Goddesses Of The Sky

 

The earths blue atmosphere rarely appears in mythology as divine, although the sky as an image of the upper world or heavens is found in many cultures, especially those that posit a multistory universe inhabited by different beings at different levels. 

Although often gendered as masculine, the heavens also appear in female form, as with the Roman goddess Diana, originally a goddess of the open sky who was later limited to the moon, and Maori Mahora-nui-a-rangi (see Pacific Islands), a heavenly creatrix. 

Such sky divinities can be connected with boundlessness (Indian Adıtı), because the sky seems to have no beginning nor ending. 

Occasionally such goddesses represented the entire cosmos, earth and sky together (Eastern Mediterranean Tanit). 

Because of the vastness of the sky, it was sometimes depicted as dual-sexed, as with African So (see Mawu), who was considered a goddess despite having a masculine aspect. 

Although sky goddesses often have little personality and seem remote from human affections, the Egyptian sky goddess Nut was the mother to whom the dead returned and, as such, was painted across the inside lid of coffins, stretching out her starry body. 

She was also a lusty goddess who had to be forcibly separated from her lover, the earth god. 

The need to separate earth and sky, who remain otherwise in unending inter course, is a common mythic tale, although most of the sky divinities are male, the earth female. 

The skys light, especially at dawn, was often pictured as a voluptuous and promis cuous goddess (Roman Aurora, Greek Eos, Indian Usas). 

The lustful goddess is more typically pictured as the morning and evening star. 

However, the goddess as a creator of light, and as light itself, is found in many cultures. 

Some earth goddesses and divine ancestors appear as women who originally lived in the sky but descended to the earths surface, often because of love for an earthly man. 

Thus African Nambi fled her sky home, bringing the food that humanity needed to survive down with her. 

Andriambavirano of Madagascar (see Africa, Andriana) similarly became enamored of a human male, but her original descent was motivated by boredom and curiosity about the earth. 

Finally, some figures are described as living in the sky but are not otherwise specifically associated with the heavens (see African Mbokomu and Nambi; Chinese Tai-hsu¨an Nu¨; Circumpolar Kadlu.) 

~ Kiran Atma

You can learn more about Goddess Symbolism here.

Goddess Worship In Italy

The spirit and inspiration of the Divine Female permeate the whole fabric of Italy, whether it is in a quiet city square or a bustling museum. Her obelisks in Rome's Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican symbolize the site of historic lyceums, or institutions for studying Goddess mysteries. Her statues are still present at Malta's megalithic temple complexes, which are located just south of Sicily. 

You may discover sculptures, objects, and fabrics showing her from Paleolithic to modern times by entering the Louvre in Paris or museums in Turin, London, Naples, or Ankara. Amazing cave paintings from Lascaux, France, from 15,000 BCE depict her. She may also be seen in palm-sized items that are touching, like the Venus of Willendorf (25,000 BCE), which was discovered in Austria. 

In Ostia Antica, there is a temple or sacellum called Bellona that is devoted to the Italic goddess Bellona, who may have been combined with Magna Mater.

The deep beauty and spirit of the Goddess continue to inspire and be suggested by tapestries like La Dame a la Licorne, The Lady and the Unicorn, which is housed at the Cluny Museum in France. The adventurous pilgrim traveling to holy places throughout Europe will encounter all of this. 

Goddess Worship In Pompeii.

The partly discovered city of Pompeii, which was left behind when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE, offers a rare window into a history that has been frozen in time. Travelers may still read graffiti and ads on walls and floors in Pompeii, as well as enjoy mosaic tile flooring and look out for carriage wheel ruts on the stone pavement. 

One might imagine hearing and smelling the activity of long ago. In addition to stadiums, brothels, temples, and private residences, there are villas to discover. Even some of the impoverished people's bodies who perished in the volcanic explosion have been preserved for interested people to see. One of the most well-preserved buildings in this enormous metropolis is the Temple of Isis, which stands out as the ideal illustration of Isis worship as it developed outside of Egypt and into the Greco-Roman world. 

All around the Mediterranean area and Asia Minor, immigrants, sailors, warriors, merchants, and her priesthood of men and women sung Isis' praises. She mixed with the native deities in various other nations. In reality, the worship of Isis was once fiercely competitive with that of other mystery religions, including the cult of Mithras and young Christianity, due to her popularity across the known globe. 

If Western civilization might have evolved on a matriarchal foundation, Isis "may have been too tenacious a mistress to dethrone," claims R. E. Witt in Isis in the Ancient World. Some elements of Isis worship did alter as it spread outside of Egypt. 

Instead of the exotic and green-hued Osiris, Isis was now married to the Ptolemaic hybrid deity Serapis. Serapis was an Egyptian version of Osiris-Apis that was Hellenized, avoiding the animal head representations of Egypt that the Greeks and Romans misunderstood. 

They were unaware that the powers of the animals they mirrored were inherent in these deities. Harpocrates, Anubis, and Horus all traveled with Isis when she left Egypt. (In the Vatican Museum, there is an intriguing statue of a Hellenized Anubis that evokes images of Scooby Do.) 

Isis sometimes had her own temple or often shared a temple with a local goddess, although many other ancient Egyptian goddesses were becoming less popular in many nations. In certain cases, like with her sanctuary at Delos, her temple was not centrally positioned but rather was situated on the outside of the city in a zone designated for foreign deities. 

However, this was not the situation in Pompeii, a significant Roman city close to the port of Ostia, where grain from Egypt often came to feed Rome. Here, on great real land, was the Isis temple. Isis was immensely popular among the Roman aristocracy, and the city of Pompeii and many of its citizens' lives revolved around her temple. 

Processions were a ceremonial component of Isis worship in Pompeii that may have originated in Egyptian ritual. It is difficult to determine where the tradition originated since we know Mesopotamia also used ceremonial processions. 

The massive temple estates constructed in the Egyptian style, however, have vanished, even at Pompeii. Iseums, or temples to Isis on foreign country, were more humble but nevertheless followed many Egyptian customs. They were a subterranean crypt under the surface-level temple building. The crypt was used for rituals, ceremonies, and storage. 

The Nilometer was vital in Egyptian temples because it assessed the life giving water level of the Nile upon which life, fertility, and wealth relied. It was still in use in Pompeii but had been changed to become a more symbolic object. Evidence suggests that several iseums and mansions of the Isian priests, such the one belonged to Loreius Tiburtinus, were built with permanent water channels that may represent the Nile flood waters spilling. 

The usage of holy ritual pitchers and situlas, or sacred pails, may be seen in murals of processions and scenes on temple walls, even if adherents of the faith outside of Egypt progressively lost touch with the ancient meaning of Nile water. 

These probably held Nile water that was transported or utilized in rituals; this would be a more practical method to include the Nile's customary significance during Egyptian worship while distant from the real source. Even though Isis' temple was modest by the standards of a normal contemporary Christian church, it was prominently situated next to a theater, the Forum, and the temple of Asclepius and Neptune in the public square at Pompeii. The temple was located in the middle of the compound's holy quadrangle. There were a number of round columns at ground level in front of the temple. 

There were three additional round columns to the left and right before entering the pronaos, or front hall, which was a little under 98 square feet (30 sq. m) in size as one ascended the seven stairs to the temple proper. The inner chapel, or cella, which was located behind the pronaos, included two pedestals for sculptures of Isis and Serapis. 

The whole structure was covered with paintings that included images of Isis and Io, ritual practitioners, priests, floral trellises, the mummy of Osiris, Anubis, Isis wearing an ankh, Perseus rescuing Andromeda, Mars, and Venus. 

There were several altars and niches as well. The Purgatorium, where the Nile water was kept, was located on ground level only a few meters from the temple. There was a subterranean Megaron or tomb below this, perhaps used for initiations. The Isian priesthood's quarters and the initiates' gathering place were at the back of the temple. 

According to fresco paintings, men and women had equal status in the Isis priesthood. Priests were shown wielding the sistrum, or ancient rattle, and the caduceus, while the priestess was clutching a baton. Both priests and priestesses are shown carrying out religious obligations. 

A cake-carrying priestess with a snake on her head is engraved on a cup, while the priest is seen holding a censer. A other goblet depicts the priestess wielding a sistrum and situla while encircled by a snake. Hydeion, a long-spouted pitcher often used to transport water from the Nile, is being carried by the priest. Stories of other gods and goddesses did not get outside of Egypt as the worship of Isis increased. 

The story of Isis and Osiris persisted outside of Egypt, and via more widely celebrated Isian festivals, the general population was educated about Egyptian practices. One such open-to-the-public event was the Ploiaphesia, also known as the Isidis Navigium or Sailing of the Ship of Isis, which took place on March 5 every year. Although it started in Egypt, this holiday was also celebrated in cities like Pompeii. 

This signaled the start of the sailing season. Large segments of the society, including the Isis priests, took part in the ceremonial procession. Isis, the goddess of the sea, was called upon to provide the sailors and merchants safe passage over the oceans, trade with friendly nations, and return home with the supplies they needed for everyday living.

 The ceremonial ship, known as the Ship of Isis, was sent out to sea as an offering to the Goddess in Pompeii, as in other locations honoring this event, after being laden with gifts and prayers. 

At the beginning of the third century CE, Isis worship peaked. Secret rituals, regular services, and several festivals open to everybody were all part of the cult's secrets. She was revered as a goddess of knowledge who had magical abilities and understanding of the secrets of life and death. As shown by the following inscription from Capua, Una quae es omnia, dea Isis, or "Thou who, being one, art all, Goddess Isis," she came to be seen as the one Goddess by many, broadening the more original Egyptian notion of a transcendent monotheism. 

The worship of Isis in Pompeii gradually and firmly gained hold of the aristocracy until it became the city's semi-official religion, while the cult of Isis developed among the slaves and families of freed men hired by the great mansions of the affluent. In homage to Isis, Roman emperors had sculptures made of themselves dressed in Egyptian garb. Daughters of regular people and prominent government figures dedicated their life to Isis as priestesses. Rich people honored her with shrines in their gardens. We know this because Pompeii was astonishingly well preserved for more than 1,700 years after Mount Vesuvius' explosion on August 24, 79 CE. 

Modern archaeologists excavating the ruins came upon an almost flawlessly preserved window into a historical event. Numerous Goddesses and Divine Feminine temples may be found throughout the enormous metropolis of Pompeii. The Temple of Venus, Temple of Fortuna, and Villa of Mysteries have all undergone excellent restorations. Numerous bright frescoes provide a sense of the creativity and vibrancy of those early times. The bordellos are also fascinating, however there are a lot of depressing small cubicles and phallus symbols that symbolize fertility to be found there. 

How to reach Pompeii. 

The contemporary and welcoming city of Pompei lies next to the ancient city of Pompeii, which is best accessed via a guided trip. However, if one is prepared for the bother of navigating the Italian railroad system, one may also take the public train. The Pompeii-Villa dei Misteri station on the Circumvesuviana is roughly a 30-minute journey from Naples. You are dropped off outside the site's western entrance. The Circumvesuviana to Pompei-Santuario station, which is located at the eastern entrance to the sites, is another option. Daily trains and tours regularly depart from Rome for Pompei; the sight deserves a full day. The facility has a great café where you may get lunch or a refreshing beverage, and the toilets are maintained spotless. Bring a hat, sunscreen, and a guidebook. 

Goddess Worship In Rome.

 It would be hard to choose just one place to worship the goddess throughout the whole city of Rome. How are you going to stop at one? You really can't. Readers will profit from the author's passion for all the locations that are going to be highlighted since so many places scream "Goddess." As tourists discover more than ten attractions in one, prepare to get a little something extra, or lagniappe, as they say in New Orleans! 

Get on board as the bus leaves for a tour of Rome's holy places to the goddess! Starting point: Palatine Hill. The Palatine Hill, next to the Colosseum, previously housed affluent houses in ancient Rome.

The English word "palace" is sprung from the word palatine. There is a lot of history on the Palatine Hill. Roman historians claim that the Emperor Caligula was stabbed here, for example. The Sibyls' decrees that Rome would not be victorious against Hannibal until the Cybele meteorite reached the city led to the construction of the Temple of Cybele, which was consecrated here in 191 BCE. 

The Roman populace delighted in the experience of wild and bizarre celebrations in honor of Cybele when she arrived at Palatine Hill and caused Hannibal to lose. In the years that followed, Rome's conservatives condemned the wild festivals honoring both Cybele and Attis. According to certain ancient authors, the Sibylline On the hill, there were prophetic books, but they were destroyed by fire. 

The renowned playwrights Terence and Plautus debuted several of their most well-known comedies on a wooden stage set up in front of the Temple of Cybele during the yearly theatrical games. Located south of the Farnese Gardens and immediately west of the House of "Livia," this shrine to the Great Mother still has its tufa platform standing. 

The hill is also graced with the foundation of temple stones dedicated to Victory and Victoria Virgo ("Maiden Victory"). The shrine formerly had magnificent flooring made of red and white breccia rosa, pink-grey Chian marble, and black slate, as well as tall, thin Corinthian columns.

A throne in the middle, reclining people holding tympana, and cats on each corner of the triangle made up the pediment's decoration. A headless goddess who had originally been flanked by lions was one among the discoveries at the site. Under the foundation of this temple complex, a tunnel led to the historic Street of Victory. Tertullian (160–225 CE) said that the Magna Mater sanctuary was also located in the center of the renowned Circus Maximus, just below the southern brow of Palatine Hill. An enormous statue of Diana on the spina of this circus, dressed in a mural crown, riding sidesaddle, and flanked by lions, is shown on ancient coins. 

The Palatine Hill is a maze-like complex of ruins honoring several gods and goddesses. The Basilica or Aula of Isis and a Venus Temple may also be found on Palatine Hill. Simply carry a map, since the location is not well-marked and the personnel is not very helpful. 

The Roman Forum is located across the street from Palatine Hill and has several partially preserved Goddess temples, including the Temples of Venus, Vesta, and the House of the Vestals. Vesta might be thought as as Rome's divine soul or the vital feminine flame. Since 575 BCE, votive gifts have been made to Vesta, Goddess of the Hearth. The once circular building is said to be a representation of a prehistoric Latin hut where princesses of prehistoric tribes maintained the tribe's fire. 

The embers of Her temple in Troy were said to have ignited the flames of the Roman Temple of Vesta in antiquity. For one hundred years, temple vestal priestesses were responsible for maintaining the flames of Rome. The Seven Holy of Holies of Rome were safeguarded and maintained by the vestal priestesses. 

The ashes of Orestes, a needle used by the Mother of Gods, the shields of Salii, the 12 Leaping Priests of Mars, the scepter of Priam, and the veil of Ilione were among these holy relics. The Palladium, a wooden statue of Pallas Athena that was thought to have fallen from heaven and been brought to Rome from Troy, was another. 

The Romans believed that the city would suffer if the fires weren't kept going or these artifacts weren't protected. Failure to do these chores may result in flogging, exile, or even death as a punishment. 

Although the word "virgin" goddess is often used to describe an unmarried female who is autonomous and unto herself rather than a chaste condition, virginity was a literal necessity for Vestal Virgins. "Nor will it be said that under (the emperor's) leadership any priestess violated her sacred fillets, and none shall be buried alive in the ground. 

It is thus that an unchaste (Vesta) perishes because that (Earth) which she violated, in that earth she is interred; and indeed Earth and Vesta are the same deity," wrote the ancient writer Ovid of the punishment for a Vestal Virgin who lost her virginity: " Roman society's value of chastity is explained by scholar Miriam Robbins Dexter. 

Chastity was regarded as unchangeable, though they did allow for parthenogenesis, or childbirth through a mother without male involvement. It was the duty of chaste Vestal Virgins to channel their divine energy for the benefit of Rome since they were a reservoir of untapped potential, similar to a charged battery. If a woman was neither virginal nor married, Dexter writes, "she constituted an independent challenge to the patriarchal, patrilinear system. 

In Rome, like in other male-dominated communities, any woman who asserted her own sexual identity was despised and dreaded. Two still-standing temples to the Feminine Divine, the Temples of Vesta and Fortuna, can be found off the beaten path as you move from the Forum toward the Tiber River. The Goddess of Destiny, Fortuna, who is sometimes confused with Isis, is worshipped in a temple that resembles a miniature Parthenon only a few yards from the circular Temple of Vesta. These two Goddess temples in Rome are among the best preserved. 

The circular temple, which was surrounded by Corinthian columns, was only preserved because it was transformed into a church in 1132 CE and given the name "Saint Stephen of the Carriages." The basilica where nuns used to distribute food to the needy is the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, which is located across the street. 

Since the eighth century, the church has been connected to the Greek community in Rome, and the name "Cosmedin" may be a reference to the city of "Constantinople." This building formerly served as a temple for the Roman goddess Ceres, who gave us the term "cereal." Goddess enthusiasts claim that the church, which is said to have a subterranean passageway going to the Temple of Vesta across the street, emanates a noticeable "Goddess energy" that makes it seem cozy, secure, and almost like stepping inside a real Sheila-na-Gig, or womb.

The clean and basic architectural lines of this basilica suggest a mysterious, "out-of-the-way" vibe, almost as if this site was a neglected step-child of the Church, because it lacks the gold plating and crowded façade that often clutter many Christian churches in Europe. 

Large chandeliers with candle holders hang from the ceiling, and the walls are practically bare but for a few faded flower paintings. The noises and hectic energies of the city are believed to vanish as one enters this church's calm, dark, silence, and one may feel the Goddess' presence. Sacred geometry-like symbols are visible in the church's floor design, and some people also perceive the four basic elements and the spirit. An depiction of what looks to be wheat, representing the goddess Ceres, may be seen behind the main altar. 

On April 19, the day of her festival, the Cerealia, she was worshipped in Rome. The Circus Maximus, which is close to Palatine Hill, also hosted celebrations for her. Rufus and Lawson claim that it seems like a portion of the old Ceres temple is still there in the church, but hidden from view. San Nicola in Carcere, which is situated right across from Tiber Island and not far from Santa Maria in Cosmedin, is definitely worth a visit if travelers have the time. On the site of the Juno Sospita temple lies this 11th-century church (the Savior). 

On the south side of the temple from the first century BCE, seven of the original columns still stand, together with a portion of the entablature above them. The ancient pedestal, where Juno Sospita was hailed as a warrior goddess, is in superb shape. 

The Temple of Juno Regina was the most well-known sanctuary devoted to Goddess in Rome, roughly located where Santa Sabina is now (as confirmed by two dedicatory inscriptions found nearby). The antique wooden statue was transferred to this location on Aventine Hill by the Roman ruler Furius Camillus after the fall of the last Etruscan fortress of Veii in 396 BCE. 

Two sculptures of Juno Regina made of cypress wood were were erected at the temple in 207 BCE. Juno Regina is often seen next to Jupiter on coins, wielding a long scepter and patera. She typically appears as a queen with a veil, a diadem, and a peacock at her side. 

The majority of her gifts were made by women, including a bronze figure and a golden bowl in 218 BCE (in 207 BCE). Her direct affiliation with Diana, the Goddess of the Moon and Hunt, which was undoubtedly inspired by her Etruscan origins, was peculiar to Juno Regina on the Aventine hill. 

Because of this, Diana was transformed into Juno's hostess and the goddess in charge of the asylum (a role that was alien to the Latin Diana but not to the Diana/Artemis of Asia Minor). Meanwhile, Juno herself becomes a rescuer and a protector via this relationship. 

The little Santa Sabina Church was built here in 422 CE, but the majority of magnificent basilica, with its lovely white Corinthian columns along the nave, is from the ninth century. In the 13th century, the church was taken over by the Dominicans. Without seeing Santa Maria Maggiore, the magnificent church honoring Mary as the "Mother of God," no journey to Rome is complete.

Legend has it that the Virgin Mary visited Pope Liberius and told him to erect a church exactly where he saw a spot of snow the following day. It was considered a wonder when he discovered snow at the top of the Esquiline Hill the next morning (August 5th), given that Rome was now going through one of their normal scorching summers. 

Each year, thousands of white petals are released from the church's roof to "snow" on the waiting crowd as a way of remembering this occasion. These were were rose petals, but they are now often dahlia petals. Pope Sixtus III (reigned from 431-440 CE) erected a new basilica there after the church council in Ephesus in 431, during which Mary was acknowledged as bearing God (theotokos). 

This basilica dates back to the fifth century and has a triple nave. The Virgin Mary is the subject of the majority of the mosaics in the apse, which were created by Jacopo Toritti circa 1295. His obsession with natural themes—birds nesting, flowers blooming, animals crawling, and an abundance of lush vegetation—is peculiar. A medallion showing the Coronation of Mary by Christ amid a canopy of golden stars sits in the middle of this cornucopia of natural beauty. 

The Temple of Juno Lucina was located on the minor Cispian Hill, just to the north of Santa Maria Maggiore on the Esquiline Hill. At once a holy forest, the precinct ultimately acquired a temple consecrated in 375 BCE. Two old lotus trees that were in the gardens before the temple, according to Pliny the Elder, were revered there. 

The Feast of the Matronalia was observed here on March 1st. On this day, all wives were expected to receive gifts from their husbands. Although Juno Lucina was strongly linked to a birth cult, nothing more is known about her. Some even believe that Hallmark invented Mother's Day! 

The Church of Santa Maria in Aracoli, which is located on a historic location that was formerly a temple to Juno Moneta and Cybele, has several goddess emblems. On the marble floor is a bull (associated with Osiris and Adonis) crowned with a star, and three bees are depicted in stained glass high up on the church's entrance wall. 

Bees were connected to Cybele, Persephone, Demeter, and Artemis, and the number three was considered sacred. Demeter's priestesses were also referred to as melissae, or bees. During the Roman ruler Furius Camillus's battle with Aurunci in 345 BCE, he made a promise to erect the Temple of Juno Moneta in her honor. It was finally completed the following year on June 1st. In 273 BCE, a mint was erected within the temple, hence the epithet "Moneta." 

The future Roman Emperor Octavian, also known as Augustus, is said to have seen an appearance of a "beautiful lady" here who requested that he construct a shrine for her, according to Anneli Rufus and Kristan Lawson. And the rest is history, as he did. Later on, Augustus had unparalleled success and power. Even though the vision occurred prior to the birth of Jesus, the Church later asserted that the woman he saw was the Virgin Mary. 

A chapel dedicated to the Christ child is located within the church. On the altar, there are cards and letters from devoted people pleading for their requests to be granted. Goddess worshipers who enter the church believe that the Christ is Horus, the son of Isis, or a young Attis, the son of Cybele, who once had a temple here. In the late 13th century, the entire church façade was rebuilt, and in 1348, the grand steps in front of the basilica were constructed as a gesture of thanks for averting a terrible plague. 

There are 22 antique columns on each side of the nave, some of which were carved from Aswan granite. The renowned graded ramp going up to the Piazza del Campidoglio, located at the top of the old Capitoline Hill and previously dominated by a large temple devoted to Jupiter, is located just to the south of the stairs leading to the Church of Santa Maria in Aracoli. 

Two black granite crouching lions that stand up at the foot of this ramp from the sixteenth century are of great importance. The two lions were brought to Rome by the emperor Domitian (81-96 CE) to be used as decorations for the Temple of Isis on the Field of Mars. 

They were originally from Egypt and may date to the 4th or 3rd century BCE. Both the ordinary people and the aristocracy in Rome maintained a fervent devotion to the Egyptian goddess Isis. She was so admired that there was some debate as to whether the Isian faith or Christianity would become the dominant religion for a while. 

Several factors contributed to Isis' appeal. Her success was mostly due to her accessibility, but her Egyptian riddles also promised immortality beyond death. Instead of being seen as a hostile and distant masculine deity, her attributes as a strong mother and wife who had experienced adversity in her life alongside those of her devotees led her followers to think that she would empathize with them and hear their pleas. Emperor Domitian, who constructed Isis temples and shrines in and around Rome, was a significant Isis admirer. In about the location of the present-day Piazza del Collegio Romano, Domitian constructed an Iseum of Isis because he was preoccupied with his own afterlife disposition. 

Three obelisks from the Iseum Campestre, which was once as significant as Saint Peter's Basilica, may be seen at Piazza della Rotunda in front of the Pantheon, Piazza Navona, and Piazza della Minerva on top of an elephant. In the Piazza della Minerva, an obelisk on an elephant dates back to the year 6 BCE. Interestingly, a Christian cross is perched atop every obelisk, including the one in Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican. Since there is no official explanation for the placement of these crosses, some have speculated that it represents Christianity's ambition to symbolically dominate paganism. 

There is still an Iseum Campestre of Isis and a Temple of Minerva beneath the Santa Maria Sopra Minerva and Saint Ignazio churches. Ironically, this Mary-focused church still uses the name of the goddess who was once worshipped there. 

Domitian reconstructed the Temple of Isis after the fire of 80 CE, and it is said that Alexander Severus magnificently decorated it with sculptures. The Temple of Isis once stood where the Jesuit Saint Ignazio currently stands (222-235 CE). Four Corinthian columns supported a facade of stairs leading up to the main entrance, which was topped by a deep lunate pediment with a statue of Isis Sothis perched on a dog that was running to the right. 

A standing figure of Isis may be seen within the inner shrine. The Serapeum, or Temple of Serapis, her spouse, stood near by and was situated immediately beyond a wide gateway split into bays by three columns. 

The Serapeum was a distinct structure that was rectangular in design and had grand entrances along the square where the Temple of Minerva had stood. The Serapis temple's hallowed area was referred as as the libertines' hangout. A huge marble foot may be seen near the intersection of Via S. Stefano del Cacco to the right of the church if one makes a small detour along Via del Pie' di Marmo. It is believed that this sandaled foot belonged to the adjacent Iseum or Serapeum and may have even belonged to Serapis.

The Isis religion was well-established in Rome by the reign of Caligula, despite efforts to suppress it by earlier rulers including Augustus, Agrippa, and Tiberius. Although it is difficult to confirm, Tiberius is said to have taken a picture of Isis and thrown it into the Tiber River. Isis rose to become a worldwide deity revered by those who cherished their Mistress of Magic and Wisdom and were seen as their rescuer. 

Te Isis, te salus ad tuos, which translates to "Thou Isis, thou art salvation to thy followers," was written on a graffito from an Isian shrine in Rome. A sensation of Isis' scarlet chord of life linking them to the web of life and her devotion, past and present, close and distant, is reported by modern Isis devotees who travel the same winding stone alleys that ancient devotees did centuries before. 

The Vatican Museum should not be missed because of all the rumors and gossip regarding what could be kept in the vaults. Goddess artifacts are so numerous and diverse that they are almost as delicious as going to the Louvre in Paris. 

The tourist will find hundreds of sculptures of Asian, Greek, and Roman goddesses as well as paintings in the Borgia Apartments dedicated to the Goddess Isis. Particularly lovely is the Egyptian exhibit, which has one-of-a-kind statues not present in other museums. Sekhmet sculptures in a seated position may be seen in outdoor gardens and carelessly positioned in front of gift stores. 

How to Get to the Goddess Sites in Rome. 

It's simple to get about Rome. Non-tourists may use the subway, which makes stops at important landmarks and popular tourist attractions, many of which were previously mentioned. For instance, the Coliseum station makes it simple to reach Palatine Hill and the Roman Forum. 

With the right footwear and a decent map, pilgrims may easily navigate the city on foot. Keep an eye out for pickpockets. It is advised that travelers allot a whole day to the Forum, Palatine Hill, as well as the close-by Temples of Vesta, Fortuna, and the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, all of which are accessible on foot. A whole day is also easily need to see the Vatican Museum. The historic city of Ostia Antica, Tivoli Gardens, and the Villa of Hadrian are a few quick and advised day trips outside of Rome if time permits. All three have links to goddesses.

~Kiran Atma

You may also want to discover and learn more about Female Divinities of the Roman empire here.

Goddess Worship In Ireland

 

How Prevalent Was Goddess Worship In Ireland?

Ireland has a long association with Goddess and water because to the fact that it is a nation entirely surrounded by the ocean. 

Goddess' nutritious milk flows swiftly in springs, wells, lakes, and rivers, and it is no accident that civilizations first encountered her and flourished close to these water-rich areas. 

To dwell near water meant to live close to the Giver of Life, where her secrets were accessible, as shown by Brigid's holy wells in Ireland, Sequana's Seine River in France, and Persephone's Lake Pergusa in Sicily. 

The healing waters that flow from the holy locations where Goddess has manifested in her many forms are still being collected by devotees. 

Examples include Artemis' epiphanies in Ephesus and the Mother Mary's apparitions at Lourdes and Knock. 

Both Chalice Well at Glastonbury and Sulis Minerva's spring in Bath, England, flow in a tint of crimson suggestive of the Mother's holy life-giving blood. 

Many English communities still choose to honor the hallowed waters with rituals known as "well dressings" that pay homage to their ancestors' pagan traditions. 

Goddess as water is personified in some of these holy locations. 

Goddess Worship At Castle Clonegal. 

There is no museum, relic, or ruin to be found in the Temple of Isis at the 17th-century castle in Clonegal, Ireland. 

In a maze-like maze of rooms under the castle, there is a functioning temple perched over a holy well. 

The international group The Fellowship of Isis calls Clonegal Castle home, and rituals and rites are still performed there. 

Under the direction of Lady Olivia Robertson, a 90-year-old founder of the group, they revere the Goddess in all of her manifestations. 

In the middle of the 1970s, Lady Olivia, Lawrence Durdin-Robertson, and Pamela Robertson, his wife, formed the temple and organization. 

In other regions of the globe, other leaders expanding the knowledge of goddess spirituality were also becoming more visible at this time. 

Even when it was unfashionable for a woman to be a rebel, Lady O, as some of the Fellowship of Isis members refer to her, has always been a liberal and open-minded thinker. 

She started researching esoteric sciences while still a popular author in the 1950s in order to use her innate psychic abilities. 

She had always seen ghosts and angels, but in 1976, she had a vision of the goddess Isis, which surprised and perplexed her. 

Despite the fact that her cousin Robert Graves (author of The White Goddess) was not well respected in the family or in what was considered "proper society" at the time, she was able to relate to their beliefs. 

Scota, also known as "the black one," was an Egyptian Priestess of Isis and the daughter of the Pharaoh Cincris. 

According to Lady Olivia and Lawrence, Scota was also a hereditary Daughter of Isis. 

Following Olivia's encounter with the Goddess Isis in the middle of the 1970s, Pamela, Lawrence, and Olivia made the decision to convert their family castle, Clonegal Castle, into the headquarters of the Fellowship of Isis. 

The Fellowship is prospering, with more than 20,000 members worldwide as of the time of this writing, despite the passing of Lawrence and Pamela. 

The Noble Order of Tara was established by the Fellowship of Isis, or FOI, in 1990. 

Its members were committed to promoting environmental causes. 

They have other environmentally conscious initiatives going on and have been crucial in stopping strip mining on Mount Leinster. 

The Druid Clan of Dana, named after the Irish Mother Goddess, was established in 1992 and is committed to the secrets of the Druids. 

They arranged the 1993 Druid Convention in London via their publication, Aisling, which participates in the Council of British Druid Orders. 

A second Goddess-oriented group, the Fellowship of Isis, was one of two that attended the Chicago-based World Parliament of Religions in 1993. 

The Fellowship reveres all Goddesses, so why does Lady Olivia seem to connect with Isis the most? Isis is the global Goddess, the Isis of Ten Thousand Names, in her own words. 

Demeter, Lakshmi, Kwan Yin, Dana, Ngame, and Mary are all mentioned by her. 

As most Neo-Pagans could concur, Mary of the Christian faith was Isis to Lady Olivia. 

After Osiris' resurrection, Christ was both Osiris and Horus. 

In Lady O's opinion, the Goddess Isis is physically and spiritually appearing at this moment of universal change and the birth of the Feminine Divine. 

As they return to the "old ways," millions of people all around the world claim to hear the Goddess calling. 

These followers of the Divine Feminine believe that unless we once again value women and the Divine Feminine, the ecological, spiritual, and technical destruction brought about by a patriarchal society would eventually result in disaster. 

Goddess spiritualists believe that Mother Nature's ultimate goal is to reestablish love and peace amongst all living things so that everyone may nurture and benefit from a healthy, bountiful way of existence. 

The main sanctuary, naïve, Chapel of Brigid, and shrines honoring the twelve signs of the Zodiac are among the 26 shrines that make up the castle temple. 

This is an illustration of what one would see when entering the shrines, but they do vary from time to time. 

Devotees enter in procession through elaborately carved doors at the sound of a gong, and the Egyptian deity Thoth, protector of the secrets, stands directly in front of them. 

A landing is reached by way of stone stairs. Goddess symbolism are seen everywhere. 

There is a plaque with a picture of Jesus that is surrounded by further art that shows the Divine Feminine. 

The main temple area, which is to the left, would be surrounded by sculptures of goddesses. 

An iron gate leading to the historic castle well stands in front of you. 

A large Tibetan bell that is used to signal entry into the Temple is located to the left of the gate. 

The temple's interior, which is made of granite, measures 79 by 40 feet (24 by 12 meters). 

There is a sizable sanctuary there, as well as nine stone pillars arranged in a row. 

The sanctuary is surrounded by a short brick wall and two brick pillars that stand before the High Altar. 

The clergy offer invocations on a modest elevated stone dais before the High Altar. 

The High Altar of Isis serves as the main altar for all temple ceremonies. 

The Fellowship of Isis commissioned gifted woodworker David Robertson, son of Lawrence and nephew of Olivia, to carve Isis of 10,000 Names as its centerpiece. 

There are five primary chapels, each with characteristics of an element. 

The historic Druidic well, which is 17 feet (5 meters) deep and known for its therapeutic virtues, is located within the Chapel of Brigid. 

The Holy of Holies, also called the Chapel of Ishtar and devoted to the fifth element, Spirit, is reached via carved doors from Brigid's chapel. 

Daily rituals and meditation are conducted at the temple as Lady Olivia assists in healing and attunes with members all across the globe. 

The castle is situated next to a holy grove of trees in Ireland's stunning and verdant landscape. 

The Fellowship of Isis, whose goal is to restore the Goddess to the world by whatever ways the Divine Feminine sees suitable, is still hard at work. 

Rituals often include theatrical acts that impart knowledge of eternal secrets. 

From a small group of three, the FOI's vision and goal have expanded to become a means for thousands of people to recognize and adore Goddess. 

#How to reach Clonegal Castle. 

Southeast Ireland's little town of Clonegal is home to Clonegal Castle. 

Invitations are required for rituals. 

Drop-in visits are not seen as appropriate manners, thus detailed instructions to the castle won't be given here. 

Please contact Lady Olivia Robertson, Fellowship of Isis, Clonegal Castle, Enniscorthy, Ireland, if you would like further information on visiting Clonegal Castle. 

The FOI operates lyceums and institutes both domestically and abroad. 

On the Fellowship of Isis website, one may obtain details on the closest FOI chapter. 

The FOI sells books and rituals that Lady Olivia has written in print and on audiotape, along with correspondence courses, a newsletter, and other products. 

Goddess Worship At Kildare.

While it is exceedingly impossible to visit conservative, Christian Ireland without physically running across manifestations of the Goddess, travelers may experience at least four different facets of the Divine Feminine in Kildare. 

Goddess-seekers may locate a Sheila-na-Gig, a Brigid-related holy well, a Brigid-related fire sanctuary, and the Brigidine Sisters known as the Sisters of the Solas Bride (pronounced breed). 

Similar to Athena and the Roman Vestal Virgins, Celtic Brigid belongs to the category of Virgin Goddess (See Rome and Athens). 

She is revered as a triple goddess and is the protector of smiths, healers, and poets. 

As seen by her hallowed well and fire sanctuary in Kildare, Brigid is also a creative source of energy in her qualities of flowing water and blazing fire. 

Interestingly, steam is created when water and fire come together; this is undoubtedly another source of unending strength and energy. 

Her fire melts the smith's metal, and the water cools it to form the tools that will save humanity. 

She has observable ties to her Neolithic origins via her affiliation with the benevolent female snake known as "the queen." Later, she became a part of Celtic Christianity and was elevated to sainthood as Brigid the virgin nun. 

Because of this relationship, Brigid the Saint and Brigid the Goddess are revered as one by the Brigidine Sisters of Ireland, also known as Solas Bride. 

The flame of Brigid is maintained by current nuns who continue the old custom. 

Visitors may see the flame and take it home with them from their sacred location. 

This is accomplished by lighting a candle from the Solas Bride's eternal flame and then passing the symbolic flame from one candle to another, wick to wick. 

Miriam Robbins Dexter cites Geraldus Cambrensis in relation to the eternal flame of the Goddess and claims that the rivers Brigid in Ireland, Braint in Wales, and Brent in England were all given their names in honor of Brigid or Bride. 

The final nun remarked to Brigid on the twentieth night, "Brigid, I have cared for your fire... and so, the fire having been abandoned... 

it was discovered again, unextinguished." At the time of Brigid, twenty nuns were employed here to serve a master as a soldier, with she herself being the twentieth. 

Brigid is described as "the female sage" and "Brigit the goddess, whom poets worshiped because her protective care over them was very great and extremely renowned" in Archbishop Cormac Mac Cullenan's Cormac's Glossary, written in 908 CE. 

Brigid "originated at an era when the Celts worshipped goddesses rather than gods, and when knowledge – leechcraft, husbandry, inspiration — were women's rather than men's," according to Scottish academic J. A. Mac Cullock in 1911. 

According to the forbidden shrine in Kildare, Brigid had female clergy and it was believed that males were not allowed to participate in her devotion. 

Brigid became a nun and established a monastery in Kildare, a county renowned for its fertility and richness, according to Barbara Walker and Robert Graves. 

They contend that like other components of society that the Catholic Church failed to abolish, they integrate. 

They claim Brigit's bower was the center of an endless springtime where the village cows never ran dry and flowers and shamrocks sprung forth in her wake. 

Brigid was compared to Mary by authors and poets who thought she was more than just a saint and was really the Queen of Heaven. 

"Mother of my Sovereign," "Mary of the Goidels," "Queen of the South," "Prophetess of Christ," and "Mother of Jesus," according to Graves, are names given to Brigid. 

According to Marija Gimbutas, Brigid was connected to childbirth like Artemis and Diana and served as the "midwife to the Blessed Virgin and thus the foster mother of Christ." Others compared Brigid to Tanit, the Heavenly Goddess, and June Regina. 

According to Gimbutas, Brigid, the Greek Artemis Eileithyia, the Thracian Bendis, the Roman Diana, and the Baltic Fate Goddess were all prehistoric decedents of the life-giving Goddesses who survived Indo-Europeanization in the form of Nature, the giver of health, and in the guise of birds and animals. 

Brigid was associated with weaving, spinning, twisting, and stitching, much like her European sisters, and it is stated that this women's activity must be halted on Friday, the holy day of the Goddess. 

It's interesting that she was associated with Saint Patrick, who was allegedly a pagan before converting to Christianity. 

Additionally, she was frequently mistaken for Brigid's early Pagan lover, Dagda, or "father," and was supposed to be a Christianized version of him. 

Irish folklore holds that Saint Patrick is to blame for Ireland's lack of native snakes. 

The account of Saint Patrick driving the snakes out of Ireland raises the possibility that the patriarchy subjugating Goddess spirituality is a metaphor for these linkages, as well as Brigid's connection to Neolithic snake imagery. 

According to Gimbutas, local traditions include constructing snake effigies on Brigid's holy day of Imbolc, when "serpents are reported to come from the highlands." According to Walker, the twenty Brigid priestesses who were present in Kildare reflected the 19-year cycle of the Celtic "Great Year" She goes on to talk about how the Greeks made references to Apollo going to the "temple of the moon goddess" (Brigid) every nineteen years in their stories. 

Around the Stonehenge circle, markers were placed to designate these Great Years. 

According to researcher Patricia Monaghan, Brigid is linguistically related to Bridestones, also known as sarsens, which are the large sandstones used to build Stonehenge. 

This suggests that Brigid was known in early Neolithic, pre-Celtic periods. 

In addition to the Thuggees of Kali and the "Assassins," who revered the Arabian Moon Goddess, Walker mentions another part of Brigid related to martial arts and her warriors known as brigands as an example of a goddess's follower becoming vilified. 

Brigid, also known as Brigantia in England, Bride in Scotland, and Brigandu in Celtic France, has many distinct names. 

Patricia Monaghan, a scholar, presents a somewhat different story of Brigid. 

In this mythological cycle, Brigid is the human offspring of a Druid who was subsequently canonized and baptized by Saint Patrick. 

It was said that the Christian Brigid had many of the same traits and abilities as the Goddess Brigid, and that the abbess had exceptional authority to choose bishops who had to be goldsmiths. 

Imbolc or Candlemas, Brigid's feast day on February 1st, was a celebration of the "lactation of the sheep, symbolic of new life and the approach of spring," according to Gimbutas. 

She claims that a milk libation was thrown into the Earth and connects the life-giving material to Brigid's flower, the dandelion, which when crushed generated milky juice, supplying sustenance for the young lambs. 

Anyone who has experienced the gloom of Ireland's winters understands how uplifting it is to start to glimpse the light again, the symbolic fire of Brigid. 

This festival also commemorates the return of the light as the world emerges from the winter's darkness. 

This was a joyful period of processions, singing, dancing, and ceremonial baking. 

Gimbutas asserts that "honoring the Bride, giving presents, crafting dolls, preparing special cakes, greeting the Saint in every home, and anticipating her presence as a blessing must have roots deeper than the final decades of paganism; much of it carries on Neolithic customs." 

Brigid's fire sanctuary in Kildare is described by Rufus and Lawson as a "low stone wall, rectangular and not round as in ancient times." 

The recreated shrine is neat, orderly, and quiet, speaking nothing of its past existence as a spiritual center for Irish women, both during the Goddess' lifetime and for centuries following. 

In the heart of Kildare, in the graveyard of the Cathedral Church of Saint Brigid, is where you'll find Brigid's Fire House. 

Before leaving the church, look inside for the Sheela on Bishop Wellesley's tomb from the 16th century. 

It is beautifully placed below the left-hand corner of the top slab and above a panel depicting the Crucifixion. 

The Sheela's legs are split, and her pubic hair is visible. 

The Tobar Bride, also known as Brigid's Well, is a mile or so from the fire sanctuary. 

With a statue of Saint Brigid dressed as a nun and a natural well of healing waters, the holy site suggests that it is equally dedicated to the Saint and the Goddess. 

The brick arch that crosses the holy stream-like well is decorated with Brigid's pagan emblem, the Cross of Brigid. 

Don't forget to bring a container so you may transport the restorative waters of Bride home. 

Votive gifts, such as rags or pieces of fabric fastened to trees (sometimes referred to as clootie trees), are often left at the location. 

In accordance with Gimbutas, who cited Wood-Martin, "The rag or ribbon, removed from the clothes, is thought to be the storehouse of the spiritual or physical maladies of the suppliant. 

Rags are riddances rather than just offerings or votive objects. 

(In another type of riddance ritual, the matriarch of the house would distribute to family members a strip of cloth called the brat Brighide, or Saint Brigit's mantle, which was hung on a tree or bush a few days before Saint Brigit's Eve to protect the family from illness or misfortune in the upcoming year.) 

The healing properties of Brigid's waters have been known since Neolithic times, which helps to explain why numerous wells under Mary-related churches and temples (such as those at Clonegal, Chartres, and Lourdes) may have retained their reputation for miracles. 

It was believed that a few of the goddesses' holy wells may increase a woman's fertility. 

Devotees would go to the wells on the first day of spring to undertake purification rituals, including washing their hands, faces, and feet, removing strips of cloth from their garments, walking around the stone, praying, chanting, kneeling, and sipping from the holy waters. 

They might then go to "a river stone which has footprints," where they would continue to pray, according to Gimbutas, who is quoting Wood-Martin once more. 

Footprints may be observed carved into the stone near the holy waters at Tobar Bride. 

Brigid the Goddess and those who honor her are warmly embraced by the nuns of the Church known as the Sisters of the Solas Bride. 

You are welcome to visit their refuge, but only with previous preparations. 

The Sisters welcome individuals and groups and have joyfully accommodated and shared ritual space with small groups of committed practitioners of Goddess Spirituality. 

Interested parties will be needed to make personal contact to organize a visit. 

How to get to Kildare? 

Kildare is conveniently accessible by rail, bus, and private vehicle and is situated 32 miles (51 km) southwest of Dublin. 

If you're driving, use the N7 Dublin-Limerick Road to the Kildare Cathedral, which is in the town's center. 

One mile south of Kildare is where the well is situated. 

Following the directions out of town toward the Japanese Gardens, there will be a sign directing drivers to the Tobar Bride down a tiny road to the right approximately 300 yards (270 m) before you arrive at the Gardens. 

Goddess Worship At Newgrange.

Another marker pointing left down the path will be located around 100 yards (90 m) farther; this sign will direct tourists to the well at Newgrange. 

The great megalithic tomb of Newgrange is ranked alongside the temple of Ggantija in Malta as one of the most impressive prehistoric monuments in Europe, according to any old guidebook, but mainstream scholars are still divided over how to interpret the significance of this magnificent Goddess site constructed more than 5,000 years ago. 

According to some experts, the imagery found on Western European megalithic art is connected to altered states of consciousness. 

The altered states may sometimes be brought on by using hallucinogens, and they can also be brought on via shaman trance dances. 

When they find the controversial archaeologist Marija Gimbutas' work compelling, many goddess proponents depart from conventional thinking. 

Even Marija was unable to pinpoint the precise events that took place at Newgrange, but Gimbutas' decades of research into Neolithic archaeology and the significance of artwork and artifacts in a cultural and religious context have given passage graves like Newgrange a fuller and richer meaning. 

Advocates contend that Newgrange was a holy location for the Goddess and that its artwork symbolizes concepts of birth, death, and rebirth, with the passage grave serving as both "womb and tomb," based on the graphic language she invented, folk literature, and a little amount of intuition. 

"The heart of the religion of the Goddess in the British Isles," according to author Peg Streep, is Newgrange. 

It is without a doubt a location for ritual, processions, and significant gatherings that are suggestive of the early Neolithic builders' religion! 

Many claim that Newgrange is the best example of a passage grave in Western Europe. 

Carbon-dating research suggests that it was constructed around 3200 BCE. 

Farmers who kept livestock were the people who constructed Newgrange. 

They used stone as opposed to metal to create this complex edifice, which required not only extraordinary labor but also knowledge of design and engineering. 

They also watched and analyzed astronomical movements. 

It measures 265 feet (81 meters) in circumference and 45 feet (14 meters) high. 

Only 12 of the 35 standing stones, or menhirs, that previously surrounded it are still standing. 

According to Streep, this circle may have served as a barrier between the mother's womb's holy area and the rest of the world. 

Although the mound is now covered in grass, many academics believe that white quartz once covered it. 

The quartz would have significance beyond just aesthetic value since it was a rare stone that had to be imported from a distance. 

Gimbutas compares the mound to the world's cosmic womb or egg, and the white coating was designed to resemble an egg's shell. 

For the construction of Newgrange, an estimated 180,000 tons (163,080,000 kg) of stone were needed. 

The entrance to the mound faces the dawn in the middle of winter. 

The 62-foot (19-meter) long tube leads to a central room from which three side chambers branch out. 

On the midwinter solstice, sunlight streams into the chamber via a roof box lintel at the entrance. 

During the solstice, the sun can be seen slowly filling the interior passageway until it reaches the back chamber and illuminates a carving of a triple spiral that some people think represents the Goddess. 

A symbolic (or literal?) rebirth and regeneration of the dead may result from this, as well as the effect of awakening her powers. 

Before moving back down the entrance passageway and leaving the mound in complete darkness once more, the light briefly fills the cavern. 

It has been speculated that this dramatic effect might have been performed using a polished mirror at other significant times throughout the year, but that is just conjecture. 

Gimbutas thought sacred symbols and patterns that recurred all over Neolithic Old Europe were used to invoke the Goddess. 

According to Streep's citation of Gimbutas, "ritual action" served as a means of "communicating with the divine" and an invocation of the Goddess' enshrined regenerative abilities. 

The art's iconography includes the ideas of life, death, and regeneration, which are all aspects of the Goddess. 

The imagery of the owl and snake—symbols of rebirth and rebirth—represented these ideas. 

These theories are further supported by the structure's orientation and commanding position close to the Boyne River's (named for the Goddess Boand) bend. 

Even if some of the pictures are more abstract, when they are studied across all of Europe, a language and a unified iconography start to take shape. 

The stone near Newgrange's main gate is vividly engraved with three snake coils, which stand for three sources of life. 

Similar to Neolithic Catal Hüyük, iconography starts to emerge in three-groupings. 

The brow ridge of the Owl Goddess, stone basins, engravings of triple snake spirals, coils, and cartouches, as well as side cells at Newgrange, are all discovered in triplicate. 

Gimbutas can identify the large snake coils that are inscribed on orthostats and are connected to V, M, chevrons, and zigzag bands. 

She postulated that the presence of arcs, wavy lines, bands of zigzags, and serpent shapes indicated a belief in the reproductive capacity of water as well as a relationship between the snake and the strength of stone. 

Triangles are depicted on the walls and curbstones of Newgrange. 

Sometimes they are by themselves, other times they are in rows and pairs linked at the tip or the base, or they are encompassed by arcs. 

These pictures are of the Goddess of Death and Regeneration, according to Gimbutas. 

Her interpretation of the "serpent ship" motif connected to the religion of the dead is particularly intriguing. 

At Newgrange, the union of zigzags or winding serpents (symbols of renewed life) with triangles or lozenges (both special signs of the Goddess of Regeneration) creates abstract images of "serpent ships," which can be taken literally to mean ceremonial ships connected to death rituals that carry the dead toward renewal. 

Gimbutas describes spheres and snake coils representing a full moon, opposed crescents alone or with a snake coil in the middle depicting a moon cycle, and wavy lines of winding serpents measuring time as additional indications of time and lunar movements in the stone carvings at Newgrange. 

She claims that up to thirty winding snake turns corresponded to a near approximation of the lunar month and that serpentine patterns with fourteen to seventeen turns signified the number of days the moon waxes. 

It is possible to speculate that Neolithic practitioners included both of these elements in their death ritual because the structure is linked to death and rebirth and contains imagery that is both reflective of sunlight and water. 

This brings discussions back to folk literature mixed with some whimsy. 

The study of Roman literature, figurines, and inscriptions has revealed what is known about ancient Ireland. 

What before is mostly unknown since Celtic literature did not become widely read until the second century CE. 

It is widely acknowledged that Brigid represented the elements of fire and water (or light), as well as connections with the serpent, whose history dates back to the Neolithic era. 

In light of the fact that the rituals performed at this particular mound are beginning to comprehend and revere her imagery and essence, perhaps we should take a moment to consider how she might be related to Newgrange. 

We should also keep in mind that according to folklore, the god Dagna, who is occasionally referred to as Brigid's consort, constructed Newgrange for himself and his sons. 

What if this is just a patriarchal interpretation of the story? It is entertaining to speculate if Dagna really did construct Newgrange as a spectacular expression of his love for his consort, much as Ramses did when he constructed the Taj Mahal or the little Temple of Hathor at Abu Simbel in honor of his great love Nefertari. 

According to a different piece of mythology, Bru na Boinne, the Gaelic name for the area near Newgrange, means "the house of the Goddess of the River Boann." 

It claims the River Boyne, also known as Boinn or Boand, is named after the Goddess Boand and is located close to Newgrange (she of the white cows). 

Boand, who is regarded as one of the main Earth Goddesses of prehistoric Ireland, is the embodiment of the abundance and vitality found in water, or the nourishing milk that flows from a revered cow. 

Boyne, its modern Celtic name, which translates to "illuminated cow," is transliterated as Buvinda. 

Additionally, the Celtic term denotes brightness, whiteness, and knowledge. 

The wise salmon, along with other fish connected to the Goddess, dwells in the River Boyne. 

Perhaps in Newgrange, in a manner similar to Eleusis, the priestesses and priests of the Goddess taught their people the lessons of life and death while performing ritual. 

According to legend, Boann and her partner Elemar were Newgrange's original residents until Elemar was replaced by Dagna, which leads us back to Brigid. 

Could Boann have been a younger version of Brigid? We already know that Brigid inspired the naming of rivers. 

Since Brigid is a Goddess of Healing, the River Boyne was also praised for its therapeutic properties. 

There are undoubtedly no concrete solutions, but many connections cause cultural diffusionists to pause and give a thoughtful "ah-ha." # How to get to Newgrange. 

About 6 miles (10 km) west of Drogheda, in the Boyne Valley, which is located to the south of the N51 Drogheda–Navan Road, is where you'll find Newgrange. 

From Drogheda, you may go to Newgrange by train or bus. 

On the nearby road to Slane, you can find the Knowth and Dowth mounds. 

Within the Bru na Boinne complex, there is also a prehistoric ritual pond made by humans called Monknewtown that might be worth a look. 

If you're traveling by car, think about taking a day trip from Dublin, which is 45 km (28 mi) south of the site. 

There is a visitor center on site, but it is advised to call ahead because there has been discussion about restricting access to Newgrange's interior. 

Much of the discussed imagery can be seen by simply walking around the grounds. 

The tremendous feeling of the sun entering the chamber is reenacted by guides using a flashlight to give tourists some idea of the event, but it is almost impossible to be within the mound on the solstice since individuals are wait-listed for years to enjoy the privilege. 

It could be a good idea for travelers to have a small container with them so they can gather water from the River Boyne. 

Worship Of Goddess Sheila-na-Gigs.

Stone carvings of female genitalia known as Sheila-na-Gigs, also known as Sheelas, are typically found on the walls and doorways of Celtic churches and monasteries in Western Europe and the British Isles, though they can also be found in Indonesia, South America, Australia, Oceania, and India. 

The real role of Sheelas is not clearly known, however most say they were icons or symbols of protection, much like the guardian gargoyles on Gothic cathedrals or the gorgon on Athena’s shield. 

This author concurs with that assertion and suggests that the sign could have stood for the idea that being within the building on which the Sheela is carved is equivalent to entering the holy vulva, a portal leading to the protection of the Mother Goddess' womb. 

The figures' stance of sitting, reclining, or standing with legs akimbo and completely exposed yonis has been suggested as a potential emblem of exhibitionism, however that hardly seems plausible given that they were discovered carved in hallowed locations. 

In addition to raising the intriguing hypothesis that Sheelas are connected to Celtic or pre-Celtic forms of Oriental and Mediterranean holy prostitutes, Rufus Camphausen has also indicated potential ties to Baubo and Ama-no-Uzume. 

He suggests the term nu-gag, which refers to "the pure and immaculate ones" and was used to describe the sacred temple prostitutes of Mesopotamia, as a potential linguistic indicator of the Sheila-na-Gigs' earliest forms. 

Sheelas are often found with the carved portion of the yoni worn by the contact of several hands, probably made in respect or prayer. 

It reminds people of fertility symbols, which some cultures think, if touched, may bring forth plenty and procreation. 

The Sheela, according to author Shahrukh Husain, is connected to the goddess Brigid of the Celts, and she may have represented the "split-off of the sexual aspect of a virginal goddess." 

Archaeologist Marija Gimbutas compared the spread-legged prehistoric Frog Goddess, the frog-headed Egyptian Goddess Haquit (Heket), and the ancient Greek goddess Hekate, known as "Baubo," or toad, to Sheelas. 

Gimbutas asserts that the names for toads in European languages include the connotations of "witch" or "prophetess," and that the toad "was incarnated with the powers of the Goddess of Death and Regeneration, whose duties were both to bring death and to restore life." 

At an archaeomythology symposium in Madouri, Greece, Professor Joan Cichon reports scientists Miriam Robbins Dexter and Starr Goode think the iconography of the Sheelas resemble the “Sovereignty Goddess” of the ancient Irish. 

Some modern ladies have been turning up their noses at traditional taboos and embracing the brazen iconography of the Sheela to indicate their empowerment, sexual liberty, and knowledge of their connection to the Goddess.

~Kiran Atma

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