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INANNA - Thousands of these little figures were found during the excavation of Mesopotamian temples. The prominent eyes are a feature of the all seeing Mother Goddess. They symbolize truth, wisdom and protection. They can also be thought of as breasts signifying Her nurturing power. The Goddess Inanna was the first deity that we know of to undertake a journey to the underworld (in modern terms, the unconscious). In this context She symbolizes courage and the hope of renewal. The two smaller Goddesses could represent children and therefore the attribute of fertility, or they may indicate the triple nature of the Goddess.

DEMETER - I have modelled this amulet after descriptions of coins found at Eleusis (in Greece), the site of the once famous Eleusinian Mysteries. These were celebrated in antiquity by thousands of people attracted from all over the Mediterranean area. Although many people underwent this initiation, it was forbidden to reveal any information about the rites.

This pledge to secrecy coupled with the desire of later religions to eradicate all knowledge of the Mysteries, means that we have only fragmentary knowledge of their meaning today. We do know that Demeter the Mother was part of a trinity of Goddesses, which also included Persephone, the Maiden and Hecate the Crone. In ancient Greece the year was divided into three seasons (summer, spring and winter respectively), and an aspect of the Goddess presided over each phase. It is thought that the Eleusinian Mysteries were seasonal rituals dedicated to the death and renewal of the year, and in a wider context the cycles of human life itself. Demeter is pictured with the symbols of life (wheat) and death (poppies) on one side, and on the other, the Greek letters EPOY .These letters do not spell an actual word but are thought to be a cipher for "illumination".

EPONA - The Celtic horse Goddess. This figure was reproduced from a bronze Celtic decoration. Her chief attributes are strength and endurance and nobility.

MEDUSA - Reproduction of a Roman carving in the Barcelona museum. Medusa was originally a representation of the power of the older woman-the Crone The snakes coming out of her head symbolize her knowledge and wisdom. Later religions demonized her and turned the Crone into an object of hatred, fear and ridicule. Carry this amulet to re-connect with your Crone power.

DRAGON- Dragon iconography has appeared in many cultures. Dragons inhabit caves within the earth or the watery realms. They breathe fire and fly through the air. Thus ,they are symbolic of the power of the four elements. This amulet represents both the creative and the destructive aspects of elemental power.

SHEELA-NA-GIG - This Goddess is a copy of a carving found on a church in Kilpeck, Herefordshire, England. Apparently, in the past it was common to place these figures at the apex of church doorways where churchgoers would rub Her vulva for good luck as they passed through. Her prominent vulva is a symbol of abundance.

Carved amulets AU$8.00 ea