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"MATI SYRA ZEMLA" OR "MATKA", FOR SHORT, IS THE SLAVIC GODDESS OF THE EARTH. HER NAME TRANSLATES TO "MOIST MOTHER EARTH", AND DESCRIBES HER AS A FOREVER FERTILE, LIFE-GIVING FORCE. SHE IS NOT SEEN IN HUMAN FORM BUT AS THE EARTH ITSELF...ALTHOUGH IT IS BELIEVED THAT AT CERTAIN TIMES, SHE WILL TAKE HUMAN FORM. AND WHEN SHE DOES, SHE IS USUALLY PORTRAYED WITH BLACK SKIN WHICH ASSOCIATES HER WITH THE BLACKNESS OF THE FERTILE SOIL. MATKA IS BELIEVED TO BE THE MOST ANCIENT AND POWERFUL OF ALL OF THE EASTERN EUROPEAN DEITIES. IN FACT, MATKA IS SO POWERFUL THAT SHE SURVIVED INTO THE 20TH CENTURY DESPITE ALL ATTEMPTS OF THE CHURCH TO DO AWAY WITH HER.SHE IS THE MOTHER OF ALL--THE PEOPLE, THE ANIMALS, AND ALL OF THE PLANTS OF THE EARTH. THE SLAVIC PEOPLE HAD A STRONG CONNECTION TO THEIR MOTHER GODDESS AND AN ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIP THEY HAD WITH ALL THE OTHER GODS. THEY LOOKED UPON HER WITH A MIXTURE OF LOVE AND ADMIRATION, AND SHE WAS THE ONLY DEITY THEY ADDRESSED PERSONALLY. WHEN THE PEASANT PEOPLE SPOKE OF HER, THEIR EYES WOULD FILL WITH LOVE. THEY CALLED ON HER TO WITNESS PROPERTY DISPUTES AND SWORE BY HER NAME. OATHS AND MARRIAGES WERE CONFIRMED BY SWALLOWING A CLUMP OF EARTH OR HOLDING SOME ON THEIR HEAD WHILE THEY SWEAR AND OATH. HER AID WAS INVOKED DURING EPIDEMICS AND WHILE IN CHILDBIRTH. MATKA IS ALSO VIEWED AS A CHAMPION OF JUSTICE AND A WISE PROPHETESS WHO ALLOWS HER PETITIONERS TO COME TO HER WITHOUT THE AIDE OF A PRIESTESS OR A SHAMAN. IT WAS SAID THAT SHE HELD ALL THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD AND WHEN ASKED, WOULD RELEASE THE SIGNS THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED.WHEN THE SLAVS CONVERTED TO CHRISTIANITY, THE CHURCH ATTEMPTED TO TRANSFORM HER CHARACTERISTICS THE VIRGIN MARY, BUT THIS WAS NOT WHOLLY SUCCESSFUL, FOR DURING TRYING TIMES, THE PEOPLE WOULD REVERT TO THE WORSHIP OF MATKA. HER HOLY DAYS ARE MAY 1ST, JUNE 24TH AND AUGUST 1ST. A RITUAL TO HER TOOK PLACE ON THE FIELDS IN AUGUST. AT THIS TIME, A LIBATION OF HEMP OIL WAS POURED OUT ONTO THE FOUR DIRECTIONS...ACCOMPANIED BY A PRAYER FOR PROTECTION AGAINST THE DESTRUCTIVE FORCES OF NATURE.
Reference: lilith-dark-moon.blogspot.com
