Assyrian Goddess Astarte  

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Assyrian Goddess Astarte Image
THE ASSYRIAN GODDESS, ASTARTE, IS ONE OF THE OLDEST GODDESSES TO BE WORSHIPPED BY HUMANS; IN FACT, SHE DATES BACK AS FAR AS THE BRONZE AGE. ASTARTE AS A GODDESS WHO WAS KNOWN BY MANY NAMES...FOR MANY HUNDREDS... EVEN THOUSANDS OF YEARS. SHE HAS BEEN CALLED BOTH ASTARAT AND ASTORETH, AND SOME SAY THAT SHE IS AN INCARNATION OF ISHTAR AND INANNA.

ASTARTE WAS A GODDESS OF MANY THINGS. IN MESOPOTAMIA, SHE WAS KNOWN AS THE GODDESS OF LOVE AND WAR. HER NAME MEANS "STAR", AND SHE IS THE POWER BEHIND THE MOON, THE BRIGHTEST STAR, THE BEACON OF BOTH THE MORNING AND THE NIGHT. OTHERS BELIEVED THAT IT WAS ASTARTE WHO RULED OVER THE SOULS OF THE DEAD, THOSE WHO IN HEAVEN,; THEY ARE THE STARS THAT SHINE BRIGHTLY AT NIGHT.

THE ASSYRIANS WORSHIPPED HER AS A GODDESS OF FERTILITY AND MOTHERHOOD AND PICTURED HER HAS A MOTHER GODDESS WITH A BABE IN HER ARMS. AS THE GODDESS OF LOVE AND FRUITFULNESS, SHE RULES OVER PASSION, MARRIAGE, AND SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS. ASTARTE PERSONIFIES THE SENSUALITY OF THE WOMAN'S BODY AND THE POWER OF FEMININE INDEPENDENCE. IN HER DARK ASPECT, SHE IS THE WARRIOR QUEEN; HER PASSION WAS CHANNELED INTO WAR AND BATTLE VICTORIES.

ASTARTE WAS WORSHIPPED BY MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES..INCLUDING SYRIANS. SHE WAS KNOWN TO THE PHOENICIANS ON SICILY, AND AT CARTHAGE AND EVEN ON THEREA, CYPRUS, AND CRETE. ON MALTA, THE CANAANITE BUILT GREAT STONE TEMPLES IN HER NAME. PILGRIMS WOULD COME TO WORSHIP HER AND CAST JEWELS AT HER FEET. SOME WOULD SHEAR THEIR HAIR IN HER MEMORY; OTHERS WOULD SHEAR THEIR GENITALS TO BECOME PART OF HER HOLY PRIESTHOOD. SHE WAS INTRODUCED TO EGYPT DURING THE 18TH DYNASTY, AND HER CULT OFTEN OVERLAPPED WITH ISIS' WORSHIPPERS. KING SOLOMON BUILT A TEMPLE TO HER NEAR JERUSELEM.

HER SYMBOLS INCLUDED THE BULL, DOVE, HORSE, AND LION. AND, SHE IS OFTEN PICTURED WEARING HORNS AND SOMETIMES EVEN WEARING THE HEAD OF A BULL. SHE IS OFTEN PICTURED WITH A REPRESENTATION OF THE MOON AND THE STARS. SHE CAN ALSO BE SEEN BEARING HORNS LIKE ISIS, ENTWINED IN A SACRED SNAKE. BUT, HER MOST SACRED SYMBOL WAS THE 'EGG' FOR IT REPRESENTS LIFE.

ASTARTE WAS THE "PRIMA MATERIA. "WHEREVER SHE WAS FOUND, BY WHATEVER NAME SHE WAS CALLED, TO WHATEVER PEOPLE WHO WORSHIPPED HER, SHE WAS, ABOVE ALL, THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN, THE MOTHER OF ALL OF THE DEITIES, THE GUARDIAN OF OUR BELOVED EARTH...THE GREAT GODDESS.

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This entry was posted on 17 August 2010 at Tuesday, August 17, 2010 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the .

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