This page is intended as a refuge......a quiet space to reflect and to get away from the thousand little hassles of everyday life. Other relevant links are available at the bottom of this page, but not here.
The Goddess is within all women; I am Goddess, Thou are Goddess. But, sometimes it can be hard to find the Goddess within or without. Here are some suggestions for doing so.
Recruit a Goddess on your own.
"Behold,...moved by your prayer I come to you--I, the natural mother of all life, the mistress of the elements, the first child of time, the supreme divinity, the queen of those in hell, the first among those in heaven, the uniform manifestation of all the gods and goddesses--I, who govern by my nod the crests of light in the sky, the purifying wafts of the ocean, and the lamentable silences of hell--I, whose single godhead is venerated all over the earth under manifold forms, varying rites, and changing names. Thus, the Phrygians that are the oldest human stock call me Pessinuntia, Mother of the Gods. The aboriginal races of Attica call me Cecropian Minerva. The Cyprians in their island-home call me Paphian Venus. The archer Creatans call me Diana Dictynna. The three-tongued Sicilians call me Stygian Proserpine. The Elusinians call me the ancient goddess Ceres. Some call me Juno. Some call me Bellona. Some call me Hecate. Some call me Rhamnusia. But those who are enlightened by the earliest rays of that divinity the sun, The Ethiopians, the Arii, and the Egyptians who excel in antique lore, all worship me with their ancestral ceremonies and call me by my true name, Queen Isis."Apuleius, 2nd. century C.E.
In cultures that recognized many deities or aspects of deity, it was common for a certain deity to be regarded as the particular patron or protector of a item, skill, activity, place, or creature. When new creatures, technologies, or activities were introduced, they would sometimes bring with them (usually from another culture) a patron deity. When this did not happen, a deity was chosen by making some connection between the new and the old.
The Internet in general, and the World Wide Web in particular, are extremely new technologies to the average person. As such, I know of no protective deities connected with them, even though it is within the realm of the new, the exciting, the baffling, and the uncertain that a patron deity is most in need.
As the Web has not come with this patron, it seems only appropriate to recruit Someone (or Someones) who seem to have the appropriate connections already in place. Being a interconnecting, interweaving, intercommunicating sort of environment (all traits that are often associated with the female); and, seeking to counterbalance the largely male presence on the 'Net at the current time (dynamic balance and equilibrium making for the best environments and spaces); I believe we need one or more Goddesses of the Web.
Several come to mind immediately...spiders, webs, and weaving being ideas that have been associated with many Goddesses across time and culture. I invite you to consider these and perhaps to choose one that speaks to you to invoke during the course of your triumphs, frustrations, and general adventures along the Web. Perhaps you wish to invoke more than one, in turn or in different situations. Perhaps one will serve best as your personal protector. What's best is whatever works for you. (Working out the details is something between you and the Goddess or Goddesses involved. ;-)
Many people have contributed to this page in some way, and I thank them all.
I would appreciate any feedback on this page: Did you enjoy it? Did it help you in some way? Do you have suggestions for Goddess-connecting tips? Goddess names (Web or otherwise!) that I've missed? Suggestions in general? Let me know...
Goddess Grace -- a wonderful poem/prayer/chant to all different aspects of Goddess
Does anyone know where to find this now? The links I had are gone.
For a little humor try the "Field Guide to Neo-Pagandom"
World Pagan Network, dedicated to connecting Pagans face-to-face.
The Bridge-- Woman-oriented Links
New Age Resources, a large, searchable list-O-links
AvatarSearch, another huge search engine of "the Occult Internet"
Or start your own exploring from Yahoo's Lists
Baba Yaga's Emporium-- everything you might ever need by mailorder
For a historical perspective... take a look at Joan's Witch directory
And for your Goddess-related shopping needs, come by and visit Moonlight Press!