examples from various parts of the world have a shared feminine association with this particular star system, intriguingly
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Greek and Roman:
- Seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione
- Names: Maia, Electra, Taygete, Alcyone, Celaeno, Sterope, and Merope
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Native American:
- Kiowa: Seven sisters who were placed in the sky to escape a bear
- Cherokee: Seven boys who danced themselves into the sky
- Mono: A group of wives who left their husbands and became stars
- Hopi: Associated with the Butterfly Maiden Kachina
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Australian Aboriginal:
- Wurundjeri: Seven sisters pursued by the star Orion
- Pitjantjatjara: Seven sisters fleeing from a man in the Dreaming
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African:
- Tuareg (North Africa): Daughters of Night
- Egyptian: Associated with the goddess Neith
- Namibian: Young girls playing with their mothers
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Japanese:
- Subaru (meaning “unite” or “cluster”)
- Sometimes associated with Amenouzume, goddess of dawn
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Chinese:
- “The Blossom Stars” or “Flower Stars”
- Associated with the start of the growing season
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Hindu (Indian):
- The six wives of the seven sages (Rishis)
- Known as Krittika, associated with the god Kartikeya
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Persian:
- Linked to Anahita, goddess of fertility and wisdom
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Babylonian:
- Associated with the goddess Ishtar
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Norse:
- Freyja’s hens
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Celtic:
- “The Seven Old Women” or “Rosary Stars”
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Polynesian:
- Matariki in Māori culture, associated with the mother and her six daughters
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Inuit:
- A group of seal hunters who were placed in the sky
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Baltic:
- Lithuanian: Sietynas, associated with a sieve used by the goddess of fate
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Mesoamerican:
- Maya: Associated with the crater-breasted god Xoc
This list demonstrates the truly global nature of the feminine association with the Pleiades, spanning nearly every continent and many diverse cultural traditions. While some variations exist (like the Cherokee interpretation of seven boys), the feminine association is remarkably consistent across a wide range of unconnected cultures.
This widespread pattern does lend itself to interpretations involving collective human experiences or psychological structures, whether viewed through a Jungian lens or other anthropological or psychological frameworks. However, it’s important to approach such interpretations cautiously, recognizing the complexity of cultural development and the potential for multiple factors influencing these similarities.