Lilitha Tala V VampyressMotherQueenMistr...'s blog: "My Goddesses"

Isis, Egyptian Goddess of Magic and Giver of Life Isis, the Egyptian goddess of rebirth remains one of the most familiar images of empowered and utter femininity. The goddess Isis was the first daughter of Geb, god of the Earth, and Nut, the goddess of the Overarching Sky. Isis was born on the first day between the first years of creation, and was adored by her human followers. Unlike the other Egyptian goddesses, the goddess Isis spent time among her people, teaching women how to grind corn and make bread, spin flax and weave cloth, and how to tame men enough to live with them (an art form on which many of us would welcome a refresher course!) Isis taught her people the skills of reading and agriculture and was worshipped as the goddess of medicine and wisdom. More than any other of the ancient Egyptian goddesses, Isis embodied the characteristics of all the lesser goddesses that preceded her. Isis became the model on which future generations of female deities in other cultures were to be based. As the personification of the "complete female", Isis was called "The One Who Is All", Isis Panthea ("Isis the All Goddess"), and the "Lady of Ten Thousand Names". The goddess Isis, a moon goddess, gave birth to Horus, the god of the sun. Together, Isis and Horus created and sustained all life and were the saviors of their people. Isis became the most powerful of the gods and goddesses in the ancient world. Ra, the God of the Sun, originally had the greatest power. But Ra was uncaring, and the people of the world suffered greatly during his reign. The goddess Isis tricked him by mixing some of his saliva with mud to create a poisonous snake that bit him, causing him great suffering which she then offered to cure. He eventually agreed. Isis informed Ra that, for the cure to work, she would have to speak his secret name (which was the source of his power over life and death). Reluctantly, he whispered it to her. When Isis uttered his secret name while performing her magic, Ra was healed. But the goddess Isis then possessed his powers of life and death, and quickly became the most powerful of the Egyptian gods and goddesses, using her great powers to the benefit of the people. Isis was called the Mother of Life, but she was also known as the Crone of Death. Her immense powers earned her the titles of "The Giver of Life" and "Goddess of Magic". Her best known story illustrates why she is simultaneously known as a creation goddess and a goddess of destruction. Isis was the Goddess of the Earth in ancient Egypt and loved her brother Osiris. When they married, Osiris became the first King of Earth. Their brother Set, immensely jealous of their powers, murdered Osiris so he could usurp the throne. Set did this by tricking Osiris into stepping into a beautiful box made of cedar, ebony and ivory that he had ordered built to fit only Osiris. Set then sealed it up to become a coffin and threw it into the river. The river carried the box out to sea; it washed up in another country, resting in the upper boughs of a tamarisk tree when the waters receded. As time passed, the branches covered the box, encapsulating the god in his coffin in the trunk of the tree. In a state of inconsolable grief, Isis tore her robes to shreds and cut off her beautiful black hair. When she finally regained her emotional balance, Isis set out to search for the body of her beloved Osiris so that she might bury him properly. The search took Isis to Phoenicia where she met Queen Astarte. Astarte didn't recognize the goddess and hired her as a nursemaid to the infant prince. Fond of the young boy, Isis decided to bestow immortality on him. As she was holding the royal infant over the fire as part of the ritual, the Queen entered the room. Seeing her son smoldering in the middle of the fire, Astarte instinctively (but naively) grabbed the child out of the flames, undoing the magic of Isis that would have made her son a god. When the Queen demanded an explanation, Isis revealed her identity and told Astarte of her quest to recover her husband's body. As she listened to the story, Astarte realized that the body was hidden in the fragrant tree in the center of the palace and told Isis where to find it. Sheltering his broken body in her arms, the goddess Isis carried the body of Osiris back to Egypt for proper burial. There she hid it in the swamps on the delta of the Nile river. Unfortunately, Set came across the box one night when he was out hunting. Infuriated by this turn of events and determined not to be outdone, he murdered Osiris once again . . . this time hacking his body into 14 pieces and throwing them in different directions knowing that they would be eaten by the crocodiles. The goddess Isis searched and searched, accompanied by seven scorpions who assisted and protected her. Each time she found new pieces she rejoined them to re-form his body. But Isis could only recover thirteen of the pieces. The fourteenth, his penis, had been swallowed by a crab, so she fashioned one from gold and wax. Then inventing the rites of embalming, and speaking some words of magic, Isis brought her husband back to life. Magically, Isis then conceived a child with Osiris, and gave birth to Horus, who later became the Sun God. Assured that having the infant would now relieve Isis' grief, Osiris was free to descend to become the King of the Underworld, ruling over the dead and the sleeping. His spirit, however, frequently returned to be with Isis and the young Horus who both remained under his watchful and loving eye. There are many other variations of this myth . . . in some Isis found the body of Osiris in Byblos, fashioned his penis out of clay. In others the goddess consumed the dismembered parts she found and brought Osiris back to life, reincarnating him as her son Horus. In one of the most beautiful renditions, Isis turns into a sparrowhawk and hovers over the body of Osiris, fanning life back into him with her long wings. Regardless of the differences, each version speaks of the power over life and death that the goddess Isis symbolizes. . . the deep mysteries of the feminine ability to create and to bring life from that which is lifeless. To this day the celebration of the flooding of the Nile each year is called "The Night of the Drop" by Muslims. . . for it used to be named "The Night of the Tear-Drop" a remembrance of the extent of the Isis' lamentation of the death of Osiris, her tears so plentiful they caused the Nile to overflow. The Egyptian goddess Isis played an important role in the development of modern religions, although her influence has been largely forgotten. She was worshipped throughout the Greco-Roman world. During the fourth century when Christianity was making its foothold in the Roman Empire, her worshippers founded the first Madonna cults in order to keep her influence alive. Some early Christians even called themselves Pastophori, meaning the shepherds or servants of Isis. . . which may be where the word "pastors" originated. The influence of Isis is still seen in the Christian ikons of the faithful wife and loving mother. Indeed, the ancient images of Isis nursing the infant Horus inspired the style of portraits of mother and child for centuries, including those of the "Madonna and Child" found in religious art. The power of the goddess Isis in the "public arena" was also profound. Her role as a guide to the Underworld, was often portrayed with winged arms outstretched in a protective position. The image of the wings of Isis was incorporated into the Egyptian throne on which the pharaohs would sit, the wings of Isis protecting them. The ancient Egyptian goddess Isis has many gifts to share with modern women. Isis embodies the strengths of the feminine, the capacity to feel deeply about relationships, the act of creation, and the source of sustenance and protection. At times Isis could be a clever trickster empowered by her feminine wiles rather than her logic or brute strength, but it is also the goddess Isis who shows us how we can use our personal gifts to create the life we desire rather than simply opposing that which we do not like. The myths of Isis and Osiris caution us about the need for occasional renewal and reconnection in our relationships. Isis also reminds us to acknowledge and accept the depths of our emotions.

Aphrodite, Greek Goddess of Romance and Beauty The Greek goddess Aphrodite, the original "Golden Girl", perfectly attired for the occasion in a simple string of pearls and a couple of strategically placed scallop shells, stepped out of the ocean on the island of Cypress and set the ancient world on its ear. Aphrodite, goddess of romantic love had finally arrived! Never had there been such sensual beauty and impeccable taste. The other Greek goddesses now had their work set out for them . . . a new standard had been set, and the world would never be the same! Henceforth there would be candlelit dinners, heart-rending arias in operas, high-heeled shoes and bright red lipstick (not to mention soap operas). Romance was here and planning to stay. It is not clear how the Greek goddess Aphrodite (also known as the Roman goddess Venus) came to be "sea-born". One legend was that Aphrodite was the daughter of the Titan Uranus, formed from his genitals that had been severed and tossed into the sea by his son Cronus who was in the process of usurping his father's throne. What is certain is that the her arrival caused quite a stir! Every Greek god and goddess was dying to meet her. The Horae (Hours) welcomed her to step ashore and adorned her with the finest gold ornaments and cloth, then brought Aphrodite to Mount Olympus to present her to Zeus and the other gods and goddesses. To his credit Zeus instantly realized that this captivating creature could become the source of all sorts of trouble, her radiance stirring every man's passion and leading to constant fighting for her attention. To head off this possibility, Zeus decided she must be married at once ("taken off the market", so to speak) and awarded the goddess to his son, Hephaestus, god of the forge. It goes without saying that Hephaestus must have thought himself the luckiest man alive, especially since he was lame and "no great looker" himself. But he was reliable and hard working. Overjoyed with his good fortune in acquiring this stunning bride, Hephaestus did his best to please Aphrodite, designing and creating for her the most beautiful jewelry and furniture that had ever been seen. He even went so far as to make Aphrodite a magical golden girdle that made her irresistible to men when she wore it. Whatever could he have been thinking? Of all the imaginable pairings of Greek god and goddess, this one had to be the worst mismatch possible. Needless to say, their marriage had its ups and downs. Aphrodite, goddess that she was, felt she had married below her "class" since Hephaestus was decidedly "blue collar" even though he was a god . . . he was not at all what she, with her impeccable taste, had in mind. Aphrodite insisted upon an "open marriage" (at least for her) and indulged in numerous love affairs with both mortals and other gods. Except for a few occasions when he was overwhelmed with jealousy or resentment, Hephaestus seemed to accept this arrangement, happy to just have and hold her when he could. Indeed, their marriage seemed companionable, with little passion perhaps, but little conflict as well. It was as if everyone recognized that Aphrodite had one gift and one gift only . . . to make love. And that one gift was so special that no one seemed to resent it. While all the other gods and goddesses had lengthy lists of divine duties to perform, the goddess Aphrodite was assigned only one . . . to bring love into the world. Athena once caught Aphrodite weaving and reprimanded her for encroaching upon Athena's area of responsibility. Aphrodite was quick to apologize and vowed never to do any work ever again! Although they were surely envious of her beauty and her exciting but easy life, other women weren't usually jealous or resentful of her charms. Although none were what could be called really close friends, they found her to be quite friendly and extraordinarily generous. She even went to the extent of loaning Hera her magic girdle to help her keep Zeus' wandering eyes where they belonged. The goddess Aphrodite was always ready to help both the deities and mortals to win the loves they sought. The Greek goddess Aphrodite, however, is best known for her own love affairs, which were numerous and varied and resulted in many offspring by her various lovers. Her most notable lovers were the gods Ares, Dionysius, Hermes, Poseidon, and the mortal, Adonis. You'd think the other Greek goddesses would have been green with envy, but the willingness of the community to suspend their norms for the goddess Aphrodite is clear. Her flagrant affair with Ares, the god of war, was obvious to all and the cause of much embarrassment for her husband. Hephaestus fashioned an invisible net made of bronze and captured them in it while they were in bed together. Hauling the pair in front of a jury of the Olympians, he demanded their punishment. Reluctant to get involved, the court instead chided Hephaestus for being silly and giving Aphrodite an outfit that rendered her irresistible in the first place! Although the goddess Aphrodite seldom seemed very serious in her affairs, one love caused her great suffering. She had begged Adonis, her beloved mortal, to give up the dangerous sports he enjoyed because she could not bear to lose him. But Adonis ignored her advice and was killed by a wild boar while hunting. When he died, Aphrodite heard his cries and hastened to his side in her swan-drawn chariot. She cursed the Fates that had ordained his death and, with Adonis still in her arms, turned the blood drops that fell from his wounds onto the soil into windflowers, also known as the short-lived anemone, as a memorial to their love. Aphrodite's most famous son was Eros, the god of love, who helped her with her work. A talented archer, his job was to shoot arrows dipped in Aphrodite's love potion, hitting her unwitting victims, causing them to fall madly in love with the next person they saw. Many of the great love stories began this way, but many respectable homes were broken up as well. Although she was most often loving and generous, Aphrodite could be quite malicious and vindictive as well. She insisted upon being given the honor she felt was due her and was quick and harsh in punishing those who weren't sufficiently appreciative of her efforts. Ares, Medea, Psyche, and Atalanta, to name but a few, could attest that the Greek goddess Aphrodite's power was immense. Often the punishments rendered by the goddess Aphrodite, though severe, held important lessons embedded within them. These were lessons that sparked growth and ultimately improved the life or extended the vision of the person she was punishing, as in the case of Psyche. The influence of the Greek goddess Aphrodite can be seen as generative, far beyond that of romance, love, or desire alone. She is associated with the life-giving sea. Just as the waves lapping on the shore refresh and renew the beach, Aphrodite brings us hope and the awareness of the transforming power of love and beauty.