Tara: Goddess of Peace and Protection

Goddess Tara is probably the oldest goddess who is still worshipped extensively in modern times. She originated as a Hindu goddess, a Great Goddess — the Mother Creator, representing the eternal life force that fuels all life.

Tara Embodiments

​There are many embodiments of Tara, but the best known are the White Tara and the Green Tara. ​The peaceful, compassionate White Tara gently protects and brings long life and peace. The more dynamic goddess, Green Tara, is the “Mother Earth” and a fierce goddess who overcomes obstacles and saves us from physical and spiritual danger.

​In Sanskrit, the name Tara means Star, but she was also called She Who Brings Forth Life, The Great Compassionate Mother, The Embodiment of Wisdom, and the Great Protectress.

​Adopted by Buddhism, she became the most widely revered deity in the Tibetan pantheon.   In the Buddhist tradition, she is actually much greater than a goddess — she is a female Buddha, an enlightened one was has attained the highest wisdom, capability, and compassion, one who can take human form and who remains in oneness with every living thing.

Tara In Numerous Cultures and Religions

Tara
Nobody60, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

​The oldest reference to the goddess, perhaps, is found in an ancient saga of Finland thought to be 5 thousand years old. The saga speaks of a group known as Tar, the Women of Wisdom.

​A version of the Goddess exists in virtually every culture. It is said that the Goddess Tara will assume as many forms as there are needs for by the people.

The Celts called their Great Goddess Tara. Her name is thought to be the root of the word Tor. Which is a mound of earth or hillock imbued with spiritual energy or connection to the other worlds.

​We also hear the echo of her name in the Latin word for earth, Terra, a connection between Tara and the concept of “Mother Earth.” ​The Goddess Tara is also associated with Kuan Yin, the great Chinese goddess of compassion. In South America, she was known as the ancient mother goddess Tarahumara.

The Cheyenne people revere the Star Woman. She who fell from the heavens and whose body became the earth that provided them with food.

The ancient Egyptian Goddess Ishtar, who, in her myths, came to earth from the heavens and instructed her people to co-mingle and intermarry with the earthlings to give them the benefits of their learning and wisdom, was yet another incarnation of the Goddess Tara.

​In Tibet, the worship of the Goddess Tara is still practiced in the Buddhist tradition. Legends explain that the goddess is the feminine counterpart of the Avalokitesvara. The Bodhisattva who is reincarnated as the Dalai Lama.

Taras’ Origins

​It is told that Tara first appeared rising from a lotus blossom in the lake that had formed from Avalokitesvara’s tears of compassion, tears that fell when he first beheld the scope of suffering in the world.

Because of her essential goodness, she was granted the right to assume her human form as a man. But Tara elected instead to remain in her womanly form.

The Goddess vowed:

“There are many who wish to gain enlightenment
in a man’s form,
And there are few who wish to work
for the welfare of living beings
in a female form. Therefore may I, in a female body,
work for the welfare of all beings,
until such time as all humanity has found its fullness.”

Tara Of The Turned Face

​One of the myths of the goddess Tara demonstrates her compassionate and loving nature and tells how she got the name “Tara of the Turned Face.”

​An elderly woman who was a sculptor worked in a city where there was a large Buddhist temple called the Mahabodhi (Great Wisdom). She sculpted a statue of the goddess Tara and built a shrine to house it. 

Upon completing the project, she was filled with regret when she realized that she had not considered the placement of the shrine. “Oh no,” she thought, “Tara has her back to the Mahabodhi, and that isn’t right!”

​Then she heard the sculpture speak to her, saying, “If you are unhappy, I will look toward the Mahabodhi.” As the woman watched in amazement, the door of the shrine and the image of the goddess Tara both turned to face the Temple. ​Such is the love and compassion of the goddess.

Legacy

​The ancient goddess Tara in her many incarnations, has many gifts to share with contemporary women. She embodies the feminine strengths of great caring and compassion, the ability to endure stressful and even terrifying moments, the acts of creation, and the source of sustenance and protection.

​Demonstrating the psychological flexibility that is granted to the female spirit, the goddess, in some of her human forms, could be quite fierce and wild.

​Refugees fleeing the horrors of the occupation of Tibet by the Chinese armies recounted numerous stories of the Green Tara. Protecting them during their torture and guided their flight to freedom.

​In other of her forms, such as the White Tara, she embodied inner peace and spiritual acceptance. She symbolizes purity and is thought to be part of every good and virtuous woman.

​She is an archetype of our own inner wisdom. As such she guides and protects us as we navigate the depths of our unconscious minds. Helping us to transform consciousness and our own personal journeys of freedom.

​It is the goddess Tara who helps us to remain “centered.” The myths of the Goddess remind us of our “oneness” with all of creation and the importance of nurturing the spirit within.

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Tara Symbols

Tara goddess
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Tara (most widely known in her incarnations as the White Tara or the Green Tara) is often represented as a beautiful, light-skinned, slender and elegant woman. She is often pictured with her male counterpart, a Buddha. 

When depicted as Green Tara, her skin is often painted in shades of green. Many of her goddess symbols allude to her “all-seeing” nature. This is why she is often shown having eyes painted on her forehead, palms, and feet. It implies that all of her acts are performed with awareness and wisdom.

General

The goddess was often depicted as having seven eyes (including eyes in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet). This reflects her being a wise and all-seeing goddess.

Her other symbols are a star, third eye (in the middle of the forehead), full moon, lakes, rainbows, and the numbers 3, 7, and 11.

Animals

Owls are associated with wisdom in many cultures. Since Tara is seen as a wise goddess, she is often represented by this bird. Other animal symbols of Tara are raven, sow, and mare.

Plants

The goddess first appeared out of the lotus flower. Because of that, lotus blossoms – either open or closed, became important symbols of this goddess. Lotus flowers have a strong symbolism, and they represent strength, royalty, resilience, rebirth, and elegance.

Apart from lotus flowers, any orange flowers can be used to represent Tara.

Perfumes/Scents

Incense (especially Green Tara incense) was often burned as an offering to this goddess, which makes it one of the scents that are associated with her the most. Other perfumes and scent notes that are great in representing Tara are rose, musk, and jonquils.

Gems and Metals

Diamonds, rose quartz, pink tourmaline, and emerald (any pink or green stones) are all great symbols of Tara. They represent her strength and power, but also her gentle and caring nature.

Goddess Jewelry

There are many reasons why you might want to keep a healing crystal or stone close to you. Getting closer to your goddess by wearing her color or crystal is a great one. That they also look great as jewelry only makes it so much better!

Here is a guide to crystal jewelry you hopefully will find helpful. In it is a list of 30+ crystals and links to some really great looking jewelry with that crystal or stone. Enjoy!

Colors

Especially white and green, can be used to represent Tara. Keep in mind that the goddess exist in both her Green and White forms. Because of this it makes perfect sense that she is associated with these colors the most.

Other Goddesses

We hope you enjoyed this post. Be sure to check out some of the other goddesses we also write about. You can find the complete list of goddesses sorted across regions and religions here.

Featured Image Credit: Christopher J. Fynn, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Photo of author

Liz Turnbull

Sharon and Elizabeth Turnbull, mother and daughter team and the website's midwives, had over 45 years of combined work and continuous study in psychology when they decided to create the Goddess Quiz and goddessgift.com. In 2001, we launched our mission to provide visitors with tools for personal insight, self-knowledge, inspiration, and refinement. Sharon, the bestselling author of Goddess Gift (a book about finding the goddess in yourself) worked as a senior partner in a consulting firm, a speaker at seminars and conferences, and as a professor and administrator at four universities during an academic career that spanned over three decades. Liz is also a published author who works as a healthcare provider, an instructor in communication skills for healthcare providers, and leads workshops on multiple subjects including health/healing, communication, and personal growth. It is our greatest hope that our gift may help the Sacred Feminine within and all around us thrive and bless us all with Her Gifts.