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Athena - The Greek Goddess of Wisdom
Athena was born from the forhead of Zeus. She is pictured as a young woman wearing a helmet and holding a shield. The
owl is Athena's symbol as it signifies watchfulness, and wisdom. She is a peacemaker, and a powerful defender in war. Athena
is also rational, and intelligent. She is weakend by her lack of emotions, and compasion along with the fact the reason rules
her.
Athena was born fully armed from Zeus's forehead, and it is said that this was because he swallowed her mother, Metis
while she was pregnant with Athena. Eventhough she was Zeus's daughter, she could also conspire against him in order to oppose
his plans.
One of Athena's titles is the "Gray eyed", this comes out of her gift to the Greeks which was the olive tree.
The underside of the olive trees leaf is gray, and when the leaf is lifted you can see Athena's many eyes.
Athens was named after Athena, and the Parthenon is her best known, and preserved temple.
Brigid - A Celtic Goddess
Brigid is the daughter of Dagda, and her husband was Bres. She is a Celtic triple Goddess ruling over smithcraft, poetry,
and healing. She was loved by the pagan people of Whales, Ireland, and Britain, and she was turned into a Catholic saint when
the church was unable to Quell her worship. Brigid is sometimes referred to as the foster mother of Christ, or Mary's midwife.
Brigid's shrine is located at Kildare, and originally was tended by 19 priestesses that would watch over the sacred flame.
After Brigid was cannonized then the nun took over. The perpetual flame has been extingished and the relit at various times
though out history,, and the flame is now burning once more.
Imbolc is dedicated to Brigid, The candles are lit to welcome spring, and signify her flame. Brigid is also known as Bright,
Bride, Brid, Brigantia, and she is associated with smithcraft, poetry, art, inspiration, healing, childbirth, and the hearth
fire. Brigid's animal symbols are cattle, oxen, and other domestic animals.
Hathor - Lady of Heaven
Hathor is the daughter of Nut, and Ra, she is also the wife of Ra, and mother of Ily. In many legends she is portrayed
as the mother of Horus the Elder, or as the wife of Horus the Edfu, and the fruit of this union was Horus the Younger.
Hathor is the Goddess of joy, motherhood, and love. She is the protectress of pregnant women, and she is a midwife. Hathor
is the patron of all women, no matter their station in life. Hathor was associated with the inundation of the Nile, and in
this aspect associated with Dogstar Sothis whose rising above the horizon heralded an annual flooding of the Nile. With this
legeng of Ra and Hathor she is called the Eye of Ray.
With the rise of the Osiris cults her role changed to welcoming the arrival of the dead to the underworld. She would give
water to the souls from the branches of the sycamore and offer them food. Hathor is also represented as a cow suckling the
soul of the dead.
Hathor was first pictured as a cow with stars on her, then as a woman with a cows head, and finally with a human head
with a face broad and placid, and sometimes she is pictured with the ears, and horns of a cow.
Vesta - Italian Goddess of the Hearth
Vesta is the Italian Goddess of the hearth, and is pictured as a woman that is fully draped, and sometimes accompanied
by her favorate animal which is an ass. She is Goddess of the hearth fire, and patron deity of bakers. From the earliest of
times she had a place in both family and state worship. Her worship was observed in every house, and some household altars
would have her included within them. Vesta's cult was one of the oldest in Rome.
Vesta's sanctuary was a circular building symbolic of the Italian round hut, and public hearth.The Perpetual fire of the
public hearth was attended by Vestal Virgins. This fire was traditionally extinguished and relit annually on March 1. The
temples innermost sanctuary was not open to the public except for once a year during the Vestalia held during June 7th through
the 15th, and then it was open to matrons whom would visit it barefoot. The days of the festival were unlucky, and on the
final day there was a cerimonial sweeping of the building, and then the period of ill omen would not end until the sweepings
were officially placed in a particular spot along the Clivus Capitolinus, or by throwing them into the Tiber.
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