A-Z Selection of Goddesses
Aphrodite
Means raised from the sea foam. She is described as 'The Golden One' the lover of laughter. As a daughter of the sea. she is the child of the Beginning. Aphrodite represents human longing to reconnect with the all the other aspects of the cosmos. To the Greeks, she was the supreme Goddess of love. People worshiped her in Temples in Greece, although she originates from Mesopotamia. Like Innana-Ishtar Aphrodite was embodied as the brightest star in heaven. She is a Goddess of sexual love despite the sex of one's partner. She is beautiful to Gods and mortals. Although generally thought of as relating to romantic love some aspects of this Goddess include a more comprehensive love for ideas, and the wider society.
In her temples there were ceremonies of ritual religious prostitution, which was offered freely to the Goddess. There are comparisons with Ishtar regarding the son–lover relationship with the beautiful Adonis and her descent to the Underworld where she has to share him with Persephone. Stories about Aphrodite describe her as a synthesis of nature and culture. The Aphrodite energy can be called upon to make human life more beautiful and civilized. She represents the divine qualities inherent in daily living. Priestesses of Aphrodite had their own sensual dance using the hips to display their sexuality.
Artemis
Very independent Goddess of the moon and the woods. She is a huntress and represents the destroyer/nurturing aspect of the Goddess. She rules the primeval nature of women. She is both friend and hunter of animals. She is brave and strong. Artemis rules childbirth, she calls on women to be more instinctual and animal during labour and was called upon to ease the pain of birthing. However, Artemis was a virgin who has never given birth. She is often depicted as androgynous. She expresses both the masculine and feminine aspects of herself. Her priestesses performed ecstatic rites to her that involved quivering hip movements.
Shamanism invokes animal energy through the ritual dances of the hunt involving animal skins and had magical functions. During these ceremonies, people looked for the ecstatic reunion of human and animal nature. These rituals seem to relate to the message of Artemis.
Athena
Adopted by the city of Athens in Greece, she is an inventor and maker of Athenian law. She is the bringer of rain. The energy of Athena is intellectual and detached, however, she is also sexually attractive.
She is born from the head of Zeus. More recent images of Athena see her clothed as a warrior, older images describe her as a wild Goddess wreathed in snakes. These two images are sometimes seen on opposites sides of the same cup. Stick dancing expresses masculine energy and has evolved from Middle Eastern forms of martial arts, so would be suitable to release Athena power in the dancer. Because she represents the power of thinking within the concept of dance, we could be reminded that artful movement requires intellectual consideration. Dance that is not mindful is impossible. Athena's qualities of reflectiveness, bravery and the heroic journey of self-mastery can assist the dancer to find meaning and insight through movement.
Call on her in your dance when you wish to do groundbreaking, nontraditional movements. Also when you wish to communicate yours and the audience's energy fields. Athena's intellect, inventiveness. and association with rain make her connected to the astrological sign of Aquarius.
Call on her to give your dance a strong adventurous quality, and when you want to call on the animal energies that have inspired some of the movements in middle eastern dance. Artemis as the brave and daring huntress is influenced by the sign of Sagittarius.
Bast
Call on Bast to give your dance a feline quality, to express joi de Vivre or when you are using the dance to heal and make yourself and others happy. Bast's emphasis on pleasure, art and enjoyment makes her associated with the sign of Libra.
Demeter
She represents fertile and cultivated soil, the fruits and riches of the fields. She is often depicted as a corn Goddess. Like many other Goddesses her legend also involves descent to the Underworld. Demeter arrived in Greece in the fifteenth century BC where it was believed that she civilized mortals. Demeter is the Goddess of the fruits of the Earth which human beings transform into food, she is also known as 'mother of the dead'.
The story of Demeter is inextricably interwoven with the story of her daughter Persephone (sometimes called Kore.) In these two aspects the one Goddess is divided into above and below, living and dead, the corn and its seed. Like the sun lover of Ishtar, Demeter must share her daughter with the underworld ruler Hades, who keeps Persephone prisoner. Persephone is only allowed to spend two-thirds of the year with her mother, who was kept prisoner by Hades god of the Underworld. While searching for her daughter she met the comic Goddess Baubo by a well. Baubo has breasts for eyes and genitals for a mouth. Baubo made her laugh with her lascivious sexual humor. She reminded Demeter that life not death was the issue. Baubo gave Demeter the strength to continue the search for her daughter.
Like Ishtar and Inanna her descent into the underworld to rescue her daughter caused the fertility of the world to dry up only to be reinstated by her return.
Call on Demeter for the determination to apply yourself to learning your dance. If you feel you can't go on, renew yourself by having a bawdy laugh at Baubo. Demeter's impassioned search for her daughter is related to the human search for literal and psychological rebirth. Demeter, by virtue of her association with the harvest, especially corn, is related to the sign of Virgo.
Durga
is shown on a tiger representing strength; many goddesses are shown on lions and tigers as this is also symbolic of power over the animal nature. Durga used the sound of 'ohm', to combat demons. She gave birth to kali through her head and represents ultimate reality. She is symbolized in yantras as the life force. Cosmic energy is experienced as a female. She can retract into a single dot or bindi, which is the seed of life.
Durga and kali are connected to Tantricism - they are seen as being able to annihilate the power of time, creation and dissolution. Through Kali, Durga, material forces diversify into all the forms. Durga is a very powerful Goddess and gives us power and strength when we need it. Durga symbolizes 'Timeless nature; pulsating, creating and destroying'. She is the cataclysmic preserver of the cyclic order of time.
Hecate
First worshiped in pre-dynastic Egypt. She is associated with women's' knowledge of the mysteries of childbirth, the occult, and the magical side of life. She is also referred to as Hekate Selene and is associated with the moon. She is connected with darkness and the underworld. Hecate represents the dark moon. She is described by the poet Sappho as 'The Queen of the Night' and carries two torches in her hands - the two torches of the dark. She is to do with the intuitive self, somehow finding the way in the dark.
Dogs are her companions who also may know the way by the power of scent and instinct. In some ways she is like the Indian Goddess Kali and is often represented with three heads six arms and depicted with torches and snakes.
Call on her when you want to project your mysterious psychic feminine energies through your dance. Use Hecate to improvise and trust in the moment with your dance. Hecate, with her association with the moon, death, psychic abilities and darkness, represents Scorpio.
Ishtar
Ishtar is an ancient Sumerian/Babylonian Goddess. Ishtar is a very ancient Goddess. She rules fertility, healing and war. She represents a reconciliation of opposites including male and female. The cult of Ishtar was massive, and spread from the Middle East to the Mediterranean and India. Ishtar incorporated many lesser aspects of the Goddess from a variety of regions. When Ishtar descends into the Underworld to find her son- lover, fertility dies on the Earth. When she returns life is reinstated.
To find her lover Ishtar has to shamanically descend to the Underworld. Here she has to enter seven gates. To do this she bribes the gatekeeper with seven veils, or in some versions her crown, necklace, earrings, bracelets, breast jewels, girdle and silken gown.
The human body has seven centres of consciousness (chakras). Perhaps the myth of Ishtar has something to do with the recognition of the need to look at all the energetic aspects of ourselves to experience our true fertile self.
The myth of Ishtar and Innana tells the story of the death and resurrection of the God. The name Dumuzi and Tammuz was the name of the consort of Ishtar and Innana. Both words mean ‘ 'faithful son'. They carried the title of the 'green one' which shares similarities to the western Green man.
In the descent into the Underworld Ishtar meets her sister Queen Erishkigal, (who is sometimes called Allatu and is half lion and half woman). The images are powerful and reflect the cycle of the moon. Ishtar is the light her sister the dark moon. It is interesting that the dying /resurrected God belongs to both Ishtar and Allatu as they agree he must spend half the year in the underworld.
Isis
She is the supreme Egyptian deity, Queen of Heaven Earth and the Underworld. Her cult was massive and reached far and wide (including Britain.) She is related to the older Goddess Hathor. Sky Goddess Nut, Hathor, and Isis are often spoken of as a unity. The paradox for Isis is that she is worshiped as the great mother of life death and regeneration, but she also suffered tragedy and loss herself. She represents the interface between human experience and divine consciousness. Like Ishtar, she has her lover (her brother Osiris) taken from her. She is also involved in his resurrection and she saved her son from a scorpion sting (in some versions another woman's son.) She is often depicted suckling her son Horus. Isis takes on the human qualities of endurance, struggle, and determination. She is the Great Mother, and she is the one who holds all magical secrets. She is the reader of secrets to men. Mother and magic is connected to the sign of Cancer.
Call on her when your dance needs to express a powerful magical quality. More belly dancers call themselves after Isis than any other Goddess. Isis, with her connection to the Great
Lakshimi
Lakshimi is a Hindu Goddes She is the anthropomorphic version of manifestation in the material world. Lakshimi says ‘ask and it shall be given’. Lakshimi gave the God Indra a drink called Soma (wise blood) from her own body so he could see through the veils of Maya and produce the illusion of birth giving.
Lakshimi is a goddess who needs to be adored with candles and incense. She is celebrated at dwali, the festival of lights, where Hindus clean their houses in her honour. (One way to make housework inspiring)!
Lilith
Technically Lilith is not a Goddess. Demonised in the Bible, Lilith was Adam's first wife before Eve. Unlike her antecedent, Lilith was created with Adam and not out of him. She was one equal part of a male and female whole. This Judaic legend was originally Sumerian. Originally she was 'The bright Queen of Heaven'. When Lilith left Eden she became an outcast. She is often depicted with owls. Her image often sees her as having bird’s feet and bat-like wings. Because she was equal and independent to Adam she brings on the feelings a lot of men direct towards feminists and feminism, of fear, demonization and hatred. She refused to lie in the missionary position for Adam. She fled and then embarked on a career of giving birth to thousands of demons, and killing newborn human children. However she does no harm if the names, images and amulets of angels protect the infant.
Lilith becomes a symbol for men's desire projected onto a woman. The view of sexuality being ungodly is projected onto both Lilith and Eve. Sometimes Lilith is associated with a serpent. Lilith represents the witch of the medieval witch hunts, who is persecuted partly for the sordid things the male imagination dreams that witches/women do.
Her story represents the unification of equal and opposite forces that can create the idealized state, or Jungian mystical marriage of the human psyche.
Ma-at
The winged Goddess whose emblem is the vulture. She is what supported the law and foundations of Pharonic Egypt. She rules the skilled craftsperson and artist; she represents both discipline and harmony. As well as limitation, all creation needs form and content. One must dispense with the aspects of one's creative life that are not needed. It is in this way that we produce meaningful work. She binds divine beings and human beings within one universal law. Ma-at is often pictured breathing life into the pharaohs by holding the ankh to their nose. Ma-at is like the Tao or Dharma of Eastern philosophy she is the universal way, the immutable cosmic order. Ma-at represents the order needed for individual and cosmic consciousness.
Call on her in your dance when you need discipline in your movements and to master difficult tecniques. In her role as disciplinarian and teacher we can attribute Ma-at to the sign of Capricorn.
Taweret
is a kind and helpful Hippopotamus Goddess of childbirth and protection. She carries a bundle of reeds or straw in the shape of the hieroglyph sa, which is a Magical sign of protection...
Tiamat
She is an ancient Babylonian Goddess and is included in the creation myth. She represents the sea and is the feminine element that gave birth to the world. She symbolises fertility, power and magic. Tiamat represents the emotional power of the sea, which can also represent the expanses of the individual and collective spirit. In the creation of the universe we see the separation between spirit and matter that creates dualism. The way of the Goddess however, is to realize that nature is spiritual and spirit is natural.
Call on Tiamat when you want your dance to have an emotional soulful quality. The sign of Pisces rules Tiamat in her connection to the sea, and the power of emotion.
Tara, born from a tear of compassion and was certainly a feminist.
She refused to incarnate as a man as was requested of her. She stamped her foot in defiance and the whole earth shook. She is a saviour and feminine embodiment of all the Buddha's enlightened activities. She manifests in many forms, the most popular seem to be the green and the white Tara.
Practices associated with Tara are widespread in Tibetan Buddhism. Just hearing her name with devotion is said to free one from the eight 'great fears', including fear of the elements, worldly tragedies and so forth. Reciting Tara mantras is said to dispel all obstacles.
Repeat, Om Tara-Tutaray Tu -ray so-ha
Sekhmet
Her title is 'The Mighty One'; she was a fierce Goddess of war and bringer of destruction of the enemies of Ra. Orgiastic drinking festivals were held in her honour. She is often depicted with the head of a lioness. Bast and Sekhmet represent the two sides of each other. Sekhmet being the more wrathful feline (feminine) aspect. She is a fire Goddess whose wrath threatened the extinction of the human race. She represents the protection that comes from destroying hostile forces. She is both Queen of Battle and Lady of Life. Although Goddesses are often depicted with lions, with Sekhmet lion and Goddess become one.
Sheila na gig
The Anglo-Celtic fertility Goddess Sheela-na-gig, a strange little figure who, squatting, appears to be giving birth to the Universe. She was worshiped two thousand years ago. Interestingly, she was integrated into early British and Irish Christianity. Her image can still be seen in some old churches today. However, few will look like our Ms Na-gig! Painted a beautiful glitter pink, she smiles happily lighting up your room/altar/mind.
Sheela-na-gig is similar to the Hindu goddess Kali in her creatrix /destructive role. She gives birth to the universe from her vagina. Although her genitals are disproportionally big, this is contrasted with her lack of breasts and head, which looks like a baby. Again evidence that she stands at both ends of time. No-one of Celtic ancestry should be without their very own Sheela Na gig - who will always be a talking point and an amusing source of embarrassment for any prudes who may visit!
Spiral Goddess
Symbolizing the spiral of eternity, the Spiral Goddess is a modern composite of Goddess symbology. The spiral is a universal symbol explaining the cyclical nature of life and the universe. The spiral could also be seen as the pictorial description of feminine power and processes.
Venus of Willendorf
Our statue is based on one found by an archaeologist in Austria, in the township of Willendorf, in 1908. She was thought to have been made 25,000 years ago. Now she lives in The Museum of Natural History, Vienna. She seems to have a symbolic nature of abundance and fertility dismissed as pornography by male misogynistic archaeologists.
Her lack of facial features and other aspects make it clear that she has a symbolic and archetypal significance. It is thought that she was a portable deity and could be stuck in the ground for worship by hunter-gatherer people. She is a corpulent woman with stout hips, a voluminous belly and heavy breasts. Her comparatively big head is missing a face and feet are also completely missing. The inclined head looks to the sky and sports a complicated hairstyle made of parallel curls extending to the neck. Originally the figurine was painted thickly with red colour. Clearly, this relates to the metaphysical association with menstruation.
Quan Yin
So pure she lived only on clouds: Quan Yin statue. Known for her pure compassion, having a Quan Yin statue in your home is believed to help stop arguments and bring peace and good fortune into your environment.