Goddesses of Midsummer
An archaeologist unearths the divine feminine, one archetype at a time...
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| View of the sea, Ithaka, Greece |
Some of the lesser known goddesses of summer are Aine, a Celtic goddess associated with a hill in Limerick, Ireland. At the summer festival of Samhain, she is said to emerge from a cairn with her red bull, and people light bonfires on the sacred hill in her honor. Another lesser known goddess of summer is Solntse, a Slavic goddess of the sun, as well as Aestas, a Roman personification of summer.
In Greek mythology, the Horai are the goddesses responsible for the planting and success of ancient crops. Of them, Theros is known as the goddess of summer. Amaterasu is a Shinto solar goddess who is known as the sister of the moon deity. The Japanese imperial family claims descent from Amaterasu and every July she is celebrated in the streets of Japan.
Since I am currently landlocked, I find myself thinking about being near the water...
and celebrate the goddesses of summer
by dreaming about the ocean.
In Greek mythology, the Horai are the goddesses responsible for the planting and success of ancient crops. Of them, Theros is known as the goddess of summer. Amaterasu is a Shinto solar goddess who is known as the sister of the moon deity. The Japanese imperial family claims descent from Amaterasu and every July she is celebrated in the streets of Japan.
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| Amaterasu emerges from the cave |
Since I am currently landlocked, I find myself thinking about being near the water...
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| Midsummer Eve, by Edward Robert Hugues |
I hate being land-locked. Living in St Louis for just one year was a trial for me. I could live in the US again - but only if it was close to the ocean. I am not too fond of summer though. I much prefer the goddesses of spring :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy those Mediterranean sea breezes Loree and I'll be dreaming of them from the landlocked midwest!
DeleteIt's funny, this decidedly summertime post had a lightly autumnal feel ...
ReplyDeleteInteresting, Suze - maybe there is a bit of ying-yang in this - as there is ever a drop of the opposite in any experience (just noted to my husband on our nightly walk how strange in mid-July that I saw a yellow leaf dropped from a tree!)
DeleteSummer and the ocean certainly do go together.
ReplyDeletetwo of my favorite things...
DeleteYou must visit your friends on the beach! Anyway you can make a trip to the West?
ReplyDeleteThat's the plan for next month Rosaria - I'm so looking forward to it!
DeleteWhen I don't have the ocean, I look for lakes. When that fails I look for pools!
ReplyDeleteHappy summer, Amanda. You know I'm nursing a recovering knee :-)
Love
kj
Will you be recovering by the sea later on this summer? I imagine that would be the MOST healing place for you!! xoxo
DeleteThe call of the sea is powerful, isn't it? Is that rakı you're drinking in the toast? I love that image.
ReplyDeleteHere's to summer, and the sea, whether we can sit by it or not! It is there! (and here inside)
Ruth, We are partaking of ouzo! (I tried Raki once and almost choked, it was so strong...)
Deleteit's a lust we have for water, isn't it? it comes from our inside out. perhaps it is reflective of our greater longing, to find the connection between interior and separate and exterior and all. either way i need water as much as i need forest and stone. i'm an elemental girl too:)
ReplyDeletesoothe your spirit and treat your body to the feast of the natural world.
and hey, autumn doesn't sound so bad to me... just imagine! (the world, so full of potential of transformation!)
xo
erin
What gorgeous seaside images! I really must visit Greece someday. More in my email...
ReplyDeleteI never knew that Aine was a goddess of summer. The associate between Limerick and summer is an odd one for me. I'm off to investigate :)
ReplyDeleteright about now I would welcome the goddesses of autumn....well, maybe just for a week or so.
ReplyDelete