She is closely connected to the larger cult of fertility and specificially to corn or maize. Nicholson (1963) points out that the female maize deities (known variously as Chicomecoatl 'Seven serpent,' Centeotl 'Maize deity,' Xilonen 'She of the tender maize ears,' and the related water goddess Chalchuihtlicue), share the two distinct insignia: the large tasseled ornaments, and the incised cheek slots. 'Symbol sharing' (ibid: 10) is a characteristic of the fertility deities, the exchange of diagnostic traits gives the deities an all encompassing role of sustenance, through the essential elements of water and maize.
The bold facial stripe, either single or double, is best known in the painted codices depicting the water goddess, particularly the Codex Borbonicus (ibid: 13-15 for specific codex references). Similar stripes in blue and black are known on facades of Tlaloc temples as well. The stripe (or recess) may represent a tear path; it could also be an abbreviated aspect of the Tlaloc goggle eyes, a simplified form of the entwined serpents ringing the eyes of the rain god. A seated Chalchiuhtlicue figure with double grooved cheeks is in the Berlin Museum für Völkerkunde (von Sydow 1932: p. 419 illus, pp. 87 and 574). Aztec art celebrates the human spirit and body in a distinctly formal and idealized form, essentially capturing the qualities inherent in everyman or woman. While portraits of individual rulers may have been destroyed by the Spanish, it is possible very few were even created. The priest or ruler exercised his power and role by transforming into a deity through costume and gesture. Stone sculptures, and smaller votive pieces show the reliance on the tenets of specific posture, hand gestures, facial expressions and accoutrements, and these sculptures become the mediator between the people and their gods (Moctezuma and Olguin 2002:120). Sculpture gained an important element of vitality with inlay of shell and stone, and often were painted in sacred red pigment (which remains on the Albright-Knox figure).
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Whilst thus employed Keats spent all his leisure time in reading, forwhich he had developed a great enthusiasm during his last two years atschool. There he had devoured every book that came in his way,especially rejoicing in stories of the gods and goddesses of ancientGreece. At Edmonton he was able to continue his studies by borrowingbooks from his friend Charles Cowden Clarke, the son of hisschoolmaster, and he often went over to Enfield to change his books andto discuss those which he had been reading. On one of these occasionsCowden Clarke introduced him to Spenser, to whom so many poets have owedtheir first inspiration that he has been called 'the poets' poet'; andit was then, apparently, that Keats was first prompted to write.
'Psyche, a king's daughter, by her exceeding beauty caused thepeople to forget Venus; therefore the goddess would fain havedestroyed her: nevertheless she became the bride of Love, yetin an unhappy moment lost him by her own fault, and wanderingthrough the world suffered many evils at the hands of Venus,for whom she must [237]accomplish fearful tasks. But the gods andall nature helped her, and in process of time she wasre-united to Love, forgiven by Venus, and made immortal by theFather of gods and men.'
Close your eyes. Visualize and identify the chakras with the Sri Yantra, and then with the island of nine gems, in which the mother goddess resides in all her splendor. The garden is known as Kalpako-dhyana. The seasons have to be meditated upon.
The image of the mother goddess is created in her residence in the forest of wish granting trees. The special wishing tree in the heavens has the power to fulfil all that one desires for ever. In the island of nine gems there is a fragrant garden consisting of many trees which are fragrant, ever flowering and fruiting, and wish fulfilling. There is a four sided fence of the nine gems and in the center of the garden is a large hall made of coral. The hall is supported by pillars which are made of thousand gems, and in this enclosure are three tanks, tank of immortality, tank of bliss and tank of deliberation. In the midst of these tanks is the grove of lotus flowers, in which the mansion of the wish granting gem (chintamani-grha) is located.
[1]SING,O goddess, the anger [mênis] of Achilles son ofPeleus, that brought countless ills upon the Achaeans. Many a bravesoul [psukhê] did it send hurrying down toHades, and many a hero did it yield a prey to dogs
[280] You are strong, and have agoddess for your mother; but Agamemnon is more prestigious than you,for he has more people under him. Son of Atreus, check your anger, Iimplore you; end this quarrel with Achilles, who in the day of battleis a tower of strength to the Achaeans."
[400] with Hera, Poseidon, and PallasAthena would have put him in bonds. It was you, goddess, whodelivered him by calling to Olympus the hundred-handed one whom godscall Briareus, but men Aigaion, for he has more force[biê] even than his father;
[530] on his immortal head, till vastOlympus reeled. When the pair had thus laid their plans, they parted- Zeus to his mansion, while the goddess left the splendor ofOlympus, and plunged into the depths of the sea. The gods rose fromtheir seats, before the coming of their sire. Not one of themdared
[45] and slung his silver-studded swordabout his shoulders; then he took the imperishable staff of hisfather, and sallied forth to the ships of the Achaeans. The goddessDawn now wended her way to vast Olympus that she might herald day toZeus and to the other immortals,
[180] and speak fairly to them, man byman, that they draw not their ships into the sea." Odysseus knew thevoice as that of the goddess: he flung his cloak from him and set offto run. His squire Eurybates, a man of Ithaca, who waited on him,took charge of the cloak,
[485] for you are goddesses and are inall places so that you see all things, while we know nothing but byreport [kleos] - who were the chiefs and princes ofthe Danaans? As for the common warriors, they were so that I couldnot name every single one of them though I had tentongues,
[805] Therefore, let each chief giveorders to his own people, setting them severally in array and leadingthem forth to battle." Thus she spoke, but Hektor knew that it wasthe goddess, and at once broke up the assembly. The men flew to arms;all the gates were opened, and the people thronged throughthem,
[820] Aeneas, whom Aphrodite bore toAnchises, when she, goddess though she was, had lain with him uponthe mountain slopes of Ida. He was not alone, for with him were thetwo sons of Antenor, Archilokhos and Akamas, both skilled in all thearts of war. They that dwelt in Telea under the lowest spurs of MountIda,
[139] Thus spoke the goddess, andHelen’s heart yearned after her former husband, her city, andher parents. She threw a white mantle over her head, and hurried fromher room, weeping as she went, not alone, but attended by two of herhandmaids, Aithra, daughter of Pittheus, and Klymene. And straightwaythey were at the Scaean gates.
[395] With these words she moved theheart of Helen to anger. When she marked the beautiful neck of thegoddess, her lovely bosom, and sparkling eyes, she marveled at herand said, "Goddess, why do you thus beguile me? Are you going to sendme afield still further to some man whom you have taken up in Phrygiaor fair Meonia? Menelaos has just vanquished Alexander, and is totake my hateful self back with him. You are come here to betray me.Go sit with Alexander yourself; henceforth be goddess no longer;never let your feet carry you back to Olympus; worry about him andlook after him till he make you his wife, or, for the matter of that,his slave - but me? I shall not go; I can garnish his bed no longer;I should be a by-word among all the women of Troy. Besides, I havetrouble [akhos] on my mind."
[421] When they came to the house ofAlexander the maid-servants set about their work, but Helen went intoher own room, and the laughter-loving goddess took a seat and set itfor her facing Alexander. On this Helen, daughter of aegis-bearingZeus, sat down, and with eyes askance began to upbraid herhusband.
[1] Now the gods were sitting with Zeusin council upon the golden floor while Hebe went round pouring outnectar for them to drink, and as they pledged one another in theircups of gold they looked down upon the town of Troy. The son ofKronos then began to tease Hera, talking at her so as to provoke her."Menelaos," said he, "has two good friends among the goddesses, Heraof Argos, and Athena of Alalkomene, but they only sit still and lookon, while Aphrodite keeps ever by Alexander’ side to defend himin any danger; indeed she has just rescued him when he made sure thatit was all over with him - for the victory really did lie withMenelaos. We must consider what we shall do about all this; shall weset them fighting anew or make peace between them? If you will agreeto this last Menelaos can take back Helen and the city of Priam mayremain still inhabited."
[330] Now the son of Tydeus was inpursuit of the Cyprian goddess, spear in hand, for he knew her to befeeble and not one of those goddesses that can lord it among men inbattle like Athena or Enyo the waster of cities, and when at lastafter a long chase he caught her up,
[352] The goddess went dazed anddiscomfited away, and Iris, fleet as the wind, drew her from thethrong, in pain and with her fair skin all besmirched. She foundfierce Ares waiting on the left of the battle, with his spear and histwo fleet steeds resting on a cloud; whereon she fell on her kneesbefore her brother and implored him to let her have his horses. "Dearbrother," she cried, "save me, and give me your horses to take me toOlympus where the gods dwell. I am badly wounded by a mortal, the sonof Tydeus, who would now fight even with father Zeus."
[711] Now when the goddess Hera saw theArgives thus falling, she said to Athena, "Alas, daughter ofaegis-bearing Zeus, unweariable, the promise we made Menelaos that heshould not return till he had sacked the city of Ilion will be ofnone effect if we let Ares rage thus furiously. Let us go into thefray at once." 2ff7e9595c
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