Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

Appendices 271
Mider— A god of the underworld whose wife, Etain,
was carried off by Angus.
Morrigan, Macha, and Nemain— Triple Goddesses
of war and destruction.
Nuada— Son of Dana and chief of the Tuatha. He
lost a hand in battle, and Goibnu made him one
of silver.
Ogma— God of eloquence and literature, he invented
the Ogham alphabet used in sacred writings.
Some other Celtic & Gaelic Deities:
Aine— Goddess of sex and fertility.
Ana/Anu— “Mother Earth.”
Arawn— God of the Underworld (Annwfn).
Arionrhod— Moon goddess: “Arionrhod of the
Silver Wheel.”
Belenos— Sun god.
Bilé— God of the Underworld, husband of Danu.
Blodeuwedd— Flower goddess created by Gwydion.
Cernunnos— Stag-antlered god of animals, the
Underworld, and wealth.
Dana/Danu— Great mother goddess of the Tuatha.
The Danube and Don Rivers are named for her.
Epona— Horse goddess.
Flidais— Huntress and protector of deer.
Grainne— Sun goddess.
Mabon— Harvest god, son of Modron.
Modron— Great mother goddess of the land.
Rhiannon— Bird goddess and lady of the Faeries.
The wife of King Pwyll, kidnapped by Arawn.
Robur— Green Man; god of vegetation.
Taranis— God of storms, thunder, and lightning.
Tethra—God of death.
Wayland— Smith god.
Chinese Pantheon
Chinese mythology is believed to have originated
in the 12th century BCE (around the time of
the Trojan War). The myths and legends were
passed down orally for over 1,000 years, before
being written down in early books such as Shan
Hai Jing (“Tales from the Mountains and Seas”).
Other myths continued to be passed down through
oral traditions such as theatre and song, before
being recorded in the form of novels such as
Fengshen Yanyi (“The Creation of the Gods”).
Chang’e— Goddess of the moon. Unlike other lunar
deities who personify the moon, Chang’e just
lives there.
Dragon Kings— The four divine rulers of the four
cardinal seas. They can shapeshift into human
form and manipulate clouds and rain. When angered,
they can cause floods.
Eight Immortals— These are represented as a
group; rarely individually. Each Immortal’s power
can be transferred to a tool of power (the “Covert
Eight Immortals”), that can give life or destroy
evil. The Eight Immortals are:
• Cao Guojiu (“Royal Uncle Cao”)— Patron of
actors, he is shown with castanets or a jade tablet
of admission to court.
• Han Xiang Zi (“Philosopher Han Xiang”)—
Patron of musicians, he is often shown with a flute.
• He Xiangu (“Immortal Woman He”)— She is
shown with a lotus blossom or flower basket.
• Lan Caihe— Patron of florists, he is an effeminate
and eccentric youth who carries a flower basket.
• Li Tieguai (“Iron-crutch Li”)— Emblem of the
sick, he carries a crutch and a gourd.
• Lü Dongbin (755-805 C.E.)— Patron of barbers,
he is a scholar with a magic sword.
• Zhang Guo Lao (“Comprehension-of-Profundity”)—
Emblem of old men, he rides a mule and
carries a tube-drum.
• Zhongli Quan— Official leader of the Immortals
and a military figure, he carries a fan.
Erlang Shen/Yang Jian— War god with a third
true-seeing eye in the middle of his forehead. He
carries a three-pronged, two-edged polearm and
is followed by his Celestial Hound.
Fu Hsi— First of the mythical Three Sovereigns of
ancient China. He invented writing, fishing, and
trapping.
Kuan Yin— Bodhisattva of compassion, known in
the West as the Goddess of Mercy. Her name is
short for Kuan Shih Yin (“Observing the Sounds
of the World”).
Hotei/Bu-Dai (“Calico Bag Arhat”)— Known in
the West as the obese Laughing Buddha. Based
on an eccentric Chinese Chan monk, in China he
is called the Loving or Friendly One.
Huang Di or Yellow Emperor— One of the Five
Emperors, he is said to have reigned from 2698-
2599 BCE, and is believed to be the ancestor of all
Han Chinese.
Jade Emperor— Ruler of Heaven and among the
most important Taoist gods, known informally
as Grandpa Heaven.
Three Pure Ones— Three Taoist deities:
• The Jade Pure, “Heavenly Worthy of the Primordial
Beginning.”
• The Upper Pure, “Heavenly Worthy of the
Numinous Treasure.”
• The Great Pure, “Heavenly Worthy of the Way
and its Virtue.”
Matsu (“Mother-Ancestor”)— Popular Taoist goddess
of the sea, who protects sailors and fishermen.
Meng Po (“Lady of Forgetfulness”)— She serves in
Feng Du, the Chinese realm of the dead, where her
“Five Flavored Tea of Forgetfulness” ensures that