“Eos’ themes are wealth, love, joy, health, fertility, leadership, passion and beauty. Her symbol is saffron. In Indo-European tradition, Eos is a sky Goddess who offers us dawn’s hopeful, renewing energy. Greek stories tell of Eos’s intense beauty, which inspires passion. As a faithful consort and fertile divinity, She also ensures us of productivity and devoted love.
Saffron is the world’s most expensive herb, and on the last Sunday in October, people in Consuegra, Spain, honor the crop with folk dances and pageantry. Magically speaking, saffron embodies Eos’ loving, joyful, healthy, and fertile powers, which is why it was sacred to Her. So consider getting up at dawn and adding a few strands of saffron to your morning tea to bring renewed hope.
Later in the day, consume saffron rice to internalize any of Eos’ attributes. Or, carry a container of saffron as a charm to manifest passion, inspire inner beauty, and motivate positive financial improvements.
The ancients also used saffron to dye the robes of the kings, giving it associations with leadership. So, if you need to improve your sense of control or authority in any situation, integrate something with a saffron hue into your wardrobe today. The color’s vibrations strengthen self-confidence and generate the administrative skills you need.”
(Patricia Telesco, “365 Goddess: a daily guide to the magic and inspiration of the goddess”.)
“The Greek Goddess of dawn, Eos was the daughter of two early light deities, Hyperion and Thea. The lovely winged creature drove a chariot hitched to four swift steeds, dragging light across the sky; She changed at midday into another Goddess, Hemera (‘light of day’), and later into sunset Goddess Hesperide.
Eos had a strong sexual appetite – almost as strong as that of the love Goddess Aphrodite Herself. [“In the Greek legend, Aphrodite had found Eos in bed with Her lover Ares; to punish Eos She ‘cursed’ Her with an insatiable taste for mortal youths, and Eos became infamous for Her many lovers.” [1] ] She had many lovers, often kidnapping handsome men to serve Her needs. One was the gigantic Orion, a rather brutal human who, because of his constant mistreatment of his wife Merope, was blinded by Merope’s father and by the wine god Dionysus. In order to restore his sight, Orion was told to bathe his face in Eos’ rays. She saw him standing on a hilltop and not only restored Orion’s sight but stole him away for Her lover. Orion never did remedy his violent ways, however, and was eventually removed to the stars for an offense against Artemis.
Another mortal lover was Tithonus, for whom Eos conceived so lasting an affection that She begged immortality for him. Alas for him, Eos forgot to add a request for eternal youth. Slowly Tithonus wizened, and Eos’ love faded. She fled his bed, but took enough pity on Her former lover to turn Tithonus into a cricket and install him in a little cage near Her door, whence he could chirp good-bye to Her as She left on Her day’s journey” (Monaghan, p. 113).
Her Roman counterpart was the Goddess Aurora and the Etruscan Goddess Tesana was equated with Her.
Sources:
Monaghan, Patricia. The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines, “Eos“.
Took, Thalia. The Obscure Goddess Online Directory, “Thesan“.
Suggested Links:
Covenofthegoddess.com, “Goddess Eos“.
Goddess-Guide.com, “Eos“.
Mythagora.com, “Eos: Erigeneia, The Dawn“.
Theoi Greek Mythology, “Eos“.
Wikipedia, “Eos“.