#opis

Original card : Opis

Story : A young mare who work hard in farm, but keep an elegant style in any situation.

Rhea

Greek goddess of fertility, motherhood, life, nourishment, and abundance  

Rhea (known as Opis to the Romans) is the Mother of the Greek gods and the original Queen of Heaven before being cast aside for Zeus’ wife, Hera. Rhea’s name means "flow" and "ease." As the wife of Kronos (god of time), she represented the eternal flow of time and generations; as the great Mother (Meter Megale), the “flow” was menstrual blood, birth waters, and milk. She was also a goddess of comfort and ease, a blessing reflected in the common Homeric phrase "the gods who live at their ease (rhea)."

Myths: Rhea is the wife of the god of time, Kronos. In mythical stories, it is said that when her husband heard a prophecy that he would be overthrown by one of his children, he began devouring each of them as soon as they were born, causing Rhea great suffering. When Rhea bore her youngest, Zeus, she did so in secret and hid him away in a cave in Krete (Crete) guarded by the warriors called the Kouretes. Rhea returned and tricked Kronos by presenting a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes, which he immediately consumed. So Zeus was then raised in secrecy on Mount Dikte in Krete, where he was nursed by nymphs on the milk of the goat Amaltheia and guarded by the Kouretes, who drowned out the sound of Zeus’ crying with their shield-clashing battle-dance.

Upon coming of age, Zeus recruited the goddess Metis to his cause. She served Kronos a magical draught which caused him to disgorge the young gods he had devoured. Zeus proceded to liberated the six giant-sons of Heaven from the pit of Tartaros. In gratitude the Kyklopes (Cyclopes) armed him with lightning-bolts and the Hekatonkheires (Hundred-Handed) aided him in his assault on the Titans with volleys of thrown boulders. Kronos and his allies were eventually defeated and banished to a prison beneath the earth. After the fall of the Titan-gods, Zeus and his brothers Poseidon and Hades drew lots to divide rule of the cosmos - Zeus won the heavens, Poseidon the sea, and Hades the Underworld.

In my personal workings with Rhea, she says that her husband, Kronos, was not malicious at all and had been wrongly overthrown by Zeus a long time ago when he was younger. When this was done, Rhea and the rest of the elder rulers were then cast underground, with Rhea experiencing great solitude and suffering. In order to justify his actions to humans, Zeus fabricated the story of Kronos devouring his own children to the Greeks. Over time, Zeus matured and gained wisdom, causing him to see the great wrong in his actions. He brought back Rhea to the heavens, freed Prometheus, and allowed the freedom of the other Titan gods as well. Nowadays, Zeus is much more benevolent and compassionate, since he is one of the gods who wisely decided to learn from his past mistakes. 

Personality: Rhea is a deeply nurturing and gentle-hearted goddess who adores all life and nature. She speaks gently and is very generous; only truly desiring love and respect from her followers, whom she often treats as her children. She strongly values things such as honesty, empathy, compassion, and humility. In appearance, Rhea is a beautiful woman with long black hair and eyes that shift in colour. Oftentimes, she enjoys wearing flowers in her hair and can be seen smiling gently.  

| Sacred Symbols |

Turret Crown

Cymbal

Lions

Fir Trees

Mountains