As the Wheel of the Year continues to wind, and days lengthen toward spring in late February and in March, we entered the realm of sun in Pisces. The essence of this station involves imagination, dreams, illusion, and connection with the great maternal spirit and source of the soul. I honor the Greek goddess Amphitrite as 2015 patron goddess of Pisces.
Amphitrite was a sea goddess or nymph considered by Homer to be the female manifestation of the vast and mysterious ocean. Her dwelling could be found in a beehive of caves at the bottom of the sea, where she kept her precious jewels. She adored wearing them as well. From time to time she would emerge from the caves to tend her herds of cattle. Always, always Amphitrite’s top priority was to keep a protective eye on the fish and other creatures of the deep. She was honored by sailors and all those who depended on the sea for sustenance and bounty.
As one of the fifty sisters / nymphs called the Nereids, daughters of the great sea goddess Doris, Amphitrite had a rougher side as well. She could call the waters to her command, and if she was upset the result might be shipwrecks and other chaos. She also had the power of prophecy and could warn seafarers of impending doom or help avert such catastrophes. The Greeks visualized the Nereids as maidens riding demons of the deep, and they fashioned a great dance after their antics and motions.
It’s interesting that the name of this goddess was not Greek at all, but rather pre-Hellenic. Amphitrite was one of the goddesses taken into the fold to act as the consort of Poseidon, after the Hellenic Greeks invaded and conquered the indigenous peoples of the Aegean region. Originally a powerful triple goddess, her stature was downgraded and relegated to that of a nymph.
Today we honor her in all her goddess glory.
Cheers & Happy Reading!
Flossie Benton Rogers, Conjuring the Magic with Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Some say she was Poseidon’s wife too.
Loved the post. I will create a board on Pinterest to pin all your Mythic Monday info. And Mae’s too.
Thank you for sharing this interesting info!
Oh thank you for creating a board for us on Pinterest, Carmen. I have one too called–trying to remember–fairy tales, myth, and magic– or something close to that. I save your posts too under various categories. It does make them easier to locate.
Fascinating. It’s interesting her name sames so similar to Aphrodite. I wonder if there was a link or a case of two personalities being merged. Thanks for sparking my mind. 🙂
I’ll have to look into the name similarity at some point, Daisy. I really don’t know if Aphrodite’s name was also foreign or not. They are so similar though. As a point of interest, I do remember learning long ago that names ending in us were not Greek, such as Dionysus.
I love folklore about beings who watch over sailors. Very cool post, Flossie!
Thanks, Mae. They needed someone!