God's and Goddesses
When it comes to God, Goddesses, and Other Mythical Creatures i'm sure there are many questions. The best place to start is understanding the different religions. There are more 4,300 religions throughout out the world. In the spiritual world there are groups of that are used more often than others. The great thing about spirituality is that you can make your own path. You can believe in whatever you want . Lets look at some different Gods, Goddess, and Mythical creatures that are used in the spiritual world.
African Diaspora
The African Diaspora is a mixture different African cultures in one. When slave where taken from Africa the only thing they had left was spirituality. They would come together and grow through spirituality. Yoruba tradition often says that there are 400 + 1 Orishias which is associated with a sacred number. We will be focusing on 13 of main Orishas.
Olodumare/ Olorun/ Olofi
Color: Universal
Number: Universal
Offerings: Seeks No worshipers and No offerings needed
Characteristics: Omnipotent. The source of all, The trinity
Story: Olodumare is the creator of all the omnipotent. Olodumare manifest into 3 supreme beings making the him the source of all creation. Just as in Christianity you have the father, the son and the holy spirtit. in Yourba they have Olodumare, Olorun, and Olofi.
Elegua
Color: Red
Number: 3
Offerings: Pay tribute to Elegua on Mondays. Do so by offering his favorite treats: cigars, alcohol, coconut, just to name a few.
Characteristic: Elegua is the personification of destiny for all of mankind. As the ruler of all crossroads, roads, and doorways, It is said that he his present in a places at all times.
Story: The first Orisha made by Olodumare, he existed prior to creation and watched it all unfold.
Oba
Color: Pink or Blue
Number: 8
Offerings: Wholesome, nutritious foods, red wine, kitchen oils and spices.
Characteristics: Marriage, female honor, fertility, motherhood, teaching and education, fierce love and loyalty
Story: Known as Shango's First wife and The Orisha of the River. Humiliated by Oshun, Shango's second wife by being tricked to cut off her ear and feed it to him for more affection. Known as the only wife who could produce royal blood.
Obatala
Color: White
Number: 8
Offerings: White or light foods. Coconut milk, white pumpkin,
Characterictics: Encourages patience and handling situations in a calm matter
Story: Known as the sky father and the creator of human bodies. Known as the father of all orishas. Obatala is without gender meaning neither male nor female but is married to Yemaya the Goddess of the Oceans.
Olorumia
Color: Green & Yellow
Number: 4
Offerings: Coconut, wine, sweet cakes, candles
Characteristics: Great healer, Knowledgeable, Wise, Prophetic, holistic
Story: Oloruima is the orisha of divination and human destiny. He is known as the only orisha to not manifest through possession in the New World.
Olokun
Color: Blue & Beige
Number: 9
Offerings: cooked yams, grains, melons, and molasses.
Characteristics:
Story: Goddess of the deep waters of the ocean. The giver of life. Her tools consist of a woman with her hands extended holding in each hand the representation of the 2 spirits that dwell within her male/female. The Serpent represents death and the mask represents life. Olokun was not given life by the creator god Olodumare like most of the other orishas. Her power was so great that she emerged out of the primordial oceans by the power of her own will.
Ogun
Color: Red & White
Number: 7
Offerings: Red candles, cigars, rum, palm wine, whisky, or other alcoholic beverage—especially overproof rum—salt
Characteristics: Warrior strength and sustain-er, an embodiment of force in motion
Story: The god of iron, metal, and metal work. In his various manifestations, he is also a warrior and is associated with war, truth, and justice.
Oschoi
Color: Blue and amber
Number: 3 & 7
Offerings: Anisette liqueur, grapes, and pears
Characteristics: Lightness, astuteness, wisdom, and craftiness in the hunt
Story: Oschoi is the spirit associated with the hunt, forests, animals, and wealth. He is spirit of meals, because it is he who provides food.
Oshun
Color: Yellow, Amber, Green
Number: 5
Offerings: Honey, mead, white wine, oranges, sweets, or pumpkins, as well as perfume
Characteristics: Beneficent and generous, and very kind. She does, have a malevolent and tempestuous temper,
Story: Spirit of Sweet Water, is the embodiment of love and romance. She is the most jealous and beautiful of Shango's wives.
Oko
Color: Red and White
Number: 7
Offerings: Root Vegetables, yams, sweet potatoes, taro root
Characteristics: Initiate can access abundance, stability, contentment, financial success and all-around progress
Story: He is a strong hunter & farming deity as well as a fighter against sorcery. He is associated with the annual new harvest of the white African yam.
Oya
Color: Purple or Burgundy, the rainbow
Number: 9
Offerings: eggplants, coins, red wine, and cloth
Characteristics: Order, organization, discipline, patience, a messenger between Orisha
Story: Orisha of winds, lightning, and violent storms, death and rebirth. Oya was tricked by Oshun to cut off her ear for a love spell on their husband so he would love her more.
Shango
Color: Red & White
Number: 6 & 12
Offerings: Red foods, like red apples and red palm oil. His favorite meals include yams, corn, and peppers as well as cooked crab. He drinks red wine, rum, and cachaça. Other offerings include cascarilla powder (powdered eggshell) and sugarcane
Characteristics: Strength, resistance, and aggression
Story: He is noted as the god of lightning and thunder. He became the patron orisha of plantations. The owner of fire, lightening, thunder, and war. He is known as a ladies man, very handsome and cunning. Shango wives are, Oba, Oshun, & Oya.
Yemeya
Color: Blue
Number: 7
Offerings: Jewelry, perfume, and flowers. Anything that come from the sea.
Characteristics: Very moody and protective
Story: Yemaya is perhaps the most nurturing of all the Orishas, and it’s believed that all of life comes from her deep nourishing waters. Her strong and protective energy can be found virtually everywhere, but especially near oceans and lakes.
Greek Mythology
We will start with the Greeks. The Greek is the set of stories about the gods, goddesses, heroes and rituals of Ancient Greeks. The Greeks believed in a the Greek Pantheon which names Zeus as their main God. The ancient Greeks believed that Their are 12 Olympians who make up this pantheon, they include:
Zeus (Jupiter or Love)
Symbol: Lighting Bolt
Characteristics: Lightning bolt, a royal scepter and an eagle.
Story: King of the Gods and the god of the sky, weather, law and order, destiny and fate, and kingship.
Hera (Juno)
Symbol: Cuckoo Bird/ Peacock
Characteristics: Jealous and vengeful nature against Zeus' numerous lovers and illegitimate offspring, as well as the mortals who cross her
Story: A daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, sister-wife of Zeus, and queen of the Olympian gods. Known as the Goddess of Marriage and Birth. It is said that she is was more beautiful than Aphrodite.
Poseidon (Neptune)
Symbol: Trident
Characteristics: Very difficult, quarrelsome, and even greedy
Story: A brother of Zeus, the sky god and chief deity of ancient Greece, and of Hades, god of the underworld.
Demeter (Ceres)
Symbol: Cornucopia, wheat, torch, bread
Characteristics: Usually a pleasant-looking mature woman, generally with a veil over her head though her face is visible. Often carrying wheat or her Horn.
Story: Daughter of the deities Cronus and Rhea, sister and consort of Zeus (the king of the gods), and goddess of agriculture. The legend centers on the story of her daughter Persephone, who is carried off by Hades, the god of the underworld.
Hestia (Vesta)
Symbol: The hearth and the tamed fire that burns
Characteristics: She was constant, calm, gentle, and supportive of the family and home,Cool emotionally, a little too calm, but could defend herself when necessary.
Story: Goddess of the hearth, daughter of Cronus and Rhea. When the gods Apollo and Poseidon became suitors for her hand she swore to remain a maiden forever, whereupon Zeus, the king of the gods, bestowed upon her the honor of presiding over all sacrifices.
Athena (Minerva)
Symbol: the spear, the distaff and the aegis (a shield of goatskin),
Characteristics: Immortal Goddess, one of the most intelligent and wisest of the Greek gods. She was also good at war strategy and giving heroes courage.
Story: Goddess of wisdom, war and the crafts, and favorite daughter of Zeus, Athena was, perhaps, the wisest, most courageous, and certainly the most resourceful of the Olympian gods. When Metis was pregnant, he swallowed her and Athena was born from Zeus' head, wearing Armor and fully grown.
Apollo (Apollo)
Symbol: Silver Bow and arrow & Lyre
Characteristics: mostly a cheerful person and sometimes he could be jealous. Apollo was mainly a kind God. Apollo was energetic,and always truthful. Although Apollo rarely got upset, there where a couple of things that could really offend him
Story: The God of Light, prophecy and oracles, it was his job to pull the sun across the sky in his 4-horse chariot every day. Apollo was the son of Zeus (the God of Thunder) and Leto. He had a twin sister, Artemis, who was the Goddess of Hunting.
Artemis (Diana)
Symbol: bow and arrow, a crescent moon, a quiver and hunting knives
Characteristics: nurturing, compassionate, protective, tenacious, strong, independent and free spirited all in one
Story: Greek goddess of hunting, wild nature, and chastity. The daughter of Zeus and sister of Apollo, Artemis was regarded as a patron of girls and young women and a protectress during childbirth. She was the last of the Three Maiden Goddesses.
Ares (Mars)
Symbol: Spear covered in blood & a burning torch
Characteristics: Brutality, Strength, Conflict and Power
Story: Known as the God of War & death, Ares was the most prominent God in Roman Times. Ares comes to your aid in times of battle and discord.
Hephaestus (Vulcan)
Symbol: Blacksmiths hammer
Characteristics: Married to the goddess of Beauty Aphrodite , Fierce, InControl
Story: The God of Fire and Patron of Ironwork. He is know for governing the volcanoes and deserts.
Aphrodite (Venus)
Symbol: Dolphin, Rose, scallop, shell
Characteristics: Love, Passion, Romance, Vain, Possessive
Story: Known as the goddess of beauty, she can change her total appearance. No one actually knows what her true human form is like. It is said in some stories that she is the daughter of Zeus and Dione, also that when Zeus took one look at her he knew she would bring problems among the Gods.
Hermes (Mercury)
Symbol: Caduceus winged staff with two snakes & a winged helmet
Characteristics: Ingenuity, Knowledge, Creativity and known to be very cunning
Story: Hermes is known as the messenger God. Consider the herald of the gods, protector of human heralds, travelers, thieves. The patron of poetry and Literature. Also known to be a god who can come freely between both worlds.
Dionysus (Bacchus)
Symbol: Grapes, Wine cups, and pine cones
Characteristics: Lighthearted, Always helping one in need
Story: God of wine, Vegetation and insanity. It is said that he was given to the titian under the direction of Hera and he torn to pieces.
Hades (Pluto)
Symbols: Scepter and Horn of plenty
Characteristics: Fierce and Inexorable
Story: Known as the God of the dead and the king of the under world. When Hades and his brothers Zeus and Poseidon defeated the Titans they all took domain over a specific place. Zeus the heavens, Poseidon the Waters and Hades the Underworld/ Afterlife
Celtic Paganism (Druids)
The Celtic religion got its start around 500 B.C. This was the time of the iron age. Humans were really starting to make there imprint on the world, creating, exploring, and growing. The Celtic religion is better known as Druidism. The Druids were closely tied to the natural world and they worshipped their gods in sacred places like lakes, rivers, cliffs and bushes. The moon, the sun and the stars were especially important, that were believed to be supernatural forces. The Celts have the Celtic Pantheon that consist of 19 major and minor God/Goddesses:
Major
Arawn
Symbols:
Characteristics:
Story:
Aengus
Symbols:
Characteristics:
Story:
Badb
Symbols:
Characteristics:
Story:
Ceridwen
Cailleach
Cernunnos
Cu Chulainn
Brigid
Dagda
Danu
Gwydion
Lugh
Medb
Morringan
Nuada
Minor
Herne the Hunter
Neit
Taliesin
Taranis
Catholicism
The Catholic church is where we get the word Catholicism. The Catholic church was created about 200o years ago, but we can trace the Catholic religion as far back as 30 CE. Catholicism is about God's objective existence; God's interest in individual human beings, who can enter into relations with God (through prayer); the Trinity ; the divinity of Jesus; the immortality of the soul of each human being, each one being accountable at death for his or her actions
Archangel Ariel (The Lioness of God)
Archangel Chamuel (He who sees God)
Archangel Zedkiel ( The Righteousness of God)
Archangel Gabriel ( The Strength of God)
Archangel Raziel ( The Secrets of God)
Archangel Metaron ( The Scribe of God)
Archangel Jophiel (The Beauty of God)
Archangel Jeremiel (Mercy of God)
Archangel Raguel ( Friend of God)
Archangel Azrael (Whom God Helps)
Story: Known as the Angel of Death
Archangel Uriel ( The Light of God)
Archangel Sandalphon (Brother)
Egyptian
The Egyptians where a group of people that inhabited northern Africa along the tip of the Nile River. The Egyptians reigned for over 30 centuries, one of the longest running civilizations There are over 2000 Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddess. As a culture this group has been through several changes in spiritual understanding. At the early form of spirituality for them came in the form of animism. Animism is the belief that inanimate objects had souls and were inhabited by spirits or some kind. Animism also put much importance in understanding life after death. At one point Egypt grew provinces. Each provinces had a flag/symbol/shape etc. that signified their different spiritual choices. At one point they tired a one God society Eventually they moved back to the understanding of many Gods.
Color: Red
Offerings: Bread, Barley Fruits, and vegetables
Story: Ra is the personification of the sun. He is said to be the creator of all worlds sky, earth, and underworld.
Color: Violet & Rose
Story: God of the Earth it is said that Gebs laughter created earth quakes and that he allowed crops to grow
Color: Royal Blue
Story: Goddess of the sky, stars, and astronomy. She is either depicted as a women cover in stars bent over the whole world, or a cow.
Symbol: the ostrich feather
Story: The god of peace, lions, air, and wind. Shu was said to have made Atum.
Color: Green
Story: Egyptian god of the dead, and the god of the resurrection into eternal life; ruler, protector, and judge of the deceased.
Color: Red
Story: Known as the goddess of the moon. As goddess of life and magic, Isis protected women and children, and healed the sick.
Color: Red
Story: Egyptian god of war, chaos and storms
Color: Green
Story: The goddess of the air (since the sky is the “head” of the world) and the head of the family.
Color: Green
Story: A god in the form of a falcon whose right eye was the sun or morning star, representing power and quintessence, and whose left eye was the moon or evening star, representing healing
Color: Green/White
Story: Associated with pharaonic power, fertility and military prowess. He was revered in Egyptian culture and was prayed to in order to be protected from the crocodiles that filled the Niles.
Color: Gold
Story: Goddess of the dead goddess of fertility, nature, animals, medicine, magic, and healing venomous stings . She was one of the underworld deities charged with protecting the canopic jar in which the intestines of the deceased were stored after embalming.
Color: Black
Story: Egyptian god of the dead, represented by a jackal or the figure of a man with the head of a jackal.
Color: Green
Story: Bastet, also called Bast, ancient Egyptian goddess worshiped in the form of a lioness and later a cat. Egyptian goddess of cats, the home, fire, sunrise, music, dance, pleasure as well as sexuality, fertility, family, pregnant women and children. She is believed to be the personification of the soul of Isis.
Color: Blue
Story: Egyptian god of the Moon. His name means "traveller", and this may relate to the perceived nightly travel of the Moon across the sky. Along with Thoth he marked the passage of time.
Color: White
Story: Egyptian white vulture goddess and protector of Egypt and the Pharaohs. She was referred to as "Mother of Mothers, who hath existed from the Beginning".
Color: Gold/Purple
Story: Known as a deity of the underworld, considered the god of virility of the dead.
Color: Turquoise
Story: Taweret is the protective ancient Egyptian goddess of childbirth. a key figure in the religious life of ancient Egyptian families
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