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

Appendices 275
Amphitrité— Goddess of the sea, wife of Poseidon.
Dionysos (Roman Bacchus)— God of the grapevine,
wine, intoxication, and inspiration. Son of
Persephoné and Hades.
Eros (Roman Cupid)— God of love, and the primal
force of attraction in the universe. Originally
born of Chaos, he later incarnated as the son of
Aphrodite. Symbol: cock.
Hekaté/Hecaté— Goddess of crossroads and transitions:
birth, weddings, aging, death. Daughter
of the star goddess, Astra, she is the goddess of
Witchcraft and the Dark Moon.
Hephaestos (Roman Vulcan)— Smith god, son of
Zeus. He is the great artisan, forging all the weapons
and tools of the gods. Symbols: hammer and
tongs.
Kronos (Roman Saturn)—Titan father of Olympians;
god of time and harvest—the original grim
reaper. Symbols: scythe and hourglass. Roman
festival (Saturnalia) December 17-23.
Pan— One of the most ancient gods, representing
the wildness of all nature. He is half-man and halfgoat.
Symbol: the syrinx, or panpipes.
Persephoné (Roman Proserpina)— Daughter of
Demeter, wife of Hades, and queen of the Underworld.
Symbol: the poppy.
Hindu Pantheon
The Hindu pantheon is as vast and ancient as
the people of India. Based on sacred writings called
the Vedas (composed between 1500-600 BCE), it
encompasses many diverse sects, philosophies, and
practices. Many Hindus venerate a complex array
of deities, and consider them as manifestations of the
one supreme cosmic spirit called Brahman, who is the
Ultimate Reality, the Absolute or Universal Soul, without
beginning or end, who is hidden in all and who is
the cause, source, material, and effect of all creation.
The numerous celestial entities in Hinduism are
calledDevas—usually translated into English as “gods,”
but more accurately as demigods, deities, celestial spirits,
or angels. These all emanate from the Triune
Godhead comprised of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu
the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. Many Devas
are seen as avatars, or incarnations, of these three.
Here are some of the most important Devas:
Aditi— “The Void,” gateway and birth-mother to all
limitless possibilities. Lady of space and infinity.
Agni— God of fire and the hearth, protector of Sita,
the wife of Rama. He blesses all weddings.
Brahma— Creator god; primary of the triune godhead,
whose priestly caste are called Brahmins.
Ganesha— Elephant-headed son of Shiva and
Parvati. He is the laughing god who breaks down
all obstacles and brings good fortune.
Hanuman— Monkey god who is both messenger
and trickster. As told in the Ramayana, he helped
Rama rescue Sita from the demon Ravenna.
Indra— Vedic god of lightning and thunder.
Kali— The great mother goddess of time, personified
as the Destroyer. The death-bringing aspect
of the triplicity of destructive goddesses (along
with Durga and Parvati). She is the protector of
abused women, and her festival in the fall is called
Mahankali Jatara Bonalu.
Kama— God of love and desire, his book is the
Kama Sutra.
Krishna— Youthful, dancing, laughing god of joy
and wonder. Later he became a great warrior, as
described in the Bagavadgita.
Laksmi— The Shakti or wife of Vishnu, and first
created of “The 17 Beautiful Things.” Rising on
a lotus flower from a sea of cosmic milk, she is
the goddess of love, marriage, joy, wealth, and
general good fortune. The swan and the elephant
are sacred to her.
Maya— The great mother goddess, she represents
life and reality as the great illusion.
Prithivi— “Mother Nature.” She is the living spirit
of all that is wild and beautiful.
Rama— An avatar of Vishnu, his story is told in
the Rama Yana.
Ratri— Goddess of the night, she is the wife of
Kama, god of love.
Rudra— The red god of storms and war.
Saraswati— Goddess of music and craftwork, she
played the sitar and sang the “om” which began
the vibration that led to all creation. The peacock
is her bird.
Shakti— The female half of all Divinity and all
gods; sometimes thought of as the Divine Wife.
Shiva— “The Destroyer,” who clears the way for
new growth. Third of the Great Triune Gods.
Sita— Wife of Rama, kidnapped by the demon
Ravenna.
Soma— God of bliss and desire fulfilled.
Tara— Goddess of the stars, and of healing and mercy.
Ushas— Goddess of the dawn and springtime.
Vishnu— “The Preserver.” He is the second in the great
trinity; he keeps the wheel of karma turning.
Yama— God of death who takes mortals into his realm
in the Underworld until they are reincarnated.
Japanese Pantheon
Although influenced by the ancient Chinese,
much of Japanese mythology and religion is uniquely
their own. It embraces Shinto and Buddhist traditions
as well as agriculture-based folk beliefs. The
Shinto pantheon alone includes more than 8,000
kami (“gods” or “spirits”). The 8 th century CE Kojiki