Guest Author - Elizabeth Bissette

The twelve major Gods and Goddesses:

Aphrodite Goddess of beauty, love, pleasure, procreation

Appollo God of prophecy, oracles, healing, plague, disease, music, song, poetry, archery, protector of the young

Ares God of war, love of battle, courage

Artemis Goddess of hunting, wilderness, wild animals, childbirth, protectress of the girls until they are of marriagable age; her twin brother Apollon was protector of boy children until the same time. Together the two brought sudden death and disease--Artemis to women and girls, Apollon to men and boys.

Athena Goddess of wisdom, war, the defence of towns, heroic endeavour, weaving, pottery and other crafts

Demeter Goddess of agriculture, grain, bread, Earth Mother. She presided over the foremost of the Mystery Cults, the Elysian Mysteries. These promised intiates the path to a blessed afterlife.

Dionysus God of wine, vegetation, pleasure and festivity

Hephaestus God of fire, metalworking, stonemasonry and sculpture

Hera Queen of the Gods and Goddessess, Goddess of women and marriage, Goddess of the sky and starry heavens

Hermes God of animal husbandry, roads, travel, hospitality, heralds, diplomacy, trade, thievery, language, writing, persuasion, cunning wiles, athletic contests, gymnasiums, astronomy, and astrology. Personal agent and messanger of of Zeus, King of the Gods

Poseidon God of the sea, rivers, flood, drought, earthquakes, horses

Zeus King of Gods and Goddesses, God of sky, weather, law, order, fate