Air - The Element of Freedom

The element of Air is attached to the signs Gemini, Libra and Aquarius. It also rules the Third, Seventh and Eleventh Houses. It is rarefied air which usually surrounds those graced by this Element, as this is the marker of the intellectual. Airy people are smart thinkers and handle abstract reasoning well. They love to analyze, synthesize and probe. Do you have a dilemma? Hand it over to an Air sign and watch them go to work. Air Signs are also about communication. These individuals want to get the word out, and it's not likely to be fluff. They are alert, curious and perceptive. The world as seen by an Air sign will be an interesting one, as their analysis and subsequent explanation (hopefully in terms we can understand) will indicate. Those influenced by Air are inventive and clever. They see all sides of the equation and are able to glean the best approach. Balance is important to these airy folk. So, are Air signers fresh as a summer breeze, or are they howling like the wind? Probably both, depending on when you catch them. While these folks are often calm and collected, they can turn cold if their equilibrium is upset. A word to the wise: There's little upside in baiting an Air sign. Another plus with Air is that it manifests itself in a most humane way. Those influenced by Air can truly wear another's shoes, as it were. They are objective, cooperative and really want to help make a better world. There's no prejudice with these folks -- just a bright and shiny idealism that can accomplish much. Air Signs are communicative, intellectual, clever and fair. They can blow hot and cold, though, so beware of a chilly draft!

The element of Air is vital to human survival, without it we would all perish, its aspects are Thinness, Motion and Darkness and its quality is Active. Air is the manifestation of movement, freshness, communication and of the intelligence. Sound is another manifestation of this element. As an element, it is invisible, but its reality can be felt in the air that we breathe in every day.

To connect with the power of this element, find a place with clean air and breathe deeply, touch a feather or inhale the fragrance of a heavily scented flower. Let yourself experience the energy of this element, and reflect that we also possess Air energy within ourselves.

In magical terms, Air is the power of the mind, the force of intellect, inspiration, imagination. It is ideas, knowledge, dreams and wishes. Air is the element of new life and new possibilities and is essential to spells and rituals of travel, instruction, finding lost items, some types of divination, and freedom. Air aids us in visualization, a vital technique in magic.

Air is a masculine element and governs the magick of the four winds. It is the vital spirit passing through all things, giving life to all things, moving and filling all things. Thus Hebrew doctors ascribe it not as an element but as a medium or glue that binds all things together.

DIRECTION: East - the place of sunrise.
TYPE OF ENERGY: Projective.
BASIC NATURE: Flying, moving, fresh, intelligent, suspending. Sound is a manifestation of this element.
COLOR: Yellow - the yellow of the sun, the sky at dawn
PLACES: Mountaintops, wind-swept plains, cloudy skies, high towers, airports, schools, libraries, offices, travel agencies, psychiatrist's offices.
RITUALS: Travel, instruction, study, freedom, knowledge, recovering lost items.
RITUAL FORMS: Tossing objects into the air, suspending tools in high places, fanning light objects, visualization, positive thinking.
HERBS: Fragrant, as many flowers; pungent, as in culinary herbs such as dill; airy, finely-veined, or wind-swept; generally leaves.
STONES: Light stones, such as pumice; transparent stones, such as mica.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Flute, all wind instruments.
CREATURES: Spider, most birds, winged insects.
SEASON: Spring - the time of freshness.
TIME: Dawn.
MAGICKAL TOOL: Wand.
SENSE: Hearing, smell.
NATURAL SYMBOLS: A feather, incense smoke, fragrant flowers.
TYPES OF MAGICK RULES: Divination, concentration, visualization, wind magic.
GODDESSES: Aradia, Arianrhod, Cardea, Nuit, Urania.
GODS: Enlil, Kheohera, Mercurym, Shu, Thoth. 

Earth - The Element of Substance

Connected to the North, Earth is considered the ultimate feminine element. The Earth is fertile and stable, associated with the Goddess. The planet itself is a ball of life, and as the Wheel of the Year turns, we can watch all the aspects of life take place in the Earth: birth, life, death, and finally rebirth. The Earth is nurturing and stable, solid and firm, full of endurance and strength. In color correspondences, both green and brown connect to the Earth, for fairly obvious reasons! In Tarot readings, the Earth is related to the suit of Pentacles or Coins.

The basis and foundation of all the elements is the Earth. The Earth is the object; subject and receptacle of all celestial rays and influences and in it are the seeds of all things. It is made fruitful by the other elements and the heavens, and brings forth all things of itself. It is the first fountain from whence all things spring; it is the centre, foundation and mother of all things.

Earth is the element of stability, foundations and of the body. The Earth is the realm of wisdom, knowledge, strength, growth and prosperity. It is also the physical Earth on which we live and the very heart of life. It is essential in spells and rituals of prosperity, business, fertility and stability. Earth is a feminine element and governs stone and knot magic.

The Earth can be viewed as our mother, with its fertile and nurturing farmland, providing all Earth's creatures with nourishment and shelter. The earth takes on qualities of the other elements, whether it is the dry, dusty and hot aspects of Fire and Air, as is found in deserts. Or the moist and fluid aspects of Water, in swamps, marshlands and fens. In its physical manifestations, such as stones, rocks, crystals and gems, the element of Earth represents the densest of the elements.

The Earth is the womb from which all things spring, pressing your hand against fresh soil, you can feel its vitality, stability and earthiness. In its fertile soil, we've grown the food that provides life, on its surface we live out our lives, and when the time to return to the Goddess and God comes, we are interred in the earth.

We couldn't exist in this form without the Earth. But our planet is simply a manifestation of this element on the physical plane, each of the elements exist in the astral planes as pure energy. This Earth energy not only exists within ourselves but also throughout the universe at large.

DIRECTION: North - the place of greatest darkness.
TYPE OF ENERGY: Receptive.
BASIC NATURE: Fertile, moist, nurturing, stabilizing, grounding. Gravity is a manifestation of this element.
COLOR: Green - from the colour of living plants
PLACES: Caves, canyons, forests, groves, valleys, fields, farms, gardens, parks, plant nurseries, farmer's markets, kitchens, baby nurseries, basements, mines, holes.
RITUALS: Money, prosperity, fertility, stability, grounding, employment.
RITUAL FORMS: Burying, planting, making images in soil or sand.
HERBS: Earth-smelling plants, such as patchouli and vetivert; mosses and lichens; nuts; dry and stiff plants; heavy, low-growing plants; generally roots.
STONES: Heavy or opaque, as in coal; green, as in emerald and peridot.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT: Drum, all percussion instruments.
CREATURES: Dogs, horse, earthworm, gopher, ant, cow, burrowing animals.
SEASON: Winter - the time of darkness.
TIME: Night.
MAGICKAL TOOL: Pentacle.
SENSE: Touch.
NATURAL SYMBOLS: Salt, clay dish of fresh soil, rocks, sheaves of wheat, acorns.
TYPES OF MAGICK RULES: Gardening, magnet, image, stone, tree, knot, binding.
GODDESSES: Ceres, Demeter, Gaea, Mah, Nephthys, Persephone, Prithivi, Rhea, Rhiannon.
GODS: Adonis, Athos, Arawn, Cernunnos, Dionysus, Marduk, Pan, Tammuz. 

Simple Love Spells

Hi everyone! Lately I have been interested in love spells and the many things that they can do to help a person to gain confidence towards a lover or to ask the universe to help you in your search for love. Recently I've had a little crush on this guy. Okay, maybe not a little crush. By Aphrodite, I really do like this guy and it feels great!

 The part that sucks is that he's got a girlfriend, but whenever we hang out during school or after school he shows signs that he really likes me. Me being the really nice friend, I don't want to break them up, so, instead, I'm helping his feelings about me to surface quicker. I know this seems kind of bad, but the great part is that love spells can help in situations like these and I know I'm not the only one out there that feels like this or would use a love spell in this manner. 

So, for the next few posts, I am going to introduce to you some love spells that will boost your confidence and intrigue your lover.

Easy Love Spell To Capture His Heart

Need: White votive candle

On a Friday evening, light the white votive candle saying:

"May this flame of passion burn within your heart,
 from me, you will not part
 with harm to none
 So mote it be - it is done!"

Allow the white candle to burn out while you meditate upon your love.

To Make Yourself More Desirable

This is a simple and easy Love Spell that takes no time at all. You do not need a lot of ingredients and they will not be hard to hunt down. This spell will make you much more desirable to the opposite sex and is sure to raise your confidence.

Materials:
1 pink candle
1 bottle of 100% Virgin Olive oil
Something to light the candle

Process:
Take the candle and place it on a table or your altar. Now take the olive oil and rub on to the candle starting in the middle and going up, then starting in the middle going down. While purifying the candle with the oil, you want to recharge the candle with love and desire, so visualize love and channel all your emotion into the candle. After the oil is finished, take a knife and carve what it is you want into the candle.

Example: I Wish For "John/Jane Doe" to love me

After finished writing in the candle, simply light it and concentrate on love and throw as much emotion (love) into the flame of the candle as possible, you may even want to add words if you wish. Sit and do this until the candle has burnt out. Make sure you are comfortable and won't be bothered. The more you feel sexy, the more this spell will work for you! Once the candle has burned out, the spell is finished.

Spell To Attract A Lover

Get a two or three inch piece of copper tubing. Write the name of your intended on a piece of paper seven times. Place the paper in the tube and close its ends with a pair of pliers. Wear the tube around your neck for seven days and your intended will come to you.

White Candle Spell To Attract Love
Items Needed:

• White candle and a lighter
• Inscribing tool (Exacto knife, a pin, "a thorn from a white rose bush", etc.)
• Reminders of that person (photo, clothing, printout of their Facebook page, etc.)

Get a white candle that will burn down in the amount of time you have. You will need to watch it burn down completely. You will have to inscribe it (see below), so it should be bigger than a birthday candle, and you will also have to watch it burn down to nothing, so it should not be a long-burning or large candle. A plain white altar candle or, better yet, a white "bride and groom" figure candle, will be good.
Prepare an altar and decorate it with items that are precious to you and to the one you love. Using a rose thorn from a white rose bush, inscribe the words "All my love come to me" 3 times on the candle. (If you don't have access to a thorn, you can use whatever is handy. Exacto Knives are good for carving candles. You can buy one in the arts and crafts section at Walmart.)Place the inscribed candle in the center of the altar and light it.
For the entire time the candle burns, gaze upon it and visualize your love coming to you, full of love. When the candle burns out, collect the wax puddle that remains, wrap it up with the mementos from the altar and keep it in a safe place.
The result of this spell will not be "zombie" or "victim" thrall-love; but you will receive ALL the love that person has for you -- which may be less than, as much as, or more than the love you have for him. Accept the degree of love you receive with grace and tenderness.
If, at some future time, you no longer wish to receive that person's love, dispose of the ritual remains in a simple ceremonial way. Depending on your mood, the wax puddle can be burned on a fire, buried at a crossroads, thrown into running water, mailed to the person, ground to shavings and baked into a cake -- or whatever you feel is appropriate. But it is your responsibility to dispose of it if you no longer want to be loved in any degree by that person.

A personal thanks to the creator of the website everythingunderthemoon.net!!! 

History of the Gemini Twins

In Greek mythology, Leda was the wife of Tyndareus, king of Sparta. Zeus, who came to her as a swan, seduced her and was the father of one or more of her children. There are many variations of the legend. In one version Leda’s daughter, Helen of Troy, was hatched from an egg. In another version, Leda bore two eggs, from which came Helen and Clytemnestra and Castor and Pollux. Helen and Pollux are commonly thought to have been the children of Zeus, whereas Clytemnestra and Castor were those of Tyndareus. 

Castor and Pollux (or Polydeuces) were called the Dioscuri, or Sons of Zeus, because Zeus, in the form of a swan, fathered them by Leda. They were closely identified with the city of Sparta, Castor as a renowned horseman and Pollux as a boxer. They sailed with the Argonauts, participated in the Calydonian boar hunt and later helped to rescue their sister Helen of Troy, who had been kidnapped by Thesus and Pirithous.

Finally, in a fight with Idas and Lynceus, whose intended brides Castor and Pollux had kidnapped, Pollux killed Lynceus, but Idas killed Castor and was in turn killed by a thunderbolt of Zeus. Pollux, being immortal, was allowed to share his immortality with Castor, thus permitting them to spend alternate days in heaven and in the underworld, Pollux as the Morning Star and Castor as the Evening Star. Another version held that Zeus put both in the heavens as the constellation Gemini.

The twins were highly esteemed by the Romans. The legendary twins of Rome (pictured in an ancient bronze sculpture), Romulus and Remus, were said to be the reason behind Rome’s founding as a city and as an empire.

Simple Sleep And Dreams of Soul Mates Spells

Lately I haven't been having the best of luck with sleeping. There's a certain spell that I have used that was to help me with my sleep, but, with the help of my eight-month old baby brother, no such luck. So, even though this might not help me, at least it will help you!

This spell comes from immortaltalkkyle from the website http://www.spellsofmagic.com/spells/spiritual_spells/dream_spells/2743/page.html. Please feel free to use this, since the creator has given his permission.

Spirits of the Night,

Help me this week.

Spirits of the Night,

Help me gain sleep. (x3)

The time has come

to let my body rest

and gently, I drift

away

Away

from the day

and into the night

starlit bright,

the colour blessed dimensions

are awaiting me.

There I will do

my work and my play

until it is time

to return to the day

Smooth and gentle

ocean wide,

in and out

in even Flow -

Now I bid myself goodnight

and with that,

turn out the light.

Repeat until tired. 

Where I am is safe and warm, 

I am hidden from the storm, 

I can close my eyes and breathe, 

Let all my worries leave. 

from http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum/simple-spell-calm-nerves-and-help-sleep-t15761.html

Now, for some interesting spells, here's some spells to find your soulmate. Please, let me know if any of these work!

A ritual that lets you dream of your soul mate, you should envision
in your dream a foot-bridge, and that you fall into the water below it,
and that someone comes to pull you out. That person is your soul mate. 

Before you go to sleep, on the night of a full moon, gather a bowl (wooden,
if possible) full of rain water and a flat stick. Place the stick over the
top of the bowl, like a little bridge over the water. Then, place the items
underneath your bed and go to sleep.

If you are wondering whether a certain person is your soulmate, this is the spell for you. Perform this spell and have your soulmate appear to you in a dream.

You will need:

• 3 almonds
• 3 raisins
• Milk
• Honey

Take the almonds and raisins, and put them underneath your pillow before you go to bed. Prepare a cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey just before sleeping. If you follow these instructions, you will dream of your soulmate.

SOULMATE DREAM SPELL

What you need: 1 red candle, an altar with a pentagram upon it

Turn out the lights and place the candle at the middle of the pentagram, sit cross legged

in front of the altar, then say:

"Let me dream a bright dream with my soulmate send him/her to me now.

I wish to see him/her this night. So mote it be!"

The more times you say it the more power your spell gains. Another spell you can do is go

outside when it is a full moon out look at the moon and braid your hair as you do, then go

to sleep and dream of them.

Hecate

***If any one of you are looking for information about a specific God/Goddess or would like to give tips as to what Gods for me to give information about, please, PLEASE, comment below. I will do my best to respond or answer your request. Thank you!***

Hecate is a very important Goddess to those who practice the Craft. Her powers are great and her beauty prodigious. 

Hecate, Greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft -- once a widely revered and influential goddess,  the reputation of Hecate has been tarnished over the centuries. In current times, she is usually depicted as a "hag" or old witch stirring the cauldron.

But nothing could be further from the image of Hecate's original glory.

A beautiful and powerful goddess in her own right, the Greek goddess Hecate was the only one of the ancient Titans who Zeus allowed to retain their authority once the Olympians seized control. Zeus shared with Hecate, and only her, the awesome power of giving humanity anything she wished (or withholding it if she pleased).

Usually classified as a "moon goddess",  her kingdoms were actually three-fold . . . the earth, sea, and sky. Having the power to create or withhold storms undoubtedly played a role in making her the goddess who was the protector of shepherds and sailors.

A lover of solitude, the Greek goddess Hecate was, like her cousin Artemis, a "virgin" goddess, unwilling to sacrifice her independent nature for the sake of marriage. Walking the roads at night or visiting cemeteries during the dark phase of the moon, the goddess Hecate was described as shining or luminous.
In other legends she is invisible, perhaps only glimpsed as a light, a "will-o-the-wisp".  Perhaps it was this luminous quality that marked Hecate as a "moon goddess", for she seemed quite at home on the earth.
Some scholars believe it is also was because her mother was Asteria (the Titan goddess of the Shining Light or "Star") or perhaps it was because she sensibly always carried a torch on her journeys.

 

Like Artemis, Hecate was usually depicted with her sacred dogs, although Hecate and even her animals, were sometimes said to have three heads and that they could see in all directions. Although usually depicted as a beautiful woman having three human heads, some images are fearsome indeed (one with a snake's head, one with a horse's, and the third a boar's head).
This farsightedness, the ability to see in several directions at once (even the past, present, and future) featured largely in her most famous myth, the abduction of Persephone.  For it was the goddess Hecate who "saw" and told the frantic Demeter what had become of her daughter.
The goddess Hecate continued to play an important role in the life of Persephone, becoming her confidante when she was in the Underworld. Hades, thankful for their friendship, was more than hospitable, honoring Hecate as a prominent and permanent guest in the spirit world. Surely this had the effect of enhancing her reputation as a spirit of black magic with the power to conjure up dreams, prophecies, and phantoms. 

Hecate's ability to see into the Underworld, the "otherworld" of the sleeping and the dead, made her comfortable and tolerant in the company of those most would shun out of fear or misunderstanding. 

In her role as 'Queen of the Night', sometimes traveling with a following of  "ghosts" and other social outcasts, she was both honored and feared as the protectress of the oppressed and of those who lived "on the edge".  In Rome many of the priests in her sacred groves were former slaves who had been released to work in her service.
The goddess Hecate was often accompanied on her travels by an owl, a symbol of wisdom. Not really known as a goddess of wisdom, per se, Hecate is nevertheless recognized for a special type of knowledge and is considered to be the goddess of trivia.
Hecate's farsightedness and attention to detail, combined with her extraordinary interest in that which most of us discount as irrelevant or arcane, gave her tremendous powers.
She knew what the rest of us did not.

Not surprisingly, the people thought it best to give the goddess Hecate (and any friends that might be accompanying her) a lot of honor and a fairly wide berth. When darkness descended they wisely retired to the fireside for supper, but put the leftovers outside as an offering to Hecate and her hounds.

That the homeless and destitute were often the actual beneficiaries hardly mattered...after all, they were under Hecate's protection.

In a similar fashion, food was often left at the crossroads to honor Hecate, especially at junctions where three roads converged --what we often call a "Y-intersection". 
Frequently a pole was erected at the intersection and three masks would be hung from it to pay homage to Hecate and to request her guidance in helping to choose the right direction. 
Three-faced masks also adorned the entrances of many homes, honoring the goddess Hecate who could, of course, wield her influence over "the spirits that traveled the earth" to keep them  from entering the household.  

It is hardly surprising that a woman who needed to make a trip alone at night would say a brief prayer to Hecate to seek her protection. The goddess Hecate, like her cousin Artemis, was known as a protector of women, especially during childbirth.

Not only was Hecate called upon to ease the pains and progress of a woman's labor, but especially to protect and restore the health and growth of a child.

Similarly, Hecate played a role that, in contemporary times, we would describe as "hospice nurse", helping the elderly make a smooth and painless passage into the next life and staying with them, if need be, in the otherworld to help prepare them for their eventual return to the earth in their next life.

Familiar with the process of death and dying as well as that of new birth and new life, the goddess Hecate was wise in all of earth's mysteries.  

The Greek goddess Hecate reminds us of the importance of change, helping us to release the past, especially those things that are hindering our growth,  and to accept change and transitions. She sometimes asks us to let go of what is familiar, safe, and secure and to travel to the scary places of the soul.

New beginnings, whether spiritual or mundane, aren't always easy. But Hecate is there to support and show you the way.

She loans her farsightedness for you to see what lies deeply forgotten or even hidden, and helps you make a choice and find your path. Oft times she shines her torch to guide you while you are in dreams or meditation.

Hecate teaches us to be just and to be tolerant of those who are different or less fortunate, yet she is hardly a "bleeding heart", for Hecate dispenses justice "blindly" and equally.

Whether the Greek goddess Hecate visits us in waking hours or only while we sleep, she can lead us to see things differently (ourselves included) and help us find greater understanding of our selves and others.  

Although her name may mean "The Distant One", Hecate is always close at hand in times of need, helping us to release the old, familiar ways and find our way through new beginnings.

Writing Your Own Spells

I don't know about you guys, but there are times when I'm looking for a spell, a very certain and particular kind of spell, but no matter what I do, I can't find the spell I'm looking for! Any of you know what I mean? Well, that is all going to change for me and for all of you! Today, I'm going to give you an idea of how to write your OWN spells. Now, you don't have to be a genius to write your own spells, but you should be very careful and very particular, and always, ALWAYS, remember the threefold law. Enjoy!

Step 1
The first thing you need to do when writing your own spell is ask yourself the following questions:

1/ Whats is you spell for?
2/ Do you really need too cast a spell for it?
3/ Are you sure you spell cannot harm you or anyone else?
4/ Does it mean taking anyones free will away from them?
5/ How quick do you want the result?
6/ And what exactly do you want the outcome of the spell to be?

Have a note book which you use just for spell writing so you can write all the above questions down and answer them. if you answer no to question 3 and yes to question 4 you should not be cating the spell or even thinking about it in the first place.

Step 2
Now you have answered all the above questions you need to find out the following:

1/ Which day of the week is best to cast the spell
2/ Which moon phase will work best to cast under
3/ Which colours are associated with your spell
4/ Which herbs, crystals and oils are associated with the need of the spell
5/ And which Gods or Goddesses you are going to work with.

Step 3
Now you know what the main things for you spell are going to be. A simple outline for you spell (using candle magick) would be:

1/ Casting the spell on the day and in the moon that is needed
2/ Annointing a candle (of which colour you would have found out in the step above) with oil and herbs (which you also found out in the step above).
3/ Then lighting the candle and saying a rhyme, chant or verse to the god or goddess you are calling upon statung exactly what you want the outcome of the spell to be.
4/ Putting your hands over the candle (not so you burn yourself) focus your energies into the candle envisioning them as a bright white light which will power the spell.
5/ Then you have the choice of blowing the candle out a burrying the remaining or letting it burn down completely which will send the spell out into the universe.
6/ Finish the spell by saying:

With harm to none, So mote it be.

You should write the whole spell out as above exactly how you plan on casting it, so you have it in front of you and there will be no mistakes when it comes to casting it for real. The above is only a rough guide and it is a very simple spell. You can make it as long or complicated as you like, and you can add whatever feels right to you.
Step 4
Now of course all that left to do is cast the spell!
Cast it somewhere that you wont be disturbed and that is very quite. You may have a alter which you want to cast at or you may just do it on a table or somewhere else in your room. You may choose to cast you spell in a magick circle which some witches prefer. You will not find it featured on this web page as i find its not necessary for most spells. Just make sure you are working in a clean area and cleanse the room of negativity before hand by sprinkling some salt water around and keeping a bowl of salt in the room to absorb negative energies. Smudging is also a good idea!
Don't forget most spells unless specified in it will take anything up to 21 days to manifest although most work quickly if the need is great.

Apollo

Hi everyone! I hope that you all had a great Samhain like I did. Though I don't believe that I came into contact with my loved ones, I think that they still heard me. At least I hope they did. Anyway, I am going to be starting a new tradition. On one day of the week, I will be posting information about any given God/Goddess - Hindu, Greek, Asian, etc. - so that you can open yourself up to the different cultures and different Gods, as well as so you can gain a better idea of what God/Goddess you would like to reign over your altar or your life. Today, I will do Apollo. I will include information about Apollo and some fun facts. Let's get started!

p.s. Don't be afraid to post any questions that you have in the comments below or like our Facebook page. The website should be located with the other websites to your right near the top of your page. If you don't really care, then this shouldn't concern you at all. 

Apollo's Appearance: A young man with curly golden hair or, sometimes, rays of the sun emanating from his head..

Symbol or Attribute of Apollo: The Sun itself, the lyre (a type of musical instrument), the bow, and the chariot he drives across the sky daily, borrowed from an earlier pre-Greek Sun god, Helios.

Apollo's Strengths:Creative, handsome, supportive of all the arts of civilization.

Apollo's Weaknesses: Like his father Zeus, Apollo is all too happy to enjoy the charms of nymphs, as well as the occasional youth, and his conquests number in the dozens.

Birthplace of Apollo: On the sunny Greek island ofDelos, where he was born along with his twin sister,Artemis. A palm tree is pointed out as the actual site of the birth. Another tradition gives the islands of Lato, the Letoides, now called Paximadia, off the southern coast of Crete.

Spouse: Apollo had many encounters, but no formal marriages. Flings with Cassandra, to whom he gave the gift of prophecy; Daphne, who fled from his embrace and turned into a laurel tree; Acacallis, a maiden from the Samaria Gorge on the island of Crete who was spurned by her proud family for choosing a "foreign" Greek god, and Calliope, with whom he had a child, Orpheus.

Apollo's Children: Information varies, but the enchanting semi-divine singer Orpheus and Asklepios, also spelled Asclepius, Aesculapius and other variants, the god of healing, are the most famous of Apollo's offspring.

Some Major Temple Sites of Apollo: The mountain town of Delphi, where a few columns from an early temple of Apollo still stand. The island of Delos is also sacred to him, but there is no temple remaining there today.

Apollo in some places replaced an earlier solar god, Helios. High mountain tops were sacred to Helios, and today, churches dedicated to Saint Elias are often found on these same spots.

Basic Story: Apollo was the son of the supreme Greek god Zeus and Leto, a nymph. Zeus's wife Hera was outraged and convinced the earth to refuse to allow Leto to give birth anywhere on its surface. But the island of Delos allowed Leto to take refuge there and give birth to Apollo and his twin sister, Artemis, goddess of the hunt and wild things. The goddess Themis assisted in raising him by feeding him ambrosia, the sacred nectar of the gods.

Interesting Fact: Apollo Delphinus or Delphinius was the dolphin-form of the god and was revered at Delphi - despite its location high in the mountains. He supposedly commandeered a Cretan ship in his dolphin form, jumping out of the water and landing on its deck, and then forced it to the coastline at Delphi; the sailors on the ship supposedly became his first priests at Delphi. He was also believed to have destroyed an evil serpent at Delphi, and took over as the patron god of the famous oracle there. Some ancient coins show the head of Apollo with dolphins swimming in the background.

Apollo was said to be the most beautiful among the Greek gods, and the embodiment of the perfect man in ancient times. He was a deity with multiple powers - a great philosopher, artist, musician and marksman. This god of light and music is the twin of Artemis, goddess of the hunt; the son of Zeus (king of the gods) and Leto, a titan nymph. Here are fun facts about one of the most revered Olympian gods:

1. Apollo's other main patronage deals with health, diseases and the healing arts. He is said to bring good health to his faithful devotees. His son, Asclepios became the god of medicine. According to legends, Asclepios was such an expert at healing the sick that he even brought the dead back to life. Ironically, the sun god is also known as the harbinger of sudden death and disease to those that displeased him. The ancient Greeks believed that Apollo shot them with poisonous arrows (filled with disease) during the famous Trojan War.

2. Considered the most beautiful among the immortals, Apollo is often depicted as an ephebe or a young man without a beard. Poets describe him as having long golden curls and a forehead that shone brilliantly like the sun.

3. Apollo had a half brother with whom he deeply contrasted. While he is known as the deity of reason, order and harmony, his brother Dionysos represented chaos and all things pleasurable; the patron of wine and women.

4. He was a completely devoted to his mother Leto, and would kill ruthlessly in her name. The jealous goddess Hera was said to have sent beasts and giants to kill Zeus's mistress Leto while she was about to give birth to the divine twins. Apollo was said to have acquired the Oracle at Delphi after killing Python, a dragon (who was sent by Hera) there. He and his sister Artemis were also involved in the killing of the queen of Thebes's fourteen children, after Queen Niobe insulted their mother Leto.

5. As beautiful and stunning as he was, Apollo had his share of unrequited love and betrayals. The philosopher Libanius recounted the story of Daphne, a nymph who begged to be turned into a laurel tree to escape the advances of the sun god. In other myths, one of Apollo's lovers, Coronis, (mother of his son Asclepios) was murdered when he found out of her infidelity.