Sailor Asarte is named after the Phoenician Goddess Asarte. Her name means 'She of the Womb'
in Hebrew and in Canaanite. Her other names include Ashtoreth, Astoroth, Astoreth, Astartet, Asherah, Astralte, and Ishtar.
She is also called 'the Strong one'. Other names are 'Baalat' (Lady), Queen of Heaven, Urania (Heavenly One), Athirat
(Sea Lady), Mother of the Universe, and Queen of the Morning star. She is identified with various Greek Goddessess
like Selene, Artemis, and Aphrodite. She also identifies with The Virgin Mary!
Asarte is the goddess of many things, mainly love, fertility, and war. She is also the goddess
of fire, productivity, beauty, victory, sex, creation and destruction. Her symbols and associations are with fish, honey,
rabbits, the crescent moon, horses, the egg, stars, sun rays, cow horns, lily or lotus flower. Her symol is the dove of wisdom
and is sometimes dipicted wearing bull horns. She is also discribed as a beautiful woman in a chariot drawn by seven lions
wearing a crown of myrtle leaves and accompanied by doves. She is often dipticted with bows and arrows. She is also presented
with a lion and cup which she offers to her lover, Baal ( The God opposite of Astarte). In other discriptions she holds a
lotus and 2 entwined serpents or snakes. The snakes symbolize wisdom and immortality.
According to legend Astarte descended to earth as a fiery star, she is the all powerful creating-preserving-destroying
embodiment of Mother Nature. She symbolizes the female priciple in all it's aspects. Her power is expressed in the creation
of Earth and all living things.
Astarte is associated with Easter and alot of Easter symbols from today. Her symbol is
the moon hare. ( The moon and rabbits have always been associted with eachother.) The rabbit is symbolized as fertility
which helps explain the association with the Easter Bunny of today. Her other fertility symbol is the egg also found in Easter.
All these pagan symbols of Asarte are all found in Easter motifs, because when the church wanted to convert all pagans they
used them for thier version of Easter to appeal to the Pagans. They did this in hopes that they would convert and celibrate
christian Holidays instead of thier pagan holidays. The Pagan holiday was around the vernal Equinox in March, and the fesival
is called Eostre or Ostara, named after a northern form of Astarte. Therefore, Astarte's sacred holiday is Easter because
it is during the season of Mother nature's rebirth.
Christmas is also another holiday associted with Astarte.The Egyptians and Syrians reenacted
the ancient drama of the rebirth of the sun through Astarte on Dec. 25 at the winter solstice when the sun is at the lowest
point in the sky, and requires a rebirth to journey northward again.
Other Symbols:
Day: Astarte is associated with Friday
Month: Astarte is associated with April
Candle Colors: Pink, Green, Red, and Silver
Tree: Her holy tree were Groves
Essences: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Geranium, and Lavender
Gemstones: Rose Quartz, Garnet, Smoky Quartz, Fire Agate, and red and White stones.
