Goddesses and Gods.wps - Welcome to Our Temple

Olympians
Aphrodite
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was born from the foam of the sea. She is
married to Hephaestus, the god of fire and smithy to the gods. Sacred to her are the
myrtle, rose, apple, poppy, sparrow, dove, swan, swallow, tortoise, ram, the planet
Venus, and the month of April. Eros was produced from a liaison with Zeus. Her
favorite lover is the god of war, Ares.
Artemis
Artemis is the goddess of the hunt, virginity, the moon, and the natural environment.
She is the daughter of Zeus and Leto and twin sister of Apollo. Even though she is a
virgin goddess, she also presides over childbirth. Sacred to her are the laurel, fir tree,
fish, stag, boar, bear, dog, goat, bee and other animals.
Athena
Athena is the Greek virgin goddess of reason in war and peace, intelligent activity,
arts and literature, and useful arts. She sprang full grown from Zeus' head rather than
being born by a woman. She is Zeus' favorite and is allowed to use his weapons
including his thunderbolt. Sacred to her are the olive, serpent, owl, lance, and crow.
She invented the bridle, the trumpet, the flute, the pot, the rake, the plow, the yoke,
the ship, and the chariot.
Demeter
Demeter is the goddess of the earth, of agriculture, and of fertility in general. Sacred
to her are livestock and agricultural products, poppy, narcissus and the crane. She is
the mother of Persephone by Zeus. During the months Persephone lives with Hades,
Demeter withdraws her gifts from the world, creating winter. Upon Persephone's
return, spring comes into bloom.
Hera
Hera is the supreme goddess of the Greeks and goddess of marriage and childbirth,
and wife to Zeus. Her children are Ares, Hebe, Hephaestus and Eris. Sacred to her are
the peacock, pomegranate, lily and cuckoo. She is extremely jealous of Zeus' amorous