Ishikori-dome is the Shinto Goddess of stone-cutting. Although some sources refer to her as a God, most say that she was a Goddess. When Amaterasu, the Goddess of the sun, locked herself away in a cave in grief over her sister Wakahirume’s death, the Gods commissioned Ishikori-dome to create a mirror in an attempt to lure Amaterasu out of the cave. She formed a stone mold which was then filled with copper to create the mirror known as Yata-no-kagami (eight-hand mirror), and the mirror was hung outside Amaterasu’s cave. When she was lured out of the cave by the laughing of the other Gods at the antics of Ame-no-Uzume, Goddess of dance, Amaterasu saw herself in the mirror and was so distracted that the Gods had time to seal the cave so that she could not return to her self-imposed exile. The mirror itself is said to now reside in the Ise Jingu shrine, and most Shinto shrines display a mirror as a symbol of Amaterasu. Ishikori-dome’s name, which means “stone-forming old woman,” is also seen as Ishikori-dome-no-Mikoto, Ishikori-dome-no-kami, and Ishikore-dome.

Selija (pronounced sel-IH-ya) is the Lithuanian Goddess of the planet Saturn. She is the last of the daughters of Saule, Goddess of the sun, since Saturn was the last of the planets known to the ancients.

Vac is the Hindu Goddess of speech. She is described in the Rig Veda as not only speech itself, but also as truth and perception, which allow us to turn divine knowledge into words. She is said to be the mother of the Vedas, having inspired sages to write them. Vac is depicted either as a golden-skinned woman or as a cow, a symbol of nourishment. She was eventually syncretized with the Goddess Sarasvati, ruler of knowledge. Vac’s name, which means “speech,” is also seen as Vak or Vach, and sacred texts give her the following names (some of which she shares with other Hindu Goddesses):
Aditi
Aghnya
Agnayi
Agnya
Anumati
Apva
Aranyani
Dhenu
Durga
Gauri
Indrani
Kuhu
Pathya
Prthvi
Raka
Ratri
Rodasi
Romasa
Sarama
Saranyu
Sarasvati
Sinivali
Sraddha
Surya
Svasti
Urvasi
Usas
Vrsakapayi
Yami

Ninsar is the Sumerian Goddess of plants. She is the daughter of Ninhursag, Goddess of fertility, and Enki, God of the waters. She was impregnated by her father Enki and bore Ninkurra, also a Goddess of plants. Ninsar’s name means “lady greenery,” and she was also known as Ninmu (lady who brings forth) or Ninshar (lady herb).

I’m back from a fantastic vacation in Hawaii, so I wanted to return with a Hawaiian Goddess. We went to see Madame Pele, but alas, she seems to have been on vacation too—no lava! Ah well, we danced with Laka and reveled in the beauty of Hi’iaka. No sign of this Goddess, but maybe that’s a good thing—not sure that’s something I want my kids to see flying around!

Kapo is the Hawaiian Goddess of magic. She is the sister of Pele, Goddess of volcanoes, and mother of Laka, Goddess of the hula. Kapo was able to change her shape at will, but she is mostly known for another talent—she was able to detach her vagina from her body and send it where she liked. One time, she used her kohe lele (flying vagina) to save her sister Pele from being raped. Pele, wandering near her home at Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island, was being stalked by Kamapua’a, a God who was half man and half pig. Just as he was about to force himself on Pele, Kapo sensed her sister’s plight and threw her vagina past Kamapua’a’s face. He immediately forgot about Pele and started to chase Kapo’s vagina, following it all the way to the island of Oahu where it landed, forming the Koholepelepe Crater (more commonly known as Koko Crater) next to Hanauma Bay. The kohe lele then returned itself to Kapo, leaving Kamapua’a alone on the rocks. Kapo’s name, which means “darkness,” is also seen as Kapo-’ula-kina’u (red-spotted Kapo), Kapo-kohe-lele (Kapo of the flying vagina), and Kapo-ma’i-lele (Kapo of the flying genitals).

Takotsi Nakawe is the Huichol Goddess of the earth. She is the mother of all of the other Gods and of all plant and animal life on the earth. Her children include Tatevali, God of fire, and the four rain serpent Goddesses, Tate Hautse Kupuri, Tate Kyewimoka, Tate Naaliwami, and Tate Rapawiyama. Takotsi Nakawe’s name means “grandmother growth.”

Chekechani is the Anyanja Goddess of the morning star. The Anyanja people of Malawi say that she is one of the wives of the moon God—his other wife, Puikani, is the Goddess of the evening star (although sources disagree over which is the morning star and which is the evening star). The moon God lives with Chekechani for two weeks, during which time she neglects to feed him and he wastes away to nothing. When he goes to live with Puikani for the following two weeks, she feeds him very well and he grows back to his full self.

Happy New Year to all! May this lovely full blue moon bring you light and happiness that will stay with you throughout the year!

Alahtin is the Chumash Goddess of the moon. The Chumash of southern California say that her light serves to purify the world. Alahtin lives in the Upper World, which is held up by the wings of Slo’w, the Great Eagle. At some times of the month, her light is obscured by Slo’w stretching out his wings. Alahtin also governs health, particularly women’s menses.

Rhea is the Greek Goddess of fertility and motherhood. She is one of the Titans, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, and after she helped her brother Kronos to overthrow their parents, she became his queen. Just as Kronos had supplanted his father Uranus, it was foretold that Kronos would be supplanted by his own child, so whenever Rhea had a child, Kronos would swallow the baby. One by one, he devoured their children—Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon. When Rhea gave birth a sixth time, she managed to hide the child away in a cave and gave her husband a stone wrapped in blankets. The baby grew to be Zeus, and he did indeed overthrow Kronos and made him spit out the other Gods, as well as the stone which had fooled him.

With Kronos overthrown, most of the Gods moved to Mount Olympus, where Zeus became the king of the Gods with Hera as his queen. Rhea decided to stay on the island of Crete, where she had given birth to Zeus. She would sometimes journey to Mount Olympus for celebrations in a chariot pulled by two lions, one of her sacred animals. When the cult of the Phrygian Mother Goddess Cybele spread to Greece, the Greeks saw her as Rhea, who they said had fled to Phrygia to escape from Kronos’s wrath over her tricking him with Zeus. Rhea’s name, which means “flow,” is also seen as Rheia, and her epithets include Meter Megale (great mother), Meter Theon (mother of the Gods), and Meter Panton (mother of all).

Yes, it’s been a while since I posted. Sometimes life just gets a little too hectic and I need to let a couple of things slide until I get it back together. No guarantees, but I’ll try for at least a few new Goddesses each week. This one’s for you, Thalia, for the reminder of the immensity of the tasks we’ve set ourselves!

Hauhet is the Egyptian Goddess of infinity. She, along with her brother/consort Heh, were one of the four pairs of deities known as the Ogdoad, the eight Gods who represented the primal beginning, before the world had been created. Hauhet and Heh were depicted as either frogs or as humans with frog heads, although the Goddesses of the Ogdoad could also be depicted as snakes or as humans with snake heads. Hauhet’s name, which means “endlessness,” is also seen as Hehet.