Getting to Know the Goddess Course 2:1

Goddess Pages online course. Visit: goddess-pages.co.uk

I have long felt connected to the Virgin Goddesses who have more of an independent life, greater power of decision making.  I love the video of a song to Ariadne, Goddess of the Labyrinth, who gave the hero a thread so he could kill the beast that had its lair in the centre of the dark caves of dread and pain. I felt her pull on a thread that brought me to safety when I was in a dark warren of depression. Though I travelled to Chartres in order to walk the Knights Templar labyrinth there, it was closed on that day, so to went to the beach and made one myself in the sand. There is a marvellous 1 mile to the centre labyrinth at Saffron Walden, which was created in the 12th century and I have walked it on a full moon and on Earth day, and in the rain! I honour the Goddess of the Labyrinth, she is my savour!
In Part 2 of the course 'Getting to Know the Goddess', we enter another interesting part of the course on learning about Virgin Goddesses. Mary is known as a Christian mother and also virgin. Perhaps virgin means pure, innocent or young rather than the more modern meaning of not having had sexual intercourse. 



I visited Lourdes due to illness. I didn't think it would mean much as I was not expecting a cure, but I was touched immensely by the care of those who are unwell. I was with a rather destructive personality who ruined my trip, but it meant a great deal to me and I felt a healing in other ways. I read a great deal about Bernadette Soubirous and her sad life, and how her vision revealed the source of the water which cured the cholera epidemic that she and her community fell victim to.
Brigid: Fifteen years ago, when I was in a dead end job, I wanted to become a writer. I saw that Brigid was the Patron Goddess of writers, and so I dedicated myself to Her in a candle lit ceremony. I wrote a poem to her which I have lost and I coloured in a drawing of Her. Well, would you believe it! I left my job and became a full time writer. It is hard to make money through writing, but I can due to hard work and help from the Goddess! I write for Spirit & Destiny Magazine and other mind, body and spirit publications! How lucky I am! For information about Goddess-Pages Magazine, visit www.goddess-pages.co.uk

I have felt drawn to visit her sanctuary in Kildare where the flame newly burns. I have Irish ancestry and was sent to Roman Catholic schools so I think I could enjoy the honouring of this ancient Goddess by way of modern Irish Christianity. 
I have wondered often about the keeping of the flame alive and whether it dates back as far as Zoroaster. Of course, when there were timber houses, there was a curfew at about eight in the evening when bells would be rung. Everyone had to pull the embers from the fire to ensure a fire did not break out. Come the morning, all the village or town would need a flame for heating, cooking, etc., so I presume would go to the women and they would supply it. This would give the women great power, to ask for bread, cloth, etc.
I have a great love of St Bride's church in Fleet Street, where all the journalists from the newspapers got married. It has a wonderful atmosphere and its famous layered steeple has inspired layered wedding cakes throughout the world. It is said that St Bridget came from Ireland to set up her convent just outside the city gate, where there was a well, Bride's Well which would have been needed for many things, including putting out a fire. I have a deep feeling that many of these places of pilgrimage and sanctity have earth energies that need to be fed with goodness or the energy becomes corrupted. I think this happened. The area has had many different uses, including as a famous prison where there was great suffering and pain.
I loved the supplied story and had Bridget's tears in my eyes and I was very moved by the poem.
I did not know the Lancashire connection. I enjoyed the interview with Sr May. 
The Pope is also a bridge, and Her name might imply this as a female spiritual power between this world and the next.  
She had a fire on the beach and gave me a shell and she had hair of kelp. She sang a haunting song about a journey. I asked her to tell me her name but she asked me to listen to the waves and the sea birds. I dont think of her as a Goddess of the coast. 

For Artemis: I have problems relating to the primitive, immoral, the ambiguous, not sure what there is to learn. I understand life often depended on hunting for food for survival. She, a bear Goddess, is a hunter, and often, sadly, hunted. The crescent moon is her bow, I wonder how anyone managed to kill anything with such a weapon. Carnal stories and violence, a lone maiden, would soon be in trouble!
I think we can move on now, in times of plenty, to avoiding hurting other species, upon which the balance of nature depends. The modern Artemis hunts something else now, wealth, power, influence, popularity, etc. 
I have always wondered about Her apendages. I have always wanted to visit Her temple at Ephesus! Maybe the meteorite at Mecca belongs to one of these Goddesses!  
I enjoyed the article provided about Artemis. 
I have artemesia growing in my garden, not a cullinary but a medicinal herb from the days when people ate a lot of things that gave them bellyache. Artemesia is an emetic. Like many medicinal herbs, it causes sickness. Just the smell is good for bellyaches and purgation!


Athena: She is my chosen Goddess, the Wise One. When I visited Corfu, my very first morning, early, I went to the marketplace in the town, and I sensed Her! Suddenly, out of the blue, I thought, wow! Athena, She is here. I felt Her energy! At the last part of my holiday, I was passing a shop and saw this wonderful statue of Her, so I had to have it and have loved it ever since. I love that she holds on the outside of her shield the image of Medusa, you can see the snake on the inside of the shield. She holds the image of Nike, Goddess of Victory in her right hand. There are lots of beautiful statues of Her, but I have never seen one I liked more than this. I did not know the Minoan Cretan connection with Athena. 

For information about 'Getting to Know the Goddess Course', with its extra links to interesting and insightful sites, book suggestions and other assistance with learning, including input from the tutor when required.

I found a fascinating database that I would like to share with my readers: http://iconographic.warburg.sas.ac.uk/vpc/VPC_search/subcats.php?cat_1=5