Goddesses

The Goddess: Chang O
A Chinese Moon Goddess, who drank the bottle of immortality potion given to her husband by the gods. She fled to the moon and asked the rabbit who lived there for protection. Every September, in China, there is a moon festival when the moon is at its’ fullest. It honors women and Chang O.

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The Goddess: Oya
The Goddess of Storms, originally a Yoruban Goddess. She is a warrior Goddess as well as a matron of female leadership. When not in human form, she appears as a water buffalo. Oya moved to the new world with her followers, becoming Yansa in Brazil, a warrior storm Goddess, and also known by other names wherever her followers emigrated.?

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The Goddess: Nut
Egyptian Sky Goddess. Her body curves over Mother Earth, feet in the east, arms reaching down to touch the Earth in the West. Sunrise’s glow is said to be her blood from giving birth to the sun each day. She swallowed the moon and the stars and her belly became the starry night. She is the source of the rainbow.
“O my mother Nut, stretch yourself over me, place me among the imperishable stars, that I live eternally like you.” ~~ Egyptian Pharoah Queen Hapshepsut, ruled 1503-1482 BCE

 

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The Goddess: Selkhet
The Egyptian Scorpion Goddess, one of the Guardian Goddesses of the Dead. She leads the dead into the afterlife and showed them the way of this otherworld. She is normally depicted with a scorpion headdress. She symbolizes the rebirth that comes after death.
Think of her when thinking of the rebirth and new beginnings of a new year.

 

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The Goddess: Inanna
“She made the night come forth like the moonlight,
She made the morning come forth like the sun.
On her sacred bed the sweet night came to an end,
All the lands and the black-haired people were assembling —
Who had slept on the roofs, who had slept on the walls —
Chanting prayers they approached her, to bring her their words,
Then did she study their words, knowing those will evil intent,
Against them rendering judgment, while
Looking with kind eyes on the truthful,
Blessing them.
Inanna, I sing your praise.
~~ Anonymous Hymn in Praise of Inanna, 2nd or 3rd Millennium B.C.E, Mesopotamia

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The Goddess: Wah-Kah-Nee
The “drifting maiden” of the Chinook, who were struck with a terrible winter when the ice never moved on the water. It was said if this happened, it was because someone was murdering birds. The council questioned everyone, who denied it, until someone pointed to a young girl, who had thrown a stone and accidentally and killed a bird. The council dressed her in fine clothes and embedded her in a chunk of ice as an offering. The ice cracked and summer came. A year later, they found the block of ice and the young girl, Wah-Kah-Nee, was still alive and lived with them as a sacred being, able to walk barefoot and unprotected in the deepest of Winter and to communicate with the Winter spirits.?

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The Goddess: Frigga

In ancient times the end of the Winter Solstice, when the hours of sunlight began to lengthen, marked the beginning of the new year and was a time to think of new possibilities that would unfold.

The Goddess Frigga, who sat at her spindle weaving the destiny of man and gods alike, was the goddess associated with the beginning of each new year.

New Year’s eve, the longest night of the year, is called “Mother Night” in Northern Europe for it was in the darkness of that night that the goddess Frigga labored to give birth to Baldur who was so pleasant and ‘radiant’ was beloved of all the gods. Referred to as the Norse god of light or the god of the midsummer sun, celebrations of his life, death and resurrection were held at midsummer and usually involved watching the sun set and rise. His myths were immortalized in the ‘Sun God’ Symphony.

The blessing of Frigga is still invoked for birthing women with a white candle that last burned during the winter solstice being used as a charm to ensure a safe delivery.?

 

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The Goddess: Colleda
Serbian Goddess of the Winter Solstice.
She received the ceremonial Yule log that is burned each year. She promises the revival of light and growth. Known as Koliada in Russa, the one who recreates the world each Winter Solstice by embroidering a new one.

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The Goddess: Bona Dea
Described as the good Goddess. She was worshipped in Rome by women only and in secret at her rites and festival in early December. No men were allowed at all, not even in picture form. These rites were conducted by the Vestal Virgins.

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The Cretan/Minoan Snake Goddess

“It was in Crete that the snake aspect of the Mother Goddess reached its’ highest development, and there the beautiful remains of a great civilization have been unearthed. The snake in Cretan society represented the wisdom of the Goddess and was associated with life, death and regeneration. Venerated as a protector of the household, the snake was also considered the reincarnation of a dead family member. Special rooms equipped with snake tubes (which enabled snakes to travel through the house) were found in many homes.”
~~Judy Chicago, from ‘The Dinner Party’

 

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The Goddess: Befana
Italian, the “Lady of Twelth Night”. Custom is to hang an image of an old woman in rags outside the home on January 5th, to witness the passing of winter’s deepest darkness.

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The Goddess: Angerona
The Roman Goddess of the Winter Solstice, shown with a finger to her lips, asking for silence. Her feast was called Divalia or Angronalia and was on December 21st. At the moment of Solstice, before the balance tipped toward the light, the Goddess reminded her worshippers of how delicate is the natural balance.?

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The Goddess: Shekhinah
She is the symbol of divine power who is the ocean, the tree of life and the first light. She is the Divine Feminine, who manifests Herself as joy.

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The Goddess: Artemis
The Greek Moon Goddess and Goddess of Animals. She is the Guardian of all the animals, protector and Warrior Huntress.

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The Goddess: Ma’at.
Egyptian Goddess of Truth and Justice. She wear and ostrich feather on her headdress, and carries a scepter and an ankh

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The Goddess: Vovo
Vovo is a Brazilian word for “Grandmother”, and it is what I called my Portuguese grandmother and what my children call my mother. It describes the character of the Goddess perfectly. She is the Goddess of the moon. The Yorubans call her Nana Buluku. She is the Goddess of Justice, Mercy and Compassion. She is a Goddess of the mind, education and the conscience. She is a Goddess of healing, yourself and others.
This photo is of my Vovo, as she is has represented the Goddess to me. Photo taken by a family member many years ago.

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The Goddess: Kwan-Yin, Kuan-Yin
One of the most beloved Goddesses in China, She is the Goddess of Mercy and Compassion, filled with loving kindness. She starts as a woman abused by her father and was killed by him for disobedience. As she was entering heaven, she heard someone suffering on earth and asked to be sent back to help anyone in need.
Photo taken by Sumora

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The Goddess: Ixchel
Mayan Moon Goddess. She protects women in childbirth. She sends rain for the plants to grow, and teaches to use these plants as medicine. She is the giver and taker of life

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The Goddess: Yemaya
Goddess of the Ocean who gave birth to all the waters of the world as Mama Watta. Also known as Ymoja, Imanje, Ymanja. She can be found wherever the water meets the land.

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The Goddess: Hestia
Hestia is the Greek Goddess of Home and Hearth. She was seen in the flame of the hearth, the center of each home. A house was not a home until a fire was lit in the hearth.

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The Goddess: Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom
Mother Goddess, the Divine Feminine, Mother of Soul and Spirit. Responsible for the creation of, and control of, Wisdom

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The Goddess: White Buffalo Woman
White Buffalo Woman is a Native American Creation Goddess, who brought life and food to Her people. She brought the Sacred Pipe and taught the people the sacred rituals and to take care of Mother Earth. She returns every generation to nourish them as they nourish the Earth.

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