It's no surprise that we hold Astarte in the highest regard at Astarte's Temple. To us, her energy is inextricably linked with the goddess Hekate. We view Astarte as the high-level Goddess of Wisdom who gives birth to energy itself, including all of the gods and goddesses, and through this lens, we view Hekate as the primordial energy that emanates from Astarte as the Anima Mundi, the World Soul, that animates all of life itself.
Throughout history, Astarte of the Canaanite Pantheon has taken on the names of Venus (Rome), Isis (Egypt), Aphrodite (Greek), Cybele (Phrygian), Inanna (Mesopotamia), Mary (Christianity), Yemaya (Orisha), and countless others throughout various cultural traditions, time periods, and needs of the people. She is alive today, regardless of what you call her.
Though many view Astarte as a demonized figure, especially through the Judaic and Christian lenses of modern times. The goddess Astarte far pre-dates monotheistic religion and has nothing to do with their faith. In fact, she is a figure that monotheistic religion attempted to utterly erase.
My question to you, dear reader, is two-fold.
First, why would a religion attempt to erase someone who they claim "isn't real"? After all, if she's merely myth, who cares?
Second, what about her is so fearsome that they need to alter her story to make her out to be a wicked force in opposition to their supposed all-powerful, omnipotent god?
As the Mother of the Gods, no matter who you choose to venerate in your mystical path, Astarte is present. She is the creator of the threads of energy or magick that comprise the fabric of our reality, and that gives way to the infinite possibilities and the vastness of the universe. This is magick that operates on the highest cosmic level and yet directly relates to the nature of our craft on the physical plane of existence, as well as the psychological and spiritual spheres of our reality. Mystic Kate Jade teaches this magick in the in-depth 3.5-year pathworking program called The Mystic's Journey, which is now enrolling.
She’s a goddess with roots deeper than Rome—older than Aphrodite. In Sumer, she was Inanna: a goddess of both love and war, who descended into the underworld to face her shadow and rose transformed. In Babylon, she became Ishtar, fierce and untamed. To the Phoenician and Canaanite peoples, she was Astarte, the Queen of Heaven and the Mother of the Gods. And to the Egyptians, she was Isis, the goddess of magick and motherhood. —Where astrology, artistry, and mysticism collide by The Paganista & Astarte's Temple
Though primarily viewed as a feminine goddess with her imagery as the Mother of the Gods, many depictions and traditions recognized her as an androgynous, genderless figure embodying both male and female attributes equally. This element of Astarte is incredibly sacred to us because it showcases her love and acceptance of people exactly as they are. Whether someone identifies as non-binary, androgynous, man, woman, transgender, or any other gender expression, not only are they welcome in the eyes of Astarte, but they are also most certainly welcome here at Astarte's Temple.
Popular Celestial Symbols of Astarte:
- Star: Astarte was known as the "Queen of the Stars" and her symbol is the star, often representing the planet Venus. The eight-pointed star is a particularly common representation.
- Crescent moon: She was associated with the moon, and sometimes depicted with a crescent moon on her head or standing on a crescent moon.
- Sun: In some depictions, she wears a crown with a sun symbol.
- Venus: This star symbol was adopted by Astarte, representing her connection to the planet Venus, the morning and evening star. This connection made Astarte a direct precursor to the Greek Aphrodite and Roman Venus.
Honoring Astarte Today
Perform rituals — Many practitioners hold rituals for Astarte in relation to the constellation Virgo, the planetary movements of Venus, and during dawn or dusk when the sun is rising or setting.
Make offerings — Popular offerings for Astarte, include incense (such as frankincense and myrrh), lilies, honey, cakes, and wine. Often, people like to leave these offerings at designated sacred spaces for Astarte that have been cleansed and consecrated to her. She also loves crystals, such as jade, super 7, bumblebee jasper, honey calcite, and emerald.
Volunteering — Due to Astarte's compassionate nature, community service that gives back to those in need is always an acceptable offering to her, especially if it is aimed at helping women, children, teaching others about wisdom and spiritual themes, and so on.
