The "Queen of Heaven" and Astarte

Religious rules and laws, structures and ontologies.

Post Reply
User avatar
Frater Chiasmus
Forum Member
Forum Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 5:23 am
Location: Land of Beer, Bratwursts and Cheese

The "Queen of Heaven" and Astarte

Post by Frater Chiasmus »

As a fan of Mariology found among the Eastern and Western Orthodox and Catholic Churches, I have always had a fascination for the beautiful designs, details and devotions to Saint Mary, the Mother of God. To the East we see her as Theotokos, the God-Bearer and the Ark of the Covenant, the one who holds the Law and articles of the Prophets. To the West we envision the Immaculate Conception, the untouched pure vessel only touched by the Perfect Spirit of God, and we also see the numerous visions worldwide who show a Mother of the Universe who looks over Her Children in compassion and sorrow.

I wish to focus on one of the Marian titles, the Queen of Heaven. Before the coming of the Christian era, Diana, Hera, Asherah, Astarte, Anat, Innana and Isis all were called by their worshipers and praised as the Queen of Heaven. There is even found among recent discoveries that Frigg also bore this title. The Hebrew Prophet Jeremiah wrote of Asherah(possibly Astarte)(v.7:18): "The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger." and also (v44:15-18)"Then all the men who knew that their wives were burning incense to other gods, along with all the women who were present—a large assembly—and all the people living in Lower and Upper Egypt, said to Jeremiah, "We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD! We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm. But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine." Innana would call herself as the Queen of Heaven when announcing herself by title. Prayers to Isis are found to use this title in their praise to the Goddess. (Some info used from here)

So how did Mary, the Virgin who bore baby Jesus during the Roman occupation of the Levant, become another in the long list of the "Queen of Heaven" title? According to EWTN "That Kingdom ruled by God is the same as the Kingdom ruled eternally by the Son of David. It is not an earthly kingdom, though it is present on earth in the Church, but a heavenly kingdom, the Kingdom of God. The Queen of that Kingdom is the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Lord God Jesus Christ." However I prefer the original explanation they use on the same page just a couple paragraphs before, "The Canaanite worship of the "Queen of Heaven" condemned by the prophets is mentioned, as is the worship of Diana of the Ephesians, devotion to whom was exceeding popular before the Gospel arrived among the pagans. It is said that Catholicism at the Council of Ephesus restored this pagan devotion under the cover of devotion to Mary."

Thoughts?
There is beauty in darkness for those who dare enter the shadows to embrace it.
- John Coughlin

User avatar
Nahemah
Forum Member
Forum Member
Posts: 5077
Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 9:49 pm
Location: Sunny Glasgow by the Clutha's side

Re: The "Queen of Heaven" and Astarte

Post by Nahemah »

There is another title that has been attributed to Mary, taken from older Goddesses, that of 'The Star of the Sea'. We have island churches dedicated to her, as protector of those who sail the sea and live around the shores. Venus, it seems has many names and forms, her position as alternating herald of dusk and dawn, seasonally speaking, here in the North, has significance also, I believe.

Abrahamism is very fond of stealing from older sources.
"He lived his words, spoke his own actions and his story and the story of the world ran parallel."

Sartre speaking of Che Guevara.

User avatar
fraterai
Forum Member
Forum Member
Posts: 323
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2016 10:15 pm

Re: The "Queen of Heaven" and Astarte

Post by fraterai »

INANNA is my favorite. To emphasize what Nahemah said about stealing, she also went to the underworld, was stripped naked, crucified, and then resurrected by Enki, a Father-god figure. Sound familiar?
Only right reflection and right meditation can free you - Ananda Metteya

User avatar
Frater Chiasmus
Forum Member
Forum Member
Posts: 21
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2016 5:23 am
Location: Land of Beer, Bratwursts and Cheese

Re: The "Queen of Heaven" and Astarte

Post by Frater Chiasmus »

fraterai wrote:INANNA is my favorite. To emphasize what Nahemah said about stealing, she also went to the underworld, was stripped naked, crucified, and then resurrected by Enki, a Father-god figure. Sound familiar?
Reminded me of Ba'al Haddad and his defeat by Mot, sent into the Underworld but instead of crucifixion, was freed by Anat.
There is beauty in darkness for those who dare enter the shadows to embrace it.
- John Coughlin

Post Reply

Return to “Theologies”