Maiden
What you need to sow
Begin by sheltering what is vulnerable.
Pre-Islamic Arabian
Al-Lat
The Goddess of Ta'if
Pre-Islamic Arabia (Ta'if, Hejaz) and Nabataean/Palmyrene worlds
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Her story
Historical context
goddess · Pre-Islamic Arabia (Ta'if, Hejaz) and Nabataean/Palmyrene worlds
Al-Lat was one of the three principal goddesses of pre-Islamic Arabia, with a sanctuary at Ta'if in present-day Saudi Arabia. She was worshipped widely from the Hejaz to Palmyra, where her temple held a famous lion statue protecting a gazelle.
Mythology & traditions
Inscriptions identify Al-Lat across several Arabian and Syrian settings, where communities understood her through different divine relationships and local titles. At Palmyra, the monumental lion associated with her temple protects a gazelle beneath one paw, an image paired with a warning against shedding blood in the sanctuary. Her record is regional and varied, not one universal mythology.
Domains
- protection
- the earth
- peace
- sanctuary
Symbols
- lion
- gazelle
- square stone
- crescent
In the oracle
Her guidance
Mother
What you need to grow
Grow strength that is used for peace.
Crone
What you need to know
Know that sanctuary is sacred.
Her tradition
Pre-Islamic Arabian Tradition
Ancient goddesses of sanctuary and the morning star from pre-Islamic Arabia.
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