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Greek Gods and Goddess: Asteria

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Goddess of the falling stars, daughter of Phoebe [bright moon] and Coeus [intellect], sister of Leto, and husband of Perses, [the destroyer] with whom she had one daughter, Hecate [far wandering, reaching], hailed by Zeus as the goddess of the wilderness, magic, witchcraft, poisons, ghosts, Necromancy, and Childbirth. Asteria lived at Olympus along with her sister Leto, thus, they caught the ever-lusting eye of Zeus.

Eye of zeus.

Zeus always weary of his jealous and vindictive wife Hera, transformed himself into an eagle and set out in pursuit of Asteria, who wanted nothing to do with him. In order to evade him she changed herself into a quail, and flung herself into the Aegean Sea. It was there that rather than drowning she emerged as the island Asteria, associated with the island of Delos, although, Herodotus finds that the Egyptians considered it to be Khemmis-Chemmis in the Nile delta. Where ever it was, the Island was considered be separated from mother earth, thus the perfect and only place that her sister Leto, could give birth to Apollo, after Hera had commanded Gaia, mother earth to refuse to let her give birth on land. (the Greek poet Nonnus, (ought to signify ‘know nothing?) writing around the end of the 4th century, early 5th AD, has Poseidon taking up the pursuit of Asteria, after she plunged into the sea, and that (the yet unborn) Apollo helped her change into a floating island. Knowledge should grow with time, not decrease?

In the rare account where Asteria was said to be the mother of Heracles by Zeus, it is reported that the Phoenicians sacrificed quails to the hero because when he went into Libya and was killed by Typhon, Iolaus brought a quail to him, and placed it beside him, and smelling its sweet aroma came to life again.

Question.

One has to wonder of all the birds Asteria could have transformed into why she would choose a quail? One would have thought that a quail pursued by an eagle was, dead in the water for sure. Yet no previous author offers any reason, why she might do such a thing, and this is common failing amongst authors, who study. They are so focused on their area, or areas of understanding, that they maim themselves, because they ignore the greater picture.

Mathematiques.

The Mathematics, {to comprehend 4 of the liberal sciences, being principally, arithmetic, geometry, music and Astronomy, known uniformly as Astrology, {as anatomy is to biology. As body is to mind. Neither one, without the other can exist in this world. [further, music as a science is not the study or ability to play music as we now think of it, but of harmony the music and flow of the spheres, understanding that which makes the sciences tick and work together; while arithmetic is of numbers-thus physics, and thus measure and time; geometry, - chemistry and what comes from it, is that which forms from them all, as mass, and physical existence. Astrology-astronomy, contained all sciences, nothing was excluded].

Encycopedie: f.

The perfection of all knowledge, and liberal sciences; an art that comprehends all others; or, learning that comprehends all arts. (yet it may be said, a whole dictionary will not illuminate the darkness of an evil or base mind; as the brightest light will not spark a fire in the mind of a fool.)

but in reality,

‘Les chansons procedent de
la mesine cornemuse’
All these matters have but one head,
all these businesses but one origin.

Question.

So, we come again to the question, why would Asteria, to avoid the attention and intention of Zeus, in the form of an eagle, transform herself into a tiny Quail? Indeed, how is it that Asteria, whose name signifies a ‘falling Star’ can in anyway connected to a Quail?

Moses answers.

It could be for a very good reason, because we find the following in OT. That after the people had continuously moaned to Moses about the fact that they were fed up with eating Manna, day and night, and wanted meat, Moses relayed their words to the Lord. Thus, we read in Numbers. 11-31. ‘And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea and let them fall by the camp.’

(and the people gathered up, and prepared the quail to eat.)

Numbers. 11-33. ‘And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, before it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the lord smote them with a very great plague.’

Coturnism, as it is now known, was, and still is an illness that can cause Rhabdomyolysis (muscle cell breakdown). And is caught by eating quail that have eaten poisonous plants. Quail are not a risk except in the migration period. The common quail Corturnix, has three recognised routes, the eastern migration route which roughly followers the Nile River, is linked to Autumn poisonings, and western flyway across Algeria to France, is linked to spring poisonings. The ability of the quail to eat plants poisonous to people and probably other flesh-eating animals and Birds has been known since ancient times.

Conclusion.

And thus, this surely is why Asteria chooses to transform into, and flee like a migrating quail, because Zeus in the form of an Eagle would not dare catch her, for she might poison him. Thus, Asteria in the form of a quail, just like a falling star was seen as an omen of doom.