Faceless Wonder (poem)

Faceless Wonder (New Poem)

by Tim Kavi

to the longed for

to the Goddess

I know not your name

in millenia

throughout space and time

all dimensions

Yours and mine

whether in woman

or in man

whether you call it soul

or anima made manifest

in many faces

and many lands

I long to know you

and adore you just the same

I look up

your face has become

a lotus

beneath you 

You gave birth

to all that is

as the lotus

peels back

souls are in expansion

in every universal breath

I see you

I know your name

it is Lajia Gauri

Lajja Gauri

please allow me

to dance the triumphant dance

as my patience 

is rewarded by your smiling

blissful being!

More About Goddesses: The Norse Goddess, Freya (New Column)

More About Goddesses: The Norse Goddess Freya

by Tim Kavi

Freya (also commonly spelled Freyja) is the Norse goddess of love, fertility, and sexuality.  Her name is derived from the Old Norse word for “the lady.” In Norse mythology, she is a member of the Vanir deities, together with her brother Freyr (“the lord”), her father Njoror, and her mother, whose identity is unknown.  Her husband is a god named Odr, and partly due to the similarities in name (Odr and Freya, Odin and Frigg), many scholars believe that these two couples are one and the same.

Freya’s afterlife field is known as Folkvangr, and that’s where half of the soldiers killed in battle go to, with the other half going to the god Odin’s Valhalla

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Life of the Party, and Then Some

It can be said that Freya is the “life of the party” among Norse deities, given that she represents the aforementioned love, fertility, and sexuality, and also has a love for material trappings.  One can even say that Freya is a “player” of sorts, in informal terms.  The poem Lokasenna describes how Loki had accused Freya of sleeping with all the gods, and even her own brother Freyr.  But Freya’s seeming proclivity for decadence is just one of the many facets of her personality. 

Freya as a Master of Seidr

Freya is also known as the first to introduce seidr, a form of Norse magic, to the Aesir, also introducing the art to humanity indirectly. Seidr mainly deals with changing the course of destiny, and can be used in a number of ways, including manipulating any human destiny documented in Old Norse mythology.  

Seidr practitioners are known as volvas, and in Viking times, they traveled across different towns, performing this form of magic in exchange for food, shelter, or other types of compensation.  Due to the shamanistic nature of their craft, people reacted to Freya and other volvas with ambivalence, some respecting and exalting her and others treating her with scorn.

Freya and Frigg – Are They the Same?

It has been a much-debated topic as to whether Freya and Frigg are the same goddess, or similar, yet ultimately different goddesses from each other.  Migration Period mythology (400-800 AD) suggests that Freya was Odin’s wife, while Old Norse literature points to Freya’s husband being a god named Odr, which is very close to Odin.  This similarity in name is arguably the main reason why several experts do not differentiate between Freya and Frigg, instead considering them one and the same.

Other similarities include Freya and Frigg both being accused of infidelity while their husbands were away.  Tales such as Frigg sleeping with Odin’s brothers while he was exiled from Asgard refute the belief that Frigg differed from Freya by being more chaste.  Furthermore, the poem Lokasenna clearly shows Frigg as a volva in the same way that Freya is.

Freya after Christianization

The Christianization of Scandinavia resulted in the demonization of the Old Norse gods, though Freya remained revered by people even in modern times.  This was despite her sexual nature going against the epitome of an ideal woman for Christians – a chaste virgin.  Freya was still prayed to as a fertility goddess as recently as the 19^th century, specifically for the purpose of ensuring a prosperous harvest.

About the image: The image is from the painting “Freyja and the Necklace” by James Doyle Penrose (1890)

More About Goddesses: Pachamama, Incan Goddess (New Essay)

More About Goddesses: Pachamama, Incan Goddess

by Tim Kavi 

Pachamama is the Incan goddess of the Earth and the goddess of fertility, specifically harvesting and planting.  Her name means “mother of space and time” in English.  As a deity independent from others, she is able to, on her own, sustain life on the planet for animals and plants alike.  She also presides over the Andes Mountains and has the power to cause earthquakes.  

Most artist conceptions show Pachamama as a goddess capable of ensuring a prosperous harvest for potatoes and coca leaves.  In Inca mythology, there are four cosmological Quechua principles, namely Earth, Moon, Sun, and Water, and all trace their primordial origin to Pachamama.  

A Goddess of Agriculture

One of Pachamama’s main manifestations is as the Incan goddess of agriculture.  Incans had performed daily rituals in tribute of her, with women in particular going to the fields to pray to her, occasionally sacrificing an offering of cornmeal.  The Incans compared the mountain peaks of the Andes to her breasts, the rivers to her milk, and the fields to her womb.

Beware the Wrath of Pachamama

While considered to be a good and benevolent goddess, it is believed that Pachamama can also get angry in a significant way.  If she feels that people are not honoring her like they should, she reminds them in the form of earthquakes.  She is also said to be close to the Incan gods of thunder and lightning, and can wreak havoc accordingly when she is not worshipped or thanked.  

Pachamama in Modern Times

Even in today’s modern, post-Christianity society, Pachamama is still worshipped in certain parts of the Andes, whose people see her as a “good mother” and offer a toast to her prior to meetings or special events.  Her worship day, Martes de Challa (Challa’s Tuesday), involves people sacrificing food and incense and throwing candies.  There are even some worship celebrations where yatiris, or traditional priests, follow the ancient rites and go as far as sacrificing animals such as llama fetuses and guinea pigs.  This celebration takes place at the same time as Carnevale and Mardi Gras in other parts of the world.

In August, worship to Pachamama reaches fever pitch, as this is the coldest winter month in the southern Andes.  As a result, people are more susceptible to illness and believe that this is a time when evil spirits play tricks on them.  To ward these spirits off, Andean people burn plants and wood, and drink the South American beverage mate for additional good luck.  The first of August is when Andeans cook all night long, and offer a plate of food to Pachamama before anyone is allowed to eat.  Leftover food is also cast to the ground, prefacing a prayer to Pachamama.

One interesting way in which today’s people pay tribute to Pachamama is the Sunday parade.  Since 1949, Andean women, especially seniors, take part in this festival, where the oldest woman in a community is named the Pachamama Queen of the Year.  This is because elderly women are thought to epitomize tradition and wisdom, as well as reproduction and fertility.

About the photo: The image 'Pachamama' is drawn by Adam Ketelsen.

More About Goddesses: The Greek Goddess Artemis (New Essay)

More About Goddesses: Artemis, Greek Goddess of the Hunt

By Tim Kavi

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister of Apollo. Her bow and arrows that she would carry were made by Cyclopes and Hephaestus. She is depicted as goddess of the hunt, wild animals and many cities also worshiped her as the goddess of fertility. Artemis is often depicted with the moon above her head and was frequently depicted as being close with Selene, the goddess of the moon. More often she would be depicted as roaming the mountain forests with her nymphs by her side in search of panthers, stags, hinds and lions. In later myths she would assist these animals by protecting their overall well-being while fighting to ensure their safety.

Artemis is also seen as the goddess of chastity. Legend has it that when she was three years old, Artemis asked Zeus to provide her with eternal virginity. All of her close companions were virgins, and she would punish any man who attempted to harm the purity of herself or her companions. In one legend, Actaeon came upon Artemis and her nymphs bathing naked in a pool, and when she saw him watching Artemis transformed him into a stag and sent her hounds after him. She was also known to use her bow to kill those who were known to rape women, including Orion.

Because Artemis was born before her brother Apollo, her mother gifted her the island of Ortygia as thanks for helping her mother to cross the strait of Delos to give birth to Apollo. This legend made Artemis an idol to women going through childbirth. Some cities depicted her as a goddess and protector to those in the midst of  the hunt, a mass of contradictions as she brought sudden death alongside the birth of a new life. Because her twin brother was seen as a healing god, many would pray to Artemis for assistance in the healing of gout, rabies or leprosy in hopes that she would appeal to Apollo on their behalf.

These and other legends of Artemis would be honored with lively festivals. Festivals were held throughout Orthia, Brauron, Brauronia and most notably Sparta. As women became of age and reached puberty they would be initiated into the cult of Artemis, although they would be required to leave this cult once they became married. Artemis was not against the realm of marriage, but she chose to be surrounded by those who were pure, so those who chose to engage in marital acts would be required to return her paraphernalia as they took on this new role.

Updated Photo, Poet's Afterword--About the Photo: Artemis, the Greek goddess of the hunt, stands confidently in a moonlit forest clearing, her silver bow held loosely in her hand. Her attire is simple and practical, befitting a huntress. Nearby stands Persephone, the goddess of springtime and queen of the Underworld, holding a bouquet of vibrant wildflowers, a gentle smile gracing her lips. The scene subtly contrasts Artemis's wild, untamed nature with Persephone's softer, more nurturing presence.~~TK