Mostly Misobservations, but some good stuff too

I am bowing my head
In the eye of the Mother who gave me birth,
In the eye of the Maiden who loves me,
In the eye of the Crone who guides me in wisdom,

In friendship and affection.

Through thy gift of nature, O Goddess,
Bestow upon us fullness in our need.

Love towards the Lady,
The affection of the Lady,
The laughter of the Lady,
The wisdom of the Lady,
The passion of the Lady,
The blessing of the Lady,
And the magic of the Lady

To do in the world of Abred,
As the Ageless Ones do in Gwynfyd;

Each shade and light,
Each day and night,
Each moment in kindness,
Grant us Thy Sight.

carmina gadelica - ancient celtic oral tradition

Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom & God's Bride                                      Sophia Prayers & Gallery
By Rev. Mark Raines, R+C & Dr. Katia

Who is Sophia? Quite literally, She is Wisdom, because the Greek word Sophia translates into Wisdom. More than that, She is the Wisdom of Deity. She has been revered as the Wise Bride of Solomon by Jews, as the Queen of Wisdom and War (Athena) by Greeks, and as the Holy Spirit of Wisdom by Christians. She is known as Chokmah (pronounced HOK-mah with the H being said like -ch in the name Bach) in Hebrew, and Sapientia in Latin. But just who is Sophia?

Sophia is found throughout the wisdom books of the Bible. There are many references to Her in the book of Proverbs, and in the apocryphal books of Sirach and the Wisdom of Solomon (accepted by Catholics and Orthodox, found in the Greek Septuagint of the early Church). She is Wisdom Incarnate, the Goddess of all those who are wise.

Is it any wonder that She is constantly associated with wise King Solomon? 1 Kings 4:29-31 tells us that God gave wisdom to Solomon, and that he became wiser than all the kings of the East and all the wise people of Egypt. Wisdom 8:2, 16, 18 tells us that Solomon was seen as married to Sophia. One of the many layers of symbolism attributed to the Song of Songs (also known as Song of Solomon or Canticle of Canticles) is that it speaks of Solomon's marriage to Holy Sophia. Wisdom 9:8-11 even tells us that Sophia instructed Solomon in building the Temple!

The Jews revered Sophia. King Solomon even put Her right in the Temple, in the form of the Goddess Asherah. However, after the "reforms" of King Josiah, there was a threat that the veneration of Sophia would come to a halt - there was even more of a threat when patriarchal Christianity took over the world. Even still, thanks to Her continuing presence in the world and Her presence in the Bible, veneration of Sophia continued in the Eastern tradition with the construction of the Hagia Sophia and the Russian Catholic liturgical service to Sophia combined with the assumption of Mary on May 15. The Russian Orthodox Church has also begun a school of "Sophiology" to explore the thealogy of Sophia without contradicting the Russian Orthodox theology.

Yet the Eastern Christians are not the only Christians to venerate Sophia. Sophia was very likely venerated by early Followers of the Way, and her veneration has survived in the West today in the form of Gnosticism. Gnostics see her as one of the aeons, one of the quasi-deities who live in the ethereal realm known as the pleroma. Gnostics believe that she gave birth to or brought about the creation of a negative aeon, who later came to be called an archon, called the Demiurge, creator and ruler of this world. Gnostics see the Demiurge as the God of the Old Testament, with his strict rules and chains that bind the people of the Earth. Gnostics believe that Sophia and the Father God (not the Demiurge) sent Yeshua to right this wrong. In Gnostic tradition, Sophia plays a very active role in our world.

Sophia and her 3 Daughters, Faith, Hope & Charity/Love - from a Russian Icon

Esoteric Christianity doesn't typically support the theory of the Demiurge. It believes that creation is inherently good, and as such so is the Creator. However, the Mystery School does teach one "theory" that Shaitan (aka Satan or Shatan), the devil, was the ruler of this world and was accidentally given the keys to the Otherworlds by the Goddess. He had these keys until the passion, death, and descent into hell of Yeshua, when Yeshua retrieved them and holds them still. Sophia, Mother Mary and Mary Magdalene are three Christian Goddesses, making up a female Trinity.  Both the earthly forms of Mary and MM shared the name Mary, and both in their Heavenly forms share the Hebrew letter Heh in the God-Name YHVH.  So how does Sophia fit into the Godhead?  Wisdom of Solomon, a book in the apocrypha says clearly that Sophia is the Holy Spirit.  There could be a feminine Trinosophia - Mother, Daughter, and Pneuma (Holy Soul).

The Trinitarian/Trinosophia can also fit with the Quaternity. Believers in the Quaternity see the Four as Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter - BUT, they also acknowledge Paraclete and Pneuma as the masculine and feminine essences of Divinity (see our Creed of the Way, in which Pneuma is clearly acknowledged). Perhaps Paraclete is the combination of the two masculine forces, and Pneuma may be the combination of the two feminine forces. This could explain why They do not have Their own letters in the Quaternity, since They may be a combination of the masculine and feminine forces. For more information on the Holy Trinity and the Holy Trinosophia, try our Restoring the Goddess Lesson E.

http://northernway.org/sophia.html#top

Artemis: Goddess of Light
And Protector of the Vulnerable

In Greek mythology Artemis (also known as the Roman goddess Diana)
was the daughter of Zeus, the mighty ruler of the Olympian gods.
Artemis' mother, Leto, gave birth to Artemis after a short and
painless labor. But then Leto's labor continued, with her
contractions growing weak and painful. Moved to compassion, the
infant goddess Artemis, born only a few minutes earlier, became her
mother's midwife and delivered her twin brother Apollo. You could say
that, of all the Greek goddesses, the goddess Artemis was literally
born to serve as a nurturer and protector!

The Greek goddess Artemis was frequently called upon to nurture her
needy and somewhat ineffectual mother. All too often she felt
compelled to come to her rescue even though Artemis received little
from her mother in return. As a result of her having caused her
mother no pain in childbirth, and her successful role as midwife in
her brother's birth, Artemis naturally became the patron saint of
childbirth, the protector of children, and the goddess who especially
heard the appeals of women.

The goddess Artemis was always responsive to the needs of the
vulnerable and the suffering. She was quick to defend the powerless
from unjust treatment at the hands of the Olympian patriarchy; it is
not surprising that in current times Artemis is seen as
the "feminist" goddess.

Even as a small child the Greek goddess Artemis was decisive.




Artemis: Symbols of the Greek goddess


Artemis: Meditations

When Zeus asked Artemis what presents she wanted for her third
birthday she responded without hesitation that she wanted six things:

~ to be allowed to live without having to be distracted by love and
marriage,
~ a bow and arrow just like her brother's,
~ a hunting costume and freedom from having to dress up like a lady,
~ the job of bringing light into the world,
~sixty young nymphs to be her companions and to help care for her
hunting dogs, and
~all the mountains on the earth to live on.

Zeus was amused by her precociousness and happily granted the little
goddess Artemis her wishes. Even at this tender age it was clear
that Artemis was going to be the most independent of the goddesses,
one who thrived on challenges!

Artemis' association with the natural world, the wilderness,
symbolizes her own untamed spirit. The most independent of the
goddesses, she roamed the forests in her role as huntress.

The Greek goddess Artemis was famous for her hunting skills, for the
sharp focus of her attention and her unerring aim. She was known as
a fearless and responsible hunter, willing and able to bring down the
most terrifying beasts.

But Artemis was especially fierce in her protection of the gentle
animals that were usually preyed upon. As the protector of animals
and the young, the goddess Artemis was angered because a group of
Greek sailors had slaughtered a hare and its young. She delayed them
from sailing to join the Battle of Troy.


Artemis was not the least interested in cultivating the land or in
harnessing the forces of nature to benefit mankind (she left those
responsibilities to Demeter and Athena, respectfully) . Artemis could
easily be described as an early environmentalist.

Artemis seemed to be more comfortable with the companionship of women
friends. Often depicted by artists while hunting or bathing with her
band of nymphs, the goddess Artemis valued her freedom and personal
space and protected them with ferociousness.

Indeed, those who restricted her freedom, those who tried to thwart
her commitment to reaching her goals, or simply invaded her privacy,
paid dearly. When the hunter Actaeon accidentally came upon Artemis
while she was bathing, she turned him into a stag, whereupon his own
hunting dogs attacked and tore him to pieces.

Artemis could be both vengeful and impulsive. When she discovered
that Callisto, one of the nymphs in her band of companions, had
violated her vows of chastity and become pregnant as a result of an
affair with Zeus, Artemis, without a moment's hesitation, Artemis
changed her into a bear. Had Zeus not intervened to place her in the
stars as the constellation Callisto (The Bear), the young nymph would
have died quickly as the victim of a hunt.

With the exception of her brother Apollo, who was a frequent ally and
companion, Artemis was not known to have had very satisfying
relationships with men. Her one great love affair, with the handsome
and respected mortal Orion, ended very badly.

Upset that his sister's time and attentions had been diverted away
from him, the jealous Apollo tricked Artemis into killing Orion.
Knowing that Orion was swimming in the ocean, Apollo bet Artemis that
she could not hit "that distant object on the horizon" with an
arrow.

Filled with confidence in her skills as an archer, Artemis accepted
the challenge. Successful as always, Artemis discovered that her
competitiveness and unerring aim had killed the only man she had ever
loved.

In her abject grief, the goddess Artemis turned her dead lover into
stars and shot him into the night sky where he remains as the
constellation Orion. Never again did she allow herself to become
vulnerable to romantic love.

The Greek goddess Artemis was often associated with the
moon, especially the crescent or "new" moon. Phoebe was one of the
many names she was called. The name Phoebe means the "light one"
or "bright one".

Artemis "Goddess of Light" had the divine duty of illuminating the
darkness. Artemis was often depicted carrying a candle or torch,
lighting the way for others, leading them through territories yet
uncharted.

In Greek mythology Artemis, despite her "wildness" (her refusal to
conform to conventional ways or tradition) and her fierce
independence, was depicted as one of the compassionate, healing
goddesses. Of all the Greek goddesses, she was the most self-
sufficient, living life on her own terms, comfortable both in
solitude and in holding the reins of leadership.

The Greek goddess Artemis gives us courage. Like her counterpart, the
Roman goddess Diana, she illuminates those places that terrify us and
lends us her strength to bring us safely through our fears. 


And Protector of the Vulnerable

In Greek mythology Artemis (also known as the Roman goddess Diana)
was the daughter of Zeus, the mighty ruler of the Olympian gods.
Artemis' mother, Leto, gave birth to Artemis after a short and
painless labor. But then Leto's labor continued, with her
contractions growing weak and painful. Moved to compassion, the
infant goddess Artemis, born only a few minutes earlier, became her
mother's midwife and delivered her twin brother Apollo. You could say
that, of all the Greek goddesses, the goddess Artemis was literally
born to serve as a nurturer and protector!

The Greek goddess Artemis was frequently called upon to nurture her
needy and somewhat ineffectual mother. All too often she felt
compelled to come to her rescue even though Artemis received little
from her mother in return. As a result of her having caused her
mother no pain in childbirth, and her successful role as midwife in
her brother's birth, Artemis naturally became the patron saint of
childbirth, the protector of children, and the goddess who especially
heard the appeals of women.

The goddess Artemis was always responsive to the needs of the
vulnerable and the suffering. She was quick to defend the powerless
from unjust treatment at the hands of the Olympian patriarchy; it is
not surprising that in current times Artemis is seen as
the "feminist" goddess.

Even as a small child the Greek goddess Artemis was decisive.




Artemis: Symbols of the Greek goddess


Artemis: Meditations

When Zeus asked Artemis what presents she wanted for her third
birthday she responded without hesitation that she wanted six things:

~ to be allowed to live without having to be distracted by love and
marriage,
~ a bow and arrow just like her brother's,
~ a hunting costume and freedom from having to dress up like a lady,
~ the job of bringing light into the world,
~sixty young nymphs to be her companions and to help care for her
hunting dogs, and
~all the mountains on the earth to live on.

Zeus was amused by her precociousness and happily granted the little
goddess Artemis her wishes. Even at this tender age it was clear
that Artemis was going to be the most independent of the goddesses,
one who thrived on challenges!

Artemis' association with the natural world, the wilderness,
symbolizes her own untamed spirit. The most independent of the
goddesses, she roamed the forests in her role as huntress.

The Greek goddess Artemis was famous for her hunting skills, for the
sharp focus of her attention and her unerring aim. She was known as
a fearless and responsible hunter, willing and able to bring down the
most terrifying beasts.

But Artemis was especially fierce in her protection of the gentle
animals that were usually preyed upon. As the protector of animals
and the young, the goddess Artemis was angered because a group of
Greek sailors had slaughtered a hare and its young. She delayed them
from sailing to join the Battle of Troy.


Artemis was not the least interested in cultivating the land or in
harnessing the forces of nature to benefit mankind (she left those
responsibilities to Demeter and Athena, respectfully) . Artemis could
easily be described as an early environmentalist.

Artemis seemed to be more comfortable with the companionship of women
friends. Often depicted by artists while hunting or bathing with her
band of nymphs, the goddess Artemis valued her freedom and personal
space and protected them with ferociousness.

Indeed, those who restricted her freedom, those who tried to thwart
her commitment to reaching her goals, or simply invaded her privacy,
paid dearly. When the hunter Actaeon accidentally came upon Artemis
while she was bathing, she turned him into a stag, whereupon his own
hunting dogs attacked and tore him to pieces.

Artemis could be both vengeful and impulsive. When she discovered
that Callisto, one of the nymphs in her band of companions, had
violated her vows of chastity and become pregnant as a result of an
affair with Zeus, Artemis, without a moment's hesitation, Artemis
changed her into a bear. Had Zeus not intervened to place her in the
stars as the constellation Callisto (The Bear), the young nymph would
have died quickly as the victim of a hunt.

With the exception of her brother Apollo, who was a frequent ally and
companion, Artemis was not known to have had very satisfying
relationships with men. Her one great love affair, with the handsome
and respected mortal Orion, ended very badly.

Upset that his sister's time and attentions had been diverted away
from him, the jealous Apollo tricked Artemis into killing Orion.
Knowing that Orion was swimming in the ocean, Apollo bet Artemis that
she could not hit "that distant object on the horizon" with an
arrow.

Filled with confidence in her skills as an archer, Artemis accepted
the challenge. Successful as always, Artemis discovered that her
competitiveness and unerring aim had killed the only man she had ever
loved.

In her abject grief, the goddess Artemis turned her dead lover into
stars and shot him into the night sky where he remains as the
constellation Orion. Never again did she allow herself to become
vulnerable to romantic love.

The Greek goddess Artemis was often associated with the
moon, especially the crescent or "new" moon. Phoebe was one of the
many names she was called. The name Phoebe means the "light one"
or "bright one".

Artemis "Goddess of Light" had the divine duty of illuminating the
darkness. Artemis was often depicted carrying a candle or torch,
lighting the way for others, leading them through territories yet
uncharted.

In Greek mythology Artemis, despite her "wildness" (her refusal to
conform to conventional ways or tradition) and her fierce
independence, was depicted as one of the compassionate, healing
goddesses. Of all the Greek goddesses, she was the most self-
sufficient, living life on her own terms, comfortable both in
solitude and in holding the reins of leadership.

The Greek goddess Artemis gives us courage. Like her counterpart, the
Roman goddess Diana, she illuminates those places that terrify us and
lends us her strength to bring us safely through our fears.

Goddess: Tula

Libra Begins (Various Locations)
Themes: Balance; Justice; Peace
Symbols: Scales; Balanced Items

About Tula : This Hindu Goddess is represented by the constellation Libra,   her name even meaning "balance". In all things, Tula teaches us how to harmonize the diverse nature of our hectic lives and reintegrate Goddess-centered ideology within that framework.


To Do Today: People born under the sign of Libra seem to integrate Tula 's characteristics of harmony and balance, especially in aesthetic sense. They cultivate relationships carefully and enjoy fighting for just causes. When those of us not born under this sign would like to do similarly, we can call on Tula for aid. Stand on the bathroom scale first thing in the morning and invoke her, saying,

Tula, instill in me a growing sense of harmony.
Between sound and silence let serenity dance;
Between the shadow and the light, let peace prance.
Where'er injustice dwells, let equity swell;
In my heart, in my life, bring an end to all strife.

Afterward, try to dress in balanced tones of clothing (like a white shirt and black pants) and spend the rest of the day monitoring your personal balance--your sense of equilibrium- -maintaining your temper, pacing your steps, being aware of your center of gravity. In all these things, Tula 's equitable energy abides.
)0(

By Patricia Telesco ~ From "365 Goddess" and GrannyMoon's Morning Feast

Lilith

Lady Freya

In Norse mythology, Freya is a goddess of love and fertility, and the most beautiful and propitious of the goddesses. She is the patron goddess of crops and birth, the symbol of sensuality and was called upon in matters of love. She loves music, spring and flowers, and is particularly fond of the elves (fairies). Freya is one of the foremost goddesses of the Vanir.

She is the daughter of the god Njord, and the sister of Freyr. Later she married the mysterious god Od (probably another form of Odin), who disappeared. When she mourned for her lost husband, her tears changed into gold.

Her attributes are the precious necklace of the Brisings, which she obtained by sleeping with four dwarfs, a cloak (or skin) of bird feathers, which allows its wearer to change into a falcon, and a chariot pulled by two cats. She owns Hildesvini ("battle boar") which is actually her human lover Ottar in disguise. Her chambermaid is Fulla. Freya lives in the beautiful palace Folkvang ("field of folk"), a place where love songs are always played, and her hall is Sessrumnir. She divides the slain warriors with Odin: one half goes to her palace, while the other half goes to Valhalla. Women also go to her hall.

Old Norse: Freyja, Friia

Diana's Name means "Bright One".

The memory of the goddess known to the Romans as Diana (Greek: Artemis) was possibly the result ancient encounters with the Spiritual Hierarchy of Ascended and Cosmic Beings. Their mythology had descended from the elder days and dim memories of earth's first three Golden Ages. After thousands of years, however, the gods and goddesses assumed human characteristics in the minds of the people because of the degeneration of their soul faculties of inner sight and their tendency toward idolatry. Therefore, what is presently ascribed to the mythological Diana may or may not reflect the actuality of the true Hierarch of the Fire Element.

Romans also called Diana "Queen of Heaven" and the "Triple Goddess" as (1) Lunar Virgin, (2) Mother of Creatures, and (3) the Huntress (Destroyer). Her major pilgrimage centers were Ephesus and Nemi, the Sacred Grove. She was Dione, Diana Nemorensis, or Nemetona, Goddess of the Moon-grove.

As Diana Egeria, patroness of childbirth, nursing, and healing, the Goddess made Nemi's holy spring the "Lourdes" of ancient Rome.

Devotion to Diana was so widespread in the ancient world that early Christians viewed her as their major rival. Roman towns all over Europe habitually called the local mother goddess Diana, as later Christian towns were to call her "Madonna". Fortunatus said Diana was the Goddess worshipped at Vernemeton, "which in the Gaulish language means the Great Shrine." In the 5th century A.D., the Gauls regarded her as their supreme deity. Christians spoke slightingly of their custom of adoring the spirit of Diana in a cut branch or a log of wood.

At Ephesus, the Goddess was called "Mother of Animals", "Lady of Wild Creatures", and "Many-Breasted Artemis", shown with her entire torso covered with breasts to nourish the world's creatures. In the 4th century A.D., the church took over this shrine and re-dedicated it to the Virgin Mary. One of the earliest churches devoted to "Our Lady" existed at Ephesus in 431; but most of the people believed the Lady was Diana, not Mary. In 432 the Council of Ephesus tried to eliminate devotion to Diana, but the bishops were besieged by crowds demanding, "Give us our Diana of the Ephesians!" 

An excuse for converting Diana's temples into Mary's churches was provided by a made-to-order legend that Mary lived at Ephesus in her old age. Her tomb was located there, and some Christians even pointed out the house in which she had lived.

Gnostic Christians called their Wisdom-Goddess Sophia, and frequently identified her with Diana of Ephesus. When Diana's temple was finally pulled down, its magnificent porphyry pillars were carried to Constantinople and built into the church of Holy Sophia. 

From available evidence, Diana had been a Latin and Sabine divinity from an older era. Once installed at Rome, her principal worshippers were the plebeians, who were mainly of Latin and Sabine stock. Servius Tullius built a sanctuary to her on the Aventine Hill, and every year thereafter slaves of both sexes celebrated Dies Servorum, the Day of Slaves, since Diana was the protector of slaves.

At Rome the most important temple of Diana was on the Aventine. It housed the foundation charter of the Latin League and was said to date back to King Servius Tullius (6th century BC). In her center there, Diana was also considered the protector of the lower classes, especially slaves. The Ides (l3th) of August, her festival at Rome and Aricia, was a holiday for slaves.

I posted about Diana (Dyana) because fire is my birth element.

Brigid
by Lisa Spindler
Name Cognates: Breo Saighead, Brid, Brighid [Eriu], Brigindo, Brigandu [Gaul], Brigan, Brigantia, Brigantis [Briton], Bride [Alba].

Breo Saighead, or the "Fiery Arrow or Power," is a Celtic three-fold goddess, the daughter of The Dagda, and the wife of Bres. Known by many names, Brighid's three aspects are (1) Fire of Inspiration as patroness of poetry, (2) Fire of the Hearth, as patroness of healing and fertility, and (3) Fire of the Forge, as patroness of smithcraft and martial arts. She is mother to the craftsmen. Sons of Tuireann: Creidhne, Luchtaine and Giobhniu.

Brigid

Excalibur, King Arthur's sword, was forged by the Lady of the Lake, a figure sometimes associated with Brighid because of her fire and forgery aspect. Like the Arthurian Avalon, or "Isle of Apples," Brigid possessed an apple orchard in the Otherworld to which bees traveled to obtain it's magickal nectar.

Brigid, which means "one who exaults herself," is Goddess of the Sacred Flame of Kildare (derived from "Cill Dara," which means "church of the oak") and often is considered to be the White Maiden aspect of the Triple Goddess. She was Christianized as the "foster-mother" of Jesus Christ, and called St. Brigit, the daughter of the Druid Dougal the Brown. She sometimes also is associated with the Romano-Celtic goddess Aquae-Sulis in Bathe.

Brighid's festival is Imbolc, celebrated on or around February 1 when she ushers Spring to the land after The Cailleach's Winter reign. This mid-Winter feast commences as the ewes begin to lactate and is the start of the new agricultural cycle. During this time Brigid personifies a bride, virgin or maiden aspect and is the protectoress of women in childbirth. Imbolc also is known as Oimelc, Brigid, Candlemas, or even in America as Groundhog Day.

As the foundation for the American Groundhog Day, Brigid's snake comes out of its mound in which it hibernates and its behavior is said to determine the length of the remaining Winter.

Gailleach, or White Lady, drank from the ancient Well of Youth at dawn. In that instant, she was transformed into her Maiden aspect, the young goddess called Brigid. Wells were considered to be sacred because they arose from oimbelc (literally "in the belly"), or womb of Mother Earth.

Because of her Fire of Inspiration and her connection to the apple and oak trees, Brighid often is considered the patroness of the Druids.

The Encyclopedia Mythica

Worshipping The Goddess In Your Ancient Form Of Spirituality Has New Growth In Modern Times
By Lee Roberts 

Goddess worship is a form of spirituality that has resurfaced and grown in the United States in recent years. Its roots, however, can be traced back before 2,000 B.C. when God was worshipped as a female by some ancient cultures.

In Egypt it was Isis; in Greece, Demeter; and in India, Anapurna - all different names for the same idea, the Queen of Heaven, Creator of the World, according to the Rev. Tony Larsen of the Olympia Brown Unitarian
Universalist Church.

Before the written word, goddess images dominated the walls of ancient temples, and primitive cultures looked to a mother god - with her birthing powers - as the supreme being. By the time writing was widespread, male gods had begun to take precedence, and eventually the focus turned to one male
God in Judaism and Christianity.  There are still many cultures today, though, in which
goddesses play an important role in spiritual belief. In Japanese Shintoism, for example, the great Sun Goddess (Amaterasu) is a major deity. Hindus worship a number of goddesses (as well as gods) and, in Buddhism, some of the Bodhisattvas (Buddhists-to-be) are female, Larsen said.

In this country today, goddess worship is less about a specific goddess and more a system of beliefs that ties into the wider vision of women's spirituality, which isn't necessarily associated with a particular church or
religion.
In defining women's spirituality, one must first define spirit, said Sharon Burdick, coordinator of Racine's Unitarian Universalist Women's Federation, an organization dedicated to empowering and honoring women and women's spirituality. Spirit is traditionally believed to be the vital principle or animating force within living beings - the essential and activating principle of a person - the will, Burdick explained.
`Women healing themselves' "So we could say that women's spirituality is a celebration of the lives, lifestyles and values of women. It is the creativity of individual women. It is women healing themselves and each
other. It is women re-claiming and discovering `her story.' " There are also
women who view women's spirituality as a return to the goddess; to the female principle of creation, Burdick said.
"To them, it is a recognition of the goddess as the Earth herself and of  women as part of the earth."

Therefore, concepts and rituals from earth-based religions, which tend to honor both goddesses and gods, often play a role in women's spirituality, Burdick said. Spiritual practices may be drawn from a number of
traditions, including American Indian, pagan, African, Mexican and others, she said.

"On every full moon and sabbats worldwide, women in all cultures meet in groups to celebrate the cycles and the beauty of the Earth."

In addition to offering empowering spiritual rituals and gatherings for women, the Racine UUWF, which is affiliated with Olympia Brown Church, sponsors programs for the community that honor women and women's
spirituality. They also provide scholarship grants to help women attend UUWF-related conferences, and each spring they host the Woman Spirit  Faire & Bizarre, a celebration of women featuring music, dancing, wellness programs, and arts and crafts.

Men celebrate, too While membership in the Racine UUWF is all female, women's spirituality and the concept of the goddess can also be  embraced by men, Burdick said. Men do celebrate with women in many circles around the  world, she said.
"It can inspire men's religious thinking, especially when men honor the feminine side of their nature in balance with the masculine."

Some people also worship both God and goddesses, while others incorporate some form of women's spirituality with their belief in one male God, Larsen said.

There are a number of Christians who recognize some of the female references in the scriptures, he said.

There also seems to be a renewed interest in the role that Mary Magdalene played in the life of Jesus.

"It's not that they are elevating Mary to goddess status. But some modern Christians are starting to evaluate how much of what Jesus taught he learned from Mary - maybe seeing her as the divine feminine."

 It is possible to be Christian and practice women's spirituality, as long as you believe in yourself and understand that  you are a whole person, Burdick said.

"The individual woman is important in women's spirituality," she said. "What a woman does and who she is matters, and this encourages women to actively be all they can be, to re-learn themselves and then join together to change the world for the good of all."

For some, Burdick said, women's spirituality is about finding the goddess within oneself.

"The Divine is everywhere, and it takes many different forms in each of  us."

Skadi, Snowshoe Goddess

Norse mythology tells the tale of wild Skadi, sometimes described as a
goddess, other times as a giantess. She is the patroness of woodslore and winter
skills such as snowshoe hiking, skiing, and sledding. She also watches over
challenging relationships, so take a close look at yours today. Honor Skadi by
wearing white or blue clothing and by reciting these lines:

Skadi, snowshoe goddess,
You run with the wolves
and sing with the winter wind.
Lead us through the frozen forest,
Teach us to rely on
ourselves,
and light our way with the Northern Lights.
When all seems dark,
you remind us we can always vote with our feet.
Hail, Skadi!

by Elizabeth Barrette

Oya!

Oya is the powerful Yoruba Goddess of the Winds of Change; the Primeval Mother of Chaos; Queen of the Nine (for the nine tributaries of the Niger River). Using her machete, or sword of truth, she cuts through stagnation and clears the way for new growth. She does what needs to be done. She is the wild woman, the force of change; lightning, fire, tornadoes, earthquakes and storms of all kinds are ruled by Oya. She is also Queen of the Marketplace, a shrewd businesswoman and adept with horses. As the wind, she is the first breath and the last, the one who carries the spirits of the dead to the other world, which is why she is associated with cemeteries. The sculpture on the right is after the Oya Shrine: Female Equestrian by Bamgboye, Odo-Owa, Ekiti region, mid 20th century. The heads on her necklace are from the same piece. by Sandra Stanton (Visit her website at www.goddessmyths.com) Oya-Yansa is the Queen of the Winds of change. She is feared by many people because She brings about sudden structural change in people and things. Oya does not just rearrange the furniture int he house -- She knocks the building to the ground and blows away the floor tiles. She is the cyclone and the earthquake. Oya fans Her skirts and blows the branches from the trees; should She choose to cry, torrential rains fall on the earth. She is the Mother of Mind. She can impart genius, restore memory, or slap you with insanity. Oya opens Her mouth, flicks out Her tongue, and lightning strikes. She has nine heads; She is the River Niger. No one can be certain of Oya's movement; no one can capture Her smile. She is the mistress of disguises. yesterday Oya was a gentle lamb; today, a buffalo trampling the earth beneath Her feet. Tomorrow She'll be a rainbow -- maybe. from Jambalaya, by Luisah Teish (Order from Powells!) To seek adequate words with which to trace her elemental patterns is an act of homage to the goddess of tropical weathers in hopes that her compassion may reciprocally illuminate inner equivalents with which we have struggled in private darkness. It has been a struggle intensified by patriarchal discountenance of powerful emotion -- its problematic relegated to women "in need of help," as the saying goes. In being choaked by compliant mothers to stifle rather than outride our storms, to dam and conceal our floods, to bank our fires and give tinder over to future husbands, the Oya in ourselves froze in its tracks. Yet such ice particles, negatively charged at the heart of mounting storm are the mysterious, generative sources of Oya's lightning. Thus, in other way obstructed, Oya strikes us -- quirking here, cramping there. Soon with our brains, the indefatigable goddess goes jaggedly to work upon our bodies, cutting off circulation, opening sluices, instilling victims who could be votaries with a variety of "female complains," catching them up in mindless swirls of activity, throwing them down into incapacitating vortices, playing havoc with appetite. Stop, Oya, we beg you! We will sound your praises along all rivers from Hudson to Niger. We will hang prayer flags to flutter like laundry stretching from fire escape to fire, continent to continent. We will strive to know your winds the better to reclaim our part of fire. from Oya, In Praise of the Goddess, by Judith Gleason, 1987

Meditrina was a Roman goddess of healing. Libations in her name were made by drinking both old and new wines and stating that one was healed. The actual date of her festival, Meditrinalia, hinged on the harvest; it could occur anywhere from early to mid-October. Some scholars believe it was celebrated for the duration of that time, and that the goddess was created after the reason for the libation. A modern twist on this festival is to see how to mix and match the old and new in your life. What needs harvesting? What needs healing? What can be joined together, and what needs to be separated out? What needs to move in a new direction? Pour a libation of your favorite beverage in honor of Meditrina, celebrate your accomplishments, and declare yourself healed.




written by Cerridwen Iris Shea

Meditrina was a Roman goddess of healing. Libations in her name were made by drinking both old and new wines and stating that one was healed. The actual date of her festival, Meditrinalia, hinged on the harvest; it could occur anywhere from early to mid-October. Some scholars believe it was celebrated for the duration of that time, and that the goddess was created after the reason for the libation. A modern twist on this festival is to see how to mix and match the old and new in your life. What needs harvesting? What needs healing? What can be joined together, and what needs to be separated out? What needs to move in a new direction? Pour a libation of your favorite beverage in honor of Meditrina, celebrate your accomplishments, and declare yourself healed.




written by Cerridwen Iris Shea