Irish mythology: Áine, Boann, Brigid, The Cailleach, Danu, Ériu, Fand and The Morrígan ( Nemain, Macha, and Badb) among others. In some faiths, a sacred female figure holds a central place in religious prayer and worship. For example, Shaktism (one of the three major Hindu sects), holds that the ultimate deity, the source of all reality, is Mahadevi (Supreme Goddess) and in some forms of Tantric Shaivism, the pair of Shiva and Shakti are the ultimate principle (with the goddess representing the active, creative power of God). Meanwhile, in Vajrayana Buddhism, ultimate reality is often seen as being composed of two principles depicted as two deities in union ( yab yum, "father-mother") symbolizing the non-duality of the two principles of perfect wisdom (female) and skillful compassion (male). [2] Tethys (Τηθύς), goddess of the sources of fresh water, and the mother of the rivers, springs, streams, fountains, and clouds The Telchines (Τελχινες), sea spirits native to the island of Rhodes; the gods killed them when they turned to evil magic Macaria (Μακαρία), daughter of Hades and goddess of blessed death (not to be confused with the daughter of Heracles)

The Divine Feminine in Egypt: The Goddess Maat Goddess Maat, Egyptian, date unknown, via the British Museum The characteristic pose with folded hands under the chest we find it in many similar types of figurines from other areas of the Eastern Mediterranean (Syria, Palestine, Cyprus, etc) and it may express an established symbolic type of religious iconography. It is also important to bear in mind the fact that in ancient times there was a high mortality rate, and mother and child face serious dangers of dying during or after childbirth, so often these statuettes were used to call upon divine protection.Virgin goddess of the hearth, home, domesticity and chastity. She is a daughter of Rhea and Cronus, and a sister of Zeus. Not often identifiable in Greek art, she appeared as a modestly veiled woman. Her symbols are the hearth and kettle. She plays little role in Greek myths, and although she is omitted in some lists of the twelve Olympians in favour of Dionysus, no ancient tale tells of her abdicating or giving her seat to Dionysus. [10] Her Roman counterpart Vesta, however, was a major deity of the Roman state. Further information: Devi and Shakti The Goddess Trinity (tridevi, "tri-goddess") of Shaktism, Lakshmi (left), Parvati (middle) and Saraswati (right). Orithyia ( Ὠρείθυια), an Athenian princess abducted by Boreas and made the goddess of cold, gusty mountain winds According to popular legend, it was the Muse Calliope that the Greek poet Homer sought out when writing his epics, Iliad and Odyssey. The Muse Clio Apollo and Artemis were the children of Zeus and Leto. On hearing of Leto's pregnancy, Hera – Zeus' wife – banned Leto from giving birth on land. Leto found the island of Delos (in the Cyclades archipelago of Greece), which was a 'floating' island and wasn't anchored to the mainland, and gave birth to Apollo and Artemis safely there.

From the depths of history, the divine feminine was considered sacred and was worshipped as the matrix of creation. In many ancient societies, the nurturing nature of the divine feminine was associated with the concepts of fertility and creation and took the shape of the Great Mother Goddess. We find the Goddess religion in many parts of the ancient world long before patriarchal religions took over. Societies were structured and operated around these Goddess religions and they were ruled by a collective of priestesses who were devoted to ritual. In one of the tales, Hesiod claimed to have come across the multi-talented nine goddesses in Boeotia while he was shepherding sheep near Mount Helicon. He had gone to Boeotia which, according to his piece Works and Days, was “a cursed place, cruel in winter, hard in summer, never pleasant,” to visit his aging father. The following is a list of gods, goddesses, and many other divine and semi-divine figures from ancient Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion.Cybele: Her Hittite name was Kubaba, but her name changed to Cybele in Phrygian and Roman culture. Her effect can be also seen on Artemis as the Lady of Ephesus. Amymone, the one daughter of Danaus who refused to murder her husband, thus escaping her sisters' punishment The tantric dakini Vajrayogini is an important tantric meditation deity ( yidam) in Tibetan Vajrayana, and is also considered to be a female Buddha in her own right. [22] [21] Tantric Buddhist goddesses were often considered to be fully awakened Buddhas and sometimes are depicted with unique tantric elements, such as skullcups and flaying knives. These tantric deities include Simhamukha, Mahamaya, Vajrayogini, Chinnamunda and Kurukulla. [21]

The Early Divine Feminine: Gaia in Ancient Greek Mythology Goddess Tellus relief, Ara Pacis, circa 13- 9 BCE, via Wikimedia Commons On the other side of things, modern interpretations of the goddess appear on the seal of the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO) and of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC). The “Original” 3 Muses Leto: A mother Goddess figure in Lykia. She was also the main goddess of the capital city of Lykia League ( Letoon) Odysseus, a hero and king of Ithaca whose adventures are the subject of Homer's Odyssey; he also played a key role during the Trojan War Other versions of the legend specified that Apollo, in his jealousy for the affections of Hyacinthus, informed the Muses of Thamyris’ disrespect; or, contrarily, that Thamyris desired the gifts of the Muses and if he were to win, then he would enjoy their favors.

Drawing Inspiration from Goddesses

Melinoe (Μελινόη), daughter of Persephone and Zeus who presided over the propitiations offered to the ghosts of the dead Goddess of grain, agriculture, harvest, growth, and nourishment. Demeter, whose Roman counterpart is Ceres, is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and was swallowed and then regurgitated by her father. She is a sister of Zeus, by whom she bore Persephone, who is also known as Kore, i.e. "the girl." One of the central myths associated with Demeter involves Hades' abduction of Persephone and Demeter's lengthy search for her. Demeter is one of the main deities of the Eleusinian Mysteries, in which the rites seemed to center around Demeter's search for and reunion with her daughter, which symbolized both the rebirth of crops in spring and the rebirth of the initiates after death. She is depicted as a mature woman, often crowned and holding sheafs of wheat and a torch. [6] Her symbols are the cornucopia, wheat-ears, the winged serpent, and the lotus staff. Her sacred animals include pigs and snakes.

Geryon (Γηρυων), a three-bodied giant who dwelt on the sunset isle at the ends of the earth. He was slain by Heracles when the hero arrived to fetch the giant's cattle as one of his twelve labours. With a name that means “to sing,” Melpomene became known as the Muse of the chorus and of tragedy. We can thank Melpomene for the tragic mask half of the theater’s iconic masks symbol, with the other half belonging to her sister, Muse Thalia.Poludnica (Chirtel Ma, Polednica, Polednice, Poloznicha, Południca, Poludniowka, Poludnitsa, Poludnitza, Přezpołdnica, Připołdnica, Przypoludnika) Orpheus (Ὀρφεύς), a legendary musician and poet who attempted to retrieve his dead wife from the Underworld Hecate: Goddess of sorcery and crossroads. Often considered a chthonic or lunar goddess. She is either portrayed as a single goddess or a triple goddess (maiden, mother, crone).