Heathens, Pagans and Witches discussion

It occurred to me that many of us have a lot of different information about different traditions. For instance I know quite a lot about the Mayan deities, but next to nothing about Aztec and Inca. I've read a fair bit about Helenic deities, and could probably identify most of them on site, but some of the Roman modifications throw me at times.

I thought this thread could be for people to post iconography questions about different Gods, and post pictures of ones they'd like to have identified or know more about.

I'll start I found this statue in a park in Ealing, west London. It looks like a Roman Goddess, but I can't be sure. I know when I read about the Greek Goddesses they described Hestia as often being depicted in a simple stance, with her arms at her sides, and not usually holding any emblems, but that was Greek/Helenic, and this style of statuary looks more Roman to me. Also I don't know if Vesta follows the same rule.



I invite any of you to give me your guesses, and or knowledge about this statue.

She's beautiful, and I agree, she looks like Vesta.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=ves...

She may not be anybody in particular. Perhaps a Victorian version of a Greco-Roman lady.

Oh Cynthia, say it ain't so. They made them up?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caryatid

Can't make out from your photo if she's actually part of the pillar though...

Ooh Nice one Old-Barbarossa. Yes she seems to be more standing in front in my photo but very similar.

Aaron wrote: "Oh Cynthia, say it ain't so. They made them up?" On occasion, yes, I think so. Think of it as inspired by, not made up.

I had figured it would be at least inspired by ancient statuary, but somehow I thought they would have stuck to the iconographic model of a specific deity, or nymph.

Aaron wrote: "I had figured it would be at least inspired by ancient statuary, but somehow I thought they would have stuck to the iconographic model of a specific deity, or nymph."

Artists are at heart inspired by beauty, and so a sculpture inspired by the beauty of Greco-Roman statuary and perhaps a woman he knew might well create a sculpture of a woman he knows of in Greco-Roman style.

My friend gave me a set of salad tongs that she hates. They have these sort of Vodun-esque fetishes on the handles, and I conceived the notion to make a sort of staff or wand out of them, with the fetishes as the surmounting decoration, but it occurred to me that I should probably find out what they mean before I start using them for magic, assuming they mean anything at all of course. They may well be just like the Victorian statues (derivative) given that they were salad tongs.

If anybody has seen anything like this, please let me know.

Aaron wrote: "My friend gave me a set of salad tongs that she hates. They have these sort of Vodun-esque fetishes on the handles, and I conceived the notion to make a sort of staff or wand out of them, with the ..."

I suggest cleansing them of any prior intentions and infusing them with your own. A good start is putting them in the freezer.

Ah thank you Sonja. Good idea. I'm not possessed of a fridge. I saw one wiccan lady using salt water to cleans her tools, but I've been using incense smoke to cleans my Tarot cards between readings. I might try that.

Aaron wrote: "Ah thank you Sonja. Good idea. I'm not possessed of a fridge. I saw one wiccan lady using salt water to cleans her tools, but I've been using incense smoke to cleans my Tarot cards between readings..."
Interesting. Well, alternative to smoke, freezer and salt water... if you are traveling atm and have a rucksack ... then perhaps use a piece of plastic and wrap it up with a rock. A white rock native to your area is good. A rock from the beach is good. The idea is to bury it in the earth because the earth knows what to do with everything. If you need to travel light.. i suggest imagining your orisha man visiting the High Priestess. You can cleanse the past with the ace of swords. You can put the project on hold with the 2 of swords. You can help the project through Mars Retrograde with 6 of swords. Swords are air element. You know this. And if you want to have a creative manifestation of putting your orisha man "on ice" for now... draw / write on paper symbols from those cards I mention. Check in with yourself. I think it's a full moon in a couple days... a pointed quartz crystal can help amplify your intention. Voudon spirits are connected with the ocean and the Caribbean... often for fertility. He has feathers carved into him and he is made of wood. In Rider Waite Tarot.. he could be a knight of wands... wood, feathers. It's really up to what you need/want. Knight of Wands generally indicates a traveler,yea? Sorry to be long winded. Improvising tends to do that. I'm away from the internet fora spell. Good luck!

Aaron wrote: "My friend gave me a set of salad tongs that she hates. They have these sort of Vodun-esque fetishes on the handles, and I conceived the notion to make a sort of staff or wand out of them, with the ..."

Very cool. They remind me of the Easter Island statues.

You're right, I was trying to think of what they reminded me of. They actually seem to be a trinity of pregnant female figures.