figures which represent this Goddess are black, thus proving that
she must have belonged to a dark skinned race.
This image, although black, or dark skinned, had long hair, hence
not a negress. The most ancient statue of Ceres was black, and
Pausanias says that at a place called Melangea in Arcadia there
was a black Venus. In the Netherlands only a few years ago, was
a church dedicated to a black goddess. The Virgin of the Sphere
who treads on the head of the serpent represents universal
womanhood. She is the Virgin of the first book of Genesis and
mother of all the Earth. She represents not only creative power
but Perceptive Wisdom. Although this Goddess is usually seen
with the lotus in her hand, she sometimes carries ripe corn or
wheat.
The mother of Gotama Buddha was called Mai or Maya, after the
month in which the Earth is arrayed in her most beautiful attire.
Maya is the parent of universal Nature. According to Davis, the
mother of Mercury "is the universal genius of Nature which
discriminated all things according to their various kinds of
species," the same as was Muth of Egypt. Mai is said to mean
"one who begins to illuminate." She was in fact the mother of
the sun whence everything proceeds. She was matter, within which
was concealed spirit.
In the representations of Montfaucon appears the Goddess Isis
sitting on the lotus. Her head, upon which is a globe, is
surrounded by a radiant circle which evidently represents the
sun. On the reverse side is Ieu, the word "which is the usual
way of the ecclesiastical authors reading the Hebrew word
Jehovah." Referring to this from Montfaucon, Godfrey Higgins
observes: "Here Isis, whose veil no mortal shall ever draw aside,
the celestial Virgin of the Sphere, is seated on the
self-generating sacred lotus and is called Ieu or Jove."[32] She
has also the mystic number 608 which stands for the Deity. Her
breasts show plainly that it is a female representation, although
connected with the figure appears the male emblem to indicate
that within her are contained both elements, or that the universe
is embodied within the female.
[32] Anacalypsis, book v., ch. iv.
Higgins thinks there is no subject on which more mistakes have
been made than on that of the Goddess Isis, both by ancients and
moderns. He calls attention to the inconsistency of calling her
