Title:
Iridescent One
Other Titles:
Marred Mistress, Breaker of Chains, Lady of the Broken, Lady of Outcasts, Unicorn Queen
Origins:
Liyesa is a Goddess which I discovered, much like Venaris, in a homebrew game of D&D. The idea of her came to me in a period where I was struggling with identity in many different ways. Just called the Marred Mistress then (because she herself is also not without scars), she became a source of comfort and solace both within the game and without. Through my time connecting with her I found a true deity underneath. Whether created through the power of Story, or whether she is unrecorded, matters little to me.
Associated Deities:
The thing about unrecorded deities is that you have to build from scratch. I found myself drawn to several spirits and deities who have helped me form a picture of her and connect with Liyesa. The biggest influences were:
- Freyja, Norse Goddess associated with love, beauty, magic, and war
- Shelyn, Pathfinder TTRPG Goddess, associated with beauty, art, music, and love
- Aphrodite, Greek Goddess associated with love, beauty, and pleasure
- Inanna, Sumer Goddess associated with love, sensuality, divine law, war, and fertility
Aspects
Beauty
She is the Goddess of beauty in all its forms – not just pleasing sights, but also enchanting sounds, luxurious tastes and scents, and the exquisite pleasures of the flesh, whether that is a lover’s caress or the brush of silk on skin. She is considered a Goddess who sees beauty in all things and all people, even if those are not deemed beautiful by conventional societal standards
Self-Love and -Acceptance
Liyesa teaches us to see the beauty in all things, which includes ourselves. We are all worthy of love and kindness, no matter what. The Iridescent One takes us by the hand and shows us that we should love and accept ourselves just as we are: flaws, scars, and all. This road is not an easy one, and it takes courage to walk it. Grief and shadow work are therefore also part of her domain. Harsh lessons must be learned, but it will be worth it.
Authenticity
She tells us to look within, and let the beauty of our authentic self shine forth. Release the bonds that tie us to convention, and look futher to see what brings us joy and enrichtment, what brings more beauty into our lives. If we know and love our inner selves, we can be our authentic selves and live a happier life
Art
Art is often an expression of ourselves, of the authentic feelings and visions we have. Though making art we create, and we bring more beauty into this world. Any form of art, be it fine arts, music, sculpting, fiber arts, glass art, and many more, are loved by Liyesa.
Freedom
Liyesa’s myth started with her being chained, tied down, beaten and broken. She fought for her freedom, broke free from her chains, and found her strength. She healed, and learned to love her scars. The Marred Mistress teaches us to reach for that freedom, to be who we are, to be who we want to be. This often means fighting against the chains placed by society. Chains for who we are, the colour of our skin, who we love, our abilities or lack thereof, our personal style, our social status, our lot in life. So many chains weighing us down and keeping us back. Liyesa helps us break these chains and finally find freedom.
Second Chances
Sometimes, something happens that shatters our inner mirror. The vision we had of ourselves is gone, broken, as is the life we thought we would lead. Through trauma, violence, illness, etc we can lose part of ourselves and find ouselves lost with no idea how to pick up the pieces. Through love and acceptance Liyesa helps us get a second chance. A second chance at life, perhaps not the one we thought we would lead, but one filled with joy and love and beauty all the same
Unicorns
I am not entirely sure where this aspect comes from. But she has appeared to me with a unicorn horn multiple times and I heavily associate unicorns with her. She is a Queen of Unicorns, leading the herd.