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.

Chuma is the Slavic Goddess of death. She is the daughter of Veles, God of cattle and the Underworld. Chuma is depicted as a pale woman with white hair, dressed in a white gown. She carries a pair of silver scissors and a birchwood staff. The scissors she uses to cut the thread of life, and she gives the staff to the dead to help them on their way to the Underworld. Although Chuma is a Goddess of death, she is generally seen as a benign presence, and is called on by those who are dying to bring them a peaceful end. Chuma’s name, which means “plague,” is also seen as Tshuma.

Indraja (pronounced in-DRAW-ya) is the Lithuanian Goddess of the planet Jupiter. She is one of the daughters of Saule, Goddess of the sun. Indraja was originally a water spirit, and she was meant to marry Perkunas, God of thunder, on a Thursday (the day ruled by Jupiter). When the other water spirits took her away from the wedding, she was instead turned into the planet Jupiter. Indraja’s name means “water witch.”

Žiezdrė (pronounced ZHEEZ-dray) is the Lithuanian Goddess of the planet Mars. She is one of the daughters of Saule, Goddess of the sun.

Vakarinė (pronounced va-ka-REE-nay) is the Lithuanian Goddess of the evening star. She is the daughter of Saule, Goddess of the sun, and Meness, God of the moon, and the sister of Aušrinė, Goddess of the morning star. While the evening star and the morning star are both actually the planet Venus, the Balts separated them into two personalities, one who made the sun ready to go out in the morning, and one who welcomed her home in the evening. Vakarinė made sure that Saule’s bed was ready for her each night, so that she could rest well before her next day’s journey. Vakarinė is known in Latvia as Rieteklis.

Aušrinė (pronounced ow-SHRI-nay) is the Lithuanian Goddess of the morning star. She is the daughter of Saule, Goddess of the sun, and Meness, God of the moon. It is Aušrinė who Meness raped, causing Saule to slash his face and banish him from her presence. Aušrinė was depicted as being very beautiful, wearing a crown decorated with a sun and a cloak made of stars. Each morning, Aušrinė lights the way for her mother Saule to begin her journey across the sky. Aušrinė is known in Latvia as Auseklis, although some sources say that Auseklis was a God rather than a Goddess.

Vaivora (pronounced vye-VOR-ah) is the Lithuanian Goddess of the planet Mercury. She is one of the daughters of Saule, Goddess of the sun.

Sniega Mate is the Latvian Goddess of snow. Every fall, at the first frost, she awakens in her home under a mountain and comes forth to blanket the land with snow. Also seen as Sniego Mate, her name means Mother of the Snow—she is one of the many Latvian mother Goddesses or Mates.

Blessed Yule, everyone! To those who don’t know, Yule is the Pagan celebration associated with the Winter Solstice, when the sun (usually seen as the God) is reborn to the world. Here’s a feminist twist to the story, from a pantheon where the sun is a Goddess.

Saules Meita is the Latvian Goddess of the sun’s renewal, daughter of the sun Goddess Saule. Dressed in fine silk clothes, Saules Meita wears a golden ring and a garland of leaves. At the winter solstice, it is said that Saule is tired out from her year’s worth of travels across the sky every day, and she steps down from her position in favor of her daughter. Saules Meita takes up her mother’s place in the sky and the sun is reborn. Saules Meita’s name means “daughter of the sun” and the Lithuanian version is Saules Dukryte.

Dziparu Mate is the Latvian Goddess of yarn. Knitting was very important in the life of young Latvian women. Girls were expected to knit over fifty pairs of mittens before their wedding day, and the number of pairs a girl had made was one factor in finding a husband. On the wedding day, the bride would give out the mittens she had made to her in-laws. Dziparu Mate was called upon by these young knitters to watch over their yarn and make sure that it had no tangles. Also seen as Dziparina Mamulina, her name means “yarn mother”—she is one of the many Latvian mother Goddesses or Mates.