The moon is often characterized as the major emblem of the feminine, connected with emotion, changefulness, and fluidity, in contrast to the widespread belief that the sun is a male emblem. Moon goddesses are therefore described by scholars in terms of purportedly archetypal feminine qualities, which generally carry the imprint of human women's societal expectations. Moon goddesses who are docile, reliant, and changeable, on the other hand, are uncommon in global religion.
The list of alleged "moon goddesses" is frequently deceiving.
Although numerous goddesses of the moon have been created throughout history, academic bias extends the list to include goddesses whose initial meaning was far broader than the lunar orb. Diana, the Roman goddess of the open sky, was renamed Artemis, the Greek goddess of the moon, as a result of her affiliation with Artemis.
Automatic connections of cosmic goddesses with the moon, such as Carthaginian Tanit, have erroneously confined the realm of such divinities. Juno was also known as the Lunar Goddess since her feasts were held during specific moon phases, although her domain of interest was far larger than the night.
As a result, the phrase "moon goddess" may both correctly describe a deity and also denote a goddess whose jurisdiction has been reduced to meet scholarly views.
When it is assumed that the moon always had a restricted, reflecting marriage connection with a masculine sun, academic misunderstanding might emerge.
While a female sun and a male sun can be characterized as husband and wife (Mexican Coatlicue, North American Hanwi), they may also be characterized as brother and sister (Eskimo Malina, African Mweel). Other civilizations referred to the sun and moon as sisters (see Bomong in India; Hae-Soon in Korea).
The Southeast Asian Buan, who sought to deceive the sun and was relentlessly followed by him as a result, might be considered as adversaries.
Finally, we occasionally come across tales in which the moon was once a sun who was converted into the moon or willingly decreased her light, such as Native American P'áh-hlee-oh who gave up one of her beautiful eyes so that the earth may rest.
The concept of a global link and antagonism between the sun/male/husband and the moon/female/wife is not culturally viable. Where the moon is revered as a goddess, she does not have to be passive or emotional.
Hina, a Polynesian lady, fled to the moon because she found her family to be too demanding and abandoned them as a married lady.
Many significant lunar divinities were ruthless and self-sufficient, even deadly to mankind. Artemis, the Greek archer, protected pregnant animals from hunters who could breach her laws against killing them, and she sentenced to death any male who insulted her purity or jeopardized the virginity of her Nymphs.
Coatlicue, an Aztec princess, wore a snake-skin skirt and a necklace made of human skulls to symbolize her power over death. Hecate, the goddess of magical abilities, was worshipped by wild dogs in Greek mythology.
Many civilizations have a relationship between the moon goddess and animals.
Sometimes, as with Artemis, the animals were wild, frequently herd animals in need of predator protection.
In other circumstances, the animals were friendly, as as with African Abuk, the sheep protector; these people said that the moon resembled one of Abuk's herd.
Cattle were also connected with the moon, which was shown as a beautiful white cow (Irish Bó Finne) or, on rare occasions, a bull (Greek Europa).
Many lunar creatures are prey rather than predators, and they live in groups led by a matriarch.
As a result, although being depicted as virginal, the goddess acts as a ‘‘mother" to the flocks she protects.
However, there are a variety of animal connotations, such as Chinese Ch'ang O, who was represented as a toad sitting on the moon like a lily paddy. Water is associated with several moon goddesses, particularly the ocean deities. Ancient peoples were well aware of the moon's relation to the tides of the sea. Early on, it was determined that women's monthly bleeding was linked to the moon cycle.
The African diaspora mermaid Ymoja is pictured swimming in the ocean. n. Moon goddesses are ironically linked to childbirth, with the moon represented as a cosmic midwife.
Some goddesses, like Artemis, are both virginal and linked to midwives.
The fact that the moon's form varies every month may have heightened its link to pregnancy, since the luminary gets rounder like a pregnant belly each month.
In Bali, this pregnancy is connected with abundant vegetative growth, since the goddess Dewi Shri is shown as pregnant with rice during full moon (see India).
The moon's monthly shape-shifting made it an appropriate emblem for magicians and witches who could shape-shift at will (Greek Hecate, Mexican Tlazoltéotl, Celtic Arianhro). The transformation was sometimes attributed to an attack on the deity (Mexican Coyolxauhqu).
However, the moon's changing appearance was portrayed as exemplifying the moon goddess's capacity to transform earthly chaos into order and measurement (North American Meni).
You may also want to read more about Goddess Symbolism here.