 by Maya del Mar CERES. Ceres comes first because she is the largest, first discovered (1801), and the great mother of all earth’s children. Ceres refers to nurturing, and to labor—almost synonymous, in fact. Ceres (cereal) was known as the goddess of the harvest, and of abundance. Demeter was her Greek name. It was Demeter who made the fields barren when her daughter was kidnapped. It was Demeter who initiated the Eleusian Mysteries, where death, resurrection, and rebirth were enacted each year. Ceres/Demeter is intimately in touch with the cycle of life. PALLAS ATHENA. Athena was born dressed, and armed, from the forehead of Zeus (Jupiter). As her birth shows, she was mature, she was brainy, and she was a fighter. She became the ruler of Athens, and she taught her people the skills and arts of creating a community—planting olives, weaving, working in clay, diplomacy, the arts, etc. She understood patterns and systems, and was a great strategist. When Athens was attacked, she defended her people with great skill. She rules the immune system, and all defenses. I often call her General Pallas. VESTA. Sometimes Vesta can be seen with the naked eye, and now is one of those times. Right now she is very close to Saturn in the sky. Vesta was the goddess of the hearth, and its fire. Focus, centering, dedication, devotion, keeping the flame burning and the household safe are all Vesta qualities. Vesta cares about protecting all that the household needs, including money and land. Investments are a Vesta thing. JUNO. Juno, Queen of the Gods, was the wife of Jupiter, who angered her with his philandering. Before that, she was the Great Goddess, Queen of Heaven, and she did not take kindly to being cheated on. She would get very angry, and the world would know about it. Intimate relationships are Juno’s concern, and she wants them to be pleasant and harmonious. She will often ally herself with a partner whom she sees as more powerful. She expects to get power through the relationship, but even though she gives a lot, she often gets abuse instead. Note: These are very abbreviated descriptions. Keep them as a basis for future reference. |