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Chapter 1B e t w e e n t h e T h i g h s o f N u t

Our beautiful cosmos is a reflection of supreme design. Order,simplicity, synthesis, rhythm, and beauty characterize our cosmos. Thisis Mother Nut. She is the black and blue arch of the sky, which coversthe earth. She is the horizon, the sunrise and the sunset. As the pitch

sensual darkness of heaven or as the radiant, baby- blue sky, the blackGoddess is the height of our senses and aspirations. She is the apex,the furthest star that inspires all to reach with wonder at Her greatness,beauty and intelligence. She is the magnetism of the black hole, a hugeiridescent swastika in the sky with its arms of cosmic dust radiating in alldirections. She is the new star, the wandering comets and the dancingtwirling triple stars spinning on their axis. The form, purpose and depthof the cosmos has been studied for years especially by curiousdescendants of Africa. The cosmos has been viewed and named bymany nations and civilizations.

The early Kemites viewed the upper cosmos as a mother. Herbeautiful nude body depicted in the likeness of Nut. In pictures duringthe time, her body was illustrated arched across the heavens, protectingearth and humanity. Her likeness also appears carved on a ThirtiethDynasty sarcophagus, her hands touching the ground to the east, herfeet to the west. Within the doorway there is painted a world mapshowing the different countries, the Underworld and its gods. This

goddess bending in a half circle along which the sun moves, enclosesthe cosmos and its three levels. [Chevalier, 1994] Ancient Kemitesinscribed this goddess as the wife of the earth god Geb and the mother

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of the sun god Ra. She is higher than the stars and planets, ourmother of the universal sky goddess Nut. [Chevalier, 1994]

"It may be significant that women, who are traditionallyamong those who have to be 'protected' against the Evil Eye,are the ones who generally wear cosmetics. It may also bethat there was originally an affiliation between the twomeanings of the Greek word 'cosmos'...which means both'Universe' and 'ornament. [168]

One of the many meanings of the Greek word -cosmos is

ornament. Sometimes the word, embroideryis also suggested as adefinition. It is the suffix for such terms as cosmology and cosmetics.The word cosmetics join both the words cosmos, arrangement, orderand harmony and metrics which means, meterorto measure. Thus,cosmetics means a measure of the cosmos orcosmos measurer.[Grahn, 1993] The word refers to the ritualized adornment of the body,which is practiced by many ancient women. Measuring the cosmos wasan important chore of the old priesthood for within this lies the basis oftheir religion. Women all over the world adorned their body which isseen as a mirror of the universe, the great dark heavens. Like Nut, herbody is voluptuous blue, adorned with moons, suns and the sparklingstars of heaven.

The celestial skies have always carried Her name because Sheis the source of all things. The ancient Kemites call her Nut, the grandnight sky, who gave birth to the planets and to everything on earth. Sheis the celestial cow whose udder pour forth the sacred milk which wouldform the Milky Way stars. She is the great cover, the direction and

expanse of the watery sky. [Walker, 1983]The religion of Nut teaches women to see the supreme designand workings in their bodies. Everything is sacred, nothing is profane.The body's cycles which are lunar, solar and stellar are humanity's firstform of abstract thought. Women adorn themselves in ways not unlikethe markings seen on the inside of trees or the ritual scars of priestswho undertake an initiation. In Eastern cosmology, measuring thecosmos reflected a desire to discover the great order, rhythm andbeauty which we all dream and see in women. In the ancient religion of

the mother, beauty and order are the same. Art, religion and scienceare one. Peace is order, compassion is order, justice is order. Withinthis great order there is harmony, balance, simplicity and right intent.

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Beauty is an expression of the wholeness and timeless continuity(cycles) of life. Thus the black goddess is beauty for she represents theform and essence of order which is found in nature, our humanity andthe universe. Womans beauty is the cosmos, which emanates from

her connection, her internal dance with creation.

The aum mantra begins with the mother Tara who was bornamong the aboriginal, matrilineal Dasyas of Southern India. TheDasyas or Dravidians are descendants from East Africa. She also canbe traced to the ancient province of Khemet. Tara is the mother ofBuddha. In one of her aspects, she is pictured as a dark woman. Sheappears in many colors, each one representing some particularcharacteristic of her divine and complete nature. The wordaum is the

sound made by the eternal universe. This mantra, one of the worldsmost renowned, is 2,500 years later incorporated into the emergingspiritual system of Dhyani-Buddha Vairocana. This mantra along withthe sacred laws of MAAT are the origins of the Christian Logos. Thisoriginal BOOM is traced to many black goddesses including KaliMa,Kore, Maat, Tara and Mu (the vultures). Being the first word of creationand destruction - aum is the eternal sound from which all other sound isborn. [Shaw, 1994]

The word aum orom, as it is sometime spelled, is the celestialcycle, for it births, sustains and consumes. Om meansomega orGreatOm. This is the sound and symbol of the sacred yoni of the universe,which is the source of material and spiritual life. [Walker, 1983]

The aum mantra as a sound is like an ovum or egg that is foundin every woman. It is the magnetic center, dark point, black dot, periodoromphalos. This egg is the source of life, fountain of youth, center ofregeneration and transformation and lost ark of the ages.

The egg is one of the great symbols of the black mother for it

represents maternity, origins and the essential substance or theprimamateria from which all things are formed and shaped. The belief thatthe earth itself was once hatched from a universal egg is commonamong many people. [Chevalier, 1994] The Likuba and Likuala of theCongo see the egg as cosmic perfection. The yolk inside is seen asfemale moisture and the white is the complementary male sperm. Theshell itself, removed from the membrane is the sun. This celestial eggemerged from a larger cosmic egg, which would have scorched the sunif God had not turned the membrane into moisture. The Likuba and

Likuala believe all men should try to be like eggs. [Chevalier, 1994]The cosmic egg of the Dogon and Bambara represents universal lifeand primal spirit. [Chevalier, 1994]

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The great cosmic egg is not only seen above but seen as thefertile eggs carried by every woman. This fertile egg carried in the firstwoman gave birth to all humankind. She is the black goddess ofhumanity who from the forests of Africa created the first people. The

great egg is also found in nature. These colorful eggs of mammals aresymbols of fertility, youth, re-birthing, and creation. Like the first egg(big bang), all of creation is viewed as an egg or contain in a large eggbirthed by the black goddess Nut (universe).

In ancient Khemet, initiation rituals began with the solemnceremony known as the consecration of the eternal egg. This was aform of soul passage into the higher levels of spiritual awareness. Infunerary practices, at the time of the Neolithic, red eggs where placedon the grave sites of the deceased to reinforce beliefs in the afterlife

and its connection to rebirth. Thus the egg represents the coming andgoings of the soul from one spiritual sphere to the next. The childrenstale of the Mother Goose can be traced back to these spiritual, maternalpractices. [Sjoo, Mor, 1987] The Mother Goose story originated withmother Het Heru who as the Nile goose laid the golden egg or solar discnamed Ra. Het Heru is the celestial mother who birthed the great solaregg called Ra. [Walker, 1983]

The adoration of the great golden egg also took the form of theblack stone. Eastern people represented high spiritual principles andcosmologies in the form of a black stone. The stones darkness wasnot in opposition to its ability to give off light. Light and darkness arethe same in the mysteries of the black goddess, not warring opposites.This is most definitely an old indigenous practice.

Deities like MA, Buddha, Al-lat, Kore and Mercury wererepresented as a black stone. [Anacalypus, 1972] This black stone

could be in any number of shapes. This is the center or origins of allpower, truth and organization. This is the black Amen, black teken(obelisk) black Madonna or black cosmic egg of creation. The blackstone of divinity was sometimes characterized in geometric shapes withsacred script or symbols etched into them. Sometimes these blackstones could be in the shapes of a divine yoni and phallus symbolizingthe power of procreation and fertility as represented in the blackgoddess and black god. Its pitch color represents a horde of ideasincluding its antiquity, ancestral origins, level of learning and divine

aspect. Its firmness representing that which is everlasting, stable,eternal, and unchanging. The black stone, which could be a host ofdifferent stones and crystals included volcanic obsidian, onyx and

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sometimes bits and pieces of fallen meteorite. [Walker, 1983]

The black crystal egg is believed to have given birth to thesacred serpent in some ancient mythologies. The serpent is a very old

totemic and esoteric symbol that is found in many ancient aboriginalcultures. She is a very old deity of humankind. Her name is variouslynamed Uraeus, Uazit, and Nagas.

The Main Street of Heaven

The universe is full of many galaxies, some very near to us andsome very distant. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way. The prefix,galacomes from the Greek language, and it means mothers milk. TheMilky Way since very ancient times was seen as the creation of thedivine the black goddess. This celestial body of stars was believed tocome from the Mothers breasts. In myth, She is the white lunar cow Io,who created the world from the curdling milk of her sacred udder.Mother Europa was another celestial cow who, thanks to the Mother

Goose stories was said to have jumped over the moon. From thesestories we learn that it is Her who birthed our universe. The Khemitescalled the Milky Way, the Nile in the Sky, which poured from the udderof the moon-cow Het Heru. Each star deliciously like a drop of warm,sweet milk. The idea that the moon was made of cheese dates back tothese early African beliefs. The Milky Way means also stream, river,and Main Street of heaven. [Walker, 1983]

Mother Nut's husband is the earth god, Geb who laid beneathher suckling from her breasts. And with his erect phallus, joined with

her in acts of divine lovemaking. This is the symbolic joining of theearth and sky. One Pharaoh, Pepi II once said he was joyously livingbetween the thighs of Nut, referring to Her as his connection to thesensuous heavens above. [Walker, 1983]

The Kemites were not the only ones to imagine a heaven filledwith the milk of the black goddess. The Dagba of Central Africaperceived the Milky Way as a remnant of a mystical rope that onceconnected humanity and the heavens. This was the secret pathwayfrom which humans could travel and socialize with the gods. However,

the gods became angry with humankind for constantly disturbing themwith requests and complaints about earthly life. Spent, the godsdestroyed the radiant cord and scattered its pieces across the sky,

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creating the Milky Way. Now humans can only ascend to heaven upondeath and cannot return. [Van Scott, 1998]

The word Andromeda originates from the language of theGreeks and it means the ruler of men. She is the great sea queen

who was sought by her lover and companion Perseus. Onerepresentation of Andromeda shows her as a dark maiden. She andPerseus are believed to originate from ancient Palestine. Astarteappears to be her original name. Perseus is Greek for the name Baal.Both Andromeda and Perseus are names of star systems in ouruniverse. The word Andromeda is also the name of our nearest galaxy.[Walker, 1983] In Greek mythology, the legend of the great EthiopianKing, Cephus was so great in ancient times his whole family wasimmortalized in the stars. The wife of King Cephus was Queen

Cassiopeia, and his daughter Princess Andromeda. The star groups ofthe celestial sphere, which are named after them are called the RoyalFamily constellations: Cepheus, Cassiopeia and Andromeda.[Jackson, 1939].

The Andromeda galaxy is slightly larger and resembles our owngalaxy, the Milky Way. Beyond the Andromeda exists other remotegalaxies. Twenty-three galaxies form the local group. They representonly a small fraction of all existing systems in the universe. The totalnumber of universes is unknown. Eastern mystics believe that thenumber of universes is infinite.

Emme Yah(The Sun of Women)

Stars veil their beauty soon,

Beside the glorious moon,When her full silver fight,Doth make the whole earth bright.

Sappho- 6th century B.C.

Stars have an extensive and revered history with African people.As observers of the skies, they have documented many stars and theirclusters. The study of the stars is the basis of astrology, which wasvery important in native belief systems. Many of the zodiac qualities arederived from star formations. The qualities of the planets and moonsare also used as a means of divination as proven by the ancientBabylonians and Sumerians.

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In ancient myth, stars were seen as souls in heaven that awaitedtheir birth here on earth. Thats why many people wished upon ashooting star. It was lucky and represented birth and new beginnings.The North Star, which appeared in the heavens at the time of the birth

of Jeshua-Christ is one well-known example. Here, the star was like amessenger or the actual divine soul Himself or Herself descending intoa new incarnation. People likewise returned to the originalconsciousness and form of stars when they died.

Souls as stars could always observe what was happening withtheir love ones on earth as they await their rebirth. Any ominouscelestial happening during the time of an impregnation or birth pointedto some soul awaiting her or his reincarnation. These beliefs includedstars, of course, but weather patterns (storms, drought), eclipses and a

change of seasons could also signal the birth of an old soul or powerfulancestor. These same circumstances pointed to the potential nameand character type of the newborn as well. [Walker, 1983]

The theology of stars also documents the origins of peoples.Africa having some of the oldest and richest human history hasextensive documentation charting the life and death of stars. This isshown in ancient architecture like the pyramids, obelisks and other likestone formations. Many ancient communities like the Magi, theKemites, Sumerians, Babylonians and others depended heavily on starobservations. These records did not only pinpoint the time and seasonof the earth but it also pinpointed important moments of humantransition, times of ritual observation and to figure the exact arrival ofspecial visitors.

Ancient oral histories speak of people who came from heaven.Sometimes these celestial people had collective names or they wherecalled simply star people by some clans. The divine Mother of antiquitywas considered a star person, for she taught earths people how to live

harmoniously, grow food, and how to develop their divinity. These starpeople brought calendars, languages, divine sciences and healingpractices. Many of the discoveries and inventions of African women inantiquity (agriculture, pottery, and weaving) may have come about thisway, through meetings, visions and dreams that connected to star

people. Many great ancestors (Queen-Mothers, Pharaohs) of antiquityand holy people (Gurus, Mas) may have been star people. Manycelestial people informed their communities of their origins, some didnot. Many use the generic term, from heaven but in actuality all life is

from heaven. Life comes from above, not below in many African beliefsystems. It was expected and anticipated by many native peoplebecause they believe their religion, science and culture comes from the

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stars and from star people.

Measuring and defining the stars is the foundation of spiritualculture for many ancients, particularly among African people. The

important discovery of the Syrius A and B stars point to the long-heldbelief that the stars are not just important to documenting time andspace but the inspiration of important theology.

The Dogon nation of Mali, West Africa has known of these starsfor a long time. These stars are some of the most dense in theheavens. This discovery, first revealed by French anthropologistsMarcel Griaule and Germaine Dieterlen in 1931 astounded Westernscientists who believed native people inferior when it comes to moretechnically advanced knowledge. The dog stars of Syrius are said to

represent Auset. In most native beliefs, the spiritual aspect is neverquite removed form that of matter. Thus star lore is also religion andculture, not just science. The Dogon named Sirius B,po tolo, whichmeans (tolo) star and (po) the smallest seed known. The ancientKemites call these stars, Sepdet. Many old temples and observatoriesmarked the cycles of these stars and many others like Orion and thePleiades. Ancient artifacts were found by the French scientists thatconfirmed the Dogon's long-standing relationship with these stars intheir culture. The Sirius stars are not the only astrological informationheld by the Dogon. They also have mythological-scientificdocumentation of Saturn's rings, and Jupiter's four major moons. Theyhave four calendars, for the Sun, Moon, Sirius, and Venus, and havelong known that planets orbit the sun. The phrase Emme Ya (sorghumfemale) comes from the Dogon and refers to the Syrius stars as light orsuns of women. [Van Sertima, 1983] The Dogon say that theirknowledge of the Syrius comes from an amphibian race called Nommo.This celestial race was sent from Sirius to Mankind on a mission of

goodwill. The Dogon word Nommo, means to make one drink. Theyare also called Masters of the Water, the Monitors, and the Teachers.The Dogon trace their ancestral and cultural roots back to Kemet. [VanSertima, 1983]

The black goddess is pervasive in celestial mythology. She isnot only connected to the moon but to the stars, the celestial skies andthe sun also. The Pleiades are a very archaic idea. Many aboriginalpeoples have extensive traditions regarding these seven sisters. A

Sudanese tribe, called Manjia, hold that the constellation is thedestination of pretty women after death. In addition, they believe thestars themselves arepretty women who are desired by their hero Seto

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(bird-eating spider), in the form of Orion. In many native beliefs, thePleiades are envisioned to mean a group of seven wise ones,handsome or beautiful people. [Chevalier, 1994]

Among the Greeks, the Pleiades emerges from the early religion

of Aphrodite, who was supposed to have given birth to them under hername of Pleione. They were popular with Aphrodite who called them,aflock of doves. As daughters, the Pleiades have retained their rightfulplace in the heavens where they stay nightly from May to November inthe constellation of Taurus the Bull. The names of her daughters are

Alcyone, Celaeno, Electra, Maia, Merope, Sterope and Taygete.[Walker, 1983] The once ancient practice of reciting prayers for thedead before the Pleiades on November 1 became all saints dayon theChristian liturgical calendar, while the day preceding it became all

hallows eve or Halloween. [Walker, 1983]IsiLimela or the Pleiades were the digging stars, whose

appearance in southern Africa warned of the coming need to beginhoeing the ground. All over Africa, these stars were used as a marker ofthe growing season. And we say isiLimela is renewed, and the year isrenewed, and so we begin to dig. [Callaway 1970]. Xhosa mencounted their years of manhood from the time in June when isiLimelafirst became visible.

According to the Namaquas, the Pleiades were the daughters of thesky god. When their husband (Aldeberan) shot his arrow (Orion'ssword) at three zebras (Orion's belt), it fell short. He dared not returnhome because he had killed no game, and he dared not retrieve hisarrow because of the fierce lion (Betelgeuse) which sat watching thezebras. There he sits still, shivering in the cold night and suffering thirstand hunger. A girl child of the old people had magical powers so strongthat when she looked at a group of fierce lions, they were immediatelyturned to stars. The largest are now in Orion's belt.

For the Tswana, the stars of Orion's sword were dintsa le Dikolobe,three dogs chasing the three pigs of Orion's belt. Warthogs have theirlitters while Orion is prominent in the sky --- frequently litters of three. Inpre-Vedic India, they are called the Seven Mothers of the World orkrittikas, which means cutters. They were viewed as the judges of men.The black goddess who birthed these seven daughters among theGreeks is calledAtlas. She is the great one who supported the pillars ofheaven. [Khepra, 1993]

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Sky Watchers

The oldest astronomical texts date back to 9th dynasty of Kemet

in the era of c.2150BC. The Kemites were some of humanities mostardent sky watchers. Their religion and administration of their cultureand society depended on it. They created the first functioning calendarof 365 days which was received by the native Africans, Greeks amongothers. Their precise observations laid the foundation for our presentcalendar, which was known as early as 4200BC. For instance, theKemites named thirty six stars and even notice the apparition of Halleyscomet. Their extensive documentation and achievement in this area iswithout a doubt incredible.

The word astronomy comes from the word astronoe, which is aPhoenician maternal deity. Astronoe is also another name for Cybele.Mother Cybele comes from Asia Minor, and is also identified with thedeity Rhea, who is the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, wife of Cronus andthe mother of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Demeter, Hera and Hestia.[Walker, 1983] All these great souls were Ethiopian people and thecosmological roots are based in Cush. The ancients call the study ofthe stars, the basis of all intellectualculture. [Walker, 1983] The

Chaldeans refined this science and were both astronomers andastrologers. Most, if not all-ancient peoples were both astrologers(diviners-healers) and astronomers, for the spiritual and magical aspectof the universe was never denied. Ancient astrology and astronomy,thus, were one science. Astronomy is the physical or outer science,while astrology is the soul or inner science. All science, which directsthe mind within are seen as the Great Science for they lead to Hera(Heru). Women contributed to the development and possibly theinitiation of this archaic science. This was a reflection of their communal

duties, which included seasonal planting, harvesting, drawing upcalendars, healing, divination, rites of passage, personal health(menstruation) and midwifery, which depend heavily on light and darkcycles. One documented instance is found with notches on old bonesand wooden flanks. Many believe that this may be the first humaninstance of celestial markings made by human beings and possibly theseeds of the first calendar.

There is not a lot of information available on the individualprofiles of women who were remarkable sky watchers in ancient times.

One rare woman emerges among the Olmec.The Olmec or Xi (pronounced Shi) is one of the many people

who came to the Americas. This particular group came from Africa.

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They are called Manding (Malinke-Bambara) who lived originally in theSaharan region of Africa some 3500 years ago. Stone stelas of onepriestess among the Olmec are found in Chalcatzingo. The womandepicted is shown wearing a hair covering made of cloth, adorned in a

skirt, necklace and ankle bracelets. There is no name or biographyshown. It is possibly a general priestess of the time honoring a deity offertility and rain. Another priestess is holding a ceremonial jar with adouble sacred motif which conveys the meaning ofholy sacrificeofferingorabode of holiness. The glyphs alongside this relief No. 1Chalcatzingo, reveal that these women of the Olmec were possibly skydiviners. Additional information suggests that these priestesses werepraying or invokingrain or maize. In Olmec mythology, given theecological conditions of the region rain and maize was important to the

people of this culture. The place were this relief was found could havebeen a spiritual center where women gathered and were trained to domagical work for the benefit of providing food for the community. It isstated that these priestesses were rainmakers, offering sacrifices forthe benefit of their crops and Olmec farmers. [Olmec, 189]

Ancient astronomy was such a discipline among ancient Africanpeople very little has been elaborated on and still many more disciplinesremain shrouded in mystery. For example, the Great Pyramids,Stonehenge, the Sphinx and the means by which knowledge wasacquired and projects executed are still unknown by modern people. Asa vivid reminder of the origins of these ancient insights and inventions,astronomy and celestial mythology are full of references to the blackgoddess. It is truly one of the great testimonies to the origins anddevelopment of this once, great science and of human culture itself.The skies have been named and studied by the ancient and they stillcarry Her many names: Hercules, Dubh, Jupiter, Indus, Orion, Syrius,Pegasus, Trojan, Carme, Phoenix, Tethys, Atalanta, Tiamet,

Andromeda, Mercury and so on.The following assertion that these Great Mothers are originallyfrom African soil, culture and conception is based on three facts ofprehistory and history. First, the original Greeks invaded and occupieda land native to the Hellenic peoples and have in the process absorbedmany of her ideas and concepts, which were native to African world-view. Second, many of the leading Greek philosophers, scientists andtheologians of the day were educated in Khemet [Bernal, 1991]. Thegreat schools and universities during this time were in the East. Ancient

peoples then had an extensive understanding of astronomy andastrology, which appeared as jumbled myth and religion to outsiders.The Greeks at this time were still very poor in this endeavor. Much of

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Europes celestial understanding comes from the brave work ofNicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), Galileo (1564-1642), JohannesKepler (1571-1630), and Isaac Newton (17th century). Before their greatwork including the infamous voyage to the new worldby Christopher

Columbus, the earth was seen as flat. A flat earth-centered paradigmcould not at the same time produce a cultural heritage rich in accuratecelestial information. This information is old when we use stonemoments found all over the earth as evolutionary markers. Its not tostress so much that someone is first, but more to stress the importanceof continuation which European astrological information is a part. WithNewton, Copernicus, Galileo and Kepler begins the foundation ofWestern astronomy, birthed in the hysteria of the Inquisition. And third,many of the names of the leading divine mothers of Greece are merely

surnames or new cultural references to archaic deities who wereoriginally the divine images of far easterners.

For example, the later Greeks call Mother Het Heru, whodescends from a very old matrilineal tradition in Africa, Hathor.However, Hathors other names are Aphrodite, Istarte, Astarte, Tanetu,Mari, and Ay-Mari. She like other Great Mothers is the one with athousand names, faces and references. And the first name is usuallyfound in the Far East among aboriginal clans in Africa, the Middle East,India, and Asia who at the time were remarkably homogeneous in manycosmetic and cultural respects. These old traditions predominatelytravel from East to West, South to North.

Since astronomy and religion was one discipline united in theOld World, the study and naming of the stars went hand and hand withreligious observance. Many of the ancient goddesses and gods wereoriginally of black (African-Nubian) origins. The proofs are abundant.The ancient gods of India are shown with Ethiopian crowns on theirheads. According to the Old Testament, Moses first met Jehovah

during his sojourn among the Midianites, who were an Ethiopian tribe.We learn from Hellenic tradition that Zeus, King of the Grecian gods, socherished the friendship of the Ethiopians that he traveled to theircountry twice a year to attend banquets. All the gods and goddessesof Greece were black, asserts Sir Godfrey Higgins, at least this wasthe case with Jupiter, Bacchus, Hercules, Apollo, Ammon, Venus, Isis(Auset), Hecate, Diana, Juno, Metis, Ceres, Cybele were black. Eventhe Romans, who received their religion mainly from the Greeks,admitted their debt to Old Egypt and Ethiopia. [Jackson, 1939]

Below is a small sampling of the many references to ancientmaternal powers. This process is done by simply revealing the original

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African name and all future references to that goddess or god is thusperceived as relating to the original cosmology and legacy of the firstreference. Also all the goddesses and gods that surround the originalmother are perceived as also coming from Her house and traditions.

More info on key black goddesses are documented in the followingpages of this book.

Here is a list of astronomical terms and theirroots in thecosmology and culture of the black goddess:

Ananke or Necessity is the mother of moirae or fate. One form ofmoirai is Mother Aphrodite who is Het Heru in Khemetic cosmology.Here in Grecian myth, the three fates included Clotho (spinner),

Lachesis (measurer) and Atropos (cutter). This very old Orientalmyth depicted all life as an eternal thread spun, measured and cutby the Great Mother. Moirai is possibly connected to the wordsMoor, Meru, Mari, which all have a black or black ancestral definitionin remote times. Ananke is the thirteenth moon of Jupiter.

Amalthea is the name of the second moon of Jupiter. Rhea is theCretan nurse or mother of Zeus, who fed the infant god on the milkof the magical nanny goat, named Amalthea. When Zeus grew up,he broke off one of Amaltheas horns and gave it to his nurse. Itturned into the magical cornucopia. After providing for Zeus andhumanity, the one horned nanny disappeared into heaven,becoming the constellation of Capricorn.

Astraea or starry one is the Ethiopian-Roman title of a LibyanMother of holy law. Libera or libra is the Mother of the golden scalesof judgement. She is the deity of fate and the measurer of the pure

hearted. She is also Mother Maat, Minerva and Athene (Neith).She is connected to the celestial Virgin and the constellation ofVirgo.

Atlas is the personification of a hero or elder who supported theancient world on their shoulders by moral and magical strength.The root word tlas, means black and the feminine prefixA, makesblack woman, the nearest translation in English. One of Atlassdaughters is named Celaeno. She is described in Greek mythology

as the Mother of the Ethiopians. Sometimes her name is also givenas Melanis, which is akin to Melanin and means black. Atlas is oneof the many moons of Saturn. The word is also used to designate

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geographical maps of the world. [Khepra, 1993]

Callisto is the second largest moon of Jupiter. Artemis orfairestone, as the word Callisto implies, is the totemic She-Bear Mother of

Arcas or the little bear. Calliste was an old name for Artemisssacred island Thera (She-Bear).

Cassiopiea is the Mother of Andromeda and the name of a stellarcluster. Of the 13 stars that bear her name, five of them support thequeens seated figure and are familiar under the name ofCassiopeas Chair. [Jackson, pp12-13, 1939]

Dion is the daughter of the ocean. She is also called an Oceanid.

She is the Mother of Aphrodite who is an Ethiopian. Dion is theeleventh moon of Jupiter.

Europa is the fourth largest moon of Jupiter and is the name ofan Ethiopian princess. As the Great Mother, she is the white lunarcow riding the sun-bull. Her name is also given to the region of theworld now called Europe.

Galatea is another name for Aphrodite who is Hathor or Het Heru.Galatea is one of the moons of Neptune.

Io is a moon of Jupiter. She is also the white cow Mother creatorwho nurtured the Ionians. Cow-eyed Mother Hera is the triple deityand Io is one of her aspects. Her sacred colors are black, red andwhite.

Leda or Leto is the Great Mother Lat. She laid the world egg and

hatched Castor and Pollux who are the morning and evening stars.She is the goose that laid the golden egg that is also the sun deity,Apollo. Leda is also depicted as a swan bird. Leda is the ninthmoon of Jupiter.

Metis is the name for one of the moons of Jupiter. She is themother of wisdom and also the mother of Athene. Metis is reallyMedusa, from Libya, whose gorgon face and snake hair symbolizeddivine wisdom. Athene was a virgin form of the mother Medusa

born from the triple gorgon in the land of the Libyan amazons.

Nereids are mermaids, nymphs, and fairies and like female

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nature spirits. The term originated in Greece, the concept originatedin Africa. Nereid is one of the moons of Neptune.

Pandora orall giveris the title of the Earth Mother Rhea. She is

one of the many moons of Saturn.

Pasiphae orshe who shines for allis the Cretan moon Motherembodied in a queen who coupled with the sacred bull and broughtforth the Minotaur or Minos the bull. Her offspring represented theline of Minoan kings who wore the bull mask and mated with theGreat Mother every seven years at a ritual called hieros gamos.This was followed by ritual bull killing. The Cretan colonists movedto Spain with their traditions. Pasiphae and Minos instituted the

sacred games that have come down to us as the bullfight. Pasiphaeis one of the many moons of Jupiter.

Pluto is originally the Mother of riches. She is the daughter of theCretan moon Mother Rhea. She is one of the Titans or Elderdeities. She is the second person of the Demeter trinity, calledRhea. The trinity of Rhea is represented by Kore, Pluto andPersephone. Pluto is one of the more recent planets discovered inour solar system by Western scientists.

Rhea is the Cretan name of an Aegean Mother. She was a tripleMother and the founder of the Aegean civilization. She isBritomartis, the sweet virgin-Dictynna, and the lawgiver of MountDict and Coronis. Rhea is one of the many moons of Saturn.

Thalassa is the Great Mother at Rhodes and Miletus. She is theMother of the Techines or the Enchanters. She is the Mother of

sensuality and marriage. She is an archaic form of AphroditeMarina. At Ethiopian-Roman weddings, she was invoked by the cryTalassio. Thalassa is her name. She is also the second moon ofNeptune.

Titania was the Great Mother who ruled the pantheon of AegeanTitans or holy ones. Titans were rulers of the Aegean world. She isknown as Themis, Gaia or Mother Rhea. Titan is the fourteenthmoon of Saturn.

Tritone is the Mother of Athene. She is a Libyan and herbirthplace is North Africa. Tritone was the third queen and her

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birthplace was Lake Tritonis (the three queens). Athenes dress andthe attributes of her religion were descended from these Libyanwomen of Africa. Triton is the seventh moon of Neptune.

More can be written about the various celestial bodies, theirnames and origins. However, this brief listing will give you some idea ofhow intimate the ancients were with the skies. The input of the ancientsto a deeper understanding of our cosmos is amazing and the blackgoddess obviously played a big part in forming its legends.

The Woman Clothed in the Sun

Among the many symbols that seem to characterize the age ofthe black goddess, the sun must be one of the most prolific. Thecivilizations of the sun was not only in Africa but also in Asia, India, andSouth America. The power of the sun created a host of myths andassociations, sometimes contradictory. The sun sometimes was aliving God worthy of praise and human sacrifices. Other times agodhead of a larger spiritual body, the son or daughter of heaven.Semang Pygmies, Fuergians and Bushmen regard the sun as the

supreme deities eye. Australian aborigines saw the sun as theCreators son, kindly in service of humankind. [Chevalier, 1994] Thesun was a powerful symbol especially in African cultures. Rather as agod of fertility, vegetation and inner illumination or as a wrathful,merciless deity, which scorches the earth and humankind, the sunsgreat power over crops, fertility and life among the ancients was withoutdoubt.

The Mahanivanatantra community believed that the sun was thegarmentof the Great Mother. In devotional praises these sentiments

were remarked: The sun, the most glorious symbol in the physicalworld, is the magic vesture of Her who is clothed in the sun.[Walker,1983]

In Hinduism, the sun is seen as female and the moon as male.He is believed to be born of her, dies into her and is born again of herevery month. Shiva is the moon deity and Parvati is the sun power whois also his wife, sister and mother. This is an extension of the belief thatmen receive their power (light) from their Shakti. Shakti-MA is like thesun that illuminates the form and shape of the moon that is her

husband. [Walker, 1983] The Dogon too saw the sun as a blackgoddess. It is described as a white-hot earthenware pot with a spiral ofred copper making eight turns around it. The earthenware pot

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represents the womb holding the life-principle, the red copper coiledround is the male semen principle which is also the light, water and theWord. Lastly the number eight denotes completion, perfection andspeech. The sun was fashioned by the supreme being Amma with clay

before being set in the heavens. [Chevalier, 1994]The correspondences between the Fali and the Dogon are

remarkable. The Fali of Cameroon saw the sun and moon as twopieces of earthenware, one a flat plate and the other a hollow pot. Thisplate and pot was originally stolen from heaven by a woman potter.[Chevalier, 1994] This black goddess married to a blacksmith was theoriginal primordial twins who came down to earth to be with the Falipeople.

The solar power, disc or ball of fire is usually characterized as

male. This does not mirror the many myths among African, Turkic,Mongol and Celtic people. [Chevalier, 1994] For these people andmany others, the burning sun was a woman and in many instances ablack goddess.

There are a number of great mothers who are portrayed as thesun or solar power in ancient societies. Mother Sekhmet of Khemet isone expression. She is the lion-headed sun deity who is also believedto be the death-side of cat Mother Bast. She also represents theopposite of Mother Het Heru. Sekhmet, together with her husband Ptahand their son Nefertem formed the Memphite triad, which was an earlydepiction of the Mother, Father and Son mythology. Sekhmet is awarrior Mother who struck absolute fear into the hearts of her enemies.It is believed that even Set and the serpent deity Apophis feared herwrath. Sekhmet would accompany the king, who often described Her ashis mother and power in war. Sekhmet is also known as a powerfulmagician and healer. She is one of a number of instances wherewomen were portrayed as a solar power, as a lion form and also as a

frightful warrior.Kemet being a culture that honored the sun has many instancesof goddess solar representation. These three goddesses were found inmy research. Goddess Akhet symbolizes the seasons and the sunset.She is sometimes called goddess of the Nile. Akhet is a good exampleof moisture and heat together as a goddess. Goddess Akusaa who isthe wife of Atum is a symbol of the setting sun. More divine mothers ofthe sun are Bast of Khem, Djanggawul of the Koori (Australia), Het Heruof Khem, Medusa of Libya and Shams or Shapash of Africa-Near East.

The sun mother is likened to the torch of the Gods and in the Ugaritic-Epic of Baal, this mother retrieves the fertility gods phallus from theunderworld. One meaning suggests the return of moisture and growth

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to the earths surface. It is also an image of the annual resurrection ofthe earth after drought. [Walker, 1983]

Another illustration of the sun mother can be found in thecosmology of the African-Hebrews. The highest deity with the emblem

of the sun is called the Shekina. She is similar to the Industani mothercalled Shakti. Both are perceived as the maternal partner and lover ofGod. In this Hebrew belief, the word Shkina means dwelling place, abelief that she is Gods home. The Gnostic Christians spoke of theShkina as a spirit of glory. Many mothers are characterized as thehome, indwelling place or power seat of saviors, prophets and Gods.Auset, Het Heru (House of Horus) and the Virgin Mary are a fewexamples. She is the source of all soul in the universe and her vestureis the law of the Torah. [Walker, 1993] It is believed that the Shkina

incarnates every 600 to 608 years. [Higgins, 1972]The sun was very central to ancient theology. This is partly due

to the fact that the celestial skies represented the many manifestationsof the divine. Also being near the equator, these dark-skinned peoplesaw the powers of the sun as rejuvenating and an incredible source ofenergy, warmth, light and life. Interestingly a number, which are solardeities also represent the element of fire, protection, war and the hunt.

The list is long but some of the names include Anhur (Kemet),Apollo (Greek), Atum (Kemet), Khepera (Kemet), Mithra (Old Persia),Ra (Kemet), and Zip of Mayan origin.

Light is a property of all matter rather active or perceived to bedormant. All matter, also contains the element of darkness, which ispresent in nature and the universe. Existence on earth is appropriatelyadapted and fitted to the internal and cosmic cycling of light anddarkness. All organisms need and crave light to survive and thrive. So,darkness is a necessity for it is an irreconcilable aspect of the process

of bondage, seeking and ascension. Sun worship is not simply theceremonial reverence of the celestial sun, but the honoring the sun ofthe mind and heart.

The light is defined as a form of electromagnetic radiation towhich the human eye is sensitive and on which our visualawareness of the universe and its contents relies. Light isalso the ethereal aspects of dark matter. In the religion of the

Black Goddess, dark matter and ethereal light are One.

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The ancients were believers in one great moral tenet. That tenet iscalled the golden rule. The golden rule among the Kemites is dear tomother Maat. She is the mother of law, balance and order. The goldenrule is; do the other good, that he may do good to you. This tenet is the

one and over-ridding belief that governs truly all great societies andcommunities. This is the totemic law of the elders. This maternalwisdom is great for its simplicity and its ability to validate the essentialneeds of every member of society regardless of condition. Thisprimordial law became a part of emerging religions who quicklyembraced it because of its simple wisdom.

The Hours and Cyclic Time

In the ancient time of the black goddess, human beingsexperience time that is continuous and eternal. There is no death in thistime. No shortages or borderslike the river it just flows from one endof the universe to another. Kali is the supreme mother of time, in Hindumythology. All pleasure and joy is impermanent, the only thing that isforever is our connection to Her and Her body. When all creation is

destroyed, so is the veil that conceals time. This time is a veil ofillusion that covers KaliMa. In the end, the veil is pierced and Kali is leftnaked with only the emptiness of space to cover her. [206]

E

The original 12 hours come from the cosmology surroundingtwelve underworld Goddesses. These twelve Goddesses in theKhemetic religion are the daughters of the sun God Re. Theyact in concert against the adversaries of Re and they dictate thedestiny of human beings in terms of each persons life span,reflecting the importance of order over disorder. The Hours aresometimes represented on the walls of royal tombs inanthropomorphic form with a five-pointed star above their heads.

The same concept also appears in Greek cosmology by thename of Horae (Hours). [Walker, 1983] [Higgins, 1836-1972]

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The reckoning of days and of time itself began with thedocumentation of the lunar cycles on bone or wood. Some of thesebones with lunar documentation are dated over 10,000 years old. This

was done by the mothers who were mapping their menstrual cycles.The calendar to evolve was called based on a lunar cycle and itcontained 28 days and 13 months (houses).

Ancient calendars can be traced to the sacred art of moon andcelestial observation. Ancient time-keepers began their month when ayoung crescent was first seen in the sky. Some of the earlier calendarsare first recorded among the Babylonians, the Sumerians and theKemites. It was by the way of the ancient mothers that cycles of the

month, the lunar year and solstice were marked and recorded. Thelength of the month began and ended by the lunar cycle.

Overtime, many noticed that the first day of Sirius, the star ofAuset was visible right before sunrise. The Kemites are the first tofashion a solar calendar. With this heliacal knowledge, they devised a365-day calendar that seems to have begun in 4236 B.C.E., the earliestrecorded year in history. They eventually had a system of 36 stars tomark out the year and in the end had three different calendars workingconcurrently for over 2000 years: a stellar calendar for agriculture, asolar year of 365 days (12 months x 30 + 5 extra) and a lunar calendarfor festivals. The original Kemitic calendars soon developedsophisticated Zodiac systems. [Westerheim, 1993]

Kemites began their day with sunrise instead of sunset becausethey began their month, and consequently their day, by thedisappearance of the old Moon just before dawn. The first organic 12hour days were uneven, wholly depended on the movement of light anddark. Both water clocks and sundials were constructed with notations to

indicate the hours for the different months and seasons of the year. Thestandard hour of constant length emerged much later. By observingthe movement of Sirius, the Kemites determined the length of the yearto be 365 days.

Early Kemites depended on the Nile's annual rising andflooding. Each year as that great river flooded it brought down mountainsoil to the Kemetic plain. This enriched the fields and enabled creationof an agricultural system that supported a large civilization.

Below is a small sampling of holy days celebrating the BlackGoddess.

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March the 19th through the 23rd is the holy day of Mother Minerva.

March at the beginning of Spring is the ship festival in honor of the

goddess ISIS. This festival, which takes place in Khem, is a specialceremony for new boats. When new boats are created they are purifiedwith blazing torches, adorned with baskets of flowers, perfumed andinscribed with holy words before being launched into the sea. The boatbeing a symbol of the divine mother ensures fair winds and calm seasfor the rest of the year. The beautiful ship of ISIS symbolizes sacrificeto the gods, protection and safety for all ships launched this year.ISIS's ship also stood for human society and fate. [Chevalier, 1994]

Gelede Festival is a Yoruba celebration to honor the older women inthe community and to ensure communal well-being. This is a time ofspecial homage to the mothers who ensure fertility and overall well-being in the Yoruba society. This includes the female orishas andfemale ancestors. It occurs in the spring after the rains have started.

April is honored for the mother Aphrodite. April 19th is the ceremonialday of Mother Ceres. Mother Venus and Aphrodite originate from theKhemetic mother Het Heru, known by the Greeks as Hathor. MotherCeres is the daughter of Cronus and Rhea and one of the moreimportant wives of Jupiter.

May 24-25th Pilgrimage to honor Mother Sarah Kali among theRoma in Europe.

October 29th - The Isia or the Festival of ISIS is a three-day event to

re-enact the story that features the dismemberment of Osiris by hisbrother Set and the restoration of his body with the help of his wife.

November 11-Day of Kali PujaAugust 15 is the holiday of The Radical Union (The Dark VirginMary's Day)

December 4th is the feast day of Mother Oya. She is also honored onFebruary 2. Her day is Wednesday.

December 12 is the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe and iscelebrated as the most important day of the year in Mexico.

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December 31st is the feast day of Yemaya. Saturday is her day. Herspecial day is on September the 7th.

This is a small sampling. Many more dates and festivals

characterize the great mothers of the East. Each mother from a givenculture or civilization has her own calendar, which honors the solstices,her days of renewal, the days of her divine companion and others of herextended pantheon. [Westerheim, 1993] [McRitchi, 1985] [Walker,1983]

Conclusion

The black goddess is featured, among the Kemites in theheaven and stars. We find her as the sun, as the stars, the celestialsky, and the moons. She is everything to the ancients. Her very spiritrepresents time, space, days, hours and celestial cycles.

This is important for in Europe the black goddess is the earth,sometimes death. As the black Madonna, she is the black earth andthe subconscious mind. Among modern Africans, the black goddess isthe waters, the domestic sphere and the moon. It is assumed this is

the only way because it states facts of biology, society and psychology.The most ancient images contradict that and detail the opposite. Forthem when they thought of the black goddess they looked to theheavens, they saw stars and nebulae. She is Andromeda, the MilkyWay and invisible stars so dense they can't be seen with the naked eye.She is the brilliant sun shining bright, fierce and magnetic. The blackgoddess is a solar deity, a fire ball that is the center of life above andbelow.

In this mythology, the earth and the moon is male.

This dramatically changes and reverses the qualities of mythsand ritual when we see it this way. Ancient images of the blackgoddess is important because it shows black women definingthemselves, depicting themselves freely unmolested by paradigms ofmaster and slave which characterize gender and race in history. TheKemites and the Cushites have at the time the most progressive culturewhen it comes to women. Modern societies in the East and the Westhave yet to match their openness, their fearless embracing of thefeminine in all its forms. The unique religion that comes from them

comes from a society that has no fear of dark women as human beings,as sexual beings and as God. There is no fear of death, nature ororigins. It is an impossible world-view given how fragmented core

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beliefs tend to be today.

The black goddess is all these things. She is possible andpowerful in many forms and all forms. This is important to know when

one approaches this archetype.

T

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Queen Mother Hatshepsut (1)

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the thighs of nut

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