The Goddess Helice

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Helice, That-Which-Turns.
H]LYKA
Alternate meanings: Spiraling-One, Willow-Branch.
[to Whom the nineteenth day of May, day 139, is dedicated]

Geography/Culture: Greek.
Perhaps associated with Mount Helicon, in southwestern Boeotia, the home of the Mousae.
Linguistic Note: Her name seems to be related to Greek `rough breath-epsilon-lambda-iota-sigma-sigma-omega, (helisso), 'to turn round', or rough breath epsilon-lambda-iota-xi, (helix), 'anything which assumes a spiral shape', 'the tendril of the vine', etc. Particularly, according to Robert Graves, the willow, whose leaves grow spirally up the stem of a twig. Related English words: helical, helicity (physics), perhaps helicon (the instrument), Mount Helicon, helicopter heliograph, heliotrope, heliocentric, heliogram, heliograph, heliotropism. helium, helix.
Description: Goddess of water-magic, {spiraling growth patterns} and perhaps healing; Eponym of the River Helicon; and Mount Helicon; Matroness of witches.
To Whom Sacred: willow-tree; willow-wand (thirteen inch willow twig used by Her priestesses in every kind of witchcraft and water-magic); April 15 to May 12 (time period of the Saille, willow, month--fifth in the Beth-Luis-Nion Calendar); the constellation Ursa-major (the Greeks sometimes called it Helice).
Male Associate: consort, Oenopion, Wine-in-Plenty.

Titles/Variants, etc:

Sister of: Aiga, Dazzling-light.
Sister of: Amaltheia, Tender, linked with Aega.
The Ursa-Major constellation was also called Callisto.
Title or alternate name for Europe, She-of-the-Flourishing-Willow-Withies.
Mother of Merope, Bee-Eater, linked under Pleiades.
Since She is said to be the sister of Aiga and Amaltheia, She may be a Daughter of Perse, qv Theia.

Source: AHDEL; GMv1/115, 163; WG.RG/173, 179, 218; WWGRM/144.

worked on: June 30, 1990; August 6, 1991; May 1995.
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