THE CENTAUR:The centaur was known to various cultures in the Middle East, but we are acquainted with it primarily through Greek lore. Centaurs were always portrayed as male; they had the upper body, head, and arms of a man and the lower body and legs of a horse. One legend said they came from the sexual union of the Greek Centaurs and the Magnesian mares. In the HIndu pantheon were the Asvins and the Gandharvas, or horse-gods; the Indo-Europeans may have brought this idea of man-horse beings with them when they traveled through Greece. The area of central Asia had the belief in man-horse wizards also. Assyrian seals show both the centaur and the winged horse. Hellenic myths say the centaur Cheiron was the son of a godand was skilled in hunting, medicine, music, and divination. The wild, shaggy Greek centaurs were considered to be great wizards, shape-shifters, and well-versed in occult lore. They taught their skills to the gods and special heros. Another name for centaurs was Magnetes, or "great ones," which comes from the Magnesian mares. Another Greek tradition said that the centaurs were the offspring of Demeter; in Crete, they supposedly came from Leukippe, the White Mare Goddess. The horse-masked priestesses of the Pirene fountain were called the Pegae, connecting them with Pegasus who dug the spring of the Muses. The Greeks also called these priestesses the man-eating mares. Magickal AttributesHealing magick, shape-shifting, nusic, the arts, divination.Inspiration for an artistic talent. ChantHealing, shape-shifting, magickal liftingOf spirit to spiritual realms of delight. Consciousness higher meets spiritual fire And changes my powers from weakness to might. |