Phoencian version of Egyptian Ishtar. Some believe that she became Aphrodite in Greek myth. She was a Moon goddess associated with love and sex, but also war. Symbols of Astarte include the sphinx and the horse, the lion and the dove. Graphically, she was symbolized as a star within a circle a symbol believed to be a representation of the planet Venus.
In Jewish myth she is called Ashtoreth and is considered a female demon of lust. This may be due to the policy of one religion turning the deities of other religions into representatives of evil.
Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sandra Kynes, author of several books, including The Herb Gardener's Essential Guide, Plant Magic, and the new Witches' Encyclopedia of Magical Plants, among many others.
Although a few old books...