Hi, Lowenna. Thank you for showing me the shrine last time. What an incredible place. I was speechless and that hardly ever happens to me! What a beautiful place to call your home. We’re back in the kitchen now. This time, I wanted to ask you about the Goddess. Can you tell me a bit more about Her?
As we saw last time, in the shrine, the Goddess is depicted in many different aspects, representing the different stages of life and the roles which women perform. In Jennston, the Goddess is represented by a sculpture of the snow hawk which is said to carry Her messages on its sacred white wings. In Farrowton, there is a statue of the Goddess as a young woman, smiling, barefoot, simply dressed. She carries a large jug, showing her generous and bountiful nature. On the wall of the temple in Farrowton is a mural showing the Goddess’ connection to nature. She is standing with vines wrapped around her arms and tall grasses and wildflowers twining around her legs. She also has huge, feathered white wings, Her sacred mark.
She sounds lovely, kind and compassionate. I can see how that fits with the healer part of the temple.
Yes, and also on a spiritual level. The Goddess Ethra is the spirit of this world. When we are born, a part of Her spirit is born with us and when we die, that part of us is returned to the world’s spirit. Everyone is connected through the part of us that is Ethra’s. It also means that through our actions, Ethra grows and changes. What we do throughout our lives, and particularly the manner in which we die, is carried back to Ethra, affecting the whole world.
So, our actions have consequences?
Of course. That’s always true but on a whole other level when you consider that we are going to return to the Goddess, that what we do has consequences for Her, for the world and for everyone else, connected as we are through the Goddess.
Wow, that’s quite a concept. Let’s leave it there for today. I have a lot to go away and consider.
