Glossary - exWitch Australia (formerly 'Born Again Pagan')

KYBELE (aka 'Cybele')

Kybele was one of the most important Asian mother goddesses, probably originating as a mountain goddess, who became equated with the Greek goddesses Rhea and Demeter. According to legend Zeus raped her and she bore a monstrous son Agdistis. Her consort was Attis who was unfaithful to her, and in remorse, after Kybele's discovery of his transgression, castrated himself under a pine tree and bled to death.

About 204 BC the black stone by which she was personified in Pessinus (Phrygia) was carried to Rome and installed in the Temple of Victories on the Palatine as Cybele Magna Mater; thus fulfilling a prophecy that if the "great mother" was brought to Rome, the war with the invader Hannibal would be won. She is frequently depicted riding in a chariot drawn by panthers or lions and is accompanied by frenzied dancers or Konybantes. She was invoked in the three-day festival commencing with mourning (tristia) followed by joy (hiralia) in the spring during which her emasculated priests, the galloi, gashed themselves with knives. Her attributes included the key, mirror, and pomegranate.

PLEASE NOTE:
One of the major problems with 'defining' Paganism and/or its beliefs and practices is that it is an 'organic' movement, in that it is undergoing constant change and re-evaluation from within, and as such any 'one-size-fits-all' approach to understanding Paganism will be found wanting.

Due to the very 'organic' nature of Paganism, and the many differing Paths and Traditions within it, in many cases no one definition may be universally accepted by all Pagans. Therefore, where such cases of possible conflicting and/or contradictory meanings of certain terms occur I have endevoured to give not only the generally accepted meaning, but also any major 'variations' in belief and/or practice.

Christians who believe this difference in meaning of certain key terms, beliefs and practices to be unique to Paganism need to remember that such conflicts also arise within the Body of Christ - the Church. Take for instance the differing practices amongst Christians concerning Baptism and the different attitudes towards women in the clergy.

- Jean-Luc