My Friend Atalanta .. a true Goddess!

Atalanta is from Greece and she was abandoned by her father, King Iasus for the sin of being a girl. She was left for dead.  A mother bear suckled her and she survived against the odds and grew strong.  A group of warriors found her in the Arcadian Woods and took her home and she lived with this tribe and learns well and becomes  an awesome warrior woman and a highly skilled hunter.

She was a very busy woman during her interesting life journey.  She killed two Centaurs. She sets off on a quest to get the Golden Fleece. Wrestles Pelias. Has a deep and meaningful with the Oracle of Delphi and lastly Atalanta was the the only woman on a Caledonian boar hunt where she was awarded the trophy hide by Meleager for stabbing this animal first, a great show of her expertise.  This had bad repercussions for Meleager.

After talking to the Oracle who clearly told her that marriage would be malefic, she wasn't altogether ecstatic about being hooked up and did her very best to not go there.  Eventually, after going back to her father King Iasus (yep very suss) she is forced to marry Hippomenes to make her father happy.  First though, a deal is struck and the two betrothed participate in a race where the winner chooses what shall take place. 

Hippomenes cheats by scoring some special golden apples from Aphrodite who is abhorred even by the thought of virginity so she is eager to help Hippomenes.  He casts these magic golden apples behind him as he runs in the race.  Atalanta can't resist these and has to stop to pick each one up and so she loses the quest and has to marry him. 

Her new husband has a mind snap and forgets to say thank you to  the Grecian goddess of Love, Beauty, Seduction, Pleasure, and Happiness.  Aphrodite evens the score and curses him with an overpowering lust.  Him and Atalanta make out at the sacred temple of Zeus.  Of course they get caught and for denigrating the Great God Zeus and his temple they are both turned into Lions.  Symbolic of ascension to higher realms represented by the divine male and female and Heiros Gamos.

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By the blessing of good fortune I have a  friend who is also Atalanta.  She has a lot of these Goddess characteristics when it comes to being a Warrior Woman who is a skilled and protective huntress (mother).  She gets on well with oracles too I am told.

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

PLEIADES - The Seven Sisters Constellation in the Sky

"M45map" by NASA, ESA and AURA/Caltech - Hubble Refines Distance to Pleiades Star Cluster (STScI-2004-20). Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Technically speaking the Pleiades are known as (Messier 45 or M45).  The constellation is an open star cluster containing middle-aged hot B-type stars located in the constellation of Taurus. It is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. The celestial entity has several meanings in different cultures and traditions.  Wiki

The Pleiades are regarded as the seven mythical daughters of Atlas and Pleione. These stars are well known as being the virgin confidantes of Artemis.

Orion, the hunter pursued the sisters and also their mother.   The girls prayed to the Gods to rescue them from Orion. The gods answered their prayers and changed the sisters into birds (doves). Much later the Gods changed them further into stars.

The God Zeus put  the sisters in the sky in a special place in the constellation of Taurus.  There are many myths the world over concerning this constellation.  One of these myths say the sisters committed suicide after the death of their sisters the Hyades. 

The names of the Pleiades stars are as follows:

The Pleiades are  Alcyone, Electra, Celaeno, Maia, Sterope, Merope, Taygete.

From  Encyclopedia Mythica™  deeper information regarding the Greek myths in full can be found here written by various people. 

Alcyone

Electra
Celaeno
Maia
Sterope
Merope
Taygete
Atlas
Pleione
Artemis
Orion 
Zeus
Hyades

Images @ Eminpee Fotography

URUNGA CAROLS 2011 ... We call it peace in a pipe ..And it’s just like fireworks Mind Over Matter

Fireworks

This year the festivities started at 5pm and there was a wide variety of local entertainers and community singing. There was plenty of Food and drink  available to purchase and most brought along a picnic. Santa turned up from the North Pole for a quick visit. The evening finish at 9pm with the most spectacular fireworks display out over the two rivers.( Kalang and Bellinger Rivers).

Morgo Street Reserve  Urunga
New South Wales AUSTRALIA

URUNGA CAROLS 2011 ... We call it peace in a pipe ..And it’s just like fireworks Mind Over Matter

Fireworks

This year the festivities started at 5pm and there was a wide variety of local entertainers and community singing. There was plenty of Food and drink  available to purchase and most brought along a picnic. Santa turned up from the North Pole for a quick visit. The evening finish at 9pm with the most spectacular fireworks display out over the two rivers.( Kalang and Bellinger Rivers).

Morgo Street Reserve  Urunga
New South Wales AUSTRALIA