Most African cultures, if not all, believe in a Supreme Creator in one form or another.  A God behind the Gods, a Supreme God who created everything.  The Creator is thought to have once lived on Earth, but left it for His Kingdom in the Sky because of human infractions.  Because he was no longer in direct contact with the people, Lesser Gods were created directly from His power to do certain jobs that were given to them.  These Lesser Gods are the Gods of Earth, The Rains, Water, The Winds, Fire, etc.  The Deities are capable of answering human prayers by use of their own power and can intercede on man’s behalf with the Creator Himself.  Although The Supreme Creator is usually referred to by him etc. it is beyond sex, being both male and female.  It has no form and is thought of in an abstract way.  It is available to any human, regardless of their position.  A breath of Its Divine Being is within all animate and inanimate things.

It is known as Mulungu (East Africa), Leza (Central Africa), Nyambe (West Tropics), Nyame (Ghana), the Molder, Giver of Breath and Souls, God of Destiny, One Who Exists of Himself, God of Pity and Comfort, the Inexplicable, Ancient of Days, the One Who Bends Even Kings, the One You Meet Everywhere, etc.

Among many tribes, the creation of the Earth took four days.  The fifth day was reserved for worshipping the Orisha Nla (Chief of the Deities), who actually created the Earth with the instruction and aid of the Supreme Creator.  The Orisha Nla was also given the task of creating bodies out of clay.  When this was complete the Supreme Creator secretly placed the spark of life within the forms.  These newly created humans were then placed on the Earth to live.

Adroa
Other Names: “God in the sky”, God on Earth”, Creator God, River God.
Location: The Lugbara of Zaire and Uganda.
Description:  He is pictured as tall and white with only half of his body visible.
Rules Over:  Social order, law, death.

Akuj
Location:  The Turkana of Kenya.
Rules Over: Divination.

Ala
Other Names: Ale, Ane.
Location: The Ibo of Nigeria.
Description:  Extremely popular Goddess and Earth Mother. She is a Creator Goddess and Queen of the Dead.
Rules Over:  Community laws, morality, oaths, harvest.

Anayaroli
Location: The Temne.
Description: River demon.
Rules Over: Wealth.

Asa
Other Names:  Father God, “the strong lord.”
Location: Akamba of Kenya.
Rules Over:  Mercy, help, surviving the impossible.

Asase
Other Names: Yaa, Aberewa, Efua, “Old Woman Earth.”
Location:  The Ashanti of West Africa.
Description:  Goddess of creation of humans and receiver of them at death.
Rules Over:  Cultivation, harvest.

Behanzin
Location:  West Africa.
Description: Fish God.

Cagn
Location:  South Central Africa among the Bushman.
Description:  Creator God.
Rules Over: Sorcery and Shape-Shifting.

Chiuta
Other Names:  Mulengi, Mwenco, Wamtatakuya Tumbuka.
Description:  Creator God, Rain God.  Is self-created and omniscient.
Rules Over:  Rain, help, plant growth, food.

Chuku
Other Names:  Chineke.
Location:  The Ibo of East Nigeria.
Description:  “The first great cause”, “Creator”, Father of Ale, The Earth Goddess.  Offerings and sacrifices were done for him in groves.
Rules Over:  Help, goodness.

Danh
Location:  Dahomey.
Description:  Snake God.  Rainbow Snake shown with tail in his mouth.
Rules Over: Wholeness, unity.

En-Kai
Other Names:  Parsai, Emayian.
Location:  Masai.
Description:  Sky God.  Grass is used in rituals for him.
Rules Over:  Rain, vegetation, blessings.

Fa
Location:  Dahomey.
Rules Over: Destiny.

Famian
Location: Guinea.
Rules Over:  Protection, health, fertility.

Gauna
Other Names:  Gawa, Gawama.
Location: Among the Bushmen.
Description:  Leads the spirits of the deceased.
Rules Over:  Disruption, harassment, death.

Ge
Location: Dahomey.
Description:  Moon God.

Gu
Location:  The Fon of West Africa.
Rules Over:  War, smiths.

Guruhi
Location:  Gambia.
Description:  Evil God.  Meteors are his sign.
Rules Over:  Power and death over enemies.

Heitsi-Eibib
Location:  The Hottentots.
Description:  Sorcerer God.
Rules Over:  Shape-shifting, magick.

Imana
Other Names:  Hategekimana, Hashakimana, Habyarimana, Ndagijimana, Bigirimana, “Almighty God.”
Location:  The Banyarwands.
Rules Over:  Power, goodness, children, planning.

Ison
Other Names: Eka Obasi, Obasi Nsi, Ibibio, Ekoi.
Location:  West Africa.
Description:  Tortoise-shelled Goddess.
Rules Over: Fertility of the Earth.

Jok
Other Names:  Jok Odudu, Alur.
Location:  Uganda and Zaire.
Description:  Black goats were to be sacrificed to him when rain was needed.
Rules Over:  Rain.

Juok
Other Names:  Shilluk, Supreme God.
Location:  White Nile.
Description:  Created all men on Earth.

Kaka-Guia
Other Names:  Nyami.
Location:  The Volta areas.
Description:  He brought souls to the Supreme God.

Katonda
Other Names:  Lissoddene, Kagingo, Ssewannaku, Lugaba, Ssebintu, Nnyiniggulu, Namuginga, Ssewaunaku, Gguluddene, Namugereka.
Location:  The Ganda of East Africa.
Descriptiojn:  Creator God.
Rules Over:  Help, Judgment, aid when the odds are against you, control over spirits, divination, oracles.

Kwoth
Location:  The Nuer of South Sudan.
Description:  Great Spirit God.
Rules Over:  Nature, help, compassion, judgement.

Leza
Location:  Dahomey.
Description:  Chameleon God/dess.
Rules Over:  Protection, divination.

Mbaba Mwana Waresa
Location:  The Zulu of Natal.
Description:  Goddess of what she rules over.
Rules Over:  Rainbows, rain, crops, cultivation, beer.

Mawu
Location:  Dahomey.
Description: Supreme Goddess, creator of all things.  Mawu is worshipped by The Fon of Benin in West Africa as a Moon Goddess and creatrix of everything.

Mukuru
Location:  Macouas of Zambesi, Banayis.
Description:  Supreme God, creator of everything.
Rules Over:  Agriculture, architecture, the harvest.

Mungo
Location:  Giryama of Kenya.
Description: Rain God.
Rules Over: Rain.

`Nenaunir
Other Names:  The Rainbow Snake.
Location:  Masai of Kenya.
Description:  An Evil Storm God who was linked to the rainbow.  Resided in the clouds and was a dreaded spirit.
Rules Over:  Storms.

`Ngai
Location:  Masai.
Description:  Creator God.
Rules Over:  Life and Death.

Ngami
Description:  Moon Goddess.

Njambi
Location:  Lele.
Description:  Creator God.
Rules Over:  Protection, justice, help, forests, fertility.

Nyambe
Location:  Koko of Nigeria.
Description:  God.
Rules Over:  Restoring Life.

Nyambi
Other Names:  Nyambe.
Location:  The Barotse of Upper Zambesi.
Description: Gread God.  Creator of everything.

Nyame
Location:  The Twi of West Africa.
Description:  Great God who prepared the soul to be reborn on the physical plane and gave out its fate.
Rules Over:  Fate.

Nyamia Ama
Location:  Senegal.
Description:  God of storms, rain and lightning.  A sky god.
Rules Over: Storms, rain, lightning.

Nzambi
Location:  The Bankongo of the Congo.
Description:  Great Goddess who created everything.  She played the role of Justice and rewarded and punished according to the deeds of man.
Rules Over:  Justice.

Oba
Description:  Santeria river goddess.

Ochumare
Location:  Yoruba.
Description:  Santeria Goddess of the rainbow.

Oddudua
Location:  Yoruba.
Description:  Primary Mother Goddess.

Ogun
Other Names:  Ogoun.
Location:  The Nago and Yoruba of West Africa.
Description:  God of iron and warfare.
Rules Over:  Iron, warfare, removing difficulties, smoothing the path to a desired result, Justice, Smiths, Hunters, Barbers, Goldsmiths, Steel.

Olorun
Other Names:  Olofin-Orun, Olodumare.
Location:  Yoruba.
Description:  Sky God.
Rules Over:  Truth, control of the Elements, Forsight, Victory when the odds are against you, Destiny.

Pan
Location: Agni.
Description:  Son of the Earth.
Rules Over:  Cultivation.

Rock-Sens
Location:  The Serer of Gambia.
Description:  Sky god, controlled the weather.
Rules Over:  Rain, Thunder, Lightning.

Rugaba
Other Names:  Ruhanga, Kazooba, Mukameiguru.
Location:  Ankore of Uganda.
Description:  Creator God, Sun God, Sky God.
Rules Over:  Life, healing, death, sickness, judgement.

Ruhanga
Location:  Banyoro.
Description:  Great God.
Rules Over:  Fertility, abundance, children, animals, harvest, health, sickness, death, judgement, rebirth.

Sakarabru
Location:  Agni of Guinea.
Description:  God who is strongest during the main phases of the Moon.  Swift to punish wrongful deeds.
Rules Over:  Medicine, justice, retribution.

Shango
Other Names: Schango.
Location:  Yoruba of Nigeria.
Description:  Carries a double-headed axe much like the nordic Thorr.
Rules Over:  Thunder, Storm, War, Magick.

Soko
Location:  Nupe of north Nigeria.
Description:  Creator God.
Rules Over:  Control of the Elements, Witchcraft, Communication with the Deceased.

Tilo
Location:  Mozambique.
Description:  Sky God.
Rules Over: Sky, Thunder, Rain.

Unkulunkulu
Other Names:  Nkulnkulu.
Location:  The Amazulu and Ndebele of Zimbabwe.
Description:  Great God, Earth God.
Rules Over:  Fertility, organization, order.

Utixo
Location:  The Hottentots.
Description:  Sky God who speaks with a voice of thunder.
Rules Over:  Rain, Storms, Thunder, Harvest, Rebirth.

Wele
Other Names:  Khakaba, Isaywa.
Location:  Abaluyia, Bantu.
Description:  “The High One”.  Sky God, Creator God.
Rules Over:  Rain, storms, lightning, creation, prosperity, harvest, celestial phenomena.

Were
Location:  Luo of Kenya.
Description:  Great God, Father God, Creator God.
Rules Over:  Birth, Death, Nature, Judgement.

White Lady
Location:  Tassali of the Sahara.
Description:  Agricultural Goddess.
Rules Over:  Agriculture, fertility.

Xevioso
Location:  West Africa.
Description:  He used a thunder axe.
Rules Over:  Thunder, rain, fertility.

Ymoja
Location:  Yoruba.
Description:  River Goddess.
Rules Over:  Women, children.

Ancient Egypt has provided the world with one of the best recognized and most intricate pantheons in existence; one which continues to fascinate and influence even today, some 5100 years beyond its emergence from prehistory. This page is intended as a reference guide for students of Egyptian mythology.

The format will consist of a Name and a description of the divinity. The description will include areas of authority, attributes, images, appearance, and selected comments or stories which might help characterize the divinity better.

On Names

A number of Egyptian divinities are now known by the most recent version of their name or, especially, a Greek transcription of that name. Nevertheless, earlier versions in the native language exist, and where there is a significant difference I have tried to provide a note on the original form, while retaining the most common form for familiarities sake. Such notes must be viewed as somewhat tentative, because of the nature of the ancient Egyptian language.

Like all Semitic tongues, Egyptian was written without vowel signs, leaving later transcribers to guess at what words sounded like, or utilize foreign (usually Greek) versions of those words to form an idea of their true pattern.

On Animal Iconography

The Egyptian divinities are well-known for being portrayed with the heads and visages of various beasts. The relationship between the divinities and such creatures is complex, and beyond the scope of this article. Nevertheless, it should be noted that these creatures were not necessarily the only animals sacred to the God or Goddess they are connected with, or that they were the exclusive figure used to image the divinity – in some cases the God or Goddess claimed more than one animal, and in some cases the God or Goddess was portrayed with any of several different creatures faces. Even so, in most cases a particular creature was almost always used to image a divinity.

The GODS and GODDESSES

Amun
Variant spellings: Amon, Amen, Ammon, Amoun
Amun’s name means “The Hidden One.” Amun was the patron deity of the city of Thebes from earliest times, and was viewed (along with his consort Amunet) as a primordial creation-deity by the priests of Hermopolis. His sacred animals were the goose and the ram.

Up to the Middle Kingdom Amun was merely a local god in Thebes; but when the Thebans had established their sovereignty in Egypt, Amun became a prominent deity, and by Dynasty 18 was termed the King of the Gods. His famous temple, Karnak, is the largest religious structure ever built by man. According to Budge, by Dynasty 19 or 20, Amun was thought of as “an invisible creative power which was the source of all life in heaven, and on the earth, and in the great deep, and in the Underworld, and which made itself manifest under the form of Ra.” Additionally, Amun appears to have been the protector of any pious devotee in need.

Amun was self-created, according to later traditions; according to the older Theban traditions, Amun was created by Thoth as one of the eight primordial deities of creation (Amun, Amunet, Heq, Heqet, Nun, Naunet, Kau, and Kauket).
During the New Kingdom, Amun’s consort was Mut, “Mother,” who seems to have been the Egyptian equivalent of the “Great Mother” archetype. Their child was the moon god Khons.

Amun-Re
Variant spelling: Amon-Ra
A composite deity, devised to link New Kingdom (Dynasties 18-21) worship of Amun with the older solar cult of the god Re. In a union of this sort, the deities are said to indwell one another – so we have the power represented by Amun manifesting through the person of Re (or vice versa). This sort of relationship is common among Egyptian gods, particularly among cosmic or national deities. It is an example of how the Egyptian gods are viewed, as Morenz puts it, of having “personality but not individuality.”

Anubis
Greek version of Egyptian Anpu
Anubis was the son of Nephthys. By some traditions, the father was Set; by others, Osiris. (And by still other traditions his mother was not Nephthys but Isis.) Anubis was depicted as a jackal, or as a jackal-headed man; in primitive times he was probably simply the jackal god.

Probably because of the jackal’s tendency to prowl around tombs, he became associated with the dead, and by the Old Kingdom, Anubis was worshipped as the inventor of embalming, who had embalmed the dead Osiris, thus helping preserve him in order to live again. His task became to glorify and preserve all the dead.

Anubis was also worshipped under the form Wepwawet or Upuaut (“Opener of the Ways”), sometimes with a rabbit’s head, who conducted the souls of the dead to their judgment, and who monitored the Scales of Truth to protect the dead from the second death in the underworld.

Anuket
In Upper Egypt, around Elephantine, Anuket was worshipped as the companion (generally the daughter) of Khnum and Sati. Her sacred animal was the gazelle. She was believed to be the dispenser of cool water, and wore a feathered crown on her human head.

Apis
An early deity, probably the best known Egyptian deity represented only as an animal, and never as a human with an animal’s head. Apis was most closely linked with Ptah, and his cult center was Memphis. He was primarily a deity of fertility. He was represented as a bull crowned with the solar disk and uraeus-serpent. A sacred Apis bull was kept in Memphis, and there is a great mass burial of Apis bulls, the Serapeum (named for his composite relative Serapis), located there.

Aten
variant spelling: Aton
The sun-disk itself, recognized first in the Middle Kingdom, and later becoming an aspect of the sun god. In the reign of Amunhotep IV during Dynasty 18, Aten was depicted as a disk with rays, each ray terminating in a human hand and bestowing symbols of “life” upon those below. Aten was declared the only true deity during this period, but the worship of Amun and the other deities was restored by Amunhotep IV’s successor Tutankhamun. Morenz believes the name “Aten” was pronounced something like “Yati” during the height of its cult.

Atum
A primordial creator god, worshipped as the head of the Heliopolitan family of gods. Father of Shu and Tefnut, and in later times believed to be one with the sun god Re.

Bast
variant spelling: Bastet

A cat-goddess, worshiped in the Delta city of Bubastis. A protectress of cats and those who cared for cats. As a result, an important deity in the home (since cats were prized pets) and also important in the iconography (since papyri usually show the serpents which attack the sun being killed by cats).

In later Egyptian mythology Bast is also a patroness of luxury and pleasures.
Bes
A deity of either African or Semitic origin; came to Egypt by Dynasty 12. Depicted as a bearded, savage-looking yet comical dwarf, shown full-face in images (highly unusual by Egyptian artistic conventions). Revered as a deity of household pleasures such as music, good food, and relaxation. Also a protector and entertainer of children.

Duamutef
variant spelling: Tuamutef
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Duamutef was represented as a mummified man with the head of a jackal. He was the protector of the stomach of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Neith.

Edjo
A serpent goddess of the Delta, a symbol and protrectress of Lower Egypt, the counterpart of Nekhbet in Upper Egypt, worn as part of the king’s crown.

Four Sons of Horus
The four sons of Horus were the protectors of the parts of the body of Osiris, and from this, became the protectors of the body of the deceased. They were: Imsety, Hapi, Duamutef, and Qebhsenuef. They were protected in turn by the goddesses Isis, Nephthys, Neith, and Selket.

Geb
variant spelling: Seb
The god of the earth; son of Shu and Tefnut; brother and husband of Nut; and father of Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys. His sacred animal and symbol was the goose. He is generally represented as a man with green or black skin – the color of living things, and the color of the fertile Nile mud, respectively. Several New Kingdom funerary texts say that Geb would hold imprisoned the souls of the wicked, that they might not ascend to heaven. Note that Geb is masculine, contrasting with many other religious traditions in which Earth is feminine.

Hadit
See Horus of Behedet.

Hapi
The English version of the name of two different deities:
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Hapi was represented as a mummified man with the head of a baboon. He was the protector of the lungs of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Nephthys. See also Four Sons of Horus,

Nephthys
Spelled with different hieroglyphs, Hapi is also the name of the god who was the personification of the River Nile, depicted as a corpulent man (fat signifying abundance) with a crown of lilies (Upper Nile) or papyrus plants (Lower Nile).

Hathor
variant spellings: Hathoor, Het-heru, Het-Hert
A very old goddess of Egypt, worshiped as a cow-deity from earliest times. The name “Hathor” is the Greek corruption of the Egyptian names Het-Hert (“the House Above”) or Het-Heru (“the House of Horus”). Both terms refer to her as a sky goddess, and the latter shows her as the consort of Horus. In later times she is often connected with, or even equated with, Isis.

She was usually shown with a solar disk flanked by cow horns on her head. At Thebes, she was considered a goddess of the dead, and wore the hieroglyph for “West” (amenta) on her head. She was also the patron of love, dance, alcohol, and foreign lands.

Harpocrates
Greek version of Egyptian Hor-pa-kraat

“Horus the Child”, the son of Isis and Osiris as a little child, distinguished from Horus the Elder, who was the patron deity of Upper Egypt. Represented as a young boy with a child’s side lock of hair, sucking his finger.

The old English occult group, the Golden Dawn, connected him with silence, presumably because the sucking of the finger is suggestive of the common “shhh” gesture.

Heqet
A primordial goddess with the head of a frog, worshipped as one of the Eight Gods at Hermopolis, and seen as the consort of Khnum at Arsinoë.

Horus
Greek version of Egyptian Heru
One of the most important deities of Egypt. As the Child, Horus is the son of Osiris and Isis, who, upon reaching adulthood, avenges his father’s death, by defeating and castrating his evil uncle Set. He then became the divine prototype of the Pharaoh.

As Heru-Ur “Horus the Elder”, he was the patron deity of Upper (Southern) Egypt from the earliest times; initially, viewed as the twin brother of Set (the patron of Lower Egypt), but he became the conqueror of Set c. 3000 BC. when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and formed the unified kingdom of Egypt.

Horus of Behdet
variant spelling: Hadit
A form of Horus worshipped in the city of Behdet, shown in the well-known form of a solar disk with a great pair of wings, usually seen hovering above important scenes in Egyptian religious art. Made popular by Aleister Crowley under the poorly transliterated name “Hadit”, the god appears to have been a way of depicting the omnipresence of Horus.

Imhotep
Imhotep was a historical figure. He was the architect, physician, scribe, and vizier of the 3rd Dynasty pharaoh Horus Netjerykhet Djoser. It was Imhotep who conceived and built the Step Pyramid at Sakkara. In the Late Period, Imhotep was worshipped as the son of Ptah and a god of medicine, as well as the patron (with Thoth) of scribes. The Greeks considered him to be Asklepios, the god of medicine.

Imsety
variant spellings: Amset, Mestha
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Imsety was represented as a mummified man. He was the protector of the liver of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Isis.

Isis
Greek version of Egyptian Aset (variants: Iset, Auset)
Perhaps the most important goddess (or god, for that matter) of all Egyptian mythology, Isis assumed, during the course of Egyptian history, the attributes and functions of virtually every other important goddess in the land.

Her most important functions, however, were those of motherhood, marital devotion, healing the sick, and the working of magical spells and charms. She was believed to be the most powerful magician in the universe, owing to the fact that she had learned the Secret Name of Ra from the god himself.

She was the sister and wife of Osiris, sister of Set, and twin sister of Nephthys. She was the mother of Horus the Child (Harpocrates), and was the protective goddess of Horus’s son Imsety, protector of the liver of the deceased.

Isis was responsible for protecting Horus from Set during his infancy; for helping Osiris to return to life; and for assisting her husband to rule in the land of the Dead.

Her cult seems to have originally centered, like her husband’s, at Abydos near the Delta in the North (Lower Egypt); she was adopted into the family of Re early in Egyptian history by the priests of Heliopolis, but from the New Kingdom onwards (c. 1500 BC) her worship no longer had any particular identifiable center, and she became more or less universally worshiped, as her husband was.

Khepri
The creator-god, according to early Heliopolitan cosmology; assimilated with Atum and Ra. The Egyptian root kheper signifies several things, according to context, most notably the verb “to create” or “to transform”, and also the word for “scarab beetle”. The scarab, or dung beetle, was considered symbolic of the sun since it rolled a ball of dung in which it laid its eggs around with it – this was considered symbolic of the sun god propelling the sphere of the sun through the sky.

Khnum
Appearing as a ram-headed human, Khnum was worshipped most at Arsinoë and Elephantine. He was another creator-god, represented as fashioning human beings on his pottery wheel. His consort was variously Heqet, Neith, or Sati.

Khons
The third member (with his parents Amen and Mut) of the great triad of Thebes. Khons was the god of the moon. The best-known story about him tells of him playing the ancient game senet (“passage”) against Thoth, and wagering a portion of his light. Thoth won, and because of losing some of his light, Khons cannot show his whole glory for the entire month, but must wax and wane. The main temple in the enclosure at Karnak is dedicated to him.

Maat
Considered the wife of Thoth and the daughter of Re by various traditions, Maat’s name implies “truth” and “justice” and even “cosmic order”, but there is no clear English equivalent. She is an anthropomorphic personification of the concept maat and as such has little mythology. Maat was represented as a tall woman with an ostrich feather (the glyph for her name) in her hair. She was present at the judgment of the dead; her feather was balanced against the heart of the deceased to determine whether he had led a pure and honest life.

Mentu
variant spellings: Month, Montu
The principal god of Thebes before the rise of the Amen cult; appeared as a falcon-headed man and often united with Horus. Primarily a war god.

Min
variant spellings: Menu, Amsu
A form of Amen depicted holding a flail (thought to represent a thunderbolt in Egyptian art) and with an erect penis; his full name was often given as Menu-ka-mut-f “Min, Bull of his Mother”. Min was worshiped as the god of virility; lettuces were offered as sacrifice to him and then eaten in hopes of procuring manhood; and he was later worshiped as the husband of the goddess Qetesh, goddess of love and femininity.

Mut
The wife of Amen in Theban tradition; the word mut in Egyptian means “mother”, and she was the mother of Khonsu, the moon god.

Nefertum
The youthful son of Ptah and Sekhmet, connected with the rising sun; depicted as a youth crowned with or seated upon a lotus blossom.

Neith
variant spellings: Net, Neit
A very ancient goddess of war, worshiped in the Delta; revered as a goddess of wisdom, identified with Athena by the Greeks; in later traditions, the sister of Isis, Nephthys, and Selket, and protectress of Duamutef, the god of the stomach of the deceased. Mother of the crocodile god Sobek.

Nekhbet
Upper Egyptian patron goddess, represented as a vulture in iconography, and often part of the crown of the pharaoh, along with her Lower Egyptian counterpart Edjo.

Nephthys
Greek version of Egyptian Nebt-het
“Lady of the House”, the youngest child of Geb and Nut. The sister and wife of Set, and sister of Isis and Osiris; also the mother (variantly by Set or by Osiris) of Anubis. She abandoned Set when he killed Osiris, and assisted Isis in the care of Horus and the resurrection of Osiris. She was, along with her sister, considered the special protectress of the dead, and she was the guardian of Hapi, the protector of the lungs of the deceased.

She is given the title “Friend of the Dead” and is seen as a personification of darkness (in a non-evil sense) as Isis is a goddess of light.

Nut
variant spelling: Nuit
The goddess of the sky, daughter of Shu and Tefnut, sister and wife of Geb, mother of Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys.

Nut was generally depicted as a woman with blue skin, and her body covered with stars, standing on all fours, leaning over her husband, representing the sky arched over the earth.

Aleister Crowley, the English occultist, connected her with “Hadit” (Horus of Behedet). This has almost no basis in Egyptology; only that Behedet was often depicted underneath Nut – one finds Nut forming the upper frame of a scene, and the winged disk floating beneath, silently as always. This is an artistic convention, and there seems to have been no marriage between the two in Egyptian myth.

Osiris
Greek version of Egyptian Asar (variant: Ausar)
The god of the dead, and the god of the resurrection into eternal life; ruler, protector, and judge of the deceased, and his prototype (where in English we use the euphemism “the deceased” or “the late”, Egyptians referred to “the Osiris”). His cult originated in Abydos, where his actual tomb was said to be located.

Osiris was the first child of Nut and Geb, thus the brother of Set, Nephthys, and Isis, who was also his wife. By Isis he fathered Horus, and according to some stories, Nephthys assumed the form of Isis, seduced him thus, and from their union was born Anubis.

Osiris ruled the world of men in the beginning, after Ra had abandoned the world to rule the skies, but he was murdered by his brother Set. Through the magic of Isis, he was made to live again. Being the first person to die, he subsequently became lord of the dead. His death was avenged by his son Horus, who defeated Set and cast him out into the desert to the West of Egypt (the Sahara).

Prayers and spells were addressed to Osiris throughout Egyptian history, in hopes of securing his blessing and entering the afterlife which he ruled; but his popularity steadily increased through the Middle Kingdom. By Dynasty 18 he was probably the most widely worshipped god in Egypt. His popularity endured until the latest phases of Egyptian history; relief’s still exist of Roman emperors, conquerors of Egypt, dressed in the traditional garb of the Pharaohs, making offerings to him in the temples.

Pharaohs as deities
From earliest times in Egypt the pharaohs were worshipped as gods: the son of Re, the son of Horus, the son of Amun, etc. depending upon what period of Egyptian history and what part of the country is being considered. The pharaoh was looked upon as being chosen by and favored by the gods, his fathers.

Ptah
Worshipped in Memphis from the earliest dynastic times (c.3000 BC), Ptah was seen as the creator of the universe in the Memphite cosmology. He fashioned the bodies in which dwelt the souls of men in the afterlife. Other versions of the myths state that he worked under Thoth’s orders, creating the heavens and the earth according to Thoth’s specifications.

Ptah is depicted as a bearded man wearing a skullcap, shrouded much like a mummy, with his hands emerging from the wrappings in front and holding the Was (animal-headed) scepter, an Ankh, and a Djed (sign of stability). He was often worshipped in conjunction with the gods Seker and Osiris, and worshipped under the name Ptah-seker-ausar.

He was said to be the husband of Sekhmet and the father of Nefertum, and later, Imhotep.

Qebehsenuef
variant spelling: Qebsnewef
One of the Four Sons of Horus, Qebhsenuef was represented as a mummified man with the head of a falcon. He was the protector of the intestines of the deceased, and was protected by the goddess Selket.

Qetesh
A late entry into the Egyptian pantheon believed originally to be a Syrian deity, Qetesh was a goddess of love and beauty. Qetesh was depicted as a beautiful nude woman, standing or riding upon a lion, holding flowers, a mirror, or serpents. She is generally shown full-face (unusual in Egyptian artistic convention). She was also considered the consort of the god Min, the god of virility.

Re
variant spelling: Ra
Re was the god of the sun during dynastic Egypt; the name is thought to have meant “creative power”, and as a proper name “Creator”, similar to English Christian usage of the term “Creator” to signify the “almighty God.” Very early in Egyptian history, Re was identified with Horus, who as a hawk or falcon-god represented the loftiness of the skies. Re is represented either as a hawk-headed man or as a hawk. In order to travel through the waters of Heaven and the Underworld, Re was depicted as traveling in a boat.

In dynastic Egypt, Re’s cult center was Annu (Hebrew “On”, Greek “Heliopolis”, near modern-day Cairo). In Dynasty 5, the first king, Userkaf, was also Re’s high priest, and he added the term Sa-Re “Son of Re” to the titles of the pharaohs.

Re was father of Shu and Tefnut, grandfather of Nut and Geb, great-grandfather of Osiris, Set, Isis, and Nephthys, and great-great-grandfather to Horus.

In later periods (about Dynasty 18 on) Osiris and Isis surpassed him in popularity, but he remained Re netjer-aa neb-pet “Re, the great god, Lord of Heaven” whether worshiped in his own right or, in later times, as one aspect of the Lord of the Universe, Amun-Re.

Re-Horakhty
variant spelling: Ra-Hoor-Khuit
“Re, who is Horus of the Horizons.” An appellation of Re, identifying him with Horus, showing the two as manifestations of the singular Solar Force. The spelling “Ra-Hoor-Khuit” was popularized by the English occultist Aleister Crowley.

Sati
The goddess of Elephantine, and the consort of Khnum. Together with their companion Anuket, dispenser of cool water. Represented with human head, the crown of Upper Egypt, and the horns of gazelles.

Seker
A god of light, protector of the spirits of the dead passing through the Underworld en route to the afterlife. Seker was worshiped in Memphis as a form of Ptah or as part of the compound deities Ptah-seker or Ptah-seker-ausar. Seker was usually depicted as having the head of a hawk, and shrouded as a mummy, similar to Ptah.

Sekhmet
A lioness goddess, worshiped in Memphis as the wife of Ptah; created by Re from the fire of his eyes as a creature of vengeance to punish mortals for their sins; later, was transformed into a peaceful goddess of pleasure and happiness, Hathor.

Selket
variant spellings: Serqet, Serket
A scorpion-goddess, shown as a beautiful woman with a scorpion poised on her head; her creature struck death to the wicked, but she was also petitioned to save the lives of innocent people stung by scorpions; she was also viewed as a helper of women in childbirth. She is depicted as binding up demons that would otherwise threaten Re, and she sent seven of her scorpions to protect Isis from Set. She protected Qebehsenuef, the son of Horus who guarded the intestines of the deceased. She was made famous by her statue from Tutankhamen’s tomb, which was part of the collection which toured America in the 1970′s.

Serapis
A Ptolemaic period god, devised by the Greeks from Osiris and Apis. Supposedly the consort of Isis, god of the afterlife and fertility. Also physician and helper of distressed worshippers. He never obtained much following from the native Egyptian population, who worshipped the original Apis. His cult center was Alexandria.

Set
variant spellings: Seth, Sutekh
In earliest times, Set was the patron deity of Lower (Northern) Egypt, and represented the fierce storms of the desert that the Lower Egyptians sought to appease. However, when Upper Egypt conquered Lower Egypt and ushered in the 1st Dynasty, Set became known as the evil enemy of Horus (Upper Egypt’s dynastic god).

Set was the brother of Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys, and husband of the latter; according to some versions of the myths he is also father of Anubis.

Set is best known for murdering his brother and attempting to kill his nephew Horus; Horus, however, managed to survive and grew up to avenge his father’s death by establishing his rule over all Egypt, castrating Set, and casting him out into the lonely desert for all time.

In the 19th Dynasty there began a resurgence of respect for Set, and he was seen as a great god once more, the god who benevolently restrained the forces of the desert and protected Egypt from foreigners. This resurgence was probably due to the fact that the ruling family had red hair, long associated with Set himself.

Shu
The god of the atmosphere and of dry winds, son of Ra, brother and husband of Tefnut, father of Geb and Nut. Represented in hieroglyphs by an ostrich feather (similar to Maat’s), which he is usually shown wearing on his head. He is generally shown standing on the recumbent Geb, holding aloft his daughter Nut, separating the two.

The name “Shu” is probably related to the root shu meaning “dry, empty.” Shu also seems to be a personification of the sun’s light. Shu and Tefnut were also said to be but two halves of one soul, perhaps the earliest recorded example of “soul mates.”

Sobek
The crocodile god, worshipped at the city of Arsinoë, called Crocodilopolis by the Greeks. Sobek was worshipped to appease him and his animals. According to some evidence, Sobek was considered a fourfold deity who represented the four elemental gods (Re of fire, Shu of air, Geb of earth, and Osiris of water). In the Book of the Dead, Sobek assists in the birth of Horus; he fetches Isis and Nephthys to protect the deceased; and he aids in the destruction of Set.

Sothis
Feminine Greek name for the star Sirius, which very early meshed with Isis (being the consort of Sahu-Osiris, which was Orion). Also associated with Hathor.

Tefnut
The goddess of moisture and clouds, daughter of Re, sister and wife of Shu, mother of Geb and Nut. Depicted as a woman with the head of a lioness, which was her sacred animal. The name “Tefnut” probably derives from the root teftef, signifying “to spit, to moisten” and the root nu meaning “waters, sky.”

Thoth
Greek version of Egyptian Tahuti
The god of wisdom, Thoth was said to be self-created at the beginning of time, along with his consort Ma’at (truth), or perhaps created by Re. At Hermopolis it was said that from Thoth were produced eight children, of which the most important was Amun, “the hidden one”, who was worshiped in Thebes as the Lord of the Universe. Thoth was depicted as a man with the head of an ibis, and carried a pen and scrolls upon which he recorded all things. He was shown as attendant in almost all major scenes involving the gods, but especially at the judgment of the deceased. He served as the messenger of the gods, and was thus equated by the Greeks with Hermes.

Thoth served in Osirian myths as the vizier (chief advisor and minister) of Osiris. He, like Khons, is a god of the moon, and is also the god of time, magic, and writing. He was considered the inventor of the hieroglyphs, which the Egyptians called medju-netjer, “words of the gods”.

Thoueris
Greek version of Egyptian Ta-urt
A hippopotamus goddess, responsible for fertility and protecting women in childbirth. Partner of Bes Wepwawet

The system of gods and goddesses in Phoenician religion was influences and has influenced other cultures. As indicated below, there are too many similarities to be overlooked. In some instances the names of gods underwent very little change when they were borrowed.

Even the legends maintained major similarities. For example, Ashtarte in Phoenician and Aphrodite in Greek or Adonis in both. Egyptian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Persian and others had their influences on the Phoenician faith system and borrowed from it.

The Phoenicians worshipped a triad of deities, each having different names and attributes depending upon the city in which they were worshipped, although their basic nature remained the same.

The primary god was El, protector of the universe, but often called Baal. The son, Baal or Melqart, symbolized the annual cycle of vegetation and was associated with the female deity Astarte in her role as the maternal goddess. She was called Asherar-yam, our lady of the sea, and in Byblos she was Baalat, our dear lady. Astarte was linked with mother goddesses of neighboring cultures, in her role as combined heavenly mother and earth mother. Cult statues of Astarte in many different forms were left as votive offerings in shrines and sanctuaries as prayers for good harvest, for children, and for protection and tranquility in the home. The Phoenician triad was incorporated in varying degrees by their neighbors and Baal and Astarte eventually took on the look of Greek deities.

What remains to be said is that Phoenician faith system evolved and changed as it was influenced by invaders who brought along their own deities. Hence, Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek and Roman gods found their way to Phoenician temples. This is evident in the writing of Herodotus as well as in the archaeological records.

The GODS and GODDESSES

ADON: (Adonis) The god of youth, beauty and regeneration. His death happens around the love affair between him and the goddess Ashtarte which another god envied. He, in the form of a wild boar, attacks and kills Adonis and where his blood fell there grows red poppies every year. However, as Ashtarte weeps for his loss, she promises to bring him back to life every spring.

AKLM: Creatures who attacked Baal in the desert. Some say these creatures are grasshopper-like.

ANATH: This was a Love and War Goddess, the Venus star. She is also known for slaying the enemies of her brother Baal much in the same way Hathor slaughtered much of mankind (Anath is heavily related to Hathor). After the Defeat of Mavet and Yam, a feast was thrown for Baal. Anath locked everyone inside, and proceeded to slay everyone (as they had all been fickle toward Baal with both Mavet and Yam, as well as Ashtar). Baal stopped her and convinced her that a reign of peace is what was needed. She also has confronted Mavet and was responsible for Baal’s liberation from the underworld. She is the twin sister of Marah. Daughter of Asherah. She is also known as Rahmay- “The Merciful”, and as Astarte. Astarte is the Canaanite Name of Ishtar; just as Ishtar is the Babylonian Name of Inanna. In all cases the Name means, simply, “Goddess” or “She of the Womb”.

ARSAY: She of the Earth. Daughter of Baal. An underworld Goddess.

ASHERAH: The Mother of the Gods, Qodesh (just like El), Lady of the Sea, Wife of El. (see El). When the gods decided to entreat Yam to ease his reign of tyranny, it was Asherah who went to him and even offered herself. The gods agreed to let her do this, except for Baal who was enraged at the idea. (See Baal). Asherah is said to have given birth to seventy gods.

ASHTAR: Possibly a male version of Ishtar (Astarte in Canaan), the Venus Star. When Baal was killed by Mavet, Asherah had Ashtar, her son, placed on the throne. However, Ashtar was not big enough to fill the position, and resigned (quite possibly a relation of the Venus star being the last star to shine before the Sun takes over). I believe one of his titles is Malik (the King) and other names for him are Abimilki and Milkilu.

ASTARTE: A Name of Anath which means “Goddess”, or literally “She of the Womb”. Astarte is simply the Canaanite version of the Name Ishtar.

ATIK: The Calf of El. Enemy of Baal slain by Anath.

BAAL: He is the Canaanite Ruler God (like Marduk). Baal and Yam-Nahar originally competed for kingship of the gods. The matter was brought before El, who decided in favor of Yam. Yam then proceeded with a reign of tyranny over the gods, and none of them felt they had the power to defeat Yam. So, they sent Asherah to entreat him to loosen his grip. Asherah even offered herself to Yam. Upon hearing this, Baal was enraged, and decided to defeat Yam. Yam got wind of Baal’s plan and sent messengers to El with the demand that Baal be delivered to him. El, afraid, agreed. Baal then taunted the gods for their cowardice and went to face Yam. He had two weapons made, Yagrush (chaser) and Aymur (driver). He struck Yam on the chest with Yagrush to no avail. Then he struck him on the forehead with Aymur and fell Yam to the earth. After Yam’s defeat, Baal had a palace built for himself; closely resembling the story of Marduk. It also resembles Marduk’s story in that the Primeval Waters threatened the gods, and the High God and others were afraid to face them, with the exception of the soon-to-be Ruler God. The Baal epic then continues to describe his fight against Mavet. Baal is also a Storm God like Marduk, and a fertility god like Tammuz. Dagon is his father. Baal is the Canaanite God-force (the goddess force seems to be split between Anath and Asherah). Baal’s proper name is Hadad, relating to his storm-god aspect. Baal is really a title, meaning “Lord”. Baal’s residence is upon Mt. Zaphon. He is known as Rapiu (Shade) during his summer stay in the underworld.

BAALAT: Patron Goddess of Gubla. Fertility Goddess associated with Hathor and Isis.

DAGON: A vegetation God (especially corn). Father of Baal.

EL: The Father of the Gods, the Creator of Created Things, the Kindly, Kodesh. Asherah is his wife. When he was young, El went out upon the sea, and there met Asherah and Her companion Rohmaya. He then roasted a bird and asked them if they would be His wives or daughters. They chose to be His wives. El mates with these Goddesses and Shachar and Shalim (Dawn and Dusk) are born. This family then builds a sanctuary and lives in the desert for eight years. This episode may be the closest we have to a Creation story involving El. El wears bull horns upon his helmet, and He is a grey haired and bearded patriarch. He resides at “the Source of Two Rivers” upon Mt. Lel.

ELSH: Steward of El and Baal’s house. His wife is the steward of the Goddesses.

ESHMUN: God of healing. A great God of Sidon.

GAPEN: A messenger of Baal. His name either means Vine or Field. Probably the former.

HADAD: See Baal. Originally the Sumer-Babylonian “Adad”

HELEL: Or Lucifer. The Light Bringer, the Morning Star. Son of Shachar. Helel once attempted to take his Father’s Throne, but failed (another myth concerning Venus’ place as the last star in the sky each morning, as if trying to defy the Sun). This is the very Myth which spawned the Christian Myth of the War in Heaven (see Issaiah 14:12- which, in Hebrew, says “Helel”, and not “Lucifer”).

HIRIBI: God of Summer.

HIRGAB: Father of Eagles. Husband (?) of Sumul.

HAURON: A God that is related to Ninurta of Mesopotamia and Horus of Egypt.

ITHM: God of sheep.

ISHAT: “Fire”. The Bitch of the Gods. Enemy of Baal slain by Anath.

KOSHAROTH, THE: The Wise Goddesses. These may be somewhat along the lines of the Greek Graces, or the Seven Hathors of Egypt. As we see them, they are called to set up a Wedding. They are also sometimes symbolized as sparrows or swallows, which indicated fertility. They were Goddesses of childbirth. They are also known as the Daughters of the Crescent Moon, and thus are the daughters of Yarikh.

KOSHAR U KHASIS: “Skillful and Clever”. Craftsman of the Gods. Also known as Chousor and Heyan (Ea) and identified with Ptah. Built the palaces of both Yam-Nahir and Baal. He also fashioned the two clubs that Baal used to defeat Yam.

KOSHARTU: Wife of Koshar.

LEVIATHAN: Another Name for Lotan or Tannin. See Lotan.

LOTAN: This may be another story like Apophis, Zu, Asag, and Leviathan where it is not an actual creation story, but still involves the same energies, with Baal and Lotan fighting for supremacy. It is representative of rough winter sea-storms which calmed in the spring and which were preceded and accompanied by autumn rains (represented by Baal) which ended summer droughts and enabled crops to grow. Lotan is a seven headed serpent defeated by Baal with the help of Mavet. Anath also claims a role in the defeat of the Serpent. Also known as Tannin or Leviathan.

MARAH: Merciful Goddess of the Waters. Twin sister of Anath. Daughter of Asherah.

MAVET: God of Death and Sterility. His name means Death. In one hand he holds the scepter of bereavement, and in the other the scepter of widowhood. His jaws and throat are described in cosmic proportions and serve as a euphemism for death. A son of El. After Baal defeated Yam, he then sent a message to Mavet demanding that he keep his domain in the underworld city of Miry where he belonged. Mavet was enraged by this and sent a threatening message to Baal, who was afraid and attempted to flatter his way out of it. This, however, was to no avail and Baal was forced to face Mavet. Mavet defeated him and held him in the underworld until Anath tracked him (Mavet) down and defeated him herself. Mavet did not actually die, as he and Baal had to face off once more seven years later. Neither defeated the other, but Mavet did give in (at the command of Shapash) and proclaimed Baal the King of the Gods.

MELQART: King of the City, the Hunter, Fire of Heaven. Patron god of Tyre, he was the god of the Metropolis and the monarchy at Tyre and Carthage. May have been a dying and rising vegetation god, and associated with the sacred marriage like the Sumerian Dumuzi. He was ritually immolated in an annual festival. He was also a god of the sea and was pictured mounted on a hippocampus.

NIKKAL: Consort of Yarikh. (S = Ningal). Goddess of the fruits of the Earth. Daughter of Hiribi.

PIDRAY: Girl of Light. A daughter or consort of Baal.

QADISH-U-AMRAR: The two messengers of Asherah fused into one God. He dredges up provisions to entertain her guests from the sea with a net.

RAHMAYA: A goddess impregnated, along with Asherah, by El. The Goddesses then gave birth to the twin gods Shahar and Shalem, though I don’t know who gave birth to whom.

RADMANU: Or Pradmanu. A minor servitor of Baal.

REPHAIM, THE: “Shades”. Underworld Deities. They move in chariots, on horseback, and upon wild asses.

RESHEPH: Probably a War God. Lord of the Arrow. Has gazel horns on his helmet. He destroys men in mass by war and plague. He is the porter of the sun Goddess Shepesh (this seems to resemble Khamael of the Hebrews). He is also called Mekal (Annialator), and could be related to the Hebrew Michael (Mikal) who is also a War God (Archangel). Related to Nergal of Mesopotamia.

SHACHAR: “Dawn”. God of dawn. Either a son of Asherah, or of Rohmaya. According to Isaiah 14:12, He is the father of Helel (or Lucifer) the Light-Bringer and Morning Star.

SHALEM: “Dusk”. God of sunset. The Contemplation of Day. Either a son of Asherah, or of Rohmaya.

SHAMU: Sky God who was the chief of the pantheon at the Syrian city of Alalakh.

SHAPASH: Sun Goddess. The Torch of the Gods.

SHATAQAT: “Drives away”. Demoness sent by El to drive away Keret’s (a Canaanite Mythic hero) disease.

SHEGER: “Offspring of Cattle”. God of Cattle.

SIN: Moon God. Also a Babylonian God.

SUMUL: Mother of the Eagles. She ate the body of Aqhat (a hero in a Canaanite Myth).

TALLAY: Girl of Rain. A daughter or consort of Baal.

TANNIN: Another Name for Leviathan or Lotan. See Lotan.

TANIT: Lady of Carthage. Face of Baal (Hammon, not Hadad).

UGAR: A messenger of Baal. His name either means Vine or Field, probably the latter. He may be the Patron God of Ugarit.

YAHWEH: Yahweh is added here because there was a short time in which He was simply part of the Canaanite pantheon. He was a Son of El; and he was part of the court of El as cupbearer along with Baal. Later, as the National God of Israel, Yahweh was equated with El, and Asherah became His wife.

YAM-NAHAR: Yam-Nahar is the Primordial Waters that were defeated by Baal (see Baal and Asherah). His name means Sea-River. He was originally given kingship by El, and ruled as a tyrant over the Gods. Baal finally rose up against him. He may also be Lotan.

YARIKH: Moon God. Illuminator of myriads of stars. Lamp of Heaven. Lord of the Sickle (the crescent moon?), and therefore father of the Kosharoth. Patron God of Qart-Abilim.

YBRDMY: Daughter of Baal.

YELLOW ONES OF MAVET: Mavet’s henchmen who are slain by Baal upon his resurrection from defeat at Mavet’s hands.

ZABIB: “Flies”. Enemy of Baal, slain by Anath. There’s an obvious relation between this Demon and Baal Zabib (Beelzebub- Lord of the Flies).

There are literally thousands of different deities out there in the Universe, and which ones you choose to honor will often depend significantly upon what pantheon your spiritual path follows. However, many modern Pagans and Wiccans describe themselves as eclectic, which means they may honor a god of one tradition beside a goddess of another. In some cases, we may choose to ask a deity for assistance in a magical working or in problem solving. Regardless, at some point, you’re going to have to sit and sort them all out. If you don’t have a specific, written tradition, then how do you know which gods to call upon?

A good way to look at it is to figure out which deity specifically would be interested in your purpose. In other words, what gods might take the time to look into your situation? This is where the concept of appropriate worship comes in handy — if you can’t take the time to get to know the deities, then you probably shouldn’t be asking them for favors.

So first, figure out your goal. Are you doing a working regarding home and domesticity? Then don’t call upon some masculine power deity. What if you’re celebrating the end of the harvest season, and the dying of the earth? Then you shouldn’t be offering milk and flowers to a spring goddess. Consider your purpose carefully, before you make offerings or prayers to a particular god or goddess.

Although this is certainly not a comprehensive list of all the gods and their domains, it may help you a bit to get an idea of who is out there, and what sorts of things they may be able to help you with:

• Artisanship For assistance relating to skills, crafts, or handiwork, call upon the Celtic smith god, Lugh.
• Chaos When it comes to matters of discord and upsetting the balance of things, you may want to check in with Loki, the Norse prankster god.
• Destruction If you’re doing a working related to destruction, the Celtic war goddess the Morrighan may assist you, but don’t trifle with her lightly. A safer bet might be working with Demeter, the Dark Mother of the harvest season.
• Fall Harvest When you celebrate the fall harvest, you may want to take time to honor Herne, the god of the wild hunt, or Osiris, who is often connected with grain and the harvest. Demeter and her daughter, Persephone, are typically connected with the waning part of the year. Pomona is associated with fruit orchards and the bounty of trees in fall. There are also a number of other harvest gods and gods of the vine who may be interested in what you’re doing.
• Feminine Energy For workings related to the moon, lunar energy, or the sacred feminine, consider invoking Artemis or Venus.
• Fertility When it comes to fertility, there are plenty of deities out there to ask for assistance. Consider Cernunnos, the wild stag of the forest, or Freya, a goddess of sexual power and energy. There are a number of other fertility gods out there as well, each with their own specific domain.
• Home and Marriage Brighid is a protector of hearth and home, and Juno and Vesta are both patronesses of marriage.
• Love and Lust Aphrodite has long been associated with love and beauty, and so has her counterpart, Venus. Likewise, Eros and Cupid are considered representative of masculine lust. Priapus is a god of raw sexuality, including sexual violence.
• Magic Isis, the mother goddess of Egypt, is often called upon for magical workings, as is Hecate, a goddess of sorcery.
• Masculine Energy Cernunnos is a strong symbol of masculine energy and power, as is Herne, the god of the hunt. Odin and Thor, both Norse gods, are known as powerful, masculine gods.
• Motherhood Isis is a mother goddess on a grand scale, and Juno watches over women in labor.
• Prophecy and Divination Brighid is known as a goddess of prophecy, and so is Cerridwen, with her cauldron of knowledge. Janus, the two-faced god, sees both the past and future.
• Underworld Because of his harvest associations, Osiris is often connected with the underworld. There are a number of other deities of death and dying.
• War and Conflict The Morrighan is not only a goddess of war, but also of sovereignty and loyalty. Athena protects warriors and imparts them with wisdom. Freya and Thor guide fighters in battle.
• Wisdom Thoth was the Egyptian god of wisdom, and Athena and Odin may also be called upon, depending on your purpose.
• Seasonal There are a number of deities associated with the various times of the Wheel of the Year, including the Winter Solstice, Late winter, the Spring Equinox, and the Summer solstice.

Goddess

A

Aphrodite: Greek; Goddess of passionate, sexual love. Aphrodite will assist you in pulling loving energy towards yourself

Aradia: Italian; Queen of the Witches, daughter of Diana. Aradia is an extremely powerful entity and a protectress of Witches in general

Artemis: Greek; Goddess of the Moon

Astarte: Greek; Fertility Goddess. Whether you wish to bear children or have a magnificent garden, Astarte will assist you in your desire

Athena: Greek; Warrior Goddess and Protectress. Someone giving you a hard time at work? Call on Athena to help you.

B
Bast: Egyptian; Goddess of Protection and Cats. Bast is great for vehicle travel as well as walkind down a dark allwy. Call on her essence in the form of a giant panther to see you through to your destination.

Brigid: Celtic; Warrior Goddess and Protectress. Brigid is also the Triple Goddess. She is strong and wise. Call on her to help protect your children in a tough situation

C
Ceres: Roman; Goddess of the Harvest

Cerridwen: Welsh; Moon and Harvest Goddess, also associated with the Dark Mother aspect of the Crone

D
Demeter: Greek; Earth Mother archetype. Excellent Goddess where birthing or small children are involved

Diana: Roman; Moon Goddess and Goddess of the Hunt. Diana is many faceted. She is a seductress (as she enchanted her brother Lucifer to beget Aradia in the form of a cat) as well as a mother figure for Witches

Dryads: Greek; feminine spirits of the trees

E
Ereshkigal: Assyro-Babylonian goddess of the underworld

F
Flora: Roman; Goddess of Spring and Birth. For beautiful flowers, babies, and all bounties of Mother Earth

Fortuna: Roman; Goddess of Fate Freya: Scandinavian; Moon Goddess and wife/lover of Wdin. Also commander of the Valkyries

G
Gaia: Greek Earth Mother

H
Hathor: Egyptian; Protectress of Women in Business. A Hathor’s mirror is very important for a Witch. Hathor was cunning as well as beautiful

Hera: Greek; Goddess of Marriage. If handfasting or some type of commitment is the issue, Hera is the Goddess to seek. Just remember she has a vindictive side

Hertia: Greek; Goddess of Home and Hearth. Building a house, remodeling, or apartment hunting. Safety in the home and the family unit.

I
Inanna: Sumerian; Goddess representation of the Mother

Isis: Egyptian; represents the Complete Goddess or Triple Goddess connotation in one being

J
Jagad-Yoni: Hinu universal yoni, womb of the world

K
Kali: Hindu; Creative/Destructive Goddess. Protectress of abused women. Kali-Ma should be called if a woman is in fear of physical danger. Her power is truly awesome

Kwam-Yin: of Buddhist China; goddess of compassion

L
Liban: Irish mermaid goddess; revel in the healing power of pleasrue

Lilth: Hebrew; Adam’s first wife and said to be turned into a demoness, however, if you have every read any of Zecharia Sitchin’s work, you may change your mind. In my opinion, Lilth was a Star Woman bred with Adam. This would make her a goddess of Higher Intelligence or a representation of the Star People

M
Maat: Egyption; Goddess of Justice, and Divine Order. Maat is the true balance of any situation. She plays no favorites and will dipense justice to all parties involed. Be sure your own slate is clean in the situation before you call her

Morgan: Celtic; Goddess of Water and Magick. Morgan was said to be married to Merlin. It was from him she learned her magick. She was also doubled with the Lady of the Lake

Muses: Greek; Goddesses of Inspiration who vary in number depending upon the pantheon used

N
Nephtys: Egyptian; Goddess of Surprises, Sisters, and Midwives

Norns: Celtic; the three sisters of Wyrd. Responsible for weaving fate–past, present, and future

Nuit: Egyptian; Sky Mother. Often seen dipected in circular fashion cradling the stars

Nu-Kua: Chinese goddess

O
Old Spider: goddess of Micronesia

P
Pele: Hawaiian goddess of volcanos

Persephone: Greek; Goddess of the Underworld as well as the Harvest. Daughter of Demeter

Q
Qedeshet: of Syria; goddess of life and health

R
Rhiannon: Divine Queen of Wales

S
Sedna: of the Eskimos

Selene: Greek; Goddess of the Moon and Solutions. Appeal to Selene to bring a logical answer to any problem

T
Tiamat: of Babylon

U
Uttu: Chaldean-Sumerian goddess of weaving and vegitation

V
Valkyries: Scandinavian; women warriors who carried the souls of men slain in battle to heaven

Vasudhara: Hindu goddess of abundance

Venus: Roman; Goddess of Love and Romance

Vesta: Roman; Goddess of Fire

W
Wite Woman: of Honduras

X
Xochiquetzal: Aztec goddess of flowers, love, spinning, weaving, singing and dancing

Y
Yemaya: Nigerian Fish Mother, Brazilian Voodoo mermaid

Z
Zoc: Gnostic Acon of Life, Mother of all living

Gods

A
Adonis: Greek; consort of Aphrodite. Also another name for “Lord”. In Phoenician his counterpart is Astarte. A vegetarian God. Roman counterpart is Venus

Anubis: Egyptian; guardian of Isis. Jackal-headed God of Protection. Call on him to protect both home and person

Apollo: Greek and Roman; twin brother of Artemis. God of the Sun, Light, and the Arts

Apsu: Babylonian; his mate is Tiamat

C
Cernunnos: Celtic; Horned God and consort of the Lady. Also Kernunnos

E
Eros: Greek; God of Romance and Passionate Love

H
Horus: Egyptian; Head of a Falcon and body of a man. God of the all-seeing eye and healing

Hymen: Greek; God of Marriage and Commitment. His counterpart is Dionysus

L
Lucifer: Italian; Soulmate and Brother of Diana. Father of Aradia. God of the Sun and Light

M
Mithra: Persian; Sun God and bringer of Light. A soldier’s God

O
Odin: Scandinavian; counterpart of Freya. This is the God who hung on the Tree of Yggdrasil to obtain second sight. His familiars are the Raven and the Wolf. In his youth he is depicted as a terrible God, in his old age as a God of Wisdom and psychic sight

Osirus: Egyptian; counterpart of Isis. Over-all God form including vegetation and after-life

P
Pan: Greek; God of Nature and the Woods, Laughter and Passion. Also music and personal abandon

Poseidon: Greek; God of the Sea. His familiars are dolphins and horses

Ptah: Egyptian; Expert craftsman and designer. God of creative enterprise with the hands

Q-R
Ra: Egyptian; Sun God.

S
Shiva: Hindu; consort of Kali. God of the univeral cycle of birth-death-rebirth. Shiva can be both kind and terrible

T
Thor: Scandinavian; God of Sky and Thunder. A kindly God of the common people, including farmers and sailors

Thoth: Egyptian; God of Reincarnation. Also a Moon God and favorable to science and wisdom