Al Uzza

The Mightiest One; Most Powerful

Very little information regarding pre-Islamic Arabian religion and spirituality has survived. These are the facts regarding Al Uzza:

• She was an extraordinarily popular deity, possibly the preeminent Arabian goddess.

• She was the primary female spirit venerated by the Nabataeans in Petra (now Jordan).

The Nabataeans were renowned stargazers, possessors of extremely sophisticated astrology. A surviving zodiac wheel contains a large image of Al Uzza in the center, apparently presiding over the wheel of the year. Al Uzza seems to have been associated with wells and springs, life-saving water in a desert region.

Al Uzza had a shrine on the road leading to Mecca where she was believed to reside in acacia trees, emerging from them when invoked. She was extremely beloved in Mecca; her idol was among those destroyed by the Prophet Muhammed at the Kaaba. She may also have been worshipped in the Sinai Peninsula.

The Romans identified Al Uzza with Isis and Aphrodite.

ICONOGRAPHY:

Surviving imagery depicts her as a beautiful woman, but Al Uzza was also venerated in the form of a black stone with a cleft.

Planets: Venus; the moon

ELEMENT

Water

Tree:

Acacia

Place: Mecca; she may have been its guardian spirit before Islam.

Sacred site:

Archaeological evidence suggests that Petra’s Temple of the Winged Lions was dedicated to her.

SEE ALSO:

Allat; Manat; Mari (2)

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes