Geography/Culture: Greco-Roman. Literary creation by Apuleius of Medaura, b. 124 CE, based on an old Greek folktale containing religious elements.
Linguistic Note: from the Greek psi-upsilong-xi-eta, (psyche), breath, Latin anima, especially as the sign of life, the life, spirit. 2. metaphorically, of things dear as life. II. the departed soul, spirit, ghost. 2. the soul or spirit of man. 3. the soul, heart. 4. appetite. III. the soul, mind, understanding.
Description: Lucent winged, beauteous Goddess of sensitivity, consciousness, human awareness and its development; {Epitome of the collective Unconscious; Eponym of the therapeutic arts of psychology and psychiatry; Purveyor of the spirit strengthening influence of all artistic disciplines; Caretaker of the crazy; Protectress of those with suicidal tendencies; Matron of mind-healers}.
Kissing the tips of the right hand towards Her is an act of homage.
Invocations, Pleas, Hymns and Other Homage to HER: Psyche
To Whom Sacred: unsorted seeds; reed (a reed advised Her on how to obtain shreds of the fleece of golden sheep); {butterfly -- egg, larva and chrysalis (She is sometimes represented as a butterfly, or as a young Woman with butterfly wings}; ant (ants assisted Her in the task, set by Venus, Epitome-of-Grace-and-Charm, of sorting the heap of mixed seeds); cock (apparently She is sometimes portrayed as a cock -- rather supprising! perhaps a hen is meant); eagle (Who assisted Her in the task, set by Venus, Epitome-of-Grace-and-Charm, of filling the crystal vessel with water of the Styx); shreds of golden fleece (the obtaining of which was one of the tasks set Her by Venus, Epitome-of-Grace-and-Charm); lamp (from which a scalding drop of oil fell on Cupid initiating Her loss of, and long search for him); ointment of divine -- psychic? -- loveliness; vessel of wrought cyrstal (in which water from the Styx was brought back to Venus. Epitome-of-Grace-and-Charm); the color yellow (Her wedding veil was yellow -- at the recommendation of an oracle She was adorned as for marriage and for death, and offered by Her parents in sacrifice to a serpent who even the Gods are in dread of); high tower (which assisted Her in the final task set by Venus, Epitome-of-Grace-and-Charm, of obtaining the casket, filled with the ointment of divine loveliness, from the Queen of Death); {psychean labors (such as the tasks set Her by the irate Venus, Epitome-of-Grace-and-Charm)}.
Male Associates: consort Cupid, Love, Desire. Zephyrus, the West wind carried Her to the magical talking golden house wherein She met Her consort. Pan saved Her from suicide by drowning after the burning oil incident. {The mixture of Greek and Roman names -- Favonius, is the Roman West wind, and perhaps Faunus the correspondent to Pan -- is due to the late date of the composition when the names of the Greek and Roman deities had begun to be used interchangeably and their qualities confused.}

Titles/Variants, etc:
• Perhaps the "old Greek folktale" on which Her story is based was the myth of Andromeda, Ruler-of-Men, Who is linked with Astart, Conceiving-Womb.
• See also Anima-Mundi, Soul-of-the-World, for a similar concept.
• Psyche, World-Soul, performs voluntary caretaking services for Ceres, Creatress, hoping to win Her aid.
• The Christian saint Dymphna, ----, below, is also associated with mind-healing and spirit-mending.
• Psyche, World-Soul, is associated with Proserpina, Fearful-One, Who is linked with Persephoneia, Bringer-of-Destruction), into Whose realm She descended for the box of beauty ointment.
• Through Holladay Paganism crystalization She is to be associated with Thou, The-Self-Addressed.
• As a mortal She was worshiped and identified with Venus, Epitome-of-Grace-and-Charm, thus bringing divine retribution down upon Her.
• Also called, (as Her own Daughter), Voluptas, Joy, below.

Geography/Culture: Belgium: especially at Geel in the province of Antwerp, on the river Nethe. Christian. Presumably originally from Ireland, and perhaps Celtic. Her murder/execution took place in 600 CE.
Description: She Who instituted Geel, the traditional site of Her Christian martyrdom, as a haven for the mentally ill; Irish Princess; She Who, in consequence of certain miracles She effected, was canonized; Matron Saint of the insane.
To Whom Sacred: In the choir of the gothic church dedicated to Her in Geel are (azov 1926) some fine panel paintings representing incidents in Her life. Here too, enclosing Her relics, is Her shrine which is held to have the miraculous power of curing insanity. Geel has been known since the thirteenth century as a haven for the mentally ill, who are housed in the town with private families at the expense of the government.
Male Associates: Her Father was also Her executioner/murderer.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• Variant: Dympna.
• By Her association with those suffering crises of the psyche, She bears resemblance to Psyche, World-Soul, above.
• Forename Saint, Holy.

Geography/Culture: Roman. [?\gds\gazeteer\gazeteer.4a].
Linguistic Note: See Voluptas Linguistic Note below.
Description: Goddess of pleasure.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• An image of Angerona, Queen-of-Protection, stood in the temple of Volupia, ----, suggesting some connection between the two Goddesses.
• The similarity of Her name, Volupia, to that of Voluptas, Joy, (below), suggests the two might be identified.

Geography/Culture: Roman.
Linguistic Note: Latin voluptas, pleasure. From Indo-European base *wel-, to wish, choose. Related English words: voluptuary, voluptuous, will.

Titles/Variants, etc:
• Daughter of Psyche, World-Soul, above.
• Perhaps related to Volupia, ----, above.