Today's Goddess: Ashtart

Byblos Day ( Lebanon )

Themes: Love; Prophecy (especially by stars); Hope; Protection; Victory; Romance

Symbols:  Star; Fire; Red and White items; Lion

About Ashtart:  A Lebanese goddess for the lovelorn, Ashtart fell from the heavens as a star and landed in Byblos .  She became the city's patroness, renowned for her prophetic insight, assistance in relationships, and protectiveness, especially when one faces a difficult battle.  This tremendous power explains the artistic depictions of Ashtart riding a lion (a solar/fire symbol) or having the head of a lion.

To Do Today:   International music festivals have been held in Byblos since the late 1960's to celebrate it as one of the oldest towns in the world with ongoing inhabitants (and an ever-present goddess!).  It was here that a forerunner of the alphabet developed, inspired by the papyrus export trade.  With this in mind, take a piece of onion-skin paper and describe your emotional needs on it with red ink or crayon.  Burning this releases the wish to Ashtart and begins manifesting the magic.

Honor Ashtart and gain her insight by star-gazing tonight.  If you see a falling star and can repeat your wish for love three times before it disappears, folklore says it will be granted.  If you see a meteor shower, count the sparks you see while thinking of a suitable binary question for this goddess.  An even-numbered answer means "yes"; an odd-numbered answer means "no."

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