This is how the Sisterhood of Themiskyra traces its heritage.
Ananke was the first, and She begat Hera.
Hera begat Artemis.
Artemis begat Otrere, Mother of the Amazons.
Otrere begat Lysippse, the first Amazon queen.
We consider the history of the Amazon nation as having seven ages.
Age of Origins
Age of Harmony
Age of Victory
Second Age of Victory
Age of Diplomacy
Golden Age
Age of Decline
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Ode to Athena
Wise goddess, gentle Athena
Forever my companion
Though born of Columbia I am bred of you
My sister, my mother, my guardian
This world has not forgotten you
We need your council more than ever
Patroness of all humanity
In your cause, beloved guide
I go forward in pride and love
For wisdom, for justice, for the greater good
Call of Hekate
Daughters of the Great Creatrix
Hearken to Me
I am a creature of the night
An angel of the shadows
I have taken my sip of Eternity
From Her appointed chalice
You need have no fear
In numbers we shall find strength
Reach out to Me and I shall take your hands
Look to the west and raise your sword
Call Me away from my Saturn abode
From within the Womb of Time
My children, you are no less than I
You are the energy of the universe
Death, Fate, and Chaos shall favor you
In my name have naught to fear
Virgin Huntress
Melissae! Melissae!
Stand proud!
Beloved Artemis embrace me
To be a whole woman unto myself
Hail the chaste moon
The wild hare
Total complete satisfied and full
Virgin Huntress
Bless me in purity and light
Guide me well
By your unerring bow
I walk the path of me
Crescent aim crystal complete
Beloved Artemis embrace me
Song of Selene
Selene dances with arms aloft
Through the swaying boughs and blossoms
Sweet scents upon the air
Wild strawberries, new spring grass
Ticklish rosemary, subtle laurel bay
Cypress dressed in her gown of moss
Wherever there rests a large stone
Near to the tangle of roots
There too is Her sanctuary
Delightful, winsome maiden
Divine lady of the brilliant Mother Moon
Gaze into the celestial poor of light
Reflect what is clear and true
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Lady of Olympus
Peacock plumed queen
Always watching, guiding, inspiring
Mother to all women
Mistress of the lightning
Wisdom over impulse
Crown jewels of knowledge
Power in mind and beauty told
She does not love equally
Yet we all are in her care
Never be less than confident
Keep her affection near
Embrace me, great Hera
I am your daughter
Ode to Queen Hera
Upon Olympus where the mountain touches the sky
Hera keeps court on her Peacock Throne
Queen of all the Olympians
She rises all powerful and alone
Sister, Mother, and Friend to all women
Hera does closely attend
The happenings among mankind
And the faithful She does defend
Beautiful and wise and yet capricious
Hera is all unto Her own being
Watching over the world and the planets
All knowing and all seeing
Honor the Mother unto us all
Respect Her, keep Her amity
Always foremost in deep devotions
For mind She has little pity
In triple aspect She guides
The female human race
Look to a rose, a garden, a sea
There too will you see Her face
Jewels of the Moon
Artemis! Selene! Hekate!
Triple gems
Emerald, ruby, amethyst
Each a treasure unto herself
Together a celestial magnificence
The Hunt, the Mother, the Craft
All phases of all women in time
Hail the ladies, hail the whole
Three time beat of life lived
All ages join hands in the circle
The dance of women
The turning of the moon
Ananke, The Imminent Divine
Fate, doom, necessity
Sends one becoming into the world
Often comes unbidden
Gifts beyond imagination
Truth and lie detector
Manifesting through intuition
That inner voice
Timeless and shamanic
Hera Unveiled
You've probably met Hera (known to the Romans as Juno) before, perhaps on your own or in a high school classical mythology unit. You probably know her as the nagging, shrewish wife of Zeus (Jupiter), the king of the gods and great lord of Olympus. But did you know that back in the mists of the ancient world, Hera was a Great Mother figure of the eastern Mediterranean region, a sky goddess beloved by millions in her own right as Queen of the Heavens? The jump from sovereign female to screeching grudge-holder takes some imagination to visualize, but over a few centuries Hera was so demoted. How, why, and what of the Hera that came before the arrival of Zeus?
Restoring Hera to her rightful place as a Great Mother Goddess is not a work of feminist revisionist history. Clues from the ancient world reveal the true Hera. The ruins of Hera's temple at Olympia remain beautiful and elegant, reflecting a love for a magnificent and inspirational goddess. The signs of Hera as she is portrayed in literature are lacking. Where is the ruthless and envious character that gives Zeus nothing but grief in Hellenic lore?
Maybe you have heard about Io, the beautiful woman in Hellenic lore that Zeus happened to notice as he was searching the world for a new romantic conquest. In return for the great honor of Zeus' lust, Io stood helpless as Zeus changed her into a heifer. This way, so Zeus believed, the king of the Olympians could deny the charge of infidelity leveled at him by his spiteful and jealous wife, Hera. As wise as she was angry, Hera demanded that Zeus give her the heifer as a token of his affections. Zeus could do nothing to protect the animal that had been the woman who had been his lover. At first Hera kept the heifer tied up in her own sanctuary. Later, Hera sent the notorious gadfly to continuously bite and irritate Io.
This tale isn't favorable for the innocent Io, but it is even more damaging to the character of Hera. She is best known as the wife of Zeus (or Juno to the Roman Jupiter), but when Hera is unveiled she becomes a great and ancient mother goddess, much beloved by her people.
The story of Io is a good example of how the tribes dedicated to the Sky Father grafted their own lore onto the pre-existing religious structures that existed wherever they invaded. On the Island of Argos the people worshipped Hera. "Hera" is not a name but a title, meaning "Our Lady." The Argives saw Hera as "cow-eyed," which culturally indicated her close association with the moon and making rain. Io was an Argive priestess-princess who led the people in public dances intended to ask for rain.
But this is not the version that has survived to modern times. Because the indigenous devotion to Hera remained strong, the tribes of Zeus joined the two deities in a marriage of convenience. The result was the jealous and wrathful Hera of the Hellenic age.
Hera never wanted anything to do with Zeus. She certainly never wanted to marry him. However, Zeus desired the majestic sky goddess with all that he was. He knew that Hera had a special fondness for a certain bird, the cuckoo, and he knew he could count on her compassionate nature. With this in mind, Zeus transformed himself into a disheveled cuckoo and flew into Hera's lap for sympathy. The kind Hera took pity on the bird. Her shock knew no boundaries when she suddenly found herself being raped by Zeus. Humiliated, Hera needed to restore her honor by marrying Zeus. This tale is likely a metaphor for the way in which Hera's people were conquered by the tribes of Zeus. Hera's later angry behavior towards her husband indicates the indignation of her people.
Let's look at Hera as she originally was, a beneficent sky mother holding her own among celestial powers. As mentioned before, "Hera" was a title and not a proper name. What Hera's original name was is lost to history. Hera reigned in beauty as queen of the earth and the heavens and human beings. She was kind to all, but favored women and female sexuality.
Hera began as a triple goddess. In her maiden form she was Pais, childless and free from responsibilities. She symbolized blossoming youth. Her middle form was called Teleia and presented her as a mother in the prime of life. In her third form she grew into Chera, the crone who has passed through motherhood to return to herself.
We might think the original Olympics were ancient. But the Heraea was an old festival that predated the Olympic games. These were athletics for women held in Hera's honor. Women of Argos would gather to compete in foot races. The competitors were divided into three age groups to mirror Hera's triple nature. Winners were given the great honor of leaving statuettes of themselves in Hera's main shrine.
This is almost the converse of the Olympic games. At Olympia, not only were women forbidden from competing, women could not even be spectators. In fact, any woman who tried to transgress these hard rules would be slaughtered. It can be deduced that the importance of the divine feminine had been greatly diminished by the time of the arrival of the ancient Olympics.
Another celebration observed Hera as the sovereign over death and rebirth. A statue of Hera would be carried down to the water to be cleansed in a symbolic renewal. Hera was both autumn and spring, death and life, and to worship her was to continue the eternal cycle.
Hera was by no means the only goddess so demoted. This trend can be found in Europe as well as on other continents. In many cases, such as the instances of Lilith and Tiamat, the goddess was simply demonized. She who was not demonized might have been turned into a monster like the Gorgon. In the Celtic world goddesses were assimilated into Christianity as new saints.
Restoring Hera to her rightful place as a Great Mother Goddess is not a work of feminist revisionist history. Clues from the ancient world reveal the true Hera. The ruins of Hera's temple at Olympia remain beautiful and elegant, reflecting a love for a magnificent and inspirational goddess. The signs of Hera as she is portrayed in literature are lacking. Where is the ruthless and envious character that gives Zeus nothing but grief in Hellenic lore?
Maybe you have heard about Io, the beautiful woman in Hellenic lore that Zeus happened to notice as he was searching the world for a new romantic conquest. In return for the great honor of Zeus' lust, Io stood helpless as Zeus changed her into a heifer. This way, so Zeus believed, the king of the Olympians could deny the charge of infidelity leveled at him by his spiteful and jealous wife, Hera. As wise as she was angry, Hera demanded that Zeus give her the heifer as a token of his affections. Zeus could do nothing to protect the animal that had been the woman who had been his lover. At first Hera kept the heifer tied up in her own sanctuary. Later, Hera sent the notorious gadfly to continuously bite and irritate Io.
This tale isn't favorable for the innocent Io, but it is even more damaging to the character of Hera. She is best known as the wife of Zeus (or Juno to the Roman Jupiter), but when Hera is unveiled she becomes a great and ancient mother goddess, much beloved by her people.
The story of Io is a good example of how the tribes dedicated to the Sky Father grafted their own lore onto the pre-existing religious structures that existed wherever they invaded. On the Island of Argos the people worshipped Hera. "Hera" is not a name but a title, meaning "Our Lady." The Argives saw Hera as "cow-eyed," which culturally indicated her close association with the moon and making rain. Io was an Argive priestess-princess who led the people in public dances intended to ask for rain.
But this is not the version that has survived to modern times. Because the indigenous devotion to Hera remained strong, the tribes of Zeus joined the two deities in a marriage of convenience. The result was the jealous and wrathful Hera of the Hellenic age.
Hera never wanted anything to do with Zeus. She certainly never wanted to marry him. However, Zeus desired the majestic sky goddess with all that he was. He knew that Hera had a special fondness for a certain bird, the cuckoo, and he knew he could count on her compassionate nature. With this in mind, Zeus transformed himself into a disheveled cuckoo and flew into Hera's lap for sympathy. The kind Hera took pity on the bird. Her shock knew no boundaries when she suddenly found herself being raped by Zeus. Humiliated, Hera needed to restore her honor by marrying Zeus. This tale is likely a metaphor for the way in which Hera's people were conquered by the tribes of Zeus. Hera's later angry behavior towards her husband indicates the indignation of her people.
Let's look at Hera as she originally was, a beneficent sky mother holding her own among celestial powers. As mentioned before, "Hera" was a title and not a proper name. What Hera's original name was is lost to history. Hera reigned in beauty as queen of the earth and the heavens and human beings. She was kind to all, but favored women and female sexuality.
Hera began as a triple goddess. In her maiden form she was Pais, childless and free from responsibilities. She symbolized blossoming youth. Her middle form was called Teleia and presented her as a mother in the prime of life. In her third form she grew into Chera, the crone who has passed through motherhood to return to herself.
We might think the original Olympics were ancient. But the Heraea was an old festival that predated the Olympic games. These were athletics for women held in Hera's honor. Women of Argos would gather to compete in foot races. The competitors were divided into three age groups to mirror Hera's triple nature. Winners were given the great honor of leaving statuettes of themselves in Hera's main shrine.
This is almost the converse of the Olympic games. At Olympia, not only were women forbidden from competing, women could not even be spectators. In fact, any woman who tried to transgress these hard rules would be slaughtered. It can be deduced that the importance of the divine feminine had been greatly diminished by the time of the arrival of the ancient Olympics.
Another celebration observed Hera as the sovereign over death and rebirth. A statue of Hera would be carried down to the water to be cleansed in a symbolic renewal. Hera was both autumn and spring, death and life, and to worship her was to continue the eternal cycle.
Hera was by no means the only goddess so demoted. This trend can be found in Europe as well as on other continents. In many cases, such as the instances of Lilith and Tiamat, the goddess was simply demonized. She who was not demonized might have been turned into a monster like the Gorgon. In the Celtic world goddesses were assimilated into Christianity as new saints.
Celebrating The Moons
The Sisterhood of Themiskyra observes Full Moons and New Moons as times for celebration and ritual. The liturgical year begins with the Full Moon immediately following the Spring Equinox. Here is the list of goddesses and themes for each Moon.
Hera - beginnings, the female divive
Hekate - the final cycle of life
Athena - wisdom, logic, reason, and strength
Persephone - maiden goddess of death
Ananke - the Goddess in everything
Kybele - Great Mother with many faces
Diktynna - the bounty the Goddess gives to the earth
Baubo - taking pleasure in what is bawdy
Pasiphae - the primordial Mother
Eris - power of discord and chaos
Artemis - a woman complete unto herself
Nyx - power of darkness and night
Gaia - Mother Earth
Eileithyia - the force of birth and life
Lachesis - weaver of the threads of Fate
Nike - all manner or triumph and victory
Atropos - cutter of the threads of Fate
Demeter - all that lives upon the earth
Thetis - depths of the oceans
Hestia - home and sacred thought
Chera - Hera in the Crone aspect
Hebe - being young at any age
Kalligenia - beauty within
Hygeia - health and healing
Mnemosyne - memories
Hera - beginnings, the female divive
Hekate - the final cycle of life
Athena - wisdom, logic, reason, and strength
Persephone - maiden goddess of death
Ananke - the Goddess in everything
Kybele - Great Mother with many faces
Diktynna - the bounty the Goddess gives to the earth
Baubo - taking pleasure in what is bawdy
Pasiphae - the primordial Mother
Eris - power of discord and chaos
Artemis - a woman complete unto herself
Nyx - power of darkness and night
Gaia - Mother Earth
Eileithyia - the force of birth and life
Lachesis - weaver of the threads of Fate
Nike - all manner or triumph and victory
Atropos - cutter of the threads of Fate
Demeter - all that lives upon the earth
Thetis - depths of the oceans
Hestia - home and sacred thought
Chera - Hera in the Crone aspect
Hebe - being young at any age
Kalligenia - beauty within
Hygeia - health and healing
Mnemosyne - memories
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