Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Goddess and God---who inspired art,culture In Europe

I had been working to International tourist who were the vvip from all over the world.They were from Uk,USA,Canada,Australia,Newjiland,Germany,holland,switzerland and so on.when ever i vesited wih them to ou hindu God and Goddess temple like lord shiva ,lord Vishnu and Goddess Chandi devi emple in Reshikesh,Haridwar to gangotri,yamunotri,Badrinah, Kedarnath.Everbody showed their humble and devotionaly respect to the wisdom of our god and Goddess. Either it was a a International Tourist goup quriosiy or They were Higly sensitve spritual .They respected lot to lord Shiva.I their fore want to pay respec to International god and Goddess. They respcted our god AnI am just sending you the great inspiring article to inspire yopu. I belive that---to inspire someyone is the most great job of the god...So please read and be one with the Grekk Goddess.Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts . He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts . He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. as soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, Cupid punished her by leaving her. Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too. Psyche found herself alone in an open field with no signs of other beings or Cupid. As she wandered trying to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus. Wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous then the last.
For her last task Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the box. During her trip she was given tips onavoiding the dangers of the realm of the dead. She was also warned not to open the box. But Temptation overcame Psyche and she opened the box. But instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber.Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the deadly sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid made her a goddess.Today, Cupid and his arrows have become the most popular of love signs, and love is most frequently depicted by two hearts pierced by an arrow, Cupid's arrow.Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, lust, procreation, sexual reproduction and fertility. Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Venus. She is also the protector of the sailors and the myrtle, the dove, the sparrow, the swan, the apple, the scallop shell and the mirror are sacred to her. She is accompanied by the winged god of love called Eros.Aphrodite the goddess of love has her origins from ancient civilizations. Her origins can be traced from the old Asian Goddesses like the Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Palestinian goddess i.e.the ancient Semitic goddess of love Ishtar. So the Greek were not the first to worship the goddess of love. Matter of fact the ancient Greek themselves believed that Aphrodite was both Greek and foreign in origin. It is said that she was in fact "Cyprian" and many of her attributes reflect the origins of Asian Mycenaean times. She is a mix of Hellenic or Aegean Goddess. She also latter got identified with Venus the Roman goddess of love. Her offspring's are said to be the founder ruling clan of the roman civilization.Aphrodite: The dual birth storyThe Goddess of love has two birth stories and one relates to her birth from Uranus and here she is called as the Aphrodite Uranus or Celestial Aphrodite and through this birth she manifests all higher quality of love that is pure and spiritual. In this manifestation she is linked to the creation of the world and that makes her one of the oldest divinities who is present from the beginning of time. On the other hand there is another birth story attributed to her where she is known be the daughter of Zeus. In this manifestation she is linked to the basal nature of love, lust and physical satisfaction. Therefore Aphrodite seems to be a goddess who can manifest all the qualities of love from the most basal and physical to highest order of spiritual love.
Aphrodite: In Mythological manifestationsShe is patron deity of love and she has assisted both human and divine lovers. She was involved in bringing together the most famous couple of Greek myth that is Paris and Helen. She was also a goddess who was personally involved with lot of lovers both divine and human. She was considered as a unique and powerful deity with tremendous powers in the matter of love, freedom and human feelings.Aphrodite: Hidden powersHer domain of influence included the innermost feelings of the heart and the reservoir of human passion. Such power was revealed through her actions both towards her faithful followers and those who incited her anger. She was particularly wrathful against those who tried to disrupt or prevent the natural workings of love and sexuality. Her abilities where not just a tool for creating petty love but a real instrument of power which could kindle and awaken the innermost hidden passions of love in all beings.Aphrodite: True meaning of her manifestationsIn her basal manifestation, she was the symbol of freedom and liberated sexuality. She was a rebel in true sense and her seductive abilities where of the highest order. Nobody could resist her charms that came from her embroidered griddle that, in both gods and men aroused passion for the wearer. She was in fact feared and that's why anybody who opposed the workings of love and sexuality condemned her reputation. She had lovers among both God and human. Her affairs with the God of War, Ares and creation of many children is the most well known affair with the divine. On the other hand she is also credited in giving birth to the founder of the nation of Italy and the mystical founder of the Roman people, Aeneas who is one of the most well known mortal children she had. Aeneas was born with her liaison she had with a shepherd. Her control over love and passion was complete and with this power she could influence both the divine and the mortal in a profound manner.Aphrodite: A glimpse of the War Goddess
Aphrodite may have been also projected as a war goddess especially in Sparta which was a militaristic state and where even girls where raised in militaristic traditions. She was also paired with the god of war, Ares in mythology and worship. Even when her origins are traced to the ancient goddesses we find the attribute of goddess of war being projected. Ishtar the ancient goddess to whom she is linked was a goddess of war and fertility.Aphrodite: Her celebration in art and festivalsAs a Greek goddess of love, beauty, fertility and passion she had rich presence in numerous myths, poems, plays and stories. She was richly depicted in Greek sculpture and vase painting. She was often depicted nude. Vase paintings of antiquity have shown her associated with the dove and the goose on which she is seen riding. She has also been painted riding the giant scallop shell. Venus de Milo, the statue with a lost arm is one of her famous representations. In ancient Greece her festival the Aphrodisiac was celebrated in various centers and her priestesses were considered to be goddess and sexual intercourse with them was considered as a way of worship of the goddess..Aphrodite: The true symbolization.Aphrodite was truly a powerful and influential goddess of the Greek who symbolized love, passion and freedom. Her worship was a celebration of the most primal instincts of the human nature as well as the highest ideals of love and emotion. She represented the most basal passions of physicality as well as the most scared, pure, compassionate and spiritual manifestation of love. She was a goddess to whom humanity could closely relate to in terms of fertility, nurturing and growth.The Three Graces:They are the beautiful sister Goddesses who attended Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, and were personifications of grace and beauty.They spread the joy of nature and lived on Mount Olympus. Their names, number and parentage vary, but they are generally said to be three sisters named Euphrosyne, who represented jollity, Thalia identified with abundance, and Aglaea, a representation of splendor.
They are daughters of Zeus and Eurynome or Hera, who have influenced artists throughout the ages depicted in sculpture and vase paintings by the ancient Greeks, in Roman wall paintings at Pompeii, in Botticelli's allegorical painting known as Springtime, and in a marble statue carved by Canova.In art they are frequently represented as naked girls with their hands on each other's shoulders, the two outer figures looking one way and the middle one looking the otherVenus:Roman Goddess of Sexual Love and Beauty. Her famous Renaissance depiction, birthed from sea-foam, belies her earlier association with Artemis as a Lady of the Hunt. Venus was also Goddess of the Oceans. The uppermost famous image, Venus rising from the seafoam, comes from wall frescos at Pompeii, the Italian coastal city where she was particularly venerated. Her worship by the Romans included temple instruction in sacred sexual techniques for achieving heightened spiritual consciousness. The metal associated with Aphrodite is copper which is abundant on the Isle of Cyprus, an early place of worship.The classical Goddess Venus emerges from the water on a shell, blown towards shore by the Zephyrs, symbols of spiritual passions. According to some authorities, the naked goddess is a symbol not of earthly, but spiritual love. The modest pose is borrowed from the Venus Pudica type of ancient sculpture then being rediscovered.This distinctly pagan depiction is remarkable in that it was made at a time and place when most artworks depicted Roman Catholic themes and is taken from the famous pagan themed work of Botticelli. Because Botticelli was very close to Lorenzo de Medici, his Birth of Venus painting was spared from Savonarola's fires (who burned much of his other pagan inspired works) and he escaped the disapproval of the Church.Venus de Milo Statues:Speculations into what her missing arms held include a shield, a mirror, a dove, or a spindle, but most likely it was an apple (Melos means apple). Her award of the golden apple in the Judgment of Paris (beating out Hera and Athena) led to the Trojan War. From an inscription on its now-lost plinth, it is thought to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch [c. 130 B.C.E., The Louvre, Paris]
Goddess Flora's function was to make the grain, vegetables and trees bloom so that autumn's harvest would be good. She was invoked to avert rust, a nasty fungal disease of plants that causes orange growths the exact color of rusting iron, especially a problem affecting wheat.Her name is related to Latin floris, meaning "a flower", with the additional meaning of "[something] in its prime".Flora was said to have provided Juno with a magic flower that would allow Her to conceive with no help from a man; from this virgin-birth Mars was born. A late tale calls Flora a courtesan and gives Her a story similar to Acca Larentia: Flora was said to have made a fortune as a courtesan, which She bequeathed to Rome upon Her death, and for which She was honored with the festival of the Floralia.Flora had two temples in Rome, one near the Circus Maximus, the great "stadium" of Rome where chariot races were held, and another on the slopes of the Quirinal Hill. Flora's temple by the Circus was dedicated on the 28th of April in 241 (or 248) BCE in response to a great drought at the command of the Sybilline books, and this day became the starting date of Her great festival, the Floralia.The Floralia of April was originally a moveable feast to coincide with the blossoming of the plants, later becoming fixed with the dedication of Her temple on the 28th (or 27th, before the calendar was reformed--I mention this because holidays were almost always held on odd-numbered days as it was considered unlucky to start a festival on an even-numbered day), though ludi or "games"--horse-races or athletic contests--were not held every year. By the Empire the festival had grown seven days, and included chariot-races and theatrical performances, some of which were notoriously bawdy. It was given over to merriment and celebrations of an amorous nature, much like that northern flower-and-sex festival Beltaine whose date neatly coincides. Prostitutes considered it their own special time, and the Floralia gained a reputation as being more licentious and abandoned than the Saturnalia of December.
Flora was depicted by the Romans wearing light spring clothing, holding small bouquets of flowers, sometimes crowned with blossoms. Honey, made from flowers, is one of Her gifts, and Her name is said to be one of the secret (holy) names of Rome. She is sometimes called the handmaiden of Ceres.Fortuna is Lady Luck, who promises richesThe Goddess or Fate who ruled each individual's "Wheel of Fortune," called Tyche by the Greeks, was envisioned as a kindly deity similar to a guardian angel. Her Roman name was Fortuna.Fortuna was the Roman Goddess of Fortune, chance, and prosperity, and one of the most popular Roman deities during the period of Servius Tullius.She was the Roman adaptation of the Greek Goddess of Fortune, Tykhe. Other names for her were Primigenia, Virilis, Respiciens, Muliebris, and Annonaria.She is usually portrayed standing, blindfolded, wearing a rich dress and holding either the cornucopia, rudder, ball, or wheel of fortune.Cupid is the Roman god of love, known as Eros in Greece. The Romans considered him the son of Venus and Mercury, while to the Greeks, he was the son of Aphrodite and Hermes. The breathtaking beauty of a mortal woman, Psyche, and his own accidental arrow, caused him to fall in love not only with a mortal, but one his mother Venus had hired him to trick.Venus's jelousy of Psyche's beauty rouses her to call in her son for help. The mischievous winged Cupid was ordered by his mother to "punish that contumacious beauty; give thy mother a revenge as sweet as her injuries are great; infuse into the bosom of that haughty girl a passion for some low, mean, unworthy being, so that she may reap a mortification as great as her present exultation and triumph."Cupid prepared to obey the commands of his mother. Touching his arrow to her side as she lay sleeping, she awoke, and saw him. He was so startled, he then wounded himself with his own arrow.Psyche married Cupid, but was not allowed to see her husband, lest his mother might kill the beauty. He came only in the hours of darkness and left before dawn. But he spoke tender words of love and inspired a romantic passion in her. She often begged him to stay and let her see him, but he would not consent. On the contrary he asked her to make no attempt to see him.
But Psyche did take a look late one night. It caused Cupid to fly away, and his mother Venus to become enraged. Following a series of difficult trials, the lovers were finally reunited. Eventually, they had a daughter whose name was Pleasure.Blufinch writes that the story is allegorical. "The fable of Cupid and Psyche is usually considered allegorical. The Greek name for a butterfly is Psyche, and the same word means the soul. There is no illustration of the immortality of the soul so striking and beautiful as the butterfly, bursting on brilliant wings from the tomb in which it has lain, after a dull, grovelling, caterpillar existence, to flutter in the blaze of day and feed on the most fragrant and delicate productions of the spring. Psyche, then, is the human soul, which is purified by sufferings and misfortunes, and is thus prepared for the enjoyment of true and pure happiness."Excerpts from Bulfinch and a more complete story of Cupid and Psyche can be found in The Age of Fable: Stories of Gods and Heroes by Thomas Bulfinch (1796-1867).DIANA/ARTEMIS: Greek/Roman-- Goddess of the wild beasts, wild places, the hunt, and a special protectress of women, her crescent bow symbolized the moon. The woman who runs with the wolves, this moon Goddess, also called Artemis, was renamed Diana, Queen of Heaven, by the Romans. She was the chief feminine deity worshiped in Roman towns all over Europe. In this form she was venerated by the Gauls well into the 7th century CE. Diana also carried forth the legacy of Diana of Ephesus. The columns of her temple were incorporated into Constantinople's Church of St. Sophia.ARTEMIS/DIANA: Cultivate decisiveness and self-esteem with Artemis, whose bow is symbolic of an exquisitely tuned inner tension. She is the deity of wild places, groves and ponds. This moon-goddess was "whole without a man," hence immune to falling in love, and was the Protectress of Animals. The goddess of forests and the hunt stands bathed in moonlight, her bow raised in a "calling down the moon" ritual gesture. Her graceful stance reflects the awe ancient people felt toward healing women who were whole unto themselves. Her confidence will inspire you!
"One of the most enduring of the great Classical Goddesses, Diana is the Roman name for the Greek Goddess Artemis. Diana is a lunar divinity dedicated to the waxing crescent. She has many titles: Maiden Huntress, Mistress of the Beasts, Queen of the Night, Lady of the Grove. She is one of the virgin goddesses who was first and foremost a women's goddess. She never married and preferred to roam the woodlands with Her retinue of nymphs and forest creatures. All young animals were sacred to Her as She was their protector. Her favorites were bears, deer, hares, cats, hounds and other animals and birds associated with the Moon."Originally, Diana was associated with Great Mother goddesses of Asia Minor, such as Cybele. One legend says Her famous temple at Ephesus was originally built by the Amazons around a wooden image adorned with a black meteoric stone. Later, wealthy King Croesus rebuilt it into one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Her early association with the Great Mother gained Her a reputation as a midwife and nurse. By the time She was included in the Greek pantheon She was said to be the daughter of Zeus by Leto and the sister of Apollo."By Roman times, Diana had become the patron goddess of the underdog in many ways. Women, children, baby animals, eunuchs, lesbians, slaves and outlaws were all Her special charges, though She remained steadfastly a virgin and no man could enter Her temple on the Aventine in Rome. However, in Ephesus, Her priestesses were gradually replaced by eunuch priests until, by the time it was destroyed by Christians in the 7th Century CE, women were no longer allowed inside the temple even to make offerings!"Diana was so beloved by society's underdogs that even after Her worship was forbidden under penalty of death, She became the secret rallying goddess of those disaffected with the Roman Catholic Church. Thus it was that Diana became the Goddess of Witches during the Dark and Middle Ages in Europe, and many a woman burned at the stake died with the name of this goddess on her lips. In fact, for over 400 years, little girls could not be christened with the name Diana, such was the fear She inspired in the hearts of the Church Fathers!
"Oberon's exquisite modern interpretation of (the Silvery Blue) Diana was actually inspired by the final scene in the Pastorale portion of Walt Disney's "Fantasia." Night has fallen and the Maiden Huntress steps out onto a silvery cloud. Bending the crescent bow of the new moon in her hands, she fires a meteoric arrow which steaks across the starry night sky.--Morning Glory Zell Anahitaby Micha F. Lindemans from about.comAnahita is an ancient Persian water goddess, fertility goddess, and patroness of women, as well as a goddess of war. Her name means "the immaculate one". She is portrayed as a virgin, dressed in a golden cloak, and wearing a diamond tiara (sometimes also carrying a water pitcher). The dove and the peacock are her sacred animals.Anahita was very popular and is one of the forms of the 'Great Goddess' which appears in many ancient eastern religions (such as the Syrian/Phoenician goddess Anath). She is associated with rivers and lakes, as the waters of birth. Anahita is sometimes regarded as the consort of Mithra.When Persia conquered Babylonia (in the 6th century BCE), Anahita began to show some similarities with the goddess Ishtar. Since then her cult included the practice of temple prostitution. During the reign of king Artaxerxes (436-358 BCE) many temples were erected in her honor. Locations included Soesa, Ecbatana, and Babylon.Athena:Greek Goddess of Wisdom, War, the Arts,Industry, Justice and SkillAthena was the Goddess of wisdom and women's crafts in the mythology of the Greeks. She was also a defender against evil and as such she was a warrior Goddess par excellence. The daughter of Zeus and Metis, when her mother became pregnant, Gaia and Uranus told Zeus that after giving birth to a daughter, Metis would then have a son by Zeus who would later dethrone him. On Gaia's advice, Zeus swallowed Metis. When the time came for the child to be born, Zeus was afflicted with a dreadful headache and sought the help of Hephaestus who split his skull with a bronze axe to relieve the pain.
A girl in full armor sprang forth from his head: It was Athena. Athena's attributes were the spear, the helmet and the Aegis (a goat-skin shield). She attached the Gorgon's head (which Perseus had given her) to her shield, and this turned to stone every living thing that looked at it.This wise warrior Goddess' attributes are self-confidence, power, courage, intelligence and diplomacy -- wonderful qualities to share as a gift with any mentor, mother, sister or friend! The Parthenon was constructed on the Acropolis just to house statues of her magnificent image. Athena's importance was maintained even after warfare had transformed Greek goddess civilization. The Romans called her Minerva.Athena was the favorite child of Zeus. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius.The original sculpture, 10 feet in diameter, is one of the most impressive and important examples of Aztec art.One of the major goddesses in Aztec mythology, in a mythical representation of the triumph of the sun over the powers of night, she is personified as a lunar goddess. Still beautiful and powerful, she is shown decapitated and dismembered after being slain by her brother, the Sun God, Huitzilopochtli.Here, bells decorate her cheeks, and in accordance with her ferocious image, she wears a skull on her belt and serpent armbands with claws attached.Her name is Coyolxauhqui, which means "She of the Rattles on her Cheeks". She was also called one who "spoke to all the centipedes and spiders and transformed herself into a sorceress.""Goddess of the Milky Way", she is a Moon goddess foremost. After being killed by her brother and dismembered, he threw he head up into the sky to become the moon, so her mother might be comforted that her daughter was still near each night.She is a major deity in Mesoamerica, living on in other areas in the approach to worship in all-night prayer vigils ongoing today in central Mexico, fully clothed in Christian adoration mixed with local ancestral remembrances and invocations.
Goddess and I respect their hats why I am writing down the following Blog.mGreek God and Goddess-Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts . He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.Cupid is the most famous of Valentine symbols and everybody knows that boy armed with bow and arrows, and piercing hearts . He is known as a mischievous, winged child armed with bow and arrows. The arrows signify desires and emotions of love, and Cupid aims those arrows at Gods and Humans, causing them to fall deeply in love. Cupid has always played a role in the celebrations of love and lovers. In ancient Greece he was known as Eros, the young son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. To the Roman's he was Cupid, and his mother was Venus.There is a very interesting story about Cupid and His mortal Bride Psyche in Roman mythology. Venus was jealous of the beauty of Psyche, and ordered Cupid to punish the mortal. But instead, Cupid fell deeply in love with her. He took her as his wife, but as a mortal she was forbidden to look at him.
Psyche was happy until her sisters persuaded her to look at Cupid. as soon as Psyche looked at Cupid, Cupid punished her by leaving her. Their lovely castle and gardens vanished too. Psyche found herself alone in an open field with no signs of other beings or Cupid. As she wandered trying to find her love, she came upon the temple of Venus. Wishing to destroy her, the goddess of love gave Psyche a series of tasks, each harder and more dangerous then the last.For her last task Psyche was given a little box and told to take it to the underworld. She was told to get some of the beauty of Proserpine, the wife of Pluto, and put it in the box. During her trip she was given tips onavoiding the dangers of the realm of the dead. She was also warned not to open the box. But Temptation overcame Psyche and she opened the box. But instead of finding beauty, she found deadly slumber.Cupid found her lifeless on the ground. He gathered the deadly sleep from her body and put it back in the box. Cupid forgave her, as did Venus. The gods, moved by Psyche's love for Cupid made her a goddess.Today, Cupid and his arrows have become the most popular of love signs, and love is most frequently depicted by two hearts pierced by an arrow, Cupid's arrow.Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, lust, procreation, sexual reproduction and fertility. Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Venus. She is also the protector of the sailors and the myrtle, the dove, the sparrow, the swan, the apple, the scallop shell and the mirror are sacred to her. She is accompanied by the winged god of love called Eros.Aphrodite the goddess of love has her origins from ancient civilizations. Her origins can be traced from the old Asian Goddesses like the Mesopotamian Ishtar and the Palestinian goddess i.e.the ancient Semitic goddess of love Ishtar. So the Greek were not the first to worship the goddess of love. Matter of fact the ancient Greek themselves believed that Aphrodite was both Greek and foreign in origin. It is said that she was in fact "Cyprian" and many of her attributes reflect the origins of Asian Mycenaean times. She is a mix of Hellenic or Aegean Goddess. She also latter got identified with Venus the Roman goddess of love. Her offspring's are said to be the founder ruling clan of the roman civilization.
Aphrodite: The dual birth storyThe Goddess of love has two birth stories and one relates to her birth from Uranus and here she is called as the Aphrodite Uranus or Celestial Aphrodite and through this birth she manifests all higher quality of love that is pure and spiritual. In this manifestation she is linked to the creation of the world and that makes her one of the oldest divinities who is present from the beginning of time. On the other hand there is another birth story attributed to her where she is known be the daughter of Zeus. In this manifestation she is linked to the basal nature of love, lust and physical satisfaction. Therefore Aphrodite seems to be a goddess who can manifest all the qualities of love from the most basal and physical to highest order of spiritual love.Aphrodite: In Mythological manifestationsShe is patron deity of love and she has assisted both human and divine lovers. She was involved in bringing together the most famous couple of Greek myth that is Paris and Helen. She was also a goddess who was personally involved with lot of lovers both divine and human. She was considered as a unique and powerful deity with tremendous powers in the matter of love, freedom and human feelings.Aphrodite: Hidden powersHer domain of influence included the innermost feelings of the heart and the reservoir of human passion. Such power was revealed through her actions both towards her faithful followers and those who incited her anger. She was particularly wrathful against those who tried to disrupt or prevent the natural workings of love and sexuality. Her abilities where not just a tool for creating petty love but a real instrument of power which could kindle and awaken the innermost hidden passions of love in all beings.Aphrodite: True meaning of her manifestationsIn her basal manifestation, she was the symbol of freedom and liberated sexuality. She was a rebel in true sense and her seductive abilities where of the highest order. Nobody could resist her charms that came from her embroidered griddle that, in both gods and men aroused passion for the wearer. She was in fact feared and that's why anybody who opposed the workings of love and sexuality condemned her reputation. She had lovers among both God and human. Her affairs with the God of War, Ares and creation of many children is the most well known affair with the divine. On the other hand she is also credited in giving birth to the founder of the nation of Italy and the mystical founder of the Roman people, Aeneas who is one of the most well known mortal children she had. Aeneas was born with her liaison she had with a shepherd. Her control over love and passion was complete and with this power she could influence both the divine and the mortal in a profound manner.
Aphrodite: A glimpse of the War GoddessAphrodite may have been also projected as a war goddess especially in Sparta which was a militaristic state and where even girls where raised in militaristic traditions. She was also paired with the god of war, Ares in mythology and worship. Even when her origins are traced to the ancient goddesses we find the attribute of goddess of war being projected. Ishtar the ancient goddess to whom she is linked was a goddess of war and fertility.Aphrodite: Her celebration in art and festivalsAs a Greek goddess of love, beauty, fertility and passion she had rich presence in numerous myths, poems, plays and stories. She was richly depicted in Greek sculpture and vase painting. She was often depicted nude. Vase paintings of antiquity have shown her associated with the dove and the goose on which she is seen riding. She has also been painted riding the giant scallop shell. Venus de Milo, the statue with a lost arm is one of her famous representations. In ancient Greece her festival the Aphrodisiac was celebrated in various centers and her priestesses were considered to be goddess and sexual intercourse with them was considered as a way of worship of the goddess..Aphrodite: The true symbolization.Aphrodite was truly a powerful and influential goddess of the Greek who symbolized love, passion and freedom. Her worship was a celebration of the most primal instincts of the human nature as well as the highest ideals of love and emotion. She represented the most basal passions of physicality as well as the most scared, pure, compassionate and spiritual manifestation of love. She was a goddess to whom humanity could closely relate to in terms of fertility, nurturing and growth.The Three Graces:They are the beautiful sister Goddesses who attended Aphrodite, the Goddess of love, and were personifications of grace and beauty.They spread the joy of nature and lived on Mount Olympus. Their names, number and parentage vary, but they are generally said to be three sisters named Euphrosyne, who represented jollity, Thalia identified with abundance, and Aglaea, a representation of splendor.
They are daughters of Zeus and Eurynome or Hera, who have influenced artists throughout the ages depicted in sculpture and vase paintings by the ancient Greeks, in Roman wall paintings at Pompeii, in Botticelli's allegorical painting known as Springtime, and in a marble statue carved by Canova.In art they are frequently represented as naked girls with their hands on each other's shoulders, the two outer figures looking one way and the middle one looking the otherVenus:Roman Goddess of Sexual Love and Beauty. Her famous Renaissance depiction, birthed from sea-foam, belies her earlier association with Artemis as a Lady of the Hunt. Venus was also Goddess of the Oceans. The uppermost famous image, Venus rising from the seafoam, comes from wall frescos at Pompeii, the Italian coastal city where she was particularly venerated. Her worship by the Romans included temple instruction in sacred sexual techniques for achieving heightened spiritual consciousness. The metal associated with Aphrodite is copper which is abundant on the Isle of Cyprus, an early place of worship.The classical Goddess Venus emerges from the water on a shell, blown towards shore by the Zephyrs, symbols of spiritual passions. According to some authorities, the naked goddess is a symbol not of earthly, but spiritual love. The modest pose is borrowed from the Venus Pudica type of ancient sculpture then being rediscovered.This distinctly pagan depiction is remarkable in that it was made at a time and place when most artworks depicted Roman Catholic themes and is taken from the famous pagan themed work of Botticelli. Because Botticelli was very close to Lorenzo de Medici, his Birth of Venus painting was spared from Savonarola's fires (who burned much of his other pagan inspired works) and he escaped the disapproval of the Church.Venus de Milo Statues:Speculations into what her missing arms held include a shield, a mirror, a dove, or a spindle, but most likely it was an apple (Melos means apple). Her award of the golden apple in the Judgment of Paris (beating out Hera and Athena) led to the Trojan War. From an inscription on its now-lost plinth, it is thought to be the work of Alexandros of Antioch [c. 130 B.C.E., The Louvre, Paris]
Goddess Flora's function was to make the grain, vegetables and trees bloom so that autumn's harvest would be good. She was invoked to avert rust, a nasty fungal disease of plants that causes orange growths the exact color of rusting iron, especially a problem affecting wheat.Her name is related to Latin floris, meaning "a flower", with the additional meaning of "[something] in its prime".Flora was said to have provided Juno with a magic flower that would allow Her to conceive with no help from a man; from this virgin-birth Mars was born. A late tale calls Flora a courtesan and gives Her a story similar to Acca Larentia: Flora was said to have made a fortune as a courtesan, which She bequeathed to Rome upon Her death, and for which She was honored with the festival of the Floralia.Flora had two temples in Rome, one near the Circus Maximus, the great "stadium" of Rome where chariot races were held, and another on the slopes of the Quirinal Hill. Flora's temple by the Circus was dedicated on the 28th of April in 241 (or 248) BCE in response to a great drought at the command of the Sybilline books, and this day became the starting date of Her great festival, the Floralia.The Floralia of April was originally a moveable feast to coincide with the blossoming of the plants, later becoming fixed with the dedication of Her temple on the 28th (or 27th, before the calendar was reformed--I mention this because holidays were almost always held on odd-numbered days as it was considered unlucky to start a festival on an even-numbered day), though ludi or "games"--horse-races or athletic contests--were not held every year. By the Empire the festival had grown seven days, and included chariot-races and theatrical performances, some of which were notoriously bawdy. It was given over to merriment and celebrations of an amorous nature, much like that northern flower-and-sex festival Beltaine whose date neatly coincides. Prostitutes considered it their own special time, and the Floralia gained a reputation as being more licentious and abandoned than the Saturnalia of December.
Flora was depicted by the Romans wearing light spring clothing, holding small bouquets of flowers, sometimes crowned with blossoms. Honey, made from flowers, is one of Her gifts, and Her name is said to be one of the secret (holy) names of Rome. She is sometimes called the handmaiden of Ceres.Fortuna is Lady Luck, who promises richesThe Goddess or Fate who ruled each individual's "Wheel of Fortune," called Tyche by the Greeks, was envisioned as a kindly deity similar to a guardian angel. Her Roman name was Fortuna.Fortuna was the Roman Goddess of Fortune, chance, and prosperity, and one of the most popular Roman deities during the period of Servius Tullius.She was the Roman adaptation of the Greek Goddess of Fortune, Tykhe. Other names for her were Primigenia, Virilis, Respiciens, Muliebris, and Annonaria.She is usually portrayed standing, blindfolded, wearing a rich dress and holding either the cornucopia, rudder, ball, or wheel of fortune.Cupid is the Roman god of love, known as Eros in Greece. The Romans considered him the son of Venus and Mercury, while to the Greeks, he was the son of Aphrodite and Hermes. The breathtaking beauty of a mortal woman, Psyche, and his own accidental arrow, caused him to fall in love not only with a mortal, but one his mother Venus had hired him to trick.Venus's jelousy of Psyche's beauty rouses her to call in her son for help. The mischievous winged Cupid was ordered by his mother to "punish that contumacious beauty; give thy mother a revenge as sweet as her injuries are great; infuse into the bosom of that haughty girl a passion for some low, mean, unworthy being, so that she may reap a mortification as great as her present exultation and triumph."Cupid prepared to obey the commands of his mother. Touching his arrow to her side as she lay sleeping, she awoke, and saw him. He was so startled, he then wounded himself with his own arrow.Psyche married Cupid, but was not allowed to see her husband, lest his mother might kill the beauty. He came only in the hours of darkness and left before dawn. But he spoke tender words of love and inspired a romantic passion in her. She often begged him to stay and let her see him, but he would not consent. On the contrary he asked her to make no attempt to see him.
But Psyche did take a look late one night. It caused Cupid to fly away, and his mother Venus to become enraged. Following a series of difficult trials, the lovers were finally reunited. Eventually, they had a daughter whose name was Pleasure.Blufinch writes that the story is allegorical. "The fable of Cupid and Psyche is usually considered allegorical. The Greek name for a butterfly is Psyche, and the same word means the soul. There is no illustration of the immortality of the soul so striking and beautiful as the butterfly, bursting on brilliant wings from the tomb in which it has lain, after a dull, grovelling, caterpillar existence, to flutter in the blaze of day and feed on the most fragrant and delicate productions of the spring. Psyche, then, is the human soul, which is purified by sufferings and misfortunes, and is thus prepared for the enjoyment of true and pure happiness."Excerpts from Bulfinch and a more complete story of Cupid and Psyche can be found in The Age of Fable: Stories of Gods and Heroes by Thomas Bulfinch (1796-1867).DIANA/ARTEMIS: Greek/Roman-- Goddess of the wild beasts, wild places, the hunt, and a special protectress of women, her crescent bow symbolized the moon. The woman who runs with the wolves, this moon Goddess, also called Artemis, was renamed Diana, Queen of Heaven, by the Romans. She was the chief feminine deity worshiped in Roman towns all over Europe. In this form she was venerated by the Gauls well into the 7th century CE. Diana also carried forth the legacy of Diana of Ephesus. The columns of her temple were incorporated into Constantinople's Church of St. Sophia.ARTEMIS/DIANA: Cultivate decisiveness and self-esteem with Artemis, whose bow is symbolic of an exquisitely tuned inner tension. She is the deity of wild places, groves and ponds. This moon-goddess was "whole without a man," hence immune to falling in love, and was the Protectress of Animals. The goddess of forests and the hunt stands bathed in moonlight, her bow raised in a "calling down the moon" ritual gesture. Her graceful stance reflects the awe ancient people felt toward healing women who were whole unto themselves. Her confidence will inspire you!
"One of the most enduring of the great Classical Goddesses, Diana is the Roman name for the Greek Goddess Artemis. Diana is a lunar divinity dedicated to the waxing crescent. She has many titles: Maiden Huntress, Mistress of the Beasts, Queen of the Night, Lady of the Grove. She is one of the virgin goddesses who was first and foremost a women's goddess. She never married and preferred to roam the woodlands with Her retinue of nymphs and forest creatures. All young animals were sacred to Her as She was their protector. Her favorites were bears, deer, hares, cats, hounds and other animals and birds associated with the Moon."Originally, Diana was associated with Great Mother goddesses of Asia Minor, such as Cybele. One legend says Her famous temple at Ephesus was originally built by the Amazons around a wooden image adorned with a black meteoric stone. Later, wealthy King Croesus rebuilt it into one of the Seven Wonders of the ancient world. Her early association with the Great Mother gained Her a reputation as a midwife and nurse. By the time She was included in the Greek pantheon She was said to be the daughter of Zeus by Leto and the sister of Apollo."By Roman times, Diana had become the patron goddess of the underdog in many ways. Women, children, baby animals, eunuchs, lesbians, slaves and outlaws were all Her special charges, though She remained steadfastly a virgin and no man could enter Her temple on the Aventine in Rome. However, in Ephesus, Her priestesses were gradually replaced by eunuch priests until, by the time it was destroyed by Christians in the 7th Century CE, women were no longer allowed inside the temple even to make offerings!"Diana was so beloved by society's underdogs that even after Her worship was forbidden under penalty of death, She became the secret rallying goddess of those disaffected with the Roman Catholic Church. Thus it was that Diana became the Goddess of Witches during the Dark and Middle Ages in Europe, and many a woman burned at the stake died with the name of this goddess on her lips. In fact, for over 400 years, little girls could not be christened with the name Diana, such was the fear She inspired in the hearts of the Church Fathers!
"Oberon's exquisite modern interpretation of (the Silvery Blue) Diana was actually inspired by the final scene in the Pastorale portion of Walt Disney's "Fantasia." Night has fallen and the Maiden Huntress steps out onto a silvery cloud. Bending the crescent bow of the new moon in her hands, she fires a meteoric arrow which steaks across the starry night sky.--Morning Glory Zell Anahitaby Micha F. Lindemans from about.comAnahita is an ancient Persian water goddess, fertility goddess, and patroness of women, as well as a goddess of war. Her name means "the immaculate one". She is portrayed as a virgin, dressed in a golden cloak, and wearing a diamond tiara (sometimes also carrying a water pitcher). The dove and the peacock are her sacred animals.Anahita was very popular and is one of the forms of the 'Great Goddess' which appears in many ancient eastern religions (such as the Syrian/Phoenician goddess Anath). She is associated with rivers and lakes, as the waters of birth. Anahita is sometimes regarded as the consort of Mithra.When Persia conquered Babylonia (in the 6th century BCE), Anahita began to show some similarities with the goddess Ishtar. Since then her cult included the practice of temple prostitution. During the reign of king Artaxerxes (436-358 BCE) many temples were erected in her honor. Locations included Soesa, Ecbatana, and Babylon.Athena:Greek Goddess of Wisdom, War, the Arts,Industry, Justice and SkillAthena was the Goddess of wisdom and women's crafts in the mythology of the Greeks. She was also a defender against evil and as such she was a warrior Goddess par excellence. The daughter of Zeus and Metis, when her mother became pregnant, Gaia and Uranus told Zeus that after giving birth to a daughter, Metis would then have a son by Zeus who would later dethrone him. On Gaia's advice, Zeus swallowed Metis. When the time came for the child to be born, Zeus was afflicted with a dreadful headache and sought the help of Hephaestus who split his skull with a bronze axe to relieve the pain.
A girl in full armor sprang forth from his head: It was Athena. Athena's attributes were the spear, the helmet and the Aegis (a goat-skin shield). She attached the Gorgon's head (which Perseus had given her) to her shield, and this turned to stone every living thing that looked at it.This wise warrior Goddess' attributes are self-confidence, power, courage, intelligence and diplomacy -- wonderful qualities to share as a gift with any mentor, mother, sister or friend! The Parthenon was constructed on the Acropolis just to house statues of her magnificent image. Athena's importance was maintained even after warfare had transformed Greek goddess civilization. The Romans called her Minerva.Athena was the favorite child of Zeus. She is the virgin mother of Erichthnonius.The original sculpture, 10 feet in diameter, is one of the most impressive and important examples of Aztec art.One of the major goddesses in Aztec mythology, in a mythical representation of the triumph of the sun over the powers of night, she is personified as a lunar goddess. Still beautiful and powerful, she is shown decapitated and dismembered after being slain by her brother, the Sun God, Huitzilopochtli.Here, bells decorate her cheeks, and in accordance with her ferocious image, she wears a skull on her belt and serpent armbands with claws attached.Her name is Coyolxauhqui, which means "She of the Rattles on her Cheeks". She was also called one who "spoke to all the centipedes and spiders and transformed herself into a sorceress.""Goddess of the Milky Way", she is a Moon goddess foremost. After being killed by her brother and dismembered, he threw he head up into the sky to become the moon, so her mother might be comforted that her daughter was still near each night.She is a major deity in Mesoamerica, living on in other areas in the approach to worship in all-night prayer vigils ongoing today in central Mexico, fully clothed in Christian adoration mixed with local ancestral remembrances and invocations.

A secret devine story of lord Krishna and Goddess Rukmani.
In her married life with Krishna,Rukmani's mood was diffrent.On one occasion,Krishna decided to put it to the test.
--Oneday Lord Krishna was relexing on Rukmani's bed while she gently fanned him.She appeared respledent in a crimson sari,decorated with gold and girdledwith a belt studded with pricless gems.Her necklace glittered and her golden bangles jangled pleasingly together.She seemed to be showering nectar as she waved a fan made of peacock feathers to keep Krishna cool.
Admiring her her incomprable beauty,Krishna smiled at her and said,"My dear queen, many kings as powerful as Gods sought your hand.They had so much wealth,power and influence,as well as physical might and generosity.Why di you rejected them in favour of me.Sishupal is king from a nobel line, where as I come from a family of cowherd"
She stared disbelievingly at Lord Krishna.What did he mean?They had been married for years and had many childrens.Krishna still spent much time in her company.had he become tired of her? It was totally out of character for him to address her in such a way.She had been so sure of his love ,but he seemed serious.Plainly he was suggestinga sepration.The mere thought of such a thing made Goddess Rukmani's heart tremble.her mind became confused.It was utterly bewildering.
Not sure what to say or do,Rukmani scratced the floor with her toes. Tears darkened by her eyeshadow ran down her cheeks and dripped on to her breast,which were decorated with red cosmetic powder.Her head dropped and fan fell from her hand.Suddenly she fainted,falling head long to the floor like a tree toppled bythe wind,her hair and ornaments scattering.

Krishna jumped to catch his distraught wife .He had not meant to cause her any pain.Obviously,his joking words had been taken to seriously.Mainfesting four arms,he gently lifted Rukmani on the bed and stroked her face,straightening her dishevelled hair.As she opened her eyes,Krishna began to console her.
" Most beautiful lady,Forgive me.I spoke only in jest.Knowing your devtion for me ,I wanted to see what you would say.I also wanted to see the beauty of your face while your lips trembled in loving anger.I wanted to see the redish corners of your eyes throwing angry glances at me and your exquisite eyebrows knitted in a frown.House holders nearly always enjoy joking with their wives ,and I was simply indulging in that pleasure.Do not think otherwise, O timid one"
Rukmani regained her composure and smiled bashfully.She looked lovingly Lord Krishna and Said," Actually everything u said was true.We are certainly not equal match.What women could equal u,the Lord of all movig and unmoving beings?Even the God worship you, but only those who are free of all material desire attain you.
I wish noyone else as my Lord.Please bless me that I always remain unswervingly attracted to you."
Krishna took Rukmani's hand-----------------------It was devine to eternal.God and Goddess from the sky were observing Lord Krishna and Goddess Rukmani.
Thanking you
veermnc