THE FISH:At the rites as such lunar love and fertility goddesses as Atargatis, Ishtar, Derceto, Isis, and Aphrodite, it was common for the initiates to eat sacred fish. These fish, which were kept in special ponds on the temple grounds, were served on Fridays. a day sacred to these goddesses, as well as to the northern Freyja. A mermaid form was taken by such goddesses as Atargatis, Aphrodite, and Derceto. In Rome, the sign of a fish was originally a symbol of the love deity Venus. The Ephesian Great Goddess often had a fish or fish amulet hung over her genitals. In ancient Middle Eastern cultures, the fish was sometimes apersonification of a deity. Statues of the Philistine god Dagon show him as half-fish, half-man. The Greek Poseidon was sometimes pictured with a fish-tail as a symbol of his dominion over the power of the seas. The Middle Eastern goddess Atargatis had a shrine on the island of Delos. Her temple there was surrounded by fish-filled ponds and trees of doves. The sacred fish at Hieropolis in Egypt wore gold ornaments, a sign of their sacredness. Part of the Greek festival of Thesmophoria in honor of Demeter was the Haloa, a rite where fish were used as religious symbols. Fish, particularly salmon and trout, had several mystical meanings to the Celts. They were connected with sacred wells and springs. The Celts believed that eating fish, and salmon and trout especially, would give wisdom, healing, and the ability to prophesy. To the Chinese, the fish represented abundance and was a symbol of Kuan Yin, goddess of fertility and children. It also meant wealth, harmony, and regeneration. Kwannon of Japan was connected with fish, where the creature symbolized love. SuperstitionsThe first fish must be thrown back as payment to the sea and water deities.In Scotland, if the fish won't bite, they throw a fisherman into the water and then haul him out like a fish. Magickal AttributesAbundance, prosperity, children.Harmony in your life. A loving companion. Divina듼Ķonnd��ro��ecy. Getting pregnant. Bringing a companion into your life. ChantFish of prophecy, show me my future.Open my mind to true foreseeing. Reveal all possibilities And help me to make good choices. |