Athena (ah-THEE-nah)

Goddess of Wisdom-most powerful of Greek Godesses

Seen with an owl representing enlightenment and a serpent, symbolizing fertility

Gave the city of Athens, Greece its name

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Diana (die-AN-ah)

Roman Mother of Wild Animals and Hunting

Sometimes called the Moon Goddess

Many statues created show her with many breasts on her torso to represent her ability to feed all creatures

She controls the changing of the moon, reflecting the changing of the cycles of nature

Praised for her strength and athletic grace, as well as, her skill as a huntress

Many pray to her to help them have a good hunting trip

She is believed to rule all things in the wild forest

Diana symbolizes the Earth's ability to provide for all its creatures, even the coldest harshest winter

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Hsi Wang Mu (SHEE-WANG-MUH)

Chinese Goddess of Eternal Life/Immortality

Seen in her golden palace on Jade Mountain with her white cranes and red phoenixes, both who symbolize long life

Responsible for growing magical peaches which give eternal life to anyone who eats them

However, it takes 3 thousand years for her peach trees to produce the fruits

Chinese wizards used her peach tree branches as magic wands

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Isis (Eye-sis)

Egyptian Fertility Goddess

The Great Mother Goddess of the Universe

Wore her traditional headress with a sun-disk between 2 cow horns

Took care of the affairs of the day, while her sister, Nephthys, took care of the night. She also had two brothers named Set and Osiris

When Isis and her sister were old enough, the sun god, Ra married Isis to her brother Osiris and Nephthys to Set

Set became very jealous of Osiris and Isis's love for each other and he trapped his brother in a coffin and threw him into the Nile. Isis found him by turning herself into a kite and searching everywhere. Next, Set cut Osiris into 14 pieces and scattered them in all different directions. Isis searched and searched until she had found them all. She pieced them all together and with her power of love, brought him back to life just long enough to conceive their son, Horus the falcon-headed god.

Isis is the force of love that can create new life out of old

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Oya (oy-YAH)

African Goddess of the Niger River

Wears a headdress decorated with copper nails that looks like her husband, Shango, God of Thunder's axe

When she is happy, the river flows smoothly, bringing clear water to the families for drinking

When she is angry, the river overflows or runs dry

She brings storm winds to warn the guilty that her husband is approaching

She is praised for her persuasive and charming speech since words are created by wind that we breathe

Many women pray to her to help them choose the right words to use to ease conflicts and gain power

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Rhiannon (REE-an-non)

British Celtic Horse Goddess

Shown dressed in royal gold robes always accompanied by 3 birds. The song of these 3 birds could lull the living to death, restore the dead to life, and heal sadness & pain

Always seen riding a white horse with a bundle of grain on one side showing her connection to the harvest

In Berskshire, England, there is a huge impression of a horse carved in the chalk on the side of a hill dating back to the 1st century B.C. to honor her

She brought horses to the people to use for traveling, plowing fields, and transporting heavy loads.

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Estsanatlehi (est-san-AT-lu-hee)

North American Navajo Earth Goddess

Appears as a young maiden in spring and summer and as an old woman in the fall and winter

Her name means "woman who changes" because she represents the ever-changing earth on which plants grow, die, and are born again each year

Her home is surrounded by 4 mountains. Each mountian is a replica of the north, south, east & west boundaries of the Navajo nation

By dancing on each of her mountains, she brings various gifts to her people: from the north-corn & animals; the south-beautiful fabrics and jewels; the east-rain clouds; the west-plants of all kinds

Creator of the "Blessingway"-a group of special Navajo rituals

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Pele (PEH-leh)

Hawaiian Goddess of Fire

Rules over all kinds of fire, but mostly over the lava flowing from volcanoes

Fine strands of molten lava are called "Pele's hair"

Hawaiians believe that Pele visits them at times and is described as having a back as straight as a cliff and breasts as round as the moon. She is described as the most beautiful woman on earth.

Pele brings fire to her people to use for cooking and to heat their homes. But like fire itself, she has the power to destroy as well as to create. If she is pleased by the islanders' prayers, she will not destroy their villages with her hot lava. But if angered, she has the ability to turn the people and animals to stone.

Hawaiians also believe that earthquakes are caused by Pele's angry stomp of her foot

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