[CLASS] Goddesses

[Siren Stern]

Forth class: Ariadne
The one who rescues us from the Maze

Ariadne isn't a famous Goddess - in fact, she was depicted as a divinity in modern days only in 1970 by Karl Kerenyi and. Hesiod wrote regarding her as a normal woman, daughter of king Minos and Pasiphaëm (semi-Goddess daughter of Helios, the Sun). But I put Ariadne in our classes because as the African orishas, she's seemed as a divinity in Wicca, and she's one of the best Goddesses to heal a brokenhearted. Through my way in Wicca I could see something very interesting. When a pagan association offers a public ritual to self-knowing, they get 2 or 3 students. But if it open a class to learn love rituals - fact: more than 100!

This way, I'm putting Ariadne myths in our schedule. If people need love ritual, I believe they need to heal their hearts too. How can we enter in a new relationship if we're still bleeding from our past ones? As a lunar Goddess, Ariadne is a symbol of reborn - so she's very indicated to rituals of new beginnings. If you know tarot, her energy is very similar to the Major Arcana "The Moon". She's the one who had love but was left alone. She knows the delusion of being left apart. This way, she helps us to exit "The Moon" arcana energies of illusion, fantasies and dreams and face truth, to build our relations straight in reality,

Kerevyi indicates that Ariadne was widely worshiped near Naxus, in Crete, but Claudiney Prieto says she's originally a Minoic Goddess, also known as Aridela. In Crete, Ariadne had priestess through 2.000 years or more. In her myth, usually she's depicted with a hero by her side, usually Theseu, but sometimes with Dionysius. The annual festival of Dionysius's reborn had Ariadne chants and dances, celebrating him as her son and consort.

 

[Siren Stern]

ARIADNE MYTH

In the wide sea, a ship of black sails shove off Athens. In this ship the young ones were transported to be sacrificed in Minotaur's Maze, as imposed by Minos, king of Crete. Between them there was Theseus, son of Poseidon and Aethra, intending to defeat Minotaur and free the Athens people from such dark tribute. This way, Theseus brought with him some white sails to replace the black ones in the returning cruise.

When they arrived in Crete, the young daughter of Minos, Ariadne, felt for Theseus helped him. She gave the hero a ball of yarn to be spread out the maze, indicating him the exit. Step by step Theseus unrolled it until he faced Minotaur. In a quick fight he defeated the monster. Tired, he returned to Ariadne's arms, which was waiting for him. Ariadne embarked with him to Athens, running away from her father's rage when he'd knew she had assisted Theseus to escape from the Maze. But Theseus left her in Naxos' port and they had never saw each other again.

Ariadne's misadventures began when she gave Theseus the yarn. Maybe obeying Goddess Athena's orders, he left Ariadne in the island of Naxos by her on luck. Her destiny, after that, has divergent versions. According to one version, she would commit suicide in Naxos. Another version tells she would face death when she gave birth in Cyprus. But the most widespread version is the one where Aphrodite felt pity of the young maiden and gave to her the God of wine as husband. Another version says Ariadne died by another Goddess intervention: Diana, incited by Dionysius himself.

 

[Siren Stern]

ARIADNE CORRESPONDENCES
Use this correspondences to adorn your Altar to Ariadne rituals:

Face: Maiden
Symbols: snakes, the Moon, balls of yard, crowns, garlands
Colors: pink, red, white, aquamarine, purple
Element: earth and air
Day of power: monday
Sacred animal: snake
Sacred herb: moonflower
Stones: aventurine, hematite, adularia (moonstone), silver, chrysoberyl, pink quartz, pearl, rhodochrosite

 

[Siren Stern]

CONNECTION TO ARIADNE



This is a special connection to those who has been brokenhearted. So, if you aren't, just pass it. In a Thursday night, light a pink candle in your bathroom and take a bath with water and salt. After to put on your clothes, drink a strawberry tea as you ask to Ariadne that she helps you to pass through this hard time. After that, go out and see the stars. Identify Corona Borealis constellation, look to it and then raise your hands and speak:

"Ariadne, hold me in your loving arms and cherish me, help me to strengthen the power within me. Be with me, beloved Goddess; deliver me strength in this hard and tough time. Relieve my heart and enliven my soul."

Close your eyes and see the stars emit a powerful silver light upon you, delivering you love, health, peace, harmony and prosperity. Stays like this as long as you want to. When you feel it's enough, open your eyes and be sure Ariadne had blessed you.

 

[Siren Stern]

I'd like to know if everything is okay with everyone. I didn't receive any message anymore about you, guys.  

[too2sweet]

I'm still here...it's been a crazy month. Between having to go out of town for my father-in-law's funeral and trying to catch back up on work when I got back - it's been nuts. I've been in a weird mood this month. I just haven't had a lot to say, so I've just been lurking around!  

[Siren Stern]

No problem with this, B. It's always hard to lose someone we love. Do your things, and when you get better, write to me. Not to mention we had talked by PM some weeks ago about that.

I'd like to know about the other students. I didn't received your exercises. I'd like to know how are you going throught this before I post new classes.  

[Siren Stern]

As some of the students are in Summer Vacation now and in this time of year all Guilds posts reduce a lot, I'm gonna start to post new lessons once a month. This way everyone can make the exercises and I don't overload anybody =)

Any question, please PM me or post here and I'll answer as soon as possible.  

[Jernni]

I met my inner goddess while mediating last night, it was very cool!

She was sitting at a crossroads. She had long curly dark hair, and big dark green eyes. She sat cross-legged. In her left hand was a white calla lily. Her right hand was open and facing up. She wore a pink dress of sari fabric, and had an intricate gold decoration in her hair. When she saw me she smiled.

I told her who I was. She said she knew. but her mouth didn't move, her voice was just in my head. She told me she was me. She was every goddess. She said she knew me and now I knew her.

Then suddenly, I saw my path from her eyes. As I continued meditating I felt like I was seeing everything from her eyes, not mine. I was her. She was me.

It was very cool!!  

[Siren Stern]

Hello Jernni. I'm very glad to know you did the exercise of Inner Goddess, and what a beautiful connection you did! Keep connecting to her whenever you want to you feel you need to. You can research about the elements of your vision like the symbolism of the white flower or the golden stuff in Goddess' hair. I recomend you a great book called The woman's dictionary of symbols & sacred objects of Barbara G. Walker.

I saw you're not in the enroled list of this class. Would you like to be in this?  

[Jernni]

Siren Stern

Hello Jernni. I'm very glad to know you did the exercise of Inner Goddess, and what a beautiful connection you did! Keep connecting to her whenever you want to you feel you need to. You can research about the elements of your vision like the symbolism of the white flower or the golden stuff in Goddess' hair. I recomend you a great book called The woman's dictionary of symbols & sacred objects of Barbara G. Walker.

I saw you're not in the enroled list of this class. Would you like to be in this?

I'd love to, and I'll look up that book smile  

[Siren Stern]

Jernni

Siren Stern

Hello Jernni. I'm very glad to know you did the exercise of Inner Goddess, and what a beautiful connection you did! Keep connecting to her whenever you want to you feel you need to. You can research about the elements of your vision like the symbolism of the white flower or the golden stuff in Goddess' hair. I recomend you a great book called The woman's dictionary of symbols & sacred objects of Barbara G. Walker.

I saw you're not in the enroled list of this class. Would you like to be in this?

I'd love to, and I'll look up that book smile

Jernni, I put you in the enroled list. Please, do the first exercises and sent them to me here or by PM (you don't need to do the Isis, Eostre and Ariadne ones, just the very firsts of 1st and 2nd class). I'm gonna post new lessons next week. If you have any question, please you're welcome to ask.  

[Siren Stern]

Fifth Class: Amaterasu Omikami
The Sun Goddess of Japan

Amaterasu is a Shinto Goddess, the most prominent Divinity of Japanese Mythology and the Great Goddess of human beneficences. Represented by the Sun, she's best depicted as "The Sun" major arcana itself. She is the prosperity, the plenty, the abundance, the plentifulness and the wealth, and it's said the Japanese royal family descends from her. She was born of Izanagi left eye, an interesting fact as the Egyptian Goddesses Bast and Sekhmet are described as Ra's eye themselves and they are solar Goddesses too.

As the Lady of Universe, Amaterasu has the title of "oho hiru me no muchi" (Great Female Owner of Meridian), and she's also considered the Lady of Every Inherent Power of Nature. Her name means "She who fulgurates in the sky". The rising Sun, symbol of Japan flag, represents Amaterasu as guardian of Japanese people. The c**k are her magical animal because every morning cocks salute the Sun.

The most impressive thing in Amaterasu energy is that she is full of life, intelligence, understanding, but the real illumination is just revealed to her in the end. And as she's the Sun, usually a male archetype in other cultures, the sensible and waster part of her myth is played by a man. Her myth works greatfully with the inner battles, when we hide within the caves, running away from our conflicts.  

[Siren Stern]

AMATERASU MYTH

It's told that after Izanami and Izanagi created everything, they decided to create de Sun to rule the universe. This way, Izanagi dove into the darkness, and from a tear of his eye Amaaterasu was born. Her resplendent shining lightened everywhere, so she was sent to the skies.

One day, Susanowo when to the divine realm to visit his sister Amaterasu. She got surprised and frightened because she didn't forget their last fight. So, Amaterasu decided to arm herseft before meet him. This wasn't what Susanowo expected from his sister, so the God of storms disturbed the peace of heavens. Amaterasu asked the other Gods why a so tormented brother was sent to her. They didn't answered her.

One day when Amaterasu was weaving, Susazano flayed a horse and threw it in the room, killing one of the oldest friends of Amaterasu. Tired of everythin, the Goddess decided to run away. She ran, ran, ran until she found a cave, entered in it and closed the entrance with a rock. This way, Amaterasu though, would be no more war, just peace.

Obviously the world felt under the shadows. Everyone had lost the hope. The world began to die. When everything seemed lost, Uzume, sister of Amaterasu, had an idea. She got naked and started to dance over a barrel, asking to every one of the 800 Gods laugh and yell.

Amaterasu in her cave got surprised. Since the battles with Susanowo she hadn't listened to anything like that. Filled by curiosity, she opened the cave and then the Goddess of Strengh put a mirror in front of her. Seeing her own light reflected in the mirror she forgot her pains and fears. Imediatelly she returned to her palace and promised never again to be influencied by a simple storm.

 

[Siren Stern]

AMATERASU CORRESPONDENCES
Use this correspondences to adorn your Altar to Amaterasu rituals:

Face: Mother
Symbols: the Sun, mirrors, caves, c**k, arrow and bow
Colors: white, orange, red and golden
Element: fire
Day of power: sunday
Sacred animal: c**k
Sacred herb: saffron
Stones: diamond, pyrite, gold, glittering quartz, glittering jasper, yellow zircon