Isis
Isis is the only goddess who could guarantee the immortality of the Egyptian pharaohs, resurrecting them as she did Osiris. Her worship spread and became an enormous cult that appealed to the entire Roman Empire. She has great appeal as a divine mother. Isis is the daughter of Nuit, the goddess of the sky, and of Seb, the god of earth. The ancients worshipped her as the Queen of Heaven, and she is often depicted with wings.
Isis is the link between birth and death and can be invoked in rituals designed to celebrate existence under our banner of stars.
Juno
She watches over the daughters of the earth, and as such
attends nearly every female need and function. The Latin word
for a female soul is juno, and as the mother of all women she
can be invoked in any woman’s mystery of birth, menses,
croning, and death. Some of her aspects include a goddess
of fate, Juno Fortuna; of war, Juno Martialis; of marriage, Juno Domiduca; of bones, Juno Ossipage; of mother’s milk,
Juno Rumino. Because Juno is a special protector of brides, you can invent a Juno-centered ceremony to celebrate your own nuptials or those of a friend who espouses
women’s spirituality.
Kali
She is the Hindu goddess of the ever-cycling nature of creation and destruction. Kali can be called on to protect and defend women of any age. If you are afraid for yourself, pray aloud to Kali in her destroyer aspect, which wears a necklace of skulls that will scare off any attacker. If someone is recovering from an abusive relationship, Kali can be called on to help with healing and renewing courage and self-esteem. Kali is not to be feared, but respected and admired. One of Kali’s aspects is the Indian goddess, Vac. This incarnation of Kali is the “Mother of All Creation” who spoke the first word, OM, which gave birth to the universe. She also invented the Sanskrit alphabet.
An image of Kali in your office or cubicle will keep trouble at bay and keep you strong and active and fully in your power. Give offerings to her occasionally with your girlfriends in your life with “womanpower” rituals.
Persephone
She is the Greek goddess of the underworld. She spends half of the year, fall and winter, with her husband, Hades, in the underworld, and the other half, spring and summer, above with her mother, Demeter. Persephone is a wonderful deity to invoke once winter has ended, since her return from below marks the beginning of spring. Also, if a dear friend is moving, you can create a pomegranate ritual to ensure regular visits. Persephone is also associated with the element of earth. During equinoxes, you can design rituals with plants, flowers, trees, and fruits of the seasons and acknowledge Persephone’s transition to the other world. This goddess represents the balance between light and dark.
Selene
She is the full moon, another Greek aspect of the lunation cycle. She sheds light on the world and on all of us, inside and out. Her mythology is that as a teacher of magic and all things supernatural, she passed her special knowledge on to her students. She is also a mentor, and her light illuminates our intelligence and ability to think clearly with logic.
Shekina
She is the female deity who is “God’s glory” and the spouse of an ancient Hebrew god. Older rabbinical texts describe her as the “splendor that feeds angels.” She was the only one to get away with being angry with the Hebrew god. She is associated with Sophia and Mari-Anna. Having been redacted from all biblical texts, Shekina was veiled in obscurity until some medieval cabbalists rediscovered her. Glimmerings of Shekina show up in passages of the Talmud telling the story of the exiled Israelis wandering into the wilderness with Joseph’s bones and a second ossuary, or “bone box,” containing “the Shekina” in the form of a pair of stone tablets. Be very creative in designing rituals, altars, offerings, and ceremonies honoring this deity, since you are rebuilding a lost part of goddess history. One daring ritual could include calling a women’s circle and rewriting the tablets of wisdom. Call upon your inner Sophia and inner knowledge for guidance in this highly original approach to ritual.
Sige
This Gnostic goddess charges us to be silent. In Roman mythology she stands for the secret name of Rome, which could not be spoken aloud, and thus she is depicted as a hooded woman with a finger to her lips. Gnostic texts speak of Sige’s origins as the mother of Sophia. She is the primordial female creator: out of silence came the logos, or the word. The cult, rituals, and folklore regarding Sige were held so strictly secret that we know nothing about them now.
But, since creation comes out of silence, there is complete creative freedom for you to recreate new myths, stories, and celebrations for this obscure deity. Silent celebrations, quiet meditations, and secret spells no doubt have the approval of Sige.
Sunna
She is the ancient Germanic goddess of the sun, proof that our big star is not always deified as male. The Teutons also referred to this very important divine entity as “Glory of Elves.” In the great Northern European saga, the Poetic Edda, Sunna was said to have a daughter who sheds light on a brand-new world. Other sun goddesses include the Arabian Attar, the Japanese Amarterasu, and the British Sulis, “the sun’s eye."
Venus
The Roman goddess of love, Venus is associated with ultimate femininity, ultimate sexuality, ultimate fertility, and all that is beautiful. The word veneration means to worship Venus, and she should be venerated in all the love spells of your own design as well as celebrations and circles taking place on her day—Friday. The lore and mythology of Venus is well known, as she has been imprinted on our consciousness as the beautiful naked nymph on a half shell rising out of the foamy wave of the ocean. Honor her by creating venerable dances on the beach, and write love prayers and poems inspired by the love in your own heart.
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