Dewi Danu, Goddess of Primeval Waters
The beautiful Dewi Danu! Somehow, in my 4 years of traveling to Bali, I hadn’t heard of her.
But one day, she caught my attention as we were driving through the mountains, as I noticed a mysterious golden yellow statue shining in the middle of Lake Batur, only accessible by boat.
We went back for my birthday (now many months ago), and what a joy to take her in. Look at her! Emerging from a lotus, riding a crowned dragon, with lovely sacred dancers circling her. Both fierce and kind. Radiant with unrestrained beauty.
Dewi Danu is the primordial water goddess in Balinese Hinduism, and she and her ceremonial shrine are the highest on the island, while her temple wears the highest number of tiers, reflecting her importance.
I was elated to see her carrying the emblematic jar of water priestesses and goddesses. She reminded me of Mary Magdalene, who is often depicted with her alabaster jar, a symbol of the womb and its sacred spiritual elixirs.
Fascinatingly, I bought a portrait of Dewi Danu from a local artist (who created it with volcanic sand). When I came home, I realized her similarity with the portrait of Mary Magdalene my beautiful friend Holy Woman Holy Grail created, now on the cover of ‘Magdalene Mysteries: The Left-Hand Path of the Feminine Christ.’
Danu, a word connected to primeval waters in many traditions, is also the name of an ancient Celtic mother goddess. She who birthed and suckled the gods of Ireland, as well as the Tuatha Dé Danann (the fairy people whose name literally means 'the people of the goddess Danu').
Art by Anandi
Art by John Duncan
Phew, so much beauty and feminine synchronicity!
To top it off, later that day, as we drove down to Ubud, we looked for a place to have birthday cake. Most restaurants were closed, but we eventually found a place. As we chowed down pastries, I looked up to notice that right across from us was.. wait? Could this be? There she was, with her jar and graceful poise. I asked a beautiful local girl who was placing an offering and blessing the statue, and she confirmed. It felt like Dewi Danu was the one overlooking and blessing my birthday and the year ahead.
