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Showing posts from August, 2021

Egeria, Law Giver of Rome

 In his book, Lord of the Four Quarters, Myths of the Royal Father , John Perry writes, "There is evidence in many parts of the world..., the council or assembly of elders of a tribe, served as the governing body for a Divine Woman or Queen who personified the Great Mother and presided over a matrilineal society.  The early king of such cultures ruled, not in his own right, but in his capacity as consort to the Divine Woman." In the case of early Rome, the Divine Woman was the Goddess Egeria ( source ).  She counseled and guided the legendary second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius (Latin numen designates "the expressed will of a deity"), during his reign from 715 - 673 BCE ( source ).  She gave Numa the laws and rituals of Rome.  She was also an oracle, and is sometimes described as a nymph, possibly due to her association with water.  Egeria's spring, once surrounded by a sacred grove, is located close to Porta Capena gate to Rome.  Its waters were dedicated to th

Cihuateteo

 Cihuateteo means "Women Goddesses".  These Goddesses are native to Mesoamerica, appearing in the pantheon as mortal women who died in childbirth and then were deified.  The Chihuateteo travel throughout the day, dwelling first with the stars in the western sky in the heavenly region called Cihuatlampa or "place of women".  Then, from noon to sunset they accompany the sun, following it through the night as it lights the underworld.   Every 52 days the Chihuateteo would descend to earth to reign for a day associated with the west.  On these days, children were cautioned to stay inside and men to be careful.  Only those skilled in dealing with divine possession should be outside on the days the Chihuateteo descended.   In modern writings the Cihuateteo are often characterized as monsters, however this was not originally the case.  Rather, they were powerful, benevolent ancestors who were honored and revered.  In prayers they were referred as brave fighters who achieve

Nisaba Charts the Heavens

 Nisaba is the Sumerian goddess who invented written language.  She likely began as a goddess of grain, and inspired her priestesses to keep track of the harvest with marks on clay tablets, which gradually become more complex until the first written alphabet was created.  The cunieform symbol for Nisaba combines the symbols for deity and wheat. She was the Goddess of scribes, and all writing began with her praises.  She was described circa 2125 BC in the Gudea cylinder as holding a gold stylus and a clay tablet carrying the image of starry heaven.  In the Hymn to Nisaba, her tablet is made is of lapis lazuli, a semi-precious gemstone prized for its deep blue color. Nisaba Charts the Heavens original painting available through Saatchi Art .  Prints, stickers, and other merch available in shop or through RedBubble or Fine Art America . "Inscriptions make clear that her temple at Eresh was known as Esagin, 'House of Lapis Lazuli,' which was a center of worship for over 1,000