Bacchus:
Bacchus, (aka Bakchos) is the Roman name for the
Greek God Dionysos. Bacchus is the orgiastic deity of the Bacchanalia. His phallic staff (Thyrsus) is crowned by a pine cone which represents wisdom and inspiration.
Badb:
Badb, (aka Badhbh, Badb, Catha, Cauth Bodva(Gaul)) is the Irish War Goddess and wife to the War God Net. She is the Mother Aspect of the Triple Goddess in Ireland.
Invoke Badb for life, wisdom, inspiration, and
enlightenment.
Balder:
Balder, (aka Baldr, Baldur) is called the "Good God" in Scandinavian mythology. Baldur is the God of joy, light, beauty, innocence, purity, and reconciliation. His parents are Odin and Frigg. Much loved by the Gods as well as man, Baldur was friendly, wise and eloquent. He was not a very powerful God, but was certainly one of the most loved. His wife is Nanna, and their son is Forseti (Fosite in Teutonic lore), the God of justice. (Nanna's father is the giant and star-hero Ivalde) Saxo Grammaticus wrote of Baldr as a warrior who contested with Hödhr to win Nanna. Warned by several walkyrige, Hödhr gets a magick sword to kill Baldr, as well as an arm-ring to bring him wealth. He meets up with several forest-maidens
(the walkyrige) and convinces them to let him taste the magical food they are preparing for Baldr. This food was the source of Baldr's strength. Now being of equal strength as Baldr, he defeated and mortally wounded him. In Saxo's story, Baldr has a dream where the Goddess Proserpine promises her love to him. Odhinn uses magick and trickery to get a son by Rindr, to get revenge on Hödhr. This son was called Bous, and he killed Hödhr, even though he was but one night old.
The legends in the Edda tell us that: Loki hated everything that Baldur stood for and plotted his death. During this time, Baldur had a dream, which he
confided to his mother, Frigg. Frigg then went around getting oaths from all things that they would not harm her son... all things, except the mistilteinn which was "too young" to give its oath; so no promise was secured from it. Once Frigga had insured her son's life, the rest of the Gods amused themselves by throwing things at Balder. Baldur was killed when Loki directed the hand of Baldur's blind (twin) brother, Hod, (Hödhr, Hother, Hoder) in throwing a mistilteinn dart (fig), which struck him in the heart. Nanna, died of a broken heart. Hod was killed by his and Baldur's half-brother, Vali, who was born to Odin and his
mistress, the giant Rand, to avenge Baldur's death.
Note: The legends say mistilteinn which was "pulled from the ground", not mistletoe, which is a parasitic plant which grows on trees. Mistletoe was certainly sacred to the ancient Druids and Norsemen; and
perhaps it is because of this, that the yet unidentified mistilteinn was transformed into mistletoe.
Bast:
Bast, (aka Bastet) is the Egyptian Goddess of Bubastis. Her sacred animal is the cat. Bast symbolizes the moon, as a swelling womb. She is also
the Egyptian Goddess of pleasure, music, dancing and joy.
Bes:
Bes is the Egyptian God of luck, love, marriage and music. He is represented as being a bandy legged, pot bellied dwarf.
Blodeuwedd:
Blodeuwedd, pronounced blod-oo-eeth, (aka Blodwin,
Blancheflor ("White Flower")) is the Welsh maiden
form of the Triple Goddess. Blodeuwedd was created by Math & Gwydion to be a wife for Lleu. After plotting Lleu's death and committing adultry, she was changed into an owl. Invoke Blodeuwedd for wisdom, lunar mysteries, initiations and to cause your flowers to bloom.
Bóand:
Bóand, (Boann, Boannan, Boyne) is the Irish Goddess
of the river Boyne, (in County Meath), and the mother of Angus Mac Og by the Dagda. She was the wife of Nechtán. Invoke Bóand for poetic inspiration and healing.
Bragi:
Bragi Boddason was a Scandinavian poet in the 9th century; but in later centuries, was made a 'God' by other poets. He is called the God of eloquence and poetry, and is the patron God of poets (skalds).
Bragi has come to be thought of as a son of Odin and Frigg. He is married to the Scandinavian Goddess of eternal youth, Idun (Iduna). Bragi's tongue had Runes carved on it and he is said to inspire poets by letting them drink of the mead of poetry. Oaths are sworn over the 'Bragarfull' ("Cup of Bragi"), and toasts are drunk from it in honour of dead kings.
Branwen:
Branwen is a Manx and Welsh Goddess of love and beauty. She is the sister of Bran the Blessed and wife of the Irish King Matholwchh.
Brigit:
Brigit, ("High One"), pronounced breet, (aka Brid, Brig, Brigid, Brighid, Bree, Bres) is an aspect of Danu, the Irish Great Goddess. There are three sister Goddesses named Brigit in Ireland. As a Goddess of fire, Brigit is associated with Imbolc. She is also a fertility Goddess and the keeper of the Cauldron, chalice or bowl. Brigit is the matron of augury, and healing as well as a teacher all feminine arts and crafts, as well as the arts of smithing, forging, poetry, speaking, agriculture, inspiration, learning, divination, prophecy, love, witchcraft, occult knowledge and herbs. Brigit had an exclusive female priesthood in County Kildare and a sacred, eternal flame. Brigit had nineteen priestesses, as this represented the nineteen year cycle of the Celtic "Great Year". Her kelles were sacred prostitutes and her soldiers brigands.
Buto:
Buto is the chief Egyptian Goddess of the Delta. She is associated with the snake.
