detail 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 threads. She was also called Britomartis ("Good Maiden"), known as the lady of the nets; the "nets" were her arrangements of creative threads.

Over time, invading patriarchs from nearby lands 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 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. A similar image can be seen in the Ophiuchus ("Serpent Bearer") constellation, which depicts a figure holding two wriggling snakes. 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 various Middle Eastern records, ancient Krete's name was actually Kaph-Tau, meaning "capital-pillar;" in Egypt it was called Kaph-Tor, with the same meaning). 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 one had to overcome on the way back to the Creator.

Ariadne's duty was to lead people through the labyrinth with a silver 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 the ancient Kretan context, 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). In Hinduism and Buddhism, mandalas are geometric webs symbolic of all creation; they are bordered by four doors, forming a crossroads at the center, with the center typically inhabited by a deity.

In western Europe, the creator goddess Arianrhod (meaning "Silver Wheel") had the same functions as Ariadne; 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 representing 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 Frigg 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 -- a hopelessly complicated series of tangled threads -- without going mad. In one ancient Sumerian story, Inanna obtains the "me" decrees and bestows them on humanity. While most of the decrees relate to society, others define the potentials of the human heart; Truth, Rejoicing Heart, Wisdom, Purification, and Peace seem to contrast with others like Falsehood, Troubled Heart, Fear, Enmity, and Terror. Of the dozens of decrees, seven are divine. In what is perhaps Inanna's 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 typically had a male partner, who was known for the same act of death and resurrection. For Ariadne it would be Dionysos; for Frigg it was Odin, who was hung from the world tree and pierced with his own spear; for Inanna it was Dumuzi, who was decreed to descend to the underworld for half the year while a sister figure, called "Gesht-Inanna," descended for the remaining half.

South of Iraq, Inanna was called "Mari." A city in Iran is named after her; statues and temple ruins from that area still exist. Similarly, the Christian book of Luke states that Christ was accompanied by Mary who was called Migdowl'en (often translated as "Magdalene"), from whom seven demons had gone out. Migdowl (Hebrew) means "tower." In some stories, both women are stripped of such significant functions and described simply as prostitutes.

A discussion of seven obstacles is also included in the Gospel of Mary, in which Mary Migdowl'en warns the other apostles about the "seven powers of wrath" that tempt human beings.

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 -- possibly because, in the constellations, the feminine figure of Virgo "stands" on Leo, the lion.

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 area was turned into "a stinking wasteland." Gilgamesh later died after failing to discover the secret to eternal life.