nature in all its complexities and intricacies. The name Yemaya is a contraction of 3 separate Yoruba words: yeye or iya, omo and, finally, aje. "Yeye" or "iya" translates to mean mommy or mother. "Omo" means child or children and the last word, "aje", can be translated to mean planet, fish, seashells, or, interestingly enough, witches. Though this name is commonly interpreted to mean "mother-whose-children-are-as numerous-as-fish" or as "mother-whose-child-is-the-world, " many people rarely make the connection with "mother-whose-children-are-witches." In Nigeria and in Brazil, Yemaya is the supreme ruler of the Iyami community. The Iyami ("our mothers") community is comprised of ancestral witches and Yemaya is the patron of divinity of the ajes. Each member of this all female community can trace their hereditary powers and titles as witches all the way back for centuries. [1] For millennia these women held power in both cities and villages across all of Yoruba-land. Village elders, wise women, mid-wives, herbalist and, witches - they were the ones you turned to when you sought a specific charm, when you wanted a glimpse into the future, or to curse a neighbor, or needed a fertility spell. Within this community, Yemaya's title is Iyami Oshoronga. Though few people make the connection with "mother-whose-children-are-witches" fewer still realize that "Mother Nature" has two distinct faces. The kind, warm, loving side of nature is most definitely Yemaya. The awe inspiring and often-incomprehensible destructive side of nature is Iyami Oshoronga. As the destructive side of nature, Iyami Oshoronga is in no way evil. Rather she is the unleashed power of earth, air, water or fire that will cleanse the environment of the old and, in so doing, make way for the new once more. Much more crone-goddess than mother-goddess, she embodies and invokes the spirits of vengeance and retribution and will stop at nothing to punish the evil and the wicked. The name Iyami Oshoronga loosely translated means "my-mother-who-will-wash-out-my-intestines." Though culture specific, the title makes sense to anyone who ever heard his or her mother tell him or her, “I will wash your mouth out with soap.” Though often considered to be a separate divinity from Yemaya, make no mistakes; they are one and the same. As I explain later on, this type of dual nature is common in the Yoruba's social and religious concepts. This concept of duality has more to do with the polar opposites found in every aspect of nature and the human psyche than with the Western concepts of good and evil. Unlike monotheistic and non-pagan faiths with a distinctly patriarchal system, there is no mistaking today that Yemaya along with her daughter, Oshun, hold the reigns of power within the Orisha-worshiper community. When it comes to either one of these two goddesses, whether you are mortal or immortal, you bow your head. The Mother and the Maiden work as a team. Their word is law and stories abound of what might befall someone –mundane or divine- who falls into disgrace with either one. For the purpose of this piece we should concentrate on Yemaya and her evolution as Earth Mother through the ages. * * * * * Before trying to analyze Yemaya’s evolution through recorded history, it is important to stop and consider that a great many myths and oral history allude to the Orishas, including Yemaya, arriving from a “distant land.” Scholarly articles and papers written by respectable anthropologist have hinted at the similarities between Yemaya and the Egyptian goddess Isis. In fact, this may be more than mere coincidence. More than one anthropologist has theorized that the 13th tribe of Israel did not just go south during the exodus into Ethiopia but that it split into two branches. The second branch -having obviously had a disagreement regarding religion with the first branch- headed west to and settled in Nigeria. Trying to examine cultural myths within a living culture, where names, traditions and customs, may change from region to region, town to town or, even, from house to house is not a simple task. Were the culture extinct, it might actually be a much simpler task. After all, human beings do have a tendency to edit legends and stories to best suit their own personal points of view. In trying to make sense of the Yoruba cosmology, the only way one can catalog and validate certain myths is to compare them to actual events that occurred throughout the course of either human or planetary history. The myths, also known as patakies, of the Yoruba faith are cataloged into a system known as the Ifa Verses or as the Book of Ifa. This system is composed of 257 possible signs that are referred to as Oddu. (Though the name “Ifá” does create confusion, it is understood and accepted that both Ifá and Orisha houses employee the exact same system for divination.) When analyzing any one of thousands of possible myths contained within this system, one must consider that there are two distinct types of patakies: regional and universal. The regional ones may include the recounting of tales or exploits that occurred within a given geographical area to one or more local individuals. These myths based on the adventures of folk heroes or heroines in a given area may appear to contradict a universal myth. The universal patakies are universally understood amongst all people and may, at times, even take place prior to the human race having arrived on the planet. The patakies listing Oduwa as the universal creatrix and Yemaya as the World Mother or as Mother Nature are universal patakies. The exact names, places, supporting characters or gender, as with Oduwa, may change from one geographical area to the other but the myth will be found in all descending traditions regardless of the culture or ethnicity of its society. A good example of these contradictions is the following comparison. It is universally understood that Yemaya is the mother of all the major Orishas with the exception of the Orisha Obatala. However, there are patakies that will list Yemaya as Oshun’s sister. The contradictory nature of these myths is understood when one considers that the regional myth is recounting the tale of two sisters, friends or even rivals; one a priestess of Yemaya and the other a priestess of Oshun. Over time the true names of the characters in the story have not only been forgotten but have, in fact, been replaced by the names of the Orishas that as priestesses they represented in life. One should always bear in mind these two distinct types of myths when studying oddu and patakies. Rather than assuming that patakies simply contradict one another, it is suggested that the student consider varying regional differences and historical facts before attempting to interpret and catalog the myth as either a regional or a universal. * * * * * Prior to the influx of Islamic settlers into Yoruba territory (circa 800-1000 CE) a great portion of the cities and tribes had a considerable matriarchal bias. Chief among their female deities was Oduwa. (This name translates to English as “from a warm, moist mound of female earth.”) Oduwa’s reign as the supreme feminine deity lasted until the end of the 11th Century. It was at this time that a male war hero, Oduduwa usurped her position. Such was his popularity -and so similar were their names- that a fusion of the two -goddess and living warrior- took hold in the public mind. In Yoruba history he is generally held to be the ancestor of all the crowned kings of the Oyo Empire. The oral myths of the Oyo region in Nigeria recount the coming of Oduduwa from the east. Though this can be interpreted to mean the arrival of Muslims from the area of Mecca, some sources actually place his origin to be much closer to home. In such cases, northeastern Yoruba territory or central Nigeria is singled out. Yet another theory lists his origins in Egypt. Regardless of his origins, the fact remains that his arrival coincided with the largest influx to date of Muslims to the area. Oduduwa left more than just confusion in his wake. As one of the founding monarchs of the kingdom of Ife, all subsequent monarchs can claim direct descent from him. With his rise to power and his usurpation of the Mother Goddess, Oduwa, it appeared evident that both the culture and the religion would take a Muslim influenced and distinctly patriarchal tone. Upon his death the king’s popularity with the people was so great that his fusion with Oduwa, the female divinity, became complete. Oduduwa the warrior, king -now a deified ancestor- was wholly incorporated into the worship of the Mother Goddess. Though the ground had been laid for a patriarchal system to take hold, Oduduwa had inadvertently set a series of events into motion. During his reign, Oduduwa sent each one of his sons to rule over a separate area of the kingdom. It was at this time when something quite interesting happened. One son in particular, Shango, was to restore the mother goddess to her rightful place once more. * * * * * Among the Yoruba it is quite common to find a deified ancestor/god or goddess fusion. Yoruba theology teaches that upon one’s death the surviving soul joins, for a time, the Orisha the devotee was initiated to in life. Keeping this in mind, it becomes logical to see these fusions occurring throughout Yoruba history and even into modern times. Due to this piece of dogma, the Oduwa/Oduduwa combination was not the first time this had happened nor would it be the last. Oduduwa’s sons were Oranmiyan, Aganyu, Dada and Shango. (Though true historical figures and kings of the empire in their own time, each has survived as a present day Orisha in his own right.) It is quite possible that each son was the child of a different wife or concubine but it was Dada and Shango’s mother, Yemaya who would ultimately take up the popular Earth Goddess role left behind by Oduwa. Upon his death Shango was synchronized with the thunder god, Jakuta. In all probability he was most likely an initiate of Jakuta’s cult. Once more the popular deified ancestor was confused with the deity in the minds and hearts of the people. [2] When this type of fusion takes place, it in no way makes the original deity obsolete. Rather, the deity retains the same basic personality, characteristic and powers. However, the name does change. This scenario is akin to a present day man or woman who will legally adopt a different name from the one given to them at birth. The name changes but the person remains the same. There are times when the deity may “adopt” certain characteristics that belonged exclusively to the now deified ancestor. As mentioned above, Yemaya took up the reigns as the Mother Goddess after Shango’s death. Though by no means a certainty, patakies and surviving oral traditions do allude to Yemaya having been a queen after Shango abdicated his title in favor of his older brother, Dada. In the Oddu Obara-Ofun, Shango gleefully hands over his crown and kingdom to his mother. In all probability, if she did become queen, it was only for a short period of time until her other son Dada returned. The stage had been set for the next step in her evolution. Though the divinity, Yemaya, was by then already an established deity of her time, a fusion took place once more. In all likelihood, the following scenario took place. Shango’s mother was an initiate of the cult of Yemaya. However, her name was Yemowo or, as she is popularly called today, Yembo. The other possible scenario is that Shango’s mother was an initiate of the cult of Yemaya but her “road” or “avatar” was Yemowo. [3] In all likelihood, the latter of the two options is probably correct. Though considered a “road” or “avatar” of Yemaya today, Yemowo is also considered to be a separate and independent Orisha and, interestingly enough, very related to the worship of Oduwa. [4] With Shango’s death and subsequent fusion with the thunder god Jakuta, his mother was fused with Yemaya but as Yemaya-Yemowo. As Shango’s popularity grew after his death so did his mother’s. At times, her popularity began to outshine Shango’s and every other Orisha as well. After all, she had made it up the ranks from wife or, possibly, concubine of the king, to the first and only woman to rule as “king” from Oduduwa’s throne. Both her sons, Shango and Dada, had subsequently risen to the throne, as well. Many myths which had originally contained Oduwa as a separate entity, now had her name replaced with “Yemaya” or, more accurately, with “Yemaya-Yemowo.” * * * * * Though the world creation myth and Yemaya’s role within that creation is listed further down, it is more fitting that we discuss the universal creation myth. This creation myth is universally understood and well documented though the gender of Oduwa, the lead character, may change depending on the source material. From the Oddu, Ofun Meyi: It was past midnight and the youngest son, Ejiogbe, was conversing with his mother, Oduwa, regarding the state of darkness and nothingness in the universe. It was just then that the eldest brother, Eyioco, wandered by in a very sad and sorry state. When asked by the other two as to the reason for his troubled demeanor, he replied, “I have lost the Key to Light. The key, ” he explained, “which you entrusted me with. The key we can use to open the door for the universe to enter. I cannot find it. I had it on me before I went to bed and it was gone when I awoke.” To this Oduwa replied, “No, it is not lost. I have it. I told your brother to take it from you and he has given it to me. Had you not been in a drunken state last night and passed out, I would have entrusted you with it. Now I see I cannot trust you and will give it back to your younger brother, Ejiogbe. He will complete the mission you were unable to.” With that said, Oduwa took the key from the folds of her garments and handed it to Ejiogbe, who turned, placed the key into a great lock and opened a great door from which light and all creation burst forth in a great explosion. Though the complete myth does not end there, one should consider the state of “darkness and nothingness” in the universe as described in the story. The affects of opening the door can, quite simply, be interpreted as the Big Bang. The story goes on to list Ejiogbe’s sadness at his brother’s loss of status. He pleads with his mother, Oduwa, to reconsider her judgment of him. After careful consideration she entrusts him as the keeper of darkness and night and all things, which are hidden from view. The relationship between Oduwa (Ofun), Ejiogbe and Eyioco is a complex one, it is suggested that the reader remember that Oduwa is the “mother” in this pataki and Ejiogbe and Eyioco are her sons. (Though Oduwa’s gender can be questioned, there are no references to either Eyioco or Ejiogbe ever being females. They are always male.) Though some versions of this pataki list Oduwa as the “father” there is no reference to a “mother” for “his” children. There are various interpretations and countless patakies that disagree with one another as to the actual lineages and generations within the Orisha family. However, most sources will present the following family tree. To begin with, Oloddumare, or God, as listed earlier, means, “The Owner of Everything, ” and is the source from which Obatala and Oduwa spring to life. Though many people confuse Oduwa, the female Orisha, with Oduduwa, the male human warrior, in actuality Oduwa is most distinctly female or should be considered as such. The pataki that describes the descent to Earth by Obatala and Oduwa in the oddu Ejiogbe Meyi finds them within the confines of a whole calabash that splits in two. (Both halves form the whole.) The underlying significance of this imagery becomes apparent if one considers the Oriental ying-yang symbol. Each side, both black and white, combines to form a whole. Each one contains a piece of the other within itself; masculine and feminine combined, male and female united, positive and negative charges repelling and attracting all at the same time. With the above representation in mind, if Oduwa descended to Earth with Obatala, within a calabash, it is hard to imagine Oduwa having been a male. Also interesting is the fact that both these Orisha have both male and female “roads” or “avatars”. Obatala, the primarily male aspect, has some female roads and Oduwa has both male and female roads. If we take this into consideration, keep in mind that Obatala and Oduwa are the original “couple”. Their offspring, Aganyu and Yemaya, brother and sister, are the first two born on the planet. Then it is necessary to take one more step in order to best analyze the next generation. With the first generation on Earth, Yemaya and Aganyu, are now seen as extremes of their parents. That is, the dual nature to a certain extent has now split as Aganyu is most definitely a “male” Orisha and Yemaya is a most distinctly “female” Orisha. With each successive, the dual nature of God, black/white, male/female, masculine/feminine and positive/negative has become more defined. In this evolutionary pattern what had been the duality contained within Oloddumare has now split and with each successive generation each “half” of the original whole has defined itself into a wholly separate and distinct gender. When they mature, Yemaya and Aganyu marry and have a son, Oranmiyan. When he becomes mature he finds himself alone on the planet with only the company of his parents. Over time he begins to lust after his mother and eventually overpowers and rapes her in crazed moment. Yemaya, in shock and horror at what her beloved son had done to her, tries to run away from him and in the process trips and falls. When she hits the ground, her body splits open and from her womb a river gushes forth containing no less than sixteen offspring Orisha. These sixteen Orishas, in no particular order, include Shango (the spark of life and thunder), Oya (transformation, lightning and wind), Oshun (the human heart and civilization), Dada (life in the womb), Obba (transmigration of the soul), Oggun (will, force, cause), Oshosi (animals, karma, consequence), Osayin (plants), Aye Shaluga (wealth), Olokun (ocean), Olosa (lagoon), Sopono (disease and entropy), Orisha Oko (agriculture), Oke (mountain), Osu or Oshupa (moon) and, finally, Orun (sun). The concept of a son being the progenitor of an entire generation with the physical aid of his mother is a distasteful notion in Western culture. One should bear in mind that the Great Mother, or the Great Goddess, throughout ancient lore in many cultures, often turned to her son, as often he was the only other person present. This is not to say the matriarchal Yoruba society condoned incest or engaged in its practice but rather that they saw the representation of such acts in nature and used them to better understand and analyze the workings of nature through anthropomorphism. One should remember that these symbolic acts are emblematic of the mysterious workings of nature. It is interesting to note that Yemaya has dominion over all the world’s oceans. The volcano symbolizes Aganyu and, finally, Oranmiyan is said to be the lava that flows out of the volcano and comes from the molten center of the planet. As any grade school science student will tell you, life on this planet originated in the oceans. The chemical reaction between the volcano’s lava and ocean water created the first building blocks of life. The above myth is fragmented and varying parts of the story take place between four oddu: Odí Meyi, Odi Ejiogbe, Odí Osá and Odí-Ofun. Varying patakies will list Oggun, and not Oranmiyan, as the individual who lusts after and rapes his mother. It is as Yemowo in the oddu Odí-Ofun that she curses Oggun -who has also cursed himself to work day and night throughout eternity. From this point, Yemowo refuses to ever use metals (which Oggun owns) in any of her ceremonies. A.B. Ellis documented another creation myth, or, a continuation of the ones already covered, in his work, “Yoruba-Speaking Peoples of the Slave Coast of West Africa” [1894] with the following excerpt: According to the myth, the sun, moon, and stars came from the body of Yemaya. Orun, the Sun, and Oshu, the Moon, are gods, but the stars do not seem to have been deified. The worship of the sun and moon is, moreover, now very nearly obsolete, and sacrifices are no longer offered to them, though the appearance of the -new moon is commonly celebrated by a festival. The stars are the daughters of the sun and moon. The boys, or young suns, on growing up tried to follow their father in his course across the sky to where the sea and the sky meet, and which, say the Yorubas, is the place where the white men go and find all the things with which they fill their ships; but he, jealous of his power, turned upon them and tried to kill them. Some of them sought refuge with Olosa, some with Olokun, and the remainder with their grandmother, Yemaya, who turned them into fish. Thus all the sons were driven out of the sky, but the daughters remained with their mother and still accompany her by night. This myth is virtually the same as that current among the eastern Ewe-tribes, who have almost certainly learnt it from their Yoruba neighbours.” The above listed pataki is from the oddu, Odí-Ofun. With this reference in mind, one is once more struck by the fact that the images of Yemaya as the world mother, in this case the “grand-mother” of the stars and mother to the Sun and Moon is quite old and goes back hundreds, if not thousands of years. Though Shango was never considered a very good king and was actually more of party animal and, apparently, a bit of a “mama’s boy, ” the fact remains that he was very popular. Over time the worship of son and mother spread throughout Western Africa. As his status grew so did her status. In many parts of Yoruba-land if a priest/priestess was initiated to the cult of Shango he or she would also be initiated to the cult of Yemaya, as well. The attributes and sacred stones of both would reside within the same vessel. Interestingly enough, the opposite would not always hold true. That is, if you were initiated to Yemaya’s cult it was not common to be initiated to Shango’s cult, too. The reason behind this becomes apparent when one considers that only a mother knows how to keep her son in check. For almost 4 centuries the Mother Goddess, Yemaya, withstood wave after wave of Islamic and, later on, Christian settlers. Wars rose, raged and died. Still, Yemaya stood her ground and ruled the Yoruba tribes and their surrounding territories as the Supreme Mother. She did this for 370 years and her authority was without question. Then in 1471 the slave-traders hit the shores of West Africa and slowly the trafficking of slaves began. What had been an ideal seat of power for Yemaya was suddenly overturned as throngs of her worshippers were thrown into chains and shipped off to the New World in the cargo holds of ships. Never one to be held down for long -and certainly not about to abandon her children to their own fates, Yemaya boarded the ships with them. As she sailed to the New World in the hearts and minds of her devotees, she prepared for the next stage in her evolution. Yemaya was about to step onto the world-stage for the first time. Footnotes: [1] Interestingly enough, a male could inherit both the title and the power of an aje but would never be able to pass it on to his offspring. The bloodline would end with him. However, a female would more than likely always pass the power and the title to her female daughters and occasionally a male child though he would be unable to join the all-female sisterhood. [2] The confusion left by the Oduwa/ Oduduwa fusion, is he a he or is he really a she, still exists to this day. In fact, today though most practitioners do not realize it, there are two distinct deities that are worshipped within the community. The male version strictly belongs to houses of Ifa. The female version is the deity of Orisha houses only. Interestingly enough, it is the same deity and both branches of the faith will hotly contest publicly that their version is of the correct gender. However, upon closer inspection and with a little nudging, most knowledgeable Ifa priests will admit under their breath that Oduwa is really “a girl but don’t tell anyone.” [2] This scenario is all too common and repeats itself once the Orishas arrive on Western shores. It is at that time that the fusion then takes place once more. However, this time it occurs with Catholic saints. [3] “Roads” or “avatars” of Orishas are used by the Orishas to alter their own personal names, tastes or, even, taboos among their worshippers. The road of Yemaya-Yemowo had already been at that time closely associated with the Oduwa. [4] (Interesting to note is the fact that even today Yemowo has a taboo with metal and with the male Orisha Oggun. This taboo appears today to be a vestigial influence of a pre-iron age matriarchal society. Copyright: © 2007 Star Sparks, Felix Rodriguez

Author: Eldyohr Posted: February 24th. 2008 Asherah: The Lost Goddess Reclaimed Exactly seven years ago I stood naked, in body and soul, deep within the mountains of Utah in the dark hours of the night. I was searching for something and I felt it calling back to me – echoing throughout the canyon walls. I had reached the end of a frustrating five-year sojourn through the world’s religions and philosophies, searching for truth and divinity. Now, alone and naked in the mountains, I bellowed my challenge into the black night and waited for an answer. Much to my surprise – someone answered. The name Ashtaroth sang within my head; there was no mistaking the name as I felt power wash over me with every repetition of it. I had never heard the name before that night and I was pleasantly surprised to discover the name belonged to one of the most ancient Goddess figures in all history. Asherah, the Queen of Heaven, the Consort of El and Yahweh, the Holy Qadesh is the Canaanite/Babylonian Mother Goddess who predates Inanna, Isis, and almost every other known Goddess in recorded history. She had called me from the depths of her abode and I have answered. I am Eldyohr, first witch and priest of Asherah and this is her tale. Asherah was the great Mother Goddess of the Canaanite people who lived in the ancient near east, around what is present-day Iraq. Her worship was widespread throughout the region and archeology continues to discover votive offerings to her in the shape of a clay figure cupping her breasts. Sadly, very little information exists that chronicles Asherah. Most of the information to be found on her exists in the form of scholarly and biblical criticism. In addition, later deities made references to Asherah and they were seen to be manifestation or aspects of an earlier Goddess - Asherah. It is from these two sources that all of our current knowledge of the Goddess exists. She can be seen as the Great Earth Mother, the Queen of Heaven, Mother of Creation, Goddess of Fertility and War. In Sumeria, she was known as the consort of El, Chief God of the Mesopotamian pantheon and among the Hebrews, she was commonly seen as the consort of Yahweh. She is not to be seen as a subordinate consort, but rather the female half of the ultimate deity, a cooperative partnership balancing the female and male powers of creation. She was a Goddess of both the sacred groves and of the sea, and since she was also known as the Queen of Heaven, we can see that there is no aspect of the earth, which she did not rule, save that of the underworld. She is also chiefly associated with the Holy Qadashu, the fertility Goddess of sacred sexuality. In this guise, she represents fertility, the feminine powers, and emphasizes the holy and sacred aspects of sexuality. In addition, she is the prototype for the archetypal union of the warrior and the lover. She is seen as a fertility Goddess and the Goddess of war. The archetype of warrior meets lover finds later champions in Inanna, the Morrigan, Artemis, etc. The biblical writers went to great pains to suppress all mention of Asherah or her worship, though archeological evidence supports its long-standing presence. The addition of “boseth” to Ashtart became Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, a title meaning shame. I mentioned that the Goddess under the name of Ashtaroth initially called me. I have come to conclude that this was the Goddess, saying, “Do you see what they have done to my holy name? Do you see how they think to twist my beauty into something ugly? Do you see how they think to usher me out of existence?” One of my responsibilities as a priest of Asherah is to reclaim her name and bring her back her former glory in a time when the Goddess is again reclaiming her rightful place. Asherah was known by many names or guises and I have attempted to elucidate the epithets, meanings, and associations of each of these titles. While current view of the Goddess centers on her aspects as maiden, mother, and crone, ancient peoples did not separate them thus. They were viewed as inherent in each Goddess without emphasizing the individual aspects as later Celts did. Thus Asherah can be seen as the Virgin or Maiden in her guise as Anat and as the Heavenly Mother and Goddess of Sexuality as Asherah. Not until Sumerian mythology in Inanna did the Goddess confront her dark aspect (Erishkigal) and have her crone aspect so distinguished. Asherah is one of the original Goddesses, whose main archetype is that of the Great Mother. In exploring the various titles and epithets by which she is known, it is helpful to summarize our account of divinity. Christopher Penczak had a beautiful analogy in which he compared to divinity to a diamond. The diamond is the ultimate deity, the one creative power in the universe. Like the diamond, divinity has many facets, and their particular appearance depends on the angle of observance and the prejudices of the beholder. Mythology is the means by which a culture seeks to make the transcendent immanent. It is the means by which one relates to divinity and each deity is a product of the time in which it was conceived. The archetypes of deity are these facets of the diamond and there are many, such as lover, warrior, dying/reviving god, fertility, etc. Inasmuch as the facets of the diamond describe ultimate divinity, so the Asherah may be viewed as a diamond and the various titles described below are the many faces of that diamond. Below are listed the names and titles by which Asherah was known and the various aspects, symbology, and associations of each. Come and explore the vastness of Asherah, she who was worshipped of old and suppressed by patriarchal monotheism. Let us reclaim the Goddess from the lost pages of history and return her to her rightful place as the Queen of Heaven. Epithets of Asherah: 1.Athirat (Ugaritic) / Asherah (Hebrew) a. The Canaanite Mother of All, Creator and Progenitor of the Gods, Consort of El. b. One of Her sacred animals is the lion, upon which she is frequently seen standing. c. She has been mentioned as the Turquoise Lady, which is also an epithet of Hathor, with whom she was later identified, d. Her most common votives are of a clay figure with short curly hair cupping her breast in each hand. e. As the companion to El in Canaan and Yahweh in Israel, her memory is disguised as the Shekinah. The Shekinah is the feminine side of the Christian God in Hebrew mythology, comparable to the Shakti of Indian tradition. While biblical writers succeeded in removing most of the records of Asherah, her memory was retained as the Shekinah, especially by the later Qabalists. f. She is called the Great Lady She Who Treads on The Sea and is often depicted with dolphins or fish. She is a Goddess of the Sea, especially the shoreline. Dolphins and fish were sacred to her. g. She is called the Labiatu, or the Lion Lady and was sometimes represented as a lion with a human female head. In her aspect as the Qadasha, she is seen as a human female figure standing atop a lion. Her sons are referred to as her lions. h. She is called Lady of the Serpent and can be considered a serpent Goddess. Bronze serpent forms represented her. In fact, the bronze serpent that is associated with Moses in biblical myth is most likely an emblem of Asherah. i. She was known as Tanith in Phoenicia and North Africa, a name that means Serpent Lady. One of the symbols of Tanith is a caduceus, which is actually two serpents wound about an asherah pole. At the top is an up-tuned crescent, representing the heavens and a wreath of snakes. Below this caduceus stands Tanith in a triangular garment from shoulders to feet with Her arms bent upward and outward, holding a cornucopia in each hand, out of which comes a pomegranate on Her left and a bunch of grapes in Her right. On each side of Her, below Her waist and arms is a dove. The asherah pole is mentioned frequently throughout Canaanite history and in biblical text as the sacred tree or staff of the Goddess Asherah. j. Asherah is the original tree of life, a life Goddess of well-being. She was honored as a sacred tree and worshipped in sacred groves, sometimes depicted in a tree of life stance between two animals. Some scholars have suggested that the palm tree, or female date palm tree, is her sacred tree. The date as a fruit is often mentioned in conjunction with her and seeing her sacred tree as a date palm is not difficult to believe. Others associate Her sacred tree with the Acacia or Cypress. k. She is the Lady of the Stars of Heaven or the Queen of Heaven. Associated symbols include the solar disk and the crescent, which can appear with points up or down. Upward represents the moon and downward represents the canopy of the heavens. l. She is also shown curly haired and riding a lion, holding lilies and serpents in upraised hands as the Qadashu. 2. Athtart, Athartu (Ugaritic), Ashtart (Phoenician), Astarte (Greek), Ashtaroth/Ashtoreth (Hebrew – false vowels added to associate the name with “boseth” or shame. a. Known as She of the Womb and seen as a benevolent Goddess of sexuality, passion, creativity, and of the fertility of women and nature. Her name is cognate with Ishtar, the incarnation of the planet Venus, who as the morning star is a war goddess, robed in flames and armed with a sickle sword and two quivers of arrows; and as the evening star is the Goddess of desire. Thus Asherah is the original archetype of the Goddess as both lover and warrior – a tradition to be continued in mythology immemorial. In fact, Her martial powers are well known and one of her epithets is Athtart of the Battle. b. Ashtartu was eventually worshipped through the Mediterranean world; identified with Aphrodite in Greece, Venus in Rome, Hathor and/or Tanith in Egypt. She is sometimes depicted as the Qadashu and frequently invoked for magickal aid. c. The Hebrew writers of the bible later added the “boseth” to the name of Asherah, probably known then as Ashtart who would be become Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, titles meaning shame. Asherah worship was widespread and this was one of many attempts to deface the Goddess and suppress her worship. 3. Qadashu, Qadash, Qodesh, Qadesha, Qudeshet, Quadosh, Kedesh a. Qadash means Holiness or The Holy One and she is generally portrayed in a somewhat Egyptian style with a Hathor-like hair-do (hair about shoulder length with the ends curled up) standing on a lion. Her arms are bent at the elbow and in each hand she holds either a flower, variously either a lily or a lotus, or a snake. b. Qadesh is an epithet, not an actual Goddess. The epithet has been assigned to Anat and various manifestations of Asherah. It is clear that in the beginning there was one great Goddess who bore all of these qualities and was also known as the Qadesh – that Goddess is Asherah and she was later splintered into various deities known as Anat, Ashtart, Astarte, etc. c. She can be identified as a Goddess of life and health. She was considered the patroness of sexual activity and fertility. The qadashat were temple prostitutes, but not in the manner we think of them today. Sexuality was sacred and to copulate with them was to reunite with the divine source – it was a very holy act that celebrated life! 4. Anat, Anath, Anatu, Anata (Ugaritic), Anta, Antu (Akkadian), Anit, Anti, Antit, Anant (Egyptian) a. Anat is commonly viewed as a separate Goddess from Asherah and the reasons I am including her is that she was later merged with Asherah by the Phoenicians and many of epithets, such as the Qadashu, and her titles are synonymous with those of Asherah, to the point that we may consider Anat an aspect of Asherah that later achieved pre-eminence. b. She is a complex Ugaritic Goddess, maidenly, sexual, war-like, whose abode is the Holy Mountain. c. She is known as the Maiden or Virgin and is the spouse of no one; however, she is also seen as the sister and sometime lover of the great Ba’al. Ba’al appears as a bull and she as a heifer, stressing their fertility aspects. d. The etiology of her name has the meanings of “a turn of the plow”, “to she make love”, and “spring.” e. She is a Goddess of dew and fertility and her grace and beauty were considered the acme of perfection. She is also a warrior armed with spear and shield, a Goddess of the hunt and war. f. In her aspect of the Qadasha, she is called wanton and freely enjoys the pleasures of sex as sacred; she is the Goddess of love and desire. She personifies a high level of energy that finds its outlet in either sex or combat. g. She is identified with spring and gently early summer rain, when the vegetative world if dependent on dew. h. She is identified with both Sekhmet (her warring aspect) and Bast (fertility aspect) in Egyptian mythology. Even so, the Egyptians mainly identified her with Antit, the Queen of Heaven and Mistress of all the Gods. She wears on her head a plumed crown and holds in her left hand the scepter while in her right hand she holds the ankh. 5.Asherah was the consort of El, the chief God in the Canaanite/Babylonian pantheon, though sometimes mistakenly seen as consort to El’s son Ba’al. There is ample evidence that she was considered the consort of Yahweh among the Hebrews, though biblical writers later trampled this idea. 6.Symbols of Asherah a. The sacred grove b. The asherah tree – acacia, cypress, and the date palm tree c. The sea, especially dolphins and fish d. The lion, upon which she stands e. The serpent, which she is seen frequently holding f. The planet Venus g. The dove h. The pentagram and the eight-pointed star

Author: Castiel Posted: December 9th. 2007 In my family, we do it all. Well, okay, not all. We don’t celebrate Kwanza. Or any Buddhist, Hindu, or Islamic winter holidays. But we do a lot. First off, I was raised a Christian—Episcopalian, i.e. Catholic light—so my childhood was all about pageants in which I played everything from an angel to a cow, midnight services during which I slept in the corner of the choir loft in my Care Bears sleeping bag, and ripping into presents on Christmas morning underneath a tree decked with angel figures, little drummer boys, and, of course, the ubiquitous glass balls. We did lots of donating to children and the “less fortunate” with food boxes and toys and cash. Then there were the non-religious traditions, like driving to my grandmother’s two hours away after the midnight church service so we could be with my whole Dad’s side of the family on Christmas Day. Though I am now a Witch, I am a Witch with a great relationship with my loving, open-minded family. Although there are no more choir loft sleepovers or moving the manger scene figures around the house so that they arrive at the little stable in the dinning room at the Biblically correct times (this included trying to remember on Christmas Eve where we’d stashed the Baby Jesus), there is still getting together and singing and ripping open presents underneath the tree that still sports all the same glittery, worse-for-wear stuff. Secondly, my husband is Jewish. Or rather, he’s Jew-ish. It’s more of a cultural thing for him—he’s not a terribly religious guy. But once he was absorbed into my overwhelmingly enthusiastic, holiday (doesn’t matter which one) -loving family, he started to feel a little left out amidst all the other celebrations going on. So I decided we were going to do Chanukah. We made our own menorah—and then we bought one. We wrote our own version of the prayers, incorporating the Hebrew too, of course. We invite some of his family members over, usually on the last night, and I buy him fun little presents for each night. It’s not a huge, overwhelming deal, but included in with everything else, it adds to the holiday crunch, for sure. And then, of course, I’m a Witch. This is probably the most complicating factor in all of our holiday planning. You wouldn’t think so—after all, most of the trappings of modern-day Christmas are lifted right out of the traditions of the Northern European Pagan celebrations of the Winter Solstice. If I deck my halls with boughs of holly, no one thinks twice about why. Even five-pointed stars stuck up everywhere are totally acceptable. And the days of celebration are just close enough that I can do both without feeling, like I do at Thanksgiving and usually at Easter, that I’ve already DONE this holiday…And even the trappings of Chanukah aren’t that far off from what I do at Solstice—candles in the dark, celebration games, gifts. This may be the one Christian/Pagan religious holiday standoff that has the least to do with actually religious belief, and more to do with our culture at large. By the time we hit Samhain, I’ve given pretty much all I have to give for the year. For ten months, I’ve been laying plans and making them happen. I’ve been gardening, I’ve been writing rituals, I’ve been setting up charitable events and meeting with my coven. I’ve been working all day and then spending my weekends with my friends out enjoying the world, to celebrate the life that is full of the blessings of the God and Goddess. I’ve also been cleaning and cooking and managing a herd of pets. I’ve been tapping into the energetic tides of the seasons—cleansing, planting, tending, harvesting and celebrating. And at this point, baby, I’m tuckered out. All I want to do is sit inside my house, wrap up in a blanket with a steaming cup of tea nearby, and catch up on the little things—knitting, making entries into my Book of Shadows, filing articles of interest, etc. Maybe read a nice book I’ve been trying to get around to for a while. America, however, has other plans. Just about the time my body and my mind begin to slow down and yearn for cozy comfort, the rest of my society is beginning to whip itself up into holiday frenzy. I woke up November 1, turned on the morning news, and what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, cruising through Big Lots on a mission for bargains. Not that I should be surprised, but it’s still a bit jarring. All around me, lines in stores are getting longer, and people are pressing me to help them make plans for THE BEST HOLIDAY EVER. At work I’m booking rooms for office parties and asking for RSVPs to cookie exchanges, and at home my family is calling me to figure out plane reservations and what the menu is going to entail and what we should do about the annual Christmas Even pajama gag this year. Friends and family are starting buy cards and write holiday letters, calling around to confirm the addresses of the long lost whoevers. Budgets are being set, and broken. Boxes are arriving on the front porch. What am I getting my husband this year? What we are we getting for my parents? His mother is coming to stay with us—what are we getting her? When am I going to clean out the guestroom? Decorate? Make umpteen baked goods? How are we going to get three people, three dogs, and a butt load of presents out to my parents’ on Christmas Eve in one car? And can we get there a little earlier this year, please? Even if you have managed to cut ties with most of the family members who celebrate Christmas and live out in the boonies where you light your Solstice fire in peace and that’s that, the Christmas Craziness finds ways to affect you. The commercials, the stores, the traffic, whatever. Christmas is stressful for pretty much every American adult I know, Christian or not, but for different reasons. For those secular Christmas celebrators, it’s the money, the time, and the pressure of the perfect gift, perfect party, picture-perfect Christmas moment. For Christians, it’s all that PLUS the pressure of finding, “The Meaning of Christmas, ” aka “Putting the Christ back in Christmas.” The same holiday special, featuring a new set of actors in varying settings with slightly updated dialog each year, flashes on the TV each year, reminding us that Christmas is about the gift of love, that it doesn’t matter what you have, just that you’re with the people you care about. And every seven minutes you are also reminded to buy a GPS system, an electric razor, a flat-screen TV, an array of walking, talking, interactive toys, and a coffee maker that makes you basic java look like sex in a cup. Good sex, too. For Pagans, the stress comes from the fact that all of this holiday hustle and bustle is 100% diametrically opposed to what Witches consider to be the period of REST. We don’t do magic, we don’t have parties; we don’t run all around looking for the perfect anything. We reflect, we introspect, we clear out all the stuff that we don’t need anymore and we make space for what the next year will bring. How we’re supposed to do that in the midst of total commercialized chaos has yet to be determined, especially if you have to be involved in said chaos in any way. Maybe you have Christmas-celebrating family, maybe you work in retail (bless you, my child!), and maybe your office insists on gift exchanges and huge, sloshing bowls of eggnog—it’s hard to escape. A Pagan friend and I decided last year that the reason America goes so freakin’ psycho over this particular holiday (which really, if you think about it, is NOT the crux of the Christian faith—literally. That would be Easter, the whole died-for-your-sins-back-from-the-dead-God-says-hi thing) is because Americans save up all their holiday energy—the need to celebrate, connect, give back—for this one day. Despite the fact that the Christian Church (well, not so much the Protestants, so some of the blame goes to them) and, hello, even the Federal Government offers a wide range of year-round excuses to party hardy, everyone holds back and shoots their whole wad in December. And it sort of makes sense that they would—it’s a dark, despairing time, you need something to make you feel better, to feel hopeful and happy. The rest of the year they’re too busy with “life, ” by which I think most people actually mean “work” of various kinds, from house to income-generating, to take time to celebrate anything. So it all falls to Christmas. This, I think, is why Christmas and everything associated with it has to be “perfect.” The build-up is enormous. This is also why people get depressed after the holidays—that, and the credit card bills—because what could possibly live up to such high expectations? I bet even Martha Stewart has a few days of doldrums when it’s all over—did anyone REALLY appreciate those centerpieces? Should I have done silver instead of gold this year? I can’t believe that stupid assistant I had to fire threw my hand-made napkins rings away after the photo shoot! As Pagans, we get eight evenly-spaced holidays, all of equal importance, all with the potential for feasts, gifts, crafts, and company. And they’re more than just fun—the meaning is both inherent and multi-faceted, offering us new perspectives and new surprises every turn of the Wheel. If the last holiday didn’t go exactly as planned—you didn’t finish making the special candles, not as many people as you hoped showed up to your open circle, you got a little too into the preparations to take time for yourself and do your own little spiritual observance—there’s another one coming up in about a month and a half. Over time we start to build traditions that pop up along our year like trail markers—time to dye eggs, time to plant the garden, time to get the sun on a stick out, time to make corn dollies, time for the can drive, time to carve pumpkins—and they connect us to the holidays past as well as make a foundation for other fun activities we might want to try or insights we need to gain. Not that non-Pagans don’t do a lot of these activities, too, but without the spiritual component that goes along with them—these eggs are new life, these baby plants are the promise of the Gods’ blessings, this sun is the triumph of the God’s power, this corn dollie is the sacrifice that allows us to life and enjoy life, etc.—they become more of a fun thing you do to amuse your kids, and they fall away as “life” (read “work”) takes over. They don’t help to anchor you into the rhythm of creation and destruction, of enjoyment, fulfillment, and later, yearning, that really IS “life.” So what’s to be done about this clash of opposing energies? How can we safeguard our Pagan ways from the crushing, crashing tide of consumer Christmas? Well, there are a couple of options. You can get off the grid. Refuse to participate. Say no to invites that involve holidays other than your own, go to the grocery store and mall, etc., in the early morning before the hoards descend, do not send cards or bake huge batches of cookies, unless they’re shaped like moons and stars instead of Santas and candy canes. Skip the office Christmas party, offer to work Christmas Day instead of the day of the Solstice, and make absolutely no travel plans anytime near the date of December 23-26. Of course, this extreme approach may not be possible for you, for a number of reasons. It’s always possible, though, to set boundaries, to do things your way. I remember the moment I discovered that, wow, I’m an adult, and it’s my house, and I can do whatever I want. If I don’t want to send holiday cards, I don’t have to. If I do, I get to send them to whoever I want—I don’t have to include every relative and person I’ve spoken to for more than five minutes on my mailing list. I can even send Pagan cards—most people will never pick up on that anyway. If I want to give small, simple gifts to people I love, I can do it on Chanukah or Solstice or Christmas, or all three, or throughout the year, and I don’t have to feel guilty if they decide to give me big, expensive presents—that’s their choice, their way of celebrating. If I want to bake the traditional Christmas cookie of my family (the surprise bar) but serve them as cakes and ale instead of sending them to relatives far and wide, I can do that, too. I can choose to enjoy the pleasures of this season without succumbing to the stress and guilt and monetary implosion it entails for so many people. There might be some hurt feelings, some gossip, some disappointed expectations of some other people if I go this route. Some people, even if I try to explain myself, might not understand why I’m not whipping myself up like the cream on coco over Christmas. To which I say, hey, person buying into the commercial nuclear reactor that is the American celebration of Christmas, don’t you have enough to worry about? Take me off your gift/card/cookie/ fruitcake/ornament/letter/caroling list and get on with your life! Oh, I make it sound so easy, and it’s not. It’s really, really hard to disappoint or just downright piss off people that you care about, or even interact with on a regular basis. Well, it is for me. I’m sure I will make a big long list of things I want to do to observe and share the three holidays I celebrate this season, and I’m sure I won’t complete it, and I’m sure I’ll feel a little lame come December 26. I think the most important thing to remember is that a little goes a long way, no matter what the situation. Remember that, if you find yourself all caught up in someone else’s holiday madness, a little walk in the cold, a little minute with a candle at your altar, a little catnap, a little call to your Pagan friends in the same three ships come sailing in you are, will do wonders to ground you back to OUR reason for the season—appreciating that times of rest and recovery, of darkness and stillness and even sadness, are a necessary part of leading a full and productive life. And when the moment of the return of the light comes, we can focus on all that we have to look forward to, not just next Yule, not just at Imbolc and Ostara and Beltane and…but tomorrow, and yes, even today.