details from "Ariadne"

Krete is a Mediterranean island near Egypt and mainland Greece. Several thousand years ago, its principal goddess was Ariadne. Her constellation is the Northern Crown (Corona Borealis), half of a "cosmic wheel." The other half is the Southern Crown (Corona Australis), located near Sagittarius.

Ariadne was a creator goddess who weaved reality from a series of metaphysical threads. All of creation was believed to exist on a web-like arrangement of vibating strings, akin to modern string theory. Ariadne was also called Britomartis ("Good Maiden"), known as the lady of the nets. The "nets" were her arrangements of creative threads.

Over time, patriarchal society re-cast Ariadne as a naive young princess, and made Britomartis into a separate character. Britomartis was said to have thrown herself from a cliff to escape a rapist (i.e., the invading patriarchal culture). To explain her association with nets, the stories claimed that Britomartis fell into a fishing net; this changed her status as a powerful creator into that of a helpless, trapped woman.

In ancient Krete, Ariadne was often depicted with a wriggling snake in each hand. Each "snake" was one of her creative threads, animated to show that each thread was, in fact, alive. A living world takes on its own creative energy; living things are able to produce their own creations. This image can be seen in the Ophiuchus ("Serpent Bearer") constellation, which depicts a figure holding up a wriggling snake in each hand; at the top of one snake is the Corona Borealis (Ariadne's crown). The other snake points to the Aquila (eagle/vulture) constellation; fittingly, the serpent-bearing Ariadne was also depicted with a bird perched on her head.

Ariadne was known as the "lady of the labyrinth." According to regional legends, humanity first came into being at the axis mundi, the axis/center of the world, which was marked by a pillar (according to Middle Eastern records, ancient Krete's name was actually Kaph-Tau, meaning "capital-pillar;" in Egypt it was called Kaph-Tor). Spread out around the pillar was Ariadne's labyrinth. Before one could go back to the center of all of creation, one first had to walk the path of the Creator, which wound in all directions; at the center of the labyrinth was the form of the cross, pointing to the four cardinal directions. The intersection of the cross was the axis mundi. The axis was where people, after having walked the path, had to face the Creator. The labyrinth had seven turns, indicating seven major obstacles that one had to overcome on the way back to the Creator.

Ariadne's duty was to lead people through the labyrinth with a silver [metaphysical] thread. In the Greek stories, a vicious bull waited at the center of the labyrinth, ready to devour people who had been sacrificed to it; but in ancient Kretan stories, the axis mundi was attended by Ariadne's male counterpart.

Similar stories are told all over the world, with the pillar at the center of the labyrinth sometimes described as a cosmic tree, ladder, or tower. The Hopi of northern Arizona have the same legend, and the exact same seven-turn labyrinth symbol, which is referred to as the Mother Earth symbol. The cross at the center of the labyrinth represents the Sun Father. According to ancient Hopi stories, humanity was created by Kokyangwuti (Spider Woman), who spins new creations in webs. In Hinduism, the Sri Yantra mandala is a geometric web symbolic of all creation; it's surrounded by a square with four "doors," forming a cross.

In western Europe, the creator goddess Arianrhod (meaning "Silver Wheel") had the same functions as Ariadne; all human beings were said be incarnated from her cosmic wheel. Plato's dialogue The Republic ends with an account of a man named Er who, during a near death experience, sees how human souls are directed to their mortal lives by a cosmic wheel and spindle, which is operated by "Lady Necessity" -- another version of Ariadne. Plato was an initiate of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which were based around the theme of Persephone's descent into the underworld and her mother (the goddess Demeter)'s ensuing search and reunion with her. Initiates of the Mysteries would embark on a long journey to Eleusis, apparently representing Demeter's search, and then complete the Mysteries in an underground ceremonial room that represented the underworld. Plato alludes to the theme of the underworld labyrinth in various writings. For example, while quoting Socrates in Euthydemus, he compares logic to the labyrinth, and writes: "It is a confusing path, hard to follow without a thread, but, provided one is not devoured at the midpoint, it leads surely, despite twists and turns, back to the beginning" (a blatant reference to Ariadne and the Minotaur).

In Norse legend, the goddess Frig spun new creations with her wheel and spindle. In the Middle East, the goddess Inanna served that role; to her was given the "weaving of threads," and she was the only one of the gods who could enter the Abzu temple -- which was a hopelessly complicated series of tangled threads -- without going mad. In one ancient Sumerian story, Inanna procures the seven divine decrees and gives them (among a confused jumble of other decrees) to humanity. Other stories describe how Inanna "strikes down" young men who cling to childhood and refuse to leave their mothers' gardens; the men ask why they should leave their comfortable lives and fend for themselves, when they can simply be taken care of and endure no hardships. Inanna forces them to go through certain ordeals; they then have to choose between growing up or crumbling (this is a matter of perspective; in some stories, especially the Babylonian ones -- in which she's referred to as Ishtar -- Inanna is portrayed as being jealous, temperamental, and vengeful). In what is perhaps her most important legend, known as "Inanna's Descent," she takes up the seven divine decrees and walks the underworld labyrinth, passes through seven gates, is struck dead at the center, and is resurrected on the third day.

Such goddesses always had a male partner, who was known for the same act of death and resurrection.

South of Iraq, Inanna was called "Mari." There's a city in Iran that's named after her; statues and temple ruins from that area still exist. Mari was the goddess who "cast out seven demons" and conquered the illusions of the underworld. Similarly, the Christian book of Luke states that Christ was accompanied by Mary who was called Migdowl'en, from whom seven demons had gone out. Migdowl (Hebrew) means "tower." In some stories, both women are stripped of their functions and described simply as prostitutes.

A discussion of seven such obstacles is included in the Gospel of Mary Migdowl'en (transliterated as "Magdalene"), which quotes Mary as saying to the other apostles: "When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, which took seven forms. The first form is darkness, the second desire, the third ignorance, the fourth is the excitement of death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is the foolish wisdom of flesh, the seventh is the wrathful wisdom. These are the seven powers of wrath. . . ."

I painted Ariadne with the "seven divine decrees" glowing above one hand, in the form of the "seed of life" symbol. The Northern Crown constellation is above the other (this constellation also has seven stars). The symbol of the seven-turn labyrinth floats in the background.

Ariadne is shown standing on two lions. Since ancient times, women indicating the sacred feminine principle have often been shown this way -- perhaps because, in the constellations, the feminine figure of Virgo "stands" on Leo, the lion. Virgo is next to Bootes, said to represent her male partner.

The mask in front of Ariadne is the head of Humbaba, the guardian of the Great Cedar Forest. In the ancient Sumerian tale "The Epic of Gilgamesh," the Cedar Forest was destroyed by King Gilgamesh, who wanted to slay Humbaba in order to gain fame for himself. After the king slayed the spirit of the forest, the entire area was turned into "a stinking wasteland." Gilgamesh later died after failing to discover the secret to eternal life.