Gaia, the Willendorf Goddess, also called "Mother Earth", blesses us all with her fertile splendor. Great-breasted nurturer, great-bellied giver of life, she was dubbed the Venus of Willendorf by archeologists who discovered her near that locale in Austria. Noteworthy are her impersonal, featureless face, the dynamism of her curling hair, the profoundly regal sureness of her posture. Dated to 30,000 B.C.E., she is both the earliest depiction of the human form and the first known religious image of the Mother Goddess, (if you don't count the newly discovered Acheulian Goddess). Her Roman name was Terra.
Ganesh
The Hindu elephant God is a deity of new beginnings. In the form of a human infant, he is a protector of newborns and those about to be born. He provides benificient influences at the start of new life.
Geb (The Great Cackler):
In ancient Egypt Geb was thought to represent the Earth, and as a vegetation-god he was shown with green patches or plants on his body. He is shown either as a dark or green skinned man representing the colors of life, the soil of the Nile and vegetation...thus the leaves on his skin. Geb was called The Great Cackler because the goose was a sacred animal to Geb, and it was said that Geb's laughter was the source of earthquakes. In addition, Geb guided the dead to the Otherworld and he gave them food and drink.
Gilagamesh
This Babylonian demi-god made a famous quest. But when he finally found the sacred rose guaranteeing eternal life, it was stolen from him by a serpent, namely the Goddess. He met her disguised as Siduri, an incarnation of Ishtar who bears the sacred beer (or wine) of ecstacy. She taught him to "live for today," enjoying the good things of life such as children, lovemaking with his wife, good food and drink.
