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Dieties of the World
Below are various names of gods of the world and associated descriptions.
African Gods
Adroa
African god of the Lugbara. Adroa is both good and evil, and considered the creator of heaven and earth.
Amma
Supreme African (Dogon) god who created the sun
and the moon. The myth of Dogon is used to justify the custom of female
circumcision as practiced in many parts of Africa. They said that he
tried to procreate with the earth (female) but his passage to her was
blocked by a "red termite hill". This had to be cut away before he
could mate with the earth.
Chango
African (Yoruban) orisha of fire, thunder, lightning, rain and
masculine fertility. A smooth-talking con-artist. His animals are the
black cat, tortoise, and the quail. He symbolizes the element of fire,
courage, truth, and intelligence.
Deng
African sky god. Associated with rain, birth, and fertility.
En-Kai
African rain god. (Maasai)
Esu
African (Yoruban) god of watchfulness. Judges men and records their actions, reporting them to Olorun.
Imana
African creator god who tried to save men from death. He was
chasing after death one day, and a human woman let Death hide under her
dress. Imana was so angry at this betrayal that he left Death to do
what he would. Had this not happened, man would be immortal.
Mulungu
Supreme being in African-Christian religion who is equated with God.
Nana
African earth goddess. Mother of Omolu.
Nzambi
African bisexual creator god. Associated with the sky and mother earth.
Obumo
African thunder god. Creator of all things and supreme deity.
Olokun
African goddess, sometimes a god, of the sea. Portrayed with a coral dress and mudfish legs, with lizards in both hands.
Oshun
The African (Yoruban) orisha of love, sexuality, beauty
and diplomacy; a wife of Chango. She is the keeper of the sweet waters
and patroness of the Oshun river. With her pure sweetness, she
overcomes the most difficult obstacles. She is the protector of the
abdominal area and the teacher of pleasure and mirth. Oshun is generous
and a great giver, but when she is angry, it is very difficult to calm
her down. Her worshippers wear amber beads. Her price is the sacrifice
of a small chicken, but it is well worth it, for great and powerful
spells can be worked through her. She can be invoked for love, money,
beauty, joy, and health (abdominal).
Oshossi
African (Yoruban) god of the forest and hunting. His symbol is the bow.
Oya
African (Yoruban) warrior orisha of the wind, symbolic of the winds of change. Every breath we take is a gift
from Oya. She is tall and regal, strong, assertive, courageous and
independent and is always willing to take risks. Oya is a great witch
and the guardian of the gates of death. Women often ask her to give
them the ability to choose their words so that they speak persuasively
and powerfully. She symbolizes transformations, power, action, life,
vivacity. Oya is invoked in case of illness. Wife of Chango.
Uwolowu
African (Akpossa of Togo) sky god and creator of everything
including the minor gods. He is invoked for agriculture/harvest,
spring, birth, rain, and sun. Gave mankind fire. He is seen as
generally beneficant.
Wak
African (Ethiopian) god who dwelled in the clouds. He was supreme
and a benefactor god. He kept the heavens at a distance from the earth
and ornamented it with stars. When the earth was flat, Wak asked man to
build himself a coffin. Man did so and Wak shut him up in it and buried
it. For seven years he made fire rain down. This is how the mountains
were formed. Wak then danced upon the place where the coffin was buried
and man sprang forth, alive. He was sure he had slept for a brief
moment only and was shocked to find it had been so long and earth had
changed so much; this is why man is awake for most of the day.
Eventually man grew tired of living alone. Knowing of man's loneliness,
Wak took some of his blood and after four days, the blood turning into
a woman whom the man married. Man and woman had 30 children, but man
was so ashamed at having had so many that he hid fifteen of them away.
Wak was angry at this, and as a result, the children man hid away were
turned into animals and demons.
Were
African creator god, give of life and cause of death. Like Zeus in
the mythology of Greece, he punishes evildoers with lightning bolts.
Wuni
African creator god and shaper of destiny.
Yemonja
One of the great African goddesses, specifically of Nigerian
Yoruba. She was the daughter of the sea into whose waters she flows.
Her breasts were enormous because she mothered so many Yoruban gods.
She also is the Mama Watta, or "mother of the waters", and gave birth
to all the bodies of water in the world. She is the sister and wide of
Aganju, the soil god, and together they had Orungan, god of the noonday
sun, as their child.
She is known by many different names, each with some variations in character:
As Yemayah or Yemoja, she is the orisha of the oceans, seas, fish,
and motherhood. Nurturing, feminine, and life-giving. Considered the
epitome of feminine power. Like the ocean, she can be not only gentle
but destructive and torrential as well. She holds the secrets that are
within the sea. She can be invoked for issues with childbirth, mothers,
fertility, or anything involving women's issues or women's mysteries.
As Imanje or Yemanja in Brazil, she is the ocean goddess of the crescent moon.
As Ymoja in West Africa, she is the river goddess who grants fertility to women.
In Cuba, she is Yemayah. Yemaya Achabba, stern goddess - Yemayah
Oqqutte, violent goddess - Yemayah Ataramagwa, wealthy queen of the sea
- Yemayah Olokun, dream goddess.
She is Agwe in Haitian voodoo beliefs. Finally, she is Yamoja, a combination of the phrase Iyamo eja ("our mother").
Aztec Gods & Goddesses
Atl
Aztec god of water.
Chac
Aztec and Mayan rain and vegetation god. Also the lord of thunder, lightening, wind, and fertility.
Chantico
Aztec goddess of fire, home and fertility. She symbolized pleasure
and pain together. Her symbols were a red serpent and cactus spikes.
She ruled wealth and precious stones of the earth. Invoke for fire
elements, fertility, domestic matters.
Chicomecoatl
Aztec maize goddess.
Chihuacoatl
Aztec goddess of childbirth.
Cinteotl
Aztec god of corn, also had female forms. Took over the place of Chicomecoatl. Was always protected by water gods.
Coatlicue
Aztec mother goddess, a giver of life. She was positive and
negative and therefore had the ability to bless or punish. Often shown
as a woman with claws and a skirt of snakes. Symbolizes the moon.
Coyolxuahqi
"Golden Bells". Aztec moon goddess. Symbolizes element of fire, the moon.
Huehuetotl
Aztec god of fire, patron of warriors and kings. Depicted often as
a crouched old man with a bowl of burning incense sitting on his head.
Huemac
Aztec god of earthquakes.
Huitzilopochtli
National god of the Aztecs, symbolizes storms, the sun, death, war, young men, warriors, soldiers, safe journeys.
Hunab Ku
Aztec supreme god, impersonal to the followers.
lmatecuhtli
"The Old Princess". Aztec mother goddess. During her winter
festival, a woman's heart was cut out and the severed head carried
during a procession. She can also be invoked for fertility.
tzpapalotl
Beautiful Aztec female demon with symbols of death on her face.
Balance of sensuality and evil. Invoke for destiny, fate, agriculture,
and cosmic matters, especially with the stars.
Mayahuel
Aztec goddess who discovered and introduced the gods to pulque. She
was pictured naked, holding a bow of pulque and seated on a throne of a
tortoise and a snake. She carried a cord that she used to help women in
childbirth, and the night was sacred to her.
Mictlantecuhtli
Aztec lord of the land of the dead, depicted as a red skeleton.
Husband of Mictlantecihuatl. Together, they take care of the deceased.
Mixcoatl
Aztec god of war, weapons, hunting, and striking from afar. His human offerings were said to become stars once sacrificed.
Omacatl
Aztec god of joy, festivity, and happiness. The rick worshipped him
the most and it was claimed that if guests misbehaved at festivals, the
host could invoke Omacatl and make the guests ill.
Quetzalcoatl
Aztec god of the wind, sea breeze, and life breath. Creator god,
identified with the planet Venus. He was considered a good god as he
required only one human sacrifice a year.
Long ago, there was a race of people who lived in southern mexico
called the Toltecs. They were ruled by Quetzalcoatl, who left his home
in the land of the Sunrise to help the Toltecs build a strong and
prosperous nation.
While he ruled, everyone was happy and industrious. Everything grew
in abundance, and the people learned many practical arts, even how to
make ornaments and beautiful clothing. They were dutiful but had plenty
of leisure time. To the Toltecs, this was a Golden Age.
But neighboring peoples were savage and barbaric and very jealous
of the happy Toltecs. They were ruled by warlike and fierce gods.
Tezcatlipoca, the chief of these savage gods, disguised himself as
an old man and went to Quetzalcoatl, who was very sick. Tezcatlipoca
fooled the god into drinking excessive amounts of wine by saying it was
medicine, knowing Quetzalcoatl had never tasted wine. Soon he was very
intoxicated. Tezcatlipoca took advantage of this opportunity and to
bring merciless misery to the vulnerable Toltecs. He brought down
plagues and disasters; strife and destruction.
When Quetzalcoatl became sober, he was angry to find that all his hard work had been undone. Furious, he destroyed the gifts
he had given the people and left for his own country. The Mexicans
believe that, as said in legend, the good god will one day return and
bring them back to the enchantment of the Golden Age.
Tien-Hou
Aztec protectress of sailors and others in times of crisis.
Tlaloc
Aztec god of growth, making plants sprout. He was a hard god to
please as he required constant human sacrifice. God of fertility,
thunder, water, mountains, rain, hail. Also known as Tlaloque.
Tlazolteotl
Aztec goddess of the crescent moon. Often referred to as the dirt
goddess. A horrendous aspect of the goddess. She rode naked on a broom
holding a red snake and a blood stained rope.
Tozi
Aztec mother goddess, healing, nature, mother of the gods.
Tuoni
Aztec god of death and the underworld.
Xilonen
Aztec goddess of maize.
Xipe Totec
Aztec god of agriculture, blacksmiths, and the west.
Xochipilli
Aztec god of corn.
Xochiquetzal Ichpuchtli
Aztec goddess of the underworld and flowers. Also symbolizes twins, artisans, sex, children.
Xolotl
Bad luck Aztec god of the underworld, brought humankind and the element of fire to the surface.
Yacatechutli
Aztec god of traders and merchants.
Celtic
Abellio
Celtic (Gaulish) god of the apple tree.
Aine of Knockaine
Celtic (Irish) goddess of love and fertility, later known as the
fairy queen. Goddess related to the moon, crops, and farms or cattle.
Aine is revered among Irish herbalists and healers and is said to be
responsible for the body's life force.
Airmid
A healing goddess of the celtic order of Tuatha de Danann, goddess
of medicinal plants and keeper of the spring. Regenerates, or brings
the dead to life again.
Amaethon
Celtic (Welsh) god of agriculture, husbandry, and luck.
Andraste
From British Celtics; the moon, divination, rabbit magic.
Angus Og
Celtic (Irish) god of beauty, love, and youth. His name means "son
of the young". He is a Gaelic Eros known for his physical beauty and
golden hair; his kisses become birds.
Anu
Manifestation magic, moon, air, fertility, prosperity. Celtic
(Irish) goddess of plenty. Mother earth goddess and maiden aspect of
Morrigu.
Arawn
Celtic (Welsh) god of the underworld, terror, revenge, and ware. Invoke during element of earth.
Arianrhod
"The Silver Wheel", "High Fruitful Mother". Celtic (Welsh) goddess,
the sister of Gwydion and wife of Don. Deity of element of Air,
reincarnation, full moons, time, karma, retribution.
Artio
Celtic wildlife goddess.
Babd Catha
Celtic (Irish) goddess of war. Mother aspect of the triple goddess. Symbolizes life, enlightenment, wisdom and inspiration.
Balor
Celtic. Although he was born with two good eyes, one was ruined in
an accident; the eye is so hideous that he only opens it in battle so
that its venom will slay whoever is unlucky enough to catch glimpse of
it; his daughter marries Cian.
Bel
Celtic (Irish) fire and sun god. Symbolizes element of fire, health.
Blodeuwedd
Celtic (Welsh) maiden form of the Triple Goddess. She was changed
into an owl for committing adultry and plotting to kill Lleu.
Symbolizes wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations. Known to help a garden
or a child grow.
Bran
Celtic (Irish) god of health. A beautiful woman appeared before
Bran and told him to search for a group of islands where there was no
sorrow, sickness, death, or evil. He voyaged until he found these
islands, most importantly the Isle of Women. He eventually was lured
away by a friend, but when he found he was unknown in his native
Ireland, he left again. Brother of Branwen. Also known as Bran the
Blessed.
Branwen
Celtic goddess of love and beauty. The sister of Bran the Blessed
and Manannan mac Lir, daughter of Lir, and wife of the Irish king
Matholwch. Died of a broken heart after Bran's death.
Brighid
Celtic (Irish). One of the triple goddesses of the Celtic pantheon.
She is the daughter of The Dagda, the deity of the Tuatha de Danaan,
one of the most ancient people of Northern Europe. Some say there are
actually three Brigits; one is in charge of poetry and inspiration; one
is in charge of midwifery and healing, and the last is in charge of
crafts and smiths.
She probably began as a sun goddess. According to legend, she was born at sunrise and a tower of flame beamed from her head.
As goddess of fire and water, she is immortalized by many wells and
springs. Most important of her monuments, though, was a shrine at
Kildare where there was a perpetual flame burning for Brigit. It was
tended by nineteen virgins called the Daughters of the Flame. They
would not talk to men, nor could men come near the shrine.
When Christianity began its onset, so loved was Brigit that she was
made a saint. However, the upkeep on her flame was considered pagan by
the church and it was extinguished out of more than a thousand years of
burning. St. Brigit remains one of the most popular Irish saints today,
along with Saint Patrick.
Identical to Juno, Queen of Heaven. Symbolizes human potential. Also known as Brigit, Brigid, Brigindo, Bride.
Dark the bitter winter,
cutting its sharpness,
but Bride’s mantle
brings spring to Ireland.
-Translated from Gaelic text.
Bris
The Celtic (Irish) god of fertility and agriculture. He is the son of Elatha, a prince of the Fomorians, and the goddess Eriu.
Camalus
"Of the Invisible Sword", "Heaven". Celtic god of war and sky. Similar to Mars, only more vicious.
Cerridwen
Celtic (Welsh) Moon, Grain and Nature Goddess. Cerridwen's symbol
is a white sow. Patron of the poets, greatest of all the bards.
She prepared in a cauldron a magical brew which stewed for a year
and would yield three precious drops. These would bestow on the
receiver the wisdom of the past, the knowledge of the present, and the
secrets of the future.
Cerridwen symbolizes luck, element of earthk, death, fertility,
regeneration, inspiration, inspiration, the arts, science, poetry,
astrology/zodiac.
Cerunnos
Celtic god of fertility, life, animals, wealth, and the underworld.
The Horned God is born at the winter solstice, marries the Goddess at
Beltane, and dies at the summer solstice. He alternates with the
Goddess of the moon in ruling over life and death, continuing the cycle
of death, rebirth and reincarnation. Symbolizes element of earthk,
love, fertility, and luck.
Cyhiraeth
Celtic goddess of streams, her scream fortells death.
Dagda
Celtic (Irish) God of the Earth and Father God, leader of the
Tuatha de Danaan. He mates with his wife the raven Morrigan on New
Years day. Also a god of death; the father of Brighid.
A formidable fighter, but a god of simple tastes who dresses in a
brown tunic, hooded cape and leather boots. Dagda had a staff which
could slew nine men with one end, but could bring back life with the
other end. He possessed two swine, one of which was perpetually
roasting, the other perpetually growing. His other symbols are the
bottomless cauldron of plenty and a harp with which he controls the
seasons.
Danu
Celtic (Irish) goddess, the mother of The Dagda, god of the Tuatha
de Danaan. Aspect of Morrigu. Considered to have been an early form of
Anu, the Universal Mother. Patroness of wizards. Symbolizes rivers,
water, wells, prosperity, magick, and wisdom.
Dewi
An old Celtic (Welsh) god represented by a red serpent or dragon.
Diancecht
Celtic (Irish) god of healing and medicine. Once saved Ireland, married to Morrigan.
In the first battle of Moy Tura, Nuada lost his hand. Diancecht
fashioned a new one of silver and joined it to Nuada's arm. One day,
Diancecht's son Miach took what remained of Nuada's original flesh
hand, placed it next to Nuada's arm, and spoke an incant. After three
days and nights the hand was rejoined to the arm seamlessly.
Nuada rejoiced, but Diancecht was furious that his son was a better
healer than he was. Diancecht struck Miach thrice on the head with his
sword. Miach was able to heal each wound. Diancecht, more furious now,
split Miach's head in two, killing him. From Miach's grave grew 365
herbs, each one with curative powers for one of the 365 nerves in the
body. Miach's sister, Airmid, picked these herbs and arranged them
according to their curative powers.
Diancecht became so enraged that his son rivaled him even after
death that he scattered the herbs about, hoplessly confusing them. If
Diancecht hadn't done this, man would be immortal.
Dis Pater
Celtic (Gaulish) god, originally of death and the underworld,
eventually the chief of gods. It is said that Dis Pater is the ancestor
of all the Gauls.
Don
Celtic (Welsh) Queen of the Heavens and Goddess of air and sea.
Ruled over the land of the dead. Corresponds to the Celtic (Irish)
goddess Danu. Symbolizes control of the elements, the moon.
Druantia
"Queen of the Druids". Celtic Fir Goddess and Mother of the tree
calender. Symbolizes protection, knowledge, creativity, passion, sex,
fertility, growth, trees and forests.
Dylan
Celtic (Welsh) sea god and brother of Lleu. Son of the wave, god of the sea. His symbol is a silver fish.
Elaine
Celtic (Welsh) aspect of the maiden.
Flidais
Celtic (Irish) goddess of the forest, woodlands, and wild things.
She had a magic cow that could produce milk enough for three hundred
men in one night. Also a shapeshifter. Wife of Ailill. Associated with
hunting, protection of wild animals.
Goibhniu
Irish and Celtic (Welsh) god of weapons. Weaponry he forged for the
Tuatha de Danaan were said to never miss or dullen. He possessed a
potion which made the drinker invincible. Also called the Great Smith.
Gwydion
Celtic (Welsh) warrior and magician god. Father of Lleu and Dylan.
Gwynn ap Nudd
Celtic (Welsh)-Celtic god of the underworld. Originally a war god
who hunted men's souls and lead them to Annwn, the land of the dead. In
Celtic (Welsh) legend he is the king of the faeries and elves. Also
known as Gwynwas.
Labraid
Celtic (Irish) god of the underworld.
Lugh
Celtic (Welsh, Irish) god, also known as Lleu. He is a druid,
carpenter, poet, and mason. His animals are the raven and the lynx. He
symbolizes healing, reincarnation, prophecy, and revenge.
I am Lugh Samildanach
I am Lugh the Il-Dana
I am Lugh, master of the battle
I am Lugh, master of healing
I am Lugh, master of knowledge
I am Lugh, master of sailing
I am Lugh, master of sorcery
I am Lugh, master of smithing.
-"The Coming of Lugh", Iarwain.
Llyr
Irish and Celtic (Welsh) god of waters and the sea.
Macha
Celtic (Irish) goddess of war, life, and death.
Maeve
Celtic goddess of earth fertility and war.
Manannan
Celtic patron of sailors and merchants. His famed possessions
include the yellow shaft, the red javelin, the boat, the wave-sweeper,
a horse called Splendid Mane, and three swords named retaliator, great
fury, and little fury; he has the gift of immortality.
Margawse
Celtic mother aspect of the goddess.
Math Mathonwy
Celtic (Welsh) god of magic, sorcery, and enchantment.
Medb
"Drunk Woman". Celtic goddess of war. The mere sight of Medb blinds
enemies, and she runs faster than the fastest horse. A lewd woman, she
needs thirty men a day to requite her sexual appetite. Also a fertility
goddess.
Mider
Celtic god of the underworld.
Morrigan
"The Great Queen". Celtic goddess of war and death who could take
the shape of a crow or raven. Supreme warrior goddess. She is
associated with the sometimes frightening aspects of female energy. She
symbolizes the power of fertility, the dark goddess' prowess, death,
war, fate.
Myrrdin
"Merlin", Celtic (Welsh) sorcerer, druid, and magician who was trained by Nimue and the Lady of the Lake.
Nantosuelta
Celtic (Gaulish) goddess of nature, valley, and streams. Her symbol, like the Celtic (Irish) goddess Morrigan's, is a raven.
Nemain
"Panic". Celtic war goddess.
Niamh
Celtic (Irish) goddess of beauty and brightness. Helps heroes at their death.
Nostiluca
Celtic (Gaulish) witch goddess.
Nudd
Celtic (Irish) sea god and king of the Tuatha de Danaan.
Oenghos Mac In Og
"Lord Of Love And Death". Celtic (Irish).
Ogma
A great Celtic (Irish) warrior god often associated with Heracles.
Patron god of scholars and eloquence from Gaul. He invented the runic
language of the Druids, the Ogham alphabet. His name means "sun face".
Married Etain. Symbolizes image and poppet magic, incantations, charms,
health, eloquence, genius, inspiration, language. Also known as Ogmios.
Olwen
Celtic (Welsh) goddess of flowers and springtime. Also symbolizes love.
Under the forgotten oak
She slept
Lily breasts
And crocus arms
And wild daisy hair
-ForestCloud
Pwyll
Celtic (Welsh) god, prince who married the goddess Rhiannon and bore a son, Pryderi.
Rhiannon
Celtic (Welsh) goddess or horses and birds considered the
counterpart of the Gaulish goddess Epona. She symbolizes fertility, the
moon, enchantment, charms, and poetic incantations.
Rhiannon gave birth to a baby boy, and while she slept, her nurses
were supposed to watch over the child. But they failed in the task, and
the child was mysteriously abducted during the night. Before Rhiannon
awoke, the nurses found that the baby had disappeared, and fearing
revenge, they smeared the blood from the dog's bones around Rhiannon's
sleeping body. When she awoke, they declared that she had devoured the
child.
Judgement was passed, and Rhiannon's punishment was to remain in
the palace of Narberth for seven years. Every day, she would sit near a
horse block, and relate her story to everyone who passed unless they
had knew it already. She also had to offer to guests and strangers in
on her back. Forunately for her, they rarely accepted the offer and
permitted her to perform her penance.
Rosmerta
"The Great Provider". Celtic goddess of fertility and wealth. Her
symbols are a cornucopia [horn of plenty] and a stick with two snakes.
She may be invoked for fertility or money.
Sequana
Celtic river goddess. Health.
Shannon
Celtic (Irish) goddess of the river Shannon.
Smertios
Celtic (Gaulish) war deity.
Sucellus
Celtic (Gaulish) god of agriculture and the forest, ferries souls to the underworld. His consort is Nantosvelta.
Taliesin
Celtic (Welsh) god of song, chief bard of the west, patron of druids and a shapeshifter.
Taranis
Celtic (Gaulish) thunder god. See also Jupiter.
Tephi
Celtic (Irish) goddess who co-founded tea.
Teutates
Celtic god of war, money, and fertility worshipped also in Gaul. See also Mars.
White Lady
Celtic goddess of death.
Chinese
Ao
Chinese gods of rain and sea.
Ch'ang O, Queen of the Moon
Chinese moon goddess who had her palace of Great Cold on the moon.
Ch'eng-Huang
Chinese god of walls and ditches. Each village had their own Ch'eng-Huang.
Chuang-Mu
Chinese goddess of the bed and sexual delights.
Chu Jung
Chinese god of fire executions. Emodies justice, revenge, death, and the element of fire.
Erh-Lang
Chinese god who chased away evil spirits, the great restorer, the sustainer. He is invoked for protection.
Feng-Po-Po
Chinese goddess of the winds, she replaced Feng-Po. She symbolizes
the elements of air and water, storms, precipitation and moisture.
Fu-Hsi
Chinese god of agriculture/vegetation and inventor of writing.
Fu-Hsing
Chinese god of happiness. His sacred animal was the bat. Symbolizes destiny, fate, love, happiness, and success.
Hou-chi
Chinese god of harvest and agriculture. Depicted as a kindly old man with stalks growing from his scalp.
Hsuan-T'ien-Shang-Ti
Chinese god who removes demons and evil spirits. Invoke for exorcism, matters involving water.
Hu-Tu
Chinese earth goddess, similar to gaia, the deification of the earth. Patroness of fertility, element is earth.
I-ti
Chinese god of wine.
Kue'i-Hsing
Chinese god of safe travels, tests, literature, and students.
Kuan Yin
One of the most loved Chinese goddesses. It is said that her name brings protection and relief when it is simply spoken.
Before she was a goddess, she was the daughter of a cruel father.
When she refused to marry into wealth like her sisters, she was sent to
a temple where she was made to perform the most difficult of tasks.
Birds, snakes, and tigers had pity on her and came to her aid. But her
father was angered that she had not given in and married, so he first
tried to burn her to death. However, she put out the fire with her
hands.
When he finally did kill her, she was sent to the underworld. But
she recited the words out of holy books, and the god of the dead was
upset because he could not make them suffer while she was there.
Frustrated, he sent her back to earth, where the Buddha made her
immortal and rewarded her with great insight. She became a goddess of
mercy and compassion.
Kuan Ti
Chinese god of war. Protects people from injustice and evil spirits.
Lao-Tien-Yeh
Chinese great god.
Lei-Kung
Chinese god of retribution and thunder. He makes thunder with his
hammer, chases away evil spirits, and punishes criminals whose crimes
have gone undetected.
Lo-shen
Chinese goddess of rivers.
Lu-Hsing
Chinese god of salaries, wages, and employment. Symbolizes success, prosperity, earned wealth, justice.
Lu-Pan
Chinese god of carpenters and masons. Symbolizes artistic talent and fame.
Ma-ku
Chinese goddess of spring.
Meng-Po-Niang
Chinese goddess who stood just within the gates of hell. Her magic
potion was administered to each soul, so that they would forget their
past lives.
Men-Shen
Two chinese deities who guarded the door against evil. They embody protection.
Mo-Hou-Lo-Chia
Chinese dragon king, deity of all waters.
Mu Gong
Chinese. Immortality.
Mu Kung
Chinese spirit of the woods, one of the Wu Lao, or spirits of the five natural forces.
Nu Kua
Chinese goddess who created mankind. She was very powerful, half
human and half serpent. She is associated with rain, ponds, pools, and
moist creatures near such areas such as amphibians and fish.
Pa
Chinese goddess of droughts.
P'an Chin Lien
Chinese goddess of prostitutes.
Phan Ku
Chinese creator god who formed the mountains, valleys, oceans, and
rivers on the earth. When he died, his skull became the sky, his breath
became the wind, his voice thunder, his earms and legs the four
cardinal direction, his flesh the soil, and his blood the rivers. Then
the fleas in his hair became human beings.
Pi-Hsai Yuan Chin
Chinese goddess of childbirth and labor; she brings health and good fortune to the newborn and protection to the mother.
Sao-Ts'ing Niang
Chinese goddess of the clouds and the end of drought.
Sengen-Sama
Chinese goddess of the sacred mountain Fujiyama.
Shaka-Nyorai
The historical Japanese Buddha. Virtue, spiritual enlightenment, spiritual lessons, self understanding. [Chinese.]
Shen-nung
Chinese god of agriculture, pharmacy, medicine, and health. Symbolizes the element of air.
Shou-Hsing
Chinese god of long life and old age. He was the keeper of the book with the life spans of men. Symbolizes longetivity.
Shui-Khan
Chinese god who defends men against evil and forgives their
wrongdoings. Symbolizes forgiveness, aversion of evil, and the element
of water.
T'ai-Yueh-Ta-Ti
Chinese god of the affairs of men, protected humans and animals.
Symbolizes fortune, fate, destiny, children, animals, karma,
prosperity, protection, success.
Tien-Kuan
Chinese god of happiness and well-being.
Tien-Mu
Chinese goddess of lightening.
Ti-Tsang Wang
Chinese god of mercy. Wandering in the caverns of Hell, a lost soul
might encounter Ti-Tsang Wang, who will do all he can to help the soul
escape hell and even to put an end to his eternal round of death and
rebirth.
Long ago, Ti-Tsang Wang renounced Nirvana so that he could search
the dark regions of Hell for souls to save from the kings of the ten
underworlds. Once a priest of Brahma (Hinduism), he converted to
Buddhism and himself became a Buddha with special authority over the
souls of the dead.
Tou-Mou
Chinese god who was a record keeper, judge, and scribe.
Tsai-Shen
Chinese god of wealth, abundance, and success.
Tsao-Wang
Chinese heart god; symbolizes the element of fire.
Tsi-Ku
Chinese goddess of the outhouse. Prophecy.
Twen-Ch'ang
Chinese god of literature and poetry.
Yao-Shih
Chinese master of psychic powers, healing, divination, and prophecy.
Yeng-Wang-Yeh
Greatest of the Chinese gods of hell, he judged human souls.
Yu-Huang-Shang-Ti
Chinese sky god, father of heaven. He is a creator who made men, fashioning them from clay. He sees and hears all.
Egyptian
Ab
Egyptian grain god.
Amenti
Egyptian goddess of the underworld and fertility.
Amon
Egyptian god of wind, fertility, and secrets. Had thousands of
children including Bast, Neith, Hapi, and Khons. Amon is often shown
with the large, curving horns of a ram unique to the Nile Valley. Also
shown as the sphinx. Often referred to as Amon-Ra, a combination of
Amon and Ra.
Amun
"The Invisible One". One of the most spiritual of the Egyptian gods. Symbolizes the element of air.
b
Egyptian god of the power of the sun. He was depicted as a warrior
wearing a headdress with four tall, straight plumes. Elements are air
and fire.
Apep
Serpent in egyptian lore that tried to destroy the sun every day.
Atchet
Egyptian goddess who nurses children.
Aten
In Egyptian lore, the disk of the sun.
Athor
Egyptian goddess of light. Daughter of Ra.
Atum
Egyptian sun god. In some creation myths he is the creator of the
universe. Father of Shu and Tefnut. Astrologically related to the leo
sign of the zodiac.
Bes
Egyptian dwarf god. In contrast to the other Egyptian deities, who
were usually depicted in profile, Bes was depicted full face. He was
originally the protective deity of the royal house of Egypt, but came
to be a popular household deity throughout Egypt. He was believed to
guard against evil spirits, protect children, kill snakes, and ward off
misfortune. Assisted Tawert in childbirth. Associated with fertility
and human pleasures.
Buto
The main Egyptian Delta goddess commonly associated with serpents
and snakes, especially the cobra. She would protect those she favored
by spitting poison into their face or burning them with her glare. She
is the Queen of the goddesses and a symbol of the pharoah's reign over
the land.
Chons
Egyptian god of the moon. The best-known story about him tells of
him playing the ancient game senet ("passage"). against Thoth, and
wagering a portion of his light. Thoth won, and because of losing some
of his light, Khons cannot show his whole glory for the entire month,
but must wax and wane.
Duamutef
Egyptian god who protected the stomach of the deceased, one of the sons of Horus.
Emutet
Egyptian cobra-headed goddess of the harvest and agriculture.
Geb
"The Green Man". Egyptian god of the earth, symbolizes the element
fire. Green skinned man with a goose on his head, often shown lying
down beneath the feet of Shu with his phallus pointing straight up. He
was said to imprison the souls of the dead, disallowing them to move on
to the afterlife. His laughter caused the earth to shake.
Gengenver
Egyptian fowl god in the form of a goose who laid the Cosmic Egg.
Hapi
Egyptian deification of the blessed river Nile. Eventually thought
of as the creator of everything. Without the waters of Hapi, all life
would perish. Also known as Hapy.
Hathor
"The Beautiful Face In The Boat For Thousands Of Years". Egyptian
goddess of joy and love. Symbolizes love, beauty, happiness, joy,
element of Air, the moon.
Horus
"The Mighty One of Transformations". Egyptian god, the son of Isis
and Osiris. God of the all-seeing eye. His animal is the falcon. To
understand the cycles of Horus' life, you should know his
manifestations
Imhotep
Egyptian god of healing who was raised from mortality to god status.
Imseti
Egyptian god who protected the liver of the dead.
Isis
Egyptian mother goddess of day and moisture. It was Isis who
retrieved and reassembled the body of Osiris after his murder and
dismemberment by Seth. Because of this she took on the role of a
goddess of the dead and of funeral rites. Isis impregnated herself from
the corpse and gave birth to Horus. She gave birth secretly and hid the
child from Seth in the papyrus swamps. Horus later defeated Seth and
became the first ruler of a united Egypt. Isis, as mother of Horus, was
revered as the mother and protectress of the pharaohs. The relationship
between Horus and Isis may have been an influence on the Christian
relationship between Jesus and Mary. Icons of Isis holding the infant
Horus as he suckled are quite remininscent of such images of Jesus in
Mary's arms. Statues of Isis and Horus were gradually disallowed by the
Christian churches.
Oh Isis, Great Goddess,
Mother of God, and Creator of Life
You reign over Philae and all other lands.
Oh Mighty Goddess, Queen of Philae
You rule over the celestial bodies
And give the stars their place.
-A Hymn to Isis
Khepera
"The Self-Created". Egyptian god of the sun. Symbol is the scarab beetle. Symbolizes the element of air. Also known as Kherpi.
Khnum
Egyptian god of childbirth. Sometimes shown as a ram-headed human,
often at a potter's wheel forming the child in the womb with his clay.
Ma'at
Egyptian Goddess of truth, justice and the order of the universe.
Her symbol is the feather. She sits in the underworld, judging the
souls that pass through.
Mary the Egyptian
Love.
Mertseger
Egyptian goddess of flowers and death. Shown with the head of a snake.
Meshkent
Egyptian goddess of birth. She is to be present on the judgement day.
Min
"The Firm One". Egyptian god of fertility, rain, and agriculture,
and protector of roads and travellers. Symbolizes sexual prowess and
fertility.
Montu
"Nomad". Egyptian god of war.
Mut
The original Egyptian mother goddess. Wife of Amun. She had
thousands of children, among them were Bast, Neith, Hapi, and Chons.
She lost importance once Isis became the primary mother goddess. She
symbolizes the element air.
Neith
"Lady Of The Sails". Egyptian goddess of war and weaving. She symbolizes strength, love, the moon, courage.
Nepthys
Egyptian goddess of death and mystery. A guardian of the corpse of
Osiris along with Isis. Invoke for element of earthk. Also called Nebt
Het, Nebet Het, Nebthet, or Neb-hut.
Nut
Egyptian goddess of the sky. Air element.
Osiris
Egyptian god of life and death. Osiris ruled the world of men in
the beginning, after Ra had abandoned the world to rule the skies, but
he was murdered by his brother Set. Through the magic of Isis, he was
made to live again. Being the first living thing to die, he
subsequently became lord of the dead.
Homage to thee, Osiris, Lord of eternity, King of the Gods, whose
names are manifold, whose forms are holy, thou being of hidden form in
the temples, whose Ka is holy.
-"Hymn to Osiris", The Papyrus of Ani, 240 BCE. Translated by E.A. Wallis Burdge.
Ptah
Egyptian creator god of Memphis, created the cosmos and the bodies
in which man's souls dwelt. Some legends say he created things as Thoth
directed him to. It is also said that he created the elder deities. His
is shown as a bald man, a scarab beetle, or a hawk. He can be invoked
for stability.
Qebehsenuf
Egyptian god who protected the intestines of the deceased. One of the four sons of Horus,
Qetesh
Egyptian goddess of love, nature, and beauty. She was depicted as a
beautiful nude woman, standing or riding upon a lion, holding flowers,
a mirror, or snakes. She is generally shown full-face, which is unusual
in Epyptian artwork. She can be invoked for matters of the heart,
fertility, beauty, and self-esteem.
Ra
Egyptian sun god, can be likened unto the Christian God, as a
supreme deity and creator. He created the 8 great gods and the human
race came from his tears. Usually depicted as a human with a falcon or
ram head. The sun was either his eye or his body. He traveled the sky
every day, passing over the lands and then going into the underworld.
Because of this legend, he is considered to be the god of the
underworld. Ra also stopped wars between humans because he was too
decent to let them perish. He may be invoked for cat magick.
Renenutet
Egyptian goddess who took care of children. Also known as Renenet
Renpet
Egyptian goddess of the year, youth, and spring. Portrayed as a woman wearing a palm shoot on her head.
Sati
Egyptian goddess of the elephantine. Symbolizes the element fire.
Sebek
Egyptian crocodile god. Assists in the birth of Horus in the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Also known as Sobek.
Seker
Egyptian god of light and protector of souls passing to the
underworld. Usually depicted with the head of the hawk, and wrapped
like a mummy.
Sekhmet
Egyptian goddess of sunset, destruction, death, and wisdom.
Originally created by Ra from his fire to be a creature of vengeance
who would punish humans for their wrongdoings. However, she became a
loving goddess of peace and compassion, and a protectress of the
righteous. Symbols are the lion and the desert. She symbolizes health,
rebirth, fire, and wisdom.
O Lady, Mightier than the Gods,
Adoration rises unto Thee!
All beings hail Thee!
O Lady, Mightier than the Gods!
Preserved beyond Death
That Secret Name,
O Being Called Sekhmet.
At the Throne of Silence even,
shall no more be spoken than Encircling One!
I lose myself in Thee!
-"Hymn to Sekhmet"
Selket
Egyptian scorpion-goddess and helper of women in labor, often shown
as a beautiful woman with a scorpion on her head. Her scorpions would
strike death to the wicked, but she saved the lives of the innocent
people who were stung by scorpions. she was also viewed as a helper of
women in childbirth.
Set
Egyptian god of darkness and evil. Known for murdering his brother,
but was also revered as a protector of Egypt. Set was one of the
earliest Egyptian deities, a god of the night often identified with the
northern stars. He was variously hailed as a source of strength, and a
protector, especially from the serpent Apep.
Within Egyptian theology, there are conflicting opinions regarding
Set's strength and warlike resolution. At first, pictures of a god with
two heads- that of Set, as the god of darkness, and that of his brother
Horus, god of light, appeared. At first this was a symbol of harmony,
the union of polarities. However, later, it was regarded as a symbol of
the conflict between dark and light. Set is depicted as being untamed
and wild looking with white skin and fiery red hair. He is symbolized
by barren wastelands and deserts. Also known as Seth, Seti.
Shai
Egyptian god of destiny and fate. Also known as Shait.
Shu
"The Dry One". Egyptian god of the air represented in human form.
Personifies the sun's light. Appears as a warrior, lion, or lion-headed
man with a feather. Symbolizes the element air, and possibly fire.
Sothis
Egyptian feminine name for the star Sirius.
Tefnut
Egyptian goddess of precipitation and clouds. Her sacred animal is the lion.
Tauret
"The Great One". Egyptian goddess of childbirth. She was depicted
as having the head of a hippopotamus, the arms and legs of a lion, the
breasts of a woman, the tail of a crocodile, and a great swollen belly
like a pregnant woman. Her fierce and strange appearance was supposed
to frighten away any spirits that were a threat to the safety of the
baby. She is often in the company of Bes, the dwarf god. Pregnant women
in Egypt used to wear amulets bearing the goddess' head. Also known as
Taweret, Taurt, Apet, Opet.
Thoueris
Egyptian hippopotamus goddess of fertility, women and childbirth.
Thoth
Egyptian god of wisdom, considered to be a messenger between the
gods and the god of the underworld. A vizier to Osiris. His animal
symbols are the ibis and the baboon. He is a god of the moon, and is
associated with magic, communication, time, mathematics, scholarship,
music, medicine, astronomy, drawing and writing. Also known as Tahuti,
Djeheuty.
Upuat
"He Who Opens the Way", jackal or wolf-headed Egyptian god of the dead.
Finnish
Agroi
Finnish god of turnips and twin births.
Ahto
Chief finnish god of waters and seas.
Akka
Finnish earth mother and goddess of the harvest and female
sexuality. Wife and consort of the supreme sky God Ukko. She symbolizes
love, agriculture, womanliness.
Hiisi
Finnish god of evil, skilled sorcerers and sorceresses, necromancers, spells, sacred drums, trance, chanting, trance-dancing.
Ilma
Finnish god of air. Symbolizes element of Air, the element of wind.
Jumala
Finnish supreme creator god. Symbolizes the sky and thunder, weather, twilight, dusk, and the element of air.
Kalma
Finnish goddess of death.
Kipu-Tytto
Finnish goddess of illness.
Kuu
Finnish moon goddess.
Mielikki
Finnish goddess of the forest and the hunt. Protectress of wild
animals. Totem animal was the bear. She symbolizes archery, hunting,
wilderness, trees.
Nakk
Finnish water spirit considered evil. It lives in the deepest water.
Ovda
Unfriendly Finnish forest spirit.
Paiva
Finnish sun god.
Pellervoinen
Finnish god of fields, trees, and plants.
Rauni
Finnish thunder goddess. Forest mother, spirit of the mountain ash.
She was one of the most powerful deities and wife of the god of
thunder. Invoke during childbirth for a painless and safe delivery.
Tapio
Finnish god of water and woods. Invoke to have an abundance of game when hunting.
Ukko
Finnish god of the sky, provided help with the impossible or hopeless.
Greek
Achelous
Greek river god. Acheloüs, in the form of a bull, fought Heracles
for Deianira. He lost and Heracles broke off one of his horns which
became the Cornucopia, or horn of plenty. Achelous is known for having
fathered the sirens, also called the Acheloides. Eldest son of Oceanus
and Tethys. Also known as Acheloos
Adonis
Greek vegetation god and consort of Aphrodite. He was actually a
Phoenecian god who was later adopted by the Greeks as a mortal consort
to Aphrodite. He was killed by a wild boar, and Aphrodite caused the
plant anemone to grow from him when she discovered his body. Symbolizes
element of earth, love, fertility, health.
Aeolos
Greek god of wind and air. Aeolos lived on an island near Sicily
where he guarded the caves where he kept the winds. He would let out he
wind only as the gods of Olympus instructed, whether in gusts, gales,
or breezes.
One day, Odysseus visited Aeolos on the island. He was warmly
welcomed, and when he left, Aeolos gave him a bag containing all the
dangerous and theatening winds, so that Odysseus would have a safe
travel back to Ithaca without worrying about bad weather.
Odysseus did as Aeolos bid him, but once his homeland was in sight,
he laid down to sleep knowing he needn't worry about poor weather. But
as he slept, one of his men curiously opened the bag, freeing all the
fierce winds and blowing the little ship way of course.
Aether
Greek personification of air.
Aethon
Greek personification of famine.
Alcmene
Greek goddess of midwinter, the new year, stateliness, beauty and
wisdom. Zeus fooled her by appearing as her husband, because of which
she had a child by him. The result of her union with Zeus was Hercules.
Alcyone
Greek goddess of the sea, the moon, calm, tranquility. She who brings life to death and death to life.
Alpheios
Greek river god. He became infatuated with a nymph named Arethusa.
He persued her to incessantly that she eventually prayed to Artemis for
help. Artemis answered her by making the stream Arethusa inhabited and
represent run underground, thereby eluding the persistent Alpheios.
Alphito
Greek goddess of barley flour, destiny, and the moon.
Amphityonis
Greek goddess of wine, friendships and relationships between nations.
Amphitrite
Greek goddess of the sea. She took care of all the creatures of the ocean. Wife of Poseidon, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.
Apeliotes
Greek god of the south-eastern winds.
Aphrodite
Greek Goddess of passion and sexual love, and womanly beauty. She
is considered the epitome of beauty and femininity. Said to have been
born of sea-foam.
She is kind to those she liked, but can be cruel and merciless to
those who displease her. She married Hephaestos, had an affair with
Ares, and was caught.
Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione, and mother of Eros.
Her animal totems are the dove, sparrow, swan, and swallow. Plants
sacred to her are myrtle, poppy, rose, and apple. She symbolizes
feminine prowess, sexuality, relationships, flower magic.
Apollo
Greek god of the sun, light, music, song, medicine, and healing. Patron of herdsmen.
Apollo's mother Leto was forced to run from Hera, the jealous wife
of Zeus. She went to the Island of Delos and delivered her two
children- the twins, Apollo and Artemis.
Though the god of light, Apollo had a dark side. Under the name of
Carneios, he is seen as a god of death. He and Artemis slew all of
their mother Leto's children when Niobe, their grandmother, claimed all
of Leto's children were more beautiful than the gods.
Apollo was worshipped at the oracle of Delphi, where a priestess
who give forth his predictions. The Greeks believed that the egyptian
God Heru and Apollo were the same deities. He is the twin brother of
Artemis. Apollo's minor associations include black magic, blessing,
justice, divination, oracles, prophecy, creativity, fertility,
productivity, success.
Arachne
Greek spider goddess, weaver of fate and destiny.
Ares
Greek war god of storms and hurricanes, also considered a father of
the gods. Undoubtedly the most fierce and vicious of the gods within
the Greek pantheon. He had a passion for mass slaughter. Son of Zeus
and Hera.
Artemis
Greek goddess of the moon and the hunt. She is also one of the
virgin goddesses, and she protects women in labor, small children and
wild animals. She, Hestia, and Athena are not affected by Aphrodite's
manipulations. Artemis may be thought of as the "silver goddess." She
wore silver sandals, rode a silver chariot in the silver moonlight, and
kills with silver arrows shot from a silver bow. In fact, many dying
women, as well as women in childbirth, went to Artemis to ask for a
quick, painless death from Her silver arrows.
Artemis was very beautiful and had many suitors, but would not
marry until she found someone as wild and free and herself. Her nymphs,
as well, vowed to not marry.
But one day, seven of the nymphs were in the woods when they saw
the strong and handsome hunter Orion. Because of their promise to shun
men, they fled. But he saw them and persued. Though swift and lithe,
the nymphs grew weary. They called out to Artemis for help. Hearing
their prayer, she turned them into pigeons, which flew up into the sky
and because the stars called the Pleiades.
Orion turned away to hunt elsewhere, but soon met Artemis herself.
Sharing a passion for hunting and the woodlands, they became good
friends.
Apollo worried that she would marry Orion and break her vow. He
knew that Orion received the ability to walk on water from his father
Poseidon and was often out on the sea. So, he went to his sister and
lef her to the sea. Provoking her with his great accomplishments, he
dared her to try to hit a distant target at sea. Unaware that it was
Orion, she shot an arrow precisely and hit the target.
The waves lifted Orion's body to the short. Artemis grieved her
loss, then she placed him among the stars, with the Pleiades and his
dog Sirius.
Artemis is the twin sister of Apollo, and the daughter of Leto and
Zeus. Also symbolizes health, love, charms, shapeshifting. Sacred to
Artemis are deer/stags, geese, wild dogs, fish, goats, bees, bears,
trees.
Asopos
A minor Greek river god.
Astarte
"The Lady of the Mountain". Greek goddess of fertility, fire, love,
productivity, astrology, war, vengeance, victory, sexual prowess.
Ate
Greek goddess of obsession, guilty, infatuation, and mischief. She
was a trickster who would lead men into actions that would be their
demise.
Athena
Greek Goddess of war and wisdom. She is the daughter of Zeus, born
by springing forth fully grown from his forehead. It is believed that
she was conceived to carry out deeds that Zeus could not do but would
want to.
Her name, "Pallas Athene", is representative of her dual nature.
She can be seen as "Pallas", goddess of storms, courage, strength,
battle, war, chivalry, and victory. She can also be "Athene", the
goddess of peace, beauty, wisdom, creativity, education, science, and
the arts.
She was responsible for teaching mortals natal care and healing.
She also invented the flute, created the olive tree, and showed men how
to train horses.
Athena is the patron of craftsmen and the protector of cities. Her animal symbols are the cock, snake, owl, and olive tree.
I begin to sing of Pallas Athena, the glorious Goddess, bright-eyed,
inventive, unbending of heart,
pure virgin, saviour of cities,
courageous, Tritogeneia. Wise Zeus himself bore her
from his awful head, arrayed in warlike arms
of flashing gold, and awe seized all the gods as they gazed.
But Athena sprang quickly from the immortal head
and stood before Zeus who holds the aegis,
shaking a sharp spear: great Olympus began to reel horribly
at the might of the bright-eyed Goddess,
and earth round about cried fearfully,
and the sea was moved and tossed with dark waves,
while foam burst forth suddenly:
the bright Son of Hyperion stopped his swift-footed horses a long while,
until the maiden Pallas Athena had stripped the heavenly armour from her immortal shoulders.
And wise Zeus was glad.
And so hail to you, daughter of Zeus who holds the aegis!
-Homeric Hmyn #28
Aura
Greek goddess of the morning wind. See also Aurora.
Aurora
Greek goddess of the dawning morning. She gave birth to the morning
star and the winds (Zephyrus, Boreas, Notos, and Euros) by Astraeos,
the god of starlight.
Bacchus
Roman god of fertility, mirth, merriment, revelry, wine, wisdom, and inspiration.
Bacchus was born of Zeus and Semele's union against the will of
Hera, Zeus' wife. When the jealous Hera learned of Semele's pregnancy
by Zeus she angrily plotted against them. She disguised herself and
came to Semele, telling her she should ask that Zeus appear before her
in all his glory as the god of thunder. Zeus swore to grant whatever
wish Semele might have. Forced to abide by his oath, he appeared to
Semele as a display of lightening and thunder, which killed her. As
Semele died, she gave birth to Bacchus, who died as well. Zeus restored
life to him and sent the child to be raised by the nymphs, out of
Hera's jealous eye.
As the god of spring, he is Bacchus is said to be in terrible pain
during winter when the flowering plants and vines wither and die.
His followers were called bacchants. After reveling and
overindulging in wine, they danced around in a craze often trampling
and tearing people and animals to pieces. Bacchanalia was a festival
held which involved excessive drinking and drunken orgies. Also known
as Dionysus [Greek].
Blessed are the disciples who become prophets, the gnostics
who hold the holy wand of god.
Blessed are those who wear the ivy crown of the Conquering One--
Blessed, blessed are they,
Bacchus is our god!
-Bacchae Euripides, circa 400 BCE
Balder
Norse (Scandinavian) god of joy, light, beauty, innocence, purity, and reconciliation. His parents are Odin and Frigg.
Balder's mother, Frigg, took oaths from all plants, creatures,
minerals, and elements that they would not harm him, all except the
mistletoe plant for she felt it was too young and too small to harm
him. He was therefore considered immune from harm and the other gods
would throw things at him in sport. Loki deceived Hod (Balder's blind
brother) into throwing a spear made from mistletoe at Baldur. It was
this which killed him. This story can easily be compared to the Greek
legend of Achilles' heel.
Boreas
Greek god of the northern arctic winds. He vied with Zephyrus for the love of Chloris, and lost.
Callisto
Greek moon goddess.
Chloe
Greek. Demeter's name as protector of spouts.
Cybele
Greek Great Mother of the Gods. She is the leading deity of the
Greek mystery religions. Symbolizes the element air and fertility.
Cytherea
Another name for the Greek love goddess Aphrodite. See also Aphrodite.
Daemons
A race of invisible beings. Assigned by Zeus to every mortal to
attend to, protect, and guide. They were nameless unless they attended
a god or goddess. To be watchful of your life, cheerful, and honorable,
is to respect your daemon. To be reckless and ignore your conscience is
to go against the daemon. The daemon would die with its assigned
mortal.
The Greeks believed that great heros and champions were possessed
by daemons. Eventually this belief extended, and the Greeks believe
that every hero died honorably was actually ascended to live with the
gods.
Demeter
Greek Earth goddess. All-nourishing mother of the earth.
Her daughter, Persephone, was gathering flowers one day when Hades
came out from the earth and abducted her to make her his bride. Demeter
grieved and searched all the lands for her. Wherever she was warmly
received, she would give people instruction in agriculture. Along her
way she met the kind Keleos of Attica, and left him her snake-drawn
carriage and the seed of barely so that he could spread the knowledge
of agriculture around the lands.
Demeter finally found out where Persephone had been taken. Though
Zeus had given Hades permission to carry off the girl, and had
instructed the other gods not to help, Demeter was able to convince
them to come to her aid. They agreed, provided that Persephone had not
eaten anything in her time in the underworld. However, Persephone had
eaten 6 seeds of a pomegranate Hades had given her as proof of her
love. They came to a compromise; Persephone would spend 6 months of the
year with Demeter, during which time the earth would prosper and
flourish in Demeter's joy. The other 6 months would be passed by
Persephone in the underworld with Hades. While Persephone is with
Hades, Demeter grieves her and the earth suffered extreme temperatures
and poor harvests. This is a myth which explains the seasons.
Demeter is the daughter of Chronos and Rhea. She is associated with
agriculture, crops, and all produce, as well as abundance in childbirth
and agriculture.
Dione
Greek nature and earth goddess, daughter of Uranus and Gaia. Mother
of Aphrodite. Associated with divination, predictions, love, prophecy.
Discordia
Roman goddess of discord and strife, known as Eris to the Greeks.
The other gods employed her to stir up feuds and rivalry amongst men.
Root of Erisian/Discordian beliefs. Mother of Enyo.
Doris
Greek sea goddess.
Eirene
Greek goddess of peace and wealth. Her symbols include the
cornucopia, the olive branch, corn ears on her head, and Herme's staff.
Also known as Pax.
Elpis
Greek god of hope who stood over Eros holding a lily.
Enyo
Greek goddess of war. She spreads terror and alarm before and
during combat. A consort of Ares, sometimes considered his sister,
sometimes his wife.
Erebos
A Greek god of darkness.
Eros
Greek god of sexual desire. See also Cupid.
Eunomia
Greek goddess of order and legislation.
Faunus
Roman and Italian god of woodlands. Symbolizes love. Also known as Pan [Greek].
Flora
Roman goddess of blossoming and flowering plants. She is the wife
of Zephyrus who gave her eternal youth. Also known as Chloris [Greek]
Ganymede
Greek cup bearer.
Hades
Greek god of death, keeper of the underworld. He was the brother of Zeus but was in the underworld instead of upon Olympus.
Helios
Greek god of the sun. His roman counterpart was Sol.
Hephaestus
Greek blacksmith god. Fire magic, creativity, wisdom.
Hera
Greek goddess of matrimony and cycles of women's growth. Sister and
wife of Zeus. She is best known for her intense jealousy of all of
Zeus' affairs with mortal women. She can be invoked for love, the moon,
element of Air, motherhood.
Hermes
Greek god of commerce. He was a messenger for the gods, often
carrying messages from mortals to gods and vice versa. He symbolizes
communication, health, knowledge, fertility, and insight.
Hestia
Greek mother goddess. She symbolizes the element of fire, domestic
and home magic, conception, and the well-being of the self and family.
See also Vesta.
Hymen
Greek god of marriage. Symbolizes love, virginity, and obviously the oath of marriage.
Hypno
Greek god of sleep. Bother of Thanatos (death) and Dreams. Son of Nox (night) and Erebus.
Jupiter
Roman god of the sky and the father of all gods and men. He
symbolizes the element air. Also known as Zeus [Greek]. See also Zeus.
Ladon
Greek river god, son of Oceanus and Tethys, father of Daphne.
Liber
Roman god of wild nature, fertility, passionate lovemaking and
wine. Also known as Libera. His counterparts are the Greek gods
Dionysius and Bacchus. He symbolizes fertility and wild personalities.
Maia
"Grandmother of Magic". Greek goddess of spring, youth, life, and
rebirth. One of the seven daughters of Atlas and mother of Hermes. She
symbolizes love.
Mars
Roman god of war. Symbolizes protection, strength, health, energy. Also known as Ares [Greek].
Moros
Greek god of doom; deification of an unfortunate destiny and the fate of a violent death.
Nike
Greek winged goddess of victory. Also known as Victoria [Roman]
Nus
Greek god of understanding and intelligence.
Oceanus
Greek deified stream which encircled Gaea and was the source of all
water. Was the father of all the water deities by Tethys. Eldest of the
Titans.
Onatha
Iroquois goddess of wheat and crops, similar to the Greek goddess Persephone. See also Persephone.
Pan
Greek god of fertility and the woodlands. He was later demonized by
the Christian church. He embodies love, lust, fertility, and the
element of earth.
Io Pan! Io Pan Pan! Pan Pan! Pan, I am a man: Do as thou wilt, as a
great god can, O Pan! Io Pan! Io Pan! Io Pan Pan! I am awake in the
grip of the snake.
-"Hymn to Pan", Aleister Crowley
Plutus
Greek god of wealth. He was thought to be blind because wealth is
given indiscriminantly to both the good and the bad. Some stories say
eventually he gains his sight back so he can give wealth to the
deserving.
Poseidon
Greek god of earthquakes and the sea. Symbolizes the elements air and water, can be invoked for the moon.
Pothos
Greek deification of love, passion, and desire. Consort of Aphrodite.
Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus was the titan who stole fire from
the gods and gave it to humans, along with the arts and civilization.
He was also often regarded as the creator of man from clay, the first
human, and humanity's savior when Zeus threatened to kill all human
beings. He greatly offended Zeus by his actions and was punished. There
are different sources with different accounts of the legend.
In Hesiod's version, Zeus' punishment was the creation of Pandora,
the first woman, who was overtaken by temptation and opened a forbidden
box thereby unleashing all the lamentations and evils of the world.
In the Aeschylean version, Zeus had Prometheus chained to a rock on
Mount Caucasus where an eagle ate away at his liver, starting all over
each day after the liver had grown back during the night. He is
eventually rescued by Hercules.
Proteus
Greek sea god who served Poseidon. He was a shapeshifter and changed form at will.
Pythia
Greek serpent and snake goddess, daughter of Gaia.
Salacia
Roman goddess of spring water. Called Amphitrite by the Greeks.
Saturn
Roman god of agriculture and ruler of the golden age. Also known as Kronos, Chronos [Greek].
Selene
"The Radiant", "The Well Dressed Queen". Greek moon goddess and
teacher to the magicians and sorcerers or sorceresses. She was a
beautiful woman with long wings and a halo of gold. Daughter of
Hyperion and Theia, sister of Helios and Eos. She symbolizes the moon.
Also known as Phoebe.
Serapis
Ptolemaic god of the afterlife and fertility, devised by the Greeks
from Osiris and Apis. Physician and helper of worshippers in distress.
Symbolizes health/healing and fertility.
Thetis
Greek goddess who had an affair with Zeus. However, Zeus learned
that Thetis' son would be more powerful than his father, so he married
her off to Peleus. They had a son named Achilles. Thetis attempted to
make him immortal by dipping him in the river Styx, but because she
held him by the heel, his heel remained his weakness. Thus the allusion
to "Achilles' Heel".
Zephyrus
Greek-Roman god fo the west winds, the most pleasant and favored of
the winds. Symbolizes the element air. Also known as Zephyrs, Zephyr.
Zeus
Chief god of the Greek pantheon. He is the god of skies, lightening, thunder, and storms. He also takes on other forms:
Zeus Chronos: Fertility, earth
Zeus Sote: Father and savior of man
Zeus Xenios: Protector of politeness and hospitality
Zeus Herkios: Protector of house and home
Zeus Kleisos: Protector of property
Zeus Gamelios: God of marriage contracts. [Greek root "gam" means "marriage", as in "polygamy".]
Hindu
Abhijit
Hindu goddess of fortune.
Aditi
"The Unfettered". Hindu mother goddess. She was self-formed and the
mother of the sun and moon gods, Mitra and Varuna. She is the unlimited
space of sky beyond the far east, the brilliant light from which the
gods sprang. She clears obstacles, protects, and solves problems.
Agni
Hindu fire god. He is a part of all things, the essence of life.
It was said that he consumed his parents when he was born, for they
could not provide for him; this is symbolic of the fire born when two
sticks are rubbed together because the sticks are consumed as well once
the fire grows.
Agni loves all his worshippers equally. He visits everyone's hearth
and gives them equal fire regardless of their social class. When people
use fire, they must face it towards the proper direction. When facing
East, the fire should be used for sacrifices to the gods. When facing
South, the fire should be used for sacrifices to the spirits of the
dead. A fire made to cook food should always face toward the West. Agni
is also associatied with sex and virility in men. Invoke for the
element of fire, purity,
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