Jade Maidens
ORIGIN:
China
The Jade Maidens serve as celestial attendants to Hsi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West. Their home is in her Western Paradise. These beautiful musicians are also goddesses in their own right. Among their many functions:
• They are the Western Mother’s trusted messengers.
• They serve the peaches of immortality.
• They serve as priestesses and altar maidens during celestial rites.
• They guard sacred texts.
• They witness oaths for spirits and for people.
• They are practitioners and teachers of sacred dance, music, and song.
• They write out charms and amulets for people.
• They teach magical, alchemical, and spiritual arts.
The Jade Maidens interact with both men and women. They enter into sacred marriages, blessing, protecting, and offering esoteric instruction to their human partners. They epitomize the ideal woman: beautiful, charming, brilliant, spiritually powerful. Incredible adepts, they are not somber spirits, but funny, witty, playful, and often irreverent.
SEE ALSO:
Ho Hsien-Ko; Hsi Wang Mu; Huli Jing; Lady White; Ma Gu
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.