Arise, Goddess of Spring

Here at The Goddess House it is almost September, yet the long reaching fingers of the Cailleach, the Gaelic Goddess of Winter, can still be felt.  Whilst my Dutch irises have been out for a number of months, very few of the traditional Spring flowers can be seen - one grape hyacinth appeared a few weeks back, as if to test the weather, and only now are the freesias starting to appear.  This time last year the garden was boosting a wonderful display of daffodils and jonquils, especially around the sacred circle.  This year however it is a different story.

Slowly, however, the Goddess of Spring is returning to the surface and making her presence felt.  To the ancient Greeks, she is Persephone, returning from the Underworld, back to her maidenself of Kore (meaning "maid"),  and back to her mother Demeter.  As she does, the land becomes abundant again.  Her Roman counterpart was Prosepina (Roman), the daughter of the Grain Goddess, Ceres.

The September service at The Goddess House will be honouring the Goddess of Spring as well as the God in his aspect of the Young Stag.  As such, some of the Goddesses of Spring that can be found around the world, are as follows:

Anna Perenna (Roman): Associated with the cycles of the year and renewal.  Her main Festival was celebrated on Ides of March (Spring in the Northern Hemisphere).

Artio (Swiss):  The Bear Goddess who hibernates during the Winter her return heralds the beginning of Spring.

Beiwe (Finnish): A Saami Goddess associated with the fertility of plants and reindeer. Together with her daughter Beiwe-Neia, they turned the hills green so the reindeer could feed.

Blodewedd (Celtic): Created by magick from nine spring flowers to be the wife of Llew Llaw. This got around the curse Arianhod had placed upon her son preventing him from taking a human wife.

Brighid (Celtic): In the Northern Hemisphere, the festival of Imbolc, which celebrates the first stirrings of Spring, also honours Brighid.

Dziewanna (Eastern European): Goddess of Spring and Agriculture who was honoured by local farmers.

Flora (Roman): The Goddess of flowering plants, especially those that bore fruit. Her festival, the Floralia, took place in April/early May (Spring in the Northern Hemisphere) and was marked with dancing, drinking, and flowers.

Freya (Nordic):  This Nordic fertility Goddess is linked with spring growth and flowers.

Gefn (Norse) This is another name for the Nordic Goddess Freya.

Hare Ke (West African) Goddess of the sweet waters fed by the spring rains that brought fertility back to the land.

Hebe (Greek): The Goddess of eternal youth and Spring.

Kono-Hana-Sakuya-Hime (Japanese): Associated with the Springtime and cherry blossom as her name means "Lady who makes the trees bloom".  She is also Goddess of the sacred site Mount Fuji.

Kostroma (Russian): A fertility Goddess and personification of Spring. In Russian mythology she dies at the end of each Spring, only to arise once more at the end of the following winter.
Lada (Eastern European): As Goddess of Spring and Love she was worshipped throughout Lithuania, Poland and Russia.

Libera (Roman): Together with Ceres and Liber, she formed part of a triad of ancient Roman Gods and Goddesses responsible for bringing fertility back to the land.

Maia (Greek): This Goddess of Spring represented the forces of growth and the return of the warm rays of the sun.

Olwen (Celtic): Goddess of sunlight she reappeared every Spring, leaving behind her a trail of white cloverwhere ever she walked.

Rafu-Sen (Japanese): Goddess of plum blossoms.
Sita (Hindu): Spring Goddess and Goddess of agriculture and the earth.




Source: Goddess Guide