Epona's Wild Daughter paid me a visit...

Elven

Oopppsss wrong room!!!!

I just realized I'm in the Faeries Oracle section - how did I end up here! I hope my post above is relevant to this thread, but I might move any response I have and put it in a new thread in Divination - Dreams.

Sorry 'bout that ....

Elven x
 

Sophie

unbelievable!

Elven - I'm going to have to think about this. But the coincidence is astonishing. Same kind of dream, same method of suicide, same night even!. I find it a bit unnerving to be truthful!

My friend was not a boyfriend in the sexual sense, but he was as close as one can get to a male friend - we were "blood brother and sister" in a sense - ahtouhg there was always a latent sexual element to it; life has moved us apart, but we still feel strongly that way.

I am interested in what you say of your dream - the karmic or life assignment element - and this view is shining a light on mine, too.

You arrived in the Faeries section because Faeries always call those they want to talk to!
 

Rosanne

Queen of Heaven

Here is my garbled but somewhat chronological research into Mary the Queen of Heaven.
Firstly we have the Hittite 'Queen of Heaven' named Arinna/Arinddu
with connections to Phoenicians/Caanite Goddess Astarte/Asherat/Ashera of the Sea. She is depicted two ways, the first is Naked riding a Horse and Bearing Weapons. Secondly, later she is depicted dressed in Jewels and Stars around her head. She was sent by the Gods to appease the sea. She is Ashtoreth of the Bible and Solomon built a Temple to her as 'Queen of Heaven'. The Israelites revered her as 'Queen of Heaven' and 'Wife of Yahweh'
She is also ascribed to the Daughter of the Egyptian Mother Goddess Neith (Lady of Heaven). Astarte can be translated as 'womb' From thence she was absorbed into the Cult of Isis whose images were passed directly on to the Virgin Mary. Ishtar is the 'Lady of Battles' a Babylonian -the same as Inana from Summeria. Her symbol is the Eight pointed star and Venus (Blue) If you place the eight pointed star behind her head it looks like the crown of Stars and she too was absorbed into Isis. Anahita is an Iranian Goddess originating from Ishtar and her name means Immaculate and Venus is her symbol along with the Dove, and she is also crowned with gold,Jewels and stars. All of the above Goddesses mentioned have Sacred prostitution as part of their Cults. Hope this is of some help. ~Rosanne
 

Sulis

This thread is extremely interesting but the link to the Faeries Oracle (which is what we're meant to be discussing here) has become tenuous to say the least.

Any chance of this discussion returning to the Fae? If not then all or at least part of this thread will be moved to Spirituality or Divination - we'll see how things go :)

Love

Sulis xx
co-moderator - Faeries Oracle
 

Rosanne

Next link is the crown of stars - both faeries wear one. The book tells us it is a mark of service, compassion, great wisdom. Of course, when operating a sacrifice, compassion and great wisdom are needed. Now the crown of stars is most commonly associated with imagery of Mary as Queen of Heaven, but I don't know where this symbol comes from, or if it is originally Christian (Rosanne?). In any case, the idea of compassion and hope in the otherworld is very much associated with Mary. I had not thought to see the crown of stars worn by a faery who takes us through nightmares and dark nights of the soul - and yet that is precisely when we most need compassion and hope!

For some imagery of the Crown of Stars, as well as the next image, the crescent moon, have a look at: http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.geometry/unit10/unit10.html

wearing finely wrought armour: at least on her arms, and we can imagine that she is wearing a chestplate and leg armour under her drapery. The armour also reminds me of the hunt. She is protective, therefore, as well as - to my mind - a huntress: active and focussed - so I can't think of a better faery to have on my side while I explore the realms of Epona's Wild Daughter. I slept with her under my pillow that night! ;)[/QUOTE]
Sorry I did not feel I had drifted off, but I like the Astarte image compared with this card. Back on Track now I hope. The Dark Lady reminded me of a connection to Anat, the 'Dark' aspect of Astarte the non heavenly aspect. ~Rosanne
 

Sophie

Hi Sulis - we are still with the Faeries. If you read this thread completely, you will see that Rosanne is answering a query of mine concerning the Crown of Stars that both Epona's Wild Daughter and the Faery Godmother is wearing. Personally I find the link to Astarte and to Ishtar/Innana - through the crown of stars and the Queen of Heaven motif - to be quite fascinating:

Innana/Ishtar's central myth is her Descent to the dark realms of Ereshkigal, her sister, and the Queen of the Underworld. This is exactly what Epona's Wild Daughter makes us do - she leads us into darkness, through initiation by descent into nightmare, depression, madness even. In the Myth, Innana arrives in Ereshkigal's kingdom, where she must divest herself of all attributes of power, one by one, at every one of Ereshkigal's seven gates, until she is naked. Then she is judged and Ereshkigal kills her bloodily and hangs her body on a meat hook where it putrefies for three days before she is revived.

Modern-day Jungian therapists used the myth of the descent of Ishtar as a metaphor for clinical depression. But I would say it fits nightmares and the dark night of the soul very well too - indeed more, for dark nights of the soul and many nightmares hold within them a strong mythical element which goes far beyond the psychological - which touches upon our spiritual initiation.

I believe Dorcha brings us through this dark night of the soul. Her being crowned with stars shows her kinship to Ishtar/Innana/Astarte. She is a frightening faerie but a necessary one. I had not thought to find her in what is - at first sight - a pretty pack of cards with therapeutic qualities. But she is there in full mythic glory: and she brings nightmares - and demands blood sacrifice.

I was even more surprised to receive - the next night - the Faery Godmother, another incarnation of the Queen of Heaven, and the one that can get us through the dark night of the soul safely.
 

Sophie

Rosanne said:
The Dark Lady reminded me of a connection to Anat, the 'Dark' aspect of Astarte the non heavenly aspect. ~Rosanne
Or Ereshkigal.
 

qwaychou

Epona's daughter seems more regal than the moon's daughter. Maybe wisdom through troubling dreams or visions. The figure is focusing inward, an owl for wisdom. Tough inner battles.
White lights shine off her wings, she will press you until you understand