October Full Moon Altar: Durga

This month's altar honours the Hindu Goddess of Power, Durga, and her Victory of Good over Evil. Her victory signifies the preservation of Dharma in the universe and the cosmic supremacy of the feminine divine power Shakti, which underlies and sustains all existence.

Durga's annual ten-day festival, Durga Puja, was celebrated earlier this month. The world's largest Durga Puja festival in West Bengal is recognized by UNESCO in its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.

Durga is always depicted riding a lion, just like Ishtar the Great Goddess of Babylon. My statue of Durga is hand-carved white soapstone from India. She is one of the first goddess figurines I found when I moved here to Edmonton nearly 30 years ago. (And I found her at West Edmonton Mall -- of course!)

Several varieties of flowers associated with Durga's many positive qualities are traditionally offered to honour her during Durga Puja ceremonies. My altar represents four of the most popular tributes -- Red Hibiscus (altar cloth), Lotus (fibre-optic devotional lamp), Jasmine (scented stick of incense), and Rose (fresh-cut in the fingertip bowl).

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026]

September Full Moon Altar: Queen of the Night

The Goddess at the centre of this month's altar is a bit of a mystery. Her image comes from an alleged Mesopotamian / Sumerian / Babylonian ancient plaque of uncertain provenance, said to date from 1800-1750 BCE. The plaque first came to public attention in the 1930s when an antiquities dealer tried to sell it to the British Museum, which declined to buy it. Known as the "Burney Relief," the plaque remained in the hands of private collectors until later loaned to the British Museum. Despite ongoing questions around its authenticity, the British Museum did finally purchase the popular plaque in 2003, renaming it the "Queen of the Night Relief."

Scholars disagree with each other about who is depicted. By reason of her crown, handheld symbols of power, and standing on the backs of lions, some say she must be Ishtar, the Great Goddess of Babylon. Others theorize for similar reasons that she is the Mesopotamian / Sumerian goddess Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, or even (because of the wings) her sister and nemesis Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld.

A fourth group of scholars point to her wings, bird feet and talons, and flanking owls to argue instead that she is, in fact, a representation of the Sumerian Goddess / Night Demon, Lilith.

Whoever this Goddess is meant to be, I purchased her charming statue from Sacred Source about 25 years ago. (Alas, the online store no longer sells this reproduction). When I bought the statue, it had a natural terra-cotta clay colour, just like the original Burney Relief. Instinctively, I felt that such an earthy colour did not do this Goddess justice, so I immediately spray-painted her silver.

And when the time came to construct this altar to honour the Queen of the Night, I chose to use a colour scheme limited to silver and black. 

Because, after all, what is more beautiful, awesome and mysterious than the bright silver stars in the pitch black night sky?

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026]

July Full Moon Goddess: Coatlicue

The mighty Aztec Goddess Coatlicue (pronounced koh-at-lee-kway) is the all-powerful Goddess of Life, Death, and Rebirth. Her name means "Lady of the Serpent Skirt." She wears a necklace of human hands and hearts. A human skull is the buckle on her serpent belt. Her fearsome attire is topped by a double-headed snake that can also be seen as a single, forward-facing snake.

But those serpents are not Coatlicue's head. She has no head. Along with some other goddesses, Coatlicue willingly sacrificed her own life by decapitation in order to bring about the current 5th Solar Era of our world. These deaths served to put the Sun in motion again so that Time itself could continue and the Cosmos would not end. It is from Coatlicue's severed neck that the two snakes arise, symbolizing her gushing blood, the fertile liquid of life.

The altar cloths reflect the Solar Yellow and Blood Red colours of Coatlicue's sacrifice. A red stone serpent and red candles complete the scene.

The famous basalt statue of Coatlicue was carved around 1500 C.E., weighs 12 tons and stands over 10 feet tall with its base. After the Spanish Conquest, the invaders systematically destroyed all evidence of Aztec religion. This statue was buried deep in the earth, perhaps by Aztecs themselves in order to protect it from defacement or destruction. In 1790, the statue was found and horrified Catholic priests ordered it reburied after it caused a sensation in the archeological world. In the 20th century, the statue was again dug up and finally given a place of honour in Mexico City’s National Museum of Anthropology. (If you're interested in seeing a good 7-minute YouTube video about this statue, click here).

There are two more depictions of Coatlicue on the full moon altar. The first is a tarot card from the Universal Goddess Tarot deck, showing a much more conventional representation of the goddess, with a beautiful headdress and symbols of power.

The other representation is a small statue which I bought in Mexico in 2004 from an artisan who was selling them not far from Chichen Itza, the ancient Mayan site. In this version, Coatlicue has a head and the double snakes arise above her headdress, nuzzling a human skull between them. Clearly the skull represents Death, but Life is also present -- the goddess is simultaneously giving birth. Between the goddess's crouching legs, you can see the baby's small head emerging out of the birth canal.

I've always loved this little statue because it celebrates Coatlicue's life-giving (or rebirth-giving) powers. According to her myth, Coatlicue gave birth to all the other deities of the Aztec pantheon, plus the moon and the stars. These little grey/black statues were available everywhere in Mexico, but I love the fact that this particular artisan had taken the time and trouble to carefully highlight some details in gold paint, as if to honour Coatlicue just a little bit more.

And speaking of Aztec childbirth, here's a relevant concluding meme --

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026; Meme courtesy of the internet]

May Full Moon Altar: Ishtar

This full moon altar honours Ishtar, the Great Goddess of Babylon in ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq). Ishtar subsumes in herself all the attributes and powers of every other goddess in the region, including the mighty Inanna, and is therefore essentially the Goddess of Everything, including Abundance, Fertility, Love, War, Rebirth, and Transformation.

Her sacred animal is the Lion which, as Goddess of War, she rides into battle, as depicted on this plaque of unknown provenance. The well-armed Ishtar is surrounded by symbols of power and strength, and clearly will not be defeated. I bought this reproduction about 20 years ago from Sacred Source, which unfortunately no longer appears to carry it in their inventory.

Echoing Ishtar's Female-With-Lion symbolism are several "Strength cards" from the Major Arcana of various Tarot decks. Classic Strength card imagery depicts a savage lion allowing a gentle maiden to open (control) its implacable jaws of death and destruction. The Strength card's message is that only love and kindness are strong enough to "tame the beast within" of wild emotions and destructive passions.

[Left to right: Morgan-Greer Tarot, The Pulp Tarot, Tarot of the Magical Forest]

[Left to right: Legacy of the Divine Tarot, Daughters of the Moon Tarot]

This month has a couple of significant lunar correspondences. Tonight's full moon coincides with the pagan fertility festival known as Beltane or May Day. And at the end of the month, there will be a second full moon, usually referred to as a Blue Moon.

[Photos #1-4 © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026; Image #5 courtesy of the Internet]

April Full Moon Altar: Selene-Luna

This month's altar celebrates the Greek Goddess of the Moon, Selene, whose Roman equivalent is Luna. Selene later became identified with Artemis and Luna with Diana. In western mythology, the moon and its phases have always been a powerful symbol of the Divine Feminine.

On the silver beaded altar cloth representing the full moon, flanked by silver candles, there are three representations of the Moon Goddess. A statue of Selene is crowned with a halo containing the waxing, full, and waning moon phases corresponding to the manifestations of the Triple Goddess -- the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone -- and to the three stages of women's lives as well. 

Selena is my most recent goddess statue. I found her three months ago in a spirituality store here in Edmonton.

The second representation on the altar is the Moon Goddess as the waxing crescent Maiden moon. She is a weatherized ceramic piece designed to be placed outdoors, ideally perhaps in a round Moon Garden consisting entirely of white flowers? I acquired this piece at least 25 years ago at a craft sale.

The third represenation of the Moon Goddess is a beautiful brooch handmade by artisans in Bali and given to me by my mother and sister for my 50th birthday nearly 20 years ago. Set in sterling silver, the Goddess's serene face is carved from polished white bone, her headdress and earrings contain amethysts, and her body is made of semi-precious gemstones -- paua shell from New Zealand, a round rainbow moonstone, and purple charoite from Siberia. Isn't she gorgeous?

As well as the Full Moon, today marks the beginning of Passover, which begins this evening and runs until April 9th. I wish Passover Blessings to all my Jewish readers! Enjoy your Passover Seder!

[Photos #1-#4 © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026;

Photo #5 is courtesy of the internet]

March Full Moon Altar: Isis

This month my Full Moon Altar honours the Egyptian Great Goddess Isis. Known as the "Lady of Ten Thousand Names," Isis subsumes all other goddesses in her being. In ancient times, she was revered in Egypt and throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East, including Greece and Rome.

Seated on a desert sand altar cloth, Isis embodies and is surrounded by powerful symbols of the Life Force. Her sacred bird-of-prey wings protect both the living and the dead, sheltering her people in this life and in the next. Isis' wings are also the means by which the goddess fanned the Breath of Life back into her deceased husband Osiris, thereby resurrecting him.

On the altar's left is the stylized symbol called the Eye of Ra, the life-giving and life-sustaining Sun God. The Eye of Ra is considered to be the feminine aspect of Ra and a goddess in her own right. On the altar's right is the Ankh symbol, known as the Key of Life. 

I bought my statue of Isis here in Edmonton about 25 years ago. It appears to be modelled on this wall painting of Isis in the tomb of Seti I -- 

[Photos #1 and #2 © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026;

Image #3 from Wikipedia]

February Full Moon Altar: Galentine Goddesses

For women friends, February 14th is Galentines Day! And these goddesses are busy celebrating it for this month's full moon altar. At the centre is a terra cotta circle-of-friends-style statue of four Divine Feminine friends -- Greco-Roman goddess Artemis / Diana, Sumerian goddess Inanna, Hindu goddess Kali, and Egyptian goddess Isis. They have all previously been separately celebrated on my blog with full moon altars of their own (click the links if you want to see those posts), except for Isis. Her full moon altar is coming soon though, I promise! This terra cotta statue was purchased many years ago from Sacred Source.

On the left is a generic goddess figure in a neolithic style. Her big hips and vulva adornments emphasize her centrality to the creation of life. She was sculpted from clay and given to me a long time ago by my former Circle Sister who passed away last summer (and who I wrote about here).

On the right is another generic goddess figure in a modern style. Her arms evoke the full moon and the circle of life, her body is covered with vines and plant life evoking Mother Nature, and her womb is adorned with the Sacred Spiral of Life. I obtained this statue years ago in an Edmonton spirituality store.

I just recently bought the cute female-faced candle holders. Aren't they adorable?

Happy Valentines Day later this month to all you lovers out there! Happy Galentines Day to all my women readers! And Happy Palentines Day to all my men readers!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026]

January Full Moon Altar: Kwan Yin

On the first full moon of this new year, my altar invokes compassion and mercy for the world via Kwan Yin the Female Buddha. She is surrounded by various maneki-neko (beckoning cats) who bring good luck, good health, and prosperity to our lives according to Asian culture. 

My Kwan Yin votive bust was a birthday gift from friends a decade-and-a-half ago. I bought the beckoning cats sitting beside her in various Edmonton stores over the years. The round decorative platter serving as the altar cloth was a gift from my sister a while back.

The small pair of hand-painted porcelain blue-and-white maneki-neko in front of the lotus candle holders come from my trip to Japan in 2012. I bought them in Tokyo. All these little cats on the altar are part of my maneki-neko collection, which numbers about 14 at the moment.

May 2026 be an auspicious year for us all!

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2026]

December Full Moon Post: Sacred Spiral of Life Redux

Since my Advent of the Sun Altar to celebrate the coming Winter Solstice is physically occupying my altar space this month, I'm doing a photo post to honour December's Full Moon. Consider it Part 2 of a similar post I did a couple of years ago!

The Sacred Spiral of Life is a powerful symbol found in many spiritual traditions, including that of the Divine Feminine. The path to the centre of existence and to the centre of ourselves resonates deeply in the human psyche and we reproduce it in many settings.

The Sacred Spiral forms the basis for the unicursal (single) path of another favourite spiritual symbol and practice of mine -- the labyrinth.

Once you start consciously looking for this symbol in nature, art, and architecture, you will see it everywhere! It expresses beauty, serenity, and meaning wherever it is found.

November Full Moon Altar: Menrva

This month's altar honours Menrva, the Etruscan goddess of war, art, wisdom, and medicine. Ancient Etruscan civilization, which arose in the 9th century BCE in Tuscany and area, dominated Italy until it fell to Rome in the late 4th century BCE. Menrva inspired the creation, character, and attributes of her Greek and Roman divine feminine counterparts Athena and Minerva.

The statue of Menrva on the altar is an Etruscan reproduction which I bought in Florence while vacationing in Tuscany in 2008. The warrior goddess carrying her owl of wisdom rides triumphantly in her chariot drawn by a beautifully stylized steed.

The two temples which flank Menrva's chariot are a pair of heavy bronze bookends which I bought in Winnipeg about 40 years ago, back in the days when I used to go antiquing. I don't know how old they are but suspect they may be Victorian in origin.

Similarly, the little porcelain art deco grecian urn holding the red taper candle dates from my antiquing days as well. I found it about 30 years ago in a rural Manitoba barn stuffed full to bursting with antiques, collectibles and just plain old junk. I have always loved it!

As with my August full moon altar, synchronicity once again made itself known after I created this altar to Menrva. I was notified that a dear gay male friend, with whom we shared a villa in Tuscany on our 2008 trip, had passed away in October. His obituary said how much he loved Italy, its culture and people, and had returned to it for six months last year to study the language and become fluent. I attended his funeral a couple of days ago. Rest in peace, Jim.

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

October Full Moon Altar: Hestia-Vesta

[This post is also linked to the prompt "Fire"

at this week's Thursday Art Date With Rain]

The virgin Olympian Goddess Hestia personifies the Sacred Fire of Life which burned at the centre of every hearth, home, and temple throughout Greece. Hestia always received the first sacrifice or libation of gratitude and worship both at home and in public. Since Hestia is essentially an abstract, conceptual deity, she was rarely directly or figuratively portrayed in art or statue form. And because Hestia was already present in every temple's sacred flame (regardless of which god or goddess the temple was dedicated to), she also had few temples uniquely dedicated to her. Yet her ubiquitous presence and worship made Hestia one of the most popular deities.

Her Roman counterpart Vesta did, however, have her own central temple in the Roman Forum, in which the Sacred Fire burned 24/7. Vesta's temple could be entered only by six full-time priestesses called the Vestal Virgins, who conducted rites and rituals while continually tending the flame of the goddess.

In keeping with tradition, there is no statue of Hestia present on this month's altar. She is represented by the burning beeswax candle in the glass-and-mirror-mosaic altar bowl. The altar's colour scheme comprises the reds, oranges, and yellows of sacred fire imagery.

I purchased the handcrafted altar bowl here in Edmonton, but it was made by artisans in Bali.

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]

August Full Moon Altar: Nile Goddess

This month's altar honours the Nile Goddess, whose small figurines have been found by archaeologists in graves and tombs throughout Egypt and Libya. Her image is 6,000 years old, predating the pyramids and pharaohs. I have placed her on an altar cloth representing desert sand and the banks of the river Nile. The life-sustaining river is also represented by the blue ribbon and candles. Behind the Goddess is a pyramidical structure (because, even though anachronistic in this setting, nothing represents Egypt like the pyramids!) The intersecting circles of the candlesticks create vesica piscis ovals, the ancient sacred geometry vulva symbol of the Divine Feminine.

The Goddess' pose forms the Egyptian hieroglyph which means "The Soul." A Goddess of primal divine power, she does not have a human face but instead, the head of a bird or serpent. Her presence in graves and tombs suggests she is a Goddess of Regeneration and Rebirth, helping to guide the dead on the sacred journey to their next life.

After creating this altar, life took a very synchronistic turn. Out of the blue, I was contacted about an old friend's passing. Born in Egypt but living abroad as an adult in France and Canada, she was a lifelong priestess of the Goddess, devoted to the Divine Feminine who was her constant muse in both art and writing. When I first came to Edmonton 28 years ago, I was part of her spiritual circle of five women. In a few days, we surviving three Circle Sisters will meet at our friend's graveside to drum and sing in her honour as she returns to the Great Mother of All.

We all come from the Goddess

And to her we shall return

Like a drop of rain

Flowing to the ocean

[Photos © Debra She Who Seeks, 2025]