The History and Significance of the Goddess Aditi

The History and Significance of the Goddess Aditi

Aditi means limitless, shore less expanse. Aditi in Veda is Devamatri, Mother of all celestial gods. Aditi is a Sanskrit word which means boundless. All the heavenly bodies are born from her. She is the mother of every exsisting form, being the quintessence of everything and therefore the the highest Akasha (Sky). She is identified with speech in the Rig Veda.
She is considered as the womb of space and is the feminine form of Brahma. In the Rig Veda the line Daksha(the creator Of God) has come from Aditi and Aditi from Daksha (means competence) . This has reference to the continuous cycle of her rebirth of the same divine essence. She is also considered as the divine wisdom. She is the Goddess of space, consciousness, the past, the future and the fertility.

Aditi is the mother of twelve 12 Adityas(Children of Aditi according to the Rig Veda are Adityas). They are Vivasvan, Aryama, Pusa, Tvasta, Savita, Bhaga, Dhata, Vidhata, Varuna, Mitra, Satru and Urukrama. Indra, the celestial Lord is the son of Aditi and she is therefore the mother of kings. In the Rig Veda Aditi is mentioned eighty times along with other gods and goddesses.

There is no hymn attributed to Aditi in the Rig Veda and is mentioned with other gods and goddesses. It may be that she is not related to any special phenomenon like other gods and goddess. She may be defined as the cosmic creator, the creativity of all the created.
The most outstanding attribute of Aditi is her motherhood. She is the Mother of all gods. She is therefore the most important figure in the celestial world. Being the mother she is the one who grants wealth, security and prosperity and sometimes associated with a cow and her milk is the elixir and a drink 'Soma'.

She is said to have the powers to free the one who petitions her for help in case of sickness and suffering from the consequences of sin and therefore called the supporter of all creatures. .

Aditi is the mother of the Vamana, the avatar of Vishnu. Therefore Vishnu was born as the son of Aditi in the month of shravana the 5th month of the Hindu Calendar under the star Shravana. Auspicious signs appeared in the heavens, foretelling the good fortune of this child.

Aditi challenges the modern idea that the Aryans were patriarchal. Aditi was regarded as both the sky goddess, and earth goddess. This is very rare for a prehistoric civilization. Aditi was attributed the status of first deity by the Aryan culture, although she is not the only one attributed this status in the Vedas.

http://www.spiritualliving360.com/index.php/the-history-and-significance-of-the-goddess-aditi-14458/

Queen of elphame

Queen of elphame


Goddess Nicneven
Filed under: Goddess Spirituality
October 31, 2012


“The Faery Godmother” by Brian Froud

“Nicneven’s themes are protection, ghosts, divination, peace and winter. Her symbols are pumpkins, gourds and traditional Halloween fare. In Scotland, Nicneven is the crone Goddess of Samhain, which is the predecessor of modern Halloween festivals. Nicneven governs the realms of magic and witchcraft and also represents the imminent onset of winter.

In magic and Celtic traditions, this is the new year – a time when the veil between worlds grow thin and spirits can communicate with the living. Follow the usual customs of carving a pumpkin or turnip for protection and to illuminate the way to family spirits to join you in today’s celebrations.

In Druidical tradition, Samhain was a time to rectify any matters causing dissent. Nicneven provides the magical glue for this purpose. Take a white piece of paper on which you’ve written the reason for anger in a relationship, then burn it in any hallowed fire source (the pumpkin candle, or ritual fires). As you do, ask Nicneven to empower the spell and destroy the negativity completely.

To inspire Nicneven’s wisdom or magical aptitude within, enjoy traditional Halloween fare – apple pie, for example, brings sagacity. Sparkling apple cider tickles magical energy. And root crops provide solid foundations and protection while magical creatures are afoot!

(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)


“Queen of the Bad Fairies” by Brian Froud

Nicneven or Nicnevin or Nicnevan (whose name is from a Scottish Gaelic surname, Neachneohain meaning ‘daughter(s) of the divine’ and/or daughter(s) of Scthach‘ NicNaoimhein meaning ‘daughter of the little saint’) is a Queen of the Fairies in Scottish folklore. The use of the name for this meaning was first found in Montgmeries Flyting (c.1585) and was seemingly taken from a woman in Scotland condemned to death for witchcraft before being burnt at the stake as a witch. In the Boreders the name for this archetype was Gyre-Carling whose name had variants such as Gyre-Carlin, Gy-Carling, Gay-Carlin amongst others. Gyre is possibly a cognate of the Norse word geri and thus having the meaning of ‘greedy’ or it may be from the Norse gýgr meaning ‘ogress’; carling or carline is a Scots and Northern English word meaning ‘old woman’ which is from, or related to, the Norse word kerling (of the same meaning).

She was sometimes thought of as the mother witch, Hecate, or Habundia figure of Scottish fairy mythology. This guise is frankly diabolical. Sis Walter Scott calls Her:a gigantic and malignant female, the Hecate of this mythology, who rode on the storm and marshalled the rambling host of wanderers under Her grim banner. This hag (in all respects the reverse of the Mab or Titania of the Celtic creed) was called Nicneven in that later system which blended the faith of the Celts and of the Goths on this subject. The great Scottish poet Dunbar has made a spirited description of this Hecate riding at the head of witches and good neighbours (fairies, namely), sorceresses and elves, indifferently, upon the ghostly eve of All-Hallow Mass. In Italy we hear of the hags arraying themselves under the orders of Diana (in Her triple character of Hecate, doubtless) and Herodias, who were the joint leaders of their choir, But we return to the more simple fairy belief, as entertained by the Celts before they were conquered by the Saxons.


Alexander Montgomerie, in his Flyting, described Her as:


Nicnevin with Her nymphes, in number anew
With charms from Caitness and Chanrie of Ross
Whose cunning consists in casting a clew.



“The Wild Hunt: Åsgårdsreien” by Peter Nicolai Arbo

Even so, the elder Nicnevin or Gyre-Carling retained the habit of night riding with an ‘elrich‘ entourage mounted on unlikely and supernatural steeds. Another, satirical popular depiction made Her leave Scotland after a love-quarrel with Her neighbour, to become wife of ‘Mahomyte‘ and queen of the ‘Jowis‘. She was an enemy of Christian people, and ‘levit vpoun Christiane menis flesche’; still, Her absence caused dogs to stop barking and hens to stop laying. But in Fife, the Gyre-Carling was associated with spinning and knitting, like Habetrot; here it was believed to be unlucky to leave a piece of knitting unfinished at the New Year, lest the Gyre-Carling should steal it.” 


“Nicnevin” by Xavier Collette

For a fantastic and in-depth piece written on this Goddess, I highly recommend reading “Nicnevin” by Sarah Lawless over at Witchofforestgrove.com. In her piece, she explains “Nicnevin is the Queen of Elphame, the queen of the fairies, spirits, and strange creatures, queen of the Unseelie Court ofAlba. She reigns with a male consort at Her side, but his name is never given, it is my guess he changes with Her moods. She is the Gyre Carline and appears sometimes in the Scottish tales as Habetrot, a crone-like spirit known for Her magical powers of spinning, weaving and clothmaking. It is said She wears a long grey mantle and carries a white wand and can appear as an old crone or a beautiful young woman. White geese are sacred to Her and their cackling may herald Her arrival. In this we see She is linked with the Germanic Goddess Holda… Hel, queen of the Underworld, the leader of the Wild Hunt in Norse legend.”

In the Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes, she writes: “Nicnevin, Scottish witch Goddess, can transform water into rocks and sea into dry land. Her name is derived from Gaelic Nic an Neamhain, ‘Daughter of Frenzy.’ Nicnevin flies through the night. Although usually invisible, Her presence is announced by the cacophony of geese. The Romans identified Her with Diana.

Following Scotland’s official conversion to Christianity and brutal witch trials, Nicnevin, a former Goddess, was reclassified as both a Fairy and a demon. (Scotland suffered particularly virulent witch hunts, second in scope only to the German lands in terms of prosecutions and executions.) She is considered Queen of the Fairies of Fife, Scotland and is among the spirits associated with the Wild Hunt.


Sea hag from the hit TV show “Charmed”

Manifestation: Nicnevin manifests as a beautiful woman and a dried out old hag. She wears a long gray mantle.

Attribute: Magic wand

Element: Water

Birds: Geese

Day: Samhain (Halloween) is Nicnevin’s sacred night when She grants wishes and answers petitions. She is traditionally honored with celebratory feasts and toasting. On Samhain, Nicnevin makes Herself visible as She flies through the air accompanied by a retinue of witches and honking geese. Rituals are also held in Nicnevin’s honor on November 1″ (p. 760).

http://journeyingtothegoddess.wordpress.com/tag/queen-of-elphame/

Happy St Patric's Day dear friends

Happy St Patric's Day dear friends

World Mysteries: The Mysterious Powers of Dragons

World Mysteries: The Mysterious Powers of Dragons

Dragons are one of the only mythical animals to be known around the world, and have always played an important role in our myths and legends. Depending on the period of time and the tradition, dragons were considered to be either malevolent or beneficial. What follows is a short history of the extraordinary world of dragons.

The other two mythical creatures known the world over are the phoenix, and the unicorn. The dragon’s fame is due to the mysterious aura that surrounds this fabulous beast, which either terrifies people or brings them Luck, depending on the legend and the culture it comes from.


Occidental Dragons

Are they beneficial, or malevolent? That’s the main question people ask about the nature of dragons.

In western countries, dragons have had a bad reputation for centuries.

They appear in the legends and fabulous accounts of ancient Greece, where they were seen as a nemesis.

One mention of a dragon in ancient Greek literature can be found in a work entitled ‘The Garden of Hesperides,’ a sanctuary of immortality for the gods, who nourished themselves on golden apples growing from a fabulous life-giving tree. To prevent humans from discovering the tree of immortality, the gods placed a hundred-headed dragon – Ladon – at the garden gates. Hercules killed Ladon as one of his famous Twelve Labors, and discovered the tree of eternal life for himself.

Jason obtained the Golden Fleece after killing the dragon that was guarding it.

Dragons have been given many tasks, and sometimes combined with other animals to make them even more fierce.

The ancient Greek ‘chimera’ had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and the tail of a reptile. It was killed by Bellerophon, riding the winged horse Pegasus.


Omnipresent in the Middle Ages

Dragons were commonly found in famous tales of the Middle Ages, like those depicting the Knights of the Round Table. Killing a dragon was the ultimate act of bravery a knight could perform to prove his nobility, courage, and strength of character.

Among the main dragon-slayers of the time were King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, as well as Tristan and Siegfried from Nordic mythology.

And, of course, there are the Saints, including Patrick, Michael, George and Mark, all of whom slew a dragon and converted the population to Christianity.

Like serpents, dragons were considered to be malevolent beings in western countries, endowed with flaming tongues that burnt anything in sight to cinders.

Christianity has often associated dragons with Satan, whom they faithfully serve. They are also mentioned in the description of the Apocalypse, at the end of the world.

In the text, Armageddon is heralded by the appearance of a red dragon with ten horns, and seven heads crowned with jewels. His task is to send the stars crashing down to Earth. This dragon and its legions, a symbol of Satan and his terrible hordes, will be destroyed in a final combat by Saint Michael and the Angels.


A Bad Reputation

It’s easy to understand why dragons became a symbol of malevolence and destruction in the west. For one thing, they were seen as totally mythological, with no connection to reality.

Dragons were not a representation or an exaggeration of some extinct animal, but a pure symbol of the dark forces of destruction.

They had no link, in occidental countries, to dinosaurs for example, about which nothing was known in the Middle Ages, since the fossils of these great extinct reptiles hadn’t been discovered yet.

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POsted by Cynthia

FairyTales and Fairy tales Stories

FairyTales and Fairy tales Stories

The history of fairytales or fairy tales stories have fantasy creatures such as fairies, faeries, fey, goblins, elves, trolls, witches, giants, and or talking animals. Enchantments and far-fetched events are also usually part of the this text. They seldom contain any references to religion, actual places, persons or events. The term "once upon a time" is used rather than an actual reference to date.

Fairytales stories, folklore, legends and myths have been passed on to children and adults since before recorded history. The origin of these fantasy tales or any of these types of oral stories is impossible to determine. This oral handing down from generation to generation came long before the written page. Tales were taught or acted out for each of the new generations. We do know that ancient cultures from all over the globe have similar stories. Ancient Egypt, c. 1300 BC has the oldest known written Fairytale.

Two different theories exist on how similarities can exist between a fairytales story from different cultures and even different continents. One theory is that a particular tale started from one point and then over hundreds of years spread across cultures and continents. The second theory is that fairytales stories are from similar experiences that humans have in most all cultures across all continents.

During the 6th century BC, Aesop a Greek was the first famous writer of the Western fairy tales. This makes fairy tales very old, even older than the many Arabian Nights magical tales from 1500 AD.

Many authors including Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen, Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales and William Shakespeare’s many plays all include fairy tales stories in one form or another.

Préciosité is a literary style that comes from les précieuses, the witty and educated intellectual ladies of Paris. The name Fairy Tail was coined when the précieuses took up writing literary stories from their conversations and fun word games. Madame d'Aulnoy invented the term 'contes de fée', or fairy tale. The précieuses wrote their stories mainly for adults but knew that servants or women less privileged would repeat these stories to children. "Beauty and the Beast" was written by Madame Gabrielle de Villeneuve, in La jeune ameriquaine, et les contes marins in 1740. One of the précieuses, Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumont rewrote "Beauty and the Beast" so as to be more suitable for children and this version, published in 1756 is the tale that is most popular today.

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The Faerie Queene Summary

The Faerie Queene tells the stories of several knights, each representing a particular virtue, on their quests for the Faerie Queene, Gloriana. Redcrosse is the knight of Holiness, and must defeat both theological error and the dragon of deception to free the parents of Una ("truth"). Guyon is the knight of Temperance, who must destroy the fleshly temptations of Acrasia's Bower of Bliss. Britomart, a woman in disguise as a male knight, represents Chastity; she must find her beloved and win his heart. Artegall, the knight of Justice, must rescue the lady Eirene from an unjust bondage. Cambell and Triamond, the knights of Friendship, must aid one another in defense of various ladies' honor. Finally, Calidore, the knight of Courtesy, must stop the Blatant Beast from spreading its slanderous venom throughout the realm.

Each quest is an allegory, and the knight given the quest represents a person's internal growth in that particular virtue. Such growth happens through various trials, some of which the knights fail, showing how personal development is a struggle requiring the aid of other forces and virtues to make it complete.

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http://www.all-about-fairies.com/fairytales.html