Goddess drawing of the day: Freyja

This drawing of Freyja is in stylistic opposition to the painting of Freyja I created for The Book of Goddesses and The Goddess Tarot. She seems so, well, sexy — not the fierce beauty I’d previously depicted swooping down from the heavens in her cat-drawn chariot.

Part of the reason for this Freyja’s rather sensual appearance was suggested by Michelle Skye, the author of the book that this illustration was created for. She associates Freyja with Beltane’s ancient fertility rituals and presents her as the ultimate earthy aphrodisiac — more akin to Venus than Athena. Anyone who has read any version of Freyja’s myth can support this supposition. Remember, Freyja was known for her lusty appetites — anyone who could sleep with that many dwarfs to gain a necklace must certainly be comfortable with her sexuality!

In any event, I’m glad I had the opportunity to explore a different aspect of Freyja. Goddesses are complex, rich creations of myth and spirit. It’s difficult to do any of them justice with just one portrait.

This drawing was created for Goddess Alive, a book I recently illustrated for Llewellyn Publications. I used pencil, white gouache on tinted paper. The book features 13 Celtic goddesses, each associated with the turn of the seasons and the phases of the moon.

Goddess Alive will be published any day now by Llewellyn Worldwide. It is now available for purchase at amazon.com. If you decide to order it, autographed bookplates are available upon request.

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