Goddess of the Month

WHO IS HEKATE? Hekate (also known by the more common Latinized spelling: Hecate) is the Goddess of witchcraft and magic, protectress of children, guardian of the home, and keeper of the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth. Daughter of the Titans Perses and Asteria, She is also a Titan, whose power reigns in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea. She bestows upon humanity wealth, victory, and wisdom. She was invoked for good luck by sailors and hunters. When the Dorics and their Olympian gods conquered the Greek mainland, She was one of the few early deities to retain all Her original powers and glories. Hekate was originally an Anatolian Goddess of the wilderness and childbirth, who was introduced into Thrace and Greece in pre-historic times. One of the earliest written records comes from Hesiod's Theogony, written in the 7th to 8th century BCE, in which She is referred to in this way: "Hekate whom Zeus the son of Kronos honoured above all. He gave her splendid gifts, to have a share of the earth and the unfruitful sea. She received honour also in starry heaven, and is honoured exceedingly by the deathless gods . . . For as many as were born of Gaia (Earth) and Ouranos (Heaven) [the Titanes] amongst all these she has her due portion. The son of Kronos [Zeus] did her no wrong nor took anything away of all that was her portion among the former Titan gods: but she holds, as the division was at the first from the beginning, privilege both in earth, and in heaven, and in sea. Also, because she is an only child, the goddess receives not less honour, but much more still, for Zeus honours her." Later She was brought into Egypt by the Macedonian Ptolemy and his followers after the death of Alexander the Great and had a large center of worship at Alexandria. It is interesting to note that Her earliest depictions were not tri-formed but singular in nature. Pausanias states that Hekate was first shown in Her tri-form by the sculptor Alkamenes as part of the work he did for the temple of Nike on the Athenian Akropolis during the late fifth century BCE. So strong was Her worship in the hearts and minds of the people that as late as the 7th century CE the Christian Patriarch Eligius had to admonish his recently converted flock against making offerings to the Goddess of the Crossroads. Some of Her titles include: Khthoniê, Of the Underworld Krataeis, the Mighty One Enodia, Of the Crossroads Kourotrophos, Nurse of the Young Propylaia, the One before the Gate Propolos, the attendant who leads Phosphoros, the light-bringer Prytania, Invincible Queen of the Dead Trioditis, Of the Three-Ways Klêidouchos, Keeper of the Keys Tricephalus, The Three-Headed Perseis, Daughter of Perses Brimô, Terrible One Aidônaia, Lady of the Underworld Trimorphis, Three-Formed Zerynthia, Of Mount Zerynthia (in Samothrace) Nyktipolos, Night Wandering Atalos, Tender One Skylakagetis, Leader of the Dogs Kourê Mounogenês, Only Begotten Maiden Liparokrêdemnos, Bright-Coiffed Anassa Eneroi, Queen of the those Below

WHO IS OYA? Oya is a powerful Orisha and Goddess Whose origins are in West Africa but Whose worship spread with the African diaspora caused by the slave trade. She is now honored in South America and the Caribbean Islands by various peoples. Oya is a warrior-queen and rules the tempests and all winds. She is creatrix of the storms, especially tornados. She also rules the thunder, lightning, and rain as well as hurricanes. Perhaps paradoxically for one so associated with water and wind, Oya is also Goddess of fire, Who burns away that which is no longer necessary to cleanse the way for new growth. Oya is a Guardian of the Ways, Whose voice communicates to us through the beloved dead. She is a Mistress of the Clairvoyant Arts, and She can summon forth the Spirit of Death at will or send it away. Oya leads spirits to rebirth if such is their desire. She is known in the Voudoun tradition as Maman Brijit. She is also the beloved and feared Protectress of Womyn. Oya guides the hands of Womyn leaders if they have the wisdom to ask for Her aid. She loves female leadership and will nurture it. However, Oya will swiftly punish those who abuse their positions of leadership to turn its responsibilities to opportunities for power and self-aggrandizement. Some of Her other names include: Great Mother of the Elders of the Night Oya-ajere - Carrier of the Container of Fire Ayaba Nikua - Queen of Death Iya Yansan - Mother of Nine Ayi Lo Da - She Who Turns and Changes

WHO IS MA'AT? Ma'at or Mayet, is the Egyptian Goddess who regulates all things, bringing order to the universe. She embodies truth, balance, order, and justice. She directs the stars and the actions of the Gods. She informs humanity of the right way of being. She weighs the souls of the dead to see if they have lived lives of rightness. The earliest written records of Ma'at date from the 3rd millenia BCE and describe Her as settings the norms for both nature and social structure. She had many different titles, which reflect the esteem in which She was held and Her importance to all Egyptian society. Some of these titles include : Ma'at the Beautiful Directress of the Underworld Tracer of the Course of the Sun Lady of the Hall of Judgment Sustainer of the Sun Lady of the Heavens Queen of Earth The Measure of the Heart

WHO IS INANNA? Inanna is the most important goddess of the Sumerian pantheon in ancient Mesopotamia. She was the Queen of Heaven and Earth. Inanna was known by the Sumerians as healer, lifegiver, and composer of songs. She is also the keeper of emotions all of them from rage to joy to passion to grief and everything in between. Inanna is the embodiment of the playful, independent, strong, and powerful feminine beyond the motherly aspects which patriarchy will allow. She has many moods and endless possibilities. Inanna is giver of gentle rains and terrible floods. She shines as both the morning and evening star; She is Queen of the land and is the Source of its fertility and only Her blessing bestowed sovereignity upon mortals. She is Goddess of War and the Goddess of Love, both the sexually passionate and the profoundly spiritual. Nor is this a contradiction, for Her warriors defend their homes and those they love and are willing to sacrifice themselves out of love alone. Inanna is also one of the Goddesses who has suffered some of the vilest slanders at the hands of those faiths which historically have had agendas against the Divine Feminine. This is probably because Her dynamic and independent nature goes completely against the subservient virgin and/or all-mother imagery idealized in the patriarchal religions of later times. However, none of the slanders that were poured upon Inanna survive the scrutiny of scholarship. Most of the epithets and misrepresentations laid upon Her by the patriarchs, most notoriously the Jews who vilified Her during historical times and their spiritual heirs, the Christian archeologists who continued these lies in their writings, are born of a combination of pure misogyny, cultural prejudices, and unmitigated poor scholarship which was liberally colored by the distorted ideations of the feminine by these religions. Some of Her titles include: Nin-me-sar-ra, the Lady of Myriad Offices Ninsianna is Her name as the personification of the planet Venus Nin.an.na, Queen of the Sky Nu-ugiganna, the Hierodule of Heaven Usunzianna, Exalted Cow of Heaven

WHO IS PELEHONUAMEA? Pelehonuamea, also known as Pele, is one of the great aumakua or ancestral spirits of the Hawaiian people. She is considered to be a living part of the islands and their people, and Her blood flows through their veins. Her name means 'The Red Earth' or 'Lava' and She is said to reside in the crater of Halema’uma’u at the summit of Kilauea, but all of the big island of Hawaii is considered to be Her especial domain. She is also the Goddess of lightning, dance, fire, and all volcanic activity. Because She is first and foremost the great volcanoes of the islands, She is a Goddess of destruction, yes, but also creation, and She has added more than 70 acres to the Big Island just in the last two decades. Some of Her other titles include: She-Who-Shapes-The-Sacred-Land Pele Ai Honua - Pele Who Devours the Earth Pele Honua Mea - Pele of the Sacred Earth Tutu Pele - Grandmother Pele

WHO IS YEMAYA? Yemaja is an Orisha or Goddess, originally of the Yoruba religion, who is prominent in many African-American religions. Africans from what is now part of Nigeria brought Yemaya and a host of other Orishas in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. She is the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a protector of children. Her name is a contraction of Yoruba words: "Yeye emo eja" that mean "Mother whose children are like fishes". This represents the vastness of her motherhood, her fecundity and her reign over all living things. She is often depicted as a mermaid. She is associated with the moon, the ocean and female mysteries. Typically portrayed as a beautiful woman, Yemaya governs the household and intervenes in women's affairs. She is a merciful Goddess, invoked by women for aid in childbirth, love and healing. She rules over the conception and birth of children and ensures their safety during childhood. As a creation Goddess, Yemaya's womb spilled forth the fourteen Yoruba goddesses and gods, and the breaking of Her uterine waters caused a great flood, which created the oceans. From Her body the first human woman and man, who became the parents of all mortal beings on earth, were born. She is worshipped and revered in many places and is called by many names now. Some examples of Her names/titles are: Africa: Yemoja, Ymoja, Iemanja Nana Borocum, Iemanja Bomi, Iemanja Boci Brazil: Yemanjá, Iemanjá, Janaina Cuba: Yemaya, Yemayah, Iemanya Haiti: La Sirène, LaSiren (in Vodou) USA (New Orleans Voodoo): Yemalla, Yemana

WHO IS GAIA? The Millenial Gaia, by Oberon Zell, photo of author's altar The Millenial Gaia by Oberon Zell from The Mythic Images Collection Gaia, Ge, Mother Earth... She is called by many names and has been since time immemorial. She is our home, our Mother, the source of life. She is a planet orbiting in an elliptical path approximately 93 million miles from a G2 variable star known as Sol. She is all this and more. The name Gaia is Greek and means land or earth. It is by this name that I know Her and love Her, but She has appellations in all languages, ancient and modern. Some of these include: Kubau - Akkadian Hepa - Hurrian Kubala/Cybele - Phrygian Heva/Eve - Hebrew Jörð - Norse Danu - Irish Papatuanuku - Maori Pachamama - Quechua Tonantzin Tlalli - Mexican Gayatri - Hindu Phra Mae Thorani - Thai Spider Grandmother - Dineh Potnia - Cretan Tellus Mater - Roman

Dziewanna (Jeh' van na)is a Slavic goddess who filled many roles in our rich culture. Daughter of Perun and Dodola, She is the Spring Maiden and revered by farmers as Goddess of agriculture. However, She is unlike Persephone in that role. She does not come back from sleeping under the Earth in winter. Lada, who is the Spring Mother, does that. Dziewanna is a Maiden Huntress and a fierce warrior. While some have claimed a link between Her and the Roman Diana, their roles are only superficially similar. There are traces of Her worship that have been found from the Baltic Sea to the Balkans of an ancient wild forest goddess in the oldest relics. She is wild and free, Mistress of horses, Who rides through the land awakening the plants and banishing the winter crone, so that Lada may return. There are many spellings of Her name depending on the tribe of Slavs. Some of these include: Dziewona - Poland Dilwica - Serbia Devana - Czech, Russian Debena - Slovenia

Goddess of the Month - Sophia Sophia comes to us through many different traditions. Her name is Greek and means Wisdom, and it is for Her wisdom that She is revered. In Gnostic Christianity She is called the Great Mother and is considered by some to be the Mother of God. In other traditions, Sophia is the Bride of God, his completion and perfect mate. In Michelangelo's famous painting of the Sistine Chapel, She is depicted as a beautiful woman in Jehovah's embrace. She is also found in the Hebrew Kabbalistic tradition and called Chokmah. She is one of many Goddesses symbolized by the dove, who are seen as bringing humanity gifts of wisdom and grace. In many of the Eastern Christian traditions, Sophia is the Mother of the three Graces: Faith, Hope, and Charity. Some of Her other names include: Goddess of Heaven - Gnostic Mother of the Stars and the Hebdomas - Gnostic Sapientia - Latin Black Goddess - Gnostic Asherah - Hebrew Shekinah - Hebrew Wise Bride of Solomon - Hebrew World-Soul - Manichaean Ennoia - Simonian