How the divine mother goddess herself was born. The meaning of the word mother goddess in the directory of characters and cult objects of Greek mythology

Since the discovery of the Palace of Knossos on Crete by Sir Arthur Evans at the beginning of the last century, interest in the cultural monuments of the civilization of Crete has not waned. Objects found by archaeologists in the labyrinths of the palace at Knossos confirm legends about the wealth of King Minos, the most powerful ruler of the Aegean.

Among the surviving artifacts were found fragments of magnificent furniture - tables with intricately carved legs, carved caskets, metal lamps, gold, silver and earthenware vases, statues and small figurines of gods and goddesses.

A characteristic feature of Minoan Crete was the absence of temples- this circumstance distinguished the Minoan religion from the Egyptian and Mesopotamian. The Minoans worshiped their gods in open areas, near streams, in small chapels on mountain tops, in sacred caves, in the “womb of the Earth-Mother”, sacrifices were made on altars in home sanctuaries.

Voiced by Arthur Evans " monotheistic concept" of the Minoan religion is currently shared and supported by many fairly reputable researchers. Remaining in this position, one can quite convincingly explain the striking uniformity of female deity iconography in Minoan art and unchanged repetition of the same set of cult utensils in Minoan sanctuaries of different types, for example, in palace “chapels” and in home altars.

There are many examples of replacing the sound “P” in Greek with “F”, for example: Po-pu-re-ya = po-pu-re-ja - purplei; po-pu-ro = ro-ri-ro - ‘purple (about fabrics)’, (Greek Porphyra - πορφύρα - ‘purple fabric’). Mycenaean word " po-ti-pi = po-ti-pi" in Greek it becomes “portiphi = portiphi” - ‘heifer, heifer’, (Greek portiz - Πόρτις - ‘heifer, heifer’).

Ancient Greek goddess Athena Potinha(Mycenaean a-ta-na-po-ti-ni-ja: “Atana the Lady”), Po-ti-ni-ya = po-ti-ni-ja – mistress, mistress, mistress: potnia – potnija - ‘mistress’, (Greek Potnia - πότνια - 1. ‘powerful’; 2. ‘mistress, mistress’). In Scythian language, mistress, sir, master.

Athena was depicted surrounded by snakes , she appeared in the ancient Greek pantheon of gods, thanks to borrowing from the Minoan culture from the island of Crete the same snake-footed one - goddesses, her attributes were snakes, wild animals and bull horns. In Crete, in the Knossos palace of King Minos, we find much evidence of deification bull - Taurus.

Api-Athena - Promachos. Sicily 580 BC

Matere teija = matere teija = Ματήρ Θεία = ‘mother of the gods’ in the Minoan religion she was the personification of ever-living nature, earth and fertility. The forces of nature were embodied in the image of a woman-Mother, ancestress, patroness of fertility, harvest, mistress of the entire animal and plant world, household, underworld, she was the patroness of cities and settlements.

Great Goddess The mother in Crete was also depicted as queen bee (lat. Api - apium- bee), the guardian of the entire swarm of bees, or allegorically, the entire human race.

The Great Mother Goddess in the Cretan-Mycenaean civilization was called Po-ti-ni-ya = po-ti-ni-ja – lady, mistress: potnia – potnija - ‘mistress’, (Greek Potnia - πότνια - 1. ‘powerful’; 2. ‘mistress, mistress’), and called "Pure Mother Bee" , its priests were called "Melissa" means "bee".

In ancient Greek myths, in the Homeric era, there was a hymn to Apollo in which it was reported that your gift of prophecy Apollo received from queen bee (lat. Api - apium- bee). In the Hellenistic era, the “Most Pure Mother Bee” was represented as Triads. Cretan-Mycenaean tholos (mound burials) were built in the form of a honeycomb.

Winged Scythian snake-legged goddess Api

Minoan gold pendant in the form of two bees. Crete. 4th century BC

Devi, the Divine Feminine, is known in India as the Mother Goddess. She is revered by everyone, just as any mother is revered.

Reverence for the mother is inherited by whoever is born, animal or human, and is the first pious impulse of the child. It seems that the first man, pondering the idea of ​​the invisible Divinity, looked into the face of the woman who bore him, the protective, caring and loving mother, and discovered in her the ultimate "Divinity" and the manifested form of the invisible Divinity. Devi, the Goddess, was thus transformed as a mother and has been the Mother Goddess for many centuries.

Mother Goddess is the supreme deity in India. The Mariads are her shrines, and her benefits are endless. The age-old traditions of Her veneration have woven countless myths around Her, and the devoted mind has gathered in Her an ocean of mercy. Whether She is furious or angry, She is always the same protective, caring, loving Mother with a kind-hearted expression and a blessing hand.

Perhaps the impulse to associate Divinity with the mother was man's first spiritual experience. At some point in time, in order to more effectively perform the rites of worship required by the believer or the fearer, this mental perception was transformed into a material means. The Indians then strengthened this image when, to realize their ideas of the Supreme Deity, they elevated the Mother to Mother Earth, who blessed them with grain, water, air, fire and provided them with shelter. The terracotta figurines of the Mother Goddess, found during excavations at various places in India and Pakistan, are not only some of the earliest known images of the Divine Power, but also indicate a well-developed cult of worship of the Mother Goddess. It appears from the Goddess figurines found (dating back to 3000 BC - 100 BC) that this primitive manifestation of the Mother in terracotta idols continued to predominate almost until the very beginning of the Christian era.

These figurines, identifying their kinship with the earth by being made of clay, represented the Mother Goddess as Mother Earth. Just as significant is the iconography with her images - large breasts filled with milk, beautifully styled hair and a large number of bracelets on her wrists.

This is the iconic perception of the Being who bears, feeds, takes on all disasters and covers the born with a protective umbrella, and at the same time defines absolute aesthetic beauty with its form. As her bracelets suggest, the traditional emblem of a married woman's status is to be a wife in addition to her mother. So, in her maternal manifestation She represents, along with absolute motherhood, also absolute femininity. She is the cause and support of life, she is the inspiration and aspiration in life, and the reason to live.

Mother in the Vedas and other early texts

In his reflections the Rig Veda, which seems to have accepted the idea of ​​the Divine Feminine, follows two different lines, one mystical and the other traditional. The traditional line was the same as that which prevailed among members of the primitive Hindu community, which perceived the Divine Feminine as the Mother Goddess. The Rig Veda calls the Feminine force Mahimata (R.V.1.164.33) - a term that literally means Mother Earth. In some places Vedic literature refers to Her as Viraj - the universal Mother, Aditi - the mother of the Gods, and Ambhrini - born of the primeval ocean.

The Rig Veda takes a mystical point of view when it speaks of the Divine Feminine as Vak or Vani, which manifests the Cosmos and all existing things. In Vedic mysticism, the Cosmos and all things exist initially, but are not manifested. And Vak, or Vani, makes them manifest.

The Divine Feminine was also perceived as Ushas, ​​the luminous light of the early morning. What the darkness of the night makes unmanifested, Ushas makes manifest. In the theory of metaphysics expounded in Vedic literature, “all things exist but become manifest in Her, which is the Divine Feminine.” The Upanishads present this Vedic statement with particular clarity. In their reflections, the Upanishads define the Divine Feminine as Prakriti, the manifest nature, which is the mother aspect of Creation. The Upanishads say that She is the all-pervading cosmic energy inherent in all existing things.

The Vedas and Upanishads weave a cocoon of mysticism around Devi, but in popular tradition, as the Harivansha Purana (a religious treatise of the 4th-5th centuries) suggests, when it mentions Her as the Goddess of the jungles and hill tribes, She was still the same simple Goddess -Mother. Her connection with primitive people was emotional and relatively strong. However, also arose simultaneously with this cult of worship, and clearly inspired by the mysticism of the Upanishads, a part of metaphysics that perceived the Divine Feminine as Shakti, the cosmic energy and transcendental source and support of all beings and all created things. The Mahabharata, keeping pace with Vedic mysticism, refers to Her as the source of all things, spiritual and material. The epic poem says that all things, material and abstract, manifest and unmanifest, are only manifestations of the Divine Feminine. According to the Mahabharata, this metaphysical Being, the Mother Goddess of primitive man, is the basis, root and cause of everything. She is the eternal maintainer of Dharma, truth and happiness and the giver of salvation and prosperity, but also of sorrow, grief and pain. She removes obstacles and disturbances and frees the path of Her follower from any harm.

Devi in ​​Puranic literature

During the period after the Mahabharata until the rise of the Puranic era (around 4th-5th centuries CE), Devi is just a small quotable topic in the literature and art of the elite. The worship of Devi in ​​those days was a widespread phenomenon, although until her elevation to the status of a Puranic Deity, such worship was limited only to the remote corners of the primitive tribal world. For five thousand years there was a cult of worship of Shiva, as Mahayogi, representing the Divine Masculine, and Mahimata, Mother Earth or the Mother Goddess, representing the Divine Feminine. It was only after Devi was placed in the Brahminical pantheon that She also became an object of worship in the world of the elite. The theme of Devi, as soon as She becomes part of the Brahminical pantheon around the 5th century CE, pervades the entire body of Puranic literature, as one or another aspect of Her appears in every Puranic text. Here She not only occupies the thinking mind, but it is also the altar. She is invoked not only as the Supreme Power governing the Cosmos and ruling over all the Gods, but when the cosmic energy incarnates, She is invoked with greater force:

"Ya, Devi Sarvabhutesu Shaktirupen Samsthita, Namastasya Mamastasya Mamastasya namo namah",

What means:

"O Goddess, who is a form of energy throughout the cosmos, all our salutations are to You, again and again we salute You."

Markandeya Purana

Of all the texts, the Markandeya Purana is the most elaborate in its concept of Devi and related rituals, and is considered the most authentic document on the cult of Devi. There is an entire book known as "Devi Mahatmya" about the concept of Devi and Her worship. In Markandeya Purana She is primarily called Durga. At first glance, the Markandeya Purana appears to be a departure from the earlier manifestation of Devi as Mother Goddess or Mother Earth, but in reality it is only a continuation of the Hindu valley tradition. By and large, this is a transition from the iconic manifestation of the passive Hindu Mother Goddess to the active personified image of the Mother Goddess, who is replete with myths about Her origin and exploits, but She is still the same Divine Mother or Mother Goddess. In the Markandeya Purana, part of the "Devi Mahatmya" is narrated by the sage Markandeya to King Sutarha and the merchant Samadha (where the former lost his kingdom, the latter his business), who approach the sage to learn from him how to regain his former status. After the sage spoke about the meaning of the Divine Mother and Her unique Power, he asks them to prepare an earthly image of the Divine Mother and worship. Apparently, even in this Puranic age, She is best manifested as earth and by earthly means.

Demeter (Ceres among the Romans) is the goddess of fertility and agriculture, the daughter of Kronos and Rhea, one of the most revered Olympian deities. She was depicted as a beautiful woman with golden hair, dressed in blue robes, or (mostly in sculptures) as a venerable, imposing woman seated on a throne.
Part of Demeter's name meter means "mother". She was worshiped as a mother goddess, especially as the mother of grain and the mother of the girl Persephone.
Demeter's life began as darkly as Hera's. She was the second child of Rhea and Kronos - and the second he swallowed. Demeter became the fourth royal consort of Zeus (Jupiter), who was also her brother. The union of Zeus and Demeter produced an only child, their daughter Persephone, with whom Demeter was associated in myth and cult.
The story of Demeter and Persephone, beautifully told in Homer's Hymn to Demeter, centers around Demeter's reaction to Persephone's abduction by Demeter's brother Hades, the ruler underground kingdom.

Persephone was picking flowers with her friends in the meadow. When she picked a flower, the earth suddenly opened up in front of her and Hades appeared from its depths on horses black as night in a golden chariot. He grabbed Persephone, lifted her onto a chariot and in the blink of an eye disappeared into the bowels of the earth. Persephone struggled and screamed, calling on Zeus for help, but help did not come.
Demeter heard Persephone's cry and rushed to find her. In her frantic desire to find her child, she did not stop to eat, sleep or bathe.
Finally, Demeter met Hecate, the goddess of the dark moon and crossroads, who invited her to go together to Helios, the sun god. Helios told them that Hades kidnapped Persephone and took her to the underworld, where she became his bride against her will. In addition, he said that the abduction of Persephone was carried out by the will of Zeus. He advised Demeter to stop shedding tears and accept what had happened.
Demeter rejected this advice. Now she felt not only grief, she felt betrayed and insulted by Zeus. Having left Olympus, she turned into an old woman and wandered, unrecognized, all over the world.
Demeter grieved for her kidnapped daughter, refusing to act. As a result, the growth and birth of all living things stopped. The famine threatened to destroy the human race and thereby deprive the Olympian gods of worship and sacrifice.

Each of the Olympians came to Demeter, bringing gifts and giving honor. And the angry Demeter let everyone know that she would not set foot on Olympus and would not allow plants to grow until Persephone was returned to her.
Eventually Zeus gave in. He sent Hermes, the messenger of the gods, to Hades, ordering him to bring Persephone back. Hermes rushed to the underworld and found Hades.
Hearing that she was free and could return, Persephone was delighted and prepared to go with Hermes. But first Hades gave her a few pomegranate seeds, which she ate.
Seeing Hermes and Persephone, Demeter rushed to her daughter and embraced her. Demeter then worriedly asked if her daughter had eaten anything in the underworld. If Persephone had not eaten, she would have been returned to her forever. But since she swallowed the pomegranate seeds, she will now spend two-thirds of the year with Demeter and one-third in the underworld with Hades.
After reuniting with her daughter, Demeter returned flowering and fertility to the earth. She then established the cult of the Eleusinian Mysteries. These were awe-inspiring cultic ceremonies, and the initiates were forbidden to reveal their secret. During these mysteries, people received knowledge of how to live in joy and die without fear.

Archetype

Motherhood
Demeter represented the mother archetype on Olympus. Her most important roles were those of mother (daughter - Persephone), one who nourishes (goddess of fertility), and giver of spiritual food (Eleusinian Mysteries).
Demeter is, of course, the mother figure, principle and script. She personifies the maternal instinct, the desire to give birth to a child, the joy of becoming pregnant, the pleasure of feeding, caring for and raising children.
A woman with a strong Demeter archetype passionately desires to be a mother, and having become one, she discovers this role for herself as self-realization, as implementation myself. When Demeter represents the most powerful archetype in a woman's soul, being a mother is the most important role and function of her life. The image of mother and child, most often represented in Western art Madonna and Child corresponds to the deep inner idea that drives a woman.[ 1 ]
The mother archetype encourages a woman to nurture and nourish others, to be generous and generous, and to find satisfaction as the family's breadwinner, caring for the family and home.
It is also about providing physical, psychological or spiritual food to other people, not even necessarily relatives. If Demeter is the most powerful goddess in a woman’s soul, then being a mother, “nanny” or “nurse” becomes the meaning of her life.

Feeding others gives the Demeter woman extraordinary satisfaction. She finds it very enjoyable to nurse her children and enjoys serving hearty meals to family or guests. If they enjoy her food, she, like a good mother (and not like Athena the gourmet cook), is warmed by warm feelings. If she works in an office, she enjoys making coffee for others.

Spiritual Parenting
Unlike Athena, who trained great strategists and generals, Demeter trained agricultural kings and raised cultural heroes. She also gave people the Eleusinian mysteries. All free people who did not shed human blood could participate in them.
Many famous women- religious mentors - had the properties of Demeter and were perceived by their followers as a maternal image. Such were, for example, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mother Teresa and the spiritual mentor of the Aurobindo Ashram in India, whom they addressed simply as “Mother.”[ 1 ]

Generosity
Demeter was the most generous goddess of the ancient Greeks. This “joy of giving” can be found in many women. Some quite naturally feed, groom and nurture other people on a physical level, others provide emotional and psychological support, and still others provide people with some kind of spiritual nourishment. In this they share the ideal maternal scenario. First, the mother takes care of the baby’s physiological needs: she feeds, drinks, dresses and puts on shoes. She supports the grown-up child on an emotional and psychological level: she can give practical advice, reassure and reassure, praise and guide. And adult children value the spiritual wisdom of their mother, which they can always rely on in difficult times. This ideal is difficult to achieve in real life. But from time to time we meet women on our way who play the role of Demeter for us in one particular case or another. Or we carry out such a mission ourselves.

Family priority
For a woman who is “ruled” by Demeter, family is more important than home. Home for her is, first of all, “a place where the family gathers.” In this she differs from women who follow the path of the goddess of the hearth - Hestia. The peaceful fire of Hestia can burn regardless of the number of family members and their immediate needs for care and guardianship. For Demeter, the family itself is more important, and space is never a hindrance. So mothers easily come to a city on the other side of the country (or even the Earth) and feel at home if their children are there. Without a family, life has no meaning for her. However, grandchildren or wards can replace natural children.

Maternal strength
Tradition assigns the mother the role of guardian of the moral law that determines the unity of the family team: “The whole world in the family comes from the mother.” The mother had the main responsibility for the moral qualities and destinies of the children, which is even more evident today. The mother often appears as the personification of the Law, the violation of which leads to terrible, irreparable consequences. Sometimes mothers themselves feel like this, trying to instill this feeling in their children.
An important component of the “motherhood” complex is blocking aggression, violence, and conflict behavior. Traditionally in Rus', a mother’s aggressiveness was considered dangerous for her children even in the womb, as well as after birth. The responsibilities of the mother of the family included, first of all, blocking violent forms of behavior.

However, the mother's task is to protect and protect her children. When it comes to danger for them (even imaginary), the mother herself becomes a threat to others and at the same time does not shy away from verbal or even physical aggression. The maternal role for such a woman will become an “archetypal shield” with which she will hide both from the judgments of those around her and from herself. And then any arguments against, doubts and reproaches of conscience will be discarded.
Women like Demeter become invincible when it comes to the well-being of their children. Many special education classes for children with disabilities exist only because of the desire of Demeter mothers to give their children everything they need. Perseverance, patience, perseverance are the properties of Demeter, which can ultimately influence a powerful man or social institution.

Depression, anger and destructiveness
We remember part of the myth of the abduction of Kore, when mother Demeter sat in her temple and refused to support life on earth. This led to famine and the gradual death of all living things. Real women can fall into a similar state, plunging into severe depression and not even emerging from their melancholy for years. This is a terrible time for their family, and the children are going through it very hard. As a result, the child's childhood may be colored by the feeling that his mother does not accept him, and this turns into distrust of the world as a whole. Such a mother is called a “dead mother.” Physically she is present in the family, but in her soul she is too far from it and is not able to give her child a feeling of love and support.

Far more common than these extreme forms of refusal is the refusal of the Demeter mother to acknowledge and approve of the increasingly less dependent from them. Although maternal depression is not as obvious in these circumstances, withholding approval (which the child needs for self-esteem) is also associated with depression. She experiences her child's growing independence as an emotional loss. She feels less needed, rejected, and as a result may become depressed.
When the Demeter archetype has significant power and a woman is unable to exercise it, she risks falling into chronic depression caused by “feelings of empty nest and emptiness.” A woman who longs to have a child may become infertile, the child may die or leave the home. Her job as a nanny may end, or she may lose her clients or students. In this case, the Demeter woman tends to sink into depression rather than feel anger or actively fight for what is meaningful to her (a common reaction of the Hera woman). She grieves, feeling that life is empty and meaningless.

Demeter Woman

The Demeter woman is first and foremost a mother. In her close relationships, she feeds, educates and supports, helps and gives. She provides others with what she sees them need - chicken soup, an appreciative hug, money, helping a friend overcome difficulties, constantly inviting her to "come home like a mother."
The aura of Mother Earth is often felt around the Demeter woman. It is solid and reliable. People describe her as having "ground under her feet"; she does what needs to be done with warmth and practicality. She is usually generous, outward-looking, altruistic, and devoted to people and principles, to the point that she may be perceived as stubborn and unyielding. She has strong opinions and is difficult to budge when something important or someone important to her is involved.

Childhood and parents
Some little girls look like developing Demeters - "little mothers" cradling baby dolls. Little Demeter also enjoys holding real babies; at nine or ten she may be eager to nurse her siblings.
The goddess Demeter continues the lineage of fertility goddesses, like her mother and grandmother. She was the daughter of Rhea and the granddaughter of Gaia - goddesses of the earth. She also has other correspondences with her mother and grandmother. All three goddesses suffered from harm caused by their husbands to their children. Gaia's husband imprisoned her children in her body when they were born. Rhea's husband swallowed her newborn children. And Demeter’s husband allowed their daughter to be captured in the underworld. All three biological fathers showed a lack of parental feelings.

Real life corresponds to the myth of Demeter in cases where women-mothers marry men who lack parental feelings. In this situation, the Demeter daughter grows up, not connected with her father, but closely associating herself with her mother. The maternal qualities of a Demeter daughter may result in her reversing roles with her immature or inept parents. When she is old enough, she may look after her parents or become a caretaker for her younger siblings.
In contrast, if young Demeter has a loving and approving father, she will grow up feeling his support for her desire to be a good mother herself. She perceives men positively and her expectations towards her husband will be positive. The archetype's tendency to be a victim will not be reinforced by childhood experiences.

Adolescence and youth
During puberty, the archetypal maternal urge receives hormonal support and own child becomes a biological possibility. At this time, some Demeter girls begin to experience desire get pregnant. If other aspects of her life are not filled, then the young "Demeter" who becomes sexually involved and becomes pregnant may joyfully accept the child.
Many "Demeters" marry early. In working class families, a girl is often encouraged to get married immediately after leaving school. This encouragement may correspond to the Demeter girl's own inclination to have a family rather than an education or a job.

If a young Demeter woman does not get married and start a family, she will go to work or go to college. In college, she will likely take courses that will prepare her for a career in helping others. As a rule, the Demeter woman is not ambitious, not inclined to intellectual work, and does not strive for excellent grades, although she can do well in her studies if she has the ability and interest in the disciplines taught. The status that is so important for the Hera woman is not significant for Demeter. She often chooses friends without caring at all about their role in society.

Job
The maternal nature of the Demeter woman predisposes her to choose activities related to nurturing or helping. She is drawn to “traditionally female” professions such as teacher, educator, and medical worker. When the Demeter archetype is present, helping others grow or feel good becomes a core motivator and brings satisfaction. Women who become therapists, psychotherapists, and pediatricians often reflect a certain Demeter inclination in their choices. Many women who work in kindergartens, nurseries, primary schools, and orphanages also bring their inclinations to work.
Some Demeter women become key figures in organizations that feed off their maternal energy. Typically, in such a situation, the Demeter woman makes a great impression on others. She can imagine and then found an organization and personally lead it to rapid success.

Relationships with women: friendship or rivalry
Demeter women do not compete with other women for men or achievements. Envy or jealousy of other women concerns children. A childless Demeter woman feels inferior to women of her age who have become mothers. If she is infertile, she may feel bitter and bitter at the ease with which others get pregnant, especially if they have abortions. In later life, if her grown children live far away or are emotionally distant, she will be jealous of the mother who sees the children often. At this stage of life, jealousy can also surface due to grandchildren.

Demeter women have mixed feelings about the women's movement. Many Demeter women are angry with feminists because they devalue the role of motherhood. On the other hand, Demeter women strongly support many women's initiatives, such as protecting children from violence, providing shelters for abused women.
Demeter women usually form strong friendships with other Demeter women. Many of these friendships began when they were new mothers together. Sometimes they rely more on their girlfriends than on their husbands, both for emotional support and real help.
Within families where all women are Demeter, mothers and daughters can remain close from generation to generation. Such families have a pronounced matriarchal structure.

Relationships with men:
The Demeter woman attracts men who feel attracted to maternal women. Among them there may be a typical “mama's boy”, whom Demeter will appreciate for his individuality and misunderstanding by others, she will sincerely admire and care for him, and he will devotedly love her, as children love their mothers. Demeter’s partner can also be a man who, as a child, dreamed of marrying his own mother, and now has found in his Demeter wife someone who will be caring, warm, responsive, monitor his diet, buy him clothes and keep them in order, refer him to a doctor, when he needs it, arrange his social life. But Demeter can also connect her life with a sociophage - a person incapable of love, devotion and remorse, capable only of consuming and exhausting (both moral and material) a loved one.

Of all the men who are attracted to Demeter's qualities, only the mature and generous man is the "family type man." Such a man has a strong desire to have a family, and he sees in the Demeter woman a partner who shares his dream. This type of man is a "good daddy" to his children, but he also looks out for her. If she finds it difficult to refuse people seeking to benefit from her beautiful Demeter nature, he will help her be on her guard. A family-type man helps her realize herself through the birth of children. For the first three types of men, the idea of ​​having a child is threatening, and they may insist on an abortion if she becomes pregnant. This demand will lead her to a maternal crisis: she will either abandon the man for whom she played the role of mother, or she will abandon motherhood. This choice will make her feel like a mother who must make the impossible choice of sacrificing one of her children.

There is an opinion that a Demeter woman is interested in sex only as an opportunity, a way to have a child. And that many Demeter women have their own little secret - they get much more pleasure from breastfeeding a baby than from sex with a man.
I said earlier that I do not consider sensuality to be the prerogative of the Aphrodite archetype. In my opinion, sensuality is a feature of a woman’s physics. She can certainly be awakened in herself in the most obvious way - through the awakening of Aphrodite with the help of various feminine things - self-care, lace lingerie, perfume, behavior that awakens in men the desire to help and take care. That being said, I believe that EVERY woman has her own unique form of sensuality. In Demeter it is earthy, unadorned, “animal” and deep.

In ancient cults, in order for the earth to bear fruit, a husband and wife at a certain time made love on freshly plowed land, conceiving a child at that moment and thereby performing a ritual of agricultural magic. This action seems to me to be the personification of the Demeter archetype, while it is certainly sensual and charged with enormous sexual, life-creative energy.
Today it is customary to separate the process of conceiving a child and his birth, when the first is seen as deeply attractive, while the second, although joyful, is painful. Now I don’t want to raise a wave of discussion about whether the process of childbirth can be enjoyable, be something more than an injury that you want to quickly forget, and why silicone breasts are an object of desire, and breastfeeding breasts are indecent. I only mean that people have long known that birth is a process no less sensual than the one that precedes it. And each of us, regardless of the archetype, has our own sensual energy seething.

Children
The Demeter woman feels a deep need to be a biological mother. She wants to give birth and raise her own child. She is capable of being a loving foster mother, an attentive teacher, but if she cannot have children, her deep passionate desire is not fulfilled, and she may feel failed.
All Demeter women perceive themselves as good mothers who have the interests of their children in the foreground. However, from the point of view of their impact on children, Demeter women can be both impeccable, loving and terrible possessive, suppressive mothers.

Some Demeter mothers are always afraid that something bad might happen to their child. Therefore, they limit their children's independence and prevent them from forming close relationships with others. Due to the intention of always protecting her child, the Demeter mother can establish excessive control over him.
Another negative model of maternal behavior in Demeter women is a mother who cannot say “no” to her children. She sees herself as selfless, generous, a providing mother, a giver and a giver. This Demeter mother wants her children to have everything they want. If it is far beyond what she can give them, she will either make sacrifices to provide what she wants or feel constantly guilty.

Average age
Middle age is an important time for Demeter women. If such a woman does not have a child, she is constantly preoccupied with thoughts that biological time is running out for the possibility of becoming pregnant. If there are problems with conception or pregnancy, they visit fertility specialists. They may be considering adoption. And unmarried women intend to become single mothers.

In middle age, a woman - the founding mother of an organization - may face a crisis situation when the organization becomes so strong and wealthy that someone wants to seize its position and power.
However, the Demeter woman is able to rethink her life, realizing that even a late child will not fill the emptiness inside forever, in this case, she can take care of herself, continue her education or start a new business. But this requires strength and courage.

Old age
In old age, Demeter women often fall into one of two categories. Many find that this time is a reward for them. They are the active, active women they always have been, who have learned life's lessons and are valued by others for their worldly wisdom and generosity. Children, grandchildren, clients, students, patients - all these people, including more than one generation, love and respect such a woman. She is like the goddess Demeter - who gave her gifts to the human race and is very revered.

The opposite fate befalls the Demeter woman, who considers herself victim. Usually the source of her unhappiness is the disappointments and unfulfilled expectations of middle age. Now, identified with the deceived, grieving, angry Demeter, sitting in her temple and not allowing anything to grow, such a woman in her declining years does nothing, but the older she gets, the more bitter she becomes.

Psychological problems s
A woman who identifies with Demeter acts like a generous maternal goddess with limitless ability to give . She can't say no , if someone needs her attention and help.
The Demeter woman's excessive, excessive mothering ability may not be her best trait: she wants her child to need her and worries when he is not under her control. She will be encourage addiction and keep the child "tied to your skirt." She does the same in other close relationships. For example, she may be raising a "dependent child" when she is nurturing a "poor little boy" in her lover or taking care of the " restless child " in her friend.

Demeter woman, unable to say no, becomes overworked and then exhausted and apathetic or resentful, resentful and angry. If she feels that she is being exploited, she usually does not express it directly, displaying in defending her interests the same lack of assertiveness that led her to say “yes” when she should have said “no.” Instead of expressing her anger or insisting that things change, the Demeter woman is likely to ignore her feelings or sensations as ungenerous and work even harder.
When she tries to suppress her true feelings, and they somehow come out, she begins to show passive-aggressive behavior.

When a Demeter woman loses a close relationship in which she played the role of a mother figure, not only is the relationship and loved one lost, but also her role as a mother, which gave her a sense of strength, self-worth and meaning. She is left with an empty nest and a feeling of emptiness.

The reaction of women who have dedicated their lives to their children to their leaving their mother is described by the term "empty nest depression" Demeter women can react in a similar way to the end of a love affair. The same reaction is possible for such a woman in the case when she “nurtured” some project for years, but it failed or was brought to completion by other people. Such organizational difficulties leave her feeling “robbed” and rejected.

Photo materials taken from the resource pinterest.com

Jean Shinoda Bolen "Goddesses in every woman: New psychology of women. Archetypes of goddesses" Sofia publishing house, 2007

Galina Borisovna Bednenko " Greek goddesses. Archetypes of femininity." - Series: Library of psychology and psychotherapy of the independent company “Class”, 2005
and also get acquainted with the new electronic edition of the book
Greek gods and goddesses as role archetypes: New electronic edition. - M.: Spinners, 2013
by the address http://halina.livejournal.com/1849206.html

* Reflections in italics are mine

czarstvo-diva.livejournal.com 2013

Antuquam exqirite Matrem -
Look for the ancient mother
Virgil

The very first, most ancient religion on earth was the religion of the GREAT MOTHER GODDESS. The irony of fate is that the emergence of the first written evidence of human life coincides with the patriarchal revolution of the Bronze Age, and therefore it seems that throughout all the millennia of the existence of civilization on earth, only men ruled the world, placing male deities above all else. But that's not true.

Stone Age people held lavish thanksgiving celebrations in honor of female deities, who were revered as the ancestors and patronesses of the human race. Since the first deities were female goddesses, then female priestesses served them. That's how it should have been. The great goddesses and their priestesses were the living embodiment of the unity of body, mind and spirit. Women priestesses symbolized the Great Mother Goddess, who gives life to all things. The woman was divine because only a woman gives birth to children.

The glorification of the Great Mother Goddess consisted of singing sacred hymns. The priestesses possessed ancient knowledge and wisely used this knowledge, which was given to them by the heavenly Mother.

Over time, the Great Mother had a divine Spouse. And when did they arise male gods, male priests also appeared. But at the most important moments of religious ceremonies, male priests were obliged to wear women’s clothing, since only her earthly daughters had the right to approach the shrines of the Great Mother Goddess. As if temporarily turning into a Woman, the male priests thereby recognized the exclusivity of the female sex in close communication with the Great Mother.

J. Marciro notes that in a patriarchal society, the custom of wearing long clothes at especially solemn moments is still observed by priests of world religions, lawyers (during court hearings), and scientists. This custom is undoubtedly rooted in ancient religion, where women who performed the duties of priestesses and judges, who were the intellectual elite of society, wore long clothes, unlike men, who in the warm season were limited to just loincloths.

The Great Mother Goddess was considered immortal, unchanging and omnipotent. Neanderthals buried their dead by painting their bodies with red ochre, the earliest expression of belief in the Great Mother. This was a symbol of the fact that the dead are returning to the bosom of the Earth. Therefore, they were painted the color of blood - the Mother’s blood.

In all primitive cultures, the creation of man is associated with Mother Earth. The Aztecs depicted the earth in the form of a woman with a wide breast, the Peruvians called her Mama allpa - Good Mother, the source of all blessings. In Algonquin dialects, the word for earth has the same root as mother. Likewise, among the Naguas of Mexico, the earth is called Tonan - Our Mother, and also the Flower that contains all other flowers and is the source of everything.

Mother Goddess worship and matriarchal societies persisted longest on the European continent, particularly among the Celts. Celtic tribes jealously guarded ancient religion. The Roman historian Tacitus noted: “All [Celtic] tribes, without exception, worship the Mother of the Gods and believe that She intervenes in human affairs and visits the peoples whom she patronizes... This is a time of joy, and joy reigns where She appears. At this time they do not fight and do not even carry weapons; all weapons are under lock and key; this is a time of peace and tranquility, and it lasts until the Goddess retires to Her refuge, located on an island in the middle of the ocean, in a grove of sacred oaks.”

The Druids - Celtic priests and priestesses - especially revered the oak because it was the sacred tree of the Goddess Dana. The Celts who settled Britain were called "Tuatha De Dannan", that is, "the people of the Goddess Dana." Dana was the Northern European equivalent of the goddess Diana, who also lived in a grove of sacred oaks. In Celtic society, women were diviners, healers, and performed work similar to that of today's doctors, judges, and lawyers. Celtic girls were trained in academies of sorts, where teachers, as a rule, were female mothers. At tribal councils, women had the final say, and it was often they who led the army into battle. In essence, the training of male warriors included lessons from famous female warriors of their time who earned their authority on the battlefield. Julius Caesar believed that the decisions to retreat or advance among the Celts were made by matrons.

Celtic women taught not only magic and sacred sciences, but also the art of war. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus wrote: “A whole army of enemies could not cope with one Gaul [Celt] if he called for help his blue-eyed Wife, who, as a rule, has enormous strength.” The legendary Irish hero Cu Chulann (Cuchulainn) studied martial arts from the warrior goddess Scathach for one year and one day. Some legends tell how the famous wizard and famous warrior Merlin learned his art from the goddess who came to him in the guise of the Lady of the Lake, or Vivian (“She Who Lives”).

Jehovah, according to early traditions, had a wife, SHEKINAH, and a family. Having lost objectivity, we have lost real story and knowledge. According to the medieval Jewish teaching of Kabbalah, the male deity greatly yearns for his wife, knowing that only through their merging will there be balance and harmony on earth.

ADITI - Intercessor Goddess, revered in ancient Indian mythology as the Mother of all gods. Its meanings: limitlessness, Universe, Eternity.

DEVI, MAHADEVI - the many-faced Mother Goddess, champion of culture, symbol of Women's realization and material well-being.

SHAKTI - revered in ancient india like the Great Mother. Its history dates back to the Neolithic era. During excavations of the settlements of Harappa and Monhenjo-Daro, many clay figurines of women were found, symbolizing the feminine principle in nature. The female goddess had many names, as she was worshiped by a variety of tribes. “The cult of the Great Mother, Mother Earth,” noted Norman Brown, “is widespread to this day among the non-Aryan population of India. The cult of amma, or mother, forms the basis of religious practice in rural communities.”

In tantric traditions, Shakti is revered as Primordial Goddess, The primordial force (adya-shakti) from which all things came into being. It has many names, aspects and forms. The description of Shakti as the Primordial Entity is contained in the Devi Mahatmyam (The Greatness of the Goddess). In a dialogue with the king, the sage (rishi) reveals knowledge about the great Shakti. He says: “She creates everything in this universe, both moving and immobile. If She is favorable, then for people She becomes the Giver of gifts and final liberation. She is the highest knowledge. Cause of final liberation, Eternal; she is also the cause and path of reincarnation. She is Supreme over all gods."

In all these aspects, Shakti is the consort or divine force, inseparable from Shiva (as the highest Absolute). As Shakti, Shiva's consort is the personification of the feminine principle. Therefore, She is often called simply Amba, Amma or Ma, which is different languages means Mother.

“If Shiva is with Shakti, then he can create, but if not, then he is not even able to move” - these are the opening lines of “Saundaryalahari” (“Wave of Beauty”), a hymn attributed to the philosopher Shankara and composed in southern India between 800 and 1400 G.

LAKSHMI is also known by the names Kamila (“Lotus Bringer”), Lokamata (“Mother of the World”) and Indira (“Beautiful, Powerful”). In her cosmogonic form, the goddess Lakshmi is the guarantee of global well-being. In ancient Indian images, she sits obediently at the feet of Vishnu, who rests on the divine snake Shesha, symbolizing infinity. Vishnu and Lakshmi personify the basic principles and elements of existence.

In some myths, Lakshmi appears as Saraswati, the wife of the father god Brahma, the Goddess of knowledge, learning and eloquence. She was also revered as a great healer who healed the god Indra himself. As the wife of Brahma, Saraswati is called Brahmi, and her cosmic role is to establish harmony and beauty in the world, which Brahma creates after the next cosmogonic period. SARASVATI - Goddess of knowledge and learning, patroness of the arts, inventor of Sanskrit. She is depicted as a very beautiful woman with two or four arms, in one hand she holds a book made of palm leaves, a symbol of learning. This means that any beautiful poem or genuine discovery that brings people closer to the truth was known to her initially and it was she who sent down inspiration to the human creator (just as she inspires the creator Brahma).

In more ancient times, goddesses played a more significant role than later, when they became only a complement to male deities, accomplices of their power. In the inscriptions of the Sumerian king Gudea, Mother Earth (BA'U), the wife of Ninirsu, is especially glorified. The New Year holiday dedicated to her apparently has the meaning of celebrating their marriage, according to which wedding gifts are brought to the goddess on this day.

The symbol of the Goddess BILIT was the planet Venus. In Sumerian inscriptions she is called the queen and mother of the gods, the goddess of fertility.

Mesopotamian goddesses are representatives of the life-giving force of nature, the maternal principle, and were opposed to heavenly male deities as goddesses of the earth. In Akkadian mythology, Ishtar most clearly shows the functions of the goddess - the creator of life, an assistant during childbirth.

ISHTAR invariably retained the significance of the queen of heaven, the mistress of the earth, the producer of all earthly fertility and the mother of all creations. Ishtar has always had her own independent cult. Available evidence points to an exclusive cult of Ishtar in ancient Uruk, where she bore the name Nana or Nanaya. She was revered here as the goddess of the evening star and as such was called the heavenly mistress. Her temple was called the House of Heaven. The Babylonian myth tells that the appearance of Ishtar happened miraculously: she fluttered out of an egg in the form of a dove.

In the Sumerian flood story, the Goddess Ishtar comes to the supreme God responsible for the flood, accusing him of injustice and even crime. In her opinion, God did not have the right to exterminate all of humanity if innocent, pious people also died along with the sinners. Ishtar ends his speech with a wonderful phrase: “Every sinner is responsible for his own sins.”

Ishtar was considered the mother of celestial beings and earthly creatures. One Babylonian hymn praises her as the giver of heavenly light, rising above the earth and descending to the earth, fertilizing it. She commands the boundaries of heaven and earth. In the story about global flood she is presented as the Mother of all people, who, in endless grief over the death of humanity, screams like a woman in labor and seeks to take away from the supreme god Bel the right to participate in the sacrifice of the saved.

Ishtar is the great and perfect light that illuminates the heavens and earth; this is the meaning given to her images on Babylonian seals and cylinders. Her most common epithets are: “mistress of the gods”, “queen of kings”, as well as “fierce lioness”, “Ishtar the warrior”. In iconography, Ishtar was sometimes depicted with arrows behind her back.

The Assyrians, who created in the 7th century BC. e. the first world empire, Ishtar was revered in one of the capitals of ancient Assyria - in Nineveh. On the Nineveh bas-reliefs she is depicted as the mistress of the gods, has a stern, courageous appearance, and appears at the head of an army going on a campaign. In one bas-relief she is depicted sitting on a leopard, holding a quiver filled with arrows and a bow in her hands; on her head she has a special crown in the form of a fortress tower with battlements, and a star shines above her head. The Sun, Moon and Venus are often found together as emblems, differing in size from the seven stars depicted nearby.

Among the ancient Hittites, Ishtar enjoyed the greatest honor. A Hittite inscription has been preserved in which Queen Puduhepa addresses Ishtar as follows: “Solar goddess of the city of Arinna, my lady, mistress of the land of Hatti, queen of Heaven and Earth! Solar goddess of the city of Arinya, my lady, have mercy on me, hear me! People say: "The Deity grants a woman's wish when she is in labor pain." And I, Puduhepa, a woman, am suffering during childbirth, and I dedicated myself to your son, so have mercy on me, Sun Goddess of the city of Arinna, my lady! Do what I ask! Give life to Hattusilis, your servant! May the Goddesses of Fate and the Mother Goddess grant him long days and years. You, a high deity, are higher than others among the gods, and all the gods listen to you, and no one will turn to you unrequitedly. In the assembly of the gods, ask them for the life of Hattusilisa!”

The Goddess Ishtar was also well known to the Semitic tribes who settled between the Euphrates River and the Mediterranean Sea. Religious views the Syrians, Phoenicians, Canaanites and Philistines had much in common with each other. The Semites called the goddess Ishtar Astarte, as well as Atargatis (Greek: Derketo).

In ancient Ugarit, the first place among the goddesses was occupied by ASIROT, the wife of the supreme god Ilu. But she clearly fades into the background in front of ANAT - an incomparably brighter and more active goddess, endowed not only with beauty, but also with strength and courage. She is faithful in love and friendship, but merciless towards her enemies. Not only people, but also gods fear her wrath. One Ugaritic legend tells that Anat appeared to the supreme god Il and asked him to build a palace. Ilu refused her, and then Anat threatened the supreme god that she would pour blood on his head and gray beard. Ilu was afraid (or pretended to be afraid) and yielded to the goddess. This legend shows that in ancient Ugarit women enjoyed considerable rights.

In addition to Anat, ASTARTA (Ishtar), the personification of the planet Venus, the Goddess of love and fertility, as well as a warrior goddess, was revered in Ugarit. She was not as impetuous and passionate as Anat. She was distinguished by a calm, balanced character, even feelings, although equally strong. Astarte plays important role in the struggle of the gods with Yammu. In the Ugaritic myth, she is the messenger of the gods to Yamm, she turns to Bal with a request not to kill Yamm's messengers; She also reproaches Bala for killing Yammu. There are known images of Astarte in the form of a naked horsewoman shooting from a bow. Perhaps these ancient images influenced the Greeks' ideas about female warriors, the Amazons.

Astarte was revered by the biblical king Solomon. “And Solomon began to serve Astartha, the deity of Sidon,” we read in the 3rd book of Kings (11:5). Solomon dedicated to Ashtoreth the high places in front of Jerusalem, to the right of the Mount of Olives (2 Kings 23:13). It is also reported about the Jews that they “set up statues and images of Ashtoreth on every high hill and under every tall tree” (2 Kings 17:10). Later, Astarte and Anat were identified with the moon goddess TAANIT - first the virgin goddess, and then the mother goddess. In the main, Taanit resembles the Greek Gaia: she also crystallized from endless Chaos (that is, emptiness) and herself, without the participation of a man, gave birth to the Universe. She began to be depicted as a winged woman with a crescent moon on her head and a dove in her hand. Another symbol was the number eight. In Carthage, Taanit was considered the main Goddess, the patroness of the city. Not far from Carthage, in the city of Afak, there are the ruins of the once majestic temple of Astarte-Taanit.

In Syria, Astarte-Ishtar was revered under the name of the Goddess ATARGATIS. The latter was revered as the Goddess of fertility and prosperity, the wife of the supreme god Balu (or Haddad). The great sanctuary of Atargatis was located in the city of Hierapolis ("holy city"). Under the name of the Syrian Goddess, she became one of the most revered goddesses of the Aramaic pantheon in Hellenistic-Roman times. Lucian of Samosata (2nd century) cites three facts that characterize Atargatis as the Goddess of water. He says that her symbols, along with the dove, were also fish and that at her festival, celebrated twice a year, water was brought to her temple; Pilgrims flocked here from all over Syria, carrying sea water in a sacred procession, which was poured here.

Atargatis is depicted seated on lions, holding the royal scepter in one hand and a spindle in the other; on her head rests a crown in the form of a tower, surrounded by the sun's rays. The goddess is surrounded by a magnificent belt (which in Western religions adorns only Venus), which brings happiness and illuminates the earth with its brilliance. The golden dove on her head is the sacred symbol of Astarte. This image was taken out of the temple in a solemn procession twice a year. S. Reinak noted that ancient symbols Atargatis - fish and dove - later became symbols of Jesus Christ. The priesthood of Atargatis was performed by men dressed as women, which was supposed to signify the desire to identify themselves with the goddess. This identification was one of the main goals in primitive cults.

As the Moon Goddess, Astarte sent moisture from the heavens and at the same time bestowed fertility on the earth. Among all Semitic tribes, Ishtar-Astarte-Atar-gatis was considered the Goddess of love, the productive force of nature and fertility. Some images of Astarte bear the features of the Mother Goddess, which is why the dove is dedicated to her. Already in ancient times she was revered as the Great Mother. The cult of the Phoenician Astarte penetrated from Cyprus through the islands of the Mediterranean Sea to Greece, Sicily, and Southern Italy and merged with the Greek cult of Aphrodite.

Nidaba (Sumerian) - Mother Goddess, revered in Erich, “She who teaches her will.” Also called the heavenly Scribe and Inventor of clay tablets and the art of writing.

THE MOTHER GODDESS was the main deity of Minoan Crete. This was the Goddess of Fertility. She commanded not only the plant world, but also all of nature and all the inhabitants of this world. In Cretan frescoes, the Mother Goddess was depicted at the top of the mountain, while the king, who although of divine origin, was depicted below, at the foot of this mountain. He was often depicted prostrate on the ground. Unlike the Cretan male deities, the Mother Goddess (fertility goddess) did not require human sacrifices. They sacrificed snakes and doves to her, symbols of wisdom and femininity.

DEMETER (Greek) - Goddess of fertility in Hellas, one of the most revered reincarnations of the ancient Mother of the world (meter - Mother). She was revered as the focus of justice and the Lawgiver, and was also revered as Mother Earth.

GAIA - the ancient Greek poet Hesiod wrote in Theogony, a poem about the creation of the world:

First of all, Chaos was born in the universe, and then Broad-breasted Gaia, a safe haven for everyone... ...Gaia, first of all, gave birth to herself equal in breadth starry sky, Uranus, so that it would definitely cover it everywhere And so that it would serve as a strong dwelling for the all-blessed gods.

Mother Earth (GAIA) seemed to the ancient Greeks to be the only reliable support in the Universe, giving birth to life in all its manifestations and at the same time preserving the eternal wisdom of nature. She gave the right advice to Rhea and Zeus. Gaia was considered the ancestor of all gods, giants and titans. The most interesting for us is the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthe connection of Gaia-Earth with the dictates of fate, as well as the idea of ​​​​her as the keeper of ancient wisdom.

HERA holds primacy among the ancient Greek goddesses. Here's how Homer sang it:

I glorify Hera of gold, born of Rhea, the Ever-Living Queen, with the face of extraordinary beauty, the Loud-thundering Zeus, my sister and Glorious wife. All the blessed gods on the great Olympus reverently honor her on an equal basis with Kronid.

Hera was revered, first of all, as the guardian of the family hearth and the patroness of legal marriages. Already in her youth she knew how to reconcile spouses. So, she stopped the quarrels between Oceanus and Tethys. Seeing Hera, Zeus was captivated by her beauty and elevated her to the Olympian throne. She became the third and last consort of the supreme god. According to A. A. Taho-Godi, “the famous love scene of Hera and Zeus on one of the peaks of Ida (Gargar) among fragrant flowers and herbs is an undoubted analogue of the ancient Cretan-Mycenaean “sacred marriage” of Hera and Zeus, which was solemnly celebrated in the cities Greece, recalling the greatness of the matriarchal female deity."

It is difficult to say whether the cult of Hera was a manifestation of the former matriarchy, but it very clearly showed the high position of women in Greek society. In Rome, the analogue of Hera was the Goddess Juno, the wife of Jupiter and the queen of the gods, who was considered the patroness of every woman. If every man had his own personal Genius, then every woman had her own Juno.

ARTEMIS. In the 6th century BC. e. The Greeks in the Asia Minor city of Ephesus began construction of a temple in honor of the Goddess Artemis, unprecedented in beauty and scale, which eventually became one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This temple took 120 years to build, and more than once construction threatened to stop due to certain difficulties. As the legend tells, the goddess herself appeared on earth and helped the builders. The most expensive and beautiful statues, reliefs and other decorations were brought to the new temple from all over Asia Minor. The rich Lydian king Croesus sent statues of cows made of pure gold as a gift to the goddess.

The Greeks borrowed the cult of Artemis from the East and revered her as the patroness of hunting, the personification of fertility and motherhood. Sacrificial animals were sacrificed to Artemis the hunter: wild boar, deer, goat and goat. In Attica (in Bravron), the priestesses of Artemis wore bear skins in a ritual dance and were called bears. Sanctuaries of Artemis were often located near springs and swamps (the veneration of Artemis was Limnatis - “swampy”), symbolizing the fertility of the plant deity. In Sparta, Artemis-Orthia was revered, giving her epithets: “cedar tree”, “bewitching good fruits”.

In her homeland, Asia Minor, Artemis acted mainly as the Goddess of Fertility, the patroness of the plant world. In the famous Temple of Ephesus, the image of Artemis, the “many-breasted one,” was revered. In this image she is close to Cybele, the Pessinuntian Great Mother of the gods. Artemis was believed to be the patron of motherhood. Through her assistant (formerly hypostasis) Ilithyia, Artemis helped women in labor. Therefore, she was called “helper”, “savior”. In gratitude for a successful birth, women brought rich offerings to the Ephesian Temple of Artemis. Those who recovered from illnesses and those who survived a shipwreck dedicated inscriptions of gratitude to her. And in the Acts of the Apostles we read that Artemis “is revered by all Asia and the universe” (19:27). Many artisans at the Temple of Artemis made silver images of this temple, which were eagerly purchased by numerous pilgrims (19:24).

Late heroic mythology knows Artemis the Moon. It is no coincidence that in Roman mythology, where Diana corresponds to Artemis, she was considered the personification of the moon.

ATHENA (Greek) - Goddess of wisdom, knowledge, arts and crafts. Her temples were always located on hills. With the development of her cult in Athens, she becomes the Pan-Greek Goddess Patroness of Heroes. She herself is a Warrior, depicted with a spear and a helmet, as well as a breastplate called the “aegis”. It was Athena, after Prometheus created people, who endowed them with a soul.

Veia was the Etruscan Goddess of the Earth. She was called mother and nurse. IN Etruscan mythology The earth occupied a middle place between the heavenly and underground kingdoms. A long time ago, says the Etruscan legend, when there was no earth, no sky, no sea, everything was in confusion, having neither form nor image. six thousand years supreme god Tinia created the world. During the last seventh millennium, God was busy creating man, with whose creation the creation of the world ended. At first, people wandered aimlessly around the earth, without laws. Then the Goddess Veya took pity on them. She taught people to cultivate fields, plant plants and grow crops, gave them laws so that they would not take away what they grew from each other, and also divided the fields between farmers. The Goddess also determined the norms of relationships between people working in the fields. Having learned all this from the Goddess, people could not only provide themselves with food, but also donate part of the food to the heavenly gods.

The UNI dedicated temples in every Etruscan city. Around 500 BC e. The Etruscan Tefaris Velianas, who came to power in the city of Caere, rebuilt the temple of the Goddess Uni and decorated it with gold plates with inscriptions in which he expressed his gratitude to the Goddess for her benefits, not only in Etruscan, but also in Phoenician.

VENUS, like Diana, was not at first the main Roman goddess. She was the goddess of spring, gardens and flowers and shared these duties with Flora. But gradually Venus began to come to the fore, helped by the Roman belief that Venus was the mother of the Trojan hero Aeneas. The Romans associated the beginning of their history with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. Therefore, Venus began to be considered as the ancestor of the Roman people. Julius Caesar considered himself a descendant of Venus. Under him, the cult of Venus became almost the main official cult of Rome.

The Romans perceived Venus as driving force the mutual attraction of man and woman and the birth of a new life. This Goddess generously distributed her gifts and was therefore a “giving” and “connecting” Goddess. Naturally, she was present at the marriage and preserved the already concluded unions, uniting a man and a woman in the bosom of the family. When Rome was mired in debauchery and women forgot shame, the Romans erected a temple of Venus, which restored the good old morals. Venus acted as the main intermediary between the world of people and the host of gods. She was sometimes considered the progenitor not only of the Roman people, but of the entire Universe. She helped Rome win victories and was also called Venus Victorious. Its symbol was a dove. The development of the cult of Venus was greatly influenced by the cult of the Phoenician Astarte, which penetrated into Sicily and southern Italy.

The Roman religion generally absorbed a lot from Eastern beliefs and cults. In 204 BC. e., during the war with Hannibal, a black meteorite stone was brought from Pessinunt to Rome, which was considered the incarnation of the Goddess Cybele, extremely revered in Asia Minor, where she transformed from the goddess of fertility into a powerful Goddess - the Great Mother of the gods. Under the name of the Great Mother, she began to be revered in Rome. It was built in her honor magnificent temple, a priestly college and festive games were established. The Romans considered her not only the mother of the gods, but also identified her with Mother Earth. Celebrations in honor of Cybele acquired extraordinary splendor during the imperial era, when religious syncretism received special development and Cybele began to be revered as the patroness of the well-being of cities and the entire state. Ovid in the Fasti talks in detail about the establishment of the Megalesian Games in honor of Cybele. Lucretius in the poem “0 the Nature of Things” paints a picture of the procession of the Idean Mother - the protector of cities, bestowing the fruits of the earth.

ISIS - Egyptian Great Goddess. “She who gives birth to the fruits of the earth,” who gave laws to people and personified justice. Goddess of reason and knowledge. According to legend, it was She who taught people agriculture. The Romans had great respect for the Goddess Isis.

Like the Great Mother Cybele, who had her temple on the Palatine, the cult of Isis was officially recognized by the Roman Empire. Several temples were built in her honor in Rome. Noisy and magnificent processions in honor of Isis unfolded on the capital's streets. The cult of Isis was especially popular among Roman matrons. Among her fans were some emperors.

Having become the main Goddess of ancient syncretism, Isis embodied in her image mystical ideas about the life-giving power of nature, about the mysterious Queen of existence, eternally diverse in her manifestations and eternally unknowable. She was identified with Cybele, with the mysterious Syrian goddess Atargatis, with the Hellenic-Roman Aphrodite-Venus, with Hera-Juno and Demeter-Ceres. It was always trembling in human consciousness the idea of ​​the feminine principle of existence, manifesting itself in the world and in the fruitful Mother Nature. Some admirers of Isis in the 3rd century even considered her the creator and supreme ruler of the world. Along with the cult of Isis, the Romans borrowed from the Egyptians the legends surrounding her name, especially the legend about how the Goddess mourned the death of her husband Osiris and worried about the fate of her son Horus. The symbol of Isis - the widow of the mother of the divine baby Horus - then passed into Christian iconography in the form of the Mother of God and Child. In countless figurines, Isis is depicted with the young Horus suckling one of her breasts or, more mysteriously, sitting on her lap with one finger pressed to her lips in a gesture meaning “keep the secret.” The Gnostic work Hermetica details how Isis taught her little Horus the secrets of the universe and prepared him to take over the world. “My wondrous son, mighty Horus,” the Goddess addresses her son, “God gifted the Earth for a short time with your great father and the great Goddess Isis, so that they could provide the world with the help it so needed. It was they who established rites of worship on earth that corresponded to the divine powers in heaven. It was they who consecrated the temples and instituted sacrifices to the gods, and gave food and shelter to mortal man.” This is what the true Mother Goddess talked about with her divine son.

A later epithet of Isis - "Star of the Sea" - shows her origins. In this case, what was meant was not the ordinary sea, but the endless ocean above, i.e. the sky. Sirius was and is the “Star of the Sea” brightest star our sky, considered for thousands of years to be the star of Isis.

From large quantity ancient Arabian gods and goddesses, whose origin dates back to primitive antiquity and who even in the time of Muhammad enjoyed considerable honor, the names of the three daughters of Allah have come down to us: Manat, al-Lat and al-Uzza.

MANAT, or Manutu (“fate”, “fate”, “mortal fate”), in ancient Arabic mythology was the Goddess of fate and retribution, the Goddess of the underworld and the patroness of burials. Among the Arabs of the Syrian Desert, Manat was considered the daughter of Allah and al-Lat, and among the tribes of Central Arabia she was revered as the eldest daughter of Allah, the sister of al-Lat and al-Uzza. Manat, apparently, was the patroness and mistress of Yasrib (Medina); her sanctuary in this city was the center of tribal meetings. Manat figurines served as household gods. However, her veneration was not limited only to the Medina region. The name of the Goddess Manat is also found in Nabataean inscriptions.

AL-LAT (feminine form of the name Allah = Eloh, God) was mentioned by Herodotus under the name Alilat. In the pantheons of the Arabs of the Syrian Desert, she was revered as the female parallel of Allah, his wife and Mother of the gods, and in Central Arabia she was considered the daughter of Allah, the sister of Manat and al-Uzza. Some ethnic groups revered al-Lat as the Sun Goddess, but more often she appeared as the Goddess of the planet Venus and was identified with the Greek Aphrodite. Herodotus calls her and Dionysus the only gods worshiped by the Arabs. Apparently al-Lat was also the lord of clouds and lightning and associated with war; her images are known as a warrior goddess in a helmet and with a spear in right hand, and sometimes sitting on a throne among lions.

As the Mother of the gods, al-Lat was highly revered in Taif, a city neighboring Mecca. There was her shrine, which contained a white granite stone with decorations, symbolizing the Goddess. For the pilgrims who arrived here, porridge was prepared from barley flour. After the victory of Islam, this sanctuary was destroyed by order of Muhammad. But even after destroying the Taif sanctuary, Muhammad forbade hunting and cutting down trees in this territory.

AL-UZZA (“Almighty”), like Venus, gave her name to the morning star. It was known already in the 1st millennium BC. e., in particular in Sinai, in the states of Nabatean, Lihyan (under the name Khan-Uzzai). In South Arabia she was revered as the female form of the god Astara. In the 5th-6th centuries, al-Uzza took the position of one of the supreme deities of Arabia. Among the Quraysh of Mecca, she was one of the triad of goddesses revered as the daughters of Allah, and was considered the youngest of them. Its main sanctuary was located in the area of ​​an-Nakhla, east of Mecca, on the road to Iraq. It was famous for its oracle, which had an influence comparable to that of the Meccan Kaaba. Their annual holiday was dedicated to Al-Uzza, which was later included in the Muslim pilgrimage.

“She was the most revered idol among the Quraysh,” wrote the Arab historian Hisham al-Kalbi (9th century). “They came to her, brought her gifts and tried to gain her favor through sacrifice. We are told that the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad) mentioned her once. He said: I brought a red goat as a gift to al-Uzza when I followed the faith of my relatives.”

Al-Uzza had an altar called al-Ghabgab. The Quraysh said: “Our first oath is by the House of Allah (Kaaba), and if not by it, then by the sacred stones of al-Ghabgab.” Hisham al-Kalbi also reports that the priestess or even the personification of al-Uzza was a black Ethiopian woman.

According to legend, when Muhammad had already become a prophet and was advancing on Mecca, the Quraish tried to make a deal with him: they would recognize him supreme power over Mecca, and he recognizes the goddesses they worship, if not daughters of Allah, then at least as powerful celestial beings. The Arab chronicles say that Muhammad initially yielded to the Quraysh and recognized the goddesses' honorable right to intercede with Allah.

I swear by al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat, the third, another:
Truly, they are the highest cranes!
And they rely on their intercession.

Such verses were included in the Koran. Soon, however, the prophet regretted his concession in view of the strict monotheism he preached. He removed verses dedicated to the daughters of Allah from the Koran, and announced to his followers that these words were inspired in him not by Allah, but by Satan.

However, mention of these goddesses is preserved in Sura 53:19-20:

Have you seen al-Lat, and al-Uzza,
and Manat - a third, different one?

The ideologist of Arab unity, the 19th-century Syrian thinker Saty al-Husri wrote: “Judgments can change over time. And do not force your children... for they were created for other times than yours..."

GUANYIN (China) - Great Goddess among the peoples of the Far East, Goddess of mercy, having a thousand hands and a thousand eyes on her palms. First of all, She helps women and girls, but men are not forbidden to turn to Her for protection. She helps lost travelers find the right path, protects them from attacks by people and animals, promotes the birth of children and heals the sick. She is called “Compassionate” and is revered for her wisdom and ability to love. Women lay oranges and spices at her statues. She is especially revered both in China and in Japan, where Her name is pronounced KANNON; The dogmatic foundations of Her veneration are contained in the 25th chapter of the Lotus Sutra, which in Japan is considered as a separate sutra called Kannonge, and the main “temple” where She is venerated, Hasedera, is located in Kamakura.

BIXIA YUANJUN (China) - “Lady of the azure clouds”, Goddess living on Mount Taishan, from Whom children and harvests are asked. She is depicted wearing a headdress in the form of three birds with outstretched wings sitting on a red throne. The center of Her cult is located in Shandong province, where Mount Taishan is considered Her permanent residence, therefore in Chinese folklore She mainly bears the name “Mother of Mount Taishan” - Taishan nian-nian. Her cult is one of the oldest in China. There are suggestions that She is a real Girl deified in ancient times. In addition to the sanctuary on Mount Taishan, Her “temples” on Mount Hua-shan and on Mount Miaofenshan near Beijing are famous.

SI-WANG-MU (China) - literally “Mistress of the West”, Guardian Goddess of the secret of immortality, living on Mount Kunlun, among the magical gardens. She is considered one of the most ancient images of the Great Goddess in China; in Taoism, She is the embodiment of the feminine principle of yin. Mistress of paradise for immortals (xian), She keeps their lists, commands them, punishes for disobedience and rewards for good deeds. In popular prints She appears as a beautiful Woman, often with a peacock. According to ancient Chinese tradition, these images are usually given to Women upon reaching their 50th birthday. The image of this Goddess is extremely popular not only in Chinese literature, but also among many writers of Mongolia and Korea.

YAHU-ANAT, HAVA, EVE (Heb.) - “Mother of existence”, in pre-biblical Jewish legends - the Almighty Mother Goddess; her name was borrowed from Sumerian mythology. In the Biblical interpretation, she was assigned masculine characteristics and the name Yahweh (Jehovah).

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, people knew that only women could give birth, “create”, create people “in their own image and likeness”. Exalting the goddesses, people showed common sense, at least they were honest and did not deceive nature. Identifying the Woman-Mother with Mother Earth and with divine power, our ancestors had good reason to assume that the Creator was feminine. And the older the events, the more majestic the image of the Ancestress of the World. Whatever name they call it, everything suggests the Mother principle of the world, the beginning of our civilization. According to one of the existing versions, the word “civilization” comes from the name of the Phrygian Mother Goddess Cybele. In Europe, one of her incarnations is the Builder and Guardian of cities; her name in some languages ​​gave rise to such concepts as “Civilization” (Latin Civilis) and “Sibyl” (Greek Sybilla) - Priestess-Prophetess, through whom the Goddess sends her revelations to cultural society. The holiday of the Goddess Cybele as the Guardian of the hearth and the Founder of civilization was celebrated annually from April 4 to April 10.

The newest myth-makers removed the Mother Goddess from creation, placing God the Father above everything, thereby depriving humanity of the chance to live, because motherhood is life itself.

The Great Goddess, who had thousands of names, gave impetus to the development of civilization. She is unchanging and omnipotent. And only in it is the whole history of what happened and happened on Earth, and what happens next depends on it.

The main female deity in most mythologies of the world. As a rule, it correlates with the earth and more broadly with the feminine creative principle in nature. The earliest evidence of the veneration of B. m. is the Upper Paleolithic “Venus” figurines of women with ... ... Encyclopedia of Mythology

Noun, number of synonyms: 33 aditi (3) anahite (2) anahite (2) ... Synonym dictionary

Mother goddess, mother goddess... Spelling dictionary-reference book

Goddess mother- acts as the main female deity in many mythological and cultural formations. Closely connected with the birthing earth, and in a more general form with the feminine generative principle in life and nature. In the earliest forms of consciousness, this is an image of a female body... ... Man and Society: Culturology. Dictionary-reference book

A characteristic character of all Indo-European religions. In the cults of such goddesses as Ishtar, Anat, Isis, Aphrodite, Demeter, etc., aspects such as love, childbirth, and fertility were brought to the fore. The worship of B.M. was carried out in ... Sexological encyclopedia

Goddess mother- integral character of all Indo-Europeans. religions. To the east In religions, social comes to the fore. aspect (matriarchy) of her function (Ishtar, Astarte, Anat, Isis). In Greek and Rome main religions in the cult of B. c. (Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter, Gaia... Ancient world. encyclopedic Dictionary

Goddess mother- an integral character of all Indo-Europeans. religions. To the east In religions, the social aspect (matriarchy) of its function comes to the fore (Ishtar, Astarte, Anat, Isis). In Greek and Rome main religions in the cult of B.–m. (Aphrodite, Artemis, Demeter... Dictionary of Antiquity

Goddess mother- Gods/nya ma/t, Gods/ni ma/teri... Together. Apart. Hyphenated.

Cheese Earth ... Wikipedia

Mother: A mother is a woman in relation to her children (see Kinship Relationships). Goddess mother, Mother Earth, Mother of the world in mythology different nations the progenitor of all things. Our Lady Mother of the book in Islam, pre-eternal and uncreated... ... Wikipedia

Books

• World creation. Mother Goddess. Blue Ox and God of the Earth. Immortal Beloved, Barkova Alexandra Leonidovna. “Mythological universals are not a mind game for lovers of magic, but a key to our consciousness, a key to the entire culture of mankind. These are images that have been embodied in art for centuries, even...
• Creation of the world Mother Goddess God of the Earth Immortal Beloved Four lectures on mythological universals, Barkova A.. “Mythological universals are not a mind game for lovers of magic, but the key to our consciousness, the key to the entire culture of mankind. These are images that have been embodied in art for centuries , even…
• World creation. Mother Goddess. God of the Earth. Immortal Beloved. Four lectures on mythological universals, Barkova Alexandra Leonidovna. 171;Mythological universals are not a mind game for lovers of magic, but the key to our consciousness, the key to the entire culture of mankind. These are images that have been embodied in art for centuries, even...