According to Roman de la Rose, written at the end of the thirteenth
century, thirdborn children were
obligated to travel with Abonde three times a week to the homes of
neighbours. Nothing could stop
these people, as they became incorporeal in the company of Abonde.
Only their souls would travel
as their bodies remained behind immobile. There was a downside to this
astral projection: if the body was turned over while the soul was elsewhere,
the soul would never return.
Aditi
(Limitless)
Hindu Mother Goddess, self-formed, the Cosmic Matrix. Mother of the
Sun God Mitra and the Moon God Varuna.
Ambika
Hindu, 'the generatrix,' wife of Shiva or of Rudra.
Annapurna
Hindu. Goddess who provides food; she lives on top of Mount Annapurna.
Aphrodite
(Foam-Born)
Greek Goddess of sexual love. She was born of the bloody foam of the
sea where Cronus threw
the genitals of his father Uranus after castrating him. Married, on
Zeus's orders, to the lame Smith God Hephaestus, and unfaithful to him
with the war God Ares. She was in fact an ancient East Mediterranean Goddess
and can be equated with Astarte.
Apollo
(Phoebus, the Bright One)
Greek. Identified with the sun. Said to be the most powerful of the
Gods. Son of Zeus and Leto. Born on Delos, taken North and raised by the
hyperboreans, he went to Delphi and killed the dragon Python, guardian
of the oracle of Themis, but a ravager of the countryside. Tall, handsome,
outstanding in word and deed, he was the god of ever-renewed youth, archetype
of virile beauty and masculine virtue. He was also known as a seducer &
extremely arrogant. Talented in music, inventor of the lyre,
he was the inspiration of poets and soothsayers. His oracles were expressed
in verse. He could cure illness and banish evil. He was a doctor who knew
the purification rites and was invoked against plague. His image was set
at dangerous places for protection (Lighting the ways) Nothing escaped
his vision (light of day).
Arachne
Greek Spider Goddess. A Lydian girl skilled in weaving, she dared to
challenge Athene to compete with her. The contest was held, and Arachne's
work was faultless: impudently, it portrayed some of
the Gods' less reputable deeds, including Athene's father Zeus abducting
Europa. Furious, Athene turned her into a spider, doomed eternally to spin
thread drawn from her own body. But the Spider Goddess is more archetypal
than this story suggests: spinning and weaving the pattern of destiny
like the Moerae or the Norns, and enthroned in the middle of her spiral-pathed
stronghold like Arianrhod. Athene here represents Athenian patriarchal
thinking, trying to discipline earlier
Goddess-concepts.
Aradia
(Italy, Tuscany) Witch Goddess, surviving there into this century.
Daughter of Diana and Diana's brother Lucifer (i.e. of the Moon and Sun),
she came to Earth to teach the witches her mother's magic.
Ariadne
Cretan and Greek. The daughter of King Minos of Crete, who with her
her cunning thread
helped Theseus find his way into the labyrinth to kill the Minotaur,
and out again. She eloped with
him, but he abandoned her on the island of Naxos. She was consoled
by Dionysus, who in her
Naxos cult was regarded as her consort.
Aries
(Mars)
Greek. Son of Hera, born without male assistance. He was a supreme
fighter, loved battle and cared little about issues, switching sides without
scruple. He delighted in massacres. He was god of war, not victory, and
was thoughtless about winning, only fighting. Was on occasion disarmed
by Athena, Goddess of restraint and forethought, to keep him
from interfering in battles that did not concern him. He was prolific in
love, but also a rapist. He was run by his passions.
Arianrhod
(Silver Wheel)
Major Welsh Goddess. Mother of Llew Llau Gyffes by her brother Gwydion.
Her consort Nwyvre ('Sky, Space, Firmament') has survived in name only.
Caer Arianrhod is the circumpolar stars, to which souls withdraw between
incarnations; she is thus a Goddess of reincarnation. Honoured at the Full
Moon.
Artemis
Greek Nature and Moon Goddess. Daughter of Zeus and Leto, and twin
sister of Apollo (though a day older). She probably absorbed a pre-Indo-European
Sun Goddess, and her twinning in classical legend with the Sun God Apollo
may stem from this. The Greeks assimilated her to a pre-Greek mistress
of wild beasts. Bears were sacred to her, and she was associated with the
constellation Ursa Major.
Ashtaroth
(Astaroth)
Ashtaroth was usually depicted as an ugly demon riding a dragon and
carrying a viper in his left hand. He was the Treasurer of Hell, and was
also the Grand Duke of its western regions. He encouraged sloth and idleness.
Ashtaroth was one of two demons prayed to in the Black Masses of Catherine Monvoisin, Madame de Montespan (mistress of Louis XIV), and a 67-year-old priest by the name of Guibourg. (The other demon prayed to was Asmodeus.)
Asmodeus
Asmodeus was one of the busiest demons. He was not only the overseer
of all the gambling houses in the court of Hell, but the general spreader
of dissipation. On top of that, Asmodeus was the demon of lust, personally
responsible for stirring up matrimonial trouble. Maybe it was because he
came from the original dysfunctional family. According to Jewish legend,
his mother was a mortal woman, Naamah, and his father was one of the fallen
angels.
Characterized in The Testament of Solomon, the great manual of magic, as "furious and shouting," Asmodeus routinely did everything he could to keep husbands and wives from having intercourse, while encouraging them at every turn to indulge their pent-up drives in adulterous and sinful affairs. When he condescended to appear before a mortal, he did so riding a dragon, armed with a spear; he had three heads - one a bull's, one a ram's, and one a man's - as all three of these were considered lecherous creatures by nature. His feet, on the same theory, were those of a cock.
Astarte
Canaanite version of Ishtar; fertility goddess. Chief goddess of Tyre
and Sidon. Astarte was also
the Greek form of the name Ashtart. Tends to merge with Asherat and
Anat, and with the
Egyptian Hathor. She came to Egypt; Rameses II built a temple honoring
her, and she and Isis
were said to be firm friends.
Athena
Greek, a Warrior Goddess, yet also one of intelligence and the arts
of peace. Protector of towns, above all of Athens.
Banshee
(Bean Sidhe , 'Woman Fairy')
Irish. Attached to old Irish families ('the O's and the Mac's'), she
can be heard keening sorrowfully near the house when a member of the family
is about to die. Still very much believed in, and heard.
Bast
Egyptian Cat Goddess of Bubastis in the Delta. Originally lion-headed,
she represented the
beneficient power of the Sun, in contrast to Sekhmet who personified
its destructive power.
Bean-Nighe
('Washing Woman')
Scottish and Irish. Haunts lonely streams washing the bloodstained
garments of those about to die.
Bechaud
According to the Grimorium Verum, Bechaud has power over rain, hail,
thunder, and lightning.
Beelzebub
Part of the Christian mythos, Beelzebub was one of the powerful seraphim
first recruited by Satan.
From his new home in Hell, Beelzebub discovered how to tempt people
with pride. He became
associated with flies because he had sent a plague of the insects to
Canaan. He may also have
become known as the "Lord of the Flies" because of the popular belief
that decaying corpses
generated flies.
Regardless, when summoned by sorcerers or witches, he would appear in
the form of a fly, a
gargantuan cow, or a male goat with a long tail. He had a tendency
to vomit flames if he was
angered.
Befana
('Epiphany')
Italian Witch Fairy who flies her broomstick on Twelfth Night to come
down chimneys and bring presents to children.
Belial
Before Satan had been the established leader of the forces of evil,
Belial had been the undisputed
regent of darkness. This view is reinforced in The War of the Sons
of Light and the Sons of
Darkness from one of the Dead Sea Scrolls: "But for corruption thou
hast made Belial, an angel of
hostility. All his dominion is in darkness, and his purpose is to bring
about wickedness and guilt."
Binah
('Understanding')
Hebrew. The Supernal Mother, third Sephirah of the Cabalistic Tree
of Life. She takes the raw directionless energy of Chokmah, the Supernal
Father (the second Sephira), and gives it form and manifestation; she is
thus both the Bright Mother, Aima (nourishing) and the Dark Mother, Ama
(constricting).
Bona
Dea ('Good Goddess')
Roman Earth Goddess of Fertility, worshipped only by women; even statues
of men were covered where her rites took place.
Brighid
(Brigid, Brigit, Brid)
Irish Goddess of Fertility and Inspiritation, daughter of the Dagda;
called 'the poetess.' Often triple ('The Three Brigids'). Her characteristics,
legends and holy places were taken over by the historical St Bridget.
Cailleach
Beine Brick:
A Scottish legendary witch probably recalling an earlier local goddess.
Callisto:
('Most Beautiful')
Greek Moon Goddess, to whom the she-bear was sacred in Arcadia. Envisaged
as the axle on which everything turns, and thus connected with the Ursa
Major constellation. Linked with Artemis, often called Artemis Callisto.
Carman
Irish. Wexford Goddess, whence Gaelic name of Wexford, Loch Garman
(Loch gCarman).
Cernunnos
A Celtic god whose physical attributes came to be applied to those
of Satan. Known as the Horned
God and as Hu Gadarn, Cernunnos was the god of nature, astral planes,
virility, fertility, animals,
sex, the underworld, reincarnation, and shamanism.
Cerridwen
Welsh Mother, Moon and Grain Goddess, wife of Tegid and mother of Creirwy
(the most beautiful girl in the world) and Avagdu (the ugliest boy). Owner
of an inexhaustible cauldron called Amen, in which she made a magic draught
called 'greal' ('Grail?') from six plants, which gave inspiration and knowledge.
Mother of Taliesen, greatest of all Welsh bards. Most of her legends emphasize
the terrifying aspect of the Dark Mother; yet her cauldron is the source
of wisdom and inspiration.
Clauneck
According to the Grimorium Verum, Clauneck is a demon who can bestow
riches upon you and
uncover buried treasure.
Cliona
of the Fair Hair
Irish. South Munster Goddess of great beauty, daughter of Gebann the
Druid, of the Tuatha De Danaan. Connected with the O'Keefe family.
Clisthert
According to the Grimorium Verum, Clisthert "can turn the day into
night, or the night into day,
whenever you feel the need for a sudden change."
Cronos
(Saturn)
Greek. Son of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). Gaea, worn out by numerous
pregnancies, requested to be free of this burden, so Cronos (Saturn) took
up a sickle and cut off his father's testicles. His wife was Rhea, and
he fathered Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus. Was eventually
deposed by Zeus. His festivals, the Saturnalia, were a time of liberation
and freedom for all and got pretty wild. They were celebrated from Dec.
17th until the new year. Saturn is the archetype for "father time".
Cybele
Greek. Originally Phrygian, finally merged with Rhea. Goddess of Caverns,
of the Earth in its primitive state; worshipped on mountain tops. Ruled
over wild beasts. Also a Bee Goddess.
Dakini
Hindu. One of the Six Goddess Governing the Six Bodily Substances;
the others being Hakini, Kakini, Lakini, Rakini and Sakini.
Dana,
Danu
The major Irish Mother Goddess, who gave her name to the Tuatha De
Danann ('Peoples of the Goddess Dana'), the last but one occupiers of Ireland
in the mytholigical cycle.
Demeter
(Earth-Goddess-Mother)
Greek goddess of the fruitful Earth, especially of barley. Daughter
of Cronus and Rhea. Her brother Zeus, tricking her in the form of a bull,
made her the mother of Persephone.
Diana
The classical moon goddess, Diana, is still worshipped by neopagans
today. Long after Christianity's triumph over classical paganism, her worship
is still going strong.
Diana was the personification of the positive aspects of lunar forces. She was also believed to have led groups of nightriders (known as the "Wild Hunt" or the "Furious Horde") who flew through the air. The "Wild Hunt" was comprised of "people taken by death before their time, children snatched away at an early age, victims of a violent end." The goddess would accompany her followers as they wandered at night among the houses of the well-to-do. Whenever they would arrive at a home that was particularly well-kept, Diana would bestow her blessings upon it.
Diana was intrinsically linked with several other witch deities, including
Abonde, Abundia, Aradia,
Hecate, Herodias, Holda, Perchta, Satia, and Venus.
Dione
Phoenician/Greek. Also known as Baltis. A Nature or Earth Goddess,
overlapping with Diana and Danae. Daughter of Uranus and Gaia. Married
her brother Cronus, who gave her the city of Byblos.
Discordia
Roman Goddess of Discord and Strife, who preceeded the chariot of Mars.
Greek equivalent Eris.
Dionysius
Greek. Son of Zeus and Semele. His escort was satyrs and marginally
sane gods. He did not
respect laws or customs, loved disguises, wild screaming, licentious dances
and wild places. He was a drunken god with no home, living in the wild
and eating raw meat. He encouraged excesses of all kinds. Hera hated Dionysus
because of Zeus's infidelity and hounded him. She caused him to be killed
by the Titans, but he was resurrected through the efforts of Athena, Zeus,
Apollo, and Rhea. She drove him mad, but through Cybele he gained mastery
of it. He drove many people mad for various reasons.
Ereshkigal
('Queen of the Great Below')
Assyro-Babylonian Goddess of the Underworld, sister of Ishtar (Inanna).
Known as 'Star of Lamentation,' or sometimes simply as Allatu ('The Goddess').
Eris
Greek goddess of Discord.
Erin
Irish. One of the Three Queens of the Tuatha De Danann, daughters of
the Dagda, who asked
that Ireland be named after them.
Eros
(Cupid)
Greek. A primordial god, contemporary of Chaos, who existed before
Cronos (Saturn) and Zeus. He came out of an egg that formed the earth and
sky when it broke in two. He precipitated the embraces of Gaea (the Earth)
and Uranus (the heavens), which resulted in the birth of Oceanus, Tethys,
Coeus, and Cronos (Saturn) . The Earth and heavens were so tightly embraced
that none of the children could rise towards the light until Cronos (Saturn)
castrated his father. Cupid was associated with Aphrodite, who moderated
his power. Where he was desire, instinct and violent sex, she was grace,
tenderness and sweet pleasure. Cupid made people lose their reason and
paralyzed their wills, even inspiring Zeus to capricious sexual desires.
As Eros he is said to be the child of Porus (Expedience) and Penia
(Poverty). Like Penia, he was said to always be in search of something,
and like Porus, he always found a means of attaining his aims.
Faunus
A Roman God, Son of Circe and Jupiter. Protector of the Roman peoples,
he lived on Palatine Hill in Rome. His oracle was given in nightmares.
Lupercalia was his festival, during which his priests ran through the streets
with leather straps and struck any women they met with them to bestow health
and fertility. The women were said to strip themselves to be better targets.
He reproduced himself in the satyrs.
Fraw
Fenus (See Venus)
Fraw
Selga
Fraw Selga is yet another goddess believed to have led the "Furious
Horde." A Germanic deity,
Fraw Selga was said to be the sister of Fraw Fenus (Venus), and like
Venus and Diana, was
referred to as "the mistress of the game." The processions following
Fraw Selga "were composed of
souls in purgatory, as well as of the damned who were suffering various
punishments."
Fraw Selga could impart wisdom to her followers. She knew where buried
treasure intended for the
God-fearing could be found.
Frimost
According to the Grimorium Verum, Frimost can control the minds and
bodies of girls and women.
Frucissiere
According to the Grimorium Verum, Frucissiere "can bring the dead back
to life."
Frutimiere
According to the Grimorium Verum, Frutimiere "can serve up any feast
you desire."
Gaia
(Earth)
The 'deep-breasted,' the primordial Greek Earth Mother, the first being
to emerge from Chaos. She was regarded as creating the universe, the first
race of gods, and humankind.
Glaisrig
(Glaistig)
A Scottish Undine, beautiul and seductive, but a goat from the waist
down (which she hides under a long green dress). She lures men to dance
with her and then sucks their blood. Yet she can be benign, looking after
children or old people or herding cattle for farmers.
Gorgons,
The
Greek. Three daughters of Phorcys and his sister Ceto. Winged monsters
with hair of serpents, they turned men to stone by their gaze. They were
Euryale and Stheno, who were immortal, and Medusa who was mortal and killed
by Perseus.
Grian:
('Sun')
Irish. A Fairy Queen with a court on Pallas Green Hill, Co. Tipperary.
Also a general Goddess symbol.
Gruagach,
The ('The Long-Haired One')
Scottish. Female fairy to whom the dairymaids used to pour libations
of milk into a hollow stone.
Guland
According to the Grimorium Verum, Guland "can inflict any kind of disease."
Gulfora
Gulfora, also known as the Queen of the Sabbat, was another goddess
in the same vein as Holda,
Perchta, and Diana. She led the Wild Hunt, which is also known as "the
days of Jupiter."
Gwenhwyfar
(Guinevere, Gueneva)
Arthur's queen. Traces of Triple Goddess.
Hades
(Pluto)
Son of Cronos (Saturn), brother of Zeus and Poseidon. When the world
was divided between the three brothers, the underworld and hell fell to
Hades, while Zeus took the heavens and Poseidon the seas. He had a helmet
that made him invisible. He ruled the dead, and forbade his subjects to
leave his domain. He desired Persephone, but Zeus forbade the marriage.
He then kidnapped her.
Hathor
Egyptian. An ancient Sky Goddess; Ra's daughter by Nut, or his wife;
sometimes the wife or mother of Horus the Elder, Goddess of pleasure, joy,
love, music and dancing. Protectress of women and embodiment of the finest
female qualities.
Hecate
Perhaps the most notorious of all witch goddesses, Hecate was a dark
manifestation of Diana. Hecate is the patron goddess of witches and sorceresses
because of her skill in the arts of black magic. She is the queen of darkness,
perverse sexuality, and death. Classically, she is the goddess of "roads
in general and crossroads in particular, the latter being considered the
center of ghostly activities, particularly in the dead of night... Offerings
of food (known as Hecate's suppers) were left to placate her, for she was
terrible both in her powers and in her person--a veritable Fury, armed
with a scourge and blazing torch and accompanied by terrifying hounds."
The followers of Hecate were rumoured to have strange powers, such as that of being able to draw down the moon in order to employ the averse aspects of lunar forces. Followers could metamorphose into animals and birds, had insatiable sexual appetites, and had an intrinsic understanding of aphrodisiac and poisonous herbs.
Hephaestus
(Vulcan)
Son of Zeus and Hera. He was lame, either because his mother, startled
by his ugliness, dropped him, or because Zeus, angry that he took his mother's
side in a dispute, threw him from Olympos. He dwelled among mortals and
became the god of black smithing and artistic metal work. He made a golden
throne that imprisoned any who sat in it, and gave it to Hera to avenge
himself for his fall from Olympos.
Hermes
(Mercury)
Son of Zeus and the nymph Maia. He stole some of Apollo's cattle shortly
after his birth and concealed them, sacrificing two to the Olympian Gods.
This theft won high recognition as a God himself. When Apollo discovered
the theft and Hermes was tried his defense was so skillful and spirited
that Zeus laughed and ruled that there should be a friendly settlement
between the brothers.
Hermes was God of the spoken word and oratory and was the intermediary
between the God and men. Also the God of commerce and contracts, where
language must be precise to convey the correct meaning.
Herodias (See Aradia or Diana)
Hel,
Hela
Teutonic Goddess of the kingdom of the dead, not considered as a place
of punishment. Daughter of Loki and Angurboda, and sister of the Midgard
serpent of the ocean encircling the Earth, and of the devouring Fenris-wolf.
Half her face was totally black.
Hestia
(Hearth)
Greek. First daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and oldest of the Olympians.
Goddess of domestic fire and of the home in general. Poseidon and Apollo
both wanted to marry her but she placed herself under Zeus' protection
as eternally virgin. She received the first morsel of every sacrifice.
Roman equivalent Vesta.
Hicpacth
According to the Grimorium Verum, Hicpacth "can deliver to you anyone
you want to see, from
whatever distance, in the batting of an eye.
Holda
Also known as Fraw Holt, Holda became virtually synonymous with Abonde,
Diana, and Perchta.
Originally, Holda had been a Germanic goddess of vegetation and fertility,
much like Perchta. Holda
was also the goddess of spinning and weaving.
She, like her other manifestations, was the leader of the "Furious Horde"
or "Wild Hunt"
(Wütischend Heer, Wilde Jagd, Mesnie Sauvage)--"namely of the
ranks of those who had died
prematurely and passed through village streets at night, unrelenting
and terrible, while the inhabitants
barricaded their doors for protection."
Holda had two forms, that of a beautiful girl dressed all in white,
and that of a hideous crone with
fangs, a hooked nose, and long, tangled grey hair. In the latter form,
she looked just like the
stereotypical image of a witch or the evil stepmother of fairy tales.
As the White Lady, she was a
fertility goddess who granted prosperity to home, family, and field.
As the Hag, she offered those
who ignored or insulted her death, illness, and misfortune. In this
form, she was responsible for fog
and snow.
Huictiigaras
According to the Grimorium Verum, Huictiigaras "can put you to sleep
or create insomnia."
Humots
According to the Grimorium Verum, Humots "can provide you with any
book you want."
Inanna
('Lady of Heaven')
Sumerian Queen of Heaven, Mother Goddess to whom the Semitic Ishtar
was assimilated.
Isis
Egyptian. The most complete flowering of the Goddess concept in human
history. Daughter of
Earth God Geb and Sky Goddess Nut.
Kali
Hindu, Tibetan, Nepalese. Often called Kali Ma ('the Black Mother').
A terrible but necessary destroyer, particularly of demons, but also a
powerful creative force, much misunderstood in the
West.
Kiepoth
According to the Grimorium Verum, Kiepoth can provide one with insightful
dreams and visions.
Khil
According to the Grimorium Verum, Khil "can create earthquakes on demand."
Kundalini:
('Coiled')
Hindu. The feminine Serpent Force, especially in its relation to organic
and inorganic matter; the universal life-force of which electricity and
magnetism are mere manifestations. Envisaged as moving in a left-handed
spiral, when aroused in the human body, from the base of the spine up to
the brain.
Lady
of the Lake
Arthurian. In some legends Vivienne (or Viviane); in others, Vivienne
was the daughter of the Lady of the Lake by Dylan, son of Arianrhod and
Gwydion. In Thomas Mallory, the Lady of the Lake is called Nimue.
Lakshmi
Hindu Goddess of good fortune and plenty, and the personification of
beauty.
Leannan
Sidhe
Irish fairy lover, succubus. In the Isle of Man she is malevolent and
vampiric.
Leonard
Although he had a rather unlikely name for a demon, Leonard was a kind
of quality control expert
for black magic and sorcery. He was also the master of sabbats, presiding
over them in the form of
an enormous three-horned black goat with the head of a fox.
Lilith
Lilith is a kabalistic demon who appealed more to magicians than to
witches. According to legend, Lilith was the first wife of Adam, and the
first social feminist. Made from filth before the creation of Eve, Lilith
believed herself to be Adam's equal and objected to "missionary style"
sex. She believed that sexual relations should take place with the two
of them lying side by side. Adam objected to this, so Lilith left him to
mate with fallen angels.
Together with the fallen angels, Lilith parented a huge family of female
demons called lilim. Lilim are
identical to succubi for all intents and purposes. Both seduce men
and take away men's strength in the night hours.
Lorelei
German. A beautiful siren who sat on a cliff above the Rhine, luring
boatment to their death with her songs.
Luna
The Roman Moon Goddess, identified with Diana and the Greek Selene.
Malkuth
('The Kingdom')
Hebrew. Personification of Earth, of the Earth-soul; the goddess in
actual manifestation.
Maya
Hindu. The Goddess of Nature, the universal creatress.
Medusa
Greek. The only mortal member of the three Gorgons. Her hair was turned
to serpents by Athene because she dared to claim equal beauty with hers.
Her gaze turned men to stone.
Mephistopheles
The name Mephistopheles comes from the Greek for "he who does not like
light." Mephistopheles is perhaps most famous for being the demon summoned
by Faust. Faust had summoned him to teach him great knowledge and to grant
him immense power.
Mephistopheles fulfilled all of Faust's desires. Nevertheless, at the
end of the twenty-four year
contract, it was Faust's turn to please Mephistopheles. All that was
left of Faust at the end of the
contract was his torn and bloodied corpse. The soul had been consigned
to Mephistopheles in Hell.
Mersilde
According to the Grimorium Verum, Mersilde "can magically transport
you anywhere,
instantaneously."
Minerva
(Athena)
Minerva is yet another goddess thought to have led the Wild Hunt.
Like Holda, Minerva was traditionally thought of as the goddess of weaving,
spinning, and of women's household arts in general.
Morail
According to the Grimorium Verum, Morail "can bestow invisibility on
anyone or any object."
Morgan
('Of the Sea') Arthur's half-sister Morgan le Fay; but would seem to
be a much older Goddess, possibly the Glastonbury Tor one, for her island
is Avalon.
Muisin
According to the Grimorium Verum, Muisin is a demon who "can sway the
minds of great lords
and offer strategic and political advice."
Neith
Egyptian. A very ancient Delta Goddess, protectress of Sais; her emblem
was the crossed arrows of a predynastic clan.
Nemesis
Greek. Daughter of Erebus and Nyx. Goddess of divine anger, against
mortals who offended the moral law, broke taboos or achieved too much happiness
or wealth.
Nicneven
Scottish Samhain Witch Goddess. Tradition places her night according
to the old (Julian) calendar, on 10 November.
Nimue
Arthurian. Thomas Mallory's name for the Lady of the Lake.
Nostiluca
Gaulish Witch Goddess.
Oshun
and Oya
Nigerian, Yoruba tribe and Brizilian Voodoo. Sisters, daughters of
Yemaja, and wives of the Thunder God Shango. Oshun was beautiful and Oya
plain, and there was jealousy between them. Goddesses respectively of the
rivers Oshun and Niger.
Pandora
('Gift of All')
The Greek Eve, fashioned in clay by Hephaestus on Zeus' orders to punish
Prometheus for having stolen fire from heaven. Her name means that each
God or Goddess gave her an appropriate gift. Zeus gave her a box which
she must not open. She did open it, and all the evils that plague humankind
came out of it. All that was left at the bottom was Hope.
Perchta
Perchta or Percht was yet another manifestation of Diana and was synonymous
with Abonde as the
leader of the host of the dead. Perchta was originally a southern German
goddess of vegetation and
fertility. She had many different names (and changed her sex) depending
on the geographical region.
In "southern Austria, in Carintia, among the the Slovenes, 'Quantembermann'
(the man of the four
Ember Days) or 'Kwaternik'; in Baden, in Swabia, in Switzerland, and
with the Slovenes again, 'Frau Faste' (the lady of the Ember Days) or similar
names such as 'Posterli,' 'Quatemberca,'" and
'Fronfastenweiber.'
Persephone
Greek and Phoenician. Originally a purely Underworld Goddess, became
a corn-seed Goddess, daughter of Demeter.
Poseidon
(Neptune)
Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea, he is represented wielding a trident
being pulled by monsters in a chariot. After Zeus' victory over Cronos
(Saturn), the gods, who preferred life on earth, divided the various domains
of earth. Poseidon chose the seas. He represented the hidden forces of
germination and death. Together with his wife Amphitrite, he had powerful
ties with Gaea, the Earth, mother of the Titans. As subterranean Gods,
they shook the world from inside. Poseidon caused earthquakes when he made
love to his wife. The mystery isle of Atlanta belonged to Poseidon. Poseidon
could provoke storms, set fire to rocks on shore and create springs of
water. He had many children, most wicked and violent, like the Cyclops
of the Oddessy.
Put
Satanachia
Put Satanachia was the commander-in-chief of Satan's army of darkness.
Aside from having
profound power over mothers, Put Satanichia had an immense knowledge
of the planets. He also
provided witches with their animal familiars.
Pythia
('Pythoness')
Greek. Serpent Goddess, daughter of Gaia.
Rhiannon
('Great, or Divine, Queen').
Welsh fertility and Otherworld Goddess.
Sarasvati
Hindu. Wife of Brahma, born of his body. Goddess of speech, music,
wisdom, knowledge and the arts.
Satan
Satan, of course, was the deity of choice during the witchcraze
on old days. Witches' sabbats, also known as "Synagogues of Satan,"
were held in dedication to him. Physical adoration and submission to the
Devil were necessary parts of every sabbat. Satan most often appeared at
these sabbats in the form of a black billy goat or tom cat.
Segal
According to the Grimorium Verum, Segal "can make all kinds of prodigies
appear."
Sekhmet
('The Powerful')
Egyptian Lioness-Goddess, Eye of Ra who was her father. Wife of Ptah
as Goddess of the Memphite triad, and mother of Nefertum, God of the setting
Sun (later replaced by Imhotep).
Selene
Greek Moon Goddess, daughter of Hyperion and Theia, and sister of Helios
(the Sun) and Eos (Dawn); though sometimes said to be the daughter of Zeus
or of Helios.
Sirchade
According to the Grimorium Verum, Sirchade "can introduce you to any
one of a huge assortment
of animals, both real and supernatural."
Sophia
('Wisdom')
A Gnostic Aeon; but Wisdom personified as female was earlier also characteristic
of Hebrew and Greek-Hebrew thinking.
Surgat
According to the Grimorium Verum, Surgat "can unlock anything."
Tailtiu
Irish. Foster-mother of Lugh, who instituted the Tailtean Games, central
event of the Festival of Lughnasadh (1 August), in her memory.
Tara
('Radiating')
Hindu Star Goddess, wife of Brihaspati (identified with the planet
Jupiter), teacher of the Gods.
Tenemit
Egyptian Underworld Goddess, who gave ale to the deceased.
Tiamat
Assyro-Babylonian Primordial Sea Mother Goddess, the mass of salt waters,
who with her mate Apsu (the sweet waters) begat the original chaotic world
and who also symbolized it and ruled it.
Ulupi
Hindu. A Serpent Goddess, one of the Nagis, dwelling in Patala, the
lowest level of the Underworld.
Valkyries,
The
Teutonic. In late Scandinavian myth, they brought the souls of those
slain in battle to Odin.
Venus
Venus was originally the Roman goddess of love, but by the time of
the witchcraze she was
relegated to demon status. She became synonymous with Diana in terms
of being followed at night
by a retinue of women. Witches knew her as Fraw Fenus, stating they
visited her at night-time.
Venus could grant to these witches the power of astral projection. Witches
could fall into "swoons
which rendered them insensible to pricks or scaldings." When the women
revived, they said they had been to heaven and "spoke of stolen or hidden
objects."
Verdelet
Verdelet was something of a cross between a maitre d' and a transportation
coordinator. He was
master of ceremonies in Hell, and also shouldered the responsibility
of making sure witches on Earth
got to their sabbats safely and on time.
Vesta
('Torch, Candle')
Roman Goddess of fire, both domestic and ritual. Daughter of Saturn
and Ops. Domestically she presided over the hearth and the preparation
of meals.
Vivienne,
Viviane
Arthurian. Sometimes referred to as the Lady of the Lake, sometimes
as the Lady's daughter.
Yesod
('Foundation')
Hebrew. Ninth Sephira of the Cabalistic Tree of Life, sphere of the
Moon and of the astral plane.
Zeus
(Jupiter)
Son of Cronos (Saturn) and Rhea. He defeated Cronos (Saturn) in a battle
and then divided the realms with his brothers by lot, getting the heavens
for his own. He was ruler and judge, the arbiter of disputes among Gods
and men. His decisions were just and well balanced, showing no favoritism.
He had several wives and many lover's, earning the title "all father" or
"father god". His infidelity caused much strife on Olympos and in the world
through he raging of his wife, Hera.