#great mother goddess

[infernoprogeny]

𝕾𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖚𝖊𝖗𝖙𝖊: 𝔖𝔞𝔦𝔫𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔞𝔫𝔡 𝔊𝔬𝔡𝔡𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔡 

When it comes to death, there are many variations of gods that come to our mind from different cultures, since this process is an inevitable and crucial part of all our lives notwithstanding our ethnicity, race, social status, religious beliefs, etc.  

Most of us heard about one such deity: Santa Muerte, who is commonly known as a folk saint and is closely associated with Mexican el Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead. Usually she is depicted as a skeleton with traditional feminine features, long hair, flower wreath and in a bright dress. 

Despite her status among Spanish Catholics, the catholic church doesn’t accept her as an official saint since some other figures play this role in catholicism, as well as Santa Muerte’s eerie connections with witchcraft and narco cartels don’t quite fit Christian morals. 

But what do we know about the origin of the Mother of Death? 

Origin

Although Santa Muerte is an unofficial catholic saint, her roots are more complex than they seem and aren’t limited by her status among Spanish Catholics. 

There are a few main theories of where Santa Muerte comes from:

Aztec death deity Mictecacihuatl

Figure of Grim Reaper during Black Death

African death goddesses

And more others.

But there is no general agreement on which one is true. It can be confusing, but at the same time, it allows us to analyze and define the truth for ourselves.

Still there is one most popular theory which is related to Aztec beliefs.

Aztec death goddess

As we know, Santa Muerte has the most popularity in Mexico. From the history overview, the Valley of Mexico was earlier the Aztec home before the conquest of this land by the Spanish in the early 16th century.

Before Mexican el Día de Muertos, the Aztecs had their own celebration connected to several death gods: Mictecacihuatl and Mictlantecuhtli. Few principal gods were represented as female (Mictecacihuatl) and male (Mictlantecuhtli) embodiments of death and rulers of Mictlan (underworld).

!For the remark: they are not the only ones, there was goddess Tonantzin as well, but she is related to the other catholic figure. 

One of the theories is that Mictecacihuatl and Santa Muerte are the same deity because the Spanish had to accept some Aztec customs due to their cooperation. Also, Mictecacihuatl was a dominant death deity in the Aztec pantheon, so it was important to save her figure even under a different name.

Many faces of Mother of Death

Apart from Santa Muerte’s grim image and direct relation to death, she is patient with the newbies and her devotees and has a pleasant presence and nurturing nature. 

Like all deities, Lady of Death is versatile and can be both gentle and destructive. Don’t be surprised to learn that she has a strong connection with drug traffickers and many of them honour this goddess so she gives them protection and prosperity. 

Another feature is that Mother of Death accepts all people since death doesn’t care about your social status, sexual orientation, colour of skin, gender, and any other things. She is a protector of those who are rejected by society and helps them to stay safe and find their way in life. 

But you need to keep in mind that she should be respected as any other deity and she won’t forgive your ignorance or rudeness towards her. 

How to start working with Santa Muerte

As many of us know, it is important to understand which aspects have certain deities when we start working with them. It helps us to figure out for what purposes we can contact them. 

Santa Muerte is an universal goddess who has keys to the many doors on our paths. It is no wonder, because death is ever-present and has power over all. 

When you decide that you would like to ask Santa Muerte for something, you should define your request and reach out to one of her seven colours or aspects. 

!However, if you aren’t sure which colour is right, it is fine to reach out to Santa Muerte without referring to a certain aspect of her. 

The Seven Colors of Santa Muerte 

I will give a short guide of her seven colours, so it will be easier to define which aspect is most suitable for your problem or situation. 

Niña Blanca, White Santa Muerte

Protection, cleansing, renewal, starting new projects, healing, opening new paths, punishing enemies.

Niña Violeta, Purple Santa Muerte

Magic, secret knowledge, wisdom, spiritual growth, clairvoyance, divination.

Niña Azul, Blue Santa Muerte

Partnerships, social life, human interactions (she can both harmonize and destroy relationships).

Niña Dorada, Golden Santa Muerte

Money, wealth, prosperity, fate, luck (as well as lack of money, poverty and bad luck for enemies).

Niña Roja, Red or Pink Santa Muerte

Romantic relationships, love, lust, attracting a partner (it is possible to punish unfaithful partners with Red Santa Muerte’s help).

Niña Verde, Green Santa Muerte

Winning legal cases, justice, defining truth, protection from criminals, imprisoning someone, making someone commit illegal acts, endanger someone to be robbed or assaulted. 

Niña Negra, Black Santa Muerte

Neutralizing curses, malevolent spirits, ending bad luck or all kinds of problems, protection, spiritual transformations, harming enemies.

Associations

Planetary aspects: 

Moon and Saturn (but it can vary depending on the aspect)

Plants:

Rose, rosemary, syrian rye, tobacco, marigolds, aloe

Animals: 

Owl, raven, butterfly, snake, worm

Incense: 

Rose, vanilla, sage, copal, myrrh, rosemary, aloe, palo santo

Symbols:

Scythe, skull, flower wreath, golden jewelry, scale, cloak

Tarot:

Death, Queen of Swords, Judgement, the Empress, the High Priestess, the Hierophant (but it depends on your perception as well)

Offerings

Tequila, red wine, chocolate (or any other sweets), red apples, pomegranates, fruits (especially exotic ones such as pineapples, mangoes, dragon fruits), coffee and cacao, salt, bread, flowers (mostly red or white roses), red meat, chicken hearts, candles (the colour depends on the aspect or you can choose the black one as universal), incenses. 

𖤐

Let me know if you would like new posts about Santa Muerte. Mother and I will be happy to tell you a lot more.

[meirimerens]

the pathologic Kin is largely fictionalized with a created language that takes from multiple sources to be its own, a cosmogony & spirituality that does not correlate to the faiths (mostly Tengrist & Buddhist) practiced by the peoples it takes inspirations from, has customs, mores and roles invented for the purposes of the game, and even just a style of dress that does not resemble any of these peoples', but it is fascinating looking into specifically to me the sigils and see where they come from... watch this:

P2 Layers glyphs take from the mongolian script:

while the in-game words for Blood, Bones and Nerves are mongolian directly, it is interesting to note that their glyphs do not have a phonetic affiliation to the words (ex. the "Yas" layer of Bones having for glyph the equivalent of the letter F, the "Medrel" layer of Nerves having a glyph the equivalent of the letter È,...)

the leatherworks on the Kayura models', with their uses of angles and extending lines, remind me of the Phags Pa Script (used for Tibetan, Mongolian, Chineses, Uyghur language, and others)

some of the sigils also look either in part or fully inspired by Phags Pa script letters...

some look closer to the mongolian or vagindra (buryat) script

looking at the Herb Brides & their concept art, we can see bodypainting that looks like vertical buryat or mongolian script (oh hi (crossed out: Mark) Phags Pa script):

shaped and reshaped...

[yebreed]

The Hall of the Holy Mother: One of the Oldest Places of Worship

The Hall of the Holy Mother (聖母殿) in Jinci Temple (晉祠), Shanxi. Built during the reign of Emperor Renzong (仁宗) of the Northern Song dynasty (1023-1032).

The hall is part of the ever evolving temple complex founded about one and a half thousand years ago. Over the centuries of countless transformations, it has accumulated buildings of various periods and styles.

The temple is dedicated to Shuimu (水母), The Old Mother of Waters, witch-goddess of Chinese lore, appearing in the form of a dragon, a snake or a charming lady with a sword and a yoke.

Photo: ©鱼雁江南, 雪夜魚舟

[ocean-not-found]

Mothers of Compassion Goddesses of Mercy

[theanic-devotion]

Reminder

You can worship A Great Goddess/Mother Earth sort of entity without it being based off an ancient or prehistorical religion. There doesn't need to be a paleolithic indo-european goddess worshipping culture for you to believe in a goddess figure.

There is no need to make up history or speculate about the so-called "Venus Figurines" in order to validate your religion/spirituality.

I have recently realized I believe in a Mother Goddess (Though I believe she is all genders and none, She just feels mothery to me) and have been working toward venerating her. It isn't Hellenic/Greek or Kemetic/Egyptian or Norse or Celtic or anything earlier.

Love,

A pagan and a history enthusiast

[unholyleaf]

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, Who of old was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arionrhod, Brigid, and by many other names:

Whenever you have need of anything, once a month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me Who is Queen of all the Wise.

You shall be free from slavery, and as a sign that you be free you shall be naked in your rites.

Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My Presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is joy on earth.

For My law is love is unto all beings. Mine is the secret that opens the door of youth, and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the cauldron of Cerridwen, that is the holy grail of immortality.

I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal, and beyond death I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before.

Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am the Mother of all things and My love is poured out upon the earth.

Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of Whose feet are the hosts of Heaven, whose body encircles the universe:

I Who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters,

I call upon your soul to arise and come unto me.

For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.

From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.

Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are My rituals.

Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you.

And you who seek to know Me, know that the seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery: for if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.

For behold, I have been with you from the beginning, and I am That which is attained at the end of desire. ------------ The Lady, at least in one of the many ways I see her.

[her-hands-and-teeth]

The Moon in Her open Sky

The womb of the forever deep Earth

And the fire of Awen that reaches

Its fingers of light

To bring them together

[words-and-coffee]

You smell of death. Everything about you  is an endless goodbye

Nikita Gill, Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monster - Demeter To Hades (A Mother's Fury)

[vsthepomegranate]

Isis, Goddess of Life (1939)

by Auguste Puttemans

[infernoprogeny]

Today I honour our Mother of Death, Santa Muerte.

In the meantime, I would like to share some observations of working with Santa Muerte. It might help you in your practice with her, but it is a personal gnosis that can be different from yours (and this is fine). 

If you are in desperate need of urgent help with any problem, you should ask Santa Muerte. She is one of the deities who responds extremely quickly to your requests. 

Santa Muerte is perfect for getting someone or something off the ground. If you feel that some situation in your life went cold, you can ask Santa Muerte for help or a piece of advice. But you need to remember that she is the death goddess and death is about transformation. You should be ready for the dramatic changes. 

If you would like to work with Santa Muerte, you shouldn’t be greedy towards her and in general. As well as you have to be sincere with her. Don’t think you can hide your true intentions or lies from Death Itself. Even if you are interested in only materialistic things, it is better to be honest about it. However, it is not a good idea to work with her only from the desire to win a lottery, become rich, etc.

Santa Muerte is a wonderful teacher. Her wisdom is unlimited and she can give you lectures on practically all the things possible.

Santa Muerte adores compliments and sweet-talk, but it should be heartfelt. You can tell her about how beautiful she is, about how wise she is, that you respect her. Also, it is always nice to tell that you appreciate all things that she has done for you. 

I will share more observations next time, you can share yours if you work with her. 

And don’t forget to spend some time with your deities today! 𖤐

[occvltswim]

Allegory of America, Gottfried-Berhard Goetz, 1750.

[divaricca]

Star Goddess of many names and many faces in various cultural personifications, make yourself known in me as my consciousness and imagination permit me... and burn in me your Sacred Flame.

Dea Stella dai molti nomi e dai molti volti in varie personificazioni culturali, fatti conoscere in me come la mia coscienza e la mia immaginazione me lo permettono... e accendi in me la tua Sacra Fiamma.

My artwork edit (illustrations are not mine) Free to reblog from my profile.

[ocean-not-found]

I need to make it abundantly Clear that Mother Mary is ALL of our Mothers.

She loves Her Queer kids, Pagans, Witches & Weirdos. She holds us ALL under Her mantle.

[theanic-devotion]

So I'm pretty sure it is done. I don't know I've never done this before. Permissions are set, channels are made, so nothing should go horribly wrong.

If you all still want to join, please click the link. For those of you who didn't see my previous posts, this is a discord for goddess worshippers of all types.

I have some basic channels like art, general, holidays, offerings, prayers, but I hope to fit this server to the needs and wants of the people in it.

[artemisian-dragon]

New Tumblr but not new to Tumblr. Aiming to focus more on my craft so drop a follow or a heart if any of the following interest you:

Artemis

Apollo

Nyx

Lady of Avalon

Traditional witchcraft

Appalachian folk magic

Dragons

The Good Neighbors

I do also partake in fighting the oppressive system that is the entirety of the US

[her-hands-and-teeth]

Some pictures of our lovely Blodeuwedd at the end of yesterday’s festivities! See how beautifully decorated she is with the tokens of everyone’s blessings and wishes? And so many offerings were brought for her! It was a delightful beginning to Spring 💜